After becoming emperor, Emperor Gaozu reformed the six official positions of the Zhou Dynasty. The official positions he established mostly followed the precedents of the previous dynasty. In simple terms, he established the Three Excellencies, the Three Ducal Ministers, as well as departments such as the Ministry of State Affairs, the Chancellery, the Secretariat, the Department of the Palace Attendants, and various other departments, as well as supervisory institutions like the Imperial Censorate and the Capital Water Commission. There were also institutions like the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Ceremonies, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Revenue, the Imperial Academy, and the Ministry of Works, as well as various military institutions such as the Left and Right Guards, the Left and Right Military Guards, the Left and Right Generals, the Left and Right Commanders, and the Left and Right Army Commanders, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities.
The Three Excellencies were actually honorary positions that did not involve managing affairs or having subordinates. Their main role was to discuss state affairs with the emperor, similar to an advisory council. The Three Ducal Ministers, on the other hand, played a role in state decision-making and had specialized agencies under them, just like in the Later Qi Dynasty. If a position was vacant, it would remain vacant temporarily. During sacrifices, the Grand Commandant was in charge of the second round of offerings, the Minister over the Masses was responsible for arranging offerings, and the Minister of Works was responsible for cleaning the site. However, these positions were often left vacant and filled on a temporary basis by others. Later, he made adjustments to these departments and their officials, establishing the offices of the Three Ducal Ministers in the Ministry of State Affairs. All sorts of miscellaneous matters in the court eventually fell under the purview of these departments and institutions.
The Ministry of the Interior is the most powerful department, responsible for everything. The Ministry of the Interior has one Minister, one Left Deputy Minister, and one Right Deputy Minister, which oversees the six departments of Personnel, Rites, Military Affairs, Justice, Revenue, and Public Works. These eight positions are collectively referred to as the "Eight Seats." The Ministry of the Interior also has one Left Chancellor, one Right Chancellor, and eight department heads, each in charge of the work of various departments. For example, the Minister of Personnel oversees two Deputy Ministers of the Interior, one Chief of the Imperial Clan, two Deputy Chiefs of Ceremonies, and one Deputy Chief of Merit. Other departments are similar, with several Deputy Ministers in charge of specific affairs. In total, there are thirty-six Deputy Ministers, each responsible for the work of different departments, taking turns on duty and staying overnight in the palace, a system similar to that of the Han Dynasty.
The Secretariat is the internal institution close to the emperor, with two Imperial Secretaries, four Yellow Gate Officials, six Record Keepers, and six Historians. There are also four Palace Attendants, four Palace Attendants in Immediate Attendance, seven Advisors, four Attendants of the Cavalry, six External Palace Attendants, and four Palace Attendants in Immediate Attendance, who also take turns serving in the court. In addition, there are twenty Imperial Censors, twenty External Palace Attendants, and forty Palace Assistants, who, like the Palace Attendants, are also responsible for missions and comforting local officials. The Secretariat also oversees the six departments of City Gates, Imperial Food, Imperial Medicine, Imperial Seals, Imperial Household, and Palace Interior. The City Gates Bureau has two Captains and four Directors; the Imperial Food Bureau has two Supervisors, four Directors, and four Cooks; the Imperial Medicine Bureau has two Supervisors, four Attendant Physicians, four Directors, and forty Physicians; the Imperial Seals Bureau, Imperial Household, and Palace Interior Bureau each have two Supervisors and four Directors.
The Ministry of the Interior initially had one Supervisor and one Minister, but later the Supervisor was abolished and replaced with two Ministers, along with four Deputy Ministers, eight Assistants, sixteen Junior Assistants, ten Chief Clerks, and four Record Keepers.
Ministry of Internal Affairs, with one supervisor and one deputy, four officials, twelve junior officials, four principal officials, and two recorders. It also oversees the Departments of Works and the Bureau of Astrological Studies. The Department of Works has two officials, eight assistant officials, two junior officials, and two principal officials; the Bureau of Astrological Studies has two directors, two deputies, two chief astronomers, and four supervisors. In these departments, those responsible for calendars, astronomy, water clocks, and star observation all have scholars and students.
The Palace Service Department, with two eunuchs and two palace attendants, four internal inspectors, six internal attendants, two internal stewards, twelve internal attendants, six temple attendants, and eight attendants. These are all eunuchs. The Palace Service Department is in charge of the internal kitchen, the Imperial Garden, the palace chambers, the eunuch offices, the inner servants, and the inner palace departments. (The internal kitchen has two supervisors and two deputies; the other departments all have one director and one deputy; the palace chambers and inner servants departments also have an additional deputy.) The Imperial Garden also has two palace education scholars.
The Imperial Censorate, with one chief censor, two assistant chief censors, eight assistant censors, twelve palace censors, and twelve inspection censors, as well as two recorders. During the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of Wei, Wang Xian, due to his favor with Emperor Xuanwu, became the Chief Censor and requested reforms to the selection system for censors. Since then, it has become customary that every change in the Chief Censor requires a rearrangement of personnel. It was not until the Kaihuang era that the Ministry of Personnel began selecting censors, who continued to work in the palace as before.
The Ministry of Waterways, with two envoys and two deputies, thirty military officers, sixty river inspectors, and two recorders. It also oversees the Ship Bureau, which has two waterway officers and supervises various ferry crossings. Each ferry crossing upstream has one waterway officer and two deputies; each ferry crossing in the middle has one waterway officer and one deputy; each ferry crossing downstream has one chief officer and four ferry masters.
The nine ministries of Taichang, Guanglu, Weiwei, Zongzheng, Taifu, Dali, Honglu, Sinong, and Taifu each have one chief and one deputy chief. (Taifu Temple later added another deputy chief.) Each ministry also has an assistant (Taichang, Weiwei, Zongzheng, Dali, Honglu, and Jiangzu each have two assistants, Guanglu Temple and Taifu Temple have three assistants each, Sinong Temple has five assistants, and Taifu Temple has six assistants.) There are also chief clerks (four in Taifu Temple, two in other ministries), recorders (two in each ministry, three in Guanglu Temple, four in Sinong Temple and Taifu Temple), and other staff.
Taichang Temple is a large department with four scholars, two associate lawyers, and sixteen ceremonial attendants. It is responsible for sacrificial offerings, the imperial ancestral temple, the imperial mausoleum, as well as the grand priest, ceremonial officials, court musicians, Qing officials, trumpeters, imperial physicians, imperial diviners, and sacrificial officials. Each department has a prefect, usually one person each, except for the court musicians and imperial physicians departments, which have two each; there are also assistants, usually one each, except for the sacrificial offerings, court musicians, and trumpeters departments, which have two each. The sacrificial offerings office also has four ritual masters, the grand priest office has two grand priests, the court musicians office and Qing officials office have musicians (eight in the court musicians office, two in the Qing officials office), and the trumpeters office has two trumpeters. The imperial physicians office has more staff, including two chief physicians, two hundred physicians, two gardeners, two medical doctors, two assistant physicians, two massage doctors, and two forbidden practices physicians. The imperial diviners office has twenty fortune-tellers, ten fortune tellers, sixteen male diviners, eight female witches, as well as two imperial diviner doctors, two assistant fortune-tellers, one fortune teller doctor, and one assistant.
Guanglu Temple manages the Tai Guan, Yao Cang, Liang Yun, and Zhang Hai departments. Each department has its own officials: there are three in Tai Guan, two each in Yao Cang and Liang Yun, and one in Zhang Hai. Additionally, there are subordinates: eight in Tai Guan, two each in Yao Cang and Zhang Hai, and four in Liang Yun. There are also twelve meal supervisors in the Tai Guan office. The Liang Yun office has fifty supervisors, while the Zhang Hai office has ten supervisors.
The Weiwei Temple oversees the Gong Che, Wu Ku, and Shou Gong departments. Each department has officials: one in Gong Che and two in Wu Ku and Shou Gong; there are also subordinates, with one in Gong Che and two in Wu Ku.
The Zongzheng Temple is quite straightforward, as it has no subordinate departments.
The Taipu Temple oversees one hundred and twenty veterinary doctors, in charge of Hua Liu, Cheng Huang, Long Jiu, Che Fu, Dian Mu, Niu Yang, and other related departments. Each department typically has one official, usually two, except for fewer in Cheng Huang and Che Fu; there are also subordinates, usually two, one in Cheng Huang, and three in Dian Mu and Niu Yang.
The Dali Temple, unlike other temples, has no subordinate departments. There are only a few people: one Zheng, one Jian, one Ping, ten Sizhi, eight Lü Boshi, twenty Mingfa, and eight Yuyuan. With such a small team, they oversee all affairs of the Dali Temple.
The Honglu Temple manages the Dian Ke, Si Yi, and Chong Xuan departments. Each department has one official, totaling two people, except for Chong Xuan, which has only one official. The Dian Ke office also has ten supervisors, the Si Yi office has twenty supervisors, and other staff members.
The Sinong Temple oversees a larger number of departments, including Tai Cang, Dian Nong, Ping Zhun, Lin Shi, Gou Dun, Hua Lin, Shang Lin, Dao Guan, and others. Each department typically has one official, usually two, except for Gou Dun and Shang Lin, which have three, and Hua Lin, which has only one. There are also two rice inspectors in Tai Cang, four granary inspectors, two salt granary inspectors; there are forty Si Chang in the capital market; and there are two imperial granary inspectors, two curved granary inspectors, and other staff members in the Dao Guan office.
The Ministry of the Works oversees the Left Treasury, Right Treasury, Inner Treasury, Outer Treasury, Dyeing Department, Right Treasury, Yellow Treasury, Metallurgy Department, and the Office of Imperial Clan Affairs. Each department has appointed officials (令), usually two in each, except for the Left Treasury and the Right Treasury which have three officials each, and the Yellow Treasury which has only one. The number of sub-officials also varies, with eight officials in the Left Treasury, six in the Right Treasury, and one in the Yellow Treasury.
