I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 178 The Rookies of the Drafting Office! The New Minister of Personnel

On the tenth day of the tenth lunar month, at dawn.

Zhang Juzheng left the capital to observe mourning for his parents and embarked on his journey home.

Emperor Wanli (the young emperor) dispatched Zhang Hong, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, to see him off in the suburbs of Beijing.

He was rewarded with five hundred taels of silver for travel expenses, ten bolts of silk, a silver seal engraved with "Bestowed by the Emperor on Loyal and Virtuous Officials," and several boxes of sweets and pastries.

In addition, Zheng Qin, the Vice Minister of the Imperial Seal Office, and Shi Jishu, the Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, were specially arranged to escort them, with hundreds of people accompanying them.

at the same time.

The Drafting Office was officially established, located in three warehouses next to Zhang Juzheng's office where documents were stored.

The eighteen officials who drafted the proposals took turns drafting them, participating in the decision-making process of the court alongside the cabinet ministers, and the final decision was made by the young Wanli Emperor.

This new government office can be established.

To a large extent, it depends on the current cabinet ministers: Lü Diaoyang and Ma Ziqiang, who are not competitive, have limited physical strength, and are too old, as well as Yin Zhengmao, who has just been punished.

If Zhang Siwei were still in the cabinet, he would never have given up this opportunity to climb the ranks.

Even if he agrees to establish the Drafting Office, he will try every means to render it ineffective, making himself a "nominal" Grand Secretary.

And now, from this day forward...

The person who carried the weight of the Ming Dynasty on his shoulders was no longer Zhang Juzheng, but the young Wanli Emperor, the Drafting Office, and the Grand Secretariat.

……

That afternoon, the young Wanli Emperor issued two imperial edicts.

First, issue a handwritten order to the cabinet.

He ordered Lü Diaoyang and Ma Ziqiang to instruct the eighteen officials who were drafting and reviewing memorials within three days.

He then issued an imperial edict to all government offices in the capital.

It was emphasized that all new policies and reforms should proceed as usual, without the slightest delay.

The Ming Dynasty court without Zhang Juzheng suddenly appeared!

The eighteen prosecutors, facing a job with no rank, no salary, and that would be extremely busy, were all full of enthusiasm.

This is the allure of power.

Everyone wants to become a decision-maker in this vast empire and realize their long-cherished political ideals.

……

into the night.

Shen Nian, along with Hanlin Academician Wang Zudi, Liu Kezheng, and Liu Chuxian, made an appointment to meet at the courtyard rented by Hanlin Academician Zhao Yongxian in the western suburbs of the capital.

In less than three years, the five-person group of the former Hanlin Academy Review Office was reorganized.

Shen Nian soared to great heights, while the other four remained almost stagnant, but the five of them still maintained a good personal relationship.

The bedroom is simply decorated.

Zhao Yongxian lay on the bed, and when he saw Shen Nian and the other three arrive, a smile immediately appeared on his face.

Those who come to visit him now are all true friends.

Thanks to his obesity from overwork, the flogging did not damage his bones and muscles. After resting for another three to five days, he will be able to go to court normally.

The five chatted and laughed for a while.

Wang Zudi smiled and said, "Your teacher, if similar things happen again in the future, will you still offer advice?"

"admonish!"

Zhao Yongxian straightened his neck.

"I must offer advice, but I also understand one principle: the duty of a subject is not to escalate conflicts, but to resolve them!"

“That’s right!” Shen Nian said with a smile, and the other three nodded as well.

This dispute over whether to grant a concubine during the mourning period taught the entire court a valuable lesson.

An official may die for justice, but only a truly useful remonstrance is one that can devise a solution or a way out of the predicament.

This time, without the advice of Shen Nian, Shen Shixing, and Wang Xijue, it would have been impossible.

More than a hundred officials may be flogged at the Meridian Gate, and the situation will only escalate further.

……

October 15th, Drafting Office.

The several officials in charge of drafting the drafts today have begun writing their proposals.

