Ming Dynasty 1627

Chapter 86 When tasks are numerous and authority is delegated, officials will not be diligent (Bonus chapter 2K! Requesting monthly votes!)
The autumn wind swirled a bit of dust in front of the palace, adding to the desolate atmosphere.

It's getting colder.

Xue Guoguan adjusted the cuffs of his official robe and followed behind a young eunuch, hurrying along with his head down.

This was the first time he had been summoned by His Majesty alone.

The fervor of yesterday in the Wuying Hall has long since cooled, replaced by an indescribable worry and unease.

Road construction.

This job may sound trivial, even a bit mundane, but once you take it on, you'll realize how complex it is.

He had only been on the job for a day when he encountered two setbacks.

Minister of Works Xue Fengxiang was polite and considerate in his words, only saying that the ministry was busy with affairs and short-staffed, and that if Minister Xue needed anything, they would do their best to cooperate.

As for Guo Xingyan, the supervising secretary of the engineering department, he didn't even get a meeting with him, only sending a message through a messenger: "Understood."

Basically, they provided all the support they could, except for the support itself.

This certainly included his reactive reaction as a censor in the Ministry of Justice to extend his reach into the Ministry of Works' territory.

But if you really look deeper, the entanglements are far more complex than those of the Six Ministries.

Xue Guoguan was uncertain.

He wasn't sure if the young new emperor truly understood how deep the waters ran.

He passed the imperial examination in the 47th year of the Wanli reign and spent seven years working his way up in the officialdom, serving in various local positions and moving between the three ministries of Revenue, Military, and Rites. He was confident that he was not weak in governing and could handle this matter clearly.

But being an official isn't just about doing things; if you bet on the wrong horse, years of hard work can be wiped out instantly.

He's just a simple-minded old man from Shaanxi, neither a member of the Donglin Party nor the eunuch faction, so he might not even have anyone to help him get reinstated.

How significant is the statement, "I will give you all the support I can"?
Was it a casual remark made on a whim by the emperor, or a well-thought-out golden word?

He doesn't dare to gamble, nor can he afford to gamble.

After much deliberation, he simply wrote a vague policy proposal overnight and sent it to the palace at dawn.

It was ostensibly a detailed strategy, but in reality, it was a trial balloon.

If Your Majesty does indeed keep your word, then this mission will be an excellent stepping stone to heaven.

When the time comes, whoever stands in his way will be blocking his path to a career.

But if it were His Majesty…

Xue Guoguan sighed softly and subconsciously touched the official hat on his head.

In the ups and downs of officialdom, sometimes, just being able to live up to one's salary is the limit.

Just as he was lost in thought, he saw Gao Shiming, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, hurrying out of the Qianqing Palace. His expression was strange, a mixture of embarrassment and relief.

"Eunuch Gao." Xue Guoguan stopped immediately and bowed in greeting.

Gao Shiming seemed startled and stopped abruptly. When he saw that it was Xue Guoguan, he forced a smile and said, "So it's Lord Xue. Please come in. His Majesty has been waiting in the hall for quite some time."

After saying that, he skipped the pleasantries, gave Xue Guoguan a slight nod, and then turned and strode away, his back view as if some ferocious beast was chasing him.

Xue Guoguan stood there, stunned, his heart filled with growing unease.

After hesitating for a moment, he finally took a deep breath, suppressed all his distracting thoughts, and stepped into the most prestigious palace in the Ming Dynasty.

……

"Your subject, Xue Guoguan, Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, pays his respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

After the solemn ceremony of paying homage, Xue Guoguan, following custom, straightened his upper body and prepared to await the order to rise.

However, the expected instruction to "rise" did not come.

He only felt a blur before his eyes, and a hand had already firmly supported his arm.

"Minister Xue, let's skip these formalities."

Zhu Youjian's voice came from above, carrying an undeniable power.

He actually stepped down from the throne himself and pulled Xue Guoguan up from the ground.

"Come with me."

Xue Guoguan was filled with trepidation and was almost dragged along by Zhu Youjian, staggering as he followed.

He had only been in the capital for a short time and had only seen the new emperor once in the Wuying Hall. He had not really been exposed to the influence of the "Han Emperor's style" much.

In just a few steps, the two arrived in front of a huge sandalwood screen.

Xue Guoguan glanced at it once and immediately sensed something was wrong.

