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How did Kangxi manage the large number of government reports sent to him?
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The Kangxi emperor managed the large volume of government reports through a process of rigorous personal oversight. Under the traditional imperial system of China, he believed that no matter was too insignificant to escape his direct scrutiny.
He personally read all reports and memorandums presented to him, often meticulously correcting even minor scribal errors. Kangxi took great pride in his administrative diligence, frequently noting that he routinely handled all incoming documents himself—even during wartime, when he would receive between 300 and 400 reports daily.1