I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 312 Nanjing's Restructuring Policy! The Trembling Officialdom of Nanjing

“Yes…yes…I was narrow-minded?” Zhao Jin, the Minister of Personnel in Nanjing, murmured.

After Shen Nian's explanation, he realized that his understanding of the new policy had been greatly flawed.

He underestimated the scale of the new policy and underestimated Shen Nian's vision. He thought the reforms were about to be completed, but little did he know that they had only just begun.

This 31-year-old young cabinet minister.

His intention was to thoroughly reform the bureaucratic, noble, and landlord classes of the Ming Dynasty and to reconstruct the class order of the Ming Dynasty.

This move may fail, but if it succeeds, it will be remembered in history.

He couldn't resist this temptation either.

At this moment, Zhao Jin finally understood why the other party kept making things difficult for the officials and why they dared to set the goal of "making sure all the people in the world have enough to eat".

Zhao Jin paused for a moment, looked at Shen Nian, and solemnly cupped his hands, saying, "This old man is willing to become a participant in the new policy!"

Shen Nian was immediately overjoyed.

"Minister Zhao, you know the officialdom of Southern Zhili best. Next, you will draft the policy of downsizing. I will agree to all your decisions. If anyone obstructs the implementation, I will take care of them!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jin's eyes immediately welled up with tears.

Shen Nian's unconditional trust moved him, making him feel that he had to complete the matter impartially.

Zhao Jin thought for a moment.

"Give me a day, and I will be able to devise an implementation plan. Tomorrow evening, I will go to the meeting hall to report to Grand Secretary Shen!"

Shen Nian smiled and shook her head.

"No need to report. You have the final say on this matter. I will only do the finishing touches and remove obstacles. The day after tomorrow morning, at the Nanjing Garrison Headquarters, I will summon all the officials of Nanjing. You will come to announce the implementation plan!"

“No problem!” Zhao Jin said, puffing out his chest.

……

A moment later, the front hall door opened.

Shen Nian and Zhao Jin walked out the door chatting and laughing.

"Minister Zhao, there's no need to see me off any further. You should get some rest!"

"No, I must see her off. It would be impolite of me not to!" Zhao Jin held Shen Nian's hand, whispering in her ear as he escorted her to the gate.

Wang Jia and Qi Hu, who followed behind, along with the two servants from the Zhao family, were all somewhat bewildered.

The two clearly had no personal relationship, and had even fallen out because of this morning's meeting. They seemed to have been arguing just fifteen minutes ago. How could they suddenly become such good friends despite their age difference?

Looking at Shen Nian's retreating figure, Wang Jiawang murmured to himself: "No wonder he is the Grand Secretary's chosen successor!"

……

The next day, early in the morning.

Just after Shen Nian finished breakfast, Li Yangong, the Marquis of Linhuai, the garrison commander of Nanjing, arrived at the Huitong Hall, the small courtyard where Shen Nian lived.

"Grand Secretary Shen, Minister Zhao of the Ministry of Personnel has resigned, but the heads of the other government offices in Nanjing are all ready! We will follow your orders on what to do next. This matter should be handled sooner rather than later, otherwise the court may blame our Nanjing Garrison!" Li Yangong said with a smile.

Shen Nian understood this perfectly.

Li Yangong's words clearly indicated his hope that Shen Nian would quickly appoint someone to implement the policy of eliminating redundant officials and positions.

The most suitable candidates would be the heads of the various government offices in Nanjing.

Following his words, Shen Nian asked, "My lord, I am new here and not very familiar with the Nanjing officialdom. I wonder who else besides Minister Zhao of the Ministry of Personnel is capable of carrying out this task?"

Li Yangong revealed a thoughtful expression.

He thought for about five breaths.

“Currently, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue in Nanjing is old, the Right Vice Minister position is vacant, and the other officials such as the Director, Assistant Director, and Principal are not up to the task. In order to carry out this task, in addition to being familiar with the officials in Nanjing, one must also have the authority to make the officials in Nanjing dare not disobey. I think that Minister Ling of the Ministry of War is the most suitable to do this task.”

