Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 312 The Minister of State Affairs can only have one surname, "Liu," and that is, the current emperor's "Liu"!
As the two elders of the imperial clan stared at each other, it seemed as if invisible sparks were flying in the air. The subtle tension and the look in their eyes that seemed to want to shove the smelly shoes they had taken off outside the hall into each other's mouths made Liu Bian shrug indifferently.

What's there to argue about?

The Secretariat ultimately belongs to the "Liu" family!

However, this "Liu" is neither the "Liu" of Liu Yan nor the "Liu" of Liu Tao, but rather the "Liu" of Liu Bian—the current emperor!
Liu Bian cleared his throat and said, "After much deliberation, I have found that the duties of the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat are too heavy, which is also the cause of the recurrence of Lord Yang's old injury. Therefore, I have decided to split the position of Minister of the Imperial Secretariat into two positions: Left Minister and Right Minister. At the same time, under the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, we will add Left and Right Assistant Ministers, as well as Left and Right Directors, to jointly assist the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat in handling daily affairs."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yan and Liu Tao frowned slightly at almost the same time. However, a hint of surprise flashed across Liu Yan's face, while a barely perceptible look of delight flickered in Liu Tao's eyes.

Yang Xu, who had already retired from officialdom, sat to the side, his still sharp eyes narrowing slightly as he sensed something unusual in the conversation.

Since this was the last time he would attend the Grand Court Assembly, he felt free to speak his mind and directly addressed the crux of the matter, asking, "May I ask the State, now that the position of Minister of Works has been divided into two, how should the powers be divided?"

Liu Bian glanced at Yang Xu, not surprised by the old minister's keen insight, and calmly replied: "The affairs of the Six Ministries are divided into two. The Left Minister oversees the Ministries of the Three Dukes, the Foreign Affairs, and the Central Capital Officials, while the Right Minister oversees the Ministries of the Two Thousand Shi, the Civil Affairs, and the Personnel."

"As for the Left and Right Assistant Ministers of the Ministry of Personnel, and the Left and Right Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Personnel, they each assist the Left and Right Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Personnel."

"Furthermore," Liu Bian raised his voice, glancing at the officials seated in the Secretariat, "I feel that the officials of the Secretariat are of a lower rank. They are burdened with paperwork every day, with mountains of official duties, yet their salaries are far less than those of the officials in the Nine Ministers' Offices. Therefore, I wish to raise the rank of the officials in the Secretariat."

"The Minister of the Imperial Secretariat was promoted to a rank of 2,000 shi, the Left and Right Vice Ministers to a rank of 2,000 shi, the Left and Right Assistant Ministers to a rank of 1,000 shi, the Left and Right Assistant Secretaries to a rank of 1,000 shi, the Ministers of the Six Ministries to a rank of 2,000 shi, the Left and Right Assistant Ministers of the Six Ministries to a rank of 1,000 shi, the Vice Ministers of the Six Ministries to a rank of 600 shi, and the Clerks of the Six Ministries and the Gentlemen of the Imperial Secretariat to a rank of 600 shi."

The Three Dukes were responsible for evaluating the performance of the prefectures and counties at the end of the year.

The Minister of Personnel was in charge of selecting and evaluating talents for the court, overseeing the examinations for candidates for filial piety and incorruptibility, reviewing the resumes of officials at all levels before their appointment, and coordinating national-level sacrificial activities.

The Minister of Civil Affairs was in charge of repairs, construction, salt ponds, and gardens. Basically, anything involving spending or making money required the approval of the Minister of Civil Affairs, which was roughly equivalent to a combined version of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works in later times.

The Minister of Justice, whose rank was two thousand shi, was in charge of legal matters. He was a member of the "Court Minister" in the inner court, but the matters handled by the Minister of Justice differed from those handled by the Court Minister.

The Erqianshi Cao was mainly responsible for handling lawsuits against prefects and chancellors in various regions. They accepted lawsuits against prefects and chancellors in various regions, and after the Zhongdu Guancao (Central Capital Officials) arrested and tried the cases, the Erqianshi Cao made the final judgment.

