Under the established regulations of Great Zhou, all requests for military merit rewards began with the frontier garrisons submitting written reports of their achievements.
The Ministry of Personnel received them first, verified the grade of merit, then forwarded the documents to the relevant ministries for approval.
Military merit rewards were routinely referred to the Ministry of War for review. If the Ministry of War approved, it notified the Ministry of Revenue to disburse silver and silk and confer ranks and honors.
If the Ministry of War refused approval, it returned the documents to the Ministry of Personnel, which either reviewed them again or forwarded them once more.
Between all the forwarding and returning, a single request for rewards often passed through more than a dozen government offices.
On the eighth day of the third month, the reward request for the Commander-in-Chief of Ningxia, Marquis of Dongning Zhou Quan, reached the Ministry of Personnel.
It reported his achievements on a frontier patrol: four hundred enemy heads taken and three hundred horses captured.
The Ministry of Personnel verified the grade of merit and forwarded it to the Ministry of War on the ninth.
The Ministry of War rejected it.
The Ministry of Personnel reviewed it again and sent it back.
The Ministry of War rejected it again.
Today was the twelfth day of the third month, and the sunlight outside the window was splendid.
Wei Nisheng sat in the Duty Room, documents spread across half his desk, approving them one by one.
"My lord! My lord!"
Qiu Heng jogged all the way into the Duty Room, his forehead covered in sweat. Without even wiping it, he set the documents in his hand on the desk.
"The Ministry of War has rejected it again!"
"Again?" Wei Nisheng looked up.
"Yes!" Qiu