The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 243 The Cabinet Era
Under the command of the Duke of England, the army did not cause any further trouble. Even though the King of Han was unwilling, he did not make any small moves.

The tide is gone.

This is the thought that looms over everyone's mind: from the perspectives of legitimacy, politics, and military, the King of Han has no advantage in any aspect, so what can he use to fight for it?
After the army returned to the capital, the soldiers went back to their camps, the garrison troops returned to their respective garrisons, and the generals all returned to their respective offices. In just two days, the northern expeditionary army vanished without a trace.

The dark cloud that had been looming over the Ming Dynasty seemed to dissipate in an instant, leaving behind a clear sky and a sense of joy.

After the late emperor's body returned, the funeral could finally begin, and the Ministry of Rites, which had been preparing for a long time, began to make arrangements step by step.

The high-ranking officials then entered the palace to discuss matters concerning the deceased emperor's death. There was nothing to discuss regarding the temple name and posthumous title. The late emperor had greatly admired Emperor Taizong Wen of Tang, Li Shimin, and since Taizong intended to formally succeed him, the posthumous title was naturally decided upon as Emperor Taizong Wen.

This is basically the highest-ranking temple name and posthumous title, except for the founding emperor.

On the third day of the eighth month of the twenty-fourth year of Yongle's reign, a grand enthronement ceremony was held in the palace, and Zhu Gaochi officially ascended the throne, changing the era name to Hongxi the following year.

He established Zhang, the Crown Princess, as Empress, and Zhu Zhanji, the Crown Prince, as Crown Prince.

When Zhu Di's body was returned to the capital, Zhu Gaochi had already issued a series of orders.

All the princelings who were imprisoned during the struggle for the throne were released and reinstated. Among them, some of the more unfortunate ones even served more than ten years in prison.

Those who had been banished to remote and desolate places, such as Xie Jin who had been banished to Jiaozhi, were also recalled to the capital.

One emperor and one courtier!

It was truly a vivid portrayal. With the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne, those officials from the former Eastern Palace and Prince's residence became newly powerful figures in the court.

The most enviable were the cabinet ministers. Yang Pu, a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, was imprisoned for ten years. After his release, he was reinstated as a fifth-rank scholar. In just half a month, he was promoted to a fourth-rank Hanlin scholar and was summoned to the palace many times. Everyone knew that this was by no means the end of his career.

The other cabinet ministers, such as Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong, and Jin Youzi, were all promoted to the fourth or third rank within a short period of one month, but they still worked in the cabinet.

His status rose significantly within the increasingly powerful cabinet during the Yongle reign.

Duke Zhang Fu of England was promoted to Grand Tutor and given an additional 500 shi of rice, which further enhanced his prestige.

The court and the public alike looked to Li Xianmu, wondering what official position he would receive, especially since he was already the Minister of War.

Inside the Hall of Literary Glory.

Zhu Gaochi sat facing Li Xianmu, and said with a hint of worry, "Xianmu, now that the candidates for the six ministers and vice ministers are all in place, I hope to promote the cabinet ministers such as Shiqi and Zirong, but I don't know how to do it."

A glint of light flashed in Li Xianmu's eyes. "What is Your Majesty's view on the Cabinet?"

Zhu Gaochi pondered and said, "Coordinating the six ministries and assisting the emperor are truly indispensable institutions for the Ming Dynasty. Without the Grand Secretariat, even if the emperor of the Ming Dynasty is extremely tired, he will not be able to manage the affairs of the country, and chaos will inevitably ensue."

"Since the cabinet is so important, it naturally needs the most outstanding talents. Yang Shiqi, Yang Rong and others are all exceptionally talented and have served in the cabinet for many years. If we transfer them to the Six Ministries, wouldn't that be a waste of their talents?"

Li Xianmu clearly disagreed with transferring them out of the cabinet. Zhu Gaochi asked in confusion, "But the cabinet ranks are too low. They are all my meritorious officials. If I don't promote them, wouldn't I be a mean and ungrateful person?"

