To Every Province
Is Assigned A Judge And Several Clerks, And All Reside In This Palace,
Where Each Has His Separate Quarters.
These judges and clerks administer
all the affairs of the provinces to which they are attached, under the
direction of the twelve Barons.
Howbeit, when an affair is of very great
importance, the twelve Barons lay in before the Emperor, and he decides as
he thinks best. But the power of those twelve Barons is so great that they
choose the governors for all those thirty-four great provinces that I have
mentioned, and only after they have chosen do they inform the Emperor of
their choice. This he confirms, and grants to the person nominated a
tablet of gold such as is appropriate to the rank of his government.
Those twelve Barons also have such authority that they can dispose of the
movements of the forces, and send them whither, and in such strength, as
they please. This is done indeed with the Emperor's cognizance, but still
the orders are issued on their authority. They are styled SHIENG, which is
as much as to say "The Supreme Court," and the palace where they abide is
also called Shieng. This body forms the highest authority at the Court
of the Great Kaan; and indeed they can favour and advance whom they will.
I will not now name the thirty-four provinces to you, because they will be
spoken of in detail in the course of this Book.[NOTE 1]
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