White-robed Minister

Chapter 265 0263 [A Grand Procession Leads the Way, Surrounded by a Flock of People]

The emperor and his ministers held their daily meetings in the Wende Hall.

Heading south from Wende Gate, you'll find core government offices such as the Secretariat, the Chancellery, and the Privy Council.

The Secretariat was located to the east, where the chief ministers worked. It was called the Eastern Secretariat.

The Privy Council was located to the west, and the Privy Councilor worked there. It was called the Western Privy Council.

The two were collectively referred to as the Two Prefectures.

Further east is the Dutang (Hall of State Affairs), where the prime minister and the privy councilor often held meetings.

Xu Lai entered the Privy Council and was immediately greeted by civil officials.

Following that, officials came one after another to greet them, the three in the lead being Zeng Xiaokuan, Li Ping, and Li Shou.

Zeng Xiaokuan was the son of former prime minister Zeng Gongliang. Father and son shared the same political stance, generally supporting Wang Anshi's reforms, but frequently pointing out errors in the new laws.

Li Ping was Empress Xiang's cousin, and his father was Empress Xiang's uncle.

Li Shou is the most interesting.

During the reign of Emperor Renzong, a merchant from Kaifeng married a woman from the imperial family. Bao Zheng exclaimed in surprise, "Such a brilliant talent, yet his marriage is not of the same kind."

Li Shou was the merchant who married a woman from the imperial family, the "non-traditional person" Bao Zheng referred to.

Earlier this year, Wang Anshi reformed the official system. Many positions previously held by military officers will now be filled by civil officials or a combination of both.

Zeng Xiaokuan was the first civil official to serve as the Chief Secretary of the Privy Council.

Li Shou was the first civil official to serve as the Deputy Chief Administrator of the Privy Council.

Li Ping continued to serve as the Chief Censor in his capacity as a military officer.

The duties of these three men were to convey the emperor's orders and manage the daily affairs of the Privy Council.

There are also other officials in charge.

Xu Lai even saw Jia Fan.

He's the same Dongming County magistrate who incited the people to petition in Beijing and storm Wang Anshi's private residence. Jia Fan is now also an official in a subordinate agency of the Privy Council.

When Xu Laixin took office, his subordinates and clerks took the initiative to pay their respects, and he also had to pay his respects to his superior.

Guided by a clerk, Xu Lai went to Wen Yanbo's office.

"Greetings, Chancellor Wen Shu," Xu Lai said, bowing.

Since they're already here, how can we just send them away?

Wen Yanbo's attitude was neither warm nor cold. He stood up and returned the greeting, saying, "From now on, we will work together and share the same thoughts of serving the country."

"I will keep that in mind," Xu Lai replied.

That concludes the exchange.

Before Cai Ting returned to the capital, Xu Lai went to visit Wu Chong again.

The Privy Council currently has four leaders: Privy Councilors Wen Yanbo and Cai Ting; and Privy Councilors Wu Chong and Xu Lai.

Xu Lai was at the very end of the list.

Wu Chong greeted Xu Lai warmly and even had his attendants boil water for tea: "I heard that Minister Ouyang is returning to the capital?"

Xu Lai nodded and said, "Ancient characters have been unearthed in Xiangzhou, and Minister Ouyang is in charge of this matter."

"It's good to give him something to do, otherwise he'll get bored out of his mind sooner or later." Wu Chong was quite pleased.

Since Ouyang Xiu was quite old, his son would definitely be by his side taking care of him.

His eldest son, Ouyang Fa, was Wu Chong's son-in-law.

The son-in-law returned to Beijing with her, and naturally the daughter came too, so the father and daughter were finally able to meet again.

On his first day at the Privy Council, Xu Lai didn't rush into formal work. He sat in Wu Chong's office, drinking tea and chatting idly, while observing Wu Chong's work.

Every now and then someone would bring him an official document, which Wu Chong would carefully review and then sign.

Wu Chong complained, "After Cai Zizheng (Cai Ting) left the capital, I was left as the only Deputy Privy Councilor, and I was exhausted from all the official duties every day. Your arrival is just in time to help share the workload."

"I'm new here, and I still have a lot to learn from Minister Wu," Xu Lai said with flattery.

Wu Chong laughed and was about to say something when a clerk came to report: "Xu Shu's attendant has arrived."

7

Xu Lai immediately got up to take his leave and went to the front yard to meet his attendants.

