My Portable Ming Dynasty

Chapter 375 Promotion to Fourth Rank, New Props

Within the General Affairs Department.

Li Yiyuan was having a headache.

There have been fewer memorials from the court these days, but Su Ze submitted a memorial at the beginning of the month requesting the opening of postal services in both the northern and southern capitals, and this task fell to the Office of Transmission.

However, Su Ze's memorial only mentioned opening up the official postal service, but did not specify how to do it.

How are letters delivered? How are letters delivered to their destinations distributed?

How are stamps priced, and how are postal workers recruited?
The Ministry of Justice has to figure all of this out themselves.

Putting aside other issues, how to deliver mail to recipients in such large cities as the capital and Nanjing was a huge problem.

We can't just leave all the mail at the post office and have people come to pick it up, can we? That would be too inefficient.

Just as Li Yiyuan was having a headache, his subordinate, the clerk Xu Shuli, suddenly came to report:

"Da Yintai, Su Hanlin has arrived."

Perhaps Li Yiyuan had been confused by his thoughts on the postal service these past few days, for upon hearing this, he asked, "Which Su Hanlin?"

Xu Shuli was also taken aback for a moment, and quickly said, "It's the Hanlin scholar Su who submitted a memorial requesting the establishment of postal services in both capitals."

Upon hearing this, Li Yiyuan immediately snapped out of his daze and said through gritted teeth:
"He's caused our Ministry of Justice so much trouble, and he still dares to come?"

Xu Shuli quickly asked:
"Does that mean Da Yintai doesn't want to see me?"

Li Yiyuan glanced at his subordinate, confirming his utter lack of emotional intelligence, and waved his hand, saying:
"If Su Zilin is driven away, who will help me run the postal service?!"

"Please come in quickly and bring out my finest tea!"

When Su Ze arrived at Li Yiyuan's reception room, the wealthy banker was already waiting for him with a big smile on his face.

Su Ze quickly stepped forward and bowed:
"Da Yintai, my memorial has caused the Ministry of Justice a lot of trouble, hasn't it? Today, I've come to apologize."

Li Yiyuan was a seasoned veteran; he pulled Su Ze aside and said:

"Zilin, what are you saying? Your memorial is for the sake of the country. Our Office of Transmission is the office of the Nine Ministers. We are all doing this for the sake of the country. What trouble is there?"

Xu Shuli was amazed. He had heard Li Yiyuan complain about Su Ze in the public room more than once, and today he was acting like this again. He was truly a master of changing his expression.

After the two sat down, Li Yiyuan hurriedly asked:

"Zilin, you initiated this postal service, but I have a problem with you."

"Please speak, Da Yintai."

Li Yiyuan said:
"These two capital cities are huge. How can letters be delivered to the recipients? We can't all go to the post office to pick them up, can we? The post office would be paralyzed just from searching for letters."

Su Ze smiled and said:

"Da Yintai, this is easy to solve."

“The two capitals, North and South, can be divided into multiple areas according to the ward system of the Tang Dynasty.”

"When sending a letter, you need to write down the district where the recipient lives. The letter is sent to the district post office, and then the recipient can pick it up."

Li Yiyuan's eyes lit up; this was indeed a good idea.

But he quickly added:

"If the mail is sent to the two capitals, it still needs to be divided into districts. Doesn't that require a lot of manpower?"

Su Ze said:

"I also have a solution: number these districts, and the sender should fill in the number on the envelope according to the district where the recipient is located."

"Once the mail arrives in the receiving city, it will be sorted by number, with letters of the same number grouped together, and then sent to the postal district."

“Sorting by numbers doesn’t even require a literate person; anyone can do it simply by being taught some numbers.”

After listening, Li Yiyuan thought about it more and more and found it increasingly brilliant. He clapped his hands and said:
"Excellent! Zilin, if you had come to the Office of Transmission earlier, I wouldn't have had to think about it for so long."

Su Ze sipped his tea and waited until Li Yiyuan finished praising him before saying:

"I've come today because I need your help with something."

Li Yiyuan was even more pleased by Su Ze's humble attitude, and he quickly said:
"Zilin, you're too kind! I will do my utmost to help as long as it's within my power!"

Li Yiyuan then said, "It's about the postal services in these two capitals. I would also like to invite Zilin to give it more consideration."

Su Ze said:

"Da Yintai, as long as you help with this, I, Su, will definitely do my best to handle the postal affairs in these two capitals."

After hearing Su Ze's words, Li Yiyuan was dumbfounded.

It turned out that Su Ze's request was for Li Yiyuan to write a letter to transfer him to the Office of Transmission.

Li Yiyuan felt something was off.

A few days ago, a fellow villager asked Li Yiyuan to help transfer his son or nephew to the Office of Transmission. At that time, Li Yiyuan refused righteously.