The Minister of the Central Capital was in charge of matters related to water, fire, and theft, and was also responsible for the allocation of resources to various government offices, ensuring the supply of grain and other materials needed for the operation of these offices through the canal transport system.

At the same time, he was responsible for handling the legal cases taken over by the 2,000-stone official, and for carrying out specific arrests and trials.

In short, the Zhongdu Guancao (Central Capital Officials) were responsible for arrests and trials, while the Erqianshi Cao (Two Thousand Stone Officials) were responsible for sentencing, which was equivalent to the separation of law enforcement and judicial organs.

The affairs of the Foreign Affairs Office were the simplest and clearest, responsible for the diplomatic affairs of the Northern Di, Southern Man, and various vassal states, and possessing almost life-and-death power over the foreign tribes that had submitted to the government.

Yang Xu stroked his beard, pondering the emperor's arrangement for the Ministry of Personnel. His lips twitched involuntarily, feeling that the emperor had a rather perverse sense of humor.

The three departments under the supervision of the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel were responsible for evaluating the year-end performance of the prefects and chancellors with salaries of two thousand shi (a unit of grain), while the department under the supervision of the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel had the authority to accept lawsuits against these prefects and chancellors.

This means that the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel also implicitly possessed the power to supervise the fairness of the assessments of the Three Dukes and their subordinates!
However, the Zhongdu Guancao, the law enforcement agency responsible for arrests and trials, was under the supervision of the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, while the power to select and appoint officials of two thousand shi rank, who were evaluated by the Three Dukes, ultimately fell into the hands of the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

As for the Guest Office and the Civil Office?
Yang Xu shook his head inwardly.

The real power of the Foreign Affairs Office had long been divided up by the Grand Herald, and the various powers of the Civil Affairs Office had been almost entirely taken over by the Maritime Trade Office, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, and the Imperial Household Department.

It doesn't matter who supervises these two departments; they've essentially become powerless departments that merely stamp and review documents.

With this division of affiliation, a strong check and balance will inevitably form between the Left and Right Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Personnel.

Yang Xu could almost foresee the future scene in the Ministry of Personnel. The Left and Right Ministers would inevitably engage in verbal battles, and even if they were to fight each other in the Ministry of Personnel one day, Yang Xu would not be surprised at all.

After all, the officials of the Han Dynasty were quite martial.

Only in the last two years, with the emperor's majesty increasing, have people become more restrained.

In earlier years, the eunuch faction and the party faction in the imperial court would have argued so much that they would have staged an unrestricted fighting tournament during the grand court assembly. Otherwise, Qiao Xuan would not have so readily picked up his tablet and smashed it on Gai Sheng's head.

As for the Emperor's reforms of the Secretariat, very few people were truly qualified to comment, and the Nine Ministers were not in a position to offer any opinions.

After all, the Secretariat was the core decision-making body of the inner court, directly responsible to the emperor. As an official office of the inner court, it was directly responsible to the emperor. It was ultimately inappropriate for officials of the outer court to rashly interfere in the reform of the inner court's official offices.

Moreover, the Secretariat was originally established to check and balance the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, and its power was seized from them. Therefore, participating in this matter at this time would inevitably raise suspicions about impure motives.

Therefore, the reform of the duties and official ranks of the Secretariat could not be done by ministers; it had to be personally led by Emperor Liu Bian.

The Attendant-in-Ordinary, who was also an inner court official, had the power to handle the affairs of the Secretariat. The Attendant-in-Ordinary, the Gentleman Attendant at the Palace Gate, and the Attendant in charge of the Books were the ones who assisted the emperor in perfecting the reform of the Secretariat's structure. Naturally, they would not stand up to oppose the fruits of their labor.

The officials who could truly have a significant impact on the reform of the Secretariat were none other than the Grand Tutor and the Three Dukes who were in charge of the Secretariat, as well as Liu Tao, the Minister of the Secretariat.

Lu Zhi was also involved in planning this, so naturally he wouldn't stand up and oppose it.

However, the Three Dukes only have the power to review the structure of the Secretariat. When it comes to specific reforms, especially the most sensitive division of duties and changes in official ranks, if they are easily involved, they will inevitably be criticized for harboring personal motives.

