My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 444 The Legend of the Ministry of Personnel, Part Five

As expected, when the list of nominees was presented to the emperor, the Longqing Emperor almost instantly circled the names of all the high-ranking officials.

The Su Ze secret passage system has indeed put its power to work.

Su Ze took the imperial decree back to the cabinet. After the three Grand Secretaries, Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, and Zhao Zhenji, confirmed the decree, Gao Gong said to Su Ze:

"Prosecutor Su, please have the five departments of the Secretariat and Chancellery draft the edict."

Su Ze looked up at Gao Gong in confusion.

Isn't drafting imperial edicts the responsibility of the Secretariat? Why is it the responsibility of the five departments under the Secretariat and Chancellery?
Zhang Juzheng and Zhao Zhenji both pretended not to notice the problem and calmly continued their official duties at their seats.

Su Ze understood Gao Gong's meaning and immediately said:

"I obey your orders."

Drafting imperial edicts was not a difficult task for Su Ze, who came from the Hanlin Academy. Based on his memory of the imperial edicts for entering the cabinet, Su Ze quickly wrote a magnificent document.

He then personally delivered it to the Directorate of Ceremonial, and after the emperor reviewed it, Feng Bao, the head of the Directorate of Ceremonial, affixed the imperial seal, and the edict officially took effect.

Su Ze returned to the cabinet with the imperial edict, and Gao Gong then ordered the five offices of the Secretariat and the Bureau of Personnel to go to the homes of the Grand Masters to deliver the edict.
-
Ministry of official affairs.

As soon as Liu Bing, a clerk from the Ministry of Personnel, stepped into the Ministry, he sensed a different atmosphere; the air in the entire Ministry seemed to freeze.

Liu Bing, being an expert in the field, naturally understood the reason for the low morale within the Ministry of Personnel.

The Court of Imperial Sacrifices was a low-ranking government office.

The Court of Imperial Sacrifices was headed by a Director, a seventh-rank official, and the Left and Right Directors were deputy directors, both seventh-rank officials, and were all graduates of the imperial examinations.

The Office of the Imperial Envoys was in charge of conveying imperial edicts and bestowing titles. Whenever imperial edicts were issued, titles were bestowed upon members of the imperial clan, pacifications were issued to all regions, recruitment of talented individuals was carried out, and rewards, condolences, relief, military affairs, and sacrifices were performed, the Office of the Imperial Envoys was dispatched.

Although the Court of Imperial Censors was a small department, it frequently traveled between various government offices, making it the most well-informed department in the capital, second only to the Court of Transmission.

Liu Bing knew the reason for the heavy atmosphere in the Ministry of Personnel.

Minister of Personnel Yang Sizhong failed to be elected to the cabinet twice, so he must have been in a very bad mood.

The selection process was changed from being overseen by the Ministry of Personnel's Selection Office to being overseen by the Fifth Office of the Secretariat-Chancellery. Crucially, this time the selection process, led by the Fifth Office of the Secretariat-Chancellery, was approved on the first attempt, and all officials praised the Fifth Office for its efficient handling of the matter.

This further humiliated the Ministry of Personnel's Selection Department.

Thinking of this, Liu Bing couldn't help but hum softly.

He and Zhang Yuanbian were both Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) in the same year.

Because of Zhang Yuanbian's memorial, the court changed the system of observing government affairs, so Liu Bing was still observing government affairs in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices less than a year after he entered officialdom.

Therefore, his position was Xingren Sili Xing, which is the probationary Xingren.

He especially remembered the scene when he was assigned to observe government affairs in the Wenxuan Division after he passed the imperial examination.

Because he failed the imperial examination for the first time, Liu Bing had to wait in line for a long time before finally getting a job at the small government office of the Ministry of Personnel.

He was very uncomfortable with the arrogant attitude of the officials in the Ministry of Personnel's Selection Department at the time.

Now that the Ministry of Personnel has suffered a setback, there are many officials like Liu Bing, and their resentment towards the Ministry of Personnel has been brewing for quite some time.