Throughout the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty, all sorts of events, both big and small, occurred every day.

It involves issues such as the promotion and dismissal of officials, investigation of corruption, taxation and criminal justice, land surveying, canal transport reform, border defense deployment, water conservancy management, disaster relief, and military funding.

This requires that every drafting inspector must be a versatile expert who is well-versed in all kinds of matters in the Ming Dynasty.

These days.

The eighteen drafting inspectors are cramming on various information and drafting techniques.

Simultaneously.

Emperor Wanli, the Directorate of Ceremonial, and the Grand Secretariat were also constantly improving the rules of the Drafting Office.

For example, the drafting office used superior white paper instead of the bright yellow cotton paper used by the cabinet, which represented imperial power. However, the paper was always 12 inches long and 9 inches wide.

Zhang Juzheng used gold-flecked paper tickets, which no one else was qualified to use at the time.

Also.

The Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs made a new seal for the Drafting Office. After the Drafting Office completed its drafts and the seal was affixed, the drafts could be placed in a wooden box, sealed, and then presented to the young Wanli Emperor by a eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs.

The draft proposals submitted by the Drafting Office are directly presented to the Imperial Household Department and do not need to be reviewed by the Cabinet.

……

October 20th, afternoon.

Eighteen officials responsible for drafting proposals suddenly received orders from Cabinet Minister Ma Ziqiang and all came to the Drafting Office.

Ma Ziqiang asked everyone to stand and wait inside the courtyard.

After a while.

Ma Ziqiang, with a gloomy expression, strode into the courtyard of the Drafting Office and stood before the crowd, followed by a clerk carrying two bamboo baskets of documents.

"Greetings, Grand Secretary Ma!" all the officials who were to be investigated bowed in unison.

In the drafting department.

Ma Ziqiang's prestige is even higher than that of Lu Diaoyang, the second-ranking cabinet minister.

Because more than half of the eighteen proposed inspectors were either Ma Ziqiang's direct subordinates or his students.

The most senior officials, such as Wang Tang, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Shen Shixing, the Academician of the Imperial Academy, and Wang Xijue, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, were all promoted by Ma Ziqiang through beatings and scoldings.

Ma Ziqiang looked at everyone with a serious expression.

"This morning, I summoned Your Majesty to the Wenhua Hall for an audience. He ordered me to review your draft memorials and offered several suggestions. His Majesty found your performance acceptable, but in my eyes, your ability to draft memorials is extremely poor and must be improved immediately!"

"Since there are no outsiders here, I will speak frankly!"

In contrast to Lü Diaoyang's amiable demeanor, he spoke and acted with a measured pace.

Ma Ziqiang has a tough personality and doesn't talk much, but when he gets angry, he can curse someone's ancestors for eighteen generations.

Everyone straightened up and looked at Ma Ziqiang.

"First of all, you are too slow in drafting memorials! Memorials that the Office of Transmission gives you on the same day should be presented to His Majesty by the next morning at the latest. But what about you? Some memorials have been kept in your hands for two days, and some have even been presented to the Forbidden City at dusk or night. Do you expect His Majesty to revise and review them all night long?"

Upon hearing this, several of the prosecutors who were drafting the case lowered their heads.

They had to admit that they were indeed slow.

Sometimes, when reviewing just ten or so words, they would spend more than an hour pondering them, or even consult with others.

after all.

Every draft proposal could potentially impact the politics of the Ming Dynasty, so it had to be handled with utmost care.

Ma Ziqiang continued, "Secondly, some of the draft proposals submitted by the reviewing officials are empty and unsubstantiated, which is actually an act of not daring to take responsibility!"

"Qi Jiguang of Jizhou applied for military funds on the grounds of 'organizing and training chariot battalions and building enemy watchtowers.' You only need to draft a document stating that 'the Ministry of War should verify and issue the military funds as soon as possible without delay.' You don't need to worry about whether the Ministry of War has the money; that's the Ministry of War's business!"