The Imperial Academy, which used to be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites, has only one Ritual Director, one Chief Clerk, and one Registrar. The Imperial Academy oversees the National Academy, Imperial College, Four Gates Academy, Book Academy, and Mathematics Academy. Each school has scholars appointed, with five scholars each in the National Academy, Imperial College, and Four Gates Academy, and two each in the Book Academy and Mathematics Academy; there are also assistant scholars, with five in the National Academy, Imperial College, and Four Gates Academy, and two in the Book Academy and Mathematics Academy. The number of students also varies, with 140 in the National Academy, 360 in the Imperial College and Four Gates Academy each, 40 in the Book Academy, and 80 in the Mathematics Academy.
The Chief Craftsman of the Ministry of the Works is a single individual, with two sub-officials and two record keepers. The Ministry oversees the Left and Right Offices, each of which has appointed officials, with two in each office; there are four sub-officials in the Left Office, three in the Right Office, twelve supervisors in the Left Office, and eight in the Right Office, and so on.
First, let's talk about the military organization. The Left and Right Guards, Left and Right Military Guards, and Left and Right Military Commanders all have generals; some have one and others have two. In addition, there are Chief Historians, Marshals, and Record Keepers as civilian officials, as well as military officers responsible for achievements, storage, personnel, cavalry, and other matters, as well as military officers responsible for law and armor, each with one official. However, the operational military has a larger number of staff, with six each in the Left and Right Guards and Left and Right Military Commanders, and eight in the Left and Right Military Guards.
Next, let's talk in detail about the Left and Right Guards. They are mainly responsible for guarding and patrolling the imperial palace. In addition, the Left and Right Guards each have a Direct Pavilion General with six personnel responsible for guarding the palace; fifteen personnel each for the Direct Bedchamber, Direct Refectory, and Direct Rear, responsible for night guard duty and service; six Chariot Commanders, responsible for driving the vice chariot; ten Martial Cavalry Guards, fifteen Palace Generals, thirty Outer Marshals, twenty Palace Marshals, and forty Outer Marshals, who are all required to attend court meetings and handle diplomatic missions and condolences. The Left and Right Guards also each lead their own personal guards. Each Left and Right Guard has a Commandant's Office, along with Left Wing One, Two, Three, and Four Commandant's Offices, as well as the Martial Guard, Martial Marquis, Chief of Staff, and Eastern Palace Chief of Staff, which are similar. The Commandant's Office has one Commandant, one Chief of Staff, one Marshal, and a staff officer overseeing logistics, personnel, and legal matters, as well as three staff officers. In addition, there is the Yitong Office, which is the same for the Martial Guard, Martial Marquis, Chief of Staff, and Eastern Palace Chief of Staff, except that there are no staff officers in the Yitong Office. All of these offices oversee military barracks, with each military barracks, including those in the Eastern Palace, having one Barracks Master and two assistants; each township group, including the Eastern Palace township group, has one Group Leader and two assistants. The Left and Right Martial Guard Offices are simpler, without the officials below the Direct Pavilion General, mainly responsible for the accommodation of the peripheral military forces. Finally, the Left and Right Martial Marquis have more complex duties, mainly responsible for leading and trailing the royal family during outings, patrolling day and night, apprehending criminals, inspecting roads and water sources, and guarding beacon towers. If the emperor goes on a tour or sacrifices at the fields, they are also responsible for the security and vigilance of the camp. The Right Martial Marquis also oversees four timekeepers and one hundred and ten assistants responsible for water clocks.
Simply put, the palace's guard system is divided into several parts. First, there are the Left and Right Guard Houses, which oversee a large number of generals and guards, responsible for the management of weapons and daily security of the palace. Specifically, there are 12 aides for the Thousand Bull, each carrying a Thousand Bull knife; there are an additional 12 aides responsible for bows and arrows; and another 60 aides responsible for daily guard duties. This mansion also has officials, including the Chief Historian, Sima, Recorder, as well as officials for the Department of Granaries, Department of Soldiers, and Department of Armor, with only one person per position.
Next are the Left and Right Gate Guard Houses, primarily responsible for the security and guard duties of the palace gates. Here, there is one general, two Langjiang (officers), thirty Xiaowei (military officers), and thirty Zhizhang (military officers), as well as the Chief Historian, Sima, Recorder, officials for the Department of Granaries, Department of Soldiers, and Department of Armor, each with one person, and four Xingjun (military officers).
Then there are the Left and Right Commanding Mansions, responsible for managing household registration, conscription, and legal matters of the twelve armies. This mansion does not have generals, only the Chief Historian, Sima, Clerk, and Recorder, as well as officials for the Department of Merits, Department of Granaries, Department of Households, Department of Cavalry, Department of Soldiers, each with one person, officials for the Legal Department, each with one person, and sixteen Xingjun. In addition, there are four legal officials under the jurisdiction of the Legal Department, responsible for addressing urgent legal matters.
The institutions of the Xingtai Province are even more complex. There are the Minister, Deputy Minister (one each on the left and right), the Minister of War (also overseeing the Military Affairs Office), the Minister of Revenue (also overseeing the Granary Department) and their deputies (one each on the left and right), as well as four Chief Officers. In addition, there are the Kao Gong Shilang (also in charge of the Ministry of Personnel, Department of Titles, and Office of the Grand Herald), the Minister of Rites (also in charge of the Bureau of Ceremonies and Office of the Master of Ceremonies), the Minister of Food, the Minister of War (also overseeing the Military Affairs Office), the Minister of Carriages, the Minister of Works, the Minister of Justice (also in charge of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and Office of the Gate), the Minister of Revenue (also overseeing the Granary Department), the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Industry, and the Minister of Agriculture (also in charge of the Department of Waters and Department of Agriculture), with each department having one Deputy Minister. Each Xingtai also has a Commissariat Inspector, a Farm Supervisor, an Armory Supervisor, a Crafts Supervisor, and their deputies, as well as corresponding deputies and record keepers. The number of deputies and record keepers varies according to the department. Finally, there is the Prince's Palace, with the Grand Tutor, Grand Preceptor, Grand Protector, Junior Tutor, Junior Preceptor, and Junior Protector. In the early years of the Kaihuang reign, there was also a Chancellor, but it was abolished in the second year. My goodness, this official system is really complex! Let's start with the Menxia Fang, where there are two Left Attendants, four Inner Attendants, two record keepers, and four Principal Officials. They oversee six departments: the Bureau of Ceremonies, the Palace Gate Bureau, the Inner Chambers, the Food and Supplies Bureau, the Medical Stores Bureau, and the Fasting Master Bureau. The Bureau of Ceremonies has four Stable Keepers, six Assistant Secretaries, and two Masters; the Palace Gate Bureau has two Physicians; the Inner Chambers has two Supervisors and two Deputy Supervisors, as well as four Chamberlain Attendants; the Food and Supplies Bureau and Medical Stores Bureau each have two Supervisors and two deputies, with the Medical Stores Bureau also having four Attending Physicians; the Fasting Master Bureau has four individuals. Next is the Bureau of Books, where there are two Right Attendants, eight Attendants, eight Assistant Attendants, two record keepers, and four Principal Officials. The Inner Bureau also includes two Inner Officials, two deputies, four Supervisors, and one record keeper. The Inner Stables have two Officers responsible for managing the imperial horses and carriages.
Then there are three official positions: Household Manager, Music Manager, and Steward, each held by one person. The Household Manager is in charge of penal laws, food and drink, warehouses, various sundries, and slaves and maids; the Music Manager is in charge of music and timekeeping; the Steward is responsible for managing the imperial family's relationships and transportation. In each of the three temples, there is a deputy and a recorder. The Household Manager oversees the Department of Food, the Department of Warehouses, and the Department of Storage, each of which has a deputy. The Department of Food also has two deputies, the Department of Warehouses has one deputy, and the Department of Storage has three deputies. The Steward is in charge of the stables and has a Stable Manager.
The Left and Right Guards are relatively simple, with each guard having a commander and two deputy commanders, responsible for guarding the palace. Each guard also has a chief historian, a marshal, a recorder, as well as officers in various departments, including infantry and cavalry, with one legal officer and one armory officer. In total, there are four people. In addition, each guard has four direct halls, eight direct bedrooms, as well as ten direct kitchens and ten direct attendants.
The positions in the Left and Right Ancestral Guards are similar to those in the Left and Right Guards, mainly responsible for guarding the royal family members, with two additional officers, but without positions such as direct halls, direct bedrooms, direct kitchens, and direct attendants.
The Left and Right Watchmen each have a Grand Marshal, responsible for reconnaissance and defense. The positions below the chief historian are similar to those in the Left and Right Guards, but without recorders and officers in various departments, and one less officer in charge of achievements.
Lastly, the Left and Right Internal Managers and Deputy Managers, each held by one person, are responsible for guarding and providing weapons. They do not have positions such as officers in various departments, but their other positions are similar to those of the Watchmen. There are also eight personnel responsible for managing the Qian Niu Dao, eight personnel responsible for providing bows and arrows, and twenty personnel responsible for night watch duty.
The Left and Right Gatekeepers, each with one leader and two assistants, are responsible for overseeing the guards at each palace gate. Officials below the chief historian are under the jurisdiction of the Internal Managers, with each department staffed with ten officers on duty.
The founder also referenced the system of the Later Zhou dynasty, establishing eleven ranks such as Senior Pillar of the State, Pillar of the State, Upper Grand General, Grand General, Senior Secretary with Equal Authority over the Three Departments, Secretary with Equal Authority over the Three Departments, Upper Equal Control over Three Offices, Equal Control over Three Offices, Grand Commander, Commander-in-Chief, and Commander, to reward hardworking officials. In addition, there were titles such as Special Advanced, Left and Right Glorious Masters of Records, Golden Purple Glorious Masters of Records, Silver Blue Glorious Masters of Records, Court Counselors, and Court Consultants, which were honorary titles used to boost the status of civil and military officials but did not actually handle government affairs. Officials below the sixth rank also had forty-three different general titles across a total of sixteen ranks, which were honorary general titles used to promote those officials who were appointed indiscriminately. Officials serving in departments were called executive officials, while those without specific duties were called honorary officials. Officials below the rank of Senior Pillar of the State were practical honorary officials, while military officials were honorary general officials. Officials in provinces, as well as those in the Left and Right Guards, Military Commanders, and Left and Right Gatekeepers, were considered internal officials, while the rest were external appointees.
