"Policies can be rebranded?"
Bibi Dong's eyes sparkled with surprise as she stared at Ye Tian in disbelief.
She had been the Pope for twenty years and had never heard of wrapping policies in sugar-coated explosives like this.
Such methods were simply astonishing!
Ye Tian gave a faint smile and gently gestured with his hand:
"Wife, don't look at me like that—I can't handle it."
Bibi Dong pursed her lips and scrunched her nose:
"Big Sister is discussing serious matters with you. Stop joking around."
"Also, Xiao Tian, take your hand off my waist. That old geezer Qian Daoliu has an expansive spiritual detection domain."
"If he happens to spy on us, although I wouldn't fear him, it would still be troublesome."
"Sigh, fine."
Ye Tian reluctantly released her waist after giving it a playful squeeze. Adjusting his expression, he explained:
"Sister, the obstacles you face in implementing the policy reversal can actually be summed up in one sentence."
"That is, the Pope's Hall ultimately lacks sufficient authority."
"Without the support of the Elder's Hall, even though the soul masters in the branch halls may superficially agree to the Pope's Hall's directives, they won't act on them."
"Moreover, during implementation, there's a risk that the Elder's Hall might forcibly intervene."
"This wouldn't just prevent the policy reversal from succeeding—it would also further erode the Pope's Hall's authority."
Feeling Ye Tian's restless hand, Bibi Dong furrowed her delicate brows and cast him a sharp glance.
However, after hearing his words, a deep sense of agreement appeared on her elegant face.
Sure enough, a genius like Ye Tian had unparalleled analytical skills. Despite his young age, his ability to assess situations surpassed even her own after twenty years as the Pope.
"You're absolutely right."
Bibi Dong pressed her jade-like hand against her forehead and sighed:
"Although I've been openly and covertly contending with Qian Daoliu for over twenty years, the Elder's Hall's influence is deeply entrenched."
"When it comes to the Spirit Hall's policies, it's impossible to bypass Qian Daoliu. That's what worries me the most."
"That's why we need to shift our approach—in practical terms, rebranding the policy."
Ye Tian smiled faintly and tapped the table:
"The fundamental reason local Spirit Hall officials resist the policy reversal is that they don't want to step out of their comfort zones."
"Because doing so won't bring them more benefits; instead, they'd lose some."
Toward the end, Ye Tian raised his voice slightly.
"But what if it's a promotion?"
Upon hearing this, Bibi Dong's brows relaxed, and she chuckled softly:
"If it's a promotion, I imagine those branch hall masters would trample over each other for the opportunity."
"But across the continent, there are countless branch halls, while there are only a little over a hundred main halls and just two sacred halls."
"Even if we count the relatively insignificant deputy hall master positions, it's still like a drop in the ocean."
"Besides, if we move all the branch hall officials to the main halls, who will manage the branch halls?"
Hearing Bibi Dong's concern, Ye Tian smiled calmly.
"Main hall positions are indeed limited, and branch halls still need governance. But none of this actually requires physical reshuffling."
"We can simply create new positions."
"For instance, above the branch hall master, we could establish the position of Inspector. Their duties would include apprehending lawbreakers, investigating corruption, and supervising the enforcement of regulations within the branch halls."
This wasn't Ye Tian's original idea—it was borrowed from ancient Eastern wisdom.
During the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu divided the nation into thirteen provinces and appointed Cishi (Inspectors). Initially, these officials were only meant to supervise local governance, but they eventually became regional governors wielding significant power.
Bibi Dong hesitated:
"...Apprehending lawbreakers, investigating corruption, and supervising regulations—this essentially strips branch hall masters of their power!"
"Implementing such a directive might cause even greater upheaval than the policy reversal."
"The branch hall masters would be up in arms."
At this point, Bibi Dong shook her head.
"You haven't let me finish," Ye Tian interjected as he leisurely poured himself a cup of tea and took a sip.
"When issuing this directive, we could simultaneously announce another: during the initial implementation, all Inspectors will be selected from among the branch hall masters."
Hearing this, the light in Bibi Dong's eyes grew brighter.
She seemed to grasp Ye Tian's intent.
Bibi Dong exclaimed in admiration:
"The purpose of establishing the Inspector position is to promote integrity and discipline while combating lawlessness. This inherently places it on the moral high ground."
"While the branch hall masters may harbor great resentment, they wouldn't dare openly oppose the policy."
"Moreover, by selecting all Inspectors from the branch hall masters, their complaints would be greatly diminished."
"Most importantly, refusal isn't an option for them."
"If they refuse, a higher-ranking Inspector would be parachuted into their branch to lord over them!"
"This left-hand promise of a big promotion and right-hand wielding of a stick is simply brilliant!"
Bibi Dong was so exhilarated that she gave Ye Tian a big hug.
For the first time, Ye Tian felt overwhelmed by the... overwhelming presence before him.
His raised hands froze mid-air, not daring to rest them on her back.
Fortunately, Bibi Dong realized the awkwardness of the situation.
However, her reaction was more due to Ye Tian's increasingly bold behavior lately, which was starting to give her the wrong impression.
Her expression remained largely unchanged as she chuckled lightly:
"If that's the case, the Pope's Hall could implement this on its own. Even the Elder's Hall wouldn't have grounds to object."
"I'm eager to issue this policy already."
Ye Tian reminded her:
"But Sister, keep in mind that while we've created a new position out of thin air, it comes with complications."
"The reversal is just a means, not the ultimate goal."
"In the short term, the reversal goal can be achieved. But establishing the Inspector role means we'll need to allocate salaries that are higher than those of the branch hall masters."
"This is necessary to quell the concerns of the soul master families."
"You're right." Hearing this, Bibi Dong's smile faded slightly.
The Spirit Hall's finances were already under considerable strain, leaving little surplus at the end of each year.
Moreover, accessing the treasury required approval from both the Pope's Hall and the Elder's Hall.
This presented a new and challenging problem.
Bibi Dong's beautiful eyes locked onto Ye Tian as she smirked mischievously:
"Aren't you quite wealthy?"
Ye Tian: "..."
He replied calmly:
"Most of my money is tied up in research, building schools, and promoting potatoes—those are all money pits."
"Besides, my business ventures are limited to the small city of East Sea. There's hardly any surplus at the end of the year."
He wasn't lying to Bibi Dong.
While Ye Tian made money quickly, he spent it even faster.
(End of Chapter)
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