My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 436 New official takes office
However, Su Ze had something even more important to do: he got promoted!
Open the system and look at your character card:
[Main quest: Promotion to Rank 4 - Completed!]

[Task Reward: +1 simulation attempt per month]

——Host: Su Ze——

Age: 30
Birthplace: Taicang County, South Zhili

Official rank: Zhongshu Jianzheng Guan (fourth rank), Rijiang Guan, Donggong Jiangdu.

Prestige: 3050 (+50 per day)

Simulation times: 3 times per month (3/3 remaining)

Items in hand: [Model Calligraphy Brush] (blue), [Family Planting Mat] (purple), [Translation Rice Cake] (blue), [Post-Event Picture Book] (orange, 2/5 remaining), [Flying Pigeon Message] (purple), [Memory Palace Sachet] (orange), [Cure for All Diseases] (orange).

New main quest: Promoted to the third rank.

Task Reward: 1 chance to draw an orange item.

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.

Finally, I got promoted!

After being promoted, the most important monthly simulation number was added, and Su Ershu will soon evolve into Su Sanshu!

For Su Ze, from this moment on, he has officially entered the ranks of important officials!
A high-ranking official is someone who has his own team and serves as the chief official of a department.

Su Ze had previously served as a secretary in the Ministry of Revenue, but that was merely the position of head of a sub-department within the Ministry.

Including the other official positions Su Ze held, none of them were the head of a department.

The head of a department is completely different from other officials.

The head of a department can control the official seal of the entire government office, and the entire department must act according to the will of the head official.

The head of a department holds the power to evaluate and appoint personnel for the entire department, and subordinates tremble with fear in his presence.

This step is the culmination of a lifetime of hard work for many officials.

But for someone like Su Ze, who aspires to become a high-ranking official like a Grand Secretary, this is just the beginning.

Taking charge of a department is both a power and a responsibility.

The rise and fall of the entire department is in your hands; the department's success is your success, and the department's failure is your failure.

Whether or not he can manage the entire department well is being watched by everyone in the court.

Only by being competent in this position can one be promoted to a larger department and eventually join the cabinet.

Su Ze's starting point was becoming the Chief Censor of the Imperial Secretariat, which made it even more challenging.

Because this was a newly established department from scratch, there were no precedents to follow, and Su Ze had to rely on himself for everything.

The entire court was watching Su Ze closely, especially the officials who were dissatisfied with the establishment of the five offices of the Secretariat and the Chancellery. They all hoped to see Su Ze make a mistake so that they could impeach him.

It can be said that Su Ze dug a hole for himself, choosing the most difficult path to becoming a high-ranking official.

But huge risks also mean huge rewards.

Once Su Ze gets the five departments under the Secretariat in order and truly achieves results, no one will be able to question his political abilities anymore, and his path to entering the cabinet will be without any obstacles.

On November 4th, in the side room, Zhao Lingxian, heavily pregnant, was tidying up Su Ze's official robes.

As a fourth-rank official, he already wore a scarlet robe, and Zhao Lingxian patiently helped Su Ze smooth out every inch of wrinkles on his official robe.

Su Ze couldn't help but say:
"My wife, you can leave this to someone else. You should just focus on your pregnancy."

Zhao Lingxian stubbornly insisted:
"Today is your first day of promotion, my lord, so of course I must personally see you off."

Su Ze couldn't go against his wife's wishes.

As husband and wife, Zhao Lingxian's status among the noblewomen of the capital has been rising steadily over the years, along with Su Ze's rising position.

Zhao Lingxian also remarked that she had married exceptionally well among her many sisters in the family.

Among the women of her generation, the most successful husbands had only reached the ranks of mid-level officials. Their wives, at gatherings of women in the capital, were not even considered supporting characters and could only be regarded as invisible figures.

Zhao Lingxian had long been the focus of the gatherings, and now that Su Ze had reached the fourth rank, Zhao Lingxian had also entered the top ranks of the social circles of noblewomen in the capital.

"If anyone comes to visit, leave a visiting card and refuse any gifts. I will handle it when I return."

"Yes, sir."

Su Ze was quite at ease. Zhao Lingxian was good at managing the household, and the Zhao family was a scholarly family with its own set of methods for managing subordinates.

Despite Zhao Lingxian's gentle and weak appearance, the servants in the Su household were still quite afraid of this mistress. The servants of the Su household also had an excellent reputation in the capital and had never caused any trouble by abusing their power.

After giving his instructions, Su Ze went to the palace to begin his first day of work as the Chief Censor of the Imperial Secretariat.

Su Ze's waist token was wrapped in a cloth bag, so it didn't make any clanging or rattling sounds.

Upon arriving at the palace, the imperial guards saluted Su Ze. Although everyone recognized him, one of the guards stepped forward and addressed him:

"Please show your badge, Prosecutor Su!"

Su Ze untied the cloth bag, and after the officer finished inspecting it, he immediately made way for him.

