Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Since capturing Wuhan in late March, the troops stationed there have been carrying out construction work on the three cities of Queyue, Lushan, and Xiakou for several months.

First, the city's defenses were repaired. Then, rivers and lakes were dredged, land was leveled, and field fortifications were built around the city. Afterward, bricks, stones, and timber were continuously piled up outside the city to prepare for Wuhan's future development as a secondary capital. With nearly 100,000 troops stationed here, they were bound to do something, and the area around Wuhan was bustling with activity.

July 30th, at 7:00 AM, inside Queyue City.

Dozens of officials of the rank of two thousand shi or above stood respectfully in the courtyard of the government office. Everyone was dressed in court attire and hats, and their expressions were solemn. They were all waiting for the emperor's arrival. There was no whispering or even exchanging glances.

After waiting for about fifteen minutes, Attendant Wang Su slowly walked out of the hall. His phoenix eyes swept around, taking in the expressions of everyone present. Then, he stood with his hands clasped and spoke loudly:
"Ministers, today's ceremony will follow the same procedure as the court assembly in Luoyang. All ministers, please enter in your respective ranks, and refrain from making noise or disrupting order."

"Alright." General Cao Zhen nodded in agreement and took the lead in.

Behind Cao Zhen, the crowd split into two lines, one for civil officials and one for military officials. Each person removed their shoes and held a tablet, and filed in, taking their places according to the positions arranged in advance by the official in charge of rites, Wang Su. At this time, Cao Rui was already sitting on the throne, wearing a twelve-tasseled imperial robe. The officials could not see the emperor's eyes or appearance clearly because of the distance between them and the imperial robe.

On any ordinary day, with all the officials in the hall present, Cao Rui would have chatted with them for a while. But today was different. Cao Rui, unusually, adopted a solemn demeanor and remained silent, taking his seat as instructed by the Chamberlain, Grand Secretary, and Ceremonial Officer Wang Su, who then oversaw the entire process.

Aside from the necessary grand court assemblies in Luoyang, Cao Rui preferred simplicity to complexity. He either discussed political affairs with his cabinet ministers or convened small meetings with the Privy Council, the Secretariat, and other ministers. Having been away from Luoyang for nearly three years, Cao Rui felt a sense of unfamiliarity with this series of cumbersome rituals, and couldn't help but recall the story of Liu Bang watching Shusun Tong direct the court assembly.

After nine rounds of homage, Cao Rui looked at the assembled officials through his crown and finally spoke: "Let the Attendant-in-Ordinary, Wang Su, read the imperial edict of investiture. All of you, listen to it."

The officials standing in the hall all had solemn expressions.

Cao Zhen, Lu Xun, Sima Yi, Huang Quan, Pei Qian, Xu Shu... The ministers had different specific thoughts, but they all had one thing in common: they valued the upcoming rewards.

Conferring titles of king or duke was not in accordance with the Han dynasty system.

This system was seen as rebellious during the Han Dynasty.

But the Great Wei was different.

The Great Wei has been established for fifteen years. The system of rewarding meritorious officials and bestowing titles upon them serves as a model for future generations, and more such systems will be promulgated in the future. These are the first batch of kings and dukes, and everyone is certain that their names and achievements will be recorded in history and passed down through generations.

Of course, the emperor didn't give any surprise rewards like opening a blind box; instead, he had already notified the recipients of today's titles yesterday afternoon. Although they already knew, the moment of receiving these titles and honors still made everyone nervous and trembling.

"Your subject obeys the decree." Wang Su bowed respectfully, then straightened his clothes, picked up the edict made of silk from a gilded lacquer tray beside him, turned to the assembled officials, and read aloud:
"On the 30th day of the seventh month of the ninth year of the Taihe era, the Emperor of the Great Wei issued an edict:"

"I have received the Mandate of Heaven and reign over the four seas. In the past, the portraits in the Hall of Heroes symbolized the achievements of Emperor Wu and Emperor Xuan. The portraits in the Cloud Terrace truly illustrious the merits of Emperor Guangwu. Only the loyal and capable ministers have established unparalleled achievements. In ancient times, the virtuous were appointed according to their abilities and positions were granted according to their merits. Those who performed great deeds received generous rewards, and those with outstanding virtue were granted high ranks. Thus, military achievements were recognized and honored, while literary virtues were praised. Now, in the temporary capital, the ranks of rewards and honors have been determined with due consideration and in accordance with the merits of each other. This is to ensure that the fate of the nation is in sync with the nation's, and to fulfill the oath I made at the Luo River. You ministers should be aware of this."

