My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 466 The Legend of the Soviet Party, Part One
Capital.

Hearing the noise outside the window, Su Ze opened the window, and the fat pigeon rushed in.

Su Ze looked at the icicles on the fat pigeon's feathers and knew that it was a letter sent from the Northeast.

The fat pigeon shook its body and scattered icicles on Su Ze's desk, seemingly dissatisfied with this "long-distance business trip".

This guy is getting smarter and smarter.

Su Ze took out three bags of rice, and only then did the fat pigeon stretch out its leg in satisfaction.

As expected, this was a letter written by Li Chengliang to Su Ze.

Li Chengliang recounted in detail the Battle of Xinwuguo City, explaining that, given the Ming army's preparedness, this battle was essentially a way to give them military merit.

The course of the war was not unexpected, nor was the outcome.

But this was the biggest problem in the Ming Dynasty's expansion and colonization of the frontier.

These frontier tribes were no match for the Ming Dynasty in a direct confrontation, but they were like flies, constantly trying to bite us.

If Li Chengliang hadn't laid an ambush beforehand, and the Jianzhou Jurchens had actually breached Xinwuguo City, it would have had a significant impact on the military strategy of Northeast China.

While this failure will not change the overall strategy of the Ming Dynasty, it will definitely delay things for some time.

The Ming Dynasty in the original timeline was wiped out in this way.

Now that he's in this position, Su Ze is well aware that every policy has a window of opportunity.

If things are resolved within the window of opportunity, then they are resolved.

Once the window of opportunity is missed, there will be significant constraints when you want to make a comeback, and even paying several times or dozens of times the cost will not solve the problem.

Now is the window of opportunity to resolve the Northeast strategy.

The Ming Dynasty was undergoing military reforms, and the Ming army's combat effectiveness was on the rise, giving it a generational advantage over the Jurchens.

The surrounding situation was stable, Korea had submitted to the Ming Dynasty, Japan was still in internal strife, and the Far East was a wild and uncivilized land.

This incident also served as a reminder to Su Ze.

When building the city, we must be careful of attacks by the Jurchens. We must not let one or two local failures shake the court's policies.

Then Su Ze saw Zhao Pengzheng, whom Li Chengliang had recommended in his letter.

Su Ze didn't have much of a memory of Zhao Pengzheng, but it turned out that he was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the previous year.

However, Zhao Pengzheng did not seem to be an expert in the I Ching, and he could not be considered Zhao Pengzheng's tutor.

Seeing this, Su Ze also admired Yang Sizhong's foresight.

This Minister of Personnel truly had an exceptional eye for talent; all the people he recommended proved their abilities and quickly became capable of handling tasks independently.

It should be noted that Zhao Pengzheng was only a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) observing politics in the Ministry of Personnel, and not yet a formal official of the Ministry of Personnel. Yet Yang Sizhong was able to discover him!

Su Ze had only ever seen such a talent for judging people in Yang Sizhong!
In his letter, Li Chengliang strongly recommended Zhao Pengzheng, but Su Ze had reservations.

This is a talent recommended by Yang Sizhong, and he is also a member of their Ministry of Personnel. If Zhao Pengzheng is transferred back to the capital without going through Yang Sizhong, it would be a slap in the face to Yang Sizhong and an attempt to undermine the Ministry of Personnel.

The five departments of the Secretariat and Chancellery are currently having a strained relationship with the Ministry of Personnel because of their power to appoint and dismiss officials below the seventh rank. If such a situation were to arise again, their relationship with the Ministry of Personnel would become even more tense.

With this in mind, Su Ze decided to let Zhao Peng stay in the New Five Kingdoms City for now. Minister Yang would definitely have other plans in mind, and he wouldn't let this talent go to waste.

As for the Ministry of Personnel.

Su Ze also summoned Song Zhihan, the chief clerk of the civil affairs department.

Song Zhihan has been riding high lately.

