Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

The results of the leadership reshuffle in the six ministries naturally brought both joy and sorrow.

Those who are happy will naturally get their wish and be promoted, while those who are sad will not get their desired position, or even lose their original position.

Overall, however, the courtiers were satisfied.

This reshuffle is indeed a process of generational change, with many officials being promoted.

Moreover, the emperor didn't interfere much; the candidates were basically chosen by the court officials.

This also indicates that the emperor was indeed relinquishing power and establishing a new order.

This order is indeed fairer and more favorable to most officials, giving them opportunities for promotion.

Officials' enthusiasm has also been mobilized, and many are already eyeing the next reshuffle.

Of course, the most important thing is the present. If I can get promoted this time, I won't have to wait another three years.

Many people, like Qu Shisi, planned to take up local official positions:
"The Suzhou prefect was promoted to assistant commissioner of the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Works all left positions for local officials to be promoted."

"It seems that this local official is really going to rise to power, and he will definitely be a common sight in the imperial court in the future."

Such officials had historically found it difficult to rise to the position of high-ranking officials in the imperial court.

Now the emperor has made a special exception for them, allowing them to become high-ranking officials in various departments.

If we add the positions in the Nine Temples, the number of official posts available to local officials is quite substantial, which has spurred many officials in the capital to action.

The competition for official positions in the capital intensified due to the rivalry among local officials.

Even though the current emperor has added many official positions, it still cannot satisfy the huge number of officials.

Especially now that the emperor is so focused on staffing, he cannot increase the number of officials without a corresponding staffing quota.

This led some people to consider seeking a position in a local area, getting promoted, and then returning to their hometown.

However, this is no easy task, because if there is no one in the court, one may waste time in the provinces and never be able to return.

In particular, the imperial court is now implementing a voluntary selection system for officials, and the selection of positions also takes into account individual willingness.

Local officials lack the convenience to express their opinions, and it is difficult for them to seize opportunities when vacancies arise.

Therefore, those without powerful backers are in a dilemma. Many people envy Qu Shisi for having such a good teacher; as long as Qian Qianyi remains in power, it will be easy for him to be promoted back to a higher position even if he goes to a local post.

"Local officials, officials from the capital..."

"Even a promotion on your own is difficult!"

"It's better to find a teacher; that way, you'll have a powerful backer in the imperial court."

Some people lamented that it's really difficult to get promoted without a powerful backer.

However, after the emperor regulated the teacher-student relationship, finding a good teacher was no longer easy. Once the relationship between a teacher and his disciple was certified, it could be considered kinship; if one of them got into trouble, the other would be implicated.

Unless one becomes a close disciple, the relationship isn't as intimate. The relationship between ordinary students and teachers is simply one of paying tuition and learning.

This is what the newspapers have always promoted, and it allows teachers or students to publish articles in the newspaper to distance themselves from each other when the other party commits a crime.

These newspapers also frequently publicized cases of teachers enslaving their students and students reporting their teachers, greatly sowing discord between teachers and students.

Nowadays, unless it's a certified and inseparable master-disciple relationship, ordinary teacher-student relationships are simply one party paying money and the other imparting knowledge and answering questions.

In officialdom, only one in ten people could become a disciple of Qian Qianyi like Qu Shisi. Many people envied Qu Shisi for having such a teacher as a powerful patron.

However, this relationship also had its downsides, as it prevented Qu Shisi from holding official positions in the Censorate and the Imperial Academy.

These two government offices were also highly valued by the emperor, who required them to have no connections with court officials. Any violations could be reported, and upon confirmation, the official would be immediately dismissed.

Moreover, the censorate has always been a fast track to promotion. The regulations of the imperial court made the censorate positions an opportunity for many officials without connections.

Liu Hanru, the former Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Personnel, was promoted to Assistant Minister of Personnel, a move that many envied.

"Liu Hanru is really lucky; he actually became a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Personnel." "The Emperor really takes good care of this teacher; he only gave him a little bit of preferential treatment before making him a high-ranking official in the court."

The officials in charge of the ministries were high-ranking officials in the six ministries, only one step away from becoming ministers in the imperial court, such as vice ministers. They were likely to become governors in the provinces.