This badge was also delivered yesterday along with the imperial edict. The emperor and the cabinet did not even give Su Ze time to hand over his work at the Office of Transmission, which shows the importance the court attaches to this new department, the Five Offices of the Secretariat-Chancellery.

As Su Ze entered the palace, the first thing he did was to pay his respects to the Grand Secretaries, as the five secretarial offices of the Grand Secretariat were the secretarial body of the cabinet.

Su Ze entered the cabinet. Since Su Ze had left early, only Yin Shidan was in the cabinet at this time.

Although the emperor had already approved Yin Shidan's resignation memorial, the Longqing Emperor still requested that Yin Shidan stay in the cabinet for a period of time to continue the work of the Baosheng Medical Bureau and the issues on elementary education raised by Yin Shidan, until a suitable successor was found in the court before leaving the cabinet.

Yin Shidan naturally couldn't refuse the emperor's request, so he worked overtime every day to finish his work as soon as possible.

There was no other way; Yin Shidan also had his pride. If he stayed in the cabinet for too long, he would be looked down upon by the scholars and forced to resign. So he worked overtime to finish his work as quickly as possible.

Yin Shidan looked at Su Ze, the "culprit" who had caused his dismissal.

Su Ze was also somewhat embarrassed. He had schemed against Yin Shidan, but this Grand Secretary Yin had disregarded past grievances and helped him to promote the establishment of the five offices of the Secretariat-Chancellery.

Regardless of their past relationship, Yin Shidan had been kind to him.

Su Ze quickly stepped forward and said:
"Greetings, Grand Secretary Yin."

Yin Shidan was already in a semi-retired state, and at this time his temper had actually improved a lot.

Yin Shidan said something unusual:

"When I first met Zilin, I was still a Hanlin Academician. Who would have thought that a newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) would rise to this position in just a few years?"

Su Ze quickly replied, "I owe my position today to the Emperor's boundless grace and the support of all the Grand Secretaries."

Yin Shidan waved his hand and said:
"Zilin, there's no need to be so modest. I have never given you any favors."

Yin Shidan said:
"Perhaps in a few years, I will hear the news of Zilin's entry into the cabinet while I am in the countryside."

At this point, Yin Shidan also felt a little sentimental.

The youngest person to enter the cabinet during the Ming Dynasty was Xie Qian, a cabinet minister during the Hongzhi era.

Xie Qian entered the cabinet at the age of thirty-seven. At Su Ze's pace, he might be able to enter the cabinet within five years.

What terrifying influence a 35-year-old cabinet minister wields?
Su Ze quickly offered a few words of modesty, and Yin Shidan then looked at Su Ze and asked:
"Zilin, have you read my resignation letter? You were the one who proposed the idea of ​​elementary education. What is your opinion on this matter?"

Yin Shidan's resignation letter is his greatest political legacy.

Yin Shidan naturally attached great importance to this political legacy that contradicted his academic ideals, and he wanted to hear Su Ze's opinion.

After all, it's obvious to the naked eye that Su Ze is going to join the cabinet, and whether he can retain his political legacy depends heavily on his attitude. Su Ze said:

"Grand Secretary Yin has entrusted His Majesty's life with the well-being of the nation and its people, which is truly a national policy that will last for centuries!"

Hearing this, Yin Shidan was even happier.

As expected, Su Ze was able to see through my plan!
This was a solution that Yin Shidan had racked his brains to come up with, but Su Ze saw through it at a glance!

Yin Shidan was in a better mood, but seeing that Su Ze still had something to say, he quickly asked:

"Zilin, if you have any other thoughts, please speak up."

Su Ze hesitated for a moment before saying:

"Grand Secretary Yin's theory on the form of government is indeed very insightful."

"But everything depends on Your Majesty, which means that power is concentrated in Your Majesty's hands, and we ministers are given the power of the monarch to govern."

Yin Shidan nodded; this was exactly the future he wanted to build.

Su Ze said:

"We ministers have power but no responsibility. What should we do if a major event occurs?"

Yin Shidan was stunned.

The biggest problem with this kind of sanctified, figurehead monarchy is issues of responsibility and power.

The emperor nominally possessed the entire country, but in reality, the power to govern was in the hands of his ministers.

Ministers have the power to govern, but they have no responsibility to the country, only obligations to the monarch.

Such a regime is prone to falling into collective fanaticism.

At a time like this, who can put the brakes on this empire?

Yin Shidan fell into thought.

But Su Ze quickly smiled and said:

"Your Excellency, what I'm talking about is a hundred years from now. At times like these, we can only trust the wisdom of future generations."

"If a national policy can be maintained for ten years, that is already very difficult. If it can be used for a hundred years, it is a timeless policy. Why should we, as people today, be so critical?"

Yin Shidan also smiled, clearly indicating that Su Ze currently acknowledges his political legacy.

Then I can say that I have lived up to the kindness and favor shown to me by the Longqing Emperor.

At that very moment, the Grand Secretary Gao Gong, the Second Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng, and the Third Grand Secretary Zhao Zhenji all entered the cabinet at the appointed time.

