Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Hanoi District, Son Duong County.

After attending the sacrificial ceremony for the former Duke of Shanyang, Emperor Xian of Han, Liu Xie (Liu Bohe), Cao Rui's carriage was about to leave Shanyang County and head south to Huai County, the capital of Henan Commandery.

Liu Kang, the fifteen-year-old second Duke of Shanyang and grandson of Liu Xie, knelt by the roadside to see Cao Rui off as he was about to board the carriage.

Cao Rui looked at the young man who was so reserved that he was trembling all over, and slowly said, "Liu Kang, you are only fifteen years old. If I were to explain any profound principles to you, you probably wouldn't understand them. So I will just tell you some simple principles."

"The transition from Han to Wei was ordained by Heaven, just as Han replaced Qin, Qin replaced Zhou, and Zhou replaced Shang. The 'Two Kings and Three Respects' system is an ancient custom. I have appointed you as the Duke of Shanyang, and the court allows you to follow the Han dynasty's customs in your fiefdom. This is the part of the ancient custom that the Great Wei is required to fulfill. As the Duke of Shanyang, your duties in your fiefdom include studying literature and classics, farming, worshipping ancestors, and performing rituals."

"I won't say anything more. You are a young man. I will select a scholar from the Imperial Academy to teach you the classics. You should regard him as your teacher. If I come to Shanyang again next time, I will test your knowledge."

"Your Majesty, I understand." Liu Kang knelt on the ground and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, I will study the scriptures diligently and heed your words."

"Good." Cao Rui nodded, then got into the car and left.

In the afternoon, the carriage arrived in Huai County. Cao Rui planned to stay overnight in Huai County and return to Luoyang tomorrow.

"Jiang Zitong has returned to Luoyang?" Cao Rui rubbed his forehead. "That's a troublesome matter."

"Yes." Pei Qian replied, "Jiang Zitong arrived in Mengjin the day before yesterday, and Li Zhengfang of the Ministry of Revenue escorted one million catties of copper to the Imperial Workshop. Yesterday, Jiang Zitong handed over various items from Wu to the Imperial Household Department and the Ministry of Personnel."

"I apologize for my boldness, but now that Jiang Zitong has come to Luoyang, he must already be aware of the discussions in Luoyang."

"Hmm." Cao Rui nodded slightly.

As emperor, Cao Rui could command 100,000 troops to fight in the south and north, easily decide which minister to appoint as king or which minister to appoint as duke, and arbitrarily appoint officials to their posts. However, there were some things that the emperor could not decide.

For example, the mouths of the officials and scholars in Luoyang.

Cao Rui was even less able to stop them when they discussed political matters that were not prohibited, did not involve the emperor, and did not involve specific power.

We can't just ban everyone from communicating, can we? If we did that, all the hard work we've done in national affairs over the past decade would be wasted in an instant.

To Cao Rui's surprise, Xiahou Xuan enjoyed considerable prestige among the scholars, gentry, and officials of Luoyang. Cao Rui had not returned to Luoyang for far too long.

Xiahou Xuan had already gained great fame in his youth due to his outstanding appearance and talent. In the past decade, the Imperial Academy in Luoyang became a place that all the gentry of the Great Wei flocked to, and they wanted to send their sons there. Countless grassroots officials in and around Luoyang were students who graduated from the Imperial Academy.

The influence of the Imperial Academy has permeated every aspect of the Great Wei Dynasty.

Against this backdrop, Xiahou Xuan, as the person with the highest social standing, best appearance, most outstanding talent, smoothest career, and most prolific writings among the first batch of students at the Imperial Academy, saw his influence grow day by day with the development of the Academy, almost becoming a "model for all" figure in the Academy.

When such an important figure in this group of scholars sent such a memorial from Danyang County in Yangzhou to Luoyang, how could it not spread rapidly?

Cao Rui consulted with Wang Su about Xiahou Xuan's influence.

Wang Su's response was to wait and see. He believed that, regardless of the circumstances, leaders would inevitably emerge spontaneously from among the scholars and students of the Imperial Academy. For the emperor, Xiahou Xuan becoming this leader was not a bad thing.

After much deliberation, Cao Rui finally agreed to this.

Xiahou Xuan mentioned three things in his memorial, which sparked a debate in Luoyang about three issues. Of course, Xiahou Xuan only ignited the fire; he had no say in where the discussion would go.

Cao Rui can act as a referee, but he can hardly convince everyone instantly.

First, should corporal punishment be abolished?

This point is actually an extension of the debate that had raged since the Jian'an era, and continued unresolved with Zhong Yao and Wang Lang in the early Taihe period. Of course, some people supported corporal punishment, while many others opposed it, all seemingly hoping that the newly appointed Minister of Justice, Liu Shao, who had previously revised the laws, could provide a resolution.

Previously, during the controversy surrounding Zhong Yao and Wang Lang, Cao Rui had evaded the matter with vague statements, failing to provide a clear resolution. Now that the emperor has not expressed his opinion, Liu Shao, the Minister of Justice, is also in a difficult position, unable to advance or retreat, and can only remain silent and pretend not to have heard anything.

Secondly, should the Yue tribes be treated the same as the common people of the Great Wei?

There were no people from Jiangnan among the students and scholars in Luoyang. Previously, the gentry of Ruzhou, Yingzhou, Wanzhou and Luoyang even regarded the people of Liangzhou as almost barbarians. When it came to the Yue people from the distant and newly subjugated Jiangnan region, almost 80% of them regarded the Yue people as equal to the Wuhuan, Xianbei, Xiongnu, and the Goguryeo, Buyeo and Baekje people from the various vassal states of Yingzhou.

