I Can Control My Ancestors

Chapter 432 - 17: The Struggle Between Two Palaces, Gu Yu’s Reform (Double-Length Requesting Monthly Vote)

This scene for the Gu Clan is destined to be recorded in the clan’s history.

After years of silence.

The Gu Clan has finally stepped out of Julu and returned to the court once again.

Li Yuan indeed made a firm decision.

Even though Gu Yu had just entered the court, he was immediately given the position of Grand Tutor.

The current Grand Tutor is completely different from what it was in history.

It is no longer a nominal position.

It has become an unconventional chancellor position, where, although they cannot order court officials in name, they can participate in various departments.

This was a decision Yang Jian had no choice but to make at the time.

At that time, he couldn’t abolish the rights of the Grand Tutor, otherwise, it would cause unrest among the people of the realm.

Now the Great Tang inherits the system from the Sui Dynasty, and the position of Grand Tutor follows suit.

—The change is upon us!

Gu Yu’s arrival has completely disrupted the balance within the Great Tang court, further affecting the struggles between the Eastern Palace and King Qin’s Mansion.

The entire internal situation of the Great Tang court suddenly became more complicated.

And with Gu Yu bringing up the matter of comprehensive reform.

Gu Yi finally realized why Gu Yu chose to appear at this moment.

For him, it is absolutely the most suitable time.

The two palaces are contending;

The power dynamics at the court are extremely chaotic;

Li Yuan also needs him to execute a series of balancing acts.

Various situations could aid his reform efforts.

Apart from this, there’s also the matter of the Turkic.

Although many people impeached Li Shimin regarding his dealings with the Turkic Khan, they also attached great importance to the treaty with the Turkic.

Now, Li Yuan had already formed an alliance with the Turkic as the Emperor of Great Tang.

But in Gu Yu’s view, a battle between the Great Tang and the Turkic is inevitable.

The so-called trade routes will never satisfy their appetite, and a battle with Kyushu is inevitable.

He must prepare in advance.

This is the most important reason for Gu Yu’s re-emergence.

The court was instantly abuzz.

With Gu Yu formally presenting the topic of reform in the court, all eyes were instantly drawn to him.

At this time, the struggle between the two palaces was no longer that significant.

Reform was destined to affect everyone’s interests.

This is the urgent matter at hand!

....

Taiji Hall.

Standing within the hall, Gu Yu spoke to the ministers and Li Yuan about his reform ideas developed over the years.

First—

is the current three departments and six ministries system of Great Tang.

This was a system already established at the onset of Li Yuan’s reign, and Gu Yu’s reforms regarding this were not extensive.

While delineating the rights of each ministry, he set more specific benchmarks.

If there was any real progress, it was the embryonic form of the "Hanlin Academy." Gu Yu suggested that Li Yuan establish a dedicated department to enlist talented individuals in drafting confidential documents.

This undoubtedly drew from the foresight of the Great Han in past years.

The main precaution was against the monopolization of power by the Guanlong aristocracy, who had risen with Li Yuan.

This also benefited Li Yuan.

What could truly be described as a sweeping reform, naturally targeted the entire realm.

Gu Yu proposed abolishing the "General Management Offices" recklessly instituted in the early years of Wude, eliminating redundant administrative levels, and restoring the "prefecture and county system" set during the Sui Dynasty, specifying that prefecture and county officials be directly appointed by the court.

The faster the court’s directives are implemented.

The more it benefits the common people.

This was the scene that Gu Yu saw while traveling thousands of miles in those years.

Yet everything differs from the system during the Sui Dynasty.

Gu Yu suggested placing governors, vice-governors, and chief historians in each prefecture, each reporting to separate departments of the court without inter-subordination.

Governors hold administrative power;

Vice-governors hold supervisory power;

Chief historians hold military power;

In essence, this is the "separation of powers" system.

This can definitely be acclaimed as a revolutionary reform, where a sudden inspiration played no small role, allowing Gu Yu to perceive these fundamental reforms through appearances.

This move, although it seemed to increase the number of officials.

In reality, the benefits it could bring to the court and the realm are unimaginable.

The three positions report directly to the court.

This not only facilitates the speed of implementing court decrees but also strengthens centralized power through separation of powers, allowing better oversight of governance.

Actually, Gu Yu’s ideas extend far beyond this.

Gu Yi once saw Gu Yu even contemplate dividing the powers of the "Ten Directions Expedition Envoy" into a dedicated department to curb imperial power.

However, this idea cannot be realized in the current clan situation.

It could even bring about catastrophic destruction to the Gu Clan.

Therefore, Gu Yu settled for the second-best option and shifted his strategy.

But the progress in this area is equally astounding.

Separation of powers.

The embryonic form of this system in history was not even seen until the Song Dynasty period, and the progress from the original system to the separation of powers system is equally unimaginable.

Put most directly.

The span involved here amounts to several hundred years.

The impact of this can thus be seen!

Additionally, there are certain military ideas, but compared to governance reforms, Gu Yu was not particularly bold.

The Gu Clan is no longer what it used to be.

Despite the substantial influence the Gu Clan now enjoys within the entire Great Tang court, under the influence of Gu Quan and other Gu Clan children, this influence is still not enough.

Gu Yu would not affect too many people’s interests to make the Gu Clan a common enemy.

In addition, there are reforms of specific institutions, including the imperial examination, etc.