Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 255: Decision on the Reform of Inner Court Officials
Liu Ruoyu's reform strategy was actually quite simple. He realized that before process improvements and technological innovations were achieved, no matter how many administrative agencies were consolidated, the number of steps required to manufacture a single artifact would remain unchanged. Therefore, the number of workshops carrying out these steps would remain the same. Consolidation would simply reduce the number and rank of the personnel responsible for recording and managing these steps.

"Next, we need to merge the food offices. I think we can downgrade the Wine, Vinegar and Noodle Bureau and the Garden Bureau and bring them under the management of the Imperial Food Supervisor."

"The Imperial Kitchen Headquarters will have one 4th rank eunuch in charge of the seal, one 4th rank eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household, and one 4th rank eunuch in charge of the Imperial Kitchen. Below the three eunuchs, there will be no junior eunuchs, only one 5th rank left and right eunuchs. Below the eunuchs will be several 7th rank bookkeepers, tentatively ten in number, responsible for assisting the three eunuchs and the two eunuchs in managing the clerical affairs of the department. The estimated annual cost of this department is 3,100 taels of silver."

"Under the Shangshenjian headquarters, there are three bureaus: the Kitchen Bureau, the Wine, Vinegar, and Noodle Bureau, and the Materials Bureau. Each bureau is to have a chief officer of the fifth rank, two deputy officers of the fifth rank and the left and right rank, and several seventh rank bookkeepers, for a total of five officers, tentatively planned. Each bureau is to cost 950 taels of silver per year, for a total of 2,850 taels per year for the three bureaus."

Previously, all kitchens were under the management of the Imperial Kitchen's headquarters. The eunuch in charge of the Imperial Kitchen and the supervisors of the various kitchens were considered direct subordinates of the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Kitchen's seal. Liu Ruoyu's reform plan would establish an additional management layer between the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Kitchen's seal and the various kitchens, responsible for overseeing the selection of personnel for each kitchen, as well as the management of material consumption and accounting.

"The Kitchen Bureau directly manages the kitchens of each palace and government office. Each kitchen has only one seventh-rank supervisor, who is in charge of the kitchen's cooking duties and material management." In other words, there is no supervisory level below the Kitchen Bureau, and no matter how big a kitchen is or how many stoves it has, there will only be one official in charge.

"The Wine, Vinegar and Noodle Bureau will have three departments: the Wine and Vinegar Department, the Sugar and Sauce Department, and the Noodle and Bean Department. Each department will have a chief officer of the sixth rank and two deputy officers of the left and right sixth ranks. Each department will be required to spend 115 taels of silver per year. The three departments will oversee a number of workshops, each of which will have only one supervisor of the seventh rank."

"The Department of Materials will integrate the affairs of the former Shangshenjian butcher shop and some of the affairs of the Department of Gardens."

The Siyuan Bureau originally managed the cultivation of vegetables, fruits, and horticultural trees and ornamental flowers throughout the palace. Liu Ruoyu decided to split these two responsibilities, placing the cultivation of vegetables, fruits, and horticultural trees under the Shangshenjian (Shangshanjian) and the cultivation and pruning of horticultural trees and ornamental flowers under other government offices.

"The Materials Bureau has two departments: Fruit and Vegetables and Livestock and Poultry. Each department has a sixth-rank chief and two sixth-rank deputies, one on each side. Each department has a budget, similar to the Wine, Vinegar, and Flour Bureau. The Fruit and Vegetable Department oversees several fruit and vegetable plantations, while the Livestock and Poultry Department oversees several slaughterhouses for cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks, pigs, donkeys, and other animals. Each plantation and slaughterhouse has only one seventh-rank supervisor."

To preserve freshness, the Guanglu Temple only accepted and provided live livestock and poultry to the Shangshanjian. Livestock and poultry were only slaughtered and delivered to the kitchens when they were about to be eaten or made into preserved foods.

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After discussing the splitting and integration of the Shangshanjian, Liu Ruoyu paused for a moment before continuing, "The five offices of the Duzhijian, Sishejian, Zhidianjian, Huanyiju, and Huntangsi will be merged into one. The title of Duzhijian will be retained in the merged office, while the others will be eliminated."