There were nine levels of titles, such as King, State Prince, State Duke, County Prince, Marquis, Count, Viscount, Baron, and Baronet. The Emperor's uncles, brothers, and sons were all considered princes. Each prince was accompanied by two mentors, two friends, and two literary consultants (except for the Crown Prince who would not have mentors or friends). There was also one Chief Historian, Marshal, Military Advisor, and various Administrative Officials, two Principal Scribes, and various other officials in charge of records, finance, military affairs, and more.
Goodness, the official positions are really complicated! Let's start with those who are promoted to the rank of Pillar Duke, Heir Prince, and Prince of a Commandery. They should have officials such as chief clerk, recording secretary, junior officer of the east and west pavilions, and chief military advisor, but he has none of these positions. Instead, they have been given five military advisors and twelve junior military advisors. Strangely, the Pillar Duke does not have positions for cavalry military advisors and water bureau junior military advisors, so one military advisor and one junior military advisor have been removed.
Next is the Grand General, who should have advisory military advisors, land bureau junior military advisors, and armor bureau junior military advisors, but he has none of these positions, so one junior military advisor has been removed. The Grand General doesn't even have a secretary, so two military advisors have been removed. The official positions of the Grand Chancellor are also quite strange, as there are no legal officers, civilian officers, junior military advisors, or military advisors, and there is also a lack of a signatory, so two junior military advisors have been removed. The official positions of the Director of Ceremonies also lack a secretary and city bureau military advisor, so two junior military advisors have been removed. Additionally, the Director of Ceremonies lacks a granary officer, so three junior military advisors have been removed.
The positions of the assistants in the Three Ministries and Three Ducal Offices are the same as those of the Pillar Duke. If a Pillar Duke serves as an assistant in the Three Ministries or Three Ducal Offices, they will only follow the official positions of the Pillar Duke. As for royal and noble officials of the third rank or higher, they also have personal attendants and household staff, with the number of attendants determined by the rank of the official.
In the territories of each prince, officials must be appointed. Specifically, each territory must have:
- A magistrate (equivalent to a county magistrate)
- A chief agricultural officer
- Two constables
- Eight guards
- Two chamberlains
- Four secretaries
- A temple administrator
- An education officer
- A food supervisor
- A stablemaster
- A deputy stablemaster
- A warehouse supervisor
- A deputy warehouse supervisor
- Four attendants, among others.
High-ranking Grand Officials and Officials can have two fewer guards each and do not need to appoint a Servant of the Household anymore. Marquises and Earls can also have two fewer guards each and only need one official responsible for provisions and one official responsible for the stables. Viscounts and Barons should have one fewer Captain, guard, Attendant, and Retainer each. The official system for Grand Generals and Generals is the same as that for Grand Officials, Viscounts, and Barons. However, Marquises and Earls should have fewer guards, Servants of the Household, and deputies responsible for the stables. Viscounts and Barons do not need to appoint Commandants or guards and should have one fewer Retainer. The official system for Grand Masters and Grand Masters of the Palace is the same as that for Grand Generals, Viscounts, and Barons. Marquises and Earls should have fewer Attendants, as well as deputies responsible for provisions and the stables. Viscounts and Barons should have fewer Servants of the Household and officials responsible for the stables. The official system for Officials and Officials of the Palace is the same as that for Grand Masters, Viscounts, and Barons. Marquises and Earls should have fewer Captains and Scholars. Viscounts and Barons should have fewer officials responsible for the stables and for provisions. The official system for the two Queens is the same as that for the Princes. The official system for Dukes is the same as that for Grand Officials. If a Duke has not held a position higher than Official of the Palace, their official system is the same as that for Officials of the Palace. The official system for Dukes of lower rank is the same as that for Marquises and Earls of the corresponding rank; the official system for scattered Viscounts is the same as that for Viscounts and Barons of the corresponding rank. For Grand Princesses, Princesses, and Princesses, each of their households should have one Steward, one Deputy, two Secretaries, two Attendants, and so forth. County Princesses should have one fewer Secretary.
Yongzhou is governed by a governor. The administrative structure includes the following officials: subordinate officials include a deputy governor, an assistant governor, a prefect, a county magistrate, a chief clerk, a recorder, a deputy clerk of the Western Office, and various officials responsible for finance, household registration, military affairs, law, education, and other matters, totaling 524 people.
Jingzhao County is overseen by a magistrate, a deputy magistrate, and a county magistrate. The administrative structure includes a personnel and documentation officer, a chief clerk, and various officials responsible for finance, household registration, military affairs, law, education, and other areas, along with assistant officials. In total, there are 244 people.
Daxing County and Chang'an County, each governed by a magistrate, have a deputy magistrate, a county magistrate, a personnel and documentation officer, a chief clerk, officials responsible for finance, household registration, military affairs, law, education, and other areas, along with assistant officials. In total, there are 147 people.
Let's start with the state level. The highest-level state, known as the top state, has many officials, including governors, chief historians, and military officers, as well as military record officers, household officers, and military officers, legal officers and scholars' officers, as well as officers in charge of ceremonies, county officials, clerks, assistants to the sacrificial wine, granary supervisors, market supervisors, and deputy officials, etc. Including assistant historians, there are a total of 323 people. The levels decrease accordingly, where the upper-middle state has twelve fewer officials than the top state; the upper-lower state has sixteen fewer officials than the upper-middle state; the middle-upper state has twenty-nine fewer officials than the upper-lower state; the middle-middle state has twenty fewer officials than the middle-upper state; the middle-lower state has twenty fewer officials than the middle-middle state; the lower-upper state has thirty-two fewer officials than the middle-lower state; the lower-middle state has fifteen fewer officials than the lower-upper state; and finally, the lower-lower state has twelve fewer officials than the lower-middle state.
Next, let's discuss the counties. Each county is staffed with a governor, deputy, warden, and magistrate, as well as a chief clerk, assistant clerk of the western office, county magistrate, chief clerk, western office clerk, treasury officers, household officers, military officers, legal officers, officers in charge of scholars, market supervisors, etc. Including assistant historians, there are a total of 146 people. Just like the states, county officials are also categorized into levels, with the upper-middle county having five fewer officials than the top county; the upper-lower county having four fewer officials than the upper-middle county; the middle-upper county having nineteen fewer officials than the upper-lower county; the middle-middle county having six fewer officials than the middle-upper county; the middle-lower county having five fewer officials than the middle-middle county; the lower-upper county having nineteen fewer officials than the middle-lower county; the lower-middle county having five fewer officials than the lower-upper county; and the lower-lower county having six fewer officials than the lower-middle county.
Finally, let's look at the districts. Each district is headed by a magistrate, with a deputy, warden, and chief clerk, as well as a chief clerk, assistant clerk of the western office, treasury officers, household officers, military officers, legal officers, officers in charge of scholars, market supervisors, etc., totaling ninety-nine people. The number of district officials is similarly categorized into levels, with the upper-middle district having four fewer officials than the top district; the upper-lower district having five fewer officials than the upper-middle district; the middle-upper district having ten fewer officials than the upper-lower district; the middle-middle district having five fewer officials than the middle-upper district; the middle-lower district having five fewer officials than the middle-middle district; the lower-upper district having twelve fewer officials than the middle-lower district; the lower-middle district having six fewer officials than the lower-upper district; and the lower-lower district having five fewer officials than the lower-middle district.
The highest administrative official in each province is the Provincial Governor, divided into upper, middle, and lower ranks. The Provincial Governor and the Governor also hold the title of "Commissioner of the Capital." In towns, garrisons, and border passes, there are also Deputy Commanders, Chief Deputies, and Commandants, with the number of official positions divided into three ranks.
Finally, in Tongzhou and Qizhou, there are Supervisors, Vice Supervisors, two Commandants, as well as two Agricultural Supervisors and Vice Supervisors in charge of agriculture. Other smelting sites also have three levels of supervision, each with corresponding Commandants.
In Yanchi Prefecture, there is a Supervisor, Vice Supervisor, and Commandant. There are four Supervisors overseeing the eastern, western, southern, and northern regions, each with a Vice Supervisor and Commandant. In Longyou Pastoral Area, there are Supervisors, Vice Supervisors, and Commandants, responsible for managing other pastures. Each pasture, including the Hualiu Pasture and the Twenty-four Military Horse Pasture, has positions such as Yitong, Wei, Grand Commander, and Chief Commander. The pasture for raising donkeys and mules is managed by a Chief Commander and a Wei. The sheep pasture in Yuanzhou has a Grand Commander and a Wei. The camel and cattle pasture in Yuanzhou is overseen by a Wei. There is also a Fur and Leather Supervisor, with a Supervisor, Vice Supervisor, Commandant, and Recorder. The oversight institutions for pastures in Yanzhou also have Supervisors, Vice Supervisors, and Commandants, overseeing other sheep pastures, each having a Wei. Each of the twelve horse pastures in Yuanchuan is staffed by a Grand Commander, a Wei, and two Chief Commanders. The sheep pasture in Shayuan is managed by two Weis. The oversight institutions for border trading markets and farming settlements each have a Supervisor and a Vice Supervisor. Those located near the capital fall under the Ministry of Agriculture's jurisdiction, while the others are under the jurisdiction of each province.
Each of the Five Sacred Mountains has a Chief Officer, and there is also a Chief Officer for Mount Wu responsible for sanitation duties. The Three Masters, Kings, and Dukes hold the highest rank of officials. Senior Pillar Generals, County Prince, Duke of the State, and Duke of the County are all first-class officials, subordinate to the highest rank. Pillar Generals, Crown Prince's Three Masters, Special Envoys, Prefect of the Imperial Secretariat, Left and Right Grand Masters of Splendor, and Duke of the State are all second-class officials. Senior Grand Generals, Left and Right Imperial Secretaries, Yongzhou Governor, and Purple Gold Grand Master of Splendor are all second-class officials, subordinate to the first class.
