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How did Han emperors communicate their decisions to officials?

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Map showing the Han Empire's territory around 100 BCE, shaded in orange, covering much of eastern China and extending westward. The map also marks the boundary of modern China and highlights the Great Wall running along the northern frontier, built for protection against the Huns. Major rivers and the capital, Chang'an (Xi'an), are labeled. — Han dynasty Map showing the extent of the Han empire c. 100 bce.

Han emperors communicated their decisions to officials primarily through the issuance of edicts, which declared the imperial will. These instructions often took the form of formal responses to proposals submitted by officials, where the emperor would note his approval. Additionally, the emperor issued formal deeds of investiture for noblemen and letters of appointment for senior officials.1

These edicts were circulated to the relevant authorities for implementation, often accompanied by regulations such as statutes and ordinances that detailed state entitlements and prohibitions. To facilitate this communication, the government maintained regular means of transport to ensure the efficient conveyance of official mail between offices.1

Beyond written edicts, emperors occasionally convened conferences of senior statesmen to solicit their views on specific policy problems. Conversely, officials communicated their own suggestions to the emperor by submitting written memorials. While the formal "Outer Court" followed established protocols for these communications, members of the "Inner Court"—specifically the secretariat—gained the ability to circumvent formal approaches by having direct access to the emperor.123