The cabinet held the power to select officials below the seventh rank. Song Zhihan, as the head of the personnel department, was now also known in official circles as "Wenxuan Lang" (a high-ranking official in charge of selecting officials), and his status was even higher than that of the real Wenxuan Lang, Zhang Siwei.

Originally, the greatest power of the Ministry of Personnel's Selection Department was actually the power to recommend and remove low-ranking officials.

It's called the power of recommendation, but apart from a few important positions, it's practically the power of appointment.

The emperor and high-ranking officials wouldn't care who the magistrate of a remote county is, would they?

However, for officials, the difference between a county magistrate in a wealthy region and one in a poor region is like night and day.

Previously, these powers were held by the Ministry of Personnel.

When Zhang Siwei, the official in charge of selecting officials, submitted the list he had drafted, both the former Minister of Personnel Gao Gong and the current Minister of Personnel Yang Sizhong approved it and continued to submit it. The emperor would not change the appointments of these grassroots officials.

Above that, the power to appoint and dismiss higher-ranking officials is no longer relevant to the Selection and Appointment Office.

Officials of the seventh rank or above, heads of the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers, were also high-ranking officials in their respective regions; these were all very important positions.

For some seventh-rank officials, such as the Six Ministries Censors, the power of appointment and removal rested with the emperor.

The selection department can only provide a list of candidates for these positions. If the department is not satisfied with the list, it must create a new list until the department is satisfied.

This is a tiring and unprofitable job; it's purely a thankless task.

As for the assessment authority of the Ministry of Personnel's Selection Department, the assessment involved multiple departments, including the higher authorities, the Censorate, and the Ministry of Personnel, which was beyond the control of the Ministry of Personnel's Selection Department.

Therefore, the five offices of the Secretariat and the Chancellery obtained the power to recommend and dismiss officials below the seventh rank from the Ministry of Personnel's Selection Office, which was a tremendous power.

Because of his position in the clerk's office, Song Zhihan went from being a non-core member of Gao Gong's disciples to suddenly being placed in the innermost circle and becoming Gao Gong's favorite general.

Of course, Song Zhihan is a clear-headed person.

He knew very well that all of this stemmed from Su Ze.

It can be said that the success of the five branches of the Secretariat-Chancellery today is all thanks to Su Ze alone.

The fact that the five branches of the Zhongshu Menxia (Secretariat and Secretariat) are so powerful is all thanks to Su Ze.

To put it bluntly, the power of Gao Gong's cabinet was second to none in the entire history of the Ming Dynasty, and this was all thanks to Su Ze.

Song Zhihan also knew that there was a "Su Party" in popular folklore.

The core members of this "Su Party" were naturally Shen Yiguan, Luo Wanhua, and others who were Su Ze's classmates.

Song Zhihan, Shen Yiguan, and Luo Wanhua were also colleagues, so naturally they followed Su Ze's lead in everything and were staunch "Su Ze's supporters".

Luo Wanhua was reliable in his work, and all five departments under the General Affairs Department trusted him.

Shen Yiguan assisted Zhu Dashou in carrying out educational reforms, and the framework for these reforms was almost entirely built by Su Ze. Su Ze had extremely high prestige in this system, so the reforms proceeded very smoothly.

It was precisely because of these two staunch allies that Su Ze's prestige within the five branches of the Secretariat was unparalleled and unshakeable. This allowed him to govern by doing nothing, without needing to concern himself with the minutiae of the government office, while still ensuring that his will was carried out throughout the entire office.

These die-hard "Soviet Party" members are easy to identify, but some hidden "Soviet Party" members are not so easy to identify.

For example, Yang Sizhong, the Minister of Personnel, was rumored to be a member of the Soviet Party.

Song Zhihan frequently dealt with the Ministry of Personnel. He knew that Yang Sizhong held absolute power and immense prestige within the ministry. Was it necessary for such a person to become a member of the "Su Party"?

