The next day, court convened in the Hall of Heavenly Mandate.
Zhu Yunwen sat on the dragon throne, looking over the assembled civil and military officials, his eyes brimming with fighting spirit.
Zhu Yunwen recognized some of these officials, but for others, he could not find a name even in his memories.
He did recognize the central government's principal officials: Minister of Rites Chen Di, Minister of Revenue Yu Xin, Minister of Justice Bao Zhao, Minister of Personnel Zhang Zhen, Minister of Works Zheng Ci, and Minister of War Ru Chang.
A host of other prominent ministers were also present, including Vice Minister of War Qi Tai, Hanlin Academy Compiler Huang Zicheng, Hanlin Academy Lecturer Fang Xiaoru, Xie Jin, Duke of Wei Xu Huizu, Duke of Cao Li Jinglong, and Marquis of Changxing Geng Bingwen.
This was Zhu Yunwen's second time presiding over court during the initial mourning period. The first had been his enthronement.
After much thought, Zhu Yunwen had concluded that, first, he lacked Zhu Yuanzhang's vigor of a dragon and might of a tiger, which allowed him to handle hundreds of matters a day; second, he lacked Zhu Yuanzhang's thunderbolt methods-execute anyone an investigation implicated, never mind a wrongful execution, and perhaps kill a few more for good measure; third, he lacked the exceptional wisdom needed to keep all the officials under control; and fourth, he could not endure a tightly packed life without leisure activities or a moment of rest...
In short, Zhu Yunwen could not do what Zhu Yuanzhang had done: directly manage the six central ministries and personally attend to every matter, great or small.
Zhu Yuanzhang had disliked sharing power with a chancellor. Through the Hu Weiyong Case, he had abolished the chancellorship and gathered all authority into his own hands, but he had underestimated the chancellor's role and overestimated his own stamina.
Almost every day, more than two hundred memorials reached Zhu Yuanzhang's hands, covering no fewer than four hundred matters requiring his response.
Even though Zhu Yuanzhang had herded cattle, fought wars, and possessed a strong constitution, he could not withstand such grinding toil day after day. In the end, he had been forced to compromise and select a group of Hanlin scholars to help him review memorials.
These Hanlin scholars served much like Zhu Yuanzhang's secretaries. In fact, this was also the embryonic form of the Ming Dynasty's Grand Secretariat.
Zhu Yunwen had no desire to make declarations such as, "I have seen the imperial palace at three in the morning." He decided to establish the Grand Secretariat to exercise the chancellor's authority, while retaining the final power of decision himself.
A palace eunuch read out the imperial edict: "The emperor, who receives Heaven's mandate and upholds its will, decrees: Since assuming the mandate, I have overseen and ruled upon affairs of state, keenly feeling their multitude and complexity. My energies cannot encompass them all. I fear that an error might harm the realm and its people, leaving me unable to face the founding emperor. Fortunately, with the assistance of my ministers, order prevails at court, and the hearts of the people turn toward us."
"At the age of twenty, I lack experience in governance and must take worthy ministers as my teachers, joining our hearts to govern the realm together. I have long heard that Minister of Revenue Yu Xin, Minister of Personnel Zhang Zhen, and Hanlin Lecturer Xie Jin are all men of great talent, capable of governing the nation. I hereby appoint Yu, Zhang, and Xie as grand secretaries and members of the Grand Secretariat, to participate in confidential affairs of state."
"The Hall of Literary Brilliance shall become the Grand Secretariat's offices. All memorials from the six central ministries and the thirteen provinces shall be transmitted by the Office of Transmission to the Grand Secretariat. Its grand secretaries shall review and annotate them before submitting them to me. Once I have affixed my seal, they shall be sent to the Office of Transmission for delivery to the six central ministries and the thirteen provinces."
Chancellors in ancient times had possessed decision-making, deliberative, and administrative authority.
The Grand Secretariat system, however, assigned deliberative authority to the Grand Secretariat and administrative authority to the six ministries, while the emperor retained the final power of decision.
The announcement of the Grand Secretariat left the officials profoundly shocked. They exchanged bewildered looks, momentarily stunned.
Zhu Yuanzhang had abolished the chancellor, yet this new emperor had created three chancellors in one stroke.
They lacked the title of chancellor but performed a chancellor's duties.
