Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World.

Chapter 250 Han Zhang is about to retire, Jiang Zhao is taking care of the child!

The first day of the first month of the fourth year of the Xifeng era.

Snowflakes are falling, a sign of a bountiful year.

The Secretariat, the Hall of State Affairs.

The six Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet took their seats in succession.

Grand Master Han Zhang lowered his head and hung his hands, seemingly dizzy.

Jiang Zhao held a pen, sometimes writing government decrees, and sometimes appearing deep in thought.

The remaining Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet remained silent.

The courtroom was completely silent.

After about twenty breaths, Han Zhang lowered his hands and closed his eyes, saying in a deep voice, "My head is throbbing. Let Zichuan speak."

Jiang Zhao paused, then nodded with his hands down.

The same process was repeated almost every day, and the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet were used to it and not surprised at all.

Han Zhang and Jiang Zhao were two prominent figures: Han Zhang was the head of all officials and the Grand Chancellor, while Jiang Zhao was the core of the reform movement and a favored minister of two generations.

With this lineup, they can be said to have firmly secured the positions of the top leader and the second-in-command.

With the top two leaders working together, the voices of other Grand Secretaries in the Cabinet are bound to be greatly diminished.

It doesn't matter who chairs the cabinet meetings; it's nothing special!
Picking up a document, Jiang Zhao said calmly, "The old year has passed, and a new year begins. In the past few days, the main task of the cabinet has been to finalize the general plan for the first half of the year."

The group nodded in understanding and looked over.

Generally speaking, as the years change, the chief minister and the cabinet will formulate some overall plans in order to control the general direction of governing the country.

Jiang Zhao pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Generally speaking, there are several major events in the first half of the year that we must pay attention to."

"Firstly, the year-end planning meeting at the end of January."

"Secondly, the imperial examination in February, a major test of political performance."

"Thirdly, there may be war on the frontier in March."

"Fourth, April and May involved changes in various departments, both inside and outside the government, as well as personnel changes in the cabinet."

Fifth, new government decrees may be issued in June.

"Given the compatibility of the two, the fourth year of the Xifeng era will be quite busy."

"Regarding governance, we should continue to prioritize moderation, avoid disturbing the people, and allow them to recuperate and thrive."

In short, it set the tone for the political situation in the first half of the year.

Several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet nodded in approval.

Two years have passed since the second year of the Xifeng reign. The arrangements for governance and the economy have been implemented for quite some time. The main task going forward is to "maintain stability."

If the reform policies are implemented for a long time, the reform will be considered a success.

but
Cabinet personnel changes!

This single sentence caused several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet to change their expressions slightly, and they all seemed somewhat uneasy.

The triennial performance evaluation is an opportunity for promotion for officials in various departments, both inside and outside the government.

However, for Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, the focus was more on "trial".

After all, the position of Grand Secretary in the Cabinet is already the highest level of advancement.

When faced with a major performance evaluation, Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet typically only have three paths:

They could either remain in office for another three years to become a senior Grand Secretary, or compete for the position of head of all officials, or retire in glory.

In addition, theoretically, a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet might also demote himself to a local official in order to be reinstated to the Cabinet.

However, the fall from Grand Secretary of the Cabinet to a local official was too great, and very few people ultimately chose this path.

In other words, once the triennial performance evaluation arrives, the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet are basically either to stay or to leave.

The problem is, who can say for sure that they will be able to stay?

For a moment, the expressions on their faces darkened.

"Ha ha!"

In the main seat, Han Zhang opened his eyes, and a loud laugh broke the silence.

"To retire with honor and be granted the title of one of the Three Dukes, leaving a mark on history, is the highest honor for a civil official."

"The older generation should give young people a chance. They should step down when they should!" Han Zhang looked down and focused on one of them, his words carrying a hidden meaning.

Wen Yanbo!
In just a moment, Wen Yanbo's expression changed drastically.

This statement sounds like it's directed at him.

Of the six Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet, he was the oldest.

He was even two years older than Han Zhang.

Of course, compared to Han Zhang, he is better at maintaining his health, has a stronger physique, and looks younger.

"Is the Grand Chancellor planning to abdicate in favor of the virtuous?" Wen Yanbo had a bad feeling.

