Chapter 659: Xiao He opened his mouth and still dug a hole for himself!

Chapter 659: Xiao He opened his mouth and still dug a hole for himself!

Gao Yao was clear-headed, and he knew that there was no such thing as perfection in the world. What he pursued was nothing more than the absolute leading combat capability. Even though there were only a thousand black armored cavalry, if they were equipped with a capable and skilled general, it would not be difficult for these thousand people to defeat five thousand cavalry. This was Gao Yao's requirement for the strength of the black armored cavalry.

Just when Li You was extremely excited and Gao Yao was very satisfied, Xiao He suddenly took the initiative to speak: "Prime Minister, is it inappropriate to send Li You? The Taiwei Mansion has many affairs, and there are still many things that need to be dealt with urgently. In my opinion, it is better to select another general to go. In this way, it can not only solve the urgent problem, but also ensure the normal operation of the Taiwei Mansion. Isn't it the best of both worlds?"

Xiao He's words were straightforward and straightforward. He made such a proposal not because he had any selfish motives towards Li You, let alone targeting him. After all, what Xiao He said was true. Cao Shen had always been in charge of many matters of the Taiwei Mansion. Now Cao Shen was inspecting the war situation in various places on behalf of Gao Yao so that he could help at any time. Naturally, the Taiwei Mansion needed more manpower for all matters. Li You was very capable, but Gao Yao wanted to send him out directly at this moment, which would indeed bring some inconvenience to the Taiwei Mansion.

Li You listened to Xiao He's words, and his expression froze. He opened his mouth, as if he wanted to refute, but in the end he swallowed the words back. After all, Xiao He was Gao Yao's most trusted minister, so his words naturally had some weight.

Li You knew very well that Xiao He's remarks were not directed at him personally, but were based on the facts. The current situation was indeed like this. Except for Wu She's position, Hanzhong and Han Xin's positions were in a state of war or preparing for war, and most of the troops had been dispatched. In addition, work in various places also needed someone to preside over it, which reduced the number of officials in the entire Nanjun by at least 60% compared to normal times.

Unlike others, Gao Yao was very strict with his officials. He did not like to see a bunch of court officials doing nothing all day, with unclear responsibilities, which would only waste the country's resources. Gao Yao gave the officials the best treatment, and naturally hoped that they could truly perform their duties, rather than sitting in the government office all day like the Minister of Agriculture.

As a minister of agriculture, he had a heavy responsibility. He not only needed to have a deep understanding of agricultural production, but also needed to go to the fields to check the yield, growth, etc. This included important indicators such as the estimated grain output needed to defend the city and the actual reclamation rate of good farmland, all of which needed to be checked and verified by the minister of agriculture himself.

Gao Yao also understands that the person in charge of management does not need to be proficient in everything. After all, a person's energy is limited and it is impossible to be familiar with all areas. However, he believes that as a superior, knowing how to use people well is an indispensable ability. Only by being good at discovering and appointing suitable talents can each department operate efficiently.

Despite this, Gao Yao still couldn't accept that the department he managed didn't even know the most basic production needs. He believed that managers couldn't just rely on the data reported by their subordinates and then report directly to their superiors. This was irresponsible. If they didn't even know the most basic information such as per-acre yield, total output, cultivated land area, and the proportion of different types of crops, how could they effectively manage and make decisions?

Gao Yao firmly believes that a qualified manager should have some understanding of these basic contents, so as to better grasp the overall situation and make reasonable plans and arrangements. He does not want to have a group of people in his department who only know how to eat and do not work, but hopes that everyone can perform their duties and contribute to the development of agricultural production.

Therefore, no matter what position one holds, one must follow the rigid rules set by Gao Yao, which is that one must personally go to the grassroots level to participate in handling various affairs. Gao Yao will conduct random checks from time to time to prevent people from being idle in their positions.

Of course, Gao Yao was not an unreasonable person, and he would be lenient where necessary. After all, if the water was too clear, there would be no fish, and he was very clear about this principle. So as long as it was not a big problem, but just some insignificant minor mistakes, Gao Yao would generally not pursue it too much.

"Hmm..." Gao Yao said after thinking for a moment, "What Xiao He said does make sense. The affairs of the Taiwei Mansion are indeed very important, especially in the current situation. How about this, Xiao He will temporarily hand over part of the affairs of the Taiwei Mansion to you to assist in the management. What do you think?"

Gao Yao pretended to be thoughtful and then immediately announced the decision to let Xiao He take charge. This made Xiao He's face look a little unhappy.

"Ah? Prime Minister, I'm afraid this is not appropriate." Xiao He said with difficulty, "I still have a lot of things to deal with, and now you want me to deal with the affairs of the Taiwei Mansion..."

"Oh, what are you talking about? Those who are capable should do more work. I believe in you. There will be no problem. This matter is settled!" Gao Yao said with a firm face, as if leaving no room for Xiao He to shirk.

Seeing this, Xiao He showed a bitter smile on his face. He wanted to decline the task, but Gao Yao's decisive decision made it impossible for him to speak. In desperation, Xiao He could only reluctantly agree.

For Xiao He, this matter is actually a mixed blessing. On the one hand, he is responsible for handling a large number of government affairs, and also has the power to promote and transfer personnel. Now he is also involved in the affairs of the Taiwei Mansion. It can be said that he has both military and political power, which undoubtedly shows Gao Yao's high trust in him. However, on the other hand, this also means that his responsibilities and pressures will increase exponentially.

More importantly, Gao Yao is no longer the same as he was in the past. When he first arrived in the southern border, he had only a hundred followers, but now he has at least 8,000 officials under his command. In the face of such a huge force, it is easy to arouse the jealousy of others if Gao Yao trusts too much. This is also the reason why Xiao He is worried. It is worth being happy to gain Gao Yao's trust, but it is a bit hot.

On the other hand, Wang Ben, who was in Hanzhong at this time, was listening to the reports of his generals. The situation was naturally about Ying Bu leading his troops to pretend to attack Hanzhong. Even if it was a feint, it could not be completely fake. Ying Bu also knew this, so Ying Bu chose to attack by continuous probing.