The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 274 Finally

The first year of the Hongxi reign is destined to be a year worth commemorating.

After Emperor Renzong's death, his successor, Emperor Xuande, quickly made a series of personnel adjustments.

When the provinces were previously divided, three ministers had already been transferred, and a series of governors and censors of the second rank had been appointed. Now, the title of Minister of Personnel Jian Yi has been abolished, and he has been given the title of Junior Tutor and advisor on state affairs.

On the third day of the tenth month, Li Xianmu was dismissed from his post as Minister of War and transferred to the position of Minister of Personnel, concurrently serving as Grand Secretary.

The world was shaken, and everyone looked up to them, while the number of letters and petitions sent to them was extremely high.

On the fifth day of the tenth month of the first year of the Hongxi reign, Zhu Zhanji posthumously conferred upon Li Shanchang the title of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, restored him to the title of Duke of Han, and changed his posthumous name to "Zhongsu".

Li Qi was posthumously granted the titles of Minister of Personnel, Director of the Imperial Clan Court, and Grand Tutor, and was honored with a place in the Imperial Ancestral Temple as a loyal minister of Emperor Taizong.

The political implications of this series of actions are as clear as day.

The emperor's desire to elevate Li Xianmu made his intention to seize absolute power blatantly obvious.

Although no one deliberately spread the events of that day's court meeting, the emperor's attitude that officialdom must be rectified was clearly conveyed.

Now that Li Xianmu has taken office as Minister of Personnel, everyone knows that he has always been the emperor's sharpest blade, and countless people are trembling in fear.

Li Xianmu didn't take these disturbances to heart.

……

Outside the capital, at the Ten Mile Willow Pavilion, Li Xianmu was seeing off Zhang Fu, the Duke of Ying.

At the same time that Li Xianmu was transferred to the position of Minister of Personnel, an imperial edict was issued ordering Zhang Fu to once again don armor and lead an expedition against Annam, and that he would not return for some time.

The autumn wind is fierce, swirling up the fallen, withered leaves, instantly evoking a sense of loneliness.

The background to Zhang Fu's expedition was that the Duke of Qi was stationed in Annam, and during the suppression of the rebellion, he died of illness and his brother, the current Duke of Qi, died suddenly.

The vast Duke's mansion now only has a sixteen-year-old illegitimate son, who is the illegitimate son of the current Duke of Qi, and a five-year-old legitimate son. In the Ming Dynasty, the legitimate son is established as the heir.

However, the Duke of Qi's mansion was naturally no match for Jiaozhi, so the emperor thought of Zhang Fu and planned to send Duke of Ying, Zhang Fu, to guard the region.

He succeeded as the General of Annam.

but……

Li Xianmu looked at his father-in-law and said with a hint of guilt, "It is I who have implicated you, father-in-law."

Zhang Fu understood Li Xianmu's meaning. Li Xianmu had risen to his current position, second only to the emperor, so Zhang Fu had to leave the capital far away. Jiaozhi, far from the emperor's reach, was the only option.

A true emperor's care for his ministers is to ensure that they never rise to the point of overshadowing him.

Never allow a subject to threaten the emperor.

This is actually the way for emperors to protect their subjects.

only……

How could a remote and impoverished place like Jiaozhi compare to the prosperity of the capital?

Zhang Fu, however, was quite nonchalant: "I have twice conquered Annam and recovered the old lands of the Han and Tang dynasties. Now I am able to guard Annam and make it forever return to the land of China, thus fulfilling my life's work. Isn't this something to be happy about?"

But you, in order to rectify official corruption, are not an easy task. A slight misstep could lead to your death.

Now the emperor is praising you so highly; you must know that the higher you climb, the colder it gets.

Those who advocate natural reforms never have a good ending, nor do those who refuse to conform to the ways of officialdom. Even if they can't defeat you, can't they just wait until you're dead?

Li Xianmu also said casually, "That's why we need to cultivate a suitable successor to carry on the legacy. Just like the Li family, if it weren't for the two generations of my father and son-in-law working together, how could my grandfather have ever been exonerated?"

Currently, there are quite a few scholars of exceptional talent within the school of Neo-Confucianism, and the Li family also has promising individuals. If I, your son-in-law, can hold on for another twenty years, the next generation will be able to take over the responsibilities we hold in our hands.”

Using a combination of family and academic schools to select successors to political legacies is far more effective in ensuring a stable intergenerational transfer of power than relying solely on family connections.

After all, family is too limiting. Even if high-ranking officials can be produced generation after generation through education, top geniuses are not so easy to come by.

Seeing that Li Xianmu was well-prepared and had a complete plan, Zhang Fu put his worries aside.

"Since the late emperor began to heavily rely on civil officials, judging from the current situation, civil officials will become increasingly powerful in the future. After I pass away, the Duke of Ying's mansion will also need your care."