Hearing this, Shen Nian barely managed to suppress her laughter.

Li Yangong's little scheme backfired spectacularly, landing squarely on Shen Nian's face.

He came here to urge Shen Nian.

The goal was to have Ling Yunyi replace Zhao Jin in carrying out this task, so that they could protect the connections they wanted to keep.

"Minister Ling does indeed meet the requirements. Please allow me to consider it further. Tomorrow morning, I intend to summon the heads of various government offices in Nanjing to discuss this matter. Please have the Nanjing Garrison Command inform them so that the selection can be made directly at that time!"

Shen Nian is planning to give Li Yangong a "surprise" tomorrow.

"No problem!" Li Yangong replied excitedly.

As an imperial envoy, Shen Nian could appoint anyone he wanted, and that person would naturally be the executor; all he needed to do was go through the formalities with the court.

At this moment, Li Yangong said again, "Grand Secretary Shen, I wonder if you have sent Minister Zhao's resignation memorial to the capital? Do you need the Nanjing Garrison to also submit a memorial explaining Minister Zhao's actions yesterday?"

Li Yangong felt that impeaching Zhao Jin would help please Shen Nian, hence his statement.

"No need! No need! I will report Zhao's matter to the court myself!"

……

After a while.

Li Yangong left the meeting hall with a bright smile. He felt that the entire Southern Zhili region was once again in the hands of the Nanjing Garrison.

……

The next day, early in the morning.

More than twenty officials from various government departments in Nanjing arrived at the Nanjing Garrison Command.

When Ling Yunyi, Li Yangong, and Guo Xiao saw Zhao Jin, they were all quite surprised.

The summons of officials was initiated by Shen Nianling from the Nanjing Garrison Command. They did not notify Zhao Jin, and Zhao Jin, who had submitted his resignation, would certainly not attend the meeting voluntarily.

That leaves only one possibility: Zhao Jin was invited by Shen Nian.

A moment later, Shen Nian arrived at the front hall of the garrison.

"Greetings, Grand Secretary Shen!" all the officials shouted in unison, bowing their hands in greeting.

Shen Nian smiled and said, "Please, everyone, no need for formalities, please have a seat!"

"After the meeting the day before yesterday, I pondered for a long time and sought out Minister Zhao again. We had a very pleasant conversation. In the end, Minister Zhao decided not to resign and retire, but to strictly follow the imperial decree and serve as the chief executive officer for the policy of reducing redundant officials in Nanjing. Now, he will read out the implementation plan he has prepared."

These words stunned many officials.

Especially Ling Yunyi, Li Yangong, and Guo Xiao.

They assumed that everything Shen Nian did was under their surveillance, but they didn't know when Shen Nian would meet with Zhao Jin, nor did they know that Zhao Jin had already devised a plan to carry it out.

The expressions on Ling Yunyi and the other two's faces gradually darkened.

Given Zhao Jin's temperament and work style, the implementation plan he devised would definitely not satisfy them.

Ling Yunyi glanced at Shen Nian and muttered, "I underestimated him!"

Shen Nian looked at Zhao Jin, hoping he would be bolder. After all, Nanjing was the city with the most serious problem of redundant officials and bureaucracies in the entire Ming Dynasty.

Zhao Jin strode out, first stroking his beard lightly, then said with a serious expression: "Among all the officials in the country, especially those in the two capitals, the number of redundant officials and positions is the most heavy. Among the two capitals, the secondary capital Nanjing is even more so than the capital city."

"If we want to eliminate redundant officials and positions in Southern Zhili, we should first eliminate those in Nanjing, and then eliminate those in other places."

"According to the imperial decree to abolish redundant officials and positions throughout the country, all redundant officials and positions should be abolished. Nanjing should set an example for the whole country. All officials and positions that are not suitable for the court and the common people should be abolished!"

"I will first discuss the strategy of reducing redundant officials."