"If a local official reports that an official is corrupt or derelict in his duties, you only need to draft a proposal to 'instruct the local censor to investigate immediately and submit a report again within the month.' You don't need to verify whether it's true or false!"

……

"The reason why the drafting is too slow and hesitant is because you dare not make decisions and dare not take responsibility. Is it so difficult to draft according to the 'Great Ming Code' and not be swayed by personal feelings?"

"Furthermore, you have another major problem: you don't speak frankly and don't know how to report to His Majesty!"

"Didn't I teach you a few days ago? Some things, if you quote our dynasty's ancestral precepts and sacred instructions, His Majesty will agree immediately after reading them. You hesitate and struggle, writing a bunch of reasons, but expressing them unclearly, which only makes His Majesty feel at a loss. You are wasting not only your own time, but also His Majesty's time!"

……

The drafting of memorials to the throne is a highly scholarly endeavor.

It determined whether or not the imperial treasury's silver reserves were spent, the careers and fates of countless local officials, and the livelihoods of countless ordinary people...

The officials who drafted the memorial submitted their first draft.

Feeling that the burden of the two capitals and thirteen provinces was on his shoulders, he hesitated and struggled, and dared not speak recklessly, resulting in the drafting of the vote being too slow, too superficial, and too straightforward.

This is normal.

Seeing that everyone looked somewhat dejected, Ma Ziqiang immediately realized that his words had been a bit harsh.

He paused for a moment, then began to laugh at himself.

"These problems not only apply to you, but also to me. When Grand Secretary Zhang was in charge, Grand Secretary Lü, Grand Secretary Yin, and I often used the following rhetoric when submitting draft proposals: 'The Grand Secretary's proposal is very good, and I have no objection.'"

"Now that Grand Secretary Zhang has returned to his hometown to observe mourning for his parents, the speed of the cabinet's drafting of proposals has also slowed down. We should all learn from Grand Secretary Zhang and speed up the process!"

After saying that, Ma Ziqiang looked at the two bamboo baskets of documents beside him.

"These documents are all copies of Grand Secretary Zhang's drafts. You will all stay a little later today to read them all. Matters of state cannot be delayed for even a moment!"

"Yes!" the officials replied in unison, bowing.

Shen Shixing looked at the two baskets of tickets to be copied, his face showing helplessness.

To finish watching all of this tonight, I'd definitely have to stay up all night.

At this moment, Ma Ziqiang looked at Shen Nian in the queue.

"Ziheng, you don't need to read it anymore. His Majesty has been praising the content of your draft. Your speed is even faster than Grand Secretary Lü and I. You can go home after the day's business is over!"

"You could slow down a bit in the future, otherwise we'll probably have to work through the night every day!"

Shen Nian smiled helplessly, cupped his hands, and said, "Your humble servant obeys!"

Shen Nian's greatest strength is in devising strategies.

He had read through many historical books in the Hanlin Academy and served as the emperor's personal recorder, so his understanding of the court was far greater than that of most people.

In addition, they are bold and outspoken, and their suggestions and advice never follow the usual path, so they never get bogged down in details and are very quick to act.

The prosecutors looked at Shen Nian with envy.

They also hoped to receive such "criticism," but unfortunately, they didn't have Shen Nian's talent.

In the past, Shen Shixing and Wang Xijue always regarded Shen Nian as their junior.

Even if they join the cabinet, it will be after their batch is over before it's Shen Nian's turn. But given Shen Nian's current abilities and development speed, it's very likely that one day, when they see Shen Nian, they will be the first to bow and call him: "Grand Secretary Shen".

……

The next few days.

Apart from Shen Nian, the other prosecutors returned home late at night almost every day, showing great enthusiasm.

They quickly made tremendous progress that even the young Wanli Emperor found hard to believe.

The prosecutors voted it as excellent.

The young Wanli Emperor would no longer need to rack his brains or rely on the elderly Lü Diaoyang and Ma Ziqiang, and the efficiency of handling memorials would reach a new level.

……

October 23rd.