The five yamen mentioned above were all service-oriented offices. After the Silijian (Silijian) usurped its important duties, the Duzhijian (Duzhijian) was only responsible for clearing the path for the emperor's carriage when he left the palace. The Sishejian (Sishejian) was responsible for the safekeeping of ceremonial objects such as the procession, large umbrellas, and curtains. The Zhidianjian (Zhidianjian) was in charge of the cleaning of the various palaces. The Huntangsi (Huntangsi) was responsible for bathing services within the palace, primarily providing hot water to the various palaces and cleaning the public baths used by eunuchs and palace maids. As for the Huanyiju (Huanyiju), it provided laundry services for the imperial family and concubines within the palace.

"The new headquarters of the Metropolitan Supervisor will have one eunuch of the fourth rank who holds the seal, and one eunuch each of the fifth rank. Under the eunuchs will be five eunuchs of the seventh rank who hold the seal. The proposed cost of this headquarters is 1,675 taels of silver."

"Below the Chief Supervisor, there are the Miscellaneous Affairs Bureau and the Ceremonial Guard Bureau. The Miscellaneous Affairs Bureau is responsible for cleaning the palace courtyard, washing clothes, heating water for bathing, cleaning the bathhouse, pruning trees, planting flowers, etc. The Ceremonial Guard Bureau is also responsible for the procession and ceremonial guards, clearing the roads, and accompanying the emperor. The bureau's staffing follows the regulations of the Imperial Kitchen Supervisor. Each bureau is expected to cost 950 taels of silver per year."

"The Miscellaneous Affairs Bureau consists of the Bathing and Washing Department and the Palace Duty Department. Each department has a sixth-rank official, and two sixth-rank deputies, one on each side, responsible for managing the department's miscellaneous affairs. The Bathing and Washing Department oversees the laundry rooms and bathhouses, each with a seventh-rank supervisor. The Palace Duty Department consists of five palace duty rooms: East, West, South, North, and Central. These rooms are directly responsible for cleaning, pruning, and planting in the corresponding palace areas, and each room has a seventh-rank supervisor."

"The Ceremonial Guard Bureau is divided into the Department of Ceremonial Design and the Department of Ceremonial Affairs. The Department of Ceremonial Design manages the storage and use of ceremonial objects such as the procession, yellow umbrellas, and curtains, while the Department of Ceremonial Affairs oversees the deployment of ceremonial personnel. Each department has one chief of the sixth rank, one deputy of the left and right of the sixth rank, and five attendants of the seventh rank."

This so-called Yizhang Bureau was formed by merging the former Duzhijian and Sishejian, and then demoting the chief officers of the two bureaus from fourth-rank eunuchs to sixth-rank eunuchs. This was a very harsh move. However, Liu Ruoyu felt that this move was justified. After all, before the drafting of the strategy, these two "jians" were the "lowest yamen" among the Twenty-Four Yamen, inferior to many Si.

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Liu Ruoyu turned over two pages of manuscript paper that had been scribbled over and wasted, and said:
"The three offices of Shangbaojian, Yinshoujian, and Shangyijian were merged into one office. It was renamed Yushijian."

The scale of these three yamen is very small. They do not have and do not need too many grassroots eunuchs to drive them. Compared with the yamen of the Internal Affairs Bureau and the Shangshen Bureau, which have many people and things to do, they are just like an ant-like organization. But their small size does not affect their importance at all. Because these yamen are in charge of the safekeeping of important objects, they are still indispensable.

Among them, the Imperial Treasures Supervisor was in charge of treasures such as imperial seals, imperial edicts, and general seals. The Seal and Ribbon Supervisor was in charge of the ancient and modern collections, as well as iron certificates, imperial edicts, yellow stickers, seals, inspection certificates, verification certificates, and letter tokens. The Imperial Clothing Supervisor was responsible for the emperor's crown, robes, shoes, boots, and socks.