His memorial had been completely disassembled into several small pages, which were neatly pasted onto the screen.

Zhu Youjian released his hand, stood with his hands behind his back in front of the screen, and did not look at him, but rather as if he were admiring a painting.

"Minister Xue, I have read your policy essay."

His finger lightly touched the first page.

"Firstly, we need to establish standardized systems. Regarding the repair of streets in the capital, we should establish long-term regulations to prevent future problems."

My finger swiped across the screen and tapped the second image.

"Secondly, performance evaluation should be rigorous, and the merits and demerits of road construction should be clearly defined with rewards and punishments to motivate them."

The third one has been shown.

"Thirdly, make good use of the people's labor. It is suggested that during the off-season for farming, laborers be conscripted to repair roads in order to save national funds."

……

Zhu Youjian's fingers slowly traced over each of the petitions.

Each and every one of them was the product of Xue Guoguan's meticulous word choice, and each and every one of them seemed so... steady and flawless.

At the same time, it is completely useless.

Finally, Zhu Youjian's finger stopped at the last point. He slowly turned around, his gaze falling on Xue Guoguan's forced calm face, a half-smile curving his lips.

“Every point is reasonable, and every sentence is sincere.”

He first offered a compliment, then his tone turned cold.

"However, I do not believe that this is Xue Guoguan's true level."

"Minister Xue, this memorial of yours seems to be inconsistent with your talent. Is there some problem that you cannot state clearly in the memorial?"

Xue Guoguan couldn't help but tremble. Looking into Zhu Youjian's eyes, which seemed to see right through people, a storm raged within him.

He knew all along! He actually knew!
Xue Guoguan breathed a sigh of relief, finally making the crucial decision.

He's going to tell the truth—or at least part of it.

He took a deep breath, cupped his hands and bowed deeply to Zhu Youjian, his voice carrying a hint of bitterness, yet also revealing an unprecedented solemnity.

"Your Majesty is wise and sagacious, your wisdom shines across the land. Your subject... is ashamed."

He did not defend himself further.

"It is not that I intend to deceive you, but the matter of road construction, though seemingly trivial, is actually very complex and interconnected, and a single move can affect the whole situation."

“When there are too many tasks and too much power, officials become lazy; when policies come from multiple sources, things become inconsistent. Your Majesty… I am willing but unable.”

Zhu Youjian's smile faded, somewhat puzzled, but he still nodded to indicate that they should continue.

Xue Guoguan composed himself and slowly began to speak.

"Your Majesty, the matter of road construction in the capital involves several issues, including labor service, illegal construction, road paving, and inspection. The responsibilities and powers are distributed among various departments, making it a complex affair."

"Among them, the residences and shops of the powerful and wealthy in the capital often occupy land for business and block the ditches. This matter is usually handled by the Ministry of Works' Yuheng Division."

"But repairing streets and dredging ditches are the responsibility of the Ministry of Works and Water Conservancy."

"In addition, the Embroidered Uniform Guard also has a commander and several flag officers who are ordered to patrol the city and are also in charge of this matter."

Zhu Youjian's expression finally changed, revealing a mixture of surprise and absurdity.

He originally thought that Xue Guoguan's biggest problem was simply money.

To this end, he had even meticulously prepared a "money-making plan," and was about to take advantage of the road construction as a starting point to cause some trouble.

But who would have thought that what stumped this hero was not money?
Xue Guoguan, head bowed, unaware of the emperor's unusual expression, gave a wry smile and continued:

"Your Majesty, even setting aside these entanglements of power and responsibility, just considering the mobilization of manpower, if it is just a routine task of filling potholes, it would require mobilizing the Five City Garrison, or through the Shuntian Prefect, mobilizing the fire armor from various wards in the capital."

“But if we want to build new roads and replace the stone slabs, then a large number of laborers will be needed. In that case, we may have to use the garrison troops, or even the prisoners from the Ministry of Justice.”

As he finished speaking, he finally raised his head and looked directly at Zhu Youjian.

"Your Majesty, I am a Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, and my authority is limited as such."

"Your Majesty is surely aware of the complex and intertwined situation in the capital, therefore, without Your Majesty's further authorization, I... am truly unable to move an inch."

Zhu Youjian smiled awkwardly, pretending to be confident, indicating that he had indeed known all along.

