Eastern Capital was as prosperous as ever.
This time, when Qiu Yan arrived in Eastern Capital, the reception he received was utterly different from before. From the remaining officials downward, from Prince Yan and the other nobles below him, all had gone outside the city to welcome him.
The group conversed for quite some time beyond the city walls. Once they entered the city, they went straight to the government offices to speak with the remaining official.
By rights, Eastern Capital was a retained capital, a secondary capital, with its own full set of offices, many of them high-ranking and powerful. Yet most held no real authority and could not govern civil affairs, so actual power rested in the hands of the prefectural governor. This post was held by a civil official, who oversaw the affairs of the prefecture. But later, great wars erupted on both the eastern and northern fronts. The movement and deployment of troops involved military authority, while logistical supplies required constant coordination. In time, Eastern Capital, situated between the two, became a place for overall integration and coordination, and the office of remaining official was added.
The title "remaining official" carried the meaning of "left behind to garrison." It could involve both military and civil affairs, and its authority was immense, though it was considered a temporary establishment. Yet in Great Rui and throughout previous dynasties, there had been no shortage of temporary posts that eventually became permanent institutions. The provincial governors of Great Yan, the inspectors of Great Qi, and even this dynasty's observing commissioners were all examples.
There was also an element of expediency in this. Since it involved ancestral institutions, changes were difficult and inevitably touched upon interests. Using one administrative structure to directly replace and overlay another was a comparatively Doctrine of