Chapter 47: Special Officials in Charge of the Left and Right Urban Quarters and Residential Properties Office

Although Cai Xiang was merely an Erudite of Evaluation in the Bureau of Official Selection, his position was of vital importance, and Zhang Yaozuo had no wish to offend him. Drawing the imperial decree from his sleeve, Zhang Yaozuo said, "By the Emperor's will, Su Ze is granted the status of a selected official and appointed as the Supervisor of the Left and Right Wing Shops and Residential Quarters. This is the edict drafted by Academician Ouyang."

Cai Xiang cautiously received the imperial decree and the draft, and after verifying that everything was in order, he said to Zhang Yaozuo, "Please wait a moment, Imperial Herald Zhang and Selected Official Su. I shall attend to this immediately."

With that, a clerk stepped forward, guided Zhang Yaozuo and Su Ze to a side parlor in the Bureau of Official Selection, and subordinate officials soon served tea.

Aside from significantly strengthening the powers of the Censorate and the Bureau of Remonstrance, Emperor Renzong had also enhanced the authority of the imperial drafting officials belonging to the Two Hanlins. An imperial directive, if not drafted by these drafting officials—namely, the Academician of the Hanlin Academy in charge of drafting edicts and the Palace Censor of the Secretariat in charge of drafting edicts—could only be termed an inner decree, which administrative departments were entitled to ignore. Only directives drafted by the Two Hanlins could be termed imperial decrees and possess absolute authority.

Consequently, the status of the Two Hanlins was exceedingly high; they even had the prerogative to refuse to draft imperial edicts on behalf of the Emperor, a practice known as "returning the drafting directive." For instance, in later generations, when Wang Anshi served among the Two Hanlins, he was unwilling to draft the decree granting an official post to Su Zhe, repeatedly returning the Emperor's directive. In the end, they had to bypass Wang Anshi and have another drafting official draw up the edict before Su Zhe could be appointed.

Backed by the Emperor's will and the drafting of Ouyang Xiu as Hanlin Academician, the Bureau of Official Selection naturally had no choice but to accept the decree.

Zhang Yaozuo picked up his teacup and offered a hint to Su Ze: "The post the Emperor has arranged for you carries profound significance."

Su Ze quickly said to Zhang Yaozuo, "Please enlighten me, my esteemed uncle."

Delighted that there was something this clever young man did not yet comprehend, Zhang Yaozuo felt his vanity thoroughly satisfied and began to explain: "You might think the Shops and Residential Quarters sounds insignificant, but it actually involves quite a number of people. It falls under the Court of the Grand Treasury, with three official posts: one 'Managing Official of the Left Wing Shops and Residential Quarters' holding the primary seal, assisted by two 'Supervisors of the Left and Right Wing Shops and Residential Quarters'."

Pausing for a moment, Zhang Yaozuo continued, "Lü Gongbi, the son of Lü Yijian, originally held the post of Managing Official of the Left Wing Shops and Residential Quarters."

Su Ze was momentarily stunned. Having toppled a Managing Official of the Left Wing Shops and Residential Quarters, he was now being assigned to serve as a Supervisor of the Left and Right Wing Shops and Residential Quarters—the Emperor certainly possessed a touch of dark humor. In modern terms, the "Supervisor of the Left and Right Wing Shops and Residential Quarters" was akin to the deputy director of the municipal public housing administration.

"The Managing Official of the Left Wing Shops and Residential Quarters is a capital and court official, a rank too high for a mere selected official like you. Therefore, the post of Supervisor of the Left and Right Wing Shops and Residential Quarters suits you precisely," Zhang Yaozuo elaborated. "Ever since the Lü Gongbi case, the post of Managing Official of the Left Wing Shops and Residential Quarters has remained vacant, and the other Supervisor has also been dismissed. Consequently, within the office of the Shops and Residential Quarters, there is currently no other official save for you. In other words, you are the sole official holding the seal."

At this, Su Ze fully grasped Zhang Yaozuo's meaning. The official system of the Song dynasty was exceedingly complex, but when it came to power, one need not look at mere titles; what mattered most was the actual function. In any government office, the person who held the official seal was the chief administrator, the so-called "primary seal holder."

Emperor Zhao Zhen had purposely left the top position of the Shops and Residential Quarters vacant precisely so that he, a mere selected official, could take charge of the entire agency.