"Retreat when you should, it's for the benefit of all people!"

Han Zhang did not deny it, but calmly asked in return, "Where is Grand Secretary Wen?"

"Our friendship is that of gentlemen; it would be better if we both retired with honor and remained neighbors and friends."

In short, it carries a strong connotation of "moral blackmail".

Wen Yanbo's expression changed.

How did this all suddenly involve him?

This is truly an undeserved disaster!
Several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet all turned their attention to the scene, and understood immediately.

First, the Grand Chancellor should retire in honor and step down to a more worthy successor.

Second, the eldest son wants to take Wen Yanbo away.

For a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, the news that the Grand Chancellor was retiring was not surprising.

This was foreseen by everyone, from top to bottom.

There are three main reasons for this:
Firstly, Han Zhang's rule over the country had lasted far too long.

To date, Han Zhang has been in power for a full twelve years.

Having served as Grand Secretary for twelve consecutive years, Han Zhang is a figure of unparalleled stature even among all the Grand Secretaries of past dynasties. To avoid being tainted with a reputation for "coveting power," he must certainly consider retiring.

Secondly, the Xifeng Reforms had gradually stabilized.

Han Zhang's appointment to the cabinet was not out of greed for power, but to protect his disciples.

Throughout history, any reform has always been met with a certain degree of opposition.

If the opposition to the government's decrees was too strong, the emperor would often demote the reformers to appease the situation.

Han Zhang lingered for a long time, all to shield his disciple from disaster.

If the calls for reform become too strong, Han Zhang, as the head of all officials, can acknowledge the fact of the reform and protect his disciple from disaster.

However, the voices of the opponents are not as strong as expected.

Since the second year of the Xifeng reign, the reform decrees have been in effect for nearly two years, and opposition has been diminishing.

Everything proves that Jiang Zhao has the ability to "restructure interests".

Therefore, Han Zhang could naturally step down.

After all, reform is a long-term process, and his disciple Jiang Zhao will eventually become the prime minister of the country. Han Zhang cannot protect him for a lifetime.

If you should withdraw, you should withdraw!

Thirdly, this was in the fourth year of the Xifeng reign.

Cabinet terms are generally based on a three-year period, with each term lasting three years.

Coincidentally, the fourth year of the Xifeng reign was a year of major performance evaluation for officials, so it was not surprising that the Grand Chancellor took the opportunity to step down.

As for why the Grand Master wanted to take Wen Yanbo away, that's even easier to understand.

Essentially, this was to pave the way for his disciple Jiang Zhao.

As a member of the older generation, Wen Yanbo's unassuming and unambitious nature leads people to subconsciously underestimate his influence.

In reality, he is a Grand Secretary who has served in the cabinet for nearly two decades, a true evergreen in the political arena.

In the third year of the Qingli era, Han Zhang was demoted, and Wen Yanbo became a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.

In the second year of the Jiayou era, Han Zhang was recalled, and Wen Yanbo was also appointed as a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.

In the fourth year of the Zhiping era, a new emperor ascended the throne, and Wen Yanbo was still a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.

In terms of the breadth of his disciples and former officials, his seniority, and the stability of his foundation, Wen Yanbo was almost second only to Grand Chancellor Han Zhang.

Once Han Zhang retires, Wen Yanbo's influence will undoubtedly become more prominent. However, Wen Yanbo is a conservative political figure. If he raises the banner of "conservatives" to start factional strife, it will inevitably make the reform difficult.

Therefore, Han Zhang chose to take Wen Yanbo with him as well!

Several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet kept glancing around.

Wen Yanbo's face darkened, and he cursed inwardly.

That old scoundrel Han Zhang, he's too old to die!

"Grand Secretary Wen need not worry."

Han Zhang stroked his beard and smiled: "The Minister of Personnel, Yuan Jiang, is praised by the Emperor as quite capable!"

"In my humble opinion, Grand Secretary Wen already has a successor, so there is no need for him to work too hard."

Upon hearing this, Wen Yanbo's expression grew increasingly grim.

Yuan Jiang, the Minister of Personnel, was indeed from his lineage.

However, being from the same lineage does not mean being of one mind.

To be precise, Yuan Jiang was the successor of Zeng Gongliang, the previous Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.

