After the morning court session, Left Chancellor Zhou Yunfu and Right Prime Minister Shen Jinglin both worked in the Cabinet office.
The Yongzhao Emperor was exceptionally skilled in the art of balancing power. He would never allow the top officials of the Cabinet or any other department to belong to the same faction, as that would easily lead to collusion and corruption within the ranks. What the Yongzhao Emperor demanded was mutual supervision and checks and balances.
Since the Cabinet served as the very nerve center of the imperial court, it was all the more crucial that its top two leaders not unite. Therefore, he had deliberately chosen two lifelong rivals to fill these positions. Zhou Yunfu and Shen Jinglin were of a similar age; ever since entering official service, their political views had clashed, and they had fought from their youth right up to the present day.
Chapter 198