gnovel Chapter 44: Nine Temples and Five Directorates, the Imperial Court's Power Surpasses Emperor Wu
Chapter 44: Nine Temples and Five Directorates, the Imperial Court's Power Surpasses Emperor Wu
"Oh?"
Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Crown Prince Liu Ju on the Dan Emperor's throne.
The emergence of the Nine Temples and Five Directorates truly surprised this emperor who had reigned for twenty-nine years.
The Nine Ministers system, which had been in place since the Qin Dynasty, was further improved, and the rights and obligations became clearer. He couldn't find any fault with it, let alone with others.
The central government's Left and Right Chancellors were in charge of formulating and issuing government orders, while the Nine Ministries and Five Directorates were responsible for their implementation, and the Censorate was responsible for supervision, forming a complete and efficient administrative system.
"The Crown Prince's words benefit the nation."
"Your Majesty, I request that you establish nine temples and five directorates."
Sang Hongyang, the chief agricultural official, was the first to stand up and support the initiative.
"I request Your Majesty to establish nine temples and five directorates."
"I request Your Majesty to establish nine temples and five directorates."
Following that, Er Kuan, Du Zhou, Xu Ziwei, Li Xi, Du Xiang, Gongsun He, and others all expressed their opinions.
"Father, what should we do?"
Liu Ju raised his head again, his gaze fixed on Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che.
The Nine Temples and Five Directorates developed to their full potential from the Wei and Jin Dynasties to the Sui and Tang Dynasties. In the Tang Dynasty, they together with the Three Departments and Six Ministries formed the central government system, laying the foundation for the great Tang Dynasty.
The strength of this system was only one reason for the support of the ministers. The real reason was that this system would shatter Emperor Wu of Han's idea of constantly taking power from the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers through the inner and outer court system.
Once the Nine Temples and Five Directorates are implemented, the central government will once again become the core of control over the country. The Left Chancellor, Right Chancellor, and Imperial Censor will jointly construct the power of the Chancellor. The power of the Chancellor may appear to be dispersed, but in reality, it is united and can completely rival the power of the Emperor. This is a thoroughly open conspiracy.
Today's court assembly directly led to the dismissal of the prime minister, the purge of the Shaofu (Minister of the Imperial Household) and its six officials, and the exile of Li Xi, the Grand Master of Ceremonies. The so-called Three Dukes and Nine Ministers became mere playthings in the hands of Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che. Everyone was afraid and terrified.
No one wants to be the next Wang Wenshu. The nightmares of the past keep repeating themselves. How many important officials did Emperor Wu of Han execute during his reign?
When the crown prince pried open the cage of imperial power that tightly shrouded the court, all these important court officials, without exception, stood together.
"Crown Prince!!!"
As Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, looked at the figures in the Xuan Shi Hall, his fists clenched tightly beneath his sleeves, veins bulging.
He spent over twenty years gradually concentrating the power of the empire into his own hands, forging an unprecedented emperor.
But today, Crown Prince Liu Ju has destroyed all his past efforts simply by proposing a single idea.
The emergence of the Nine Temples and Five Directorates would turn the inner court into a machine that assists the emperor's power, making it impossible for it to seize power from the outer court.
"Liu Ju".
"You should still have something to say about the Nine Temples and Five Directorates."
"Since you've already said it, then say it all at once."
Emperor Wu of Han looked down at his eldest son, not even bothering to call him "Crown Prince," and addressed him by his given name.
'Thump!'
All the officials in the hall turned to look at Liu Ju, knowing that the emperor's anger had been suppressed to the extreme.
"promise."
Liu Ju smiled slightly and spoke again: "The Taifu Temple was originally the Shaofu, in charge of gold and silk, and the construction of palace utensils."
"The Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices has a salary of 2,000 shi, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices has a salary of 1,000 shi, the Assistant Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices has a salary of 800 shi, and the Registrar of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices has a salary of 600 shi."
Just as I expected!
Upon hearing this, all the ministers understood immediately.
The Imperial Household Department has always been the functional agency responsible for managing the private finances and daily life of the royal family. Its duties are mainly divided into two aspects: first, it is responsible for collecting taxes from mountains, seas, ponds and lakes and collecting local contributions for the use of the palace; second, it is responsible for providing all the necessary supplies and services for the palace, including clothing, food, housing, hunting and entertainment.
All handicrafts, such as ore smelting and weapon manufacturing, were under the jurisdiction of the Shaofu (Ministerial Office). There were officials in charge of various fields, including crafts, clothing, copper, shipbuilding, oranges, gold, pearls, and so on. Among the Nine Ministers, the Shaofu had the most power.
With this change, Taifu Temple has become the sole financial steward of the imperial family, and its power has drastically diminished.
"good!"
Emperor Wu of Han gave Liu Ju a deep look. He thought that the Crown Prince was retaliating against the Shaofu (Minister of the Imperial Household) for his actions, which was why he deliberately weakened and dismantled the Shaofu.
"The Ministry of Agriculture is in charge of grain storage, granary management, and the supply of rice to officials in the capital."
