The Nine Ministers or Nine Chamberlains (Chinese: 九卿; pinyin: jiǔ qīng) was the collective name for nine high officials in the imperial government of the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD), who each headed one of the Nine Courts and were subordinates to the Three Councillors of State.
The term "Nine Ministers" could also refer to the nine high-ranking officials in the Ming dynasty, namely, the respective functional heads of the Six Ministries, the Censorate, the Office of Transmission, and the Grand Court of Revision.
[3] The Minister of the Household was in charge of the Gentlemen (郎; láng), civil service candidates who stood guard at the doors of palaces and halls.
Every year, the Minister assessed and rated these Gentlemen on four qualities (simplicity, generosity, modesty and virtue) and recommended them for office accordingly.
[7] The Minister Herald performed the role of a master of ceremonies at religious rituals (e.g. worship at the imperial ancestral temple) and when the Emperor received guests.
Sources of revenue for the state treasury included poll tax, land tax, commutation of labour service into cash payment, profits from the state monopoly over iron and salt, income from public land, and profit from the state-sanctioned sale of alcoholic drinks.
Sources of revenue for the palace treasury included taxes on mountains, seas and lakes, which were considered the Emperor's property.