Jinghe Year Sixteen, Second Month, Twenty-First Day, morning.
In the Ministry of Personnel's Main Hall, the vice directors of all four bureaus had assembled.
Sun Bonian, Vice Director of the Merit Assessment Bureau; Lu Bing, Vice Director of the Appointment Verification Bureau; and Han Yu, Vice Director of the Merit Review Bureau.
At the head on the right sat Right Vice Minister Zhang Cheng; at the head on the left sat Left Vice Minister Zou Mo.
Behind a desk in the very center of the Main Hall sat Selection Bureau Vice Director Wei Nisheng.
On the desk lay the Seal of the Minister of Personnel.
Its knob faced forward, its vermilion face downward, like a crouching beast.
This seal was Shen Duan's seal.
Now Shen Duan lay ill, and the seal was in Wei Nisheng's hands. Everyone in the hall saw it, yet no one spoke.
"Gentlemen." Zou Mo spoke first. His expression calm, he held his teacup, surveyed those present, and said slowly:
"When we reported for duty this morning, documents from each bureau were authorized for dispatch with the minister's seal.
Today's meeting was called by Vice Director Wei."
"There is one thing I must ask first..." Zou Mo raised his eyes, his voice cold:
"Vice Director Wei, by what authority do you sit behind that desk?!"
The hall fell silent.
Wei Nisheng raised his eyes to look at him.
"The Analects says: 'The gentleman's thoughts do not stray beyond his station.'" Zou Mo enunciated every word.
"Vice Director Wei, you hold the office of vice director of the Selection Bureau.
A vice director ranks below a vice minister, and a vice minister ranks below the minister.
With Chancellor Shen ill, departmental affairs should, by precedent, be administered by the vice ministers...
This has been the precedent