Standalone Northern and Southern Dynasties

Chapter 334: Censorate

Dugu Xin glanced at Wang Sizheng and didn't expect that he was actually a fanatical follower of Su Ze.

This is common in the military, but it is rare among the children of the gentry.

At this time, the servant brought a fine porcelain pot and some chopped beef, and said to the three people:

"My three gentlemen, the meat we use is all from old cows sold by the Herd Farm. Please feel free to enjoy it."

Cattle were also an important means of production in ancient times, so slaughtering oxen for working was strictly prohibited in all dynasties.

Su Ze also set up a herdsman, but he slaughtered some old oxen at the same time. Some were made into dry food and jerky, and a small number were bought by these shops to be made into snacks.

Dugu Xin was a little surprised. He didn't expect that this small shop would do everything so flawlessly. Everything it sold was legal and compliant. No wonder it was doing so good business.

The porcelain pots used to hold wine were also very exquisite. Wang Sizheng seemed to be very familiar with the work of wine monopoly. He said:
"Yuhu Shao is not only sold in Yongle City. Most of it is sent to the Western Regions by Madam An's caravan. The rulers of the Western Regions are vying to buy it."

Seeing Dugu Xin studying the porcelain wine jug, Wang Sizheng said:
"This wine pot was also fired in the Xiazhou official kiln, and this tri-color glaze was also prepared under the general's guidance."

There are also some small animal heads carved on the wine jug, with various auspicious patterns, which feel warm and soft on the hands. The most rare thing is that it is colored with lead yellow, green and blue glaze. Such porcelain can definitely be sold at a high price when shipped to the Western Regions.

I didn’t expect that General Su could even make porcelain?

Dugu Xin began to believe in the so-called star god descending to earth.

"I didn't expect Wang Lang to know so much about wine. It really broadened my horizons."

Wei Xiaokuan, who was standing by, could no longer hold back and said:
"Lord Dugu, Brother Sizheng works at the Ministry of Revenue, and the sale of salt and wine is part of his job."

Wang Sizheng was exposed by Wei Xiaokuan, but he was still shameless. He smiled and poured wine for everyone.

Dugu Xin knew that General Su had set up three departments, namely the Department of Households, the Department of Works, and the Department of Rites, under the general's office, which were respectively in charge of finance and taxation, engineering construction, and etiquette and law education. Under the leadership of the chief secretary Su Chao, the three departments were in charge of the civil affairs of six states and two counties. It was also their credit that the northwest could be so stable today.

However, it is said that the Three Caos are all talented people who are worth a hundred people. Each of them holds multiple positions and is elusive in the Shogun's office. This is the first time that Dugu Xin has made friends with officials from the Three Caos.

Wei Xiaokuan introduced Dugu Xin:
"Brother Si Zheng was originally editing books at Chongwenguan. Later, when General Su was planning to set up the Monopoly Bureau, he let him take charge of the bureau's affairs. Now, Brother Si Zheng is in charge of the salt and wine monopoly in the northwest."

Wang Sizheng said modestly:
"The rules were set by the general, and Wang is just implementing them."

Dugu Xin did not look down on Wang Sizheng for this. The original intention of a policy may be good, but it may be implemented incorrectly during the implementation process.

When formulating policies, many practical difficulties will be encountered, especially when it comes to matters such as monopoly that involve huge interests. Wang Sizheng's ability to coordinate and promote them is enough to demonstrate his political talent.

Wang Sizheng was in high spirits when he heard Wei Xiaokuan praise his contributions. After filling his glass with wine, he said:
"Wei Lang, please don't laugh at me. Everyone knows that this year, the shogunate tested private officials and only two of them were "upper and lower". Wei Lang is preparing to set up Zhechoufu in various states. He will definitely be appointed to an important position after the new year."

Dugu Xinxin said, so we are in the same industry.

Wei Xiaokuan said:
"It doesn't matter whether you are granted an official position or not. Nowadays, who among the officials in the northwest doesn't want to work in the Shogun's government?"

Dugu Xin also nodded. As Su Ze's influence grew, the mentality of northwestern officials gradually changed.

The most obvious change is that the high-ranking officials in the court are more envious of the scholars serving in the Su Ze shogunate.

When Dugu Xin was preparing to set up Zhechoufu in Huazhou, he was invited to banquets by local gentry in Huazhou more than once, asking him to recommend outstanding sons of his clan to serve as officials in Su Ze's court.

If it were in the past, when Su Ze recruited scholars in the name of the Shogun's Office, the Guanzhong gentry would be unwilling to take the position. What they wanted was a genuine official position in the court. The Shogun's Office was seen as a temporary institution, not worthy of the outstanding sons of the clan to serve.

But now the situation has changed. The local system of selecting filial and honest officials and recruiting officials based on their merits no longer appeals to the samurai from Kansai.

In particular, the quotas for filial and honest officials, that is, the quotas for local officials to recommend talents to serve as officials in Luoyang, were fought over fiercely by local gentry.

But now the situation in Luoyang is getting worse day by day. Many officials in Guanxi have resigned and returned to their hometowns. Who would be willing to go to Luoyang at this time?

The topic of the three people soon turned to the end-of-year exams.

The three of them were Su Ze's private servants in the shogunate, and their examinations had been completed. Now the most important thing in Yongle City was the examination of the officials under Su Ze's rule.