Originally, the order of his lineage entering the cabinet should have been "Wen Yanbo - Zeng Gongliang - Yuan Jiang - Wang Anshi".

As a result, Zeng Gongliang retired, and Yuan Jiang was parachuted into the cabinet, squeezing Yuan Jiang out.

To say that Yuan Jiang harbored no resentment whatsoever would be a lie!
A second-rank official would definitely want to advance in his career.

"The affairs of the Wen family are none of your concern, Your Excellency."

Wen Yanbo's face darkened, and he said in a deep voice, "Han Zhang, if you have the time, you should focus on building your reputation. You're keen on the Battle of Shuichuan."

"Hey!"

Calling him by his first name was quite impolite, so Jiang Zhao quickly interrupted and advised, "Grand Secretary Wen, let's keep things peaceful and not get agitated!"

"Am I excited?" Wen Yanbo said with a dark face.

Jiang Zhao smiled faintly and advised, "There's no point in arguing."

"The Council of State Affairs should still focus on deliberations."

Two against one!

"Ah!"

Wen Yanbo glanced at it, snorted coldly, and closed his eyes without saying a word.

Han Zhang glanced at it indifferently, then closed his eyes and continued to sleep soundly.

The remaining few people exchanged glances, remaining silent.

Jiang Zhao sighed "helplessly," picked up the documents, and prepared to continue the political discussion.

at this time
"Thump, thump, thump!"

A series of footsteps, neither too light nor too heavy, sounded.

Several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet frowned in unison, a sense of unease creeping into their hearts.

In the council chamber, who would dare to wander around recklessly?

"father--"

Before anyone could speak, a child's voice rang out: "Father, where is this place?"

“The Hall of State Affairs,” a steady voice replied.

That voice... from the government?!
In an instant, their expressions changed, and they quickly stood up and stood at attention.

Han Zhang, who had been taking a nap with his eyes closed, was no longer sleepy; Wen Yanbo, who had been full of anger, suddenly became calm; Jiang Zhao, who had been "helplessly" trying to mediate the fight, was no longer helpless; and the remaining Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet also suddenly became much more energetic.

In any case, they were all radiant and full of energy. After a few breaths, one person walked into the courtroom and strode in.

Beside him was a child wearing a tiger-head hat, about one or two years old.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." The six Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet bowed in unison.

The visitor was none other than the Emperor Zhao Ceying!
And King Jing, Zhao Shen.

"Ah."

Zhao Ceying nodded calmly, holding the little prince's hand with one hand and waving the other slightly, saying, "No need for formalities."

The six Grand Secretaries stood in solemn silence one after another.

"Have any of the annual reports from the various departments been submitted?" Zhao Ceying asked.

"They have all been submitted." Han Zhang raised his hand in a salute and replied, "However, the documents have only been submitted recently, and the cabinet has not yet reviewed and approved them, so they have not yet been sent to the Imperial Study."

Generally speaking, the annual accounting documents of the various departments, both inside and outside the palace, were not directly submitted to the palace, but were instead presented to the Grand Secretariat.

The main reason for this is that the documents may involve data falsification.

Some sophisticated forgeries might go undetected by the emperor, making it very easy for people to be fooled.

This necessitates having the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet review and approve the document, adding a "review" step.

Once it involves signing the red seal, it's equivalent to the entire cabinet taking responsibility.

If the officials in the internal and external departments fail to perform their duties well, that is the responsibility of the internal and external departments.

However, if the forgery of documents is not detected, then it is the responsibility of the cabinet.

"Since the cabinet has not yet donned the red robes, let it continue to do so."

Zhao Ceying walked to the main seat and said calmly, "For now, just put on red banners for the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue."

"I will listen in."

In short, the Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet exchanged glances, all understanding why the Emperor had come to the Hall of State Affairs.

Annual performance evaluation!

Or, to put it another way, the annual performance evaluation included content related to official conduct and taxation.

As for the focus, it's likely to be on content related to taxation.

After all, the annual performance report of the second year of the Xifeng reign did not reflect the true effectiveness of the reforms.

At that time, many of the tax reform policies implemented by various government departments had not yet been converted into agricultural and commercial taxes.