Emperor Wanli bestowed upon two cabinet ministers, Lü Diaoyang and Ma Ziqiang, sixty taels of silver each, and upon a number of officials who drafted the draft, thirty taels of silver each.

This is a reward.

This means that the abilities of the censors have been recognized by the young Wanli Emperor, and the Drafting Office has gradually gotten on the right track.

This boosted the confidence of the prosecutors, who worked tirelessly, striving to do better and better.

……

Emperor Wanli was very satisfied with this.

The unique official selection system of the Ming Dynasty and the current performance evaluation system have made all civil and military officials work very hard and have no choice but to work hard.

If they are not allowed to devote all their energy to important matters, they will attack each other, leading to factional strife and even a power struggle between the monarch and his ministers.

The essential skill a wise ruler must possess is the ability to appoint people based on their merits, employing the virtuous when they are capable and dismissing the incompetent.

This is the imperial power tactics that the young Wanli Emperor learned from the Jiajing Emperor.

……

October 25th, afternoon.

Shen Nian, as the rotating inspector of the drafting committee, suddenly came across an impeachment memorial.

The memorial came from Xie Siqi, a supervising censor of the Censorate.

The official he impeached was Zhang Han, the Minister of Personnel, and the reasons for the impeachment were:

"Having served in office for several years, his administration has been utterly ineffective, like a puppet on strings, merely obeying orders without question. Now that the Grand Secretary has left the court, the emperor and his ministers are busy, yet he is engrossed in poetry and literature, paying no attention to the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel. Yesterday, he composed three poems in the Ministry of Personnel office and ordered a clerk to send them to the Poetry Society in the south of the city for fellow poets to critique..."

Zhang Han is 68 years old.

In the first year of the Wanli reign, he was recommended by Zhang Juzheng to become the Minister of Personnel, a position he holds to this day.

Since the implementation of the Examination and Assessment System, the Ministry of Personnel has had heavy responsibilities, and Zhang Han has always followed the lead of Zhang Juzheng.

The Ministry of Personnel was responsible for the selection, appointment, transfer, performance evaluation, conferment of honors, and assessment of officials throughout the country.

He was hailed as the head of the Six Ministries.

However, Zhang Han has little presence in this important position.

Especially in the last two years.

When officials were promoted or transferred, the Ministry of Personnel always followed the opinions of the cabinet, and Zhang Han rarely expressed his own opinion.

However, because he never caused trouble and was favored by Zhang Juzheng, few officials impeached him.

Shen Nian frowned slightly.

The inspectors were so busy that their eyes were bloodshot, but Zhang Han, the Minister of Personnel, wrote three casual poems during his time at the yamen and asked his fellow poets to correct them.

This is really infuriating!
Zhang Han's greatest hobby is writing poetry and prose, especially short pastoral poems and articles describing the lives and customs of ordinary people.

this moment.

Shen Nian suddenly felt that Zhang Han was no longer suitable to serve as Minister of Personnel.

With Zhang Juzheng in power, he could simply act as one of Zhang Juzheng's hands, responsible for carrying out his orders. However, with Zhang Juzheng gone from court, this approach was clearly no longer viable.

Shen Nian thought for a moment, mustered his courage, and wrote: "Minister Zhang of the Ministry of Personnel is old and hesitant in his dealings. If this impeachment is true, I suggest he be forced to retire."

Then he signed his name.

It takes considerable courage and boldness to dismiss a high-ranking official, the Minister of Personnel, with a single sentence.

After Shen Nian finished writing, he looked at Wang Xijue, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, who was also on duty.

"Master Wang, please take a look at this draft memorial and offer your guidance!"

Wang Xijue took the memorial and the draft proposal.

"His Majesty has only commented 'as proposed' on Ziheng's drafts. What right do I, a mere reviewer who has been criticized as 'revised' three times, have to offer my opinions? I'd like to learn from him!"

After saying that, Wang Xijue began to read it carefully.

When he saw Shen Nian's draft, he was taken aback at first, then suddenly picked up a pen and said, "Is that alright?"