The Office of Transmission is the office of the Nine Ministers, and in Li Yiyuan's view, such requests are an improper practice. How can people be transferred here so casually?

But when Li Yiyuan heard that Su Ze himself had requested to come to the Office of Transmission, he thought, "Su Ze is actually willing to come to our small office of Transmission?"

Li Yiyuan said worriedly:

"Zilin, is it beneath you to come to the Office of Transmission?"

"Currently, there are vacancies for the Left and Right Assistants in the Office of Transmission. Although both positions are of the fourth rank, wouldn't that be beneath you?"

What Su Ze had his eye on was the position of Left and Right Assistant Director of the Office of Transmission.

As a fifth-rank official, it wouldn't be too difficult to be promoted to fourth rank. The only challenge was to overcome the ceiling of criminal record, since people like Shen Shixing with criminal records were still in the fifth rank.

However, these kinds of rules are considered unspoken rules, not explicit rules in officialdom.

Now that the emperor is in poor health and political struggles are intensifying, it will be much easier to break the rules.

Su Ze valued this position not only because the official rank was suitable, but also because the Office of Transmission was a crucial government office.

The Office of Transmission was in charge of "the handling of internal and external memorials, reports, and rejections."

In the Song Dynasty, the Commissioner of the Court of State Affairs was called the Grand Silver Terrace, and this position was actually very important.

The reason why the Commissioner of the Court of State Affairs in the Ming Dynasty was weak was that he voluntarily gave up a right: the right to "reject" or "reject".

"Fengbo" means to return the emperor's edict.

The right to refuse is the right to disobey an imperial edict!

The power of the prime ministers in the Tang and Song dynasties stemmed from this right. In theory, an imperial edict in the Tang and Song dynasties could not become an effective edict without the approval of the prime ministers. In other words, the prime ministers could collectively resist and veto the emperor's edicts.

Of course, this is only in theory. The emperor can promote the prime minister he likes, and as long as the prime minister supports the emperor, the other prime ministers cannot resist.

The Zhongshu Sheren (Secretariat Drafters) of the Song Dynasty were also at the core of Song Dynasty politics, because they had the power to reject proposals.

The power of the Imperial Secretary to reject proposals was called "returning the original proposal".

The headings are the summaries or outlines that the imperial edicts drafted by the two imperial secretaries are based on, and their content is mostly the emperor's opinions on personnel appointments and removals.

If a court official disagrees with the decision to draft a document, he can return the draft document and refuse to draft it; this is known as "returning the draft document".

However, by the Ming Dynasty, the right to reject petitions was basically no longer used.

In theory, there were three government offices in the Ming Dynasty that could exercise the power of rejection.

These were the Office of Transmission, the Six Ministries, and the Censorate.

There was no suitable position for Su Ze in the Six Ministries and the Censorate, so only the Office of Transmission remained.

Another advantage of the Office of Transmission was that its officials had the right to enter and exit the palace. Because the Office of Transmission needed to deliver memorials, they possessed waist tokens similar to those used in the imperial court, allowing them access to the emperor's office area.

This is a right that only senior cabinet members can possess.

Ordinary officials of the outer court, such as Yang Sizhong, the Minister of Personnel, could not enter the inner court without an audience with the emperor.

This is also why Su Ze valued the Office of General Affairs.

In times of political turmoil, righteousness is of paramount importance.

In the original timeline, wasn't it Zhang Juzheng and Feng Bao who, together with Feng Bao, controlled the inner court and thus successfully expelled Gao Gong?
Therefore, the power of the Office of Transmission to enter and leave the palace was also very important.

Su Ze said quickly:

"Da Yintai, the postal service was initiated by Su, and Su also wanted to do something for the postal service of the two capitals."

"I'll have to ask Da Yintai for help with this."

Li Yiyuan said in a great mood:

"Zilin's loyalty to the country is a blessing to our Great Ming!"

"I will immediately submit a memorial to His Majesty, requesting that you be transferred to the Office of Transmission!"

"I just don't know if Chief Minister Gao will be willing to release them! Hahaha!"

Su Ze smiled and said:

"If Su wants to do something practical, the Prime Minister won't stop him."

Hearing that Su Ze had already spoken with Gao Gong, Li Yiyuan felt even more confident about the matter. Fearing that Su Ze might change his mind, he drafted a memorial in front of him and then affixed his official seal.
-
Li Yiyuan personally submitted a memorial to the emperor, requesting that Su Ze be transferred to the Office of Transmission to be in charge of postal affairs in the two capitals.

Neither Gao Gong nor Zhang Juzheng objected to the memorial, and the Longqing Emperor quickly approved it.

However, Emperor Longqing was probably reluctant to part with his eldest son, so he allowed Su Ze to continue serving in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and to continue attending classes at the Eastern Palace after the New Year.

