opinion official

…and other advisers—collectively known as opinion officials—whose function was to provide separate channels of information and to check up on the administrative branches.

…from the criticism of “opinion-officials.” Absolutism had grown since the middle of the Bei Song; the emperors had delegated much more power than before to a few ranking councillors. Similarly, imperial favorites—e.g., eunuchs, other personal attendants of the emperor, and relatives of the consorts—gained influence.