The Grand Marshal, Minister of Personnel, Minister of Rites, Minister of Works, and General of the Guards, these three ministers, the three princes of the crown prince's retinue, the Chief Minister, the Chief of the Imperial Secretariat, the Commandants of the Left and Right Guards, the Commandants of the Left and Right Military Guards, the Commandants of the Left and Right Military Scouts, and the Commandants of the Left and Right, these Grand Marshals, Minister of Rites, Minister of War, Minister of Revenue, Minister of Public Works, Minister of the Imperial Clan, Grand Preceptor, Grand Justice, Minister of Ceremonies, Minister of Finance, Minister of Agriculture, and Minister of the Imperial Household, these six ministers, the Governor of Shangzhou, the Intendant of Jingzhao, the Director of the Imperial Secretariat, the Grand Master of Splendid Happiness, and the Duke of State Founding, are all of the third rank.
There are also the Prefect of the Masters of Writing, the Supervisor of the Masters of Writing, the Commandants of the Guards, the Commandants of the Military Guards, the Commandants of the Military Scouts, the Commandants of the Left and Right, and the Chief Doorkeeper of the Imperial Palace, the National Teacher, the Grand Master of Works, the Governor of Zhongzhou, the Prince's Tutor, the Grand Master of the Court, all of the third rank.
My goodness, there are really a lot of official positions listed above! First of all, those officials of the fourth rank, such as the General of Chariots and Cavalry Command, the Prefect of the Masters of Writing, the Minister of Rites, Minister of Works, and General of the Guards, as well as the Commandants of the Left and Right Guards of the Crown Prince, the Chief of the Imperial Clan, the Supervisor of the Imperial Household, the Grand Justice, the Minister of Ceremonies, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Agriculture, the Minister of the Imperial Household, and even the Governor of the Subordinate Province, etc., all of these positions were once considered high-ranking. Next, there are the Supervisors of the Masters of Writing, the Deputy Chief of the Imperial Secretariat, the Attendant of the Masters of Writing, the Commandants of the Left and Right Doorkeepers, the Grand Master of the State, these are also officials of the fourth rank.
Next are those officials of the fifth rank, such as the Supervisors of the Commandants of the Left and Right, the Deputy Chief of the Imperial Secretariat, the Deputy Commandant of the Left and Right Guards of the Crown Prince, the Vice Supervisor of the Left and Right Doorkeepers, the Prefect of the Upper County, the Attendant of the Prince's Household, the Chief of the Prince's Household, the Supervisor of the Households, the Attendant, the Chief of the City Gates, these were also considered high-ranking positions. There are also the Deputy Chief of the Masters of Writing, the General Who Guards the Town, the Supervisor of Affairs in Yongzhou, the Directing General, the Marshal of the Prince's Household, the Grand Master of Counsel, all of the fifth rank.
Then there are official positions of the fifth rank, such as General of Cavalry and Chariots, Left Supervisor, Palace Attendant, Deputy Director of the Imperial Secretariat, Doctor of the Imperial Academy, Supervisor of the Cavalry, Attendant to the Crown Prince, Deputy Chief of the Left and Right Gates at the Crown Prince's Palace, Deputy Supervisor of the Cavalry, Chief Clerk of Shangzhou, Military Advisor to the Prince, Baronet, which were once considered very respectable positions. Director of the Imperial Kitchen, Director of the Imperial Pharmacy, Marshal of Shangzhou, these are also fifth-rank positions.
Finally, there are official positions of the fifth grade, such as Imperial Library Official, Supervisor of the Cavalry, Prefect of Zhongjun, Gentleman-in-Waiting, Equerry to the Crown Prince, Chief Clerk of Zhongzhou, Commandant of the Imperial Carriage, which were also regarded as good positions. Imperial Envoy, Imperial Censor, Magistrate of Daxing and Chang'an, Directing Judge of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Director of the Imperial Archives, Chamberlain to the Crown Prince, Deputy Magistrate of Jingzhao, Marshal of Zhongzhou, Commander of Zhongzhen, Deputy Commander of Shangzhen, Palace Attendant, Commandant of the Imperial Guards, Friend of the Prince, Deputy Supervisor of the Cavalry, all of these are also of the fifth grade. In short, the official positions listed above, from high to low, cover all kinds of levels, truly dazzling!
Ah, these are all official positions listed above; it's dizzying to look at. Let's start with the relatively high official positions, such as General Who Supports the Army, General Who Supports the Military, and the Attendant to the Secretariat of the Ministry of Personnel. If they are sent out, they become Prefects of Counties, Grand Commanders, and those who serve in the Prince's Palace, such as the Prince's Secretaries and Chief Clerks of the Provinces; these are all considered relatively high-ranking official positions, and the ones mentioned earlier are already high-ranking officials. There are also the Four Generals of Expedition, namely Generals of the East, South, West, and North Expeditions; the Three Generals, referring to Generals of the Imperial Guard, Garrison, and Pacification; further down, there are the Chief Ministers of the Court of Judicial Review, Censors, Assessors, and in the Imperial Guards, there are the Thousand Bull Guards, Chief Wardens of the Left and Right Gates, the Director of the Imperial Kitchen, responsible for the Emperor's meals, as well as the Imperial Seals Office, the Imperial Household Office, the Palace Office, and the Crown Prince's Inner Chamber Office, along with Provincial Marshals, Commanders, and Deputy Commanders. These positions are all of the sixth rank.
Next are some sixth-rank official positions. For example, the General of the Four Directions refers to the Generals of the East, South, West, and North; the Four Generals refer to the Generals of the Vanguard, Rear, Left, and Right. There are also Attendants, Prince's Literary Scholars, Commanders, and Chief Historians of the Left and Right Military Command, Prince's Personal Aides, Prince's Household Registrars, Military Record Officers, Prince's Chamberlains, Censors, and County Magistrates, all of which are high-ranking official positions mentioned earlier. Then there are Champion Generals, Assistant Generals, Prince's Attendants, Direct Attendants, Officials of the Three Offices, Chief Clerks, Secretaries, Military Record Officers of the Prince's Household, Gatekeepers, Prince's Refectory Officials, Deputy Supervisors of the Prince's Chambers, Prince's Internal Supervisors, Marshals of the Left and Right Army Headquarters, and Vice Commanders of Towns. These are all sixth-rank positions.
Finally, there are seventh-rank official positions. For example, Generals of Pacifying the North and Securing the South, Gentlemen of the Household, Imperial Physicians, Chief Historians of the Left and Right Imperial Guards, Personal Guards, Military Record Officers of the Prince's Household, mentioned earlier as high-ranking official positions. There are also Generals of Establishing Might, Pacifying Frontiers, Officials of the Six Temples, Secretaries, Assistant Secretaries, Prince's Bodyguards and Left and Right Bodyguards, Masters of the Kitchen and Medicine, Gatekeepers of the Left and Right Guards, Commanders, Supervisors of the Prince's Kitchen and Apothecary, Prince's Refectory Commanders, and Commanders of Upper Garrisons, all of which are seventh-rank positions. In short, the official positions listed above, from high to low, are varied and plentiful!
First, let's talk about those officials ranked at the seventh grade. This includes General Ningyuan and General Zhenwei, as well as the Chief Historian of the Left and Right Gate Guards, the heads of the Left and Right Guards of the Crown Prince, the Left and Right Commanders, the Chief Historian of the Left and Right Internal Affairs Office, the Directors of the Imperial Seal, the Imperial Household, and the Palace Affairs, the Military Registrar of the Upper Province, the officials serving under the Left and Right Military Command, the Sacrificial Official of the East and West Pavilions of the Crown Prince's Palace, the County Magistrate, the Prefect of the Upper Prefecture, the personal guards of the Crown Prince, the Director of Construction, the Honorary Military Guards, the Military Affairs Officer of the Crown Prince's Palace, the Chief Military Historians of the Left and Right Gate Guards of the Crown Prince, the County Magistrates of Daxing County and Chang'an County, the Prince's personal physician, the Imperial Attendant, the Chief Astrologer of the Imperial Court, the Military Affairs Officers of various departments in the Upper Province, the Marshals of the Left and Right Guard Gates, the Left and Right Guards of the Crown Prince, the Left and Right Commanders, and the Left and Right Internal Rate Departments, as well as the Marshals of the Upper Garrison, all of whom hold the seventh rank.
Next, let's talk about the officials of the eighth rank. Generals Xuanwei and Mingwei, Assistant Law Minister, Chief of Water Affairs, General of the Palace, Chief Historian of the Prince's Left and Right Gate Guards, Deputy General, County Magistrate, Military Affairs Officer of the Central District, Military Affairs Officer of the various departments in Shangshang Prefecture, Military Affairs Officer of the Prince's Palace, Military Affairs Officer of the Left and Right Leading Military Office, Chief Historian of Zhongzhen, Chief of the Prince's Inner Palace, Prince's Guard— all of these were previously of higher ranks. There are also Generals Xiangwei and Liwei, Imperial Historian of the Palace, Prefect of the Imperial Gardens, Palace Prefect, and a host of official positions including: Gongche, Jiaoshe, Taitemple, Taishu, Pingzhun, Taile, Hualiu, Wuku, Dianke, Goudun, Zuocang, Taicang, Zuoshangfang, Youshangfang, Siran, Dianong, Jingshi, Taiguan, Guchui... The heads of these departments, the Sima of the Prince's Left and Right Gate Guards, Military Affairs Officers of various departments in the Central District, Military Affairs Officers of the Left and Right Guards, Military Guards, and Wuhou offices, Military Affairs Officers of various departments in the Left and Right Leading Military Office, Inner Food Prefect, Zhongshu Chief, Shangshu Deputy— all of these are considered eighth-rank officials. Speaking of General Weirong and General Taokou, as well as the Four Scholars, Chief Secretary, Recorder of the Gate, Shangshu Dushi, Imperial Censor, Inner Court Monitor, Shangguan Prefect, Zhongshu Prefect, as well as the Imperial Physician, Right Treasury, Yellow Temple, Chariot Yellow, Dragon Temple, Yiguan, Shou Gong, Hualin, Shanglin, Chief Metallurgist, Guide Officer, Left and Right Inspectors, Cattle and Sheep, Livestock Officer— these official positions, then there are County Magistrates, Military Affairs Officers of the various departments in the Central District, and so on. These were once considered relatively high-ranking official positions in the past.
