Chapter 168 Personal Support
Beigong, in the study.
"Although Xu Gongming is gone, his rank as General of the Southern Expedition is too high. You are not qualified to take on the position now."
"Besides, I gave the title of General