Palace Hall Office
The Palace Hall Office (廷中監, niling-trung-karam) is a Themiclesian government department overseeing the management of the Themiclesian Emperor's quarters, goods, and security. It is nominally overseen by the Superintendent of the Palace Hall, which is now used as a position for a minister without portfolio, while the substantive duties of the department is carried out by the deputy officer―Secretary of the Palace Hall (廷中丞).
History
The Palace Hall Office was founded in 1332 in an effort to rationalize the administration of the royal palace, which was quite fragmented after centuries of evolution involving dozens of different officers. The guiding principle was geographic: each section of the palace was redesignated to the custody of one government department. It seems the Office was created with the express intention only to manage matters unrelated to government in the royal palace, but the effort was defeated soon after it began operations since its jurisdiction was the Emperor political and personal space.
The Palace Hall Office was part of a group of eight offices as follows:
- Propitiation Office (祝監)―various deities and related ceremonies, issues relating to the Empress-consort
- Sacrifices Office (尚監)―mausolea of deceased royal relatives
- Palace Hall Office (廷中監)―personal affairs of the reigning emperor
- Accounting Office (中典計監)―accounting
- Forests Office (禁監)―emperor's private lands elsewhere
- All Palaces Office (徹宮監)―emperor's other palaces
- Royal Works Office (中工室監)―workshops serving the palace
- Royal Guards Office (中衛士監)―other areas of the palace not managed by the five other offices and perimeter security
Each of these offices was supervised by a Superintendent (監), assisted by a Secretary (丞); the Superintendent had 6th standing, the Secretary 9th.
During the time of the Themiclesian Republic, a long interregnum when government was executed by leading nobles, the Secretary Department was merged into the Palace Hall Office for an unclear reason, and it remained there permanently. This occurred possibly as a result of political wrangling between the leaders of the aristocracy, though specifics are unknown as with most things from the period.
After the restoration of monarchy, the Palace Hall Office continued to gain in importance as it controlled physical environment of the central parts of the palace. To suppress inappropriate influence, it was decreed in 1540 that the Superintendant would not have power to control officials under his supervision, and this remains the rule for much of the modern period where the officials under the Superintendent largely report independently.
In 1567, a new office called the Inner Gate Office (直省監) was spun off from Palace Hall Office, once again with the intention of separating custodial functions from the increasingly political functions of the Palace Hall Office.
Organization
- Attending Department (寺者令)
- Privy Treasury Department (御府)
- Secretary Department (尚書)
- Secretary of State for Officials (吏曹)
- Secretary of State for Envoys 客曹
- Secretary of State for Ceremonies 儀曹
- Secretary of State for Worship 祠曹
- Seals Department (尚符璽)
- Heralds Department (謁者令)
- Corridor Department (廊中令)
內者令
Attending Department
The Attending Department (寺者令) is responsible for organizing the Emperor's attendants on a day-to-day basis. Until the Pan-Septentrion War, attendants were also responsible for the Emperor's personal security, though during the war the two roles have separated. The following text will capture the situation roughly before the Great Reform Act of 1891 radically separated the gentry and public service.
Around the Emperor there were officials with various titles whose chief duty was either to attend to him personally or in positions close to his whereabouts. While these titles are of historical interest, they do not describe the officials' normal roles. All positions in this table require Standing, which is awarded after the process of civil election by the local gentry and, in general, only to other members of the gentry.
| Officer name | Post | Entourage | Standing | On duty | Openings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waiting Administrator Attorney | 典寺御事 | Behind the throne | Follow | 2 (8) | 1 | 4 |
| Middle Child | 中子 | In canopy | 2 (9) | 10 | ||
| Other Child | 徹子 | 12 | ||||
| Waiting Gentleman of Papers | 典書寺郎中 | Presence chamber | 2 | 3 | ||
| Waiting Gentleman at Door | 寺門郎中 | 6 | 3 | |||
| Hall Gentlemen | 中郎中 | Antechambers | Fixed | 6 | 20 | |
| Gentlemen-at-Large | 郎中 | Gatehouse | 24 | 90 | ||
| Gentlemen Ushers | 郎中謁者 | Antechambers | 4 | 20 | ||
Each of the officials mentioned in the table above have a designated physical post to stand in relation to the Emperor, partly reflecting their functions; however, these posts went out of use as lifestyle at court changed. Traditionally, the Emperor often stayed in only a few, large chambers with fixed furnitures, for prolonged periods of time. This habit made it easy for obvious posts to be assinged in relation to the throne, but by the 19th century it was fashionable to occupy an apartment of many rooms with more flexible furnishings, and the attending officials also had to become adapted as to changing lifestyles.
The Waiting Administrator Attorney was the chief attendant whose duty was primarily to watch over the other attendants, ensuring their good behaviour. The Attorney, like other royal attorneys, is a man well versed in the law and responsible for pointing out actions that were not permissible. When such transgressions were done by the other attendants, the Attorney would inform the Emperor and lead the offending party out of his presence; when not done by another attendant, the Attorney would record the instance and inform the responsible supervisor in writing instead.
The Middle Child and Other Child are obligatorily men born to barons, the former being a second-eldest son. Owing to their elevated origins, they stand within the canopy of the throne room, opposite and facing the throne, with their backs against the canopy. It is said that holders of these two positions anciently remained on their knees for their entire shift, but at least by 1720 the standard position was standing instead.
The Waiting Gentleman of Papers was responsible for managing the notes and scribbles generated by the emperor, either tossing them into a fire or sending them for preservation, at the Emperor's discretion. This occurred frequently as things would be written down to collect thoughts, but since the Emperor's scribbles were easily abused (e.g. a draft being cited as a command when not intended), all his writings had to be specially and immediately preserved or destroyed. Due to this special duty, this officer must also be of Second Standing.
The Waiting Gentleman at Door stood outside of the canopy but inside of the throne room. As the title suggests, this official opened and closed the doors at the Emperor's request; when the doors were closed, the official listened for and informed of anyone knocking.