Establishing official positions has been in existence since the time of the Yan Emperor and Huangdi and has been documented in the classics from the Zhou Dynasty and the historical accounts of the Han Dynasty. Throughout the dynasties, there have been changes and continuities, with many scholars studying and writing on this topic. Works such as Hu Guang's "Old Rituals" are relatively concise; Ying Shao's "Official Canon" is nearly exhaustive. Wang Lang's official memorials were about the early days of hegemony; Chen Jiao's supplements were meant to improve the system with a focus on military affairs. Additionally, there are works such as "Wei's Official Rituals" and Yu Yan's "Domestic and Foreign Officials." Shantao, commenting on others with his own thoughts, not quite... (the original text is missing here). Xun Xu wanted to simplify complicated affairs, advocating for the merging and elimination of some institutions. The system that ultimately formed was established according to the "Laws of Jin," which later dynasties used as a standard for implementation. The establishment of official positions and ranks, along with clear regulations on the selection process and detailed descriptions of these positions, were all outlined. Yu Tong, Liu Yin, and others referenced Xun's works, made modifications and additions, and compared ancient and modern systems. The Qi Dynasty inherited the system of the Song Dynasty, maintaining the previous regulations and institutions with a dedicated organization in charge, ensuring that no aspect was overlooked. Other scattered records can be found in the annotations of historical texts, most of which have been compiled. These records are straightforward, so I won't reiterate. (For the duties of officials such as the Langzhong and Lingshi of various government offices, refer to Wang Gui, Chief of Changshui Wei's "Rituals.")
The position of Prime Minister, starting from Xiao He and Cao Can, has been the highest ministerial position. During the reign of Emperor Xiaojian of the Song Dynasty, it was held by King Yixuan of Nanqiao. During the Qi Dynasty, this position was not used for official appointments but was instead an honorary title, not included in the official system.
The position of Grand Preceptor, during the reign of Emperor Daming of the Song Dynasty, was held by King Yigong of Jiangxia, and it remained unoccupied thereafter. In the Qi Dynasty, it was similarly reserved as an honorary title.
The positions of Grand Tutor, Grand Minister, and Grand Protector were official positions in the Zhou Dynasty. During the late Han Dynasty, Dong Zhuo held the position of Grand Minister. In the early years of Emperor Hui of Jin, Wei Guan served as Grand Protector. After that, the position of Grand Minister was no longer reinstated, and Grand Protector became merely an honorary title. The Qi Dynasty established only the position of Grand Tutor.
Grand Marshal and Grand General. During the reign of Emperor Yuanjia of the Song Dynasty, Prince Yikang of Pengcheng held the title of Grand General, and no one else held that position afterwards. In the Qi Dynasty, it too was used only as an honorary title.
The positions of Grand Commandant, Minister of State, and Minister of Works were historically common official titles. The Minister of State was responsible for managing the population, household registration, and various records across the nation's provinces and counties. Although this position lacked real power, it often had subordinate officials such as Left and Right Chief Historians, Left and Right Secretaries, Principal Clerk, Ritual Master, and Historiographer. During the Jin Dynasty, Wang Dao served as Minister of State, and his Right Chief Historian, Gan Bao, wrote the "Regulations of the Minister of State" for the office, which was already very detailed.
Special Attendant, a rank equivalent to the Three Excellencies. Various titles of the Three Excellencies. General of Chariots and Cavalry, General of the Guards, General of the Garrison, General of the Central Army, General Who Pacifies the Army, and Four Expeditionary Generals (East, West, South, North).
The Four Towns General is a very powerful general! Any general, as long as the word "大" (great) is added to their title, their status will be equivalent to that of a high-ranking official, and they can establish a government office just like those of high-ranking officials. In the government office, there should be a Chief Historian, a Sima (military officer), and two advisors responsible for providing counsel and making plans. Other departments include record officers, clerks, secretaries, treasury officers, warehouse officers, infantry, guards, cavalry, as well as departments for managing thieves, city management, legal affairs, land affairs, water affairs, armor affairs, collection affairs, and household management, for a total of eighteen departments. The heads of departments above the city management department are called Chief Military Advisors, while those below are called Acting Advisors, with each department having one official. If there are no vacancies for Acting Advisors, the heads of departments may also take on that role. In the government office, there are also two assistants, a warehouse clerk, a treasury officer, and a ceremonial officer for the east and west halls, as well as two clerks. If the status is higher, there will be four Chief Historians and an increase in the number of clerks. If the level is not high enough to establish a government office, there will still be assistants in the government office, but fewer in number. In smaller government offices, there may not be a department for dealing with thieves; instead, a security advisor will be appointed.