He is now the Deputy Privy Councilor, with the same待遇 (treatment/benefits) as the Vice Chancellor, and is entitled to 50 attendants. Furthermore, the salaries of these attendants are paid by the imperial court. Three of these attendants can be brought to court assemblies to help with tasks such as carrying items.

In fact, when Xu Lai was a Hanlin Academician, he could also have seven attendants, whose salaries were also paid by the imperial court.

In the past, Xu Lai was too lazy to hire too many servants. In any case, no matter whether he hired followers or not, the imperial court would pay Xu Lai a fixed amount of wages for his followers.

But this time was different. Of the 50 attendants, 20 were from the Xiongwu Army (Imperial Guard). They were forcibly assigned by the imperial court and could not be refused!

At this moment, twenty menial soldiers stood haphazardly in the front courtyard of the Privy Council.

They tried their best, but they still stood crookedly.

The participants ranged in age from teenagers to those in their forties, and their clothing was not shabby; some even wore silk robes.

Serving as an attendant to the Deputy Privy Councilor was an excellent job for the Imperial Guards. Not only was the salary higher and paid on time, but they also received frequent rewards.

So everyone was scrambling to get there, sending gifts and pulling strings everywhere.

These twenty soldiers in front of me certainly don't come from poor families; at least they're from middle-class backgrounds. And they must have connections to be selected to be assigned to Xu Lai.

Xu Lai asked, "Who holds a military rank?"

Two people immediately stepped forward.

One of them said, "I am Jia Tou!"

The other said, "I am a public document."

Both Jia Tou and Gong Ju belong to the category of unranked, miscellaneous military officers.

When they heard that a retinue was to be selected for the Vice Privy Councilor, they quickly spent money and pulled strings to snatch this coveted position.

Xu Lai said to the man in charge, "Introduce yourself."

The man in the armor bowed and said, "My name is Zhang Jin, and I live in Zide Ward, East Wing, Outer City of Tokyo. My father and brother run a small foot-walking inn. My family has a history of producing a seventh-rank military officer. Our family has an upright and honest reputation!"

Xu Lai then asked the document, "And yours?"

2"

The official bowed and said, "My name is Li Chaoxiong, and I live in Changlefang, north wing of the outer city of Tokyo. My family has been soldiers for four generations, and five of us have died for our country in my generation. My father was a military craftsman in the Ordnance Bureau who repaired and manufactured bows and crossbows. He once assisted Judge Shen in improving the Shenbi bow. This time, I am entrusting Shen with this task—"

"No need to say anything more." Xu Lai already understood.

This guy named Li Chaoxiong was selected because his father used Shen Kuo's connections.

Xu Lai then questioned the other soldiers and found that they were all "good urban men" with impeccable family backgrounds, leaving no room for doubt.

Those Imperial Guard soldiers who were originally from displaced backgrounds were almost impossible to be selected as Deputy Privy Councilors.

Xu Lai appointed Zhang Jin and Li Chaoxiong as leaders, and then said to the soldiers, "This is Chen Xiaoyi; he will teach you the rules. Remember, do not bully others. If you tarnish my reputation, you will bear the consequences!"

These twenty men, assigned by the imperial court as servants, usually waited in the outer courtyard of the Privy Council to help Xu Lai with all sorts of miscellaneous tasks.

When Xu Lai went out, they would follow him the whole time, taking care of things like guarding him, holding up signs, and banging gongs.

According to regulations, they were not allowed to live in Xu Lai's house, and were required to wait at Xu Lai's door every morning. Their wages were paid directly by the imperial court, without passing through Xu Lai's hands.

In addition, there is a quota of thirty attendants, which Xu Lai can recruit himself. He can also choose not to recruit anyone, and the corresponding salaries will be paid to Xu Lai. This can be considered a form of hidden income for high-ranking officials. For example, Ouyang Xiu used to not recruit anyone and pocketed the salaries of his attendants.

Xu Lai returned to his office and discovered that he did not have a full-time secretary.

The Deputy Privy Councilor frequently handled confidential documents, and he assumed the court would provide him with a secretary; he hadn't expected he'd have to recruit one himself. Is that even reasonable?

They're not afraid of leaking military secrets!

Xie Liangzuo is now considered half a disciple of Xu Lai. He said that his elder brother Xie Liangbi is preparing to take the military examination. To take the military examination, in addition to being outstanding in martial arts, one must also be able to write articles, have read many military books, and know the basic military system.

They could be hired as private secretaries, which would not only not interfere with his military examination, but would also help his future.

We need to hire at least two secretaries, but we don't have a suitable candidate for the third one yet.

In the Song Dynasty, this type of secretary was called "Qinli".

