Ming Emperor Zhu Jianyan, who was sitting in his seat, and the officials sitting on the left and right who were participating in the discussion, had actually thought about the issue of official grades after the adjustment of administrative divisions.
Theoretically, from a purely business perspective, this should not be a big problem at all. Even His Highness Prince Dashi did not directly express any opinions in this regard.
But the veteran bureaucrats at the scene actually knew that this matter must be a very troublesome problem in actual operation.
The implementation of any decision will involve a series of practical issues.
The grades of officials in the Central Government Office's agencies will not only affect the grade of the newly established regional officials, but their grades will also directly affect the grades of officials in various departments of the Central Government Office.
The organizational structure of the central ministries of the Ming Dynasty basically had one chief official, Shangshu, and two assistant ministers.
Then there is the Qing Li Department, which is specifically responsible for various practical affairs. The head of the Qing Li Department is Lang Zhong, and Zuo Erguan is in charge.
Several central government agencies, such as the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Taxation, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry of Punishment, will directly correspond to the subordinate provinces and set up an internal cleansing department with the same name to take charge of the finance, personnel, criminal and prison affairs of the corresponding province.
Therefore, every time vassals were removed and provinces were established, and a new province was established, these central government offices would correspondingly add a Cleaning Officials Division and a group of doctors, principals, and other Cleaning Officials Division positions.
Now the total number of doctors and chief officials in these major departments of the Qing Dynasty has exceeded one hundred.
Moreover, the number of these personnel is increasing so fast that even the ministers and ministers of the corresponding departments may not be able to recognize them all.
This actually exceeds the management limits of ordinary people.
The exponential expansion of this kind of organization is also the direct cause of the simultaneous expansion of the scale of central government offices and the plummeting efficiency.
After the formal establishment of provinces and the formal establishment of large regions, should these bureaucracies be changed from corresponding to the surnames of each province to directly corresponding to the large regions?
Corresponding to the large domains, the number was reduced to a dozen. For the ministers, the world suddenly became clear.
But if it is changed to correspond to a large domain, will the ranks of officials such as the doctor and chief of the Qing Dynasty Department need to be upgraded accordingly?
On the other hand, the original provincial administrative officer and envoy had already been upgraded from a second-grade official.
The main officials of a large domain who manage multiple provinces must have a higher rank than the chief envoy, and must be at least the second rank.
And customarily speaking, the grade difference between the chief officer and the second officer is two levels.
The chief envoy is from the second rank, and the left and right officials are from the third rank.
The magistrate is the fourth grade, and the tongzhi is the fifth grade.
According to this gap, if the level is improved, then the chief officer of the large domain should be the first grade, and the secondary officer should be the second grade.
The rank of the chief ministers of various departments of the Central Government Office is also the second grade.
The official title of Zhengyipin is actually fictitious. It is usually given to the honor of veterans.
With their own thoughts in mind, everyone looked at the newly appointed Minister of Civil Affairs, Wang Tingzhen.
It’s not that everyone doesn’t have their own ideas, but this vexing issue obviously should be addressed first by the competent authorities.
After reading Zhu Jingyuan's suggestions, Wang Tingzhen also considered this issue from the perspective of her own work.
Adding one-level administrative divisions will inevitably require a corresponding increase in officials and adjustments to the existing official system.
Adjusting official grades is obviously a very troublesome issue.
The troubles in actual operation... cannot be considered immediately. All that can be said now is the direction.
So Wang Tingzhen considered the words and said:
“I believe that according to the suggestions put forward by His Royal Highness Prince Dashi, the nature of the Dayu is an agency dispatched by the Central Government Office, so there is no need to directly treat it as an actual independent administrative level.
“I thought that the position of governor could be fixed, and he would be responsible for the military affairs of a large area. His rank would be the second rank (zheng), and the second rank would be the admiral, and his rank would be the second rank (conformity).
"You can set up a left and right guardian to be responsible for the government affairs of a large area. The rank is the second rank. The second rank is the second rank and the deputy governor is the second rank.
"You can set up a punishment officer to be responsible for the prison affairs of a large area. The rank is the second rank. The second rank officer is the deputy punishment officer, and the rank is the second rank.
"You can set up a large domain left and right censor to be responsible for the supervision of the large domain. The rank is the second rank. The assistant censor is the second rank and the deputy censor is the second rank.
“The provincial civil affairs departments under the Ministry of Personnel, Finance, Taxation, and Punishment can be integrated into the civil affairs departments corresponding to each major region, and the rank of the chief official can be raised by two levels to the fourth rank.
"The local Zhili Province corresponds to the Qing Li Department, and the rank of the chief officer is simultaneously upgraded to the fourth rank."