"The headquarters of the Imperial Household Department has only one eunuch of the fourth rank who holds the seal, and no junior eunuchs, eunuch secretaries, or other such officials. Under the seal holder, there are four bookkeepers of the seventh rank. The headquarters plans to spend 920 taels of silver every year." The headquarters of the Imperial Household Department also made a compilation of usage records.

"The Imperial Office is responsible for the Imperial Treasures Bureau, the Imperial Seals Bureau, and the Imperial Clothing Bureau. Each bureau is to have a director of the fifth rank, a deputy of the fifth rank, and four directors of the seventh rank. Each bureau is to spend 700 taels of silver annually."

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Liu Ruoyu concluded by saying, "As for the four yamen, namely, the Imperial Household Department, the Imperial Horse Department, the Imperial Household Department, and the Imperial Shrine Department, they will continue to retain their original staffing."

These four yamen were either not Liu Ruoyu's turn to integrate, such as the Imperial Household Department, the highest administrative agency of the inner court, and the Imperial Horse Department, the most important security agency of the palace.

Or he felt that they could not be integrated and needed to maintain their independence, such as the Imperial Household Department, which was responsible for manufacturing imperial utensils, and the Imperial Palace Department, which was responsible for managing the emperor and empress's tombs, sweeping the Taimiao, and ensuring that incense and lamps were always lit.

"What about the Firewood Administration, the Treasury and Banknote Administration, and the Bell and Drum Administration?" Zhu Changluo keenly noticed that three of the twenty-four yamen hadn't been mentioned. The Firewood Administration was responsible for distributing firewood and charcoal, the Treasury and Banknote Administration was responsible for producing Ming Dynasty treasure notes that were indistinguishable from waste paper, and the Bell and Drum Administration was responsible for managing the bells and drums used during court performances and the palace's various performances.

"To answer my master's question, the Xinxin Division, the Baochao Division, and the Zhonggu Division were originally directly managed by the Silijian. I think that these three divisions should still be set up independently and directly managed by the Silijian. It only requires the rank of the chief officer to be downgraded from the fifth rank to the sixth rank." Liu Ruoyu replied.

Zhu Changluo nodded and asked, "Anything else?"

"I think there should be another rule clearly stated." Liu Ruoyu said.

"What rules?" Zhu Changluo asked.

"After the regulations were established, salaries will only be paid if there are vacancies. No salary will be given to those who do not have actual positions, no matter what their official rank. In principle, no new vacancies can be added to the various prisons, bureaus, and departments. If the situation changes and additional vacancies are indeed needed, a written report must be submitted to the Imperial Household Department, which will review it and finally submit it to the emperor for approval before the additions can be made. Without the emperor's approval, no one may add vacancies at will." Liu Ruoyu replied.

An investigation by the Imperial Household Department revealed that any official, such as a clerk, supervisor, or imperial attendant, could earn the title of Junior Supervisor or Supervisory Assistant simply by currying favor with a powerful eunuch. Even a small workshop or kitchen, assigned to the succession execution department, could have several supervisors. During the 48 years of Emperor Shenzong's reign, even eunuchs, the highest eunuch rank, became rampant.

In the past, when salaries were generally low, this was not a problem; it was just a form of vanity. But now that eunuch salaries have generally increased, the number of these additional titles must be reduced, ensuring that each eunuch has his or her own position. Only those who reach the right position can have the right title and receive these salaries.

"Yes." Zhu Changluo nodded slightly and then concluded, "In other words, the inner court's affairs offices have been integrated and reduced from the original twelve offices, four departments, and eight bureaus to eight offices: the Office of Rites, the Office of Imperial Horses, the Office of Imperial Use, the Office of the Divine Palace, the Office of Internal Affairs, the Office of the Imperial Kitchen, the Office of the Chief Minister, and the Office of Imperial Affairs. Then, the eight offices will be in charge of the bureaus, and the bureaus will have departments under them, which will be in charge of affairs?"

"My master is wise. This strategy of mine is indeed copied from the Western Factory." Liu Ruoyu nodded deeply.

