By the eighth year of Yongzheng (A.D. 1730), Manchu and Han were all rated as authentic. At this point, the university students became the highest officials of the Qing Dynasty, just like the prime ministers of all dynasties. "Preface to the Clear Draft of University Chronology" said:
Great scholars in the Qing Dynasty, who lived through the Manchu and Han Dynasties, had great honors, so they presented gifts to each other ... Their products were first-class. As a military aircraft, since the prince, its leader must be a university student, not as good as the Tang and Yuan Dynasties.
This shows that the status of college students in Qing Dynasty is extremely respected. According to Volume II of Guangxu Huidian, his position is: "to discuss the politics of the world, to publicize the constitution and the position of general balance, in order to praise and work together." Every ceremony will lead a hundred people to do things. " Its specific responsibilities are:
First, take charge of political affairs and announce music (imperial edict).
The cabinet is a first-class yamen, ranking above six departments. A college student is "respected and valued", and his duty is first to discuss and recite songs. Cabinet ministers are often at the emperor's side as advisers. They not only answered difficult questions in political affairs, but also handled official documents and drafted orders for the emperor. The official documents undertaken by the Cabinet include systems, imperial edicts, patents, titles, achievements, forms, notes, etc. According to the Guangxu Huidian Volume II:
Those who make the sound of Nilong, such as the system, imperial edict, imperial edict, imperial edict, are all progressing according to their style. Where the ceremony announced the hundred tombs, there were words. Major political affairs, published subjects, hanging easy to offer, there are letters. Qin bestowed more than five officials, and Spyker inherited and failed to replace them, which was called death. When a foreign vassal is sealed, Qin En gives it to officials below six grades, and Spyker attacks twice, which will kill him. Yu told foreign governors and foreign officials to preach in the name of sitting, saying.
Cabinet is an important place for silk fiber, which is served daily by imperial edict and the Ministry of Military Affairs undertakes orders. Anyone who should issue paper money is subordinate to the cabinet. In addition, the cabinet is also responsible for recording the memorial, which is divided into three volumes: whenever this chapter is issued daily, when the ticket signing office of Manchu and Han records the reasons and records the imperial edict in detail, it is divided into one volume, which is called "silk book"; The special imperial edict is divided into one volume, which is called "imperial edict book"; Chinese and foreign ministers and workers who wrote the memorial, obeyed orders and submitted it to the Ministry for deliberation and defense are divided into one volume, which is called "external record". Three volumes are kept in the cupboard for reference.
Second, deal with this chapter.
The daily affairs of the cabinet are to handle this chapter for the emperor. "Cabinet Record" said: "College students are in the army, and everything is unified. In fact, they also manage reading every day. " "Imperial Examination General Examination" is a volume of 80 years, and the position of a college student is mainly to deal with this chapter. The chapter "Inside and Outside Officials in Qing Dynasty" can be divided into two categories: general edition and partial edition. The five chapters of provincial generals, governors, towns, learning politics, salt politics, Shuntian prefect and Shengjing (now Liaoning Province) were all sent to the cabinet through the General Political Department, which was called "Tongben"; This chapter of the six departments of Beijing, as well as the hospitals, houses, temples and prisons, is called "Ministry-based". After Tongben arrived at the pavilion, there was no full section. First, it was translated into Manchu by Han Benfang, and it was transferred to this room for review. The back was clearly written and confused. The original version is a combination of Manchu and Chinese, and it is submitted to the Chinese ticket signing office together with the translated version. The ticket sign is drafted by the Chinese book, reviewed by the waiter bachelor and reviewed by the college students. After that, the ticket signing is completed, the Chinese ticket signing is completed, and the Chinese is signed. Provided by the internal performance office; After the emperor approved it, he gave it to us. Chinese scholars approved Chinese characters on the front, and Hanlin Man Han Shu approved Chinese characters on the back, which became a "little red book". Then, the implementation was issued: the house was taken out from the house and handed over to the Red Office. Every day, the Central Office took over six departments and then copied them to the yamen for implementation; At the end of each year, the six books will be returned to the red book office, handed over to Beijingtang, and then kept in the red book library. In addition, the cabinet also handles some memorials.
Third, handle matters related to sacrifice.
All more grand ceremonies and sacrifices, such as the emperor's ascent to the pole, the establishment of the emperor, the worship of heaven, the worship of ancestors and so on. , handled by the cabinet. "Guangxu Huidian" Volume II:
Every big sacrifice, middle sacrifice, first book wish edition. If the deity is located in altars and temples, it will be regarded as carving and decorating green. The same is true of making books and treasures. When the emperor reached the top, he got a letter, a grand ceremony and a treasure. The release of the album is a festival. Life will begin, and so will seals. Civil and military officials are in the list. How to announce large-scale meetings, tables and exhibitions.
Fourth, organize book revision and store files.
