[1] Workers found jobs at Relay Stations or Post Offices during the Ming dynasty in multiple ways.
[2] The subordinate positions were filled by members of the leader's entourage, including cooks, stable hands and innkeepers.
[2] Formerly high officials who had been convicted of crimes ranging from malversation (corrupt behaviour in a position of trust), to bribe-taking or drunkenness received these posts as punishment.
[2] By 1360 CE, local families were part of the relay system and required, depending upon their wealth, to supply the station with a horse, grain, or labor.
Compensation was in the form of grain every lunar month, and later switched into silver ranging from fifteen to twenty-two taels per year.
[3][4] Despite this rather high pay, no individual during the Ming dynasty ever sought to become Relay Station Master, due to the associated risks.
[6] One of the main differences between the two organizations was that instead of being entirely an administrative and logistical institution staffed by civilian officials, military officers were given a greater role, and there was a General Staff Council within the ministry.