Wei Xiaokuan was the most informed. He said:
"I heard that the Shogun is planning to set up a new agency under the shogunate, called the Government Affairs Hall, to be in charge of this official examination."

Wang Sizheng also heard the news, but he said: "The one who can preside over the examination must be an important official around the general, and it has nothing to do with us." Wei Xiaokuan said:
"Important officials are busy with many things. Assessing officials is a very complicated matter. How can it be possible for important officials to do everything? Of course, it is the important officials' right to approve the final examination results, but specific matters still need to be handled by people."

"I heard that the general is going to select some of the young shogunate officials to serve as inspectors and be responsible for the examination work."

Wang Sizheng also came from a prominent family. He said:

"Jianxiaolang? Isn't that Jianxiao Yushi? Is the general going to set up a censorate?"

After hearing this news, Wang Sizheng was also somewhat moved.

The official title of "Yushi" has a long history. During the Western Han Dynasty, the Grand Censor was the deputy prime minister. The position of Yushi was very prestigious and it was the best position for young officials to enter the officialdom.

The reason why the censors wanted to use young officials was probably because they knew that young people still had a bit of blood in them and had just entered the officialdom without being corrupted, and their enterprising spirit could be used to shake up the entangled vested interests.

Therefore, in the Western Han Dynasty, the position of Censor has always been a lowly but powerful one, and many famous officials of the Western Han Dynasty started their careers as Censors.

However, after Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the imperial power gradually declined, the power of the aristocratic families was rising, and the emperor could no longer use the censors to deal with the ministers.

In the middle and late Eastern Han Dynasty, the censor had become a transitional position for young officials to be promoted. By the time of the Jin Dynasty with the Nine-Rank System, the censor had become a ceremonial position and had lost its status of supervising all officials.

From the Two Jin Dynasties to the Sixteen Kingdoms, and then to the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the system changed constantly. Many so-called countries were nothing more than makeshift teams that could not even guarantee basic administrative functions. For example, twenty years ago, officials in the Northern Wei Dynasty had no salaries, and it was good enough to be able to set up a bureaucracy. At that time, there was no need to talk about combating corruption.

Supervisory agencies are complex operating systems that can only be set up by dynasties that have achieved great unification. Historically, the systems in the Tang, Song and Ming dynasties were the most complete, and the censors in these three dynasties were the most powerful.

Dugu Xin felt a little emotional. Although they were both running their own governments, the gap between people was so huge.

The Northern Wei Dynasty was not without officials who set up their own offices to take charge of a certain area. Dugu Xin had seen Li Chong’s office of the General of the Cavalry in Pingcheng back then. It was good enough that the entire general’s office could maintain operation.

From this we can see that there are already enough talents in General Suze's shogunate to carry out more complex administrative operations such as examinations and inspections.

Dugu Xin was somewhat tempted. Needless to say, this Jianxiaolang was the Censor. If he could become Jianxiaolang, it would be of great benefit to his future career.

General Su attached so much importance to this examination that naturally no one would cheat in it. Especially for officials like Dugu Xin who already had a bright future, they would definitely make some achievements.

However, by participating in the examinations, one can have full access to the bureaucratic system of the six towns and two counties, and the inspector must regularly report his work to the important officials of the "Government Affairs Hall", and can also have access to the top level of the Shogun's shogunate.

In addition, when participating in the examination, one will inevitably have access to the accounting files of the entire six towns and two counties, which contain specific information such as population, taxes, and land. Processing these can also accumulate a broader perspective.

These are all very valuable experiences if you want to move to a higher position.

Wei Xiaokuan said to Wang Sizheng:

"Brother Si Zheng, you have been compiling the county maps in Chongwenguan, and you are most familiar with the local conditions. The position of the Censor is definitely not something you can do without."

Wang Sizheng also said:
"Xiao Kuan, you have done well in the exams, so there will definitely be a position for you as a censor."

Dugu Xin was a little dazed. From his heart, he would rather be a general leading troops to fight than a civil official governing the local area.

But if this position that everyone is vying for is right in front of you, how should you choose?
At this moment, there was a sudden commotion outside the tavern, and many guests in the tavern rushed downstairs and came to the door to look.

Dugu Xin called the servant over, only to hear him say:
"General Hou has returned to Yongle City to report on his work!"

Dugu Xin asked:
"General Hou? Is he the General of the Light Chariots from the Six Garrisons?"

The servant nodded heavily and said:
"That's General Hou! I heard that General Hou was stationed in Liangzhou, and the Liang bandits didn't dare to invade. General Su called him the 'pillar of the southern border'."

Dugu Xin saw Hou Jing's chariot and general's ceremonial guard through the window, and Su Ze even granted Hou Jing permission to enter the city on a white horse.

Dugu Xin had also heard of Hou Jing. When Su Ze took Hou Jing away from the Six Garrisons, he was still a commoner. Unexpectedly, in recent years he had become a general of the court and a general under Su Ze.

Seeing Hou Jing's procession, even Wang Sizheng and Wei Xiaokuan showed envious expressions.

In troubled times, military men are the most important. Among the officials who came to Yongle City to report on their work, there were only a handful of people who could have the same reputation as Hou Jing, and without exception, they were all generals who had made military achievements.

(End of this chapter)