Then, there are the General of Pacification, the General of Disturbance Control, the Chief of the Prince's Palace and Military Advisor, the Signatories, the External Generals, the Commanders, the Three Temple Officials of the Crown Prince, the Middle Gate Commander, the Xian Officials, the Inner Servants, the Lower Official Decrees, as well as various other official positions such as those of Imperial Mausoleums, Chongxuan, Taibu, Chefu, Qingshang, Siyi, Yaocang, Liangyun, Zhanghai, Zhen Guan, and Linyi. Moving further down, there are the Chief of the Upper Ferry, the Military Advisors of the Lower Prefectures, the Military Advisors of the Left and Right Guards, Military Guards, and other departments, the leaders of the Left and Right Guards' Armory, the Left and Right Gatekeepers, the Crown Prince's Left and Right Guards, the Ancestral Guards, the Left and Right Marshals, and other officials of various departments, the Commander of the Ship Bureau, the Military Advisors of the Upper Garrison, the Chief Magistrate of the Upper County, and the Chief of the Upper Commandery. These official positions are all of the eighth rank.
In summary, this passage lists a vast array of official positions, from high-ranking military leaders to various civil and guard roles, encompassing both internal and external affairs of the court, all ultimately categorized as eighth rank. It feels like reading off a lengthy roster in one breath, truly dazzling!
First, let's talk about the two generals who combat bandits and disasters, as well as the assistants at the Imperial Academy, the people by the Crown Prince, the legal experts of the Dali Temple, as well as various clerks, military officers, record keepers at the Ministry of Interior, attendants of the Crown Prince, officials of the Imperial Clan Temple, county magistrates and officials overseeing border crossings, military officers at the central ferry, and many other official positions, from various departments in the lower prefectures to military officers in the upper prefectures, and then to military officers of the Left and Right Guard Gates, the Crown Prince's Left and Right Guard, the Military Guard of the Ancestral Temple, and so on, even military officers of the Crown Prince's Left and Right Inner Rate Office, as well as military officers of the Left and Right Leading Military Office, military officers of the central garrison, military officers of the upper garrison, and county lieutenants; all of these official positions were once of higher ranks. Next are the two generals who eradicate bandits and disasters, the palace marshal and officials responsible for the Crown Prince's food, warehouses, and treasures, the officials overseeing food and medicine, military commanders, court historians, palace eunuchs, and deputy palace directors, military officers of the Left and Right Guard Gates, military officers of the central prefecture, military officers of the Left and Right Guard, Military Guard, and Military Commander Offices, signatories of the upper prefectures, commanders of the lower garrisons, chief officials of the upper border crossings, officials in charge of the Crown Prince's meals and medicinal herbs, county lieutenants, head of the client department, timekeepers; all of these official positions are of the ninth rank.
Next, let's talk about Generals Kuangye and Hengye, as well as the palace instructors of the Yeting Bureau, the Taizhu, the officials of the Crown Prince's stable, the Crown Prince's copyist, the county magistrate, the deputy county magistrate, the deputy prefect of the central bureau, the military officers of the left and right gates, the military officers of the lower province, the central province's signatory, the military officers of the Crown Prince's left and right guards, the ancestral guards, the guards, the Corrector, the deputy of the Crown Prince's inner court, the deputy of the central gate, the military officers of the lower town, the military officers of the central town, the upper county captain—these official positions used to be of higher grades. Finally, there are the two generals, Pian and Bi, as well as the four assistant instructors, the scholar of bookkeeping, the attendant of the ceremonial department, the external inspector of the sergeant, the deputy of the Bureau of Flag Bearers, the eunuchs, the internal servants, the deputy of the lower bureau, the signatory of the lower province, the deputy of the Bureau of Imperial Attendants, the deputy of the central gate, the deputy of the central county captain, the Corrector of the Crown Prince, the Assistant to the Grand Historian, the Supervisor of the Tai Guan, the Supervisor of the Imperial Household Bureau, the Left and Right Supervisors, the Supervisor of the Yeting Bureau, the Historian of the Grand Historian's Office, and various musicians, all classified as ninth-rank officials.
Additionally, there are fourteen levels of internal ranks: the Secretary of the Grand Secretariat holds the Second Rank; the Chief Commander and the Secretary of the Grand Secretariat hold the Second Rank.
First of all, let's talk about the ranks of officials. The Chief Commander of the Grand Secretariat and the Secretaries of various departments of the Grand Secretariat are all considered third-rank officials. Subordinate Chief Commanders are below the third rank, that is, they are fourth-rank officials. The Left and Right Deputies of the Grand Secretariat are below the fourth rank, that is, they are fifth-rank officials. The chief inspectors of the same province and the governors of Longyou Road are below the fifth rank, that is, they are sixth-rank officials. The secretaries of various departments of the Grand Secretariat are sixth-rank officials.
Next, there are many officials in this batch, such as the Chief of the Pillar State, the Heir King, the County King, as well as the chief historian, sergeant, and military adviser of the Pillar State, the chief inspector of the salt pool, the deputy inspector of the same province and Longyou Road, and the country officials behind the kings and queens; these are all classified as sixth-rank officials. The Grand General, the chief historian and sergeant of the Grand General's Office, the chief of the Pillar State, the Heir King, the County King's attendants, as well as the literary officials of the Heir King, the country officials of the public country, the Chief Agricultural Officer and the Chief Guard of the King and Queen, these are all seventh-rank officials.
The following officials are classified as seventh rank: those serving in the offices of the Chief of State, Chief of Staff, and various military and administrative roles such as the Chief of the Office of Ceremonial Affairs, the Deputy Supervisor of Salt Pits, and Provincial Governors. Officials in key roles within the Office of Ceremonial Affairs and other administrative positions are categorized as eighth rank. Lastly, officials serving in the highest administrative and military positions, including various deputy supervisors and provincial clerks, are classified as ninth rank. The hierarchical nature of these positions underscores their significance in governance and administration.
He has held many official positions, such as the military legal officer of the Kaifu Prefecture, then promoted to the military legal officer of various departments in the Yitong Prefecture, then promoted to the Grand General and the military legal officer of the Grand General's office. He later served as the Grand Marshal, the Crown Prince, the Prince of the County, and the chief clerk of the Zhuguo Prefecture. He has also served as several deputy directors in Tongzhou, deputy director in Qizhou, several small metallurgical supervisors, deputy director of the Yanzhou pastoral supervision, several deputy directors of large metallurgical departments, several deputy directors of border trade points, officials and clerks of various counties, the chief clerk of Jingzhao County, clerks and priests of various western departments in each state, officials in Yongzhou, attendants of the public state, attendants of the king and the second prince, the steward of the princess's family, and the protector of the Hu people settlements in various states (with over two hundred households). These official positions are all equivalent to the ninth rank.
He has also served as the military legal officer of the Yitong Prefecture before being promoted to the Kaifu, the military legal officer of the Kaifu Prefecture, then promoted to the Grand General, the signatory of the Grand General's office, and later served as the military legal officer of the Yitong Prefecture, the signatory of the Kaifu Prefecture, several supervisors of the Xing Tai, several supervisors around the salt pool, the supervisor of fur and leather, several supervisors of central metallurgy, four scholars of the Four Gates, chief clerks of various counties, officials of various departments in each state, military officials in Yongzhou, clerks and chief clerks of Daxing and Chang'an counties, attendants of marquis, earls, viscounts, and barons, and attendants of the public state. These official positions are all equivalent to the ninth rank.
In addition to these, there are honorary ranks, from the second rank to the ninth rank, as well as corresponding honorary ranks from the "view" second rank to the "view" ninth rank. He has reached the highest rank of imperial clerks, and among these official positions, there is actually no clear hierarchy.
In ancient times, first-rank officials could earn an annual salary of 900 shi (a traditional unit of measure for grain). For each lower rank, the salary decreases by 100 shi. Until the fourth rank, which is 300 shi per year. The fifth rank is 250 shi, and for each lower rank, the salary decreases by 50 shi, until the sixth rank, which is only 100 shi per year. The seventh rank is 90 shi, and for each lower rank, the salary decreases by 10 shi, until the lowest eighth rank, which is only 50 shi per year.
Officials who only receive salaries without doing actual work, as well as ninth-rank officials, do not receive any salaries. Salaries are distributed twice a year, in spring and autumn. The salaries of governors, prefects, and county magistrates are calculated based on the number of households under their jurisdiction, divided into nine levels according to the number of households. The largest province receives 620 stones of salary per year, with a decrease of 40 stones for each lower level, while the smallest province receives 300 stones per year. The largest county receives 340 stones per year, decreasing by 30 stones for each lower level, while the smallest county receives 100 stones per year. The largest district receives 140 stones per year, decreasing by 10 stones for each lower level, while the smallest district receives 60 stones per year. It is important to note that only the two deputies of the prefect, as well as the prefects and county magistrates, are eligible to receive salaries calculated based on the number of households. In the third year of the reign, in April, the emperor ordered that the Left Minister be in charge of the work of the three ministers of the Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Rites, and Ministry of War. If the Imperial Censor finds any place inappropriate, they can file direct accusations. The Right Minister is in charge of the work of the three ministers of the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Revenue, and Ministry of Works, as well as being responsible for financial expenditures. All other departments remain unchanged. The Minister of Revenue was later renamed as the Minister of Finance, and the Minister of Justice was renamed as the Minister of Punishments. The Vice Ministers and Secretaries of all departments were promoted to the fifth rank. Twelve more Secretaries were added, making a total of twenty-four. The Ministry of Public Works was merged into the Ministry of Agriculture, along with the Ministry of Personnel; the Ministry of Justice was merged into the Ministry of Ceremonies, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was also merged into the Ministry of Ceremonies. The positions of supervisors, assessors, and legal scholars in the Court of Judicial Review were abolished, and four official positions were established. The administrative units at the county level were abolished, with counties now directly governed by the provinces, and the former Attendants and Directors were renamed as Chief Clerks and Commanders. Officials from the Zhou and Qi dynasties, from provincial capitals, counties, and below, were all appointed and dispatched directly by provinces and counties to handle contemporary affairs. As these officials are unfamiliar with current affairs, they are directly referred to as local officials. In addition, some ranked officials are appointed by the Ministry of Personnel and undergo annual evaluations. Governors and county magistrates are promoted every three years, while assistant officials are promoted every four years. Assistant officials with the title "Cao" were all renamed as "Si."