The Four Peace Generals, Four Equality Generals, Left General, Right General, Front General, Rear General, Pacifying the Barbarians General, and Four Chief Advisors are also very important positions. During the Jin Dynasty, Xun Xian and Wang Hu held these positions. However, starting from the Song and Qi Dynasties, these positions were reserved for members of the imperial family and influential clans who were not actively engaged in duties. The Champion General, the Assistant General, the Tranquil Frontier General, the Peaceful Distant General, and the Dragon General, although these positions may have less prestige, some of these positions still allow for the establishment of government offices.
The office of Taichang in the prefecture should include a Deputy, as well as five officials: a Gongcao and a Zhubu. The nine offices in each prefecture are set up in the same way. Now let's talk about the positions under the jurisdiction of Taichang: there is a Doctor, also known as a Doctor of the Imperial Academy; one Libationer of the National University, two Doctors, and ten Teaching Assistants. In the fourth year of Jianyuan, someone suggested the establishment of the National University, with the rank of the National University Libationer equivalent to that of a Minister in each department, the Doctor equivalent to the Zhongshu Lang, and the Assistant equivalent to the Nantai Imperial Censor. When selecting talents, the first criterion for selection is their proficiency in classical studies. If suitable candidates are not easy to find, they should be selected from those who are well-versed in the classics from the Yushi up, allowing them to hold concurrent positions. Below the National University, there are two Directors of Studies, third rank, equivalent to the Zhubu of Taichang; two officials for the Household Department and Ceremonial Department, fifth rank; eight officials responsible for ceremonial matters, sixth rank; as well as two people teaching medicine and two people in charge of ceremonial escorts. In summer, due to the monarch's superstitions, the school was closed, and it was suggested to eliminate positions below the rank of Assistant. In the third year of Yongming, the school reopened, with Wang Jian, the Prefect of the Masters of Writing, assuming the role of National University Libationer. Eight years later, the National University Doctor He Yin served as Libationer alone, and due to a dispute over attire with Lu Cheng and others, he eventually wore red clothing.
The Zongming Temple had only one Libationer. In the sixth year of the Taishi period of the Southern Song Dynasty, the national school was abolished, and the Zongming Temple was established, offering four subjects: metaphysics, Confucianism, literature, and history, each subject had ten scholars, as well as a Chief Historian, two Chief Historians, a civil official, a gatekeeper, and two temple officials. By the time of the Jianyuan era, the Zongming Temple was in charge of the ritual ceremonies of the Five Rites. In the third year of Yongming, the national school was rebuilt, and the Zongming Temple was subsequently abolished.
The five institutions of Taimei, Mingtang, Taizhu, Taishi, and Linxi each have a Ling (equivalent to a bureau chief) and a Cheng (equivalent to a deputy bureau chief). Other institutions, such as those below the Ling and Cheng, all have their own responsibilities.
The position of Taileling also has a Deputy, and a Deputy is also appointed for each Ling. The position of Zhulings was established at the end of the Yongming period, and officials holding this position must have the second or third rank of merit. There is also a Chief Clerk and Household Clerk, both of whom are sixth-class officials and need to be recommended for appointment.
The Guanglu Xunfu has a Deputy. The officials under its jurisdiction include the Left and Right Guanglu Dafu, whose ranks are equivalent to nobles, and they can establish their own offices and appoint subordinate officials, just like nobles. The official uniform of the Guanglu Dafu is a silver insignia with a blue ribbon, and if the emperor bestows a golden insignia with a purple ribbon, it is called a Jinzi Guanglu Dafu. Ren Xia from Le'an once served as a Guanglu Dafu and requested a piece of gold from Wang Yan in order to be promoted to Jinzi Guanglu Dafu, but after Wang Yan submitted a memorial, the emperor did not agree.
