Tiger Guards

Chapter 717 Registrar Zhongda
Luoyang, east of the Zhuque Gate of the Southern Palace, is the Ministry of Personnel.

The Ministry of Personnel was internally divided into six ministries. Since the coup in Xuchang, the Ministry of Personnel had become more and more like a place for routine stamping.

The Secretariat and the Chancellery were both located within the Southern Palace. Although the main buildings of the Southern Palace were destroyed, the Yang'an Hall, which was jointly built by Zhang Yang and the soldiers sent by Liu Biao and Yuan Shao when Zhang Yang escorted the emperor back to the east, was still fully functional.

Therefore, the Secretariat and the Chancellery were built in the left and right side rooms in front of the Yang'an Hall, with the Secretariat on the east side and the Chancellery on the west side.

Previously, the five Attendants of the Secretariat had some power to make decisions and could exert some influence.

Since the Marquis of Luxiang and Liu Song of Hongnong, a representative of the imperial clan, fled to Hebei, the functions of the five Attendants of the Secretariat were further stripped away, turning them into a place for routine stamping.

The same applied to the Secretariat. After the entire family of Fu Wan, the Grand Secretary, was murdered, Zhao Rui, the Director of the Secretariat, assumed the Grand Secretary's duties. He still did not participate in political discussions, but was only responsible for affixing official seals.

The real power still rests with the Grand Tutor, Grand Protector, and Grand Preceptor, who lead the offices of the three highest-ranking officials.

The area controlled by the Luoyang court has shrunk, but that does not mean it will give up the four eastern provinces of Ji, Yan, Yu, Qing, Xu, and Guandong, and the four southern provinces of Jing, Yi, Yang, and Jiao.

Therefore, if any officials or scholars from these nine provinces fled back to Luoyang, Lü Bu would employ them according to their talents, generally appointing them to official positions and then sending them back.

The cost is nothing more than a square copper seal and an imperial edict. Such a person can go back and lie low; there will always be a time when he comes in handy.

Having suffered too many losses, Lü Bu no longer dared to casually fill his own Taibao Mansion with people, and began to employ scholars from humble backgrounds to fill his Taibao Shanggong Mansion.

Compared to those famous scholars and noble families who have a great reputation and influence in the county, these people from humble backgrounds are now more likely to be loyal to Lü Bu and consider his interests.

Compared to the Grand Tutor's mansion, Lü Bu preferred the General's staff.

According to the order of the dukes and ministers, the Grand General and the Grand Marshal were also high-ranking dukes, which were different from the ordinary dukes' ...

Therefore, Lü Bu's official residence still displayed the plaque of the Grand General, and his subordinates were still organized within the various departments of the Grand General's office; Lü Bu was like this, and so was Zhao Ji.

Zhao Ji's old Grand Marshal's office was not significantly altered; he simply incorporated Wen Hui and Zhang Wei into the Grand Tutor's office.

The titles of Grand Tutor and Grand Protector are not important; what is important is that Zhao Ji obtained the title of Duke of Hedong and Lü Bu obtained the title of Duke of Henan.

Lü Bu can manage the Hanoi Duchy with high intensity, which can greatly enrich Lü Bu's team of civil officials.

However, Hanoi was devastated. When Zhao Ji returned victorious from his campaign against Yuan Shikai, he plundered all the counties in eastern Hanoi. In reality, the population and talent that Lü Bu could obtain were very limited.

The scholars of Hanoi, who had been registered directly under the Sili Kingdom of the Han Empire, became subjects of the vassal state of Hanoi. Their future in the Luoyang court was now completely tied to Lü Bu.

Therefore, Lü Bu currently has three sets of titles and two sets of administrative teams.

The Grand Protector's mansion and the General's headquarters shared one system; the small court of the Hanoi Duchy was another system. This was Lu Bu's true inner circle and core group.

Lü Bu chose Wen County as the capital of the Hanoi Duchy, and this small court was not actually at full strength. Apart from a few necessary government offices, Lü Bu used many of the high-ranking official positions to reward his former subordinates.

His former subordinates mostly deployed and garrisoned troops around the eight passes of Luoyang. These people held the positions of general, lieutenant general, and colonel granted by the Luoyang court, and also served as ministers, generals of the four directions, and generals of the guard in the Duchy of Hanoi.

By using the title of the Principality of Hanoi as a cover, Lü Bu officially incorporated his former subordinates into his vassalage.

Even though these former subordinates held official positions in both the empire and the duchy, they would all respect Lü Bu as their sovereign whenever they saw him, regardless of whether it was a public or private occasion.

This is extremely important, as it simplifies many HR tasks and improves efficiency.

February 18th, the General's headquarters in Luoyang.

As usual, Lü Bu listened to the music playing in the corridor outside the window and flipped through the official documents awaiting the seals of the various attendants of the Secretariat. These documents came from the offices of the Grand Tutor and the Grand Preceptor.

If Lü Bu felt something was inappropriate, he would naturally return it for negotiation.

In fact, the official documents that are sent to Lü Bu have all been screened and reviewed by various departments of his staff. Now they are just being reviewed and approved by Lü Bu.

Important personnel changes were always negotiated and coordinated between Lü Bu's staff and Zhao Ji and Zhao Yan's staff... In this process, Lü Bu's staff were in a weak position, but they were still able to maintain Lü Bu's core base.

