The parting ten years ago came to my heart, and scenes of that day reappeared in my mind, and Zhuge Liang was filled with emotion.

"How dare you trouble the Supreme Emperor to be indifferent for ten years?"

"I still remember those who have made meritorious service to Wei State."

Guo Peng let go of Zhuge Liang's hand and patted his shoulder: "Okay, sit down. I haven't seen you for ten years. I have a lot to say to you."

Zhuge Liang pursed his lips and obeyed the saint's order, asking Guo Peng to sit first, and he then sat down.

Later, Guo Peng asked about his mental journey over the past ten years, asked about his life journey from the Dunhuang County Magistrate to the Dunhuang County Magistrate to the Beiting Protector, and asked about what he had learned during this period.

"I wanted to leave Luoyang and go to the local area, but I wanted to know how a government order was completed from the central government to the local area. How many times did it take to be transferred, how long it took from the beginning of the central government to the implementation of it in the local area.

What changes will happen during this period, how will the central government implement the policies, will it be tampered with by humans, and will it go down to the local area one by one, and will it lose its original meaning, and it will turn from a good thing that benefits the country and the people into a bad thing that harms the people.

If so, then where did the change begin to be born? If not, what made the government orders so smooth? When it comes to real implementation, how will the local government implement it? Will it be implemented intact or change it on its own? What will the central government handle it?

And what will happen to the people in the end? Is it beneficial to the people or damage their lives, making their lives more difficult, not easier? All of this is what I want to know."

Zhuge Liang talked jokingly: "For the past ten years, thanks to the trust and appointment of the Supreme Emperor, Your Majesty, I finally understand what I do in Luoyang is for, and what I do in the local area is for."

"You understand?"

Guo Peng looked at Zhuge Liang with great appreciation.

Zhuge Liang bowed his hand.

"I dare not say that I understand everything, but the process and twists and turns between how the government orders are uploaded and issued and finally implemented, and I finally understand the most important thing for those who are in charge of the government? And how to do it."

Guo Peng nodded.

"Then tell me, what is your biggest feeling?"

"The biggest feeling..."

Zhuge Liang pondered for a moment and slowly spoke: "If you want to talk about your greatest insight, it must be the so-called "there are policies above and the countermeasures below"."

Guo Chengzhi, who was drinking tea, was stunned.

Guo Peng curled his smile.

“Continue.”

"Affect the order."

Zhuge Liang nodded and said, "When I was an official in the central government, I often sighed that the local government was incompetent? A government decree was implemented so slowly and inefficiently. We must send people to supervise it, otherwise we will never be done on time and in quality.

I was very complaining about this at that time? I was quite dissatisfied with it. I felt that local officials were in vain. I only knew how to get their salaries and disobey the court's policies. I didn't take them seriously? I should be punished severely.

But when I left the central government and came to the local government, my ministers often lamented that the central government did not understand the local sufferings. They only knew how to formulate policies, but refused to look up at the real people. They formulated a bunch of unrealistic empty articles. They would harm the local government but not benefit them."

"Hmm? Keep talking."

Guo Peng nodded slowly.

"After such a conflicting feeling, I felt that there must be a connection problem between the central and local governments, which made it impossible for both sides to understand their respective difficulties. The biggest problem is probably that both sides are trying not to make mistakes."

Zhuge Liang frowned and said, "Central officials dare not make mistakes, and local officials dare not make mistakes. This mentality is very common among our Wei officials, and this mentality will directly lead to officials from all over the world who only report good news and not bad news.

When the policy is implemented, officials need to be implemented. Officials are human beings, and people are not sages. Who can do it? There will be good results, but bad results will inevitably occur. However, officials who are afraid of making mistakes dare not report their mistakes. As long as they can be covered up, they will try their best to cover them up.

Shangguan is busy with affairs and often cannot determine whether the matter is done well. He can only listen to the reports of his subordinates and use this as a judgment to report. If someone really reports the problem, will Shangguan really dare to report the problem to the central government?

This is not necessarily the case. In the worst case, something is wrong and is concealed from layers of information. From top to bottom, they help each other to cover up, and officials protect each other. In the end, the central government gets a confusing account, which is not the real situation at all.

But the central government thought this was the real situation. On this basis, it issued updated policies to further achieve a certain goal. However, how can we go to a higher level if we have not achieved the goal? We can only continue to conceal the reports."

Zhuge Liang spoke heavily, and Guo Peng's expression was not relaxed at all, and Guo Chengzhi was also trapped in thinking.

"If you conceal the report, I will also conceal the report. This will definitely cause problems. Even if it turns out to be a small problem, concealment from top to bottom will also cause big problems. In the end, it will be a major case that shocks the central government."