As for Liu Tao, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, he had absolutely no reason or need to object.

Officials in the Ministry of Personnel are promoted in rank from top to bottom, and their salaries and status rise accordingly. These are real benefits, so why would they refuse them?

Not being greedy for money doesn't mean you don't want a raise or a promotion.

As for the division of duties being more detailed? But the powers belonging to the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat were not reduced in the slightest.

Yang Xu could see that the separate appointment of the Left and Right Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Personnel would create a check and balance effect, so how could Liu Tao, the Minister of Personnel, not see it?
The more fiercely the Left and Right Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Personnel fought, the more they needed him, the Minister of Personnel, to act as the mediator, which inadvertently solidified his position as the core of power in the Ministry of Personnel.

After all, no matter how the Left and Right Vice Ministers, the Assistant Ministers, and the Directors of the Imperial Secretariat fight, it's all an internal matter for the Imperial Secretariat.

When brothers quarrel within the family, they unite against external threats. When faced with the Grand Tutor, who was in charge of the Secretariat, and the Three Dukes encroaching on the power of the Secretariat, it is natural to stand on the same front.

In this way, even if the future Left and Right Vice Ministers of the Ministry of Personnel do not have the courage to confront the Three Dukes head-on, nor the ability to handle the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel in an orderly manner like Yang Xu, the power of the Ministry of Personnel will not be further lost, or even completely controlled by the Three Dukes and sidelined by the Nine Ministers.

Therefore, Liu Tao was very pleased with the emperor's reform plan for the Secretariat, believing that the emperor had finally realized the importance of the Secretariat.

Having achieved his goal, Liu Bian showed a satisfied expression. He then asked the officials, "Since there is no objection from the officials, do any of you have any worthy candidates to recommend for the newly appointed Left and Right Vice Ministers, Left and Right Assistant Ministers, and Left and Right Directors?"

With the establishment of six new key positions, Liu Bian naturally wanted to place his trusted confidants in them. However, as the emperor, he couldn't be too blatant in his actions, and the necessary consultation process still had to be followed.

After the reform of the duties and ranks of the Secretariat was passed, the selection of the Left and Right Vice Ministers, the Left and Right Assistant Ministers, and the Left and Right Directors of the Secretariat was discussed. Liu Tao naturally wanted to reciprocate, so he got up from his seat and said, "For the country, I wish to recommend worthy people for the court."

"The Court of Imperial Sacrifices has been established for over a year. During this time, as the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, I have worked extensively with the Attendants, Gentlemen-at-the-Gate, and Attendants-in-Ordinary who hold the authority to handle affairs of the Imperial Secretariat. They are all talented individuals with experience in handling affairs of the Imperial Secretariat. I believe that the country can select capable individuals from among them to fill the vacant positions in the Imperial Secretariat."

Old man!
Upon hearing this, Liu Yan cursed inwardly.

This old man is, after all, an elder of the imperial clan, known for his uprightness and virtue. Why is he acting like a sycophant today? Just because the emperor helped him consolidate his power as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, he is so obsequious and actively requests the emperor to place his confidants in the Imperial Secretariat.

However, despite cursing inwardly, Liu Yan had to admit that if he were in Liu Tao's shoes, he would have gone even further.

As long as the overall power of the Secretariat is not eroded by the Three Dukes who record the affairs of the Secretariat, what does it matter if the emperor places many trusted men in the Secretariat? It will not hinder the power of the Grand Secretary, but will instead make it easier for the Secretariat to confront the outer court.

The more trusted confidants the emperor places in the Secretariat, the more stable the overall position of the Secretariat will be.

Moreover, what Liu Tao said is true; the performance of the Grand Secretaries of the Imperial Secretariat over the past year has been witnessed by everyone in the court and the public.

The cabinet ministers who hold the authority to handle state affairs are, in essence, candidates for the Three Dukes, Nine Ministers and important ministers of the Secretariat. Now, filling the vacancies of the Left and Right Vice Ministers, the Left and Right Assistant Ministers and the Left and Right Directors is indeed legitimate from any perspective.