Discussion rippled through the officials, while Minister of Revenue Yu Xin, Minister of Personnel Zhang Zhen, and Hanlin Lecturer Xie Jin were especially excited. Xie Jin, in particular, had spent seven years back home. To be entrusted with such a weighty responsibility immediately upon returning to the capital showed how deeply the emperor trusted him.
The three stepped out of the ranks and came forward, their cries of "Long live the emperor!" ringing like thunder through the mountains.
Zhu Yunwen issued another decree: "Vice Minister of War Qi Tai shall be appointed Minister of Personnel, Hanlin Academy Compiler Huang Zicheng shall be appointed Minister of Revenue, and Fang Xiaoru shall become a Hanlin Academician, charged with overseeing the Grand Secretariat."
Qi Tai, Huang Zicheng, and Fang Xiaoru hurriedly knelt to give thanks for the imperial favor.
Zhu Yunwen had not followed the course of history. Historically, Qi Tai had become Minister of War, Huang Zicheng had become Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices with authority to participate in military and state affairs, and Fang Xiaoru had all but become chancellor.
These three had formed Zhu Yunwen's core circle of advisers. In the end, Zhu Di had stormed into Nanjing!
From this moment onward, history would be rewritten.
Qi Tai had better leave military affairs alone. With his abilities, he should stick to managing personnel.
Huang Zicheng might not have much ability, but entrusting the Ministry of Revenue to him should be fine so long as he made good use of talented men. After all, the ministry had Xia Yuanji.
As for Fang Xiaoru, that fellow revered the Rites of Zhou in everything. Having him help keep an eye on the Grand Secretariat would also prevent Yu Xin, Zhang Zhen, and Xie Jin from running wild.
Once the Grand Secretariat was established, Zhu Yunwen could finally devote more energy to the broader situation and military reform. In his view, a ruler should not personally attend to every task, but should delegate appropriately while keeping the overall situation under control.
Especially now, Zhu Di remained Zhu Yunwen's greatest enemy. He had to guard against him and keep a close watch on him.
With the establishment of the Grand Secretariat, the court schedule naturally needed revision as well. Zhu Yunwen decided to hold court on the first and fifteenth of each month.
On ordinary days, if there was no business, everyone could dispense with traveling in the middle of the night, lest they fall into a ditch and drown.
Work would begin during the hour of the dragon and end during the hour of the rooster-roughly eight in the morning to five in the afternoon. Compared with the previous working days of more than ten hours, this was already a tremendous benefit.
After court ended, Zhu Yunwen asked the three grand secretaries and Fang Xiaoru to remain.
Somewhat overcome, Yu Xin looked at Zhu Yunwen and forcibly restrained his excitement as he said, "Your Majesty, the Grand Secretariat has only just been established. Please instruct us on how it is to operate."
The three grand secretaries were no fools. They knew they possessed only deliberative authority and dared not make decisions on their own, or Hu Weiyong's fate would become theirs.
Only by asking early where the red lines lay and clarifying what they could and could not do would they be able to carry out their duties with peace of mind.
Zhu Yunwen looked appreciatively at the four men before him, nodded, and said, "I feel at ease entrusting the Grand Secretariat to you, my ministers. I ask only that you work with one heart and finish urgent matters that same day rather than leave them until tomorrow. You may select a group from the Hanlin Academy to assist you. If you encounter a matter you cannot resolve, you may report it to the Hall of Martial Valor."
"Memorials concerning military administration should be passed to the Five Army Commandery for handling. As for major affairs of state, such as the appointment and dismissal of officials or the treasury's income and expenditure, they should be submitted promptly for my review. If fighting breaks out along the frontiers, you must not delay even a moment, but report it immediately..."
After making all the arrangements, Zhu Yunwen returned to the inner palace.
The ministers of the Great Ming were extremely effective at carrying out their orders. The Hall of Literary Brilliance became the Grand Secretariat's offices, the grand secretaries took their places, and new vitality began to stir through the Ming court.
The following day, Zhu Yunwen proclaimed throughout the realm an end to the unjust cases of the Hongwu era and pardoned a number of innocent people. At the same time, he reduced or waived taxes in certain struggling regions, ordered local authorities to take in widowers, widows, orphans, the elderly without family, and the disabled, and provided relief to impoverished disaster victims...
On the third day, he assigned Xia Yuanji and others to tour the Great Ming as investigative commissioners.
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