Having spent many years in official circles, Zhang Yaozuo ticked off the details on his fingers: "Aside from these three officials, there are three 'Dispatching and Inspecting Officers of the Shops and Residential Quarters,' who are subordinate clerks. There are also fifty functionaries known as 'Toll-Collection and Attending Officers,' as well as five hundred artisans called the 'Left Wing Shop and Residence Repair and Selection Corps,' who specialize in the maintenance of public rental shops and residences."

Indeed, as Zhang Yaozuo had stated, though the Shops and Residential Quarters sounded modest, it was a massive yamen.

Clearing his throat, Zhang Yaozuo continued, "An imperial oral decree!"

Noticing, however, that Su Ze did not display the trembling awe common among other scholars when receiving an oral command—the fellow seemed inherently devoid of reverence for power—he thought better of it. Yet, considering his nature, how else could he have brought down a reigning chancellor while still a commoner? Besides, imperial autocracy in this era had not yet reached the peak of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Zhang Yaozuo stated, "The Emperor said, 'Since Su Ze caused me to dismiss Lü Gongbi, let him go and clean up the mess at the Shops and Residential Quarters. Within one year, make up for all the deficits of the Shops and Residential Quarters. If he fails to cover the shortfall, he shall remain there indefinitely.'"

Having delivered the oral command, Zhang Yaozuo looked at Su Ze, expecting him to be seized with dread and trembling. Instead, Su Ze's expression remained entirely unchanged.

"Do you know how large the deficit of the Shops and Residential Quarters is?" Zhang Yaozuo asked.

Only then did Su Ze cup his hands and say, "Please enlighten me, my esteemed uncle."

With a trace of irritation, Zhang Yaozuo retorted, "Ever since the late Emperor established the Shops and Residential Quarters, with only a few exceptions, it has operated at a loss. To this day, the accumulated arrears on the books have reached one million strings of cash, with over a hundred thousand strings added in new debts every year. Merely balancing the accounts is an arduous task."

Seeing that Su Ze remained completely unruffled, Zhang Yaozuo added, "The imperial court has suffered from a severe shortage of personnel these past few years, and the Emperor may hold the imperial examinations again next year. If you fail to turn losses into profits, what will you do if the Emperor commands you to continue serving as this supervisor?"

In the eyes of Jinshi degree holders like Zhang Yaozuo, the post of Supervisor of the Shops and Residential Quarters was a textbook example of a "turbid office"—heavy with burdens and tasks, and notorious for failing administrative evaluations. Especially for an official who dealt directly with the common people, once any trouble broke out, one's entire career prospects would be ruined.

In contrast, the officials of the Censorate and the Bureau of Remonstrance were far more prestigious and elevated. Censorate officials had no fixed evaluation quotas, and once they successfully impeached a high-ranking minister, their fame would instantly spread throughout the realm.

Zhang Yaozuo had assumed that Su Ze would prefer a prestigious office and avoid muddying the waters at the Shops and Residential Quarters, fully intending to intercede with Imperial Consort Zhang in the inner palace to have the Emperor revoke his decree should Su Ze ask for help.

Instead, Su Ze showed no sign of hesitation and calmly accepted the appointment.

After a short while, the door of the side parlor was pushed open. Cai Xiang walked in, followed by two functionaries carrying official boots, while Cai Xiang himself held Su Ze's appointment certificate.

The appointment certificate served as the credential of office for Su Ze's new post.

A selected official held the lowest rank of officialdom, and his official robe was correspondingly of the lowest grade—azure. Along with the robe came the official hat and boots.

Gazing at the brand-new official robe, Zhang Yaozuo sighed with admiration and said, "When this official first entered the sea of selections years ago, I had to provide my own official robe. Nowadays, the imperial court provides them for free, sparing new officials the embarrassment of empty purses. What boundless virtue of our Emperor!"

Cai Xiang nodded in agreement and said, "Providing official attire to newly appointed officials is an act of grace personally decreed by His Majesty a few years ago. Lord Su may try on the robe; if it does not fit, the Bureau of Official Selection has its own tailors who can alter it."

Su Ze took the robe and boots, went into the changing room of the side parlor, and dressed. When he emerged clad in his official robes, Cai Xiang could not help praising, "What a magnificent bearing! Truly worthy of a righteous gentleman capable of impeaching a treacherous chancellor!"