釋氏稽古略 3.19

3.19

In the seventh year of Wude, in the second month, the Offices of the Grand Area Commander were changed to Offices of the Area Commander-in-Chief. In the third month, statutes were first established: the Grand Preceptor, Minister of Education, and Minister of Works were made the Three Excellencies. Next were the Department of State Affairs, the Chancellery, the Secretariat, the Palace Library, the Palace Domestic Service, and the Palace Eunuch Service, making Six Departments. Next was the Censorate, and next were the Court of Imperial Sacrifices down to the Court of the National Granaries, making Nine Courts. Next were the Directorate for the Palace Buildings, next the Directorate of Education, next the Office of the Heavenly Strategy Senior General, next the Left and Right Militant Guards down to the Left and Right Leading Guards, making Fourteen Guards. In the Heir Apparent's Palace were established the Three Preceptors, the Three Junior Mentors, the Supervisorate of the Household, and the two secretariats, three courts, and ten brigade offices. For princes and dukes, princely staff and state officers were instituted; for princesses, town administrative offices were established. These were all central administrative posts. Those in prefectures, counties, garrisons, and outposts were regional administrative posts. From Specially Promoted with Equal Status to the Three Excellencies down to Gentleman for Rendering Service, there were twenty-eight grades of civil prestige titles. From Grand General of Agile Cavalry down to Vice Commandant of the Attendant Garrison, there were thirty-one grades of military prestige titles. From Senior Pillar of State down to Commandant of Martial Cavalry, there were twelve classes of merit titles. In the fourth month, on the gengzi new moon, the new penal code and administrative statutes were promulgated; compared with the old system of the Kaihuang era of Sui, fifty-three new regulations were added. The equal-field system and the tax-in-grain, corvée, and textile-tribute statutes were first established. The wealth and property of all commoners were divided into nine grades. One hundred households formed a hamlet (li); five hamlets formed a township (xiang). Four families formed a neighborhood (lin); four neighborhoods formed a precinct (bao). Those in cities and towns were wards (fang); those in the fields and countryside were villages (cun). Families receiving official stipends were not permitted to compete for profit with the common people. Craftsmen, merchants, and miscellaneous classes were not included in the ranks of the literati and gentry. Males and females at birth were called infants (huang); at four years of age, minor (xiao); at sixteen, intermediate (zhong); at twenty, adult (ding); at sixty, elder (lao). Household budget books were compiled annually, and population registers were compiled every three years (Tangshu).