Before the Xuchang Coup, such consultations took place in the Secretariat, with the Attendants representing all parties negotiating and voting... Invariably, there would be a representative from the imperial family among them. However, since the Xuchang Coup and Liu Song's escape to Hebei, this role of the Secretariat has been stripped away.

Although consultations among the Chancellors of the Secretariat could expedite the passage of resolutions, they also diverted a significant amount of influence.

Now, the various departments of the three Grand Dukes' offices are in contact to discuss policies, and then the three provinces implement them... This has caused some delays, but it has also ensured the concentration of power.

Lu Bu flipped through the list of personnel changes drafted by Zhao Yan. They were all generals and officers under Zhao Ji's command. Lu Bu didn't want to interfere, but he saw the name of Zhang Liao, the General Who Pacifies Bandits and Marquis of the Township.

Zhang Liao remained General Who Pacifies Bandits, but was appointed Prefect of Shanggu Commandery in Youzhou; opposite Zhang Liao was General Who Subdues Waves and Marquis of Xiang, Gan Ning, who was appointed Prefect of Yuyang Commandery.

Lu Bu had no particular thoughts about the familiar faces like Zhang Xiu and Duan Wei on the list.

However, Zhang Liao and Gan Ning displeased him, and he picked up his pen to mark them down, thus delaying the process of their promotion.

Feeling that this was pointless, he picked up his pen, turned his head to the side, and asked, "Zhongda?"

Sima Yi was over eight feet tall. Although he was rather thin at the age of twenty, he had a large frame. At this moment, he suddenly stood up and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Excellency?"

He was recommended by Yang Jun and recruited by Lü Bu to serve as the chief clerk in Lü Bu's staff. Because he was from Wen County in the Hanoi Duchy, he was a subject of Lü Bu.

"The Grand Tutor wants to promote Zhang Liao and Gan Ning to govern the prefectures. I dislike these two men, but I don't want to offend the Grand Tutor. Zhongda, do you have a good plan?"

Lu Bu waved the official document in his hand. Sima Yi stepped closer, took the document with both hands, glanced at it, and said, "Your Majesty, the Grand Tutor intends to wage war in Liaodong. I believe this is a matter of great importance to the rise and fall of the nation. Zhang Dangkou and Gan Fubo are both henchmen of the state and should not be treated lightly. It is advisable to send envoys to present them with horses and armor to settle old grudges."

As he spoke, Sima Yi handed back the official document and bowed deeply: "Not long ago, Your Excellency sent an envoy to Jinyang to discuss the matter of the succession of the young lord. It is truly inappropriate for you to hold a grudge against the Grand Tutor because of Zhang and Gan... Furthermore, these two generals are tigers of the age. For the long-term consideration of the young lord, it is advisable to put aside old grudges as soon as possible."

As Lü Bu's subject, Sima Yi naturally had to consider Lü Bu's long-term interests.

It's really nothing that the young prince was adopted by the Grand Tutor as his great-grandson and inherited the Marquisate of Jinyang, with its fief of ten thousand households.

After acquiring the Marquisate of Jinyang and the former officials of the Grand Tutor, the right thing to do is to go back and fight for the Duke of Hedong.

Therefore, we should not continue to antagonize Zhang Liao and Gan Ning; we should quickly change our attitude.

In the future, I will not seek help from these two people; remaining neutral would be the best outcome.

Lü Bu nodded slowly: "I have the same thought. I'm afraid that if I send an envoy with horses and armor, I'll only be laughed at."

If it weren't for the sake of his grandson, Lü Bu would have already crossed out the name.

Sima Yi bowed again with his hands clasped: "Now that our two families have joined forces to fight against the treacherous ministers of the world, Zhang Dangkou and Gan Fubo are both pillars of the state. How could they possibly tarnish Your Majesty's reputation? I humbly beseech Your Majesty to make a wise decision."

Lu Bu was still deep in thought; he knew very well that Zhang Liao and Gan Ning had terrible tempers.

If someone were to deliver the gift, these two stubborn people would get angry, which would really embarrass him.

He can cooperate with Zhao Ji in political affairs, and he has only survived to this day for the sake of his reputation. If Zhang Liao and Gan Ning were to retaliate against him, it would be very difficult for him to recover.

If he can't even maintain this facade, then his core support base will also be shaken.

A moment later, Lü Bu asked, "What position does Zhongda's brother currently hold?"

"Your Excellency, before the New Year, my brother served as a military doctor and accompanied the Grand Tutor in a clandestine expedition to Liangzhou to quell the rebellion. In late January, he returned to Pingyang and wrote that he had been promoted two ranks. He is now the Junior Military Doctor under the Grand Tutor, equivalent to a battalion commander, with an official rank of 600 shi."

Sima Yi answered cautiously, without any hint of boasting.

Lü Bu then asked, "Back then, Yuan Si was arrogant and broke your father's legs. What has become of your father now?"

"Your Majesty, the Grand Tutor only gave him a minor punishment at the time, and he recovered in less than a hundred days, allowing my father to remain uninvolved. He was able to enjoy his old age, and my brothers and I were able to fulfill our filial duties at his side... Forgive my boldness, but if it weren't for the Grand Tutor's help, my family would have been dragged into the clutches of the treacherous minister and would have been unable to escape. Even now, I have not harbored the slightest resentment."

Sima Yi looked up and smiled slightly as he spoke: "It is not appropriate to thank the Grand Tutor directly... Therefore, my brother serves under the Grand Tutor and performs his duties faithfully in order to repay his kindness."

(End of this chapter)