The Taizhong Dafu, Zhongsan Dafu, and other officials of the Dafu level are all officials with extensive experience and advanced age, and those of higher status will also be provided with an additional twenty trusted personnel.
The Weiwei Fu has a Deputy who oversees the palace gate security and guards. Zhang Heng wrote in the "Xi Jing Fu": "The Weiwei has eight posts, guarding day and night," referring to this practice. Originally, there were drums on each defense tower in the palace, and the guards on duty would beat the drums to signal the time. Emperor Taizu felt that the drumming was too noisy and affecting sleep, so he switched to using iron chimes instead.
The Tingwei Fu has a Deputy, a Chief, a Supervisor, a Reviewer, and a Legal Scholar.
The Dasi Nong Fu has a Deputy. Its subordinate officials include the Taicang Ling and Deputy, the Daoguan Ling and Deputy, and the Jiting Ling and Deputy.
The Shaofu Fu has a Deputy. Its subordinate officials include the Left and Right Shangfang Supervisors and their Deputies, the Duanshu Deputy (which was abolished in the third year of Yongming and reinstated in the fourth year of Yongming), the Yufu Ling and Deputy, the Dongye Ling and Deputy, the Nanye Ling and Deputy, the Pingzhun Ling and Deputy, and the Shanglin Ling and Deputy (also under the jurisdiction of the Shangshu Dianzhong Cao).
The Chief Architect, Grand Master of Ceremonies, and Grand Minister of Rites.
These departments are not commonly established. The Ministry of Works is responsible for the civil engineering of palaces and temples; the Ministry of Rites is responsible for the rituals and chariots of suburban sacrifices; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for receiving foreign envoys and guiding them to participate in worship ceremonies. If needed, temporary officials may be appointed and will be dismissed once the matter is concluded.
There is only one Yellow Gate Commander. He is responsible for managing the Emperor's five-wheeled carriage, the imperial carriage, and other large ceremonial vehicles.
The Commander of the Guest House is responsible for receiving guests from all over.
The Hall of Declarations, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Rites were established under the names of palaces when Prince Yulin ascended the throne and Empress Wen'an was posthumously honored.
The Grand Minister was established as an official position after Prince Yulin established the Empress.
The Director of the Imperial Secretariat and the Chief Scribe, who oversees the twenty departments under the Imperial Scribe's Office, are the highest officials of the Inner Court. When they encounter officials of lower rank during travel, they must stop and wait. The Left and Right Supervisors oversee different departments. If there is no Chief Scribe, the Left Supervisor serves as the highest official of the Imperial Scribe's Office, with the same power as the Chief Scribe.
The Left Supervisor is responsible for the affairs of the Hall of Internal Affairs and the Guest Hall, as well as other departments related to suburban temples, tombs, the Emperor's travels, court rituals, internal affairs of the palace, appointments, promotions, transfers, leaves of absence for civil officials; as well as handling major events such as auspicious occurrences, calamities, and insurrections, the Emperor's audiences, changing of reign titles, selection and appointment of officials, all appointments and dismissals of officials, assessment of merits, enfeoffment, demotion, handling of the Eight Deliberations, difficult cases, checkpoint cases, etc. These are all the responsibility of the Left Supervisor, with the assistance of the Right Supervisor. When handling cases involving the Yellow Register, both the Left Supervisor and the Right Supervisor must sign in red ink on the memorial, after which the Right Supervisor draws a horizontal line, the Left Supervisor then draws a vertical line, and the Chief Scribe finally affixes his seal. If the Right Supervisor is absent, other officials sign in order. If both the Left and Right Supervisors are absent, the Chief Scribe manages all affairs independently.