The prevailing view is that only the Qiang people of Yong, Liang, and Qin prefectures, who have been gradually assimilated and registered as commoners by the imperial court over the past decade, are different from the aforementioned people and can be considered as ordinary citizens. The rest are all considered inhuman barbarians. Discussions in Luoyang generally agree that subjecting eight hundred people to corporal punishment was wrong, but Xiahou Xuan's decision to register the Yue people as commoners is also excessive.

Only about one-tenth, or one-tenth, of the people supported Xiahou Xuan.

When asked about this topic, Cao Rui continued to inquire about the opinion of Attendant-in-Ordinary Wang Su.

Wang Su extracted the phrase from the Analects, "It is better for the Chinese to be without a ruler than for the barbarians to have one," and told Cao Rui that this was a spontaneous discussion among the students and scholars about the distinction between "Chinese" and "barbarians," which could be summarized as the "debate between Chinese and barbarians."

Of course, this was a cultural issue among scholars, but for Cao Rui and the court, it was a political problem that had to be taken seriously.

When the imperial court incorporated the Qiang people into the regular population and implemented military farming, the Xiongnu, Wuhuan, and Xianbei had not yet been fully subdued, and Yingzhou in the northeast had not been recovered; they could be disregarded. But now, with these new ethnic groups within the Great Wei's territory, if the plan is to incorporate the Yue people into the regular population… should the Wuhuan be dealt with? Should the Xianbei be dealt with? Are the Yue people more noble than the Xianbei?

The mountain Yue people would report to the authorities if their noses and ears were cut off. In the years that followed, how many thousands of Xianbei men died among the many copper and iron officials of the Great Wei?
The first two topics, concerning corporal punishment and the debate between Chinese and barbarians, were relatively mild, but the third topic was rather malicious.

Xiahou Xuan's impeachment of Jiang Ji was a bellwether event for the entire court, from Luoyang to all the prefectures and counties across the country.

Jiang Ji was certainly wrong for failing to investigate personnel appointments, for pushing for political achievements, and for ignoring his subordinates' use of Wu's criminal punishments, but the extent to which this was wrong remains to be seen.

Xiahou Xuan impeached his superior, violating political rules, not to mention speaking out for a group of Yue people. However, it cannot be said that Xiahou Xuan was wrong, after all, Jiang Ji's mistakes were also obvious.

Moreover, the two individuals are almost perfect opposites.

Xiahou Xuan belonged to the Cao and Xiahou clans and was considered a relative of the imperial family, representing the Cao and Xiahou clans who were dependent on the imperial power. Jiang Ji served the Cao clan for decades, twice being appointed to a critical post during the Huangchu era, and worked hard on the Yangzhou front for eight or nine years. Last year, he was granted the title of Duke for his official duties, becoming the only official appointed outside the capital to receive this honor.

This has gone beyond the conflict between Xiahou Xuan and Jiang Ji; it has escalated to a conflict between two subtly opposing factions, officials with different paths to promotion, and new and old ministers.

How to handle this matter and give the world a satisfactory explanation is something everyone is watching...

Cao Rui remained silent, and the three attendants, Pei Qian, Wang Su, and Cui Lin, also fell silent, waiting for Cao Rui's next words.

Upon seeing this, the newly appointed Attendant-in-Ordinary, Wang Xiong, frowned even more deeply. He glanced at the faces of his three colleagues, took a deep breath, and bowed, saying:

Is Your Majesty struggling with how to handle these three matters?

"Otherwise what?" Cao Rui glanced at Wang Xiong and asked in return, "Besides these three things, what else do I have to worry about?"

Wang Xiong said, “I apologize for my boldness, but these three matters seem unrelated, yet they actually stemmed from one cause and are interconnected. The discussions in Luoyang are causing Your Majesty concern, and I believe this trend must not be allowed to continue. We should act swiftly to cut through the mess and resolve one of these matters before Your Majesty returns to Luoyang!”

"If one problem is solved, the connections between the remaining two will only become clearer, and Your Majesty will no longer need to worry."

Cao Rui sat up straight and looked at Wang Xiong. Unlike Pei Qian's usual cautious and meticulous approach, Wang Xiong had served on the frontier for a long time and was more bold and decisive in his actions. This was one of the reasons why Cao Rui brought Wang Xiong to his side to serve as a court attendant.

Cao Rui slowly said, "What is your opinion, Minister Wang? Of these three matters, which should I do first?"

Wang Xiong cupped his hands and asked, "Your Majesty, do you like corporal punishment? Do you prefer to have the hands or feet cut off or to punish the people with forced labor or detention?"

Cao Rui barely stopped speaking: "Whether it's forced labor or forced labor, it's beneficial to the country. Chopping off hands and feet is both beneficial and harmful to the country!"

Wang Xiong bowed respectfully: "If Your Majesty so desires, you may issue an edict from Huai County and Minister Liu of the Ministry of Justice, ordering the Ministry of Justice to proclaim to the world the abolition of corporal punishment. Your Majesty can decide this matter in a short time, which can temporarily quell the unrest in Luoyang, and then you can decide on the other two matters!"

Cao Rui looked around a few times: "Do you have any objections?"

"I second that opinion," Pei Qian replied.

Wang Su and Cui Lin echoed their agreement.

Cao Rui nodded and pointed to Wang Xiong: "Very well, Minister Wang, draft an edict for me based on what you just said, and send it to Liu Shao of the Ministry of Justice tonight!"

"Your subject obeys the decree," Wang Xiong replied. (End of Chapter)