Developing And Changing Of Sangong System In Eastern Han Dynasty

In the early Eastern Han Dynasty,the authority of the Sangong(三公)was divided into three distinct components.However,during the middle and late Eastern Han Dynasty,as the influence of the Shangshutai increased,the power of the Sangong(三公)experienced a decline.Under Emperor Xian’s reign,Cao Cao reinstated the prime minister system,ultimately putting an end to the power of the Sangong(三公).Emperors Guangwu and Ming of the Eastern Han Dynasty adopted Xinmang’s Jiuqing(九卿)system and the"Yigonglingsanqing(一公领三卿)"system.Following Cao Bao’s ceremonial reforms,the system transitioned to Taichangjiuqing(太常九卿).During the Eastern Han Dynasty,Emperor An established a dismissal system for the Sangong(三公),effectively employing the"Liuriqifen(六日七分)"technique and the theory of the five elements.This system implementation had a direct impact on the average tenure of the Sangong(三公).Emperor Zhang of the Eastern Han Dynasty instituted the Taiweilushangshushi(太尉录尚书事)system,which was based on the Western Han Dynasty’s Lingshangshushi(领尚书事)system.In the later stages of the Eastern Han Dynasty,amid escalating political turmoil,Generals,Situ,and Sikong could also take on the role of Lushangshushi(录尚书事).In the 15th year of Yongping(72 AD),Emperor Ming positioned the Taiwei Mansion south of Haomen Street,Canglongmen,while the north was occupied by the Situ and Sikong mansions.This arrangement reflected the belief that the Sangong(三公)were akin to the three celestial stars.The archetypal representation of"Sangong(三公),Jiuqing(九卿),and Ershiqidafu(二十七大夫)"found in Confucian Classics was actualized through the reform of Shu Suntong’s conceptualization of court positions during this period.The Eastern Han Dynasty introduced a hierarchical court position structure,supplanting Shu Suntong’s Western Han Dynasty system that placed"civil officials in the east and military officers in the west."This new arrangement featured the Sangong(三公)in the first row and the Jiuqing(九卿)in the second row,with their positions serving as a reference system.By integrating the ribbon system and the ministers’positions within the imperial court,the proper placement of lower-ranking"officials"and"ministers"could be achieved.Contrarily,the Eastern Han Dynasty did not formally establish an Ershiqidafu(二十七大夫)system,resulting in greater mobility and randomness in the third row of court positions compared to the first two rows.This discrepancy arose due to the excessive number of officials corresponding to the rank of the twenty-seven senior ones,making it challenging to reach a definitive determination.