At this point, Zhang Fu became somewhat somber. The prestige of the Duke of Ying's mansion was entirely his responsibility. His offspring were few and far between. He had quite a few daughters, but only one son, his eldest son Zhang Zhong, who was in poor health and always sickly.

He was genuinely worried that his son would die before him, ending the family line and leaving no one to inherit the British dukedom, which would mean that at least half of his life would be meaningless.

After exchanging a few more words, Zhang Fu turned and left.

Li Xianmu watched as the servants of the Duke of Ying's mansion rolled up their banners and followed Zhang Fu. The sound of horses' hooves rose and fell, raising clouds of dust as the figures gradually disappeared.

……

"Tingyi".

"Uncle Master."

In the Li residence, Li Xianmu sat at the head of the table, while Yu Qian sat to the left.

Li Xianmu smiled and encouraged him, "This time, your senior brother is shouldering the important task of splitting up Southern Zhili. You should go to Southern Zhili with your senior brother and learn and observe well how local officials handle their affairs. When you return from Jiangnan, I plan to arrange for you to become a county magistrate."

Yu Qian, without a smile, said in a deep voice, "This nephew will respectfully follow his uncle's teachings."

Li Xianmu smiled and said, "You have no objection to being appointed as a county magistrate?"

County magistrates are corrupt officials; they have many responsibilities, little merit, and slow promotions. Without connections, they may remain in the position of county magistrate for life.

On the contrary, promotions in various government offices in the capital, such as the Six Ministries, were incredibly fast, and the positions were high and powerful. Moreover, living in the capital offered excellent conditions in all aspects. For example, the Hanlin Academy was the real breeding ground for prime ministers.

It has always been a place of refined elegance.

Yu Qian shook his head and said, "Going down to be a county magistrate would bring benefits to the region, and I couldn't ask for more."

"Good, I knew I hadn't misjudged you." Li Xianmu said happily, "I remember you were a Jinshi in the fifteenth year of Yongle."

"In reply to my uncle, that's right. I fell ill before the imperial examination in the twelfth year of Yongle and had to postpone it for another year."

"In the Song Dynasty, there was a saying that prime ministers must rise from local government positions and fierce generals must emerge from the ranks of soldiers."

The current methods of selecting officials vary, which is unacceptable. I will suggest to Your Majesty in the future that the "Regulations for the Selection of Officials of the Great Ming" be implemented, requiring all future cabinet ministers to have experience working at the grassroots level of the Great Ming. I do not understand what kind of officials are at the grassroots level in the Great Ming. How can an official who has not governed a region ascend to the throne?

You need to have work experience at the prefecture, county, and provincial levels. It's not too late to start now.

Upon hearing this, Yu Qian was immediately startled. He quickly calculated in his mind that, according to his martial uncle Li Xianmu, even at the fastest speed, a complete resume would require:

County Magistrate (Seventh Rank) – Transitional Position – Prefect (Fourth Rank) – Transitional Position – Provincial Treasurer – Vice Minister/Governor – Minister/Cabinet

It would take about twenty years, but that's the ideal situation. In reality, once you reach the position of Provincial Governor, there might not be any vacancies left, and you also have to consider the need to observe mourning for the deceased, so it would take about thirty years or more.

If someone passed the imperial examination at the age of thirty, they would have to be at least sixty years old to enter the cabinet, which would mean they were practically dead by then.

Yu Qian looked at Li Xianmu with some confusion and explained his calculations: "Uncle-Master, isn't this a bit too harsh?"

Li Xianmu smiled helplessly and said, "What the court wants is political achievements, not to waste time at the bottom. Who said that promotion has to be three years? Among the current cabinet ministers, apart from me, which one has been promoted after three years?"

"It's because my nephew has too narrow a perspective."

Yu Qian suddenly realized with some embarrassment that all the truly talented people who received attention were promoted. Among the current cabinet ministers, Li Xianmu was actually the one who had been promoted the slowest.

He truly climbed up step by step, rising through the ranks with each achievement.

The other cabinet ministers were promoted two ranks within about three months after the late Emperor Zhu Gaochi ascended the throne. In less than a year, they rose from Grand Secretary (rank 5) to Vice Minister (rank 3) and then Minister (rank 2).

If someone is truly a talent valued by the imperial court, this process can be shortened to about fifteen years, which is enough time to understand the hardships of the people and become familiar with the affairs of the Six Ministries. They would even learn how to outmaneuver those cunning and treacherous clerks in the local areas.

Yu Qian was naturally unaware that Li Xianmu had even bigger changes to the official system, but it was not yet time to implement them, and he planned to do it step by step.

"Your teacher and I have both seen your personality. As the saying goes, too much rigidity leads to breakage, but the Ming Dynasty cannot do without someone like you."