There's no way around it. There are more and more scholars in the world, but the imperial court is very cautious about setting up new official positions. There aren't that many officials who retire within a year. Now, even those who have passed the imperial examinations have to wait for vacancies, and those who have passed the provincial examinations can only be appointed as instructors in remote areas.

No matter who sits in the position of the Compilation Office, they will not be able to satisfy everyone.

Liu Bing was first assigned to the Court of State Ceremonial, and then to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, both of which were not very important government offices.

Liu Bing has come to the Ministry of Personnel today to convey the Emperor's edict.

It is now December, and the emperor has issued his usual decree to extend his greetings to the six ministries and nine ministerial offices, encouraging everyone to continue their efforts in preparing for the New Year.

Most of the work in the Imperial Censorate was so tedious and boring that it was not up to Liu Bing, a mere official in the Imperial Censorate, to deliver truly valuable imperial edicts.

Unexpectedly, Liu Bing ran into an acquaintance.

"Brother Mochimasa?"

Liu Bing looked up and saw that it was his classmate Zhao Pengzheng.

Zhao Pengzheng, courtesy name Boxiang, was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the same year as Liu Bing, but he was a second-class Jinshi. He initially served as an observer in the Ministry of Rites.

He was recently transferred to the Ministry of Personnel, a time when he was riding high.

The Ministry of Personnel is the head of the Six Ministries. Zhao Peng is currently able to observe the administration within the Ministry of Personnel. If he can stay in the Ministry of Personnel, it would be the second best career choice after the junior scholars.

Because he was observing politics at the Ministry of Personnel, Zhao Pengzheng would always talk about the Ministry of Personnel at his gatherings with his classmates. However, when his classmates asked him about truly important matters, Zhao Pengzheng would give them an expression that said, "I know, but I can't say," which annoyed his classmates.

However, he was also observing the administration of the Ministry of Personnel. If he were to actually stay in the Ministry, everyone's future would depend on him. Therefore, his classmates dared not offend Zhao Pengzheng and could only endure his disgust and listen to him boast.

Liu Bing also disliked Zhao Pengzheng very much, but he didn't dare to offend Zhao Pengzheng.

"Brother Boxiang, I am carrying the imperial edict. Let's talk after I finish reading it."

"Of course, of course! Brother Chizheng is under imperial orders, so we must have a good talk after the decree is issued."

Liu Bing breathed a sigh of relief. He decided to run away immediately after delivering the imperial decree, determined not to give Zhao Pengzheng any chance to show off.

This kind of imperial edict of condolence was just a formality. Liu Bing read the edict aloud, and Yang Sizhong, the Minister of Personnel, thanked the emperor after hearing the edict, and that was the end of it.

The officials behind Liu Bing left behind the charcoal and tea that the emperor had bestowed upon them, and then prepared to flee.

Unexpectedly, before Liu Bing could leave, he was stopped by Zhao Pengzheng.

Liu Bing was led by Zhao Peng to his office.

In the huge public housing, Zhao Pengzheng was the only one there, which Liu Binghao envied.

Zhao Peng pretended to be nonchalant and said:
"I've been assigned to the Bureau of Merit Evaluation and Censorship to observe government affairs. Do you know that, Brother Chizheng? The Bureau of Merit Evaluation and Censorship is a crucial department that manages the merit ranks, rosters, funerals, and support of officials. I've benefited immensely from working here. One month here has yielded more than three months of observation work in the Bureau of Transmission!"

Liu Bing felt contempt. Everyone had been in officialdom for almost half a year, and who didn't know the power of each department?
The Bureau of Auditing and Clarifying Officials was the last of the various bureaus under the Ministry of Personnel, essentially a menial department.

However, Liu Bing was disheartened. Both jobs were menial tasks, but at least the Jixun Qingli Si (稽勋清吏司) was a menial task within the Ministry of Personnel, while he was doing menial tasks in the Xingren Si (行人司), so the treatment was still different.

Zhao Pengzheng said:
"Originally, I shared an office with Duan Yuanwailang, but recently Duan Yuanwailang was promoted to the Andong Protectorate, so I am the only one left in this office."