The Minister of Personnel oversees the Ministry of Personnel, Editing, Three Excellencies, and Department of Comparisons; The Minister of Revenue oversees the Revenue, Treasury, Warehouse, and Construction Affairs Departments; The Minister of Civil Affairs oversees the Civil Affairs and Transportation Departments; The Minister of Justice oversees the Ministry of Justice, Water Department, Treasury Department, and Office of Meritocracy; The Minister of War oversees the Central Army and Foreign Army Departments; The duties of the Minister of Rites are concurrently handled by the Right Deputy Supervisor, without separate appointment; The Minister of Construction Affairs is temporarily appointed when building palaces and temples and is dismissed after the project is completed.
There is one Left Chancellor, responsible for ancestral temples, sacrifices in the suburbs, ceremonies, auspicious events, omens, and disasters, establishing rules and regulations, handling cases, selecting and appointing officials, appointing, promoting, transferring, and arranging duties of officials. There is also only one Right Chancellor.
Wow, this ancient official system is so complex! Let's go through it sentence by sentence and see what each one is responsible for.
Firstly, it talks about the military, craftsmen, various tasks, handling deaths, betrayals, or illnesses of older people, checking the food and cloth in the warehouse, various cases, land, ships, weapons factories, various tasks, weapons and equipment, taxation in states and counties, population movements, merging of states and counties, division of urban populations, appointment and dismissal of officials such as governors, county magistrates, and deputies, as well as demotions of civil and military officials for mistakes. For straightforward cases, the Right Chancellor signs first, followed by the Left Chancellor; for complex cases, the Left Chancellor signs first, followed by the Right Chancellor; for important regulations and major cases related to ancestral temples and the imperial court, the Left Chancellor signs first, followed by the Right Chancellor.
From the servants below, there are five Ministers, eight Zuos, and twenty Caos; each department has a Langzhong, a Lingshi, and a Du Lingshi to oversee their operations. The Pushe oversees the court's regulations, the Shangshu is responsible for reviewing memorials, and the Du Cheng handles some minor matters, including impeaching departments that violate regulations, as well as managing some foreign affairs. If a meeting is necessary, the Langguan first presents their opinions, then the relevant matters are reported, and the official who presents the opinions chairs the meeting. If someone appeals, the old rules are followed if there were previous orders; if there are new orders, the person who proposed the opinions will chair the meeting.
Next are the personnel settings of several specific departments: one Wuku Ling, part of the Ku Department; one Chefu Ling and one Cheng, belonging to the Jia Department; one Gongche Ling; one Daguang Ling and one Cheng; one Dayi Ling and one Cheng; one Neiwai Dianzhong Jian each; one Neiwai Hualiujiu Cheng each; one Caiguan General and one Sima, belonging to the Qi Department, also part of the Lingjun; Shizhong Jijiu, a title for senior officials; Shizhong.
In summary, this passage outlines the establishment and personnel configuration of ancient government institutions, as well as the process of handling various affairs, with clearly defined levels of authority and responsibility. Just examining the personnel structure reveals the complexity of the management.
During the Han Dynasty, the position of Chamberlain was fairly close to the emperor. By the Wei and Jin periods, the status and treatment of Chamberlains had slightly improved, but the main responsibilities remained the same. During the reign of Emperor Wen of the Song Dynasty, Wang Hua, Wang Tan Shou, and Yin Jingren concurrently served as Chamberlains, who had a particularly close rapport with the emperor. They were allowed to speak directly with the emperor, and even if the emperor's sable fur duster fell, they could help the emperor pick it up, place it on the table, speak, and then return the duster to its place. During the reign of Emperor Xiaowu of the Song Dynasty, Chamberlain He Yan accompanied the emperor to the southern suburbs for sacrifices. When the emperor's carriage passed through the Bai Gate, He Yan wanted to get off the carriage to pay his respects, but the emperor quickly supported him, saying, "I am accompanying you." During the Qi Dynasty, many officials attending court were appointed to official positions because of their good looks. In the third year of Yongyuan, the Eastern Prince of Qi went to the southern suburbs for sacrifices and did not want to attend court with the ministers, so he allowed the prince's seal to accompany him, which was unprecedented.
