The Ming Dynasty cabinet is an important role in the political system of the Ming Dynasty, they are the first auxiliary ministers in the cabinet, responsible for presiding over the cabinet affairs, especially the right to vote, its status and power in Jiajing, Longqing and Wanli reached its peak in the early years, the boundary between the first assistant and the second assistant is strict, and the power of the first assistant is the heaviest.
There are many theories about the nature and status of the Cabinet, such as "adviser", "prime minister", "secretary of the opening of the government", "auxiliary minister", etc., and the mainstream view in contemporary academic circles is that he is not the prime minister.
There were no fixed rules on the rank of the first assistant in the Ming cabinet, and their status and power mainly came from the emperor's authorization and the division of labor within the cabinet. The functions and powers of the cabinet chief assistant include, but are not limited to, the power to vote, that is, the power to make opinions on the disposition of the imperial court regulations, which enables the cabinet chief assistant to influence the decision-making of the imperial court to a large extent.
In the Ming Dynasty, there were many cabinet chiefs and assistants, including but not limited to Li Xian, Yang Tinghe, Yan Song, Zhang Juzheng, Zhang Siwei, Li Biao, Wang Xijue, etc. These figures played key roles in the cabinet, some pushing for reforms, while others influenced Ming politics through political struggles or personal decisions.
The position of the chief assistant of the Ming Dynasty cabinet is equivalent to what official position is now, and this comparison does not directly correspond. The role and power played by the cabinet chiefs and assistants in the political system of the Ming Dynasty were similar to those of the prime minister or prime minister in a modern state, but they did not have the direct appointment power of the modern head of state, and their power mainly came from the emperor's trust and the division of labor within the cabinet.