Liu Hanru, an ordinary Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the second year of the Tianqi reign, rose to this position in just a few years, which amazed many people.

Some people regretted not being able to teach at the Prince Xin's mansion and become a minister in the emperor's former residence.

With this in mind, some people thought of the officials of the vassal states:
"If one is appointed to a post in a foreign vassal state, the court will, according to custom, promote one rank."

"Furthermore, the overseas probation period is three years. Once the three years are up, the grade can be upgraded."

"Many vassal kings are now going overseas to establish their own vassal states, which may be an opportunity."

According to imperial regulations, at least half of the official positions in the inner vassal states were appointed by the imperial court. Even though most of these positions were below the fifth rank, they represented opportunities for many people.

However, most of the officials in the capital were not very interested. Going overseas or to the borderlands was too dangerous; they might die there.

Only those officials who were not Jinshi graduates would go to the border regions overseas in order to quickly advance their rank during the three-year probation period.

Those who held the title of Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) and had only a four-year probationary period looked down on positions in vassal states.

Even if they don't have powerful backers and their promotions are slower, they can still smoothly rise to the fifth rank through the trial and assessment method, so there's no need for them to take any risks.

In this turbulent time, some people are seeking stability based on their ingrained thinking.

However, some people had other ideas and planned to try their luck in getting rich.

Korea, being the closest to the Ming Dynasty, became the choice for many.

The return of officials like Chen Zizhuang and Jiang Yueguang from North Korea led many to believe that it was worthwhile for them to serve as officials in North Korea.

This situation, where the internal vassal states were basically autonomous, caused dissatisfaction among many people.

Many officials proposed that Korea be completely transformed into an inner vassal state and unified with the Ming Dynasty's official system.

At the very least, regulations should be made regarding the ratio of Ming officials to those serving in the inner and outer vassal states, allowing Ming officials to serve in Korea.
-
King Injo of Joseon, who had just arrived in the capital and checked into the Prince of Sunin's Palace, received this news.

The joy of being greeted by the Prince of Lu vanished instantly. Li Zong threw the newspaper in front of Crown Prince Li Wang, and questioned him with a mixture of fear and anger:
"The Ming Dynasty is about to turn Korea into an internal vassal state, and this is what you mean by 'no problem'?"

"I shouldn't have trusted you and come to this dangerous place."

He already viewed the Ming Dynasty as a den of dragons and tigers, and was very worried that he would not be able to return.

What he feared most was that the Ming Dynasty would annex Korea, leaving him with only an empty title like the Count of Ryukyu.

The newspaper's proposal to change Korea from an internal vassal state to an internal vassal state struck a nerve with him.

Because the Ryukyu Kingdom became the Ryukyu County, and thus became an inner vassal state of the Ming Dynasty.

Even though Korea was granted the title of Duke or Marquis by the Ming Dynasty because of its large size, how could it be as comfortable as being a king?
Li Wang was also somewhat apprehensive, because he hadn't expected anyone in the Ming Dynasty to make such a suggestion.

However, having lived in the Ming Dynasty for several years, he had gained some experience and, holding the newspaper, said:

"Father, don't worry, what's in the newspapers is just public opinion."

"As long as the noble council does not approve it, Korea will not become an inner vassal state."

"Father, the key now is the Council of Nobles. We must gain more supporters in the council."

He explained to Yi Jong the situation in the Ming Dynasty, stating that the Lifan Yuan (Court of Colonial Affairs) and the noble council were the true decision-makers regarding the fate of Joseon.

Fortunately, thanks to the generosity of the Ming emperor, these monarchs who were both internal and external vassal states could also have seats in the noble council as long as they accepted the investiture of the Ming dynasty and had titles bestowed by the Ming emperor.

If other nobles are also won over and given their support for Korea's proposal, even the emperor will not violate the resolution and take action against Korea.

Whether for the sake of Korea or out of personal motives, Li Wang suggested ceding the four northern territories to the Ming Dynasty, making them vassal states and granting them seats in the noble council. This would allow him to win over these nobles and maintain Korea's status. (End of Chapter)