Li Xianmu smiled and said, "Your Majesty, the Duke of Yingguo has rendered meritorious service in supporting the emperor. Your Majesty should promote him to the rank of Grand Tutor of the First Rank, but not let him act as the head of the Five Armies Commandery."

A person is not limited to holding only one official position. When I served as Vice Minister of Rites, I also served as Grand Secretary of the Cabinet. Who would think that my rank was low?
The governors who tour the provinces during the Ming Dynasty are officials without official rank; only by holding the title of Censor of the Censorate can they maintain control over the Three Departments.

Isn't this the same thing achieved through different means?
Now, if Your Majesty wishes to promote meritorious officials, you could easily elevate them to the positions of Vice Minister of the Six Ministries, or even Minister, while still allowing them to serve in the Grand Secretariat. Furthermore, it could become a formality that all those entering the Grand Secretariat must be of the third rank or higher.

"Brilliant!" Zhu Gaochi's eyes lit up. The more he thought about it, the more ingenious he felt this strategy was, perfectly resolving the current predicament.

Coming to his senses, Zhu Gaochi looked at Li Xianmu with shining eyes, "Xianmu, you should also return to the cabinet. I will still bestow upon you the title of Grand Secretary of the Hall of Literary Glory. Only with you at the head of the cabinet in the future can I feel at ease."

With the real power of Minister of War and concurrently Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, he was essentially half a prime minister. In the current Ming Dynasty court, no one could surpass him. Even Li Xianmu was tempted and immediately agreed to the offer.

Zhu Gaochi's rise was incredibly rapid. Just three months after ascending the throne, in November, Yang Shiqi and others had already been promoted for the third time, this time to the rank of Vice Minister of the Six Ministries, a promotion that was nothing short of rocket-like.

In fact, when the emperor showed his intention to give important positions to the cabinet ministers, the vice ministers and ministers of the six ministries were all worried, wondering which unlucky ones would be ousted. When the imperial edict was issued, it shocked the court and the public. His Majesty did not send the cabinet ministers to the six ministries, but instead directly granted them the official rank of the third grade.

After breathing a sigh of relief, these seasoned veterans who had spent years navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom instantly realized something was amiss!
There's a term in officialdom called "the power inherent in a position," which refers to using lower-ranking officials to control higher-ranking ones—a gradual process.

It began in the Eastern Han Dynasty when the Shangshutai (Imperial Secretariat) was used to sideline the Three Dukes, and this gradually evolved into the Ming Dynasty.

The seventh-rank official, the Censor, held the power to reject the proposals of the Minister, while the Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet, who served as an advisor to the emperor, was only a fifth-rank official.

Although these two positions are of low rank, they carry extremely high authority.

But things are different now. Assigning Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet the titles of Vice Minister and Minister will greatly enhance the status of the Cabinet. After all, who wouldn't be afraid of five or six officials of the second or third rank in an organization?

The Grand Secretaries of the Inner Cabinet became high-ranking officials in the court, and their actual power, to some extent, surpassed that of the Ministers of the Six Ministries!

This even reminded many people of the Tang Dynasty's Council of State Affairs, in which the Secretariat and Chancellery were the prime ministers, while the six ministries of the Ministry of Personnel were the prime ministers' clerks.

Now His Majesty trusts the Cabinet and consults with it on everything. In the past, the Cabinet was just a low-ranking official and had no say in matters of court deliberation. But now the Cabinet has real advisory power.

Many matters were discussed only with the Cabinet, and then the Six Ministries were directly assigned to carry them out. Whether they were done well or poorly was naturally judged by the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet.

If this continues, some of the assessment authority will inevitably fall into the hands of the cabinet, which in effect creates a less stable superior-subordinate relationship.

After all, even the six ministers would need to rely on the Grand Secretaries of the Inner Cabinet to maintain their position in the emperor's heart.

