Cao Cao also abolished the Grand Commandant and Excellency of Works while reinstating the Imperial Counselor.
The Excellency of Works, also known as the Minister of Works, was less powerful than his previous counterpart, the Imperial Counselor.
The Excellency of Works made annual reports to the throne about the progress of local administrations' conduct of construction projects.
He was now a subordinate of the new Excellency of Works and supervised convicts in public works projects, like his early Western Han counterpart.
The Excellency of Works was responsible for the construction of city walls, towns, canals, irrigation ditches, dykes and dams, and other structural engineering projects.
The Minister Steward who was supervised by the Imperial Counselor (and later Excellency of Works)—became the Palace Assistant Imperial Clerk's new superior by early Eastern Han.
He directed the efforts of conscripted corvée laborers until this duty was transferred to the ministry of the newly created Excellency of Works in 8 BC.
The Excellency over the Masses (also known as the Minister over the Masses) shared the same censorial and advisory roles as the other two Excellencies, the Excellency of Works and Grand Commandant.
The Palace Assistant Imperial Clerk's proximity to the emperor during Eastern Han allowed him to surpass the authority of his nominal superior, the Excellency of Works, yet his Western-Han-era power to inspect local provincial authorities was removed.
However, in 208 AD the Excellency of Works Cao Cao (155 220 AD) assumed the revived post of Chancellor while acting as the de facto ruler over the court of Emperor Xian (r. 189 220 AD).
In 8 BC, the post of Imperial Counselor was abolished in favor of a Grand Excellency of Works (da sikong 大司空), and by 1 BC the Chancellor's post was abolished and replaced by the Grand Excellency Over the Masses (da situ 大司徒).
