Chapter 1208: Balance in the Hall of State Affairs

The imperial city, the Hall of State Affairs.

After the new round of political reshuffling in February, it had officially become the most important political institution of the Great Han court, faithfully carrying out the duties of receiving imperial commands from above and transmitting them to the various offices below.

After a round of adjustments, the power of the Hall of State Affairs had indeed been strengthened—at least compared to before, the shadow of Liu Chengyou that had hung over it had somewhat faded.

It could be said that the Hall of State Affairs, with its two primary functions of review and execution, was now the most important power institution of the Great Han, drawing the attention of all ranks.

The newly established Inner Cabinet, though closer to the Emperor and embodying his will, served as the brain of the empire, grasping the direction of military and state policy—its status was evident.

However, for the vast bureaucratic system of the Great Han court, the authority of the two could not be compared. The main reason was that it was the Hall of State Affairs that directly managed the bureaucrats and influenced their official careers.

As for the central brain of the vast Great Han Empire, when state politics remained clear, the situation remained stable, various institutions grew increasingly perfected, and society continued to advance, there was no need to overwork the mind. What was needed was merely to stay clear-headed, assist the Emperor in grasping the great direction of national development, and keep the great ship of the Great Han sailing steadily, more safely, and farther.

Under this tone, the authority of the Hall of State Affairs naturally received substantial reinforcement. Why did Zhu Yuanzhang abolish the Secretariat and eliminate the Chancellor? Because the Secretariat held too much power, and the Chancellor of the Secretariat held too much power, threatening imperial authority.

Now, the Hall of State Affairs of the Great Han similarly performed such functions, commanding all ministries, offices, and agencies as well as all circuits, prefectures, and counties under heaven. The only difference was the Emperor's attitude toward it.

Emperor Liu had an equally strong desire for power, but he deeply understood one point: it was impossible for the Emperor alone to govern the world, and concentrating all power under heaven in one person's hands was likewise unhealthy and unreasonable.

No matter how diligent the Emperor, it was difficult to attend to everything; even if he could, the final result would most likely be exhaustion unto death. Zhu Yuanzhang was such an exception that he was not representative—Yongzheng, on the other hand, illustrated this point well.

On the other hand, Emperor Liu also clearly recognized that the institution of the chancellorship could never truly be abolished—didn't the Ming dynasty later similarly see the emergence of the Inner Cabinet as a chancellorial body?

Therefore, Emperor Liu did not agonize over whether the Hall of State Affairs should exist; he only considered checks and balances. Imperial power and chancellorial power, while certainly in conflict, were also interdependent. In the Great Han, chancellorial power derived from imperial power, and Emperor Liu needed the chancellors to assist him in harmonizing yin and yang and governing the realm.

Moreover, while the power of the Hall of State Affairs had indeed been strengthened, chancellorial power remained in a dispersed state, with the three principal chancellors checking one another.

Zhao Pu was neither a founding meritorious official nor of a distinguished noble family, nor did he even hold an examination degree. From a minor local clerk, he had risen to become Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs—in terms of seniority and popular esteem, he was lacking.

The years by Emperor Liu's side and his achievements in the southwest had only given him the qualification to be promoted to chancellor. Yet those above and below who were unconvinced of him were beyond counting; merely securing his position was no easy task, so naturally he dared not wield power arrogantly.

And from the time he was recommended by Liu Ci, it had taken him a full fifteen years to reach this step, so he naturally treasured it all the more, seeking to retain imperial favor and realize his ambitions.

As for Li Ye, the imperial maternal uncle, his reputation was somewhat poor. Many in the court feared him, making it difficult to unite people's hearts, but placing him in the position of Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs served as a check on Zhao Pu. This Imperial Uncle Li had never been one to stay quiet.

As for Song Qi, in terms of foundation and background, he was even less than Zhao Pu. His direct promotion to chancellor was truly just to serve a supplementary role, dedicated purely to getting things done.

And beside the three chancellors, there were the two chancellors of finance and military affairs—one for finance, one for the military—to maintain balance. In Emperor Liu's consideration, this configuration would last for a long time, and might even become a permanent institution in the future.

In earlier years, the Hall of State Affairs had as many as seven chancellors with the title of Grand Councilor, but Emperor Liu later felt that was too many, while three was too few—five was just right.

It was only after twenty years of experimentation that Emperor Liu finally settled on this, seeking stability and reasonableness.