Chamberlain is also called the Ministry of the Interior and is staffed with officials such as the Lingshi. Officials under the jurisdiction of Chamberlain include the Huangmen Shilang. They are also responsible for handling imperial edicts, so they are also referred to as "Xiaomenxia." There are also the Sanqi Changshi, Tongzhi Sanqi Changshi, and Yuanwai Sanqi Changshi. These official positions used to be on par with Chamberlain, but later the Tongzhi and Yuanwai positions were assigned to older officials, so their status gradually declined. During the Song Dynasty, although the selection criteria for Sanqi Changshi were elevated to match those of the Chamberlain, people tended to overlook them, and later they returned to their original state. Others include the Sanqi Shilang, Tongzhi Sanqi Shilang, Yuanwai Sanqi Shilang, Geishizhong, Fengchaoqing, and Fuma Duwei. These official positions are all under the jurisdiction of the Jishu province, staffed with officials such as the Zhengshu Lingshi. The position of Chaosan Dafu is primarily occupied by well-dressed officials, and there are many of them. By the Yongming period, there were more than six hundred officials in the Fengchaoqing role.
The Zhongshu Province has one supervisor, one prefect, four deputies, and an unspecified number of staff members. The officials in the Zhongshu Province also include chief clerks, magistrates, and regular clerks. The Secretariat has one supervisor, one deputy, as well as officials such as clerks and assistants. During the Jin Dynasty, the Secretariat had magistrates responsible for managing various books, as noted in the "Jin Ling." The Secretariat also had magistrates, regular clerks, and disciples, all responsible for organizing classics and preserving calligraphy and paintings. There is one deputy censor. During the Jin Dynasty, the deputy censor of Jiangzuo was responsible for overseeing all officials, as mentioned by Fu Xian in "Xing Ma Nei Wai." The deputy censor in contemporary times has great power, overseeing all matters, with a grand procession, which often leads to conflicts with military commanders. When encountering the emperor's procession, they must give way to one another. In the second year of the Xiaojian era of the Song Dynasty, the court stipulated that the deputy censor and the Minister of Personnel Affairs should walk separately. Even if lower-ranking officials meet at court, the deputy censor can handle it directly, and all other officials must obey his orders. There are two imperial archivists, ten assistant imperial archivists, and various officials in the Orchid Pavilion responsible for supervision and oversight. Firstly, there is a Prefect of the Ye Zhe, equivalent to a major steward. There are also ten Ye Zhe responsible for receiving visiting guests. The Ye Zhe Tai is mainly responsible for handling court meetings and receiving guests. Next are the Leading General, Middle Leading General, Guard General, and Middle Guard General. In essence, officials with the "middle" title have similar ranks, all assisting the generals. All officials of general rank must show respect to the Leading General and Guard General and yield to them. If a prince also holds a general position and encounters the Leading General or Guard General on the road, the latter must yield to the prince. Additionally, there are Chief Clerks, Marshals, Five Officers, Registrars, and other auxiliary officials.
There are also two generals on the left and right, the General of Gallant Cavalry and the General of Skirmish. Since the Jin Dynasty, the four generals responsible for the army's command, defense, gallant cavalry, and skirmishing have been referred to as the "Six Armies." Of course, this term is a bit strange, as it should include the generals on the left and right as well. Under these two Household Generals, there are also officials such as Sima, Gongcao, and Zhubu.
Next are the Forward Army, Rear Army, Left Flank, and Right Flank, collectively known as the "Four Armies." In addition, there are five Colonels: Garrison Cavalry, Infantry, Archers, Cavalry, and Long Water, collectively known as the "Five Colonels." There are also the General of the Tiger's Elite, the Imperial Attendant, the Commander of the Imperial Guards, the Accumulated Archer General, the Strong Crossbow General, the Palace General, the External General of the Palace, as well as the Commander of the Palace Guards, the General of Military Guards, and the Attendant Cavalier.
From these two generals on the left and right, the four armies, and the five colonels downwards, these official positions all belong to the "Western Province," while the Cavalry Province is known as the "Eastern Province."
Moving on to local officials, the Intendant of Danyang ranks below the Nine Ministers.