Xu Lai isn't in a hurry; he needs to familiarize himself with the job first.

On his first day at the Privy Council, Xu Laixian learned about the directly affiliated institutions and their leaders, and familiarized himself with the various rules and regulations of the relevant units.

There are some systems that outsiders really don't know about.

For example, before reporting specific military intelligence, the Privy Council had to consult with the emperor first. This rule was only established in the last two years, as the emperor was wary of Wang Anshi.

The main reason is that Wang Anshi's power has become too great, to the point that even the emperor has to be wary of him.

This special rule was only abolished after Wang Anshi was dismissed from his post as prime minister.

While reviewing the documents, Xu Lai randomly selected a lucky person. He summoned his subordinate and said, "Go and invite Wang Cun, the inspector of military affairs."

Shortly after, Wang Cun arrived at the office.

Xu Lai didn't ask about the specifics of the job, but instead struck up a casual conversation: "In which year did you become a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination)?"

Wang Cun replied, "The sixth year of the Qingli era."

He was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the sixth year of the Qingli era, making him a seasoned veteran.

Xu Lai then inquired about his place of origin.

Wang Cun said, "I am from Danyang."

9

Although he was from Danyang, he went to Jiangxi to study at the age of twelve and studied at the academy for five years before returning home.

Seeing Xu Lai keep asking questions, Wang Cun was too lazy to waste words; he still had to go back to his office.

Wang Cun proactively revealed crucial information: "I was promoted by two ministers at the end of the Jiayou era. I used to be on good terms with Minister Wang, but in recent years we've had some disagreements."

In other words, Wang Cun was an official promoted by Ouyang Xiu and Zhao Gai. He used to have a very good personal relationship with Wang Anshi, but now he was dissatisfied with the content of Wang Anshi's new laws.

The person in front of me has nothing to do with Wen Yanbo. He opposes the new law, but he doesn't oppose it entirely.

Xu Lai personally saw Wang Cun out, then returned to his office and circled his name, writing: "Potential for recruitment. Whether to give him a more important position depends on his abilities and character."

After reading the rules and regulations for a while, Xu Lai summoned his subordinates: "Go and invite Chen Tong, the inspector of the rites department, here."

J

Chen Tong wasn't as easy to talk to as Wang Cun; he kept beating around the bush with Xu Lai. If Xu Lai didn't offer to see the guest off, he could chat with Xu Lai until the end of the workday.

This man lost his father at a young age and grew up in his maternal grandmother's home. He became a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) in the second year of the Jiayou era. He was a student of Wen Yanbo, and Fu Bi also promoted him.

A good friend of Su Shi, Su Zhe, and Liu Zhi.

A staunch conservative and Wen Yanbo's confidant!

Xu Lai couldn't fully grasp these specific details because Chen Tong was unwilling to disclose them. He would have to learn more about the situation gradually in the future.

After a while, Xu Lai continued to summon his subordinates: "Go and bring—"

A new official can't start working immediately after taking office; he needs to familiarize himself with the departments, systems, and personnel first.

Finally, it was time to leave the office. Xu Lai strolled out of the Gongzi Hall. Chen Xiaoyi and twenty soldiers who were waiting in the front yard stood up to greet him as he left work.

Those soldiers were still carrying weapons.

Some held up signs, some carried gongs, and some wielded long sticks—

Xu Lai reminded them, "Once you're on the street, don't ring the gong and disturb the people. If you encounter another vehicle, give way to it."

"yes!"

Upon hearing Xu Lai's instructions, his attendants already knew what kind of person he was.

Those who want to bully others by taking advantage of others' power should quickly put away their petty thoughts.

This time, when Xu Lai left the capital after get off work, he was no longer accompanied by just two or three people. In addition to Chen Xiaoyi, he was surrounded by twenty attendants.

Whether officials or wealthy businessmen, they would give way to Xu Lai's entourage from a great distance.

The current ruling party is indeed powerful.

Upon arriving at his doorstep, Xu Lai said to Chen Xiaoyi, "Take them out for drinks and put it on my tab. Don't let them drink too much and cause trouble; we have to report to the Privy Council tomorrow."

It was the soldiers' first day on the job, so Xu Lai naturally had to show his appreciation.

In fact, on Xu Lai's first day at the Privy Council, Wen Yanbo should have shown his appreciation by hosting a banquet to welcome him.

But Wen Yanbo wasn't in the mood.

(The previous chapter was incorrect; Cai Ting was promoted to Privy Councilor, not Associate Privy Councilor.)

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