Shen Nian smiled immediately and nodded.

Wang Xijue's move was an attempt to sign his name and endorse Shen Nian's proposal.

After signing his name, Wang Xijue said, "This old minister really should step down!"

Hear this.

Shen Nian felt a little relieved. It seemed that Shen Nian was not the only official who thought Zhang Han was no longer capable of controlling the Ministry of Personnel.

On the day.

While Shen Nian was preparing to submit this ticket to the Forbidden City.

The impeachment memorial submitted by Xie Siqi, the censor of the Censorate, also circulated in various government offices in the capital.

Many people were quite surprised, but then felt it made perfect sense.

When Zhang Juzheng was in court, no one dared to touch him, and he did not make any mistakes.

However, now that Zhang Juzheng is in mourning, the Minister of Personnel must have his own opinions, rather than blindly obeying the cabinet's orders.

To fail to achieve merit is to commit a fault.

soon.

Many officials then submitted memorials arguing that Zhang Han was no longer suitable to serve as Minister of Personnel.

The four inspectors, Chen Jingbang, a reader in the Hanlin Academy; Yang Cheng, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works; Wang Daocheng, a supervising secretary of the Ministry of Personnel; and Fu Xizhi, the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, also impeached Zhang Han, the Minister of Personnel, despite their busy schedules.

While all the officials are busy, you alone are idle; this is a sin, especially since you are not capable enough.

……

The next day, it was nearly noon.

Emperor Wanli had received more than thirty memorials impeaching Zhang Han, the Minister of Personnel, for writing poems in his office and neglecting his official duties.

He also saw the joint draft of the ballot by Shen Nian and Wang Xijue.

He was in a very difficult situation at that moment.

In his eyes, Zhang Han had no merit but had worked hard, and he was promoted by Zhang Juzheng.

Zhang Juzheng had just left the court.

The court then dismissed the Minister of Personnel, whom Zhang Juzheng had always supported, which seemed to show a lack of respect for Zhang Juzheng.

Also.

Emperor Wanli had not yet decided who to appoint to succeed him as Minister of Personnel.

After Zhang Juzheng left, the young Wanli Emperor suddenly realized that there was almost no one in the court who could be of use, as the old were too old and the young were too young.

Just as the young Wanli Emperor was struggling with his decision, Zhang Han, the Minister of Personnel, submitted his self-defense memorial.

Upon seeing this, the young Wanli Emperor was so angry he laughed.

Zhang Han confessed his guilt, saying that he could no longer bear the responsibilities of the Ministry of Personnel, and earnestly requested the court to allow him to retire. He wanted to write more poems and essays to leave a lasting legacy while he was still able to write.

To leave behind a legacy is the dream of many officials, a dream that even surpasses their aspirations for a career in government.

Zhang Han said this.

Then the young Wanli Emperor had no reason to keep him.

Immediately, the young Wanli Emperor handed the memorial to Shen Nian, who was standing beside him, and said, "Minister Shen, it seems that I have no choice but to order him to retire!"

Shen Nian almost burst out laughing after reading the memorial.

He even felt that Zhang Han writing poetry in the government office was a form of self-destruction.

He felt that the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel would be very heavy, and he was afraid of dying in office. His mentality was similar to that of Wang Guoguang, the former Minister of Revenue who resigned at the beginning of last year.

They've made up their minds and don't want to do it anymore.

Seeing that Shen Nian had finished reading the memorial, Emperor Wanli immediately asked, "Minister Shen, do you have a suitable candidate in mind?"

Shen Nian was just waiting to hear those words!

His current duty is to hand the young Wanli Emperor a pillow when he dozes off.

"Your Majesty, I believe that the former Minister of Revenue, Wang Guoguang, should be reinstated. Although he is also over sixty years old, he is in good health and even took a concubine last year. He is meticulous and conscientious in his work, and is suitable to serve as the Minister of Personnel!"

The young Wanli Emperor's eyes lit up, and he said, "Indeed, he can!"

(End of this chapter)