Jinting Han people

Chapter 80: The Idle Secretariat (4k)

However, for Liu Xian, the existence of such talented people was of no concern to him for the time being. What he had to do now was to report to the Secretariat.

Five days later, early in the morning, Liu Xian changed into a simple blue Confucian robe, a Confucian scarf on his head, and black sandals. He rode his feathered horse through the Dongyang Gate into Luoyang City. He then headed west. After two miles, the blue-white palace walls gradually came into view, looming like a mountain in his mind, filling him with a sense of immensity.

He had often seen this palace before, but at that time he was just a passerby. Now he wanted to enter it in person and become a part of it.

When this thought flashed through Liu Xian's mind, it gave him a completely different perspective. When he looked at the walls of Luoyang Palace again, it seemed that every arch, every brick, and every weed on it were connected to his fate, breathing and beating together.

Liu Xian thought that this was the center of Luoyang, the heart of the entire empire.

With this mentality, he stopped in front of Sima Gate. Instead of going in immediately, he looked up and down for a moment.

There is no court meeting today, and there are few officials in front of the palace wall. You can see the open square in front of the palace gate. Pedestrians come and go on the street, but few dare to step in.

This brought solemnity and majesty to the palace walls, and two teams of tall palace guards stood in front of a gate that was more than two meters high. The axes and halberds flashed golden in the sun, giving others a sense of awe-inspiring and unapproachable oppression.

Liu Xian felt very emotional. He couldn't help but start to imagine that it would be a great pleasure if he could ride his horse and gallop in.

But it was obviously impossible at the moment, so he had to dismount obediently, walk to the door, and ask a leading palace guard, "Excuse me, how do I get to the Secretariat?"

The palace guard was eight feet tall, wearing a double-barred armor, an iron helmet, and holding a long spear. He looked very imposing, but he was very kind. He took in Liu Xian's attire and did not answer immediately. Instead, he asked in a gentle voice, "Are you looking for someone, or do you have something to ask?"

Liu Xian took out his ID and said, "I am the newly appointed Writer Liu Xian."

The palace guard was surprised. After taking the certificate, his expression became more relaxed. He immediately asked, "Is this your first time here?"

After receiving a positive answer, he pulled Liu Xian across Sima Gate and officially entered the palace corridor. He then pointed west and said, "Go west all the way to the end, where you'll see Xiye Gate. Then go north to Qianqiu Gate. The first courtyard on your left is the Secretariat."

He also instructed, "After you get the seal, remember to keep it safe. The palace doesn't rely on name certificates to identify people, but mainly on seals."

Liu Xian expressed his gratitude and then set foot on the palace road again. This road was unexpectedly wide, probably enough to accommodate two six-horse carriages traveling side by side. After entering the palace, the walls on both sides of the road were much lower, allowing for easy viewing of the surrounding buildings and gardens.

After nearly seventy years of renovation by four generations, the Luoyang Palace of the Wei and Jin Dynasties is still not as magnificent as the Luoyang Palace of the Han Dynasty, but it can still be considered gorgeous and magnificent.

As Liu Xian walked, he saw rare trees and flowers on either side. Every few hundred steps, he could see intricately carved lakes and rocky mountains. These imitated famous mountains and rivers across China, some resembling Mount Tai, some resembling Mount Hua, and some resembling Mount Song. Within these, terraces and pavilions were built, and exotic birds were released. Below, mandarin ducks swam among the azure waters, while above, skylarks perched their heads high amidst the green silks. It seemed as if the solemnity outside the palace walls was merely a disguise for Luoyang Palace, and its true elegance lay within.

If you travel around it a few more times, you will probably feel that the world is peaceful. If you can live a life of drunkenness and dreams there, I am afraid there is no one who would not be willing to do so, right?
But thinking about the hard work he had done while farming in Dongwu, Liu Xian felt a genuine discomfort in his heart.

He inevitably thought of Jingu Garden. Its extravagance rivaled that of the Imperial City, yet the atrocities there were so direct, bloody, and cruel that they were unforgettable. The Imperial City itself seemed peaceful, but beneath the surface lay the miserable lives of the common people. How could it be any better than Jingu Garden?

Thinking of this, Liu Xian suddenly felt a little cold, and even felt a little disgusted with himself.

Fortunately, this kind of wild thinking soon ended. Liu Xian suddenly found that the three words "Zhongshu Sheng" flashed before his eyes. He quickly stopped and looked back. Only then did he realize that the courtyard of Zhongshu Sheng had appeared behind him without him knowing when.

He went to the guard at the gate and announced his name again. The guard looked him up and down and immediately led him to the courtyard. The Secretariat was not large, with only nine rooms. The first eight rooms were arranged in a row on the left and right, and the last room was located in the north. It was the office of the Zhongshu Jian Hua Yi and Zhongshu Ling He Shao.

At this time, the Minister of the Central Secretariat He Shao was not in the courtyard, and only the Supervisor of the Central Secretariat Hua Yi was reading a book at the desk.