But if Yang Sizhong was not a member of the Su faction, why would the Ministry of Personnel obediently relinquish the power to appoint and dismiss officials below the seventh rank?

Song Zhihan arrived at Su Ze's official residence. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Su Ze asked:
"Are the Grand Secretaries satisfied with the list of recommended officials below the seventh rank these days?"

Song Zhihan showed a slightly embarrassed expression.

Before the New Year, with the cooperation of the Six Ministries, the list of officials recommended by the Bureau of Personnel for the capital region was quite good and received praise from the Cabinet.

However, in recent recommendation lists, the number of local positions has gradually increased, making it difficult for the Civil Affairs Department to keep track of them.

There's no way around it; organizing personnel is all about selecting and appointing people. It sounds simple, but in reality, there are a lot of things to consider.

For some positions, it's not enough to just consider the candidate's qualifications; various factors must be taken into account, and a balance must be struck between all parties.

Gao Gong himself had served as Minister of Personnel, so he had very high standards for personnel work.

The lists recommended by the Secretariat in recent years have been rejected by the Cabinet several times.

This is very detrimental to the work of the Bureau of Personnel.

Seeing Song Zhihan's troubled expression, Su Ze said:

"Although the imperial court has delegated the power of appointing and dismissing officials below the seventh rank to the cabinet, and the cabinet has in turn entrusted the responsibility of recommending talents to the five departments of the Secretariat and the Chancellery, recommending talented individuals for the country is a matter of great importance concerning the foundation of the nation."

Song Zhihan looked apprehensive, and Su Ze continued:
"I think we should discuss the specific list of recommendations with the Ministry of Personnel later."

"Minister Yang of the Ministry of Personnel is renowned in the capital for his ability to recognize talent, and the power to evaluate officials rests with the Ministry of Personnel. Our five departments under the Secretariat and the Chancellery should cooperate with the Ministry of Personnel."

"I think it would be better to establish a consultation mechanism, so that when there are vacancies, the five departments of the Secretariat and the Chancellery, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Six Ministries can sit down and discuss the list. This would be more reliable."

"What does Chief Scribe Song think?"

What does Song Zhihan think?
Song Zhihan was naturally unwilling. He had finally managed to wrest back the power of personnel from the Ministry of Personnel, and now he had to give it back?
Song Zhihan was startled. He suddenly remembered the rumor that Yang Sizhong was also a member of the Soviet Party.

Was this something Su Ze had planned all along? Was it to balance the interests within his own party?
Song Zhihan thought it over and over and it seemed more and more likely. If Yang Sizhong was the core of the Su Party, then Su Ze would naturally have to take his opinion into consideration.

Recently, the Civil Affairs Department's recommended lists have been rejected several times, and Yang Sizhong is using this as an excuse to make trouble, which I really can't do anything about.

It's confirmed! Yang Sizhong is indeed a member of the Soviet faction!
Song Zhihan was overjoyed with his "discovery." Since these bigwigs had already reached an agreement, there was no point in resisting any longer.

Song Zhihan honestly replied:

"We, the staff office, have no objection to the decision made by Prosecutor Su."

Su Ze looked at Song Zhihan with some surprise.

He had thought that it would take some persuasion to get the Bureau of Personnel to relinquish the power he had acquired, but he hadn't expected it to go so smoothly.

Su Ze said:

"Chief Song is a man of great integrity, and everyone has seen the merits of the clerks these past few days."

Who are "everyone"?
In fact, Su Ze meant to refer to the "Grand Secretaries," but Song Zhihan believed that Su Ze meant the "elders" as the high-ranking members of their Su Party.

What does it mean?
Does this mean that Su Ze wants to recruit him into the Su Party?
Song Zhihan left Su Ze's public housing somewhat absentmindedly.

Should I agree to Su Ze's request?
As a disciple of Grand Secretary Gao, is it a betrayal of Grand Secretary Gao to now side with Su Ze?