"In my opinion, the elimination of redundant officials must be carried out strictly. For every additional official appointed, there are ten more clerks, and each clerk is accompanied by thirty or forty laborers. In order to clean up the bureaucracy and ensure the peace and tranquility of the people, the redundant officials must be eliminated. I hereby propose three measures to eliminate redundant officials."

"Firstly, all newly appointed officials in the various government offices in Nanjing shall be dismissed. Those who have performed well in the past three years shall be reassigned by the Ministry of Personnel."

"what?"

Upon hearing the first policy, one official couldn't help but shout it out.

The other officials also looked at Zhao Jin in disbelief.

The so-called additional officials are those in positions beyond the regular quota. For example, there used to be one secretary in the Ministry of Revenue, but now there are three. The other two are the additional officials.

The addition of officials was often due to a busy schedule in a certain government office, an overabundance of personnel, or the need to accommodate powerful officials' cronies or those who held hereditary titles.

After being set up, it gradually becomes customized.

The vast majority of redundant officials in the Ming Dynasty developed in this way.

Sometimes, it is precisely because of the addition of new officials that a task becomes the work of three people, which makes those "officials within the established staff" idle. However, in most cases, three people doing a task is not as efficient as one person doing a task.

This is precisely why officials often pass the buck and shirk responsibility when faced with problems.

However, while some local government offices did need additional officials, almost all of the additional officials in Nanjing's government offices were sinecures.

“Zhao… Jin… Minister Zhao, are you out of your mind?” an official couldn’t help but ask.

Upon hearing this, Shen Nian immediately glared at the official and said, "Those who have objections, keep quiet and listen to Minister Zhao finish speaking!"

As soon as Shen Nian spoke, the hall fell silent.

"Secondly, officials of the fifth rank or below and over sixty years of age in various ministries, courts, temples, and supervisory offices in Nanjing who have not made any great contributions within ten years, or whose performance evaluations show that they are 'inadequate, weak, or frivolous' within three years, shall all be dismissed."

Upon hearing the second layoff order, Shen Nian nodded in satisfaction.

The lower the official's position, the more physical strength is required. If an official is over sixty years old, has no great achievements and has committed minor offenses, he should be dismissed so that opportunities can be given to younger people.

As for corrupt officials who have committed serious offenses, they are not subject to dismissal, but are dealt with within the scope of the "Great Ming Code".

This dismissal order is particularly appropriate for Nanjing.

At this moment, the Nanjing officials present all looked as if they were constipated.

It should be noted that officials below the fifth rank who are dismissed receive almost no retirement salary or rewards.

Having lost his official position, he would have to earn his own living.

The above two points are enough to dismiss nearly 30% of the officials in Nanjing, which they consider too drastic.

Zhao Jin continued, "Thirdly, for those who feel inadequate and request to resign, it is suggested that the court supplement their salary with half of their annual salary until they reach the age of seventy, paid annually."

Upon hearing the layoff order, Shen Nian couldn't help but smile.

The officialdom will inevitably become increasingly corrupt in the future. Some officials around sixty years old who only want to slack off should resign and receive half their salary until they are seventy.

Since these officials held relatively low positions and received very little annual salary, the imperial court would absolutely agree to spend the money.

At this moment, Shen Nian looked at Zhao Jin with admiration in her eyes.

Zhao Jin was bolder than he had imagined.

These three reform measures were tailor-made for Nanjing officials.

However, reducing redundant officials is just an appetizer compared to reducing redundant positions.

One position for one official is like a radish in a hole, while dismissal is like filling the hole, which is equivalent to clearing out a bunch of radishes.

Zhao Jin took two steps forward and then looked around.

"Next, I will talk about the measures to reduce redundant positions."

“In the third year of the Wanli reign, His Majesty issued an edict stating that the positions in Nanjing should be important and that no official positions should be filled unless there was a shortage of staff. However, in recent years, there have been very few such vacancies.”