Next are the officials related to the Crown Prince: the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince and the Junior Tutor, who have officials such as Cheng, Gongcao, Wuguan, and Zhubu in their court. There is also the Crown Prince's Supervisor, who has some assistant officials under him. In addition, there are the Crown Prince's Chief Commandant, the Crown Prince's Household Commandant (both with Cheng), the Crown Prince's Attendant, the Crown Prince's Chief Horsekeeper, the Crown Prince's Chamberlain, the Crown Prince's Aide-de-Camp, the Crown Prince's Chamberlain, the Left and Right Guard Commanders of the Crown Prince (one for each side), the Three Colonels of the Crown Prince's Infantry, Cavalry, and Garrison Cavalry, the General of the Crown Prince's Mobile Elite, the Left and Right Accumulated Crossbow Generals of the Crown Prince, the General of the Crown Prince's Palace, the External General of the Crown Prince's Palace, the Steward of the Crown Prince's Granary, and the Crown Prince's Constant Supervisor of the Tiger's Elite. These are all officials of the Eastern Palace.
Finally, there are the Governors and Prefects.
During the Wei and Jin dynasties, the position of provincial governor was highly significant, and the power of the governor determined their official title: those with greater power were called "Imperial Commander," while those with less power were called "Commander-in-Chief." This system began during the reign of Emperor Shun of the Han dynasty. Feng She, the Chief Censor at the time, led the campaign against bandits in Jiujiang and also served as the military commander of Yangzhou and Xuzhou. However, the starting time recorded in the "Book of Song" and "Rites of Offices" differs, with the "Book of Song" stating that it began during the reign of Emperor Wu of Wei, while Wang Gui's "Rites of Offices" states that it began during the reign of Emperor Guangwu of Han, indicating discrepancies in historical records. During the Taikang period of the Jin dynasty, the Commander-in-Chief was responsible for military affairs, while the provincial governor was responsible for civil affairs, each performing their respective duties. By the end of the reign of Emperor Hui, these positions were merged, with only one provincial governor appointed, unless the province was deemed particularly important. Each province also had officials such as Deputy, Supervisor, Director of Records, Libationer of Literature, and other officials in various departments.
Next, let's talk about some local official positions. The Protector-General of the Southern Barbarians had an assistant historian in the Jingzhou prefecture. This position was abolished near the end of the Jin and Song dynasties, restored in the first year of Jianyuan, canceled again three years later, established again in the first year of Yanxing, and canceled during the Jianwu period. The Protector-General of the Three Ba was established during the Song dynasty and changed to a governor in the second year of Jianyuan. The Protector-General of the Ning Barbarians also had an assistant historian in the prefecture under the jurisdiction of Yongzhou. The Protector-General for Pacifying the Barbarians was established in the third year of Yongming under the jurisdiction of Yizhou. The Protector-General of the Pacification of the Barbarians was under the jurisdiction of Ningzhou. The Protector-General of the Western Rong and the Protector-General of the Qiang, these four generals were also responsible for overseeing other minority regions. The General for Pacifying the Yue had an assistant historian in the prefecture under the jurisdiction of Guangzhou.
County-level officials include magistrates and county magistrates, while prefectural officials include the prefect and the deputy magistrate. If the county is a directly administered area of the state, officials are called intendants and chancellors. Additionally, there were positions such as the Garrison Commander and the Peacekeeping General in the Jin Dynasty, which were mostly under the jurisdiction of the counties. Under the various princes, there were positions like the Master, the Friend, and the Literary Scholar. National officials such as the Minister of Personnel, the Lieutenant, and the Grand Minister of Agriculture were known as the Three Ministers; the Left and Right Guards, the Attendant, the Upper Army, the Middle Army, and the Lower Army; the Director of Records, the Director of Shrines, the Director of Learning, and the Director of Guards were known as the Four Commandants; officials responsible for provisions, stables, and ceremonial duties, among others, were all part of the court officials. Princes could also appoint a Minister of Personnel as one of their officials.
In summary: the various offices are established, each fulfills its responsibilities, all obeying the emperor's commands. Both military and civil officials have their own regulations. "The hundred offices are appointed, all following the emperor's orders. The clouds and birds record, each has its own form."
