Chapter 158: Order of Order
Outside Luoyang City, flags covered the sun.
It can be said that this was the largest triumphal ceremony held outside the city of Luoyang since the founding of the Wei Dynasty.
I'm not exaggerating, it really is the largest. Even at the time of the first year of Taihe, the Wei Empire had only existed for less than seven years.
Unlike the Huangchu period, the first emperor Cao Pi returned to Luoyang with the central army on his three expeditions. This time the central army returned early, and the ministers also returned early. This welcoming ceremony was almost designed for the emperor alone.
Before the emperor arrived, he sent a messenger one day in advance to explicitly reject the ministers' proposal to meet him thirty miles outside Luoyang City, saying that he did not want to burden his ministers with the trouble.
The emperor was considerate of his subjects, and they could not help but understand. So in the afternoon, all the subjects who held official positions or titles in Luoyang City lined up outside the Dongyang Gate to welcome him, without missing a single one.
Grand Tutor Zhong Yao sat trembling on a chair, sitting in the first row with General Cao Zhen.
The four people, namely, Grand Marshal Hua Xin, Minister of the Interior Wang Lang, Minister of Works Sima Yi, and General Cao Hong, stood in the second row facing east.
If we talk about the seating order among civil officials, everyone is studying classics and Confucianism, and it is not just about who has more power and who has less power. Fortunately, Sima Yi was tall, and the Grand Tutor Zhong Yao sitting on the chair could not block his view.
Zhong Yao is one year older than last year.
At the age of over seventy, aging is not just a matter of changing seasons, but also brings about a general decline in bodily functions. Zhong Yao could hardly walk at this time.
"General, General." Zhong Yao's trembling and vague voice came from Cao Zhen's right. After Cao Zhen heard it twice, he realized that Zhong Yao was calling him.
Cao Zhen walked to the side of Zhong Yao, bent down and put his ear close to Zhong Yao: "What do you want, Grand Tutor?" He was almost eighty years old, so it was reasonable for Cao Zhen to show some respect to him.
"When His Majesty arrives, let Wei Gongzhen go forward to greet His Majesty as he gets off the carriage." Zhong Yao pointed at his legs and smiled bitterly, "My legs are not working properly anymore. I have done my best to make it this far today."
"This..." Cao Zhen raised his head and glanced to both sides, then moved his eyes to Zhong Yao's face, and then whispered: "If the Grand Tutor came by himself, it would be appropriate. But the Grand Tutor can't do it by himself, and the three ministers are behind him, so how can it be the turn of Wei Gongzhen?"
Zhong Yao patted the armrests of his chair twice. "Why is it not his turn? He is the Inspector General of the Imperial Guards. When Your Majesty was on a southern tour, he was asked to stay behind. Now that Your Majesty is back, it is only natural for him to greet him. "
"It's not appropriate..." When Cao Zhen wanted to say something, he was interrupted by Zhong Yao's words.
"Just do it, General. How could I harm you?" Zhong Yao frowned and looked at Cao Zhen.
Cao Zhen thought for a moment.
It's not that Cao Zhen was indecisive, but the title of general at this time was far less important than the general who assisted the government alone in the Han Dynasty. Compared with Zhong Yao, Hua Xin, Wang Lang and other old ministers, his qualifications were indeed much less.
Wei Zhen, Duke Wei Zhen... Your Majesty has been so fond of him recently, it's just a matter of who will come forward to greet Your Majesty first. It's okay to use Wei Zhen?
Cao Zhen no longer hesitated and whispered in Zhong Yao's ear: "Then do as the Grand Tutor said. I will call Wei Zhen here right away."
Zhong Yao looked ahead, nodded on the chair, and did not turn around.
Seeing this, Cao Zhen turned and looked at Wei Zhen who was standing in the third row: "Gong Zhen, come over here for a moment."
Wei Zhen did not hesitate and stepped forward. The three dukes and General Wei in the second row were not clear about the situation and stared at Wei Zhen.
"What's the matter, General?" Wei Zhen asked with a bow.
"That's right, Gong Zhen." Cao Zhen coughed lightly, "The Grand Tutor wants you to be at the front to greet His Majesty."
"Isn't this reception also led by you and the Secretariat? Is it okay for you to come to welcome His Majesty?" Cao Zhen looked at Wei Zhen's face.
Wei Zhen was slightly stunned, then looked at the Grand Tutor Zhong Yao next to him.
Zhong Yao glanced at Wei Zhen, nodded slightly, and didn't say much.
Wei Zhen understood, and immediately said to Cao Zhen: "I obey your command. General, where should I stand now?"
Cao Zhen looked around and said, "Gong Zhen, please stand beside me. When His Majesty comes back, you can go to the front of the carriage to greet His Majesty. We will stand here and wait for you to bring His Majesty over."
"Yes, sir. I understand." Wei Zhen bowed.
When the Tiger Guards lifted the curtain of the carriage, the first thing Cao Rui saw was Wei Zhen's face.
Cao Rui got off the carriage with a smile on his face, stepped forward and held Wei Zhen's hand: "With Master Wei in Luoyang, I have nothing to worry about!"
"I am just doing my duty." Wei Zhen bowed slightly and pointed in the direction of Zhong Yao and Cao Zhen: "Your Majesty, the ministers are all lined up here to welcome you."