This meant that the real major source of revenue in the second year of the Xifeng reign was confiscation of property, rather than tax collection.

The confiscation of property alone yielded over 20 million strings of cash, resulting in a fiscal surplus in the second year of the Xifeng reign.

But such a method certainly cannot last.

The main source of revenue still has to rely on taxes.

The third year of the Xifeng reign did not involve many complicated decrees; the focus was mainly on "rest and recuperation," which reflects some of the achievements of the reforms in the second year of the Xifeng reign.

Therefore, it's no wonder that Zhao Ceying was so curious that he braved the snow to come over.

As expected, Zhao Ceying slowly said, "I came here despite the snow mainly to find out the annual performance of the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue."

"Yes." Han Zhang nodded and picked up the relevant documents.

"Have a seat," Zhao Ceying said casually, waving his hand.

The relaxed etiquette is a typical characteristic of "joint governance by the monarch and his subjects".

Generally speaking, officials only needed to stand during court sessions; etiquette had not yet developed to the point where they had to kneel to attend court.

For civil officials at the level of Grand Chancellor and Grand Secretary of the Inner Cabinet, the etiquette was even more relaxed, usually following the "seated discussion etiquette" that had been in place since the Tang Dynasty.

Whenever it involves political discussion, unless the discussion is short, it is highly likely that the report will be presented while seated.

The six Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet took their seats one by one.

Han Zhang and Jiang Zhao were seated on the left and right sides, respectively.

"Da da da!"

The gently shaking rattle made a crisp sound, which was the young prince Zhao Shen playing tricks.

Zhao Ceying shook her head, let go of her son's hand, and turned to lead him to Jiang Zhao.

The young prince Zhao Shen seemed to be used to strangers and was not afraid of them. He held onto Jiang Zhao's sleeve with one hand and shook a rattle drum with the other, occasionally giggling.

The Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet exchanged glances and sighed inwardly.

I wonder what kind of spell Jiang Zichuan has cast on the Emperor, that he even allows the young prince to get close to him?
"Annual accounting documents of the Ministry of Personnel".

Han Zhang picked up a document and reported: "In the third year of the Xifeng reign, there were no decrees on governance. The Ministry of Personnel continued to implement the performance evaluation system, with the aim of 'purifying officialdom,' and evaluated more than 48,000 officials and more than 430,000 minor officials throughout the country."

"Among them, more than 9,000 officials were deemed competent, more than 3,300 were recommended for promotion, more than 30,000 were deemed average, more than 6,000 were deemed incompetent, and more than 2,300 were to be dismissed. Of the more than 430,000 minor officials, more than 16,000 were to be dismissed."

"In addition, more than 2,400 people retired in the third year of the Xifeng reign, and 3,000 people were planned to enter officialdom."

"Ah."

Zhao Ceying nodded.

Many were demoted, but few entered officialdom.

This is the main basic logic of governance.

If this policy is implemented, it can reduce the number of officials by two to three thousand and the number of clerks by more than ten thousand per year. If it is continued for several years, the number of officials could reach about thirty-five thousand and the number of clerks about three hundred thousand.

At that time, the problems with officialdom will be considered solved.

"What does Jiang Qing think?" Zhao Ceying asked.

"Yuan Jiang is indeed quite capable, and truly deserves to be considered a talent for the nation," Jiang Zhao silently commented.

Upon hearing this, Wen Yanbo's face visibly darkened, and he could only lower his head and remain silent.

"can."

"That's fine too."

The remaining Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet nodded in agreement.

"Then let's talk about the Ministry of Revenue."

Zhao Ceying gave the instructions.

Taxation is his current top priority.

"Ministry of Revenue's annual accounting documents."

Han Zhang slowly said, "In terms of expenditures, the royal family's expenditures amounted to nine million strings of cash, military expenses to thirteen million strings of cash, officials' salaries to over six million five hundred thousand strings of cash, and the expenses of various government departments, both inside and outside the capital, to twenty million strings of cash, totaling over forty-eight million five hundred thousand strings of cash."

"In terms of input tax, agricultural tax revenue was 42 million strings of cash, industrial and commercial tax revenue was 39 million strings of cash, and bank deposits were 2 million strings of cash, totaling more than 83 million strings of cash in input tax."