This aligns perfectly with Su Ze's thinking; both the Imperial Palace and the Eastern Palace are political centers, so it would be best to manage both effectively.

Thus, Su Ze was appointed as the Right Vice Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

Su Ze's character card has finally been changed.

The first thing that pops up is a notification that the task is complete.

[Main quest, promotion to fourth rank, completed!]

[Task Reward: 1 Chance to Draw an Orange Item]

——Host: Su Ze——

Age: 28
Birthplace: Taicang County, South Zhili

Official rank: Right Vice Director of the Court of State Affairs (fourth rank), Left Vice Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Daily Lecturer, and Lecturer at the Eastern Palace.

Prestige: 1120 (+30 per day)

Simulation times: 2 times per month (2/2 remaining)

Items in hand: [Model Calligraphy Brush] (blue), [Family Planting Mat] (purple), [Translation Rice Cake] (blue), [Post-Event Picture Book] (orange, 2/5 remaining), [Flying Pigeon Message] (purple), [Memory Palace Sachet] (orange), [Cure for All Diseases] (orange).

New main quest: Promote to the fourth rank.

Task Reward: +1 simulation attempt per month.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Su Ze looked at the system and saw that he had completed the task and received a chance to draw an item, and his daily prestige had also increased.

The only downside is that the number of simulation attempts doesn't increase each month; you only get +1 when you're promoted to the fourth rank.

However, Su Ze was already very satisfied.

Next, Su Ze looked at his reward: an orange-tier item lottery.

【Do you want to start the lucky draw? 】

Su Ze decisively chose "yes".

A flash of orange light appeared, and Su Ze saw a wind-up toy soldier.

[Congratulations, host! You have obtained the item "Wind-Up Toy Guardian (Orange)".]

【Wind-up Toy Guardian (3/3)】(Orange): A reusable item. After being wound up, it can transform into a guard to protect the host for 15 minutes. It can be wound up once an hour.

Wind-up Toy Guardian 1: Musketeer, possessing precise shooting skills.

Wind-up Toy Guardian 2: Armored Guardian, capable of protecting its host with its massive body and armor.

Wind-up Toy Guardian 3: Assassin, protects its host from assassination.

So strong!

Su Ze found himself with three wind-up toys.

These toys are exquisite, and each one has a wind-up mechanism on the back.

Su Ze wound up the spring, and the musketeer guard's limbs began to writhe. He quickly threw it to the ground.

Upon landing, the wind-up toy guard, originally only the size of a palm, instantly grew larger, eventually transforming into an ordinary middle-aged man.

His appearance was so ordinary that he wouldn't leave any impression in a crowd.

However, he was wearing the latest Ming army uniform, holding a new type of musket, and wearing a vest filled with gunpowder on his shoulder.

The remaining two wind-up toy guards are used in the same way; the guard can transform into a massive armored warrior, while the last one is a small and agile assassin.

Although they appear to be made of flesh and blood, these three clockwork guards are actually immortal and will fight to the death to protect Su Ze when they encounter enemies.

After fifteen minutes, the three wind-up guards will turn back into wind-up toys.

Su Ze was naturally very satisfied with the results of this lottery draw.

I have always lacked effective means of self-protection.

After all, in the Ming Dynasty, it was too outrageous for a civil official to keep assassins.

Now we have three loyal followers who don't need to worry about loyalty or food. Although they can only be used for fifteen minutes per hour, as long as they can play a role at crucial moments, those fifteen minutes are enough.

Moreover, these three toy soldiers can be stored in the system space at any time, making them very convenient to use.
-
Upon being promoted to the fourth rank, Su Ze did not celebrate as is customary in officialdom.

Unfortunately, this promotion was too rushed.

Moreover, Shen Shixing passed the imperial examination a year earlier than him, and now his official rank has been surpassed by his own, so it would be somewhat awkward to celebrate now.

Of course, friends who knew the news still sent congratulatory gifts, and some officials who were related to Su Ze also sent gifts.

Zhao Lingxian registered all the gifts. For those with whom she had a less close relationship, Su Ze would personally visit to return the gifts during the Spring Festival. For those with a closer relationship, she would wait until the next time someone else had a happy occasion and then send a gift of equal value.

Su Ze didn't need to worry about these things since his wife was handling them.

However, there was one more important matter before the end of the year that Su Ze had to handle personally.

The divisions within the cabinet are now common knowledge in official circles, and Su Ze can no longer play both sides as he used to. Therefore, he has to choose a side this time.

Carrying the gifts his wife had prepared, Su Ze arrived at Gao Gong's door before the Lunar New Year.

This time, Su Ze did not go through the back door either. Instead, like the other officials waiting to pay their respects, he presented his visiting card through the main gate and waited for a while in front of the main gate.

The steward of the Gao family had timed it perfectly and warmly welcomed Su Ze into the Gao residence.

(End of this chapter)