"Based on the performance evaluations of officials in various government offices in Nanjing over the past five years, and with reference to the duties of officials, I have compiled a list of redundant positions in Nanjing. I believe that all the positions on the list should be removed. When it is necessary to add them due to busy political affairs, the Ministry of Personnel can review and approve them before making additions."

Immediately, Zhao Jin read out the list of redundant positions in Nanjing.

"The positions of Governor-General of Nanjing Granaries and Military Affairs Supervisor are abolished and will be concurrently held by the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue; the position of Junior Minister of the Nanjing Court of Imperial Sacrifices is abolished; the position of Assistant Director of the Hubei and Hunan Provincial Office of the Ministry of Revenue is abolished; the positions of Chief Clerk and Left and Right Judges of the Ministry of Works' Office of Forestry and Water Conservancy are abolished; the positions of Mingzan and Xuban of the Court of State Ceremonial are abolished; the positions of Ambassador and Deputy Ambassador of the Imperial Medical Academy's Bureau of Benevolent Medicine are abolished and will be concurrently held by the Chief Physician of the Academy... The positions of Deputy Commander of the Five City Garrison Command and Thousand-Household Commander of the Five Garrisons are abolished; the positions of Assistant Secretaries of the Embroidered Uniform Guard of the Central and Left Offices and Battalion Commander of the Grand Military Camp are abolished... A total of 127 redundant positions are abolished."

"All officials in redundant positions shall hand over their duties to the Nanjing Garrison Office within three months. Those with excellent performance shall be reassigned by the Ministry of Personnel, while those with poor performance shall be advised to voluntarily request retirement."

After saying this, Zhao Jin bowed slightly to Shen Nian, then looked around and said, "If anyone has any objections, please feel free to speak them!"

Shen Nian had a satisfied look on her face.

He could never have come up with such a perfect execution plan.

Because these dismissal conditions overlapped, about 40% of the officials in Nanjing would be dismissed, with officials of the fifth rank or below accounting for nearly 90%.

Shen Nian's expected rate was below 50%, and as for the areas outside Nanjing that belonged to Southern Zhili, a reduction of about 10% would suffice.

The main redundant officials and positions in Southern Zhili were concentrated in Nanjing.

Shen Nian looked around and saw that all the officials had their heads down and no one spoke.

"Does everyone have no objections?" Shen Nian asked.

At this moment, Tu Yiying, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices in Nanjing, stood up and said in an annoyed tone, "If this is to be done, wouldn't it be better to abolish Nanjing as the secondary capital, abolish all the government offices of the Six Ministries and the Nine Ministers, and move the mausoleum of Emperor Taizu to the capital? Wouldn't that be better?"

Tu Yiying was clearly speaking in anger.

However, his words prompted many officials to complain.

"This is not about reducing redundant officials and positions; it's about turning all the government offices in Nanjing upside down! I strongly oppose it!"

"Nonsense! Utter nonsense! Doing this will not only make His Majesty appear heartless, but it will also throw Southern Zhili into chaos. Some officials may seem to have an easy job, but they are indispensable when something happens!"

"Lord Shen, I believe Minister Zhao harbors ill intentions. He intends to use this tactic to gain fame and reputation before retiring. Such a vile plan must not be allowed!"

……

The officials in Nanjing were furious, as if they had discovered their purses had been stolen at a pig market. Their voices were rising higher and higher.

And this moment.

The three chief officers of the Nanjing Garrison Command, Ling Yunyi, Li Yangong, and Guo Xiao, remained silent.

They were waiting for Shen Nianjian's reaction after the officials' fierce rebuttal.

If Shen Nianruo already knew about Zhao Jin's strategies or those who devised them, they would like to hear Shen Nianruo's side of the story first.

If Shen Nian insists on upholding these strategies, and their rebuttals cannot force Shen Nian to compromise, they can only devise a reason to submit a memorial to the court, hoping that the court will suppress Shen Nian.

If this series of plans were implemented, the Nanjing officialdom would be completely destroyed!
(End of this chapter)