"Among them, industrial and commercial taxes increased by about ten million strings of cash compared to the previous year, and by about fifteen million strings of cash compared to the first year of the Xifeng era."

Eighty-three million strings of cash in taxes!

"it is good!"

Zhao Ceying was startled and couldn't help but clap his hands.

Observing his every move, it seemed that even his breathing had become much easier.

Zhao Ceying nodded repeatedly.

Compared to before the reforms, it had increased by a full 30 to 40 million strings of cash.

The effectiveness of the specific reforms is quite obvious.

As expected, when Jiang Qing and I work together with one heart and one mind, we can accomplish anything!
The other Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet were also taken aback.

Eighty-three million strings of cash?

What else can I say? Awesome!
"call!"

With the annual performance reports from the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue completed, Zhao Ceying breathed a sigh of relief.

With such effective reforms, the more we worked, the more motivated we became.

A great emperor for all time is within easy reach!

"If that's the case, then let's continue wearing red."

I came to the Hall of State Affairs specifically to see the data from the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue.

Having figured things out, Zhao Ceying had no intention of lingering.

"Farewell to Your Majesty."

All six Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet paid their respects.

Zhao Ceying nodded and reached out to take her son's hand.

With one step forward, the two were about to leave when Zhao Ceying seemed to remember something and stopped in his tracks.

"Shen'er, do you know who this person is?" Zhao Ceying crouched down slightly and pointed at Jiang Zhao.

Zhao Shen shook his rattle-drum, looking over curiously, but didn't say anything.

“This is Shen’er’s savior,” Zhao Ceying said decisively.

"My savior?"

Children around two years old don't speak very fluently, so they naturally don't understand what a savior is.

However, just because children don't understand doesn't mean adults don't understand either.

My savior?!
The Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet were startled, exchanged glances, and all looked somewhat bewildered.

Even the Grand Chancellor Han Zhang was completely bewildered.

When did Zichuan become associated with the young prince?
"My savior?" Wen Yanbo, a Grand Academician of the Jixian Hall, was anxious and quickly interjected, his eyes full of confusion.

"Ha ha!"

"Old stories are not worth recounting."

Zhao Ceying smiled and waved his hand, indicating that he did not intend to explain in detail.

Old stories?

The expressions on their faces froze.

Jiang Zichuan, is he starting to make plans again?
In the past, when the late emperor had no son, Jiang Zichuan devised a plan to "have a good grandson," and single-handedly influenced the selection of the imperial heir.

Now, he's simply become the prince's savior?

Jiang Zhao bowed at the opportune moment and said, "Your subject does not dare to accept such praise. Your Highness Prince Jing is a lucky man and is blessed by Heaven."

Zhao Ceying smiled calmly and gestured with his hand: "Whether it is good fortune or the effect of relocation, I know in my heart."

Compared to his eldest son Zhao Jun, who died of illness, the young prince Zhao Shen was visibly healthy.

With a tiger-like head and a lively spirit, he is full of energy.

This is definitely the effect of having the prince move out of the palace and reside permanently in Prince Jing's residence.

Jiang Zhao remained silent and did not speak again.

Some credit that should be acknowledged must still be claimed.

"oops!"

Zhao Ceying glanced at the fluttering snowflakes and shook his head, saying, "It's getting late, I need to attend to state affairs."

"However, the snow is too heavy, and Shen'er may catch a cold if he goes out."

"Leave it here, Jiang Qing, take care of it for me."

Zhao Ceying calmly said, "The snow has lessened; we can just send it back to the Imperial Study."

"this--"

The Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet looked at each other in bewilderment.

What does "Let Jiang Qing take it" mean?
"Yes." Jiang Zhao's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly bowed.

Zhao Ceying nodded and strode outside.

Besides the young prince Zhao Shen, several palace maids were left behind to silently watch over him.

As his father disappeared, Zhao Shen was not in a hurry. Without any shyness, he grabbed Jiang Zhao's sleeve and waved the rattle drum with a playful laugh.

For a moment, only the faint sound of a rattle drum could be heard in the Hall of State Affairs.

The remaining Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet exchanged glances, filled with envy.

Is this some kind of scheme to cultivate three generations of favored ministers?
(End of this chapter)