142 Boundaries and Beyond
power. For instance, Censor Zhou Liang and Supervising Secretary Ye
Tang both expressed their disapproval and memorialized the Court on
the matter in early August 1548. They cited the recent event in Fujian to
strengthen their argument that Zhu had overstretched himself. Moreover,
it had been difβicult for the provincial ofβicials to seek instructions from
him because of the large area over which he was obliged to tour. This,
they claimed, had affected administrative efβiciency and imposed an
undue burden upon the local ofβicials.
Zhu Wan’s struggle for survival should also be viewed in the context
of the Ming administration. Checks and surveillance were common
features of the Ming political institution. Within the central government,
the Censorate was established to undertake overall supervisory
duties. Eight Censors-in-Chief and several dozen Investigating Censors
were appointed to staff this ofβice. In addition, there was a somewhat
overlapping institution called the Supervising Secretariat (jishi zhong),
comprising six ofβices to supervise the work of the six Boards respectively.
The three judicial ofβices examined important legal cases. When a case
involved matters that were the responsibility of another board, it was
also represented in the deliberations.
Moreover, the dilution of power was the principle of a three-level
supervisory structure of each provincial government so that no one
ofβicial had absolute authority over the administration. The three
provincial ofβices (sansi), namely: the Administration Commission, the
Military Commission, and the Surveillance Commission, supposedly
formed a tripartite body, but actually functioned independently. They
were responsible to the related central boards. To safeguard central
control to an even greater degree, Investigating Censors were sent to
the 13 provinces for up to one year^198 to perform the role of Regional
Inspecting Censors (xun’an yushi). Regional Inspecting Censors were
responsible to the Emperor rather than the Censorate. On top of these
two administrative levels was the Governor (xunfu) or Governors-
General (Viceroys, zongdu). As in Zhejiang and Fujian, such appointments
were not regular. The Grand Coordinators were often assigned special
duties, such as handling coastal defense, and given authority over
military affairs (tidu junwu) and the additional title of Censor-in-Chief
(duyushi) to enhance their prestige, if not their actual powers. They were
also normally granted discretionary powers (bianyi xing shi). Zhu Wan’s
appointment was of this nature.^199
- MJSWB, 205/1: 5b.
- For a general discussion of administrative structures, see Qiu Yongming 邱
永明, Zhongguo jiancha zhidu shi 中国监察制度史 [A history of the Chinese
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