"I understand." Cao Rui glanced at the crowd, then turned to Wei Zhen and said, "Why is it Master Wei who is here to greet me? Instead of the Grand Tutor or the General?"
Wei Zhen explained softly, "It was the Grand Tutor who asked me to come here, and the General also agreed."
After hearing this, Cao Rui nodded and walked towards where the ministers gathered.
Zhong Yao did not stand up from his chair, but tremblingly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I am too old and can no longer stand up to greet you."
Cao Rui nodded and said, "I have always known about the friendship between the Grand Tutor and me." Zhong Yao's slightly cloudy eyes seemed to gleam with light. Cao Rui looked away and didn't notice, but the slight change in his eyes was keenly noticed by Cao Zhen next to him.
Zhong Yao... Wei Zhen...
Cao Zhen seemed to have realized something.
Cao Zhen and Sima Yi both followed him in the southern expedition, and Cao Rui did not say much to these two people.
After accepting the congratulations from the three dukes and nine ministers, he also announced the grand court meeting to be held tomorrow. Accompanied by the music exclusively for the emperor, Cao Rui slowly boarded the carriage and the team began to walk towards the city gate.
Sima Yi rode on his horse and began to recall some of the abnormalities that had just happened.
Personnel is politics.
During these months, Wei Zhen stayed in Luoyang as the Sili Xiaowei and Shangshu You Pushe. It was acceptable to let Wei Zhen, the one who stayed behind, welcome the emperor, even if he skipped Hua Xin, Wang Lang and himself.
But the question is, why did Zhong Yao take the initiative to ask Wei Zhen to come forward? And Cao Zhen seemed to agree?
What happened between these three people?
Could it be that Zhong Yao, the experienced and wise Master Zhong, had sensed some trends?
……
Just like the first thing the central army soldiers did after returning to Luoyang was to go home, Cao Rui, although an emperor, also had a home to return to.
After Cao Rui entered the palace, Empress Dowager Bian, Empress Dowager Guo, and Concubine Mao were all waiting to greet him at the south gate of the North Palace.
Concubine Mao has been pregnant for five months and her bulging belly is already very obvious.
Cao Rui looked over there, and after they exchanged glances, Cao Rui looked at Maopin's pregnant body. Maopin smiled, and rubbed her waist and abdomen as if to show off.
Cao Rui nodded slightly. Sometimes you don't need to say too much, just a glance can understand each other.
"Greetings to the Imperial Grandmother and the Queen Mother." Cao Rui smiled and bowed to Bian and Guo.
Empress Dowager Bian came forward and looked at Cao Rui's face carefully, tears in her eyes: "Rui'er, you fought well! Grandmother first accompanied Emperor Wu to the battlefield, and when she was old, she watched your father go to the battlefield again and again."
"No matter how big the victory is, if you can return safely, grandma will be the happiest."
Cao Rui smiled and said, "Grandma, what are you talking about? More than 100,000 soldiers are by my side. Isn't this the safest place in the world? Grandma, don't worry about me."
The Empress Dowager Guo standing by was not as relaxed as the Empress Dowager Bian. Although he was her son, he was not her biological son. Even when she greeted him, she seemed cautious.
"The emperor has lost a lot of weight. He must have suffered a lot." Empress Dowager Guo said carefully.
Cao Rui smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, mother. I am a little thin because of the journey. I was not too tired when I went to the battle, and I did not fight in person."
"That's good, that's good." Empress Dowager Guo nodded repeatedly.
It took Cao Rui nearly three months from the time he set out on his southern tour on the tenth day of December to the first day of March when he returned to the court.
However, the battles fought in these three months were more than what the previous emperor Cao Pi had won in nearly seven years.
They marched south in December, worshipped heaven and started the war in early January, and actually won the battle by mid-January.
Whether it was Cao Xiu, Cao Zhen, Sima Yi, or the four attendants and other important ministers, this efficiency was far beyond their imagination.
After insisting on marching south in November and selecting the time and battlefield, we officially started the war in early January and won a great victory within 20 days.
Or to put it another way, a large part of their current awe of the emperor is due to their admiration for his military achievements.
After the greetings at the palace gate, Cao Rui and Concubine Mao returned to the palace in a carriage. As the one who was currently pregnant with the emperor's heir, Concubine Mao's status in the palace was unique at the moment.
Not to mention how affectionate the two were after being separated for several months.
On the other hand, Sima Yi had no extra official business to do today.
After Sima Yi returned home, he went back to his study as usual and talked with his eldest son Sima Shi about what he had seen today.
Since Sima Shi turned sixteen, Sima Yi had been discussing schoolwork with Sima Shi every week and various current affairs with him.
When Sima Shi turned 18 last year, Sima Yi would discuss almost all the major and minor matters in the court with him. Sometimes, Sima Yi would even listen to his own son's opinions.
In Sima Yi's theory, training the eldest son is almost the most important thing for a family to inherit. If you don't train such an outstanding son well, wouldn't you be ashamed of your ancestors?
Generation after generation, a drop of water wears away a stone. How many people have suddenly risen to high positions in the imperial court? Isn't it because of the accumulation of generations?
After briefly stating what he had seen today, Sima Yi looked at Sima Shi and asked, "Ziyuan, what do you think might be fishy about this?"
(End of this chapter)