Hua Yi was born into the Hua family of Pingyuan and was the great-grandson of Hua Xin, a senior official of the Cao Wei Dynasty. He was now seventy-one years old, with gray hair on his temples and sparse hair, and it seemed a bit difficult for him to tie his hair with a hairpin.

But he was in good spirits. When he heard that Liu Xian was a newly promoted official, only sixteen years old, he stood up with a kind smile and said, "Our province has a new young hero. Good, very good!" Liu Xian hurriedly saluted him, and he helped Liu Xian up with his hunched back, saying, "When we serve in the same court in the future, there's no need to be so polite. Just work hard."

As he was speaking, a figure passed by the door. Hua Yi's eyes lit up and he called out repeatedly, "Bo Ren! Bo Ren! Come in! I have something to talk to you about."

Liu Xian took a closer look and discovered that the visitor was also a young man. He was dressed in casual clothes and looked slightly older than Liu Xian, but only about two or three years older. The young man walked slowly into the room, bowed, and then asked calmly, "Mr. Hua, what do you want to see me for?"

Hua Yi pointed at Liu Xian and said to the young man with a smile, "Bo Ren, this is the newly appointed Imperial Library Officer, Liu Xian, Liu Huai Chong. He is also the eldest son of the Duke of Anle, the son-in-law of the Duke of Juancheng, and this year's second-rank official."

Then he pointed at the young man and turned to Liu Xian and said, "Huai Chong, this is the secretary who took office last year, Zhou Xi, Zhou Boren, the son of Chengwu Hou. We don't have many young people in the Secretariat, so you should get to know them well."

It turned out that he was the descendant of a famous general. Liu Xian suddenly realized that he had heard of the deeds of Zhou Jun, Marquis Chengwu. After the destruction of Wu, it was Zhou Jun who was stationed in Moling and wiped out the remaining rebels in Yangzhou.

After the two young men got to know each other, Hua Yi said to Zhou Xi, "Bo Ren, isn't there an empty seat in your room? Let Huai Chong keep you company! He's new here, so you should help him get familiar with the place." The implication was that he wanted Zhou Xi to be a guide.

Hua Yi's words were tinged with teasing, but the young man remained calm and politely asked, "Lord Hua, I'm still inexperienced and don't know much. Wouldn't it be better to let Lord Zuo take over?"

"Taichong is busy again! You just need to make one more trip. First, take Huai Chong to the Shaofu to collect the seal and uniform, and then tell him about some miscellaneous matters. It won't take long. Here, this is my token."

Having said that, Zhou Xi couldn't refuse anymore. He bowed again, which was considered as his agreement.

Hua Yi waved his hand and the two young men left.

Liu Xian originally planned to exchange a few words with Zhou Xi first, but unexpectedly, Zhou Xi was a decisive person. Before Liu Xian could open his mouth, he said in a hurry: "The Shaofu is not far away, let's go there and come back quickly." After that, he strode forward without looking back, and Liu Xian had to follow him.

The Shaofu, one of the Nine Ministers of the Imperial Court, was responsible for managing the imperial finances and palace personnel. It had been a crucial political institution since the Qin and Han dynasties. However, since the Eastern Han Dynasty, emperors have prioritized the inner court over the outer court, and institutions such as the Shangshu Sheng, Zhongshu Sheng, and Menxia Sheng have been successively split from the Shaofu. While the Shaofu's authority is now far less than it once was, connections between the three provinces still exist. For example, daily expenses between the three provinces were generally allocated by the Shaofu.

It was also here that Liu Xian received the first seal in his life.

The Zuozhulang (Zhuzuolang) was a sixth-rank official, and the seal he wore was just an ordinary copper seal with a black ribbon. When Liu Xian took it in his hands, he turned it over and examined it. He saw that the copper seal was slightly bluish, with a tortoise-shaped button on top and the four characters "Zhuzuo Shilang" engraved in seal script below. The button was then tied with a pure black silk ribbon about a foot long.

"The court doesn't issue sling bags, do you have one?"

A "鞶囊" (sash bag) was the waist bag that held the seal and ribbon. This was something Liu Xian's uncle, Liu Yao, had instructed him to carry long ago, so of course he carried it with him. After Zhou Xi reminded him, Liu Xian immediately took it out of his sleeve pocket, hung it around his waist, and then placed the copper seal inside, revealing the black ribbon outside. From that moment on, he had the symbolism of an official.

But this was not enough. Zhou Xi then took him to receive two one-beam black cloth Jinxian crowns, and one bolt each of blue, red, yellow, white, and black silk cloth, and instructed him, "Take these cloths back and have the servants make five-season court robes according to your body shape. These are essential for everyone in the court."

"But apart from large-scale court meetings, we don't wear them on ordinary days. When we go out and come in, even if the emperor summons us, we only need to wear the crimson robe and black crown."