In the sixth year of the reign, the Ministry of Personnel had twenty-four departments, each with an Assistant Minister responsible for managing the accounts of the department. If the position of the deputy was vacant, the Assistant Minister would act on behalf of the department. The Ministry of Personnel also established eight categories of officials, including Court Counselor, Senior Counselor, Court Petition Officer, Court Attendant, Imperial Clerk, Attendant Clerk, Confucian Scholar Clerk, and Literary Scholar Clerk, as well as eight types of military officers such as Cavalry Officer, Garrison Officer, Valiant Officer, Roaming Officer, Flying Officer, Traveling Officer, Cloud Officer, and Feather Officer. These officials ranged in rank from sixth grade to ninth grade, with higher grades as clerks and lower grades as military officers. These various officials took turns on duty, frequently went on missions, and conducted inspections. At the same time, the positions of External Attendant of the Ministry of the Interior, Morning Petition Attendant, and Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior of the Secretariat were abolished, as well as the positions of Left and Right Guards, General of the Palace, Commander of the Guards, and Cavalier Attendant of the Ministry of War.
In the twelfth year of the reign, the Works Office, Guardhouse, and Ministry of Rites were reestablished. If the name of a department in each province contained the words "attendant," it was changed to "military officer."
In the thirteenth year of the reign, the Waterworks Department was reestablished. The Imperial Academy was no longer subordinate to the Ministry of Ceremonies and changed its name from "temple" to "school."
In the fourteenth year of the reign, each province established Chief Officials and Clerks. The nine-tiered states and counties were reclassified into four tiers: upper, middle, lower-middle, and lower.
In the fifteenth year of the reign, the roles of state and county officials were eliminated.
In the sixteenth year of the reign, the Ministry of the Interior added twenty Internal Affairs Officers responsible for court affairs.
In the eighteenth year of the reign, the Provisional Body was established.
After twenty years, the court changed the Works Office to the Works Supervision Office, changed the official position of the Grand Master to Grand Supervisor, and established the position of Deputy Supervisor. This was like a corporate reorganization, with several leaders promoted and several assistants added.
In the first year of the reign of Renshou, the court changed the Hydraulic Engineering Department to the Hydraulic Engineering Supervision, and the official title of envoys was changed to supervisors. The Imperial Academy was dissolved, leaving only the Grand Academy, with only five doctors, all of fifth rank, and only seventy-two students. This round of reforms was substantial, with school mergers and streamlining of official positions. Furthermore, three years later, the number of gatekeepers at the Supervisory Gatehouse was increased by 120, enhancing security measures.
After Emperor Yang ascended the throne, he carried out reforms in a bold and decisive manner. Within three years, he established the Nine Ranks of Officials, with only two levels of Zheng and Cong, eliminating the distinction between upper and lower ranks. He abolished all the ranks of generals and the positions of the Three Masters and Special Envoys. He merged the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Works, adopted the title of the Palace Supervisor, and established the Palace Secretariat, along with the Ministry of Personnel, the Secretariat, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Rites, forming a total of five ministries. He also established the Bureau of Ceremonies and the Bureau of Censors, along with the Censorate, forming the Three Bureaus. The Ministry of Public Works was renamed the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of the Interior was changed to the Ministry of Autumn, the Imperial Academy was renamed the Imperial Academy, and the Ministry of Works was again referred to as the Ministry of Works, collectively known as the Five Ministries. The Left and Right Guards were renamed the Left and Right Wing Guards, while the Left and Right Cavalry remained unchanged. The Leading Army was restructured into the Left and Right Garrison, and the Left and Right Martial Heralds were renamed the Left and Right Heralds. After these reforms, there were a total of twelve guards. He also changed the Left and Right Mansions to the Left and Right Guards, while the names of the Left and Right Guards remained unchanged, totaling sixteen mansions. The ranking of court officials is primarily determined by their official rank, and if ranks are the same, the order of ministries is considered. If ministries are the same, the order of departments is considered.
There are six departments in the Ministry of State, each with a deputy minister to assist the minister in handling government affairs. He also added the positions of Left and Right Ministers, which are all at the rank of fourth grade. The deputies of each department were renamed to Lang; the Ministry of Personnel was renamed to the Ministry of Selection, the Ministry of Revenue was renamed to the Ministry of People, the Ministry of Rites was renamed to the Ceremonial Ministry, the Ministry of War was renamed to the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Justice was renamed to the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Works was renamed to the Ministry of Works, so they were distinguished from the six deputies. He abolished the position of External Officer in each department and added a Caolang to each department, totaling two. Each department has a Dusilang, holding the same rank as the Caolang, responsible for handling all the affairs of the department, with the official rank of fourth grade, all under the jurisdiction of the six ministries. The chief officials of each department eliminated the title of Lingshi. The number of Lingshi is determined by the busyness of the department. Ten Lingshi have one chief official, and if there are fewer than ten, there is still one chief official. The officials of the other four provinces and three bureaus are called Lingshi, and the officials of the nine temples, five supervisory offices, and various guard houses are called Departmental Historians. Later, he changed the position of Zhuke Lang to Sifan Lang. Soon after, he reduced the position of Lang and added a Chengwu Lang to handle the same duties as the External Officer. The old governors were promoted all the way to the rank of Shangzhuguo, having been promoted through eleven ranks! Those Balang, Bawei, and forty-three generals were all dismissed. The official position of Chaoyi Dafu was also abolished. Then, positions from first to ninth grade were established, corresponding to Guanglu (first grade), left and right Guanglu (left second grade, right second grade), Jinzi (third grade), Yinqing Guanglu (third grade), Zhengyi (fourth grade), Tongyi (fourth grade), Chaoping (fifth grade), Chaosan (fifth grade), Jianjie (sixth grade), Fenwu (sixth grade), Xuanhui (seventh grade), Suide (seventh grade), Huairen (eighth grade), Shouyi (eighth grade), Fengcheng (ninth grade), and Lixin (ninth grade), which are all ceremonial positions. During the Kaihuang period, the position of Kaifu Yitong San Si was a fourth-grade scattered official, but it has now been elevated to first grade, this status is now second only to that of the royal family, mirroring the system of the Han and Wei dynasties.
The number of Attendants and Palace Attendants in the Ministry of Rites has been reduced to only two people; the title of "Attendant" has been eliminated, and the title of Attendant in the Ministry of Personnel has been reclassified to a position subordinate to the Palace Attendants. Four Assistant Ministers have been established, with a rank of fifth grade, responsible for reviewing memorials. The positions of Imperial Secretariat, Grand Preceptor of the Palace Attendants, Censor-in-Chief, and Attendant in the Ministry of Personnel have all been eliminated. The Imperial Seal Office has been changed to a rank of Gentleman, with two people appointed at sixth grade. The position of Registrar has been elevated to eighth grade. The departments of City Gates, Inner Court, Imperial Kitchen, Imperial Pharmacy, and Imperial Household are now under the jurisdiction of the Inner Court. Twelve years later, the position of Imperial Secretary was changed to Chamberlain.
The number of Palace Attendants in the Ministry of Interior has been reduced to two people, while the personnel in the Interior Department has been reduced to four. Two additional Chamberlains have been appointed (sixth grade), ranked below the existing Chamberlains. The Department of Palace Ceremonials has been renamed the Department of Court Ceremonials. The number of Chief Scribes has been reduced to four, with a promotion to eighth grade. Twelve years later, the Ministry of Interior was renamed the Ministry of Interior Affairs.
In the imperial palace administration, the Inner Court has designated a Supervisor (fourth grade), an Assistant Supervisor (fourth grade), and a Chief (fifth grade), each tasked with managing various service personnel within the palace. Additionally, there are twelve Commanders of the Carriages, tasked with overseeing the Emperor's vehicles and horses. The Inner Court also supervises six bureaus: the Imperial Kitchen, Imperial Pharmacy, Imperial Wardrobe, Imperial Chambers, Imperial Carriages, and Imperial Sedan Chairs, each staffed with two Attendants (fifth grade) and two Assistants (seventh grade) to support them. The Imperial Kitchen Bureau, responsible for food, has six Assistants, along with chefs and physicians; the Imperial Pharmacy Bureau, responsible for medicine, has four Assistants, along with Imperial Physicians, Court Physicians, and medical staff; the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau, responsible for the Emperor's clothing and formerly known as the Imperial Household, has four Assistants; the Imperial Chambers Bureau, responsible for palace rooms and formerly known as the Inner Court Bureau, has eight Assistants; the Imperial Carriages Bureau, responsible for vehicles, has six pairs of attendants: Left and Right Flying Yellow Attendants, Left and Right Lucky Attendants, Left and Right Dragon Attendants, Left and Right Swift Attendants, and Left and Right Celestial Garden Attendants, totaling fourteen Assistants and ten Carriage Attendants; the Imperial Sedan Chairs Bureau, responsible for sedan chairs, has four Assistants and six Sedan Chair Bearers.
The rank of the original City Gate Officer (5th rank) at the city gate was downgraded and later renamed as Chengmen Lang, with four positions at the 6th rank, and transferred from the Ministry of the Interior to the Ministry of Gates for management.
The rank of the Supervisor of the Secretariat was lowered to 3rd rank, and a new position of Assistant Supervisor (4th rank) was established. The rank of the Assistant Editor was promoted to 5th rank, while the number of Transcription Officers was reduced to ten. The Bureau of Historiography was renamed to Supervisor, with the rank of the Supervisor promoted to 5th rank, and the number of Supervisors was reduced to one. Eight Chronologists and ten Monitors were also newly appointed. Later, the Supervisor and Assistant Supervisor of the Secretariat were renamed as Ling Zheng and Shao Ling. The rank of the Secretariat Officer was elevated to 5th rank, and four Assistant Officers (6th rank) were added to assist the Secretariat Officer. The rank of the Assistant Editor was demoted to 5th rank. Ten Scholars of Confucianism (7th rank) were newly appointed to answer questions on Confucianism, and twenty Literary Officers (8th rank) were appointed to organize literary and historical materials and review old historical records. Both of these Lang officials were appointed to the Hanlin Academy directly from the vassal states. Forty more Transcription Officers were added, and twenty Kaishu Lang (9th rank) were newly appointed to transcribe imperial documents.