Even the vice ministers of the six ministries could be thankful that they could still keep their official positions, but the ministers of the six ministries felt increasingly uncomfortable, as if they had a fishbone stuck in their throat.

Only then did they remember Li Xianmu. They wondered how the emperor would reward Li Xianmu, who was also a minister. Were they just going to stand by and watch the Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet suddenly ride on their heads?
Just one day after bestowing a title upon the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, the Emperor's first wave of rewards for Li Xianmu finally arrived: "Li Xianmu, Minister of War, is both a scholar and a warrior, and has made great contributions and virtues, serving as a prime minister. I cannot be without him day and night. I hereby appoint Li Xianmu to serve in the Cabinet as a Grand Secretary of the Hall of Literary Glory, while still concurrently holding the position of Minister of War. All six ministries of the Cabinet will respect him. This is the imperial decree."

Apart from Zheng Huan, the Minister of Revenue, who already knew the news, the other four ministers felt like clowns. They knew with their toes that Li Xianmu was different from them.

The decree appointing Li Xianmu as Grand Secretary of the Cabinet caused a great uproar in the capital and even throughout the entire country.

Nobody is a fool. The Minister of State, who holds real power, also serves as the Emperor's secretary and handles affairs of the thirteen provinces and the six ministries of the two capitals in front of the Emperor. Except for the lack of decision-making power, he is essentially the prime minister!

Just thirty years after the abolition of the prime minister in the Ming Dynasty, an institution called the Grand Secretariat appeared, and a minister like Li Xianmu, whose real power was extremely close to that of the prime minister, emerged. For a time, many people did not even know what to say.

The Ming Dynasty's ancestral precepts clearly stipulated that future generations were not allowed to establish the position of prime minister, but they did not say that the position of Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet was not allowed.

Almost everyone remained silent about this behavior that was gradually undermining ancestral rules, including the ministers who did not want their power to be usurped by the Grand Secretaries, and they did not dwell on the matter.

On the first day of the eleventh month of the twenty-fourth year of the Yongle reign, an imperial edict was issued, granting Li Xianmu the title of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, a first-rank official, based on his outstanding merits.

On the third day of the twelfth month of the twenty-fourth year of the Yongle reign, an imperial edict was issued again, appointing Li Xianmu, Minister of War and Grand Secretary of the Hall of Literary Glory, as Right Minister of the Imperial Clan Court, to manage the affairs of the Imperial Clan Court. This was a first-rank official position.

Anyone with eyes to see can see that the emperor only added this much because Li Xianmu was too young, and he planned to save some rewards for later. Li Xianmu would surely become one of the Three Dukes in the future.

When the grand court assembly began, everyone was truly in a daze.

As for the military officers, there's no need to elaborate. Zhang Fu was already the head of the military officers, and now he's been added Grand Tutor, placing him at the very top of the military ranks.

The civil officials, however, were in a completely different position. Li Xianmu was at the head of the civil officials, with the Minister of Rites and the Minister of Personnel behind him. Below him was a row of cabinet ministers!
No amount of analysis can compare to the impact of what's happening now. Everyone knows that the political situation in the Ming Dynasty is about to change drastically, and the Hongxi era will be the era of the Grand Secretariat!
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The prime minister system in the Ming Dynasty went through a process of prosperity, decline, and revival. In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, the power of the left and right prime ministers far exceeded that of the Tang and Song Dynasties.

After the Hu Weiyong case, the prime minister system was abolished, and power was transferred to the Six Ministries. As it turned out, this unhealthy political system was difficult to maintain, and the prime minister was soon revived in the name of the cabinet, and occupied an increasingly important political position during the 23-year Yongle era.

By the time of the Hongwu and Xuande reigns, the cabinet system had completed one of the most important processes in its transformation into a prime ministerial structure—"entering the ranks of high-ranking officials." From then on, the cabinet system steadily progressed towards becoming a behemoth, never to regress! —"The Evolution of the Ming Dynasty Cabinet System"

(End of this chapter)