But Su Ze is also a protégé of Grand Secretary Gao. Grand Secretary Gao shouldn't object to Su Ze being a member of the Su faction, right?

Song Zhihan's mind was foggy.

Everyone in the court knew that Su Ze would eventually join the cabinet.

At his age, to put it bluntly, considering the average lifespan of the emperors of the Ming Dynasty, he might very well be a Grand Secretary who served three emperors.

Even before Su Ze entered the cabinet, the Su Party was able to recruit important officials like the Minister of Personnel. What will the power of the Su Party be in the future?
Song Zhihan's mind was in turmoil. Faced with Su Ze's invitation, should he join or refuse?
If I refuse, how will I survive in the five branches of the Secretariat?
-
Ministry of official affairs.

Zhang Siwei was still annoyed.

The Ministry of Personnel lost its right to recommend officials below the seventh rank, and those officials waiting for vacancies stopped coming to the Ministry of Personnel, making the Ministry much quieter.

In the past, Zhang Siwei found the officials waiting for vacancies noisy and annoying, but now he feels that the Selection Office is deserted and declining.

Zhang Siwei also couldn't understand why Yang Sizhong, the Minister of Personnel, was so indifferent to the fact that the Ministry of Personnel had been usurped by the five departments of the Secretariat and Chancellery.

Is it really true, as the rumors suggest, that Yang Sizhong is also a member of the "Soviet Party"?
If this is indeed the reason, Yang Sizhong has no reason to relinquish the power of the Ministry of Personnel.

But wasn't Yang Sizhong worried about damaging his prestige in the Ministry of Personnel?
Just then, a minor official from the Ministry of Personnel entered with a beaming smile and said to Zhang Siwei:

"My lord, this is a joyous occasion!"

Zhang Siwei looked at the clerk with a puzzled expression. The clerk said:
"The Fifth Office of the Secretariat-Chancellery just came to the Ministry. Song Zhihan, the head of the Personnel Office, paid a visit to Minister Yang and said that the Personnel Office still needs to consult with our Ministry of Personnel regarding the recommendation of officials below the seventh rank in the future!"

"Zhang Xuanlang, this is incredibly good news!"

Zhang Siwei immediately stood up!

This is indeed a good thing for the Bureau of Literature.

The minor official quickly replied:

"Minister Yang is truly remarkable! He regained his authority without making a sound! I heard that Song Zhihan greatly admires Minister Yang's ability to recognize and appoint talent, and even said he would frequently come to the Ministry of Personnel to seek his advice!"

"It seems that Minister Yang has a lot of influence!"

Hearing this, Zhang Siwei felt enlightened. Things he couldn't understand before suddenly became clear!

The power to appoint officials below the seventh rank was centralized in the cabinet; this was a national policy approved by the emperor and naturally could not be changed.

As the Minister of Personnel, Yang Sizhong could not go against the decisions made by the emperor and the Grand Secretaries.

Based on this, Yang Sizhong was definitely a member of the Soviet Party!

In order to compensate Yang Sizhong, Su Ze is now taking the initiative to negotiate and return some of the recommendation rights to the Ministry of Personnel, while constantly praising Yang Sizhong. Isn't this just telling the Ministry of Personnel that Su Ze only returned the recommendation rights for officials below the seventh rank because of Yang Sizhong?

Isn't this just boosting Yang Sizhong's prestige?

As a result, Yang Sizhong gained even greater prestige in the Ministry of Personnel, and no one could go against his opinions.

The so-called joint consultation was not primarily conducted by the Ministry of Personnel; it merely relinquished a small portion of the right to negotiate to the Ministry of Personnel, which still had to do the hard and tiring work.

What a ruthless calculation!
Zhang Siwei saw a net that was becoming increasingly dense, covering every aspect of the Ming Dynasty, and he felt a chill run down his spine!

Zhang Siwei clenched his fists, wanting to resist, but found that the Soviet Party was too powerful and he could not find a way to resist.

What can we do then? We can only endure it!

(End of this chapter)