Su Ze greeted everyone one by one, and it was time for the cabinet to officially begin its work.

The Ming Dynasty's cabinet, when not holding morning court, would begin its work around seven o'clock.

If the cabinet is to attend the morning court session, it must handle urgent official business beforehand.

Therefore, Su Ze's request to cancel the morning court session made the Grand Secretaries the most relaxed.

Zhao Zhenji yawned. Because the emperor was ill, the cabinet ministers had been taking turns guarding the Forbidden City since the beginning of this year. It seemed that it was Grand Secretary Zhao who was on duty last night.

Gao Gong looked at his prized disciple and said:
"Yesterday, His Majesty issued a special decree to allocate funds from the Imperial Treasury to renovate the Cabinet and to build side buildings next to the Cabinet as offices for the five departments of the Secretariat and Chancellery."

After the imperial edict was read aloud, everyone present exclaimed that the emperor was wise and benevolent.

It must be said that Emperor Longqing was indeed quite adept at political maneuvering.

Now that the status of the cabinet had been elevated, the emperor was not stingy and allocated funds from the imperial treasury to help the cabinet build its buildings.

This improved the cabinet's working environment, making the cabinet members grateful for the emperor's kindness.

Secondly, it demonstrates that the emperor is elevating the status of the cabinet and helping to enhance its prestige.

This was also one of Emperor Longqing's strengths: no matter how conflicted he was when making a decision, once he made up his mind, he would not hesitate any longer and would fully support the implementation of national policies.

Gao Gong continued:
"The Ministry of Works will be responsible for the renovation of the Cabinet, and the five offices of the Secretariat and Chancellery can work in the Secretariat for the time being."

The two wings of the cabinet are the Six Ministries and the Secretariat.

The Zhongshu Ke was the office of the Zhongshu She people.

Su Ze gleaned new information from Gao Gong's words.

The powers of the Five Offices of the Secretariat and the Secretariat were actually in conflict. Since the Five Offices of the Secretariat were established, there were calls to abolish the Secretariat and merge it into the Five Offices of the Secretariat.

However, Gao Gong's order shows that the emperor and the cabinet ministers had no intention of abolishing the Secretariat.

After a moment's thought, Su Ze understood the Emperor and the cabinet ministers' ideas.

The secretaries of the Secretariat, being of low status, were even more cautious when serving as secretaries to the emperor and the Grand Secretaries, and never interfered in government affairs.

Several cabinet ministers had secretaries who had served them for many years.

Clearly, the cabinet ministers also wanted to retain the Secretariat, rather than allowing the five departments under the Secretariat to monopolize all the work around them.

Su Ze understood the elders' meaning and adjusted his own plans accordingly.

After Gao Gong finished speaking, he said to Su Ze:

"Prosecutor Su, the establishment of the Fifth Office of the Secretariat-Chancellery was proposed by you in your memorial. Tell me your thoughts."

The real show is coming!

Gao Gong is asking me about the specific structure of the five departments under the Secretariat!
This time, the Cabinet will ask questions, and the Cabinet will decide on the level of support for the five departments of the Secretariat and Chancellery based on its own proposals.

After all, setting up a new government office requires money, talent, and policies. How much the cabinet can provide will determine the future power of the five departments of the Secretariat and Chancellery.

Su Ze took a deep breath and said:

"Grand Secretary Gao, esteemed ministers, this is just a humble opinion. If there is anything inappropriate, please correct me."

Su Ze said:

"The imperial court established the five offices of the Secretariat and the Chancellery to serve as the arms of the prime ministers, to strengthen their support, and to enable them to take charge and specialize in the planning and decision-making of major military and national policies."

"The head of the five offices should serve by the side of the Grand Secretary, assist in managing general affairs, and convey the Grand Secretary's decisions to the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers."

Gao Gong nodded and asked:
"Where are the Imperial Secretary's assistants?"

Su Ze said:

“The Secretariat is not established by me. The Secretariat staff have long served the Grand Secretaries. The five departments under the Secretariat are only responsible for assisting the Grand Secretaries in handling official business, that is, the affairs between the Grand Secretariat and the Ministry of Personnel.”

Everyone was shrewd and immediately understood what Su Ze meant.

In other words, the secretarial services of the five offices under the Secretariat only provided consultation and assistance on relevant government affairs. Private affairs and non-official departments were still handled by the original Secretariat Attendants.

This is equivalent to the Secretariat Attendants being the private assistants of the Grand Secretaries, while the heads of the five offices under the Secretariat and the Chancellery were the political assistants of the Grand Secretaries.

After thinking it over, Gao Gongyi also felt that Su Ze's idea was excellent.

The secretaries of the Imperial Secretariat have been used for many years and are naturally trustworthy, but their knowledge and abilities are limited, and they can only handle simple administrative tasks.

The five departments of the Secretariat and the Chancellery still need to be worked out and observed, but there is no problem entrusting them with handling official business.

Separating public and private matters is indeed a very good design.

(End of this chapter)