"He appointed Cao Zhen, the Grand General, as King of Hejian in Hejian Commandery of Ji Province; Dong Zhao, the Grand Commandant, as King of Xinye in Xinye County of Nanyang Commandery of Jing Province; and Lu Xun, the General Who Conquers the East, as King of Chencang in Chencang County of Fufeng Commandery of Yong Province."

"He enfeoffed Sima Yi, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, as the Duke of Wuyang, in Yingchuan Commandery, and granted him a total of 6,800 households in rewards and honors."

"He enfeoffed Man Chong, the General Who Conquers the South, as the Duke of Changyi in Changyi County of Shanyang Commandery, and added the previous rewards to a total of 6,200 households."

"He enfeoffed General Wei Zhen of Xiangyi County in Chenliu Commandery as Duke of Xiangyi, and granted him a total of 5,600 households as a reward."

"He posthumously conferred the title of Duke of Yangdi upon Xin Pi, the former Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, in Yangdi County, Yingchuan Prefecture, and granted him a total of 5,400 households as a reward. His eldest son, Xin Chang, was permitted to inherit the title of Duke of Yangdi."

"He enfeoffed Huang Quan, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, as the Duke of Langzhong, and granted him a total of 5,000 households in addition to the previous fiefdoms and rewards."

"He enfeoffed Jiang Ji, the governor of Yangzhou, with the title of Duke of Ping'a, and granted him the title of Duke of Ping'a, along with the previous enfeoffment of 5,000 households."

"He enfeoffed Xu Shu, a Grand Secretary and Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, as the Duke of Changshe, and granted him a total of 5,000 households in addition to the previous enfeoffment and rewards."

“He appointed Pei Qian, a Grand Secretary and Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, as Duke of Linfen, in Pingyang County, and combined his previous fiefdom with a total of 5,000 households.”

"He enfeoffed Guanqiu Jian, the General of the Army, as the Duke of Wenxi, with the title of Duke of Wenxi, and granted him a total of 5,000 households."

"He appointed Liu Ye, the Deputy Chief of the Privy Council, as the Duke of Shouchun, and granted him five thousand households in addition to the previous fiefdoms and rewards." "The merits of the other officials and generals have been recorded by the court and will be evaluated after the Jiangling campaign is over. The rewards will be generously distributed. Respectfully approved."

Each time Wang Su, who was announcing the imperial edict, mentioned a person's name, that person would immediately bow down and perform the court etiquette. First were Cao Zhen and Lu Xun, then Sima Yi, Xin Chang, Huang Quan, Xu Shu, Pei Qian, Guanqiu Jian, Liu Ye...

Looking at the faces of the men, some older and some younger, Cao Rui felt a surge of emotions. The many situations that had occurred since the seventh year of the Huangchu era were vivid in his mind and countless.

Three people were granted the title of King: Dong Zhao, Cao Zhen, and Lu Xun. Ten people were granted the title of Duke: Sima Yi, Man Chong, Wei Zhen, Xin Pi, Huang Quan, Jiang Ji, Xu Shu, Pei Qian, Guanqiu Jian, and Liu Ye.

No one is perfect, just as the moon waxes and wanes.

Everyone seems to have one flaw or another.

Dong Zhao was opportunistic, Cao Zhen lacked strategic vision, Lu Xun was cowardly and self-protective, Sima Yi and Jiang Ji formed cliques, Man Chong was at odds with his colleagues, Pei Qian and Liu Ye were good at guessing the emperor's intentions, Wei Zhen, Xin Pi, and Huang Quan were somewhat incompetent, and Guanqiu Jian had an aloof and arrogant demeanor.

However, from another perspective, Dong Zhao was insightful, Cao Zhen was courageous and capable, Lu Xun was skilled in military strategy, Sima Yi and Jiang Ji were both capable ministers, Man Chong was brave and resolute, Pei Qian and Liu Ye were resourceful, Wei Zhen, Xin Pi and Huang Quan never made mistakes, and Guanqiu Jian was loyal and brave.

Regardless of the previous dynasty, focusing only on the period from the seventh year of Huangchu to the ninth year of Taihe, these officials were Cao Rui's trusted confidants and pillars of the military. Cao Rui was not bound by the shackles of Han dynasty titles. Now that the tripartite balance of power had been broken and the unification of the nine provinces was just around the corner, it was only right for Cao Rui to reward his important officials with titles of kings and dukes.