But he had some doubts in his heart.

In his mind, wasn't the Ming Dynasty supposed to be a "small government"? How come it's just like the Song Dynasty, which had so many overlapping buildings?
What kind of divine organizational structure is this?
He subconsciously wanted to call out to Gao Shiming, wanting to ask this knowledgeable man about the Ming Dynasty's official system if the rules of the Ming Dynasty had always been this outrageous.

But just as he was about to speak, he remembered that Gao Shiming had already gone to retrieve that damned "Jingshi Wenbian" (Collection of Essays on Statecraft).

He hesitated for a moment, then turned his gaze back to Xue Guoguan, pretending to ask a leading question:

"Then, Minister Xue, why do you think such a situation of multiple parties involved has arisen? Is it the same in the capital and in the provinces as well?"

That's it!
A glint of light flashed in Xue Guoguan's eyes!
The emperor's question was not "What should we do?" but "Why did this happen?"
A single word makes all the difference!

The former is a question about road construction, while the latter is a question about national policy.

This is the true path to heaven that Xue Guoguan truly desires! Not some road construction!
How much credit can be gained from repairing a few broken roads?! It's hardly worth him, a high-ranking official, expending so much effort and worry!
He suppressed his excitement, straightened his back, and said in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty! Local affairs should not have come to this!"

"In our dynasty, the local areas are divided into the Provincial Administration Commission, the Provincial Surveillance Commission, and the Provincial Military Commission, with the three commissions sharing power."

"However, since the Chenghua era, governors and viceroys have been appointed above them to take full control of a province. With power and authority unified and orders issued from one place, this problem has not yet been solved."

"As for the matters in the capital..."

He paused, carefully considering his words, but ultimately spoke them out word by word.

"In the capital, most positions are established based on specific circumstances."

"Take street repairs as an example. At the beginning of the dynasty, it was originally the responsibility of the Water Conservancy Department. Later, due to its poor performance, the Yuheng Department was added to jointly manage it; and later still, the Five City Garrison, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the City Patrol Censor were added... all of which could manage it."

“The effect of adding a government office is immediate. However, over time, personal relationships develop, laws and regulations loosen, and the effect becomes less than satisfactory.”

"Take the matter of catching thieves in the capital as an example. First, it was the Five City Garrison Command, then the Beijing Garrison Patrol Battalion was set up to assist in the management, and finally the Embroidered Uniform Guard West Division was added. Now, the Garrison Command is in charge during the day and the Patrol Battalion is in charge at night. With the addition of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they can intervene day and night."

Zhu Youjian nodded, then shook his head.

The matter of capturing the thief was mentioned when I asked Tian Ergeng about the spy, but I never expected that the truth behind it would be so absurd.

He finally understood completely.

It's like a system that's constantly being patched up. To solve a problem, a new department is created, but the old departments aren't abolished.

Over time, patch after patch became the system, which became bloated, inefficient, and hampered by various obstacles.

The system of exploiting personal relationships is a cycle that, once established, is exploited again by those relationships, repeating itself endlessly since ancient times.

Moreover, he guessed that the source of this excessive favoritism was probably the emperors of the Ming Dynasty throughout history.

No wonder the security and environment in the capital have deteriorated to such an extent.

Looking at Xue Guoguan, whose face was filled with bitterness and confusion yet also held a hint of expectation, Zhu Youjian understood.

The empty memorial he submitted was merely a prelude; his true purpose lay in today's audience.

Zhu Youjian pondered for a moment, and had already made up his mind.

This was a completely unexpected problem for him—he had never thought of touching the power structure in the capital so soon.

But since there's a lead, and Xue Guoguan is genuinely willing to do it, there's no harm in moving things forward a little earlier.

Although he had no prior plan for this, it was not a problem for the leadership at all.

When leaders face sudden and difficult problems, there is always only one most common solution.

Zhu Youjian smiled slightly and spoke in a loud voice.

"I have understood the difficulties in road construction."

"Even what Minister Xue did not explicitly say, I understood."

"The capital's system is so redundant, everything is in disarray, and responsibilities are unclear—this is the root of the problem!"

He strolled back to the screen, said a few words briefly, and then his gaze returned to Xue Guoguan's face.

"—So, what does Minister Xue think is the best way to interpret this situation?"

(End of this chapter)