Although he was in a hurry, Zhou Xi's explanation was very detailed. After he took Liu Xian to receive the things, he returned to the Secretariat and led him into the second room on the right.

The house here is not small, but the space is not large. It is filled with bookshelves, leaving only two desks in the front for people to write.

One of the desks was filled with papers, obviously Zhou Xi's own desk, while the other desk was empty.

Zhou Xi sat down at his seat and explained to Liu Xian:
"You'll be working here from now on. But for now, you're a stranger in a completely different place, so don't worry."

"See if there's anything you need. If you want pens, ink, paper, and inkstone, you can go directly to the Shaofu and get them. You don't need to bring your own. But if you want some pillows and mats for resting, you'll have to bring them yourself."

"pillow mat?"

"According to convention, we inner court officials are supposed to enter the palace at 3:15 AM and leave at 1:15 PM on weekdays, so we don't have to keep watch. However, aside from the Minister of the Central Secretariat and the Supervisor of the Central Secretariat, the Central Secretariat needs two people on duty at all times. We have eighteen people in the department, so the department rotates to keep watch every nine days. On the day of the night watch, you may rest in the last room on the right, but you must bring your own bedding."

"Oh, and what about dinner?"

"Please prepare your own lunch box. Every day at 3:30 PM, the Shaofu has a meal in the hall, and officials from the three provinces all eat there. If you are on night watch, you must report dinner in advance, but for breakfast, you can only leave the palace and buy some Hu Bing on Tongtuo Street."

"You receive your salary from the Shaofu, which is paid monthly. Just wait for Hua Gong's notification. In the past few years, they paid silk, but in recent years, the price of silk has been low and the price of grain has been high, so they have changed to paying grain. Remember to prepare an ox cart to pull the grain."

Actually, Liu Xianduo already knew all this, but he still confirmed it again and again: "How is the day off calculated on weekdays?"

"Just like in other places, we have a five-day weekend. In addition, we have farm leave, clothing leave, private ceremony leave, wedding leave, and tomb-visiting leave. There are also many holidays such as Qingming Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Double Ninth Festival."

"But to be honest, although the responsibilities of the Secretariat are important, there aren't many things to do. Basically, when His Majesty issues an order, we write a few imperial edicts and copy a few copies for archiving. Of the five hours we spend in the Secretariat, four are free."

"If there's any emergency at home, just tell Mr. Hua and Mr. He within three or four days. There's no need to go through any formalities."

Zhou Xi had been talking for so long that he inevitably became somewhat familiar with Liu Xian. He couldn't help but lean forward and whispered, "Your Majesty's health has been declining over the past few years, and court meetings have become less frequent. With all power falling into the hands of the Three Yangs, everyone has become increasingly free."

"I heard someone from the Shaofu took sick leave and hasn't been to the palace for six months. But what's the truth? It's said he just married two concubines!"

"Oh, yes." Liu Xian had heard his wife tell this story as a funny story. He smiled and said, "You are talking about the Pingzhengling Zaoquan, right?"

"I remember the court allowed sick leave, but if it exceeded eight months, the official would be removed from office. So he had to take seven months off each year, report to the palace for two days in the eighth month, and then take another sick leave. Then he would receive his salary as usual, without having to do anything. But the court still couldn't do anything."

Zhou Xi couldn't help but sigh after hearing this and said to Liu Xian, "There really is no other way, but you shouldn't follow his example."

"Let me say this as a teacher. We usually work in the court. To say we want to be selfless saints is simply asking too much."

"But since we've received this salary, we have to do something practical. It's not just about having a clear conscience, right? If everyone does nothing, we're destroying the country. If there's another chaos like the late Han Dynasty, how can the eggs remain intact when the nest is overturned? Whether for public or private reasons, we still have to do something practical."

After hearing these words, Liu Xian looked at Zhou Xi with new eyes. He straightened his body and replied solemnly, "Bo Ren speaks of the righteous way of a gentleman. I will keep it in mind."

At this point, Zhou Xi's explanation had come to an end. He and Liu Xian talked about the final precautions:

"According to convention, although you are now a writer, you can only familiarize yourself with the various departments of the inner court and state affairs this year. What you will actually do will depend on next year's arrangements, so we won't give you any important tasks yet. What you need to do now is to build connections first."

"Although you are from the Secretariat, you must understand that we are all one, the inner court and the palace. Whether it's the Shangshu Province or the Ministry of Personnel, we must manage our relationships well. And there are also the palace guards. In fact, we all rise and fall together."

"But for some people and some things, it's best to watch more, listen more, and talk less. Don't do things that are not your responsibility."

"Your Majesty is in poor health right now. Many people are eager to make trouble, both in the outer court and the inner court. It's hard to say whether there will be chaos. You and I are still young. Don't rush into promotion and make mistakes. You must learn to protect yourself."

Keeping oneself safe? Liu Xian smiled and nodded, feeling somewhat emotional. Just how far had the struggle in the palace progressed?

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(End of this chapter)