Chapter 13 Brief Introduction of Officials in Ming Dynasty

After the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang abolished the Zhongshu Province, and directly governed the six departments of officials, households, rites, soldiers, criminals, and workers to handle national government affairs. But there are no big or small things, and it is extremely difficult for the emperor to handle everything alone.Before Zhu Yuanzhang was alive, according to the official system of "Zhou Li", four assistant officials were set up in spring, summer, autumn and winter to help him manage politics.Later, in accordance with the Diange bachelor system of the Song Dynasty, five Diange bachelors were established: Wuying Dian, Huagai Dian, Wenhua Dian, Wenyuan Dian, and Dong Ge.The office of a bachelor is generally located in the east corner of the palace, and outsiders are not allowed to enter or leave easily, so it is also called "East Pavilion" or "Cabinet".As the emperor's auxiliary ministers, cabinet bachelors can serve as assistants, advisers, and manage government affairs.

Several generations of emperors after Zhu Yuanzhang attached great importance to the construction of the cabinet. By the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the cabinet was responsible for drafting edicts, refuting imperial edicts, recommending officials, and deciding government affairs. In the early days of the establishment of the cabinet, the status of the great scholars was equal, but with the gradual improvement of the cabinet system, the differences in the individual abilities of the various great scholars and the personal preference of the emperor, the great scholars who served as auxiliary ministers also had differences in power and status. The academician with the strongest ability or the emperor's preference has a dominant position in the cabinet, and is called the first assistant or the first assistant, and the rest are called the second assistant, the third assistant, the fourth assistant, and the fifth assistant.

In order to supervise the performance of duties by the emperor himself and officials at all levels, the Ming Dynasty followed the supervision system of the previous generation and set up the Yushitai, which was later changed to the Metropolitan Procuratorate.The Metropolitan Procuratorate is responsible for admonishing the emperor for his misconduct, correcting officials and bureaucrats, auditing the national finances, inspecting the four frontiers, and supervising the garrison in the capital.For major cases that shocked the court, under the emperor's instruction, the Metropolitan Procuratorate will conduct "three joint trials" together with the Ministry of Criminal Justice and Dali Temple.The Ministry of Punishment, the Metropolitan Procuratorate, and the Dali Temple are called the "Three Legal Departments", and they implement the system of "the Ministry of Punishment accepts the names of criminals from all over the world, the Metropolitan Procuratorate picks them up, and Dali Temple refutes them".

In order to make up for the lack of administrative supervision of the Metropolitan Procuratorate, the Six Ministries, as the central executive organ, also specially set up the Six Divisions for Internal Supervision (also known as Yanguan).In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, according to the righteousness of the Spring and Autumn Period and Confucian ethics, some officials often went beyond their duties to admonish the emperor's private life and other shortcomings. The central decision-making, supreme administrative and supervisory systems and institutions of the Ming Dynasty were very complete and detailed, which was conducive to maintaining the stability of the political system.However, the emperor, who has the top political authority, needs to have strong political ability and vigorous energy to control this system and institutions well.

In the official system of the Ming Dynasty, Sangong was the first rank, Sangu was the first rank, the cabinet scholar was the fifth rank, six ministers were the second rank, and six ministers were the third rank. The Ming Dynasty Scholars were divided into Zhongshu Kesheren, Zhiwenhuadian East Room Zhongshusheren, Zhiwuyingdian West Room Zhongshusheren, Cabinet Imperial Office Zhongshusheren, and Cabinet Zhichifang Zhongshusheren Five kinds, all from the seventh grade.Among them, the book of Zhongshu is not called Ke, because it is outside the Meridian Gate and connected to the official office with the six subjects, so people used to call it Ke at that time.There are 20 people in the department, regardless of their seniority, and one of the elders will hold the seal, called "Yinjun".People in Zhongshu Keshe are in charge of writing edicts, edicts, silver books, iron coupons, etc.The man of Wenhua Palace is in charge of writing books according to the decree.The housekeeper of the Hall of Martial Ying, in charge of treasures, books, and albums written in seal script.The housekeeper of the imperial imperial edict of the cabinet, in charge of the office of imperial imperial edicts for civil officials, translation of imperial edicts, foreign documents, postings, records of meritorious deeds of the Ministry of War, survey and compilation records.The person in charge of the cabinet making edicts and houses, who is in charge of making edicts, edicts, edicts, registers, inscriptions, jade letters, sermons, stele foreheads, inscriptions, exposing posts and other confidential documents, as well as the bottom books of imperial edicts of various palaces.

The Rongzheng Shangshu mentioned in the novel is also the name of an official in the Ming Dynasty.In the early years of Yongle, Shangshu or Shilang and Youdu Yushi were the assistant managers of the military affairs of the Beijing camp, and were in charge of the training of the Beijing camp.In the 20th year of Jiajing (1541), Liu Tianhe, the Shangshu, was ordered to dismiss his ministry and give another to Guanfang, named Rongzheng Shangshu, who specialized in Rongzheng and ruled the five armies, Shenshu and Shenji camps. The central government office of the Ming Dynasty is located outside the imperial city.

On the east side of the square in the Ming Dynasty, there are the Ministry of Rites (in charge of court etiquette, sacrifices, banquets, tributes, etc.), the Ministry of Officials (in charge of affairs such as the selection and award of officials throughout the country), and the Ministry of Households (in charge of the national territory, fields, household registration, etc.). Taxes, salaries and all financial matters), the Ministry of War (in charge of the selection of military officers and military registration, ordnance, military orders, etc.), the Ministry of Industry (management of national engineering affairs), the Clan Mansion (management of the royal family's genealogy, honors, rewards and punishments, and sacrifices and other affairs), Honglu Temple (in charge of court meetings, guests, good and bad rites, etc.), Qin Tianjian (in charge of observing celestial phenomena, calculating solar terms, formulating calendars, etc.), Tai Hospital (a hospital for royal treatment), etc.The buildings of the government office are all facing east and west.

On the west side of the square, there are the Governor's Mansions of the Left, Middle, Right, Front, and Back Five Armies (the highest military commanding institution in the country), Taichang Temple (in charge of sacrificial rituals, music, etc.), and the General Administration Department (accepting internal and external chapters, collecting subjects and sealing them) Institutions between complaints) and Jinyiwei (in charge of guards, arrests, prisons, etc.).The government office buildings all face east from west. In official communication in the capital, the appellation is generally called the official title, and most of them are ancient names or aliases to show elegance. Both "Old" and "Mr." are respectful titles, and "Old Mr." is the most respectful title.The following is a comparison of titles involved in the novel.

The chief assistant of the cabinet: Duan Gong. Cabinet Bachelor: Ge Lao. The other names of the officials of the six departments are: the official department is called "Zhongzai"; the household department is called "Situ"; the ritual department is called "Zongbo"; the military department is called "Sima";Shangshu and Shilang are distinguished by "big" and "short". The left and right censors of the Metropolitan Procuratorate: Dazhong Cheng. Guozijian Jijiu (the chief executive of Guozijian): Da Sicheng.The original meaning of Jijiu is the elder who was elected to drink wine to sacrifice to the gods during the ancient banquet, and later evolved into the name of a scholar.

Giving things: giving homes. Zhongshu Sheren: Zhongshe. Bachelor of Hanlin Academy: North Gate. Commander of Jinyiwei: It is called Dajinwu or palm print. Shuntian Fu Yin: Da Jingzhao. Chief Soldier: Elegantly known as "Marshal" and "General".The folks are commonly known as "General Master". Governor: Da Zhong Cheng.The folks are commonly known as "Du Ye". Annals of the Ming Dynasty