Wow, there were numerous personnel changes at the Imperial Censorate and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices! First, the Chief Censor of the Imperial Censorate was promoted to 5th rank, quite impressive. Then sixteen Supervisory Censors were added, with a rank of 7th. Previously, the censors used to live in the palace on duty, but now this practice has been abolished. The Imperial Censorate also appointed a Chief Clerk and a Recording Clerk, each with two people in each position. After five years, the rank of the Grand Master was demoted to 4th rank, and the Chief Censor was also reduced to 5th rank. The rank of the Censor was also demoted to 7th, mainly responsible for accompanying the emperor on trips and conducting inspections and supervision, with daily affairs of the Imperial Censorate managed by the Chief Censor. Some 9th rank Censors were later appointed, but they were quickly dismissed.
Next, let's talk about the Yezhe Terrace. The Yezhe Terrace's official, originally starting from the fourth rank, was promoted to the fourth rank after five years. Its main responsibilities include conveying imperial edicts, offering comfort to the people, conducting diplomatic missions across various regions, as well as investigating wrongful cases and reporting back. When the emperor travels, the Yezhe officials also lead the way ahead of the imperial censors. To assist the official, two fifth-rank Yezhe officials were appointed. The subordinates of the Yezhe Terrace included Cheng, Zhubu, Lushi, and other officials. In addition, there were twenty sixth-rank Tongshe Yezhe, which corresponds to the position of Neishi Tongshe Sheren. At that time, there were also twenty-four Yilang, thirty-six Tongzhi, thirty Jiangshi officials, and seventy Yezhe, all responsible for diplomatic missions. Later, some Yilang, Tongzhi, Jiangshi officials, and Yezhe were abolished, and eighty Yuanwailang were established. Afterwards, the court ordered the Menxia Sheng, Neishi Sheng, Yushi Tai, Sili Xiaowei, and Yezhe Terrace to collectively handle memorials, so the Yezhe Terrace was no longer the only department responsible for receiving memorials. Later, twenty fifth-rank Sangqilang were established, as well as thirty sixth-rank Chengyilang, thirty sixth-rank Tongzhilang, forty seventh-rank Xuandelang, forty seventh-rank Xuanyilang, fifty eighth-rank Zhengshilang, fifty eighth-rank Jiangshilang, fifty ninth-rank Changconglang, and fifty ninth-rank Fengxinlang. These were all official positions that came with corresponding salaries. In addition, there were some Sangyuan officials without salaries. Later, Changconglang was renamed to Dengshilang, and Fengxinlang was renamed to Sanconglang. Officials ranked below Sangqilang primarily focus on diplomatic missions, with assignments determined by the urgency of the situation and the officials' ranks.
There was an official in the Sili Tai, who was a fourth-ranking official, mainly responsible for inspecting various places. Below him were two other officials, fifth-ranking, in charge of the areas surrounding the Capital. One was in charge of the Eastern Capital, and one was in charge of the Capital. In addition, there were fourteen censors, sixth-ranking, responsible for inspecting areas outside the Capital. There were also forty county magistrates assisting the censors in inspections. Their work mainly consisted of six tasks: first, evaluating the performance of high-ranking officials; second, investigating corrupt officials who harmed the people; third, addressing local tyrants who oppressed the people and illegally expanded their residences without government intervention; fourth, investigating cases of disaster concealment, imposing taxes arbitrarily, or falsely claiming disasters to avoid taxes; fifth, addressing local bandits that the government failed to capture effectively or concealed; sixth, evaluating individuals with high moral character, filial piety, and special talents that the government overlooked and failed to recommend. They began their inspections in February each year and returned to the Capital in October to report their work. The Sili Tai was staffed by a deputy, chief clerk, and recorder, but the office was eventually abolished. However, the positions of county officials continued, but they were no longer permanent; instead, they were filled temporarily by honest officials selected from the Capital.
The eight officials under the Guanlu Temple were demoted to third-ranking. Each temple's assistant officials were increased by two, all fourth-ranking. The chief officials of each temple were promoted to sixth-ranking, the middle-ranking officials to seventh-ranking, and the lower officials to seventh-ranking. Initially, when the dynasty was established, the temple officials were only responsible for receiving documents. Now, the chief officials were the main decision-makers and had to listen to the opinions of the two temple officials. The deputy officials were responsible solely for reviewing documents, and if the officials were absent, the deputies would manage the situation. Five years later, the temple deputies were all elevated to fifth-ranking officials.
The Ministry of Rites abolished the position of Grand Minister but retained the positions of eight Grand Supervisors under the ministry. Two more people were later added, while six Ritual Officials were reduced. A Yin Chamber Chief was established under the Ministry of Ancestral Temples, responsible for guarding the ancestral temples. Musicians were renamed as Music Masters, totaling ten individuals. The Bureau of Astrology eliminated the position of Scholar and established twenty Astrologers in charge of related affairs. The Bureau of Physicians added five Medical Monitors and ten Chief Physicians. The Bureau of Attire and the Bureau of Markets were both abolished.
The Bureau of Imperial Stables merged the Bureau of Superior Horses into the Bureau of Imperial Carriages, with the Dragon Stables renamed as the Bureau of Imperial Stables, subordinate to it with Left and Right Stables. Positions such as Chief Charioteer, Treasurer, and Provisioner were added. The Bureau of Livestock was abolished.
The Chief Justice of the Grand Court was renamed as Chief Inspector, with six additional officials, collectively responsible for handling cases. The position of Chief Justice originally had sixteen positions, with the rank lowered to Sixth Rank, and later increased to twenty positions. Forty-eight Evaluators were also newly appointed, with similar duties to the Chief Justice, holding the Ninth Rank.
The Ministry of State Ceremonial changed the Bureau of Protocol to the Bureau of Diplomatic Affairs. Initially, Emperor Yang of Sui established the Four Gates Pavilion outside the Jian Guo Gate to receive foreign envoys, which was later dissolved but could be temporarily set up as needed, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of State Ceremonial, with temporary adjustments in personnel based on the complexity of the situation. Envoys from the East were called Eastern Envoys, those from the South were called Southern Envoys, those from the West were called Western Envoys, and those from the North were called Northern Envoys, with one envoy from each direction, responsible for the affairs and trade of their respective countries. Each Bureau of Envoys had officials such as a Guardian, Recorder, Ceremonial Officer, Ceremonial Attendant, Supervisor of Tribute, Coordinator of Arrangements, Trade Supervisor, and their deputies, as well as an Adjutant. The Recorder primarily oversaw discipline; the Ceremonial Officer arranged positions based on the officials' ranks and merits; the Ceremonial Attendant arranged seating for guests; the Supervisor of Tribute managed the tributes brought by foreign envoys; the Coordinator of Arrangements arranged their livestock and vehicles and investigated any violations; the Trade Supervisor and their deputies managed trade; and the Adjutant managed the arrivals and departures of envoys and their transactions.
The Sino Farm Temple only manages the Shanglin Garden, Taicang, Guodun Bureau, and Dao Official Office. The Diannong Office and Hualin Office have been canceled. The Price Stabilization Bureau and Jingshi Bureau are under the jurisdiction of the Taifu Temple. The Taifu Temple manages the Shaofu Supervisory Office and is in charge of the five market bureaus in the capital, as well as the Price Stabilization Bureau, Left and Right Treasury, totaling eight institutions. The eastern market in the capital is known as Duohui, and the western market is called Liren; the eastern market in the Eastern Capital is called Fengdu, the southern market is called Datong, and the northern market is called Tongyuan. Other government offices have been restructured into supervisory positions; only the market bureaus are still called Ling. The Guozijian still retains the position of Grand Sacrificer and has added a Minister of Works, with a rank equivalent to fourth grade; three deputies, with a rank promoted to sixth grade. Also appointed are a Chief Clerk and a Recorder each. The Imperial College has one Doctor, with a rank of fifth grade; one Assistant, with a rank of seventh grade. The number of students varies. The Taixue has two Doctors and Assistants each, with five hundred students. In the first year of the Renshou era, the positions of Chief Libationer and Doctors at the Guozijian were abolished, and five Doctors of the Taixue were appointed, with a rank of fifth grade, responsible for managing school affairs. Now the rank of the Taixue Doctor has been lowered to sixth grade. The Ministry of Works changed the titles of Chief and Deputy Supervisors to Chief Craftsman and Deputy Craftsman, with the rank of deputies promoted to sixth grade, overseeing the Left and Right Academies and Zhen Bureau. Five years later, the Chief Craftsman title was changed to Chief Supervisor, with a rank of fourth grade; the Deputy Craftsman was changed to Deputy Supervisor, with a rank of fifth grade. Thirteen years later, the Chief Supervisor and Deputy Supervisor titles were changed to Prefect and Deputy Prefect, with the rank of deputies promoted to fifth grade. The Shaofu Supervisory Office has a Chief Supervisor with a rank of third grade, a Deputy Supervisor with a rank of fourth grade, and two deputies with a rank of fifth grade. They are in charge of departments such as the Left Shang Office, Right Shang Office, Inner Shang Office, Weaving Office, Dyeing Office, Armory Bureau, Crossbow Bureau, and Metallurgical Office. Later on, the Chief Supervisor and Deputy Supervisor titles were changed to Prefect and Deputy Prefect, and the Weaving Office and Dyeing Office were consolidated into the Textile Bureau, while the Armory Bureau and Crossbow Bureau were dissolved.