Compiling history books is the duty of the Hanlin Academy. At the beginning of Shunzhi, imperial academy was placed under the Third Hospital of Inner Mongolia, and the library was also under the Third Hospital of Inner Mongolia. After Kangxi, although the Imperial Academy was established separately, all books were edited. The bachelor of cabinet was still the chief inspector, and the bachelor was divided into vice president, editor-in-chief and editor. In addition, the cabinet is also responsible for preserving archives and classics. In Donghuamen, there is a little red book and a record library, which are important files of the Qing government. In addition, posts are also reserved. Guangxu Huidian case contains 14. "In the seventh year of Yongzheng (A.D. 1729), it was decided that all provinces should write this chapter, add a poster and send it to the Juju Annotation Hall. Once recorded, the poster will be sent to the cupboard for preservation. " The largest number of files kept by the cabinet is the little red book, and others also have records and hadith. It is the Cabinet Secretariat, 10 bachelor (full 6, Han 4), 6 classics (full 2, Han 2, Han 2), with 22 attendants. In addition, people who go to bachelor's degree, bachelor's degree, Chinese department, etc. The work in the lecture hall is appointed by college students, and there is no quota limit. Its office is divided into two halls, the south hall and the north hall. The South Hall has four locations:
(1) is responsible for the defense. The cabinet has no seal, it is written in a foreign language, and it is cleared by the ancient books museum.
(2) receiving and processing manuscripts. Letters from the yamen are sent directly to the two halls, and then distributed to each room according to the nature of the transaction.
(3) Official performance appraisal. Responsible for the performance appraisal of waiters, classics, Chinese books and other officials.
(4) Managing "official" affairs. Get the "confession" of assistant affairs and control soap service.
The North Hall also has four positions:
1. Take the throne. Prepare a record of the request and enter the form of congratulations.
(2) Handling ceremony affairs. That is, about the preparations for the ceremony.
(3) Wash treasure with treasure. Please use the national treasure seal and the year-end seal to wash the treasure.
(four) the collection of red books, the custody of the chapter. Qianlong, formerly known as Hongben House, is located in the palace. Its officials include 1 Manchu imperial academy officials (selected from various ministries in imperial academy) and 7 Chinese book officials, who are responsible for receiving, sending and approving books respectively. Every day, Zhongshu submits it to the examination and approval department at the ticket signing office, and then sends it to the internal performance office for submission. When preparing to send it, the examination and approval department will sign it in Manchu according to the emperor's reading, endorse it in red ink, and then hand it over to the cabinet. Any changes or "folds" will be saved in the file and handed in daily.
It took more than 270 years for the cabinet of the Qing Dynasty to take charge of state affairs from the establishment of the Inner Third Hospital in the tenth year of Tiancong (AD 1636) to Xuantong's third year (AD191year). When the Inner Third Hospital was just established, it was still outside the customs and had the right to discuss and dispose of it. It has just begun to take shape. After entering the customs, in order to increase the authority of the Inner Third Hospital, it was ordered that all political affairs or foreign (foreign) secrets or strange strategies should be transferred from the Inner Third Hospital. It is also determined that the level of the Third Hospital is the same as that of the Sixth Department (lower than that of the Sixth Department at first). In the fifteenth year of Shunzhi (A.D. 1658), it was officially changed to Cabinet, but it only followed the official system of Ming Dynasty, and did not strengthen the authority of Cabinet. On the contrary, it lowered the rank of the university students (positive five products), reduced their official positions, and their power was lower than that of the Inner Third Hospital. In the eighteenth year of Shunzhi (A.D. 166 1), he was transferred back to the Inner Third Hospital, with six undergraduate departments. In the 9th year of Kangxi (A.D. 1670), he returned to the cabinet as a bachelor and minister. After Kangxi came to power, the military kept secret and always belonged to the cabinet. In the eighth year of Yongzheng (A.D. 1730), college students were promoted to the first class, above ministers (ministers were subordinate to the first class). At that time, although the military department had been set up, the leaders of military ministers, except the prince, must be university students, so the university students at that time were highly respected because they called the cabinet "Zaifu". In the second year of Qianlong (AD 1737), after the establishment of the military department (the military department was closed for two years), all confidential seals were typed in the military department. All important military affairs must be carried out by the Minister of Military Affairs, and the power of the cabinet will be light, only dealing with some daily affairs. Zhao Yi said in Miscellaneous Notes under the eaves: "The Ministry of War is close to the palace, which is convenient for summoning. Those who are military ministers are all pro-ministers and important ministers, so they are all here. " "Preface to the Chronology of University Students in Qing Dynasty" said: "After Yongzheng, the military department was sent a letter. Cabinet Zaifu, in name only. " The cabinet university who originally held the position of prime minister has become a virtual title of promotion, and the cabinet has become an organ that handles daily government affairs and issues proclamations. In the twenty-seventh year of Guangxu (A.D. 190 1), it was played in August, and ministers at home and abroad generally used memorials. After the title change, the provincial governors don't need to hand over a copy of the title event to the General Political Department for the cabinet, and the cabinet becomes a "idle Cao". At this time, the cabinet office just became a place to store documents. In April of the third year of Xuantong (A.D. 19 1 1), a Western European-style responsible cabinet was formed, and the old cabinet was abolished.