After Wang Tingzhen finished speaking, she looked at Zhu Jianyan. Zhu Jianyan frowned slightly and considered:
"The four chief officials of such a large domain are on the same level as the ministers of the central ministries, and the auxiliary officials are on the same level as the chief envoys of the provinces..."
Zhu Jianyan didn't say a few words.
Although the status of officials from such a large domain will not be too low, they will not put too much pressure on the chief envoy.
The chief officer is only one level higher than the chief envoy, and the second assistant officer is directly at the same level.
Moreover, within Dayu itself, the chief officer and assistant officer are only one level behind each other.
The administrative officers are also divided into left and right guardians, and the censors are also divided into left and right censors.
This makes it easier for the emperor to regulate them and check and balance each other.
Of course Wang Tingzhen thought so too, but she didn't say it either.
This is really understandable.
However, Zhu Jianyan was noncommittal about this arrangement.
Originally, large-area agencies were established because they could no longer be managed and because administrative efficiency plummeted.
Adding one more level of administrative agencies will definitely reduce administrative efficiency overall.
Now we have to use too many checks and balances in large-scale institutions, which will inevitably further reduce administrative efficiency.
If after all this effort, the final efficiency is not much different from now, then it will be in vain.
Zhu Jianyan is a little uncertain now.
Zhu Jianyan had already fully understood the legacy left by Emperor Shizu.
But there is no corresponding solution there.
Compared with before, many things that Emperor Shizu could not understand clearly, such as aircraft carriers, battleships, atomic weapons, electronic computers, etc., were all understood by his precious son Jingyuan.
This makes Zhu Jianyan now have higher expectations for Zhu Jingyuan than Shizu's last chapter.
So Zhu Jianyan is a little bit complaining now, why didn't this kid explain the grade arrangement clearly?
However, Zhu Jianyan didn't show anything on the surface and just continued to ask other officials and bachelors for their opinions.
Several officials and bachelors successively expressed their agreement with Wang Tingzhen's suggestion.
However, some officials raised questions and even pointed out things that Wang Tingzhen did not say.
Lu Yinpu, the Minister of Household Affairs, questioned Wang Tingzhen:
"Otsuka Zai, in the past, the governors sent by the imperial court usually held the title of minister and were on the same level as the minister, because the governor had full authority to handle a certain place or a certain matter.
“And the Dayu is an agency dispatched by the central government, so the corresponding officials of the Dayu should not have complete decision-making power.
“You think that the Protectors of the Left and Right are on the same level as the Ministers of the Ministry of Household Affairs and the Ministry of Officials, the Governor-General is on the same level as the Minister of the Ministry of War, and the Censor of the Great Region is on the same level as the Censor of the Capital.
"How should we coordinate and deal with the connection between large regions and central government agencies? Who should take the lead?
"Can matters that cannot be decided by the Protector and Governor be left to the Minister?"
Wang Tingzhen is not a vegetarian either. Faced with this question, she responded directly:
"Of course it is up to Your Majesty to make the decision."
Lu Yinpu immediately continued:
"Your Majesty has so many things to do every day, and he also has to deal with hundreds of disputes between ministers, governors, and governors. What do you want us officials to do? How to solve the current problem of declining efficiency?"
Zhu Jianyan also considered this issue. Coordinating by himself can certainly allow all parties to check and balance each other.
But he is the supreme emperor, and he does not need too many people to coordinate.
Currently, the number of bureaucrats in the Central Government Office's Secretariat has reached thirty-six, even excluding the irregular number of bachelors and military ministers, as well as the executives of the royal consortium and the imperial estate system.
Including the number of people at the same level including the bachelor's degree, military minister, royal consortium, and imperial estate, there are at least fifty people.
Zhu Jianyan sometimes couldn't remember exactly how many there were, or he might not be able to remember exactly who the bureaucrats at the same level were.
In the future, six more bureaucrats at the same level will be added to each major region, and the total number of twelve major regions will be seventy-two.
In this way, the number of minister-level officials directly exceeds 120.
Zhu Jianyan felt a headache if he directly coordinated the relationships and affairs of one hundred and twenty people, regardless of whether he was suitable in terms of status or whether it was necessary. Simply speaking from a personal ability perspective.
Zhu Jianyan's throne was special. He didn't think he was the best in the first place, and now he has this understanding as a matter of course.
Before the large-scale reforms proposed by Zhu Jingyuan were implemented, it was already quite difficult for him to face these fifty minister-level officials.
After this kind of reform is implemented, I will definitely not be able to control it at all.
After Zhu Jianyan made this judgment in his mind, he continued to ask Lu Yinpu for his opinion:
"What do Lu Aiqing think?"
When Lu Yinpu heard that the emperor really asked directly, he suddenly panicked a little.
This topic is actually very sensitive, perhaps even more sensitive than adjusting the grades of officials.