Even after the adjustment, there are still many eunuchs of the sixth and seventh ranks at the first level of the department, but compared with the eunuchs of the fifth rank and above, their salaries are not high. Below the high-level salaries of the Silijian, the Imperial Horse Supervisor, the East and West Factories, the ordinary fourth rank is 800 taels per year, and there are three levels down to the fifth rank, with a reduction of 200 taels per level. Compared with the fifth rank, the sixth rank is cut in half, cut in half, and then reduced by seven, leaving only 43 taels. After that, the three levels from the sixth rank to the seventh rank will be reduced by 7 taels, 6 taels, and 5 taels respectively. Going down further, there are ordinary eunuchs without rank. Their salary is calculated at one tael per month.

The reason why the ranks and salaries of eunuchs are arranged so closely and jump around is mainly due to the inertia of the ancestral system. It is for the purpose of restraining eunuchs and preventing them from interfering too much in state affairs. Zhu Yuanzhang designed the eunuchs to have a rank of only the fourth rank, but eunuchs also had the sixth rank. The various eunuchs outside this rank had no rank and could only be regarded as ordinary yamen runners in the outer court. Liu Ruoyu lowered the rank by two levels to the seventh rank and gave a salary of 25 taels in order to increase the level and reduce the total salary expenditure. Otherwise, a Si Zheng with the title of the fifth rank would have to be paid 400 taels, instead of the 43 taels of the sixth rank.

Of course, the chief officers of the Eastern Depot's Criminal Division and the Western Depot's External Inspection Division were considered high-ranking, and were on a completely different level from the ordinary chief officers. Their titles didn't really matter; they all had red clothes to wear.

Zhu Changluo thought for a moment, then looked at Wang An and asked, "You just said that the Imperial Household Department is already drafting the regulations. Does that mean you all agree with this plan?"

"Yes," Wang An nodded and replied, "All six eunuchs in the Imperial Household Department approve of this plan." He was referring to Wei Zhongxian and Cui Wensheng, who hadn't participated in the discussion at all and had merely mentioned it to them.

"Then let's do it this way," Zhu Changluo decided, approving this, the largest-scale inner court reorganization plan to date. He then added a final word: "Major reforms often can't be accomplished overnight. It's okay if there are some mistakes or disturbances. If there's anything inappropriate or that needs adjustment, report it immediately. Don't be shy about it, and don't lie."

Zhu Changluo initially envisioned a reorganization modeled after the Qing Dynasty's Imperial Household Department's seven departments and three courts, but he changed his mind when Liu Ruoyu submitted a memorial proposing a reorganization of the inner court. A large organization always has its own logic and inertia. Rather than completely rebuilding everything, causing chaos and confusion throughout the inner court, it would be better to let the Imperial Household Department, which truly understands internal affairs, take charge and integrate the affairs. Good management practices steer the direction, allow experts to do their work, and forgive minor mistakes, allowing them to adjust. Impatience and blind command are unacceptable.

"Yes." Liu Ruoyu smiled easily, and the fatigue that had been accumulating in his body was almost completely released at this moment.

"Wang An." Zhu Changluo called again.

"I'm here." Wang An replied.

"Liu Ruoyu hasn't had time to buy a house in Beijing yet, right?" Zhu Changluo asked.

"Yes. I haven't had time to buy it yet. I've been resting in the Silijian duty room recently." Wang An said with a smile.

"Take out 10,000 taels of silver from the transport warehouse and divide it into two parts. Give one part to Liu Ruoyu to buy a house and decorate it. Give the other part to Cui Wensheng. When Wei Zhongxian raided his house before, he demolished his doghouse. This time, he made a contribution by raiding someone else's house, so give him two rewards." Zhu Changluo ordered.

"I dare not accept it." Liu Ruoyu ran out and knelt in front of the imperial desk to decline.

"Reward those who have made contributions and punish those who have made mistakes. My rewards and punishments are never cheap." Zhu Changluo waved his hand and said, "That's it."

"I bow to thank the emperor for his grace!" Liu Ruoyu kowtowed three times.

(End of this chapter)