Liu Bing felt another wave of envy.

A vacancy in the department responsible for overseeing government affairs is something all those who have passed the imperial examinations for overseeing government affairs dream of.

A vacancy means the department is short-staffed, so as long as you perform well, you can naturally stay on.

But seeing Zhao Peng's smug face made Liu Bing even more disgusted.

At this moment, Liu Bing had a sudden thought and remembered the legend about the Ministry of Personnel.

He pretended not to understand and asked:

"Brother Boxiang, since you've come to the Ministry of Personnel, why does the atmosphere here feel a bit off?"

Zhao Peng felt contempt when he heard Liu Bing ask the question.

He doesn't pay attention to important court affairs and doesn't even know the major developments in the court. He deserves to be assigned to the Ministry of Personnel to observe politics! Zhao Peng was just about to teach Liu Bing the reason for the tense atmosphere in the Ministry of Personnel when he thought of something. So he stood up, opened the window of his office, and took a good look.

After confirming that no one was around, Zhao Peng closed the window and said to Liu Bing:

"Brother Chizheng, are you unaware that the matter of pushing forward with the cabinet ministers will be discussed soon?"

Liu Bing pretended not to know anything, and Zhao Pengzheng then explained what had happened.

Then Zhao Pengzheng said:
"Since Minister Yang failed to enter the cabinet this time, everyone in the Ministry of Personnel is on edge, and no one dares to say a word that might anger Minister Yang."

He couldn't help but show off, saying, "On my first day of observing the government, I met Minister Yang. Minister Yang even told me to study hard in the Ministry of Personnel. Minister Yang is clearly a gentle and refined gentleman, so I don't know why everyone in the Ministry of Personnel is so nervous. Perhaps it's because officials in the Ministry of Personnel have to be careful with their words and actions, after all, we are the head of the six ministries."

Liu Bing couldn't help but roll his eyes. Even at a time like this, he can still show off. Even if you're observing politics in the Ministry of Personnel, you still use "we"?
Liu Bing was also unwilling to stay any longer, and he said to Zhao Pengzheng:
"Brother Boxiang, I have several official duties to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."

Zhao Pengzheng also said:
"Brother Chizheng is busy with official duties, you should hurry up and get on with them!"

Zhao Pengzheng emphasized the words "busy with official duties," which made Liu Bing even more furious.

As the two came out of the public housing, Zhao Peng seemed to see a dark figure. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he didn't see anyone.

Recalling his senior's warning, he felt a little scared.

But he quickly reassured himself, "I didn't really slander Minister Yang behind his back; I just stated the facts. It should be fine, right?"
-
Yang Sizhong, the Minister of Personnel, was very annoyed.

He has been on the shortlist three times, but has been rejected each time.

Appointing new cabinet ministers is a rare opportunity, and he didn't know if he would get a third chance while still in office.

But my own failure was already frustrating, and my opponent's success was even more disheartening.

His old rival, Li Yiyuan, the Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review, voluntarily withdrew and even recommended Zhu Dashou to join the cabinet, which the emperor actually approved!

What does this mean?
This shows that Li Yiyuan was better informed than he was and knew the emperor's intentions better, which is why he took the initiative to recommend Zhu Dashou for the position.

Politically, Li Yiyuan's initiative to back down is a plus.

Such a sensible and considerate official might be promoted to a cabinet position by the emperor next time.

Yang Sizhong's troubles didn't stop there.

After Zhu Dashou took office as Minister of Education and Health Care, he immediately came to the Ministry of Personnel to pay his respects.

The first thing the Grand Secretaries did upon taking office was to deliver Yang Sizhong's policy program speech, which was presented by the five departments of the Secretariat and the Chancellery.

The Grand Secretaries requested that Yang Sizhong preside over the assessment of teachers' professional ranks!

Murder and kill!
But Yang Sizhong couldn't refuse, since this was his own policy agenda, and he had even prepared contingency plans.

Now that the Grand Secretaries have personally come to the Ministry of Personnel to "ask" for his help, it would be "disregarding the overall situation" if he didn't help.