Liu Bian nodded slightly, seemingly quite satisfied with Liu Tao's suggestion, and said in a calm tone: "What you say is quite right, Your Highness. They are all talented people in the court. However, they have only been in office for a year and their experience is still insufficient. If all the vacancies are filled by cabinet ministers, there may be oversights in their handling of affairs. Therefore, I think that we still need one or two senior and experienced ministers in the Secretariat to assist Your Highness."

It wasn't that Liu Bian was being coy or putting on airs by not accepting all six positions; rather, as the central government office, the Secretariat needed at least one experienced official to assist it. Rashly appointing a large number of newcomers to take over the Secretariat would reduce administrative efficiency and would be counterproductive.

After a moment's thought, Liu Tao suggested, "In that case... I recommend Pei Juguang (Pei Mao), the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel with a salary of two thousand piculs."

Although Pei Mao was not a confidant of the emperor, he set an example last year in the matter of the state monopoly on salt and iron, and handed over all of his clan's salt and iron industries to the court with an iron fist, which earned him the emperor's deep trust.

Moreover, this person's temperament is quite similar to that of Yang Xu. Although he is not indifferent to property and content with poverty, he is selfless, upright, and fearless of powerful figures.

If Liu Yan dares to overstep his authority and interfere in the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel again, Pei Mao will definitely "kindly and amicably" spit on the face of this Minister!

The emperor was quite satisfied with the candidate proposed by Liu Tao.

Considering Pei Mao's past experience as a clerk in the Ministry of Personnel, an imperial edict was issued appointing Pei Mao as the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and promoting Xu Jing, the Gentleman Attendant at the Palace Gate, to the Right Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and Fu Xun, the Attendant of the Imperial Secretariat, to the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

The position of Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel was filled by Zhong Yao. Wei Ji, the Gentleman Attendant at the Palace Gate, was promoted to Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and Chen Qun, the Clerk of the Imperial Secretariat, was promoted to Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

The vacant position of Minister of the Second Rank (or equivalent) was filled by Huan Sheng, the former Right Vice Minister of the Second Rank (or equivalent).

Liu Tao could hardly contain his smile at the personnel changes in the Ministry of Personnel, especially when he caught a glimpse of Liu Yan's increasingly unpleasant expression, which made him feel even more delighted.

The annoyance of being interfered with by Liu Yan before his authority had long since vanished.

Liu Junlang, why don't you continue to interfere in the affairs of the Ministry of Personnel beyond your authority?
Don't you want to?

Or perhaps... they dare not overstep the bounds of these former officials who served the emperor when he was still a prince?
However, seeing the stark contrast between Liu Taozhi's smug expression and Liu Yan's gloomy expression, Yang Xu's brows furrowed even more.

He always felt that there seemed to be something fishy going on behind the scenes.

The splitting of the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat into Left and Right Ministers of the Imperial Secretariat was merely a check and balance of power, as the former Minister of the Imperial Secretariat indeed wielded excessive power.

However, the further establishment of Left and Right Assistant Ministers and Left and Right Directors of the Secretariat for the Left and Right Ministers of the Secretariat is indeed somewhat ambiguous.

If the only goal is to reduce the burden on the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and the Left and Right Vice Ministers of the Imperial Secretariat, we could simply follow the old system of the Former Han Dynasty and appoint four assistant ministers to assist the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and the Left and Right Vice Ministers. Why divide them into two levels: assistant ministers and directors?
This method of adding an extra layer to the architecture... Yang Xu raised his eyes with a strange expression, glancing at the emperor on the throne with a smile on his lips, and an idea that even he himself found absurd popped into his head uncontrollably.

Ha, surely the emperor isn't trying to sideline the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat?

How is this possible?
However, what other schemes were hidden in the emperor's heart...? Yang Xu slowly shook his head.

Well, what do these matters have to do with this old fellow who has been approved to resign and is just waiting to put his last note on the official records after the court session before retiring completely?

(4127 words)
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P.S.: I'm speechless. Words like "law enforcement agency" and "legislative agency" are considered sensitive. The second review failed, so I just resubmitted it. Unexpectedly, it passed the review.

(End of this chapter)