"The Grand Minister of Agriculture has a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain), and the Vice Minister of Agriculture, Assistant Minister of Agriculture, and Chief Clerk of Agriculture are all equivalent to the Minister of the Treasury."
"The Court of Imperial Clan Affairs was in charge of the affairs of the imperial clan, managing the genealogies of the imperial family, clans, and maternal relatives, and guarding the imperial mausoleums and temples."
"The Grand Master of the Imperial Clan has a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain), and the Vice Minister of the Imperial Clan, the Assistant Minister of the Imperial Clan, and the Chief Clerk of the Imperial Clan are all equivalent to the Minister of the Imperial Treasury."
"The Court of Imperial Sacrifices was in charge of matters related to rites and music, such as ancestral temple sacrifices, ritual music ceremonies, astronomy and calendar, and the management of imperial mausoleums."
"The Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices has a salary of two thousand shi (a unit of grain), while the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the Assistant Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and the Chief Clerk of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices are all equivalent to the Minister of the Treasury."
"The Guanglu Temple was originally the Langzhongling, in charge of the palace's meals and sacrificial banquets."
"The rank of Guanglu Xun is two thousand shi, and the Guanglu Shaoqing, Guanglu Cheng, and Guanglu Zhubu are treated the same as Taifu."
"Whoa!!!"
The officials couldn't help but cast a sympathetic glance at Xu Ziwei, the Chief Physician.
Xu Ziwei's face stiffened, and he couldn't even manage a smile. The Chief Physician was originally the head of the palace guards and attendants, but suddenly he had become the Grand Master of Ceremonies in charge of food. What kind of situation was this?
"The Court of State Ceremonies, known as the Court of Foreign Guests in the Qin Dynasty, was renamed the Court of Imperial Sacrifices in the Han Dynasty. It was in charge of receiving foreign guests and the etiquette of court assemblies."
"The Grand Herald's rank is two thousand shi (a unit of grain), and the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the Assistant Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and the Chief Clerk of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices are all of the same rank as the Minister of the Imperial Treasury."
Liu Ju ignored the courtiers' petty actions and continued to explain the Nine Temples and Five Directorates: "The Imperial Guard Temple is in charge of matters such as ceremonial weapons, armor and armory, tents and palaces, and is also involved in the imperial guards and the supply of palace materials."
"The rank of the Commandant of the Guards is two thousand shi (a unit of grain), and the rank of the Vice Minister of the Commandant of the Guards, the Assistant Commandant of the Commandant of the Guards, and the Chief Clerk of the Commandant of the Guards are the same as those of the Grand Treasury."
"Bitter!" 』
Lieutenant Yin Qi was filled with sorrow, as the powers of the Lieutenant and the Palace Attendant had been merged into the Commandant of the Guards.
The Commandant of the Guards was in charge of military power in the capital region, and his power rose sharply, almost comparable to that of the Three Dukes.
"The Imperial Household Department is in charge of the imperial carriages and horses and the administration of horses throughout the country."
"The rank of the minister of Taipu Temple is two thousand stones. The records of Taipu Shaoqing, Taipu Cheng and Taipu master are the same as those of Taifu."
"The Local Pasture Administration is responsible for the overall supervision of internal and external pastures, the breeding and purchase of horses, the formulation of pasture policies, and the determination of reward and punishment standards."
"For example: the Hexi Pasture Administration was established in Hexi, which was in charge of the horse administration of the four counties in Hexi; the Hetao Pasture Administration was established in Hetao, which was in charge of the horse administration of the five counties of Wuyuan, Yunzhong, Shuofang, Dingxiang, and Xihe; the Saibei Pasture Administration was established, which was in charge of the horse administration of the four counties of Yanmen, Dai, Shanggu, and Yuyang; and the Liaodong Pasture Administration was established, which was in charge of the horse administration of Liaodong and Liaoxi."
At this point, Liu Ju paused for a moment.
Horse administration is related to cavalry, and the cavalry's deterrent status in the era of cold weapons was unparalleled.
The Han Empire needed cavalry to expand its territory.
During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, by defeating the Xiongnu, the Han Dynasty completely changed its past situation of lacking horses and seized the two most important horse-breeding areas from the Xiongnu: Hexi and Hetao.
The Xianbei, Wuhuan, Xiqiang, Fuyu, Sushen, and Woju ethnic groups sent envoys to submit to the Han Dynasty, and trade with the city-states of the Western Regions provided the Han Dynasty with a solid and reliable source of foreign horses.
"Your Highness!"
Grand Master Gongsun He was overjoyed, for this would greatly increase his power.
Others saw a change in the Crown Prince from the changes in the Imperial Stud Temple. The emphasis on horse administration was undoubtedly an indication of the importance placed on the army. In the past, Liu Ju would never have done such a thing. They couldn't help but turn their attention to Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che.
Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, remained expressionless, but the scales in his heart had already tipped; the crown prince had indeed changed.
Judging from the two court disputes, Liu Ju's political acumen and skills had already posed a threat to him. Using someone else's strength against them was a classic imperial tactic.