Moreover, this was originally the function of the Ministry of Personnel.

What else could he do? Yang Sizhong could only smile and accept the offer, promising to do his best to promote teacher reform.

Yang Sizhong then realized that he had underestimated Zhu Dashou.

The newly appointed cabinet minister not only visited himself, but also Wang Shizhen, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial.

Zhu Dashou earnestly requested Wang Shizhen, a literary master of the time, to preside over the compilation of a unified primary school textbook.

Hearing that Zhu Dashou had praised his administration, Wang Shizhen was so flattered that he agreed and even promised to complete the first draft within a year!
The literary masters were indeed simple-minded; they were easily fooled by Zhu Dashou and obediently followed his advice.

Thinking about this, Yang Sizhong felt even more that Zhu Dashou was incredibly capable.

This use of softness to overcome hardness is too skillful; these two things will help him secure his position as Grand Minister.

How come I never realized before that Zhu Dashou was so skilled?

No wonder the emperor personally appointed him to the cabinet.

There are also the five departments under the Secretariat.

The success of this meeting has solidified the position of the five branches of the Secretariat and the Chancellery, allowing them to seize control of the meeting.

Su Ze was once Li Yiyuan's subordinate and also Zhu Dashou's subordinate. Could it be that Su Ze pushed Li Yiyuan to withdraw this time?
Rumors circulate that there is a secret organization called the "Soviet Party".

The more Yang Sizhong thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

Yang Sizhong was in a bad mood.

Was all of this orchestrated by the "Soviet Party" behind the scenes?
Did Li Yiyuan also join the Soviet Party?
If that's the case, what will happen next time you join the cabinet?
Yang Sizhong left his official residence and began to wander around the Ministry of Personnel.

Whenever he felt down, Yang Sizhong liked to wander around the Ministry of Personnel, which allowed him to learn about the situation there.
-
The next day, Zhao Peng was just entering the Ministry of Personnel when he heard a clerk announce that Zhang Siwei, the official in charge of selecting officials, wanted to see him.

Zhao Pengzheng's heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition welled up within him.

He arrived at the official residence of Zhang Siwei, a scholar-official.

Zhang Siwei was also in a bad mood.

The joint selection organized by the five departments of the Secretariat was a great success, and the Ministry of Personnel lost its power to conduct such selections.

The failure of Yang Sizhong, the Minister of Personnel, to enter the cabinet has created a tense atmosphere throughout the Ministry of Personnel.

Zhang Siwei couldn't understand how Zhao Pengzheng, who wasn't even a formal official in the Ministry of Personnel, had offended Minister Yang.

However, Zhang Siwei didn't care about these details. He looked at Zhao Pengzheng, put on a smile, and said:
"You know Master Duan and Master Zhao, right?"

Seeing Zhang Siwei's amiable demeanor, Zhao Peng quickly replied:
"I understand."

Zhang Siwei said:
"Duan Gong is currently serving as the Sima of the Andong Protectorate. He recently wrote to the Ministry of Personnel, complaining that his subordinates lack capable people."

"No matter what, Duan Sima is from our Ministry of Personnel. After careful consideration, Minister Yang has decided to send you to Liaodong."

"what!?"

Zhao Peng, his will to survive surging, quickly said:

"Zhang Xuanlang, this humble servant has not yet finished observing the government affairs!"

Zhang Siwei said with a smile:

"Being able to end the observation period early and be officially appointed sooner is a wonderful thing! Moreover, the Andong Protectorate is a high-ranking position, and after a few years of meritorious service, one can return to the capital."

"I."

Zhang Siwei said coldly:

"Does Zhao Lang intend to disobey Minister Yang's orders?"

Zhao Peng lowered his head. He was just a newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination), so how could he disobey the appointment of the Minister of Personnel?

After seeing Zhao Pengzheng off, Zhang Siwei got up to visit the head of the Court of Public Proceedings.

Liu Bing, a pedestrian, also received an order: the old Prince Su of Lanzhou had passed away, and the imperial court ordered him to go to Lanzhou to confer the title of the new Prince Su.

(End of this chapter)