The Metropolitan Water Supervisor was changed to Metropolitan Water Commissioner, with a rank elevated to the fifth grade, and the rank of subordinates was lowered to the seventh grade. The Metropolitan Water Supervisor oversees the Boats and Oars Office and the River Canal Office, with a captain assigned to each ferry crossing. After five years, the Metropolitan Water Commissioner was changed back to the Metropolitan Water Supervisor, with a rank of the fourth grade, and a Deputy Supervisor was added with a rank of the fifth grade. Later, the Metropolitan Water Supervisor and the Deputy Supervisor were changed to Prefect and Deputy Prefect, with ranks of the third and fourth grades respectively.
The Changqiu Bureau had a Prefect of the fourth grade, a Deputy Prefect of the fifth grade, and two Assistants of the seventh grade, all positions held by scholars. The title of Internal Attendant was revised to Internal Aide, with two appointed at the fifth grade; the title of Imperial Censor was changed to Internal Aide Direct, with four appointed at the fifth grade; both positions held by eunuchs. The position of Internal Admonisher was eliminated, and the three offices it supervised were subsequently managed by scholars. However, the position of Internal Admonisher was later reinstated.
There were twelve Imperial Guard units, each with a Grand General appointed, and two Generals, who collectively managed government affairs and commanded all the Eagle Rise Palaces. The Cavalry General was renamed Deputy General of Eagle Rise, with a rank of the fifth grade; the General of Chariots was changed to Deputy General of Eagle Rise, also with a rank of the fifth grade. The Grand Commandant was changed to Colonel; the Chief Commandant was changed to Regimental Commander; the Commandant was changed to Chief of Staff, with additional Deputy Chiefs to support. The original three Imperial Guard units were restructured into three Guard organizations.
The positions of General of the Direct Hall, Direct Chamberlain, Minister of the Imperial Carriages, Minister of the Imperial Horse, Director of the Pavilion, Deputy General, Army Commander, and Standard Bearer have all been abolished. The personnel responsible for observing celestial phenomena in the Martial Marquis Office have been transferred to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. The soldiers of the Left and Right Valiant Cavalry are referred to as the Valiant Cavalry; the soldiers of the Left and Right Valiant Cavalry are known as the Leopard Cavalry; the soldiers of the Left and Right Martial Guards are known as the Bear Channels; the soldiers of the Left and Right Garrison Guards are known as the Feathered Forest; the soldiers of the Left and Right Imperial Guards are referred to as the Shooting Voices; the soldiers of the Left and Right Guarding Guards are known as the Auxiliary Flyers. Collectively, they are referred to as Guards, and each guard has four aides to assist the general with duties. If the general is absent, one of them will act as a proxy. Later, the bodyguards were renamed as Martial Bravos, who hold a Fourth-Class rank, and six Deputy Martial Bravos were appointed, also holding a Fourth-Class rank. Each guard also has a Chief Clerk with a Fifth-Class rank. There are also officials responsible for record-keeping, managing warehouses, troop logistics, cavalry, armor, and more. The Forbidden Guard tasked with protecting the emperor has also expanded its personal attendants. Each Eagle Soaring Office has an Eagle Soaring Commandant, who holds a Fifth-Class rank; a Deputy Eagle Soaring Commandant, who holds a Fifth-Class rank; each also has a Marshal and officials in charge of troops and warehouses. These offices oversee the Imperial Guards, Honorary Guards, and Martial Guards, except for the Forbidden Guard tasked with protecting the emperor, none of the other offices have these three guard structures. Each Eagle Soaring Office has two Cavalry Commandants responsible for cavalry, and two Infantry Commandants responsible for infantry, all holding a Sixth-Class rank. The positions in other Eagle Soaring Offices are comparable. The Guarding Guards have introduced two positions for Surveillance Officers, dedicated to investigating disciplinary violations. Five years later, all Deputy Commandants were renamed as Eagle Strike Commandants.
Okay, let's talk about the reorganization. First, rename the Left and Right Bodyguard Offices to Left and Right Bodyguard Offices, with a Bodyguard Commander of the fourth rank in each office. Also, add two Direct Attendants of the fourth rank to assist the Bodyguard Commander in guarding the Emperor. The Bodyguard Office also oversees the Left and Right Thousand Bulls and Archery Bureaus, a total of 32 people, all of the sixth rank. The Thousand Bulls are mainly responsible for protecting the Emperor; the Archery Bureau is in charge of bows and arrows. Additionally, there is a Chief Record Keeper of the sixth rank responsible for recording events; officials of the Military Bureau, Treasury Bureau, and Cavalry Bureau, as well as military officers, all of the eighth rank. There are also three Assault Generals on each side, of the fourth rank, in charge of the elite troops; and three Brave Generals of the fourth rank assisting the Assault Generals. The elite troops are overseen by the Brave Generals of the Left and Right Martial Guards, with a Deputy Brave General assisting, working together with the Eagle Soar and Eagle Strike teams. There are also military officers in charge of the Military and Cavalry bureaus.
Next is the Left and Right Gatekeeping Offices, where the generals are replaced by Commanders of the fourth rank, one on each side; and six Straight Pavilion officials of the fifth rank. Other official positions are similar to those in the Bodyguard Office. In addition, there are 120 Left and Right Gatekeepers of the sixth rank; and 240 Gate Attendants of the seventh rank, responsible for guarding the palace gates.
In the Gatehouse, the number of Internal Attendants and Stable Hands has been reduced to two each; the number of Court Physicians has also been reduced to two. The Gatekeeper is renamed the Palace Gatekeeper, and the "Zhengzi" is renamed the "Zhengshu."
The Prince's Attendants in the Library are renamed Record-keeping Attendants, with a reduction of four people; the Attendants of Affairs are renamed Proclamation Attendants, totaling eight people. The Household Manager is renamed the Office Manager, and the Internal Courtyard Supervisor is renamed the Library Supervisor.
The Left and Right Guard Commanders' Offices are renamed Left and Right Attendant Commanders of the fourth rank; the Close Guards are renamed the Sincerity Office, the Meritorious Guards are renamed the Righteous Office, and the Protective Guards are renamed the Virtuous Office. The personnel of the Direct Attendants and Straight Pavilions have all been disbanded.
The Left and Right Ancestral Guards are renamed the Left and Right Martial Attendant Commanders of the fourth rank.
The Left and Right Imperial Guard Commanders' Offices have been renamed the Left and Right Imperial Guard Commanders of the fourth rank, with the establishment of a Deputy Commander.
The Left and Right Internal Commanders were demoted to Fifth Rank. The Imperial Guards were renamed to Left and Right Guards, each consisting of eight members. The Gatekeepers of the Left and Right were renamed as Palace Gate Commanders, demoted to Fifth Rank; the Chief Gatekeeper was renamed to Chief Officer, with sixty people.
During the Kaihuang period, nine noble titles were established, including Kings, Dukes, Earls, Counts, Viscounts, Barons, and others. At this point, only three titles remained: King, Duke, and Marquis; all others were abolished.
The military officers in the royal palace were all renamed as Officers of the Various Departments. If they had previously been a member of a certain officer's staff, they were now referred to by that officer's designation. The title of National Governor was changed to Household Administrator, and any official titles containing the character "national" had that character removed.
Each of the Emperor's palaces was assigned a Chief Supervisor to manage it. The Chief Supervisor of a top-tier palace held Fifth Rank, while that of a middle-tier palace held Sixth Rank, and a lower-tier palace held Seventh Rank. In the Longyou region, a Left and Right Pastoral Supervisor were appointed to oversee their respective areas.
After the change from states to a commandery, a governor was appointed. The governor of a top-grade commandery held the rank of third grade, a middle-grade commandery held the rank of fourth grade, and a lower-grade commandery held the rank of fifth grade. The highest-ranking officials in Jingzhao and Henan commanderies were known as "yin," both holding the rank of third grade. The positions of Changshi and Sima were abolished, and a Zanwu was appointed to assist the governor. (The Zanwu in Jingzhao and Henan held the rank of fourth grade; in top-grade commanderies, it was fifth grade; in middle-grade commanderies, it was sixth grade; and in lower-grade commanderies, it was seventh grade.) Next, East and West Cao clerks were established. (The East and West Cao clerks in Jingzhao and Henan held the rank of fifth grade; in top-grade commanderies, it was sixth grade; in middle-grade commanderies, it was sixth grade; and in lower-grade commanderies, it was seventh grade.) The number of clerks, officials, and assistants such as Chief Clerk, Minister of Works, Warehouse Clerk, Household Clerk, Military Clerk, Legal Clerk, and Scholar Clerk varied according to the size of the commandery. The position of Xing Canjun was renamed Acting Clerk. Previously, military affairs were managed by the Governor-General, but now Commandants and Deputy Commandants were appointed to manage the military separately. Commandants held the rank of fourth grade, who were responsible for commanding the military without interference from the governor, while Deputy Commandants held the rank of fifth grade. In addition, a Capital Defense Commandant was established, holding the rank of third grade, with a government office set up at Tongguan to oversee military and defense matters. Deputy Commandants were also appointed below the Capital Defense Commandant, holding the rank of fourth grade. Officials and deputies for various defensive roles were also appointed to manage defenses in different areas. The county magistrates of Daxing, Chang'an, Henan, and Luoyang were all promoted to fifth grade. The rank of other counties was determined based on the size, activity level, and importance of their jurisdiction. The positions of Cheng and Chief Clerk were unchanged. Later on, each commandery appointed a Tongshou below the governor, with the Tongshou in Jingzhao and Henan referred to as Neishi. The Zanwu position in the commandery was renamed to Cheng, ranking below the Tongshou; the County Wei was renamed County Zheng, later renamed Household Clerk and Legal Clerk, respectively assisting the six clerks in the commandery. Henan, Luoyang, Chang'an, and Daxing commanderies also appointed a Gongcao, resulting in three clerks, each with two officials. Buddhist monasteries in commanderies were renamed Daochang, Daoist shrines were renamed Xuantan, each managed by a supervisor and Cheng. The wards in the capital were renamed neighborhoods, with neighborhood officials being removed and neighborhood heads now responsible for local affairs.
After the emperor began to issue decrees from the third year onwards, he continuously established and adjusted institutions, but these adjustments were short-lived and were frequently altered. There are many other matters we can't fully grasp, likely because they're not documented in historical records.