Another point was that every chancellor of the Great Han, without exception, had local administrative experience and rich governance expertise. Including Li Ye, who had served in various circuits and prefectures, gone through more than a decade of hard knocks before entering the capital, and then served several years in the Ministry of Justice. Without these prerequisites, even if he were the Empress Dowager's most beloved younger brother, Emperor Liu would never have pushed him up to become a chancellor.

Though the Bureau of Military Affairs required greater "professionalism," Shi Shouxin's qualifications were beyond question—his resume was rich, with ample experience both in commanding troops in the capital and in leading campaigns as marshal. And governing the military was also governing the state; it was never merely leading troops into battle.

"Chancellors must rise from the prefectures, fierce generals must emerge from the ranks"—this was the personnel policy Emperor Liu had always upheld, and it was especially evident in the Great Han today.

Of course, in recent years, the highest status in the Hall of State Affairs did not belong to the chancellors. Setting aside Emperor Liu, it was only the Crown Prince, Liu Yang. He had a dedicated "office" here, spending most of his time here day to day, handling state affairs alongside Zhao Pu and others. Many matters he could now directly issue instructions on. What was necessary was to periodically report to Emperor Liu and undergo assessment.

Behind a spacious official desk, Liu Yang was reviewing a set of regulations—a decree on merits and demerits for county magistrates and constables nationwide regarding public security. The Great Han had always emphasized public order and stability, and in recent years, officials everywhere had taken it very seriously, to the point that within the four seas, bandits and robbers were eradicated, and the people dared not transgress.

Over the years, many officials had received commendations and promotions for this. But going too far was as bad as not going far enough—in pursuit of promotion and advancement, excessive enforcement had appeared across the country, some even producing counterproductive effects, forcing good people into banditry, and even bending the law to oppress the people.

Censor Feng Bing, while inspecting the prefectures and counties, discovered this situation. He selected a few cases, summarized them, and reported them, which immediately drew Liu Yang's attention. After reporting to Emperor Liu, an imperial decree was issued to punish the officials involved and promulgate a decree of merits and demerits to regulate and restrain such conduct. Now, the draft had been completed.

"Your Highness!" As Liu Yang was lost in thought, Zhao Pu walked in.

"Chancellor Zhao, please sit!" Liu Yang revealed a smile.

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

Perhaps influenced by Emperor Liu, Liu Yang had a favorable impression of Zhao Pu, especially deepened by their year of working together. In Liu Yang's view, Zhao Pu was incredibly capable—it seemed nothing could stump him. No matter what difficulty arose, he could always produce a solution.

He was a capable minister who got things done, with unique insight. Even if not everything was handled perfectly or to everyone's satisfaction, the flaws could not obscure the virtues. Moreover, in the position of chancellor, what mattered most was getting things done well and solving problems.

Also a Chief Chancellor, Zhao Pu was vigorous and decisive, capable and efficient, and equally well-organized. When Wei Renpu held the position, there was more tolerance and magnanimity, and relations above and below were more harmonious—but it had to be said, Liu Yang preferred the current atmosphere in the court.

"What is it?" Liu Yang asked.

"These are several memorials. I have already written my recommendations. Please review them, Your Highness, and if there is anything improper, kindly issue your instructions!" Zhao Pu reported one by one: "This is the proposal for rewarding the southern expedition soldiers for their merits—distribution can already begin."

"The Finance Commission reports on the matter of exempting summer taxes in the southwestern circuits and prefectures—the specific prefectures and counties have already been designated!"

"This is submitted by the Ministry of Personnel—the results of last year's performance evaluations, the list of promotions, demotions, and transfers for officials at the prefectural and county level."

"There are also appointments for seventeen observing graduates."

"......"

Seeing Zhao Pu report such a string of matters, Liu Yang couldn't help but reveal a wry smile—matters never ceased. He somewhat understood how the white hairs on Emperor Liu's head had come about. In those days, Emperor Liu had personally attended to everything, toiling day and night without rest.

Now, even with the assistance of the gentlemen of the Hall of State Affairs, he sometimes found the burden heavy. On the other hand, seeing Zhao Pu's calm and composed demeanor, he couldn't help but admire him.

No matter what he thought inwardly, the memorials still had to be read one by one. Fortunately, Zhao Pu had already prepared recommendations for all of them, which saved him a great deal of effort.