But since it was brought up, it needs to be finished.
Lu Yinpu carefully explained:
"Your Majesty, my idea is to refer to the model of a large domain and set up several chief officials in the central government. Each person is in charge of several departments. They can be in charge of a large domain at the same time..."
Zhu Jianyan didn't change much on the surface, but he was actually nodding secretly in his heart.
He can arrange twelve people to take charge of more than fifty ministers and more than sixty officials in twelve major regions.
Each of these twelve people directly oversees a dozen people.
In this way, the big domain has a chief official, but this chief officer is not in the local area, but stays with the emperor.
It can only help the emperor handle affairs, but cannot control the resources of a large region locally.
But Wang Tingzhen, who had just been attacked, couldn't help it anymore:
"Install officials to directly manage ministries and localities. Lu Yinpu, do you want to set up a prime minister again?"
This topic went directly to the ancestral system, which was the ancestral system of Zhu Yuanzhang, the earliest emperor of Taizu:
"The descendants of future generations are not allowed to appoint prime ministers in advance, and those who dare to speak out about the appointment of prime ministers will be killed."
However, during the Renwu Dynasty, Taizu's ancestral system had been almost changed.
Otherwise, this topic is really extremely sensitive.
Zhu Jianyan glared at Wang Tingzhen, and Wang Tingzhen immediately shut up. Lu Yinpu, who originally wanted to respond, also kept his words.
However, Zhu Jianyan still did not express his position directly. Firstly, he wanted to listen to all opinions before making a decision. Secondly, he wanted to ask Zhu Jingyuan for his opinion after the meeting.
So I continued to ask all the officials on the scene non-committally:
"What else do you think? Continue to speak freely, don't have to worry, don't be guilty of speech..."
The officials at the scene hesitated for a while, and then Shen Fu stood up and spoke again:
"Your Majesty, I believe that the strategy of sharing responsibilities may not be unfeasible, but there is no need to set up new positions.
"You can directly select twelve bachelors to sort out the affairs of a large area and assist His Majesty in handling it."
When this topic came up, Zhu Jianyan and other officials subconsciously looked at the bachelors.
This is equivalent to letting the great scholar serve as the chief official of a large domain. At the very least, the emperor should be the chief officer and the great scholar should be the assistant officer.
Even more, since the bachelor is in charge of a large local area, can he also be in charge of various departments of the central government office?
The bachelors were quite helpless when they heard this topic. Maybe some of them had expectations in their hearts, but none of them dared to talk about it.
This is actually subverting the ancestral system, and this time it is the ancestral system of Emperor Shizu.
Emperor Sejo moved the cabinet from a government agency back to a secretarial agency. Wouldn't it be subverting the ancestral system to delegate power to them again?
The topic of today's meeting seems to be unable to avoid various ancestral systems and practices.
But reform is indeed like this. It always adjusts existing practices and traditions. Otherwise, how can we call it reform.
Zhu Jianyan thought for a while and finally did not ask the bachelors.
Including setting up officials in charge, or letting bachelors take charge of large areas. On matters of this level, these officials in front of me can only make suggestions.
The final decision can only be made by oneself.
At most, he would refer to the opinions of the Supreme Emperor Zhu Zhongliang and his son Zhu Jingyuan.
So Zhu Jianyan was still noncommittal and continued to ask about the time.
After letting the officials on site basically say a few words, the internal meeting ended at noon.
Zhu Jianyan took the meeting minutes printed out on the spot and asked the General Affairs Department to send a copy to Zhu Jingyuan first. At the same time, he took a copy and went to the palace outside the city to find the Supreme Emperor Zhu Zhongliang.
Zhu Zhongliang, who was filming a movie, took some time out, flipped through the meeting minutes, then shook his head and said:
“I have as much experience as you in this kind of thing.
"Your situation now is much more complicated than mine was.
“The number of chief envoys has indeed exceeded the limit that the current imperial framework can manage.
“Jingyuan’s idea of establishing a large domain was not wrong, and the ministers’ idea of setting up officials in charge was also correct.
"I won't get involved in the specific choice.
"My understanding of the current Ming Dynasty is no longer as good as yours.
"But you should also ask Jingyuan what he thinks. He may have more useful ideas."
Zhu Jianyan felt helpless after hearing this.
Although my father wanted to evade, what he said did make sense.
He has been retired for five years and has been running overseas for more than three years, thinking about playing all day long.
He has completely separated from the court and government affairs.
If you want to say who knows the entire Ming Dynasty best now, it is really yourself.
Then there is his precious son Zhu Jingyuan.
Zhu Jianyan chatted with his father for half the afternoon, and then stayed in the palace directly.
However, he told his accompanying personnel to report to him immediately after receiving Zhu Jingyuan's reply.
(End of chapter)