Even in the imperial court, the principle remains the same: it's simply a matter of rewarding merit. If merit goes unrewarded, who would willingly serve the Great Wei and the Emperor?
After Wang Su uttered the words "Respectfully Your Majesty," all the officials standing in the hall bowed and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, we thank you for your grace!"

Next came the step of issuing imperial edicts and bestowing official seals upon each person. After the formalities, Cao Rui nodded and looked at everyone:

"Those who have been granted titles today, please stay. Attendant Wang, please stay. All other officials, please leave. I have other matters to discuss."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The officials bowed in response.

Dozens of officials with salaries of two thousand piculs of grain departed in accordance with the rites. Among them, Cao Zhen and Lu Xun were granted the title of King, and Sima Yi, Huang Quan, Guanqiu Jian, Liu Ye, Xu Shu, Pei Qian, and Xin Chang were granted the title of Duke. Including Wang Su, there were a total of ten people.

Among them, only Xin Chang was in the most awkward position. He was still a thousand-stone official in the Western Regions Office of the Court of State Ceremonial, and he was responsible for receiving envoys from the Western Regions to pay homage and to manage the trade routes in the Western Regions.

Thus, they arrived at this high-level meeting, and Xin Chang was naturally filled with apprehension. However, no one else seemed to notice his slight unusual behavior. Everyone has to go through this kind of thing once.

As for the rest, Dong Zhao, the Prince of Xinye, had retired to Luoyang. After a whole summer, the latest news that came was that Dong Zhao was now bedridden like Zhong Yao before him, with difficulty walking. It was said that he had no illness, but was simply too old.

Wei Zhen remained in Guanzhong to oversee the overall situation, while the main force of Shu was still stationed in the Xiling County area of ​​Wu. Therefore, no battles occurred in Guanzhong.

Jiang Ji was still busy with the general affairs of Danyang County, Wu County, and Kuaiji County in Jiangning. In addition to the tasks of clearing out the remnants of Wu and rectifying the administration of the former Wu territory, he also had to take care of the aftermath of the conquest of Shanyue. It is said that he has been living in the prefectural government all day and can't even go home more than a few times a month.

Man Chong had withdrawn his troops and returned to Xiangyang three months ago, spending his days there reorganizing and preparing for battle. The most significant factor affecting Man Chong's forces was still logistics. Of the original six armies, Man Chong's route faced the most difficult challenges in transporting supplies. At that time, the Han River was under the control of Wu, and the grain needed for Xiangyang had to be transported from Yuzhou via alternating land and water routes, which was quite inconvenient. However, after Wei captured Wuhan, grain could be transported upstream to Xiangyang via Wuhan, greatly alleviating the corvée labor and logistical pressures on northern Jingzhou and western Yuzhou.

Cao Rui did not speak with his ministers in the main hall, but instead led them to a side room that was usually used as a study, and had them sit down, just as they would when discussing matters normally.

Everyone remained seated, not daring to utter a sound. Cao Rui looked around and laughed, "Gentlemen, why have you become so distant from me after becoming a king and a duke? Has this attitude changed so quickly?"

Pei Qian smiled and said, "We dare not presume. We are merely deeply grateful for the great favor bestowed upon Your Majesty and are filled with trepidation."

Cao Zhen started laughing, and then everyone else joined in.

Cao Rui waved his hand, his smile undiminished: "Yesterday I announced the list of ten people to be granted the title of Duke, and today I have bestowed upon each of you the seals of office, which is the final decision."

"Among these ten people who were granted the title of Duke, Xin Zuozhi died in service to the king, and I specially posthumously conferred his title as a sign of praise. As for the Minister of Works, General Man, General Wei, Minister Huang, Governor Jiang, Privy Councilor Liu, Attendant-in-Ordinary Xu, Attendant-in-Ordinary Pei, and Commander Guanqiu, these are all my trusted ministers for many years, like brothers and henchmen. They each made meritorious contributions in the victory against Wu, so of course I must confer titles upon them."

"I don't need to go into detail about your contributions, do I, Sikong?" Cao Rui gestured with his chin toward Sima Yi.

"Your Majesty knows me best, so there's no need for further explanation," Sima Yi replied with a smile and a cupped-hand salute. (End of Chapter)