"You should first follow my path. If that doesn't work, then follow the path your teacher has arranged for you. Your temperament is indeed suited to be an imperial censor. If, in ten or twenty years, you were to take charge of the Censorate and inspect officials throughout the land, you would surely be a divine sword."

These words were entirely for the benefit of his nephews and nieces. Upon hearing this, Yu Qian raised an eyebrow and immediately said with emotion, "I will never forget the great kindness of my teacher and uncle!"

"You should go to Southern Zhili with your teacher first," Li Xianmu said as he saw him off. "We'll make arrangements after we return to the capital."

"I'll take my leave now."

Li Xianmu watched Yu Qian's departing figure, while pondering who he would talk to next.

The duties of the Minister of Personnel are actually quite simple: to select talent for the country and, ideally, to place suitable talent in suitable positions.

It's easier said than done.

Ancient officials all aspired to be all-rounders, so historical records often show a high-ranking official who basically did all the work of every department. Li Xianmu thought this was simply absurd.

Especially in highly specialized departments like the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Works, it would be chaotic to let laymen take charge.

Solving cases, adjudicating crimes, and engineering projects are not things that just anyone can do. Apart from someone like Li Xianmu who has a cheat code, everyone else needs a lot of experience to rely on.

What the Minister of Personnel should do is change the system for selecting talent, as well as the methods for cultivating and screening officials, instead of just going through the motions like the people in the Ministry of Rites.

Even though Li Xianmu had countless things he wanted to change, he couldn't sort them out in a short time. The most important thing for the Ming Dynasty now was to split up the provinces, especially the Southern Zhili.

……

The division of provinces was the first policy announced by the Xuande Emperor after his ascension to the throne, and separating Gansu from Shaanxi was the easiest of these policies.

Although Gansu is under the jurisdiction of the Shaanxi Provincial Administration Commission, due to cultural and geographical reasons, the tradition of separate governance during the Yuan Dynasty, and the special garrisons stationed in Gansu by the Ming Dynasty, the two sides have always governed their own affairs. Now, it is only necessary to establish a new Provincial Administration Commission in Gansu.

Although the tribal situation in Liaoning Province is complex and it borders North Korea, it is not considered to be too complicated, and it is close to the capital, so it is not too troublesome.

The real trouble naturally fell on Southern Zhili. Nanjing and its counties under Yingtian Prefecture remained untouched, while Jiangsu and Anhui were divided. This led to disputes over which county belonged to which prefecture and which prefecture was assigned to which province.

In particular, this time, the different cultures of the north and south of the Yangtze River were deliberately integrated into one province, which inevitably led to various disputes. Faced with such disputes, even the imperial court could not arbitrarily take sides.

Because there is no right or wrong to begin with.

In addition to Southern Zhili, the surrounding provinces also contributed a portion of their prefectures, counties, and districts to fill the newly established Jiangsu Provincial Administration Commission and Anhui Provincial Administration Commission.

After all, if there were only Southern Zhili, the two newly established provinces would be too small in area.

Therefore, the officials who went down this time were under great pressure, as it was something that could very well offend people.

Before Wang Gen left, Li Xianmu gave him many instructions, telling him to be careful and cautious. If he felt that the local constables could not be trusted, he could seek help from Li Xianmu's elder brother, Han Guogong.

Although the Southern Zhili region was abolished this time, the status of the Duke of Zhenshou remained unchanged; he was simply replaced by the Duke of Zhenshou who was in charge of the provinces south of the Yangtze River.

After arriving in Southern Zhili, Wang Gen naturally did not seek the help of the Duke of Han immediately. He first planned to listen to the thoughts of the local officials.

Within the provinces, some prefectures are definitively determined, while others are ambiguous.

Wang Gen also had to communicate with the two governors of Jiangsu and Anhui appointed by the imperial court. After only three days in Jiangnan, Wang Gen believed that this was definitely the most difficult thing he had encountered since he entered officialdom.

All eyes were gradually drawn to the major undertaking of splitting up the provinces, while affairs within the imperial court proceeded in an orderly manner.

Time, however, moves slowly forward without stopping.

When the fierce autumn wind blows the last leaf down, when the withered yellow leaves are trampled into mud.

When the biting wind from the Arctic brought the first glistening flakes, winter descended upon the capital once more.

Inside the Huagai Hall, the floor heating system spreads warmth to every corner of the hall.

The emperor sat at the head of the table, and the heads of various government departments reported on the various affairs of the year. It was another annual summary meeting of the Ming Dynasty's finances.

as well as.

New Year's budget meeting.

Li Xianmu sat in the first seat on the left, looking at everyone and listening to the numbers coming out of their mouths, some questioning and some nodding.

Everything is in order.

This is the end of the first year of the Hongxi reign. Once today's meeting ends, all government offices will begin their holidays and cease operations.

Then came the first year of the Xuande reign.

That was another new era of renewal for everything.

(End of this chapter)