Guo Peng looked at Zhuge Liang: "How do you understand this question so?"

Zhuge Liang nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, this is the problem, and what's even more terrifying is that from the formation of political orders to the implementation of the place where a matter is implemented, no matter which link, no matter which person, even if only an extremely small mistake occurs, as long as there is, it is very likely that a huge and difficult to fill gap will eventually lead to."

"Mr., are officials at all levels so afraid of admitting mistakes and correcting them? This is not difficult. As long as you have the courage to admit it, work hard to correct it, and make up for the loss, it is not too late."

Having said that, Guo Chengzhi finally couldn't help but ask his own question.

In his opinion, as long as there is a problem, it is the most important thing to correct it.

Whoever corrects the problem and corrects the error, then the problem will be solved, and no one needs to pay a huge price for it.

Just like when he was a child, he made a mistake. As long as he had the courage to admit it, he would be forgiven. Although he really had to take some responsibility for it, he needed to make up for his own mistakes.

But isn't it enough to admit your mistake?

On the contrary, if you hide it, once you are discovered, you will be beaten up.

In my memory, when he was a child, he was also afraid of making mistakes. After making mistakes, he was afraid of being punished by Guo Jin, so he concealed them and refused to report them. But how could the prince’s affairs be hidden?

When Guo Jin found out, he was very angry and beat him up, and then told him that it was not scary to make a mistake. What was scary was that he did not dare to admit it or correct it. This was a mistake!

He still remembers the pain that he beat him up very well. He remembered that in the end, his mother Cai Wan ran to the palace to invite his grandmother Cao Lan over. Cao Lan hurried over and asked Guo Jin to stop, otherwise Guo Jin would have to continue fighting.

The memory of that dunda was too deep, so this became what he believed.

Is it difficult to admit mistakes?

Why can't such a simple thing be done?

The young Guo Chengzhi couldn't understand.

Guo Peng sighed and said nothing.

Zhuge Liang answered Guo Chengzhi's doubts.

"Young Master, it is not a trivial matter for an official to make a mistake. It is related to the official's position and future promotion. It is more likely to become a handle for others to criticize this person. Once the handle is in hand, you may lose your power.

Local officials are not harmonious and harmonious. They are intrigues for power and interests, and they are eager for each other to make mistakes and fall. It is almost impossible for them to handle this matter according to normal procedures.

If a person makes a mistake, then those who are staring at his power will immediately take this opportunity to slander the person, and may even launch an alliance to attack him, and must bring him down.

Losing an official position is an extremely terrible thing for officials. The entire family, including himself, may be liquidated and lost everything, so it is very difficult for officials to actively admit their mistakes."

Guo Chengzhi was very surprised.

This is a completely different conclusion from the education he received.

"How could it be... since this is the case, what's the use of those regulations? Isn't it just for the regulations to be determined? Where do so many intrigues come from in a small place? Why do colleagues have to fall down?

Isn’t it the most important thing to make up for mistakes and correct mistakes? Are the people who suffer from the damage in the struggle between officials? They only care about themselves and regardless of the lives of the people?”

Guo Chengzhi was surprised and angry.

"Although it sounds very hateful, it's the real thing."

Zhuge Liang shook his head helplessly: "What the young master said is an extremely ideal state, with officials harmonious and united, dedicated to doing things without selfishness. Everyone pursues the perfection of official duties, rather than personal desires.

If one person makes a mistake, everyone will bear it and correct it. Shangguan takes the lead in taking the blame, excuses his subordinates, and then concentrates on making up for the mistakes and corrects them. The central government will not severely punish those who make mistakes. What the young master thinks should be like this."

“Isn’t this good?”

Guo Chengzhi looked confused.

"This is very good, but the problem is that it cannot be done. The ideal state we envisioned has been changing since the government orders left the court. By the time they were implemented, they were already far from the original intention, and they were not even the same idea.

There is no relationship between officials and officials. There is no one who works together, but it is extremely rare. It is more about intrigue and fight for power and profit. For the sake of one's own selfish interests, it is willing to amplify the mistakes of colleagues. It would rather let the people go hungry and harm than to bring their colleagues down."

Zhuge Liang told Guo Chengzhi with regretful expressions.

Guo Chengzhi was hit hard.

"This... this is a very messy person! Such officials should be severely punished!"

Zhuge Liang shook his head repeatedly.

"Although that is the case, how can such an official discover? He just does not act and does not make mistakes. The law punishes those who make mistakes, and generally does not punish those who do not act. Inaction means that he has not made mistakes.

How should we punish without making any mistakes? In this case, not to mention a small county or a small village, such things happen. In the eyes of some officials, the people are just bargaining chips for their power and profit."
Chapter completed!