After Chen Tai left, Zheng Mao, the Minister of Personnel, became the new Left Senior Secretary.
The various ministers had all made considerable contributions, but taken as a whole, Zheng Mao had the greatest achievements in office.
He had plowed through Cao Wei's officialdom for Cao Mao, dismissing incompetent mediocrities, dealing with cunning villains, and promoting a great many capable ministers and efficient officials.
Over five years, Zheng Mao had promoted more than four thousand officials. They were spread throughout Cao Wei, holding offices of varying ranks. Occasionally, some made mistakes and were punished, but all the rest were competent.
Even Cao Mao, with his foreknowledge, might not have matched Zheng Mao's ability to judge people.
From an official's everyday profile and past achievements alone, he could judge his character and knew where to assign him.
He had rebuilt Great Wei's Bureaucratic System, completing its renewal.
After years of tempering, his abilities had improved further. Whenever Cao Mao needed to appoint someone, grant rewards, or impose punishments, he would first send someone to seek the Ministry of Personnel's opinion.
Cao Mao could not slight a minister with such great achievements. He had him succeed Chen Tai as the Imperial Secretariat's second-in-command, ranking beneath only Wang Chang.
Everyone accepted this outcome wholeheartedly. Even Zhong Hui, the third-in-command, had no objections.
This was not because Zheng Mao was good-looking. Mainly, Zhong Hui also acknowledged his abilities. When it came to judging people, the man truly was formidable.
Whenever Zhong Hui drafted lists of officials for the Wu Kingdom, he would discreetly discuss them with Zheng Mao. Zhong Hui could hardly call it seeking advice, only a discussion, but the results often cleared the blockage in his mind and parted the clouds to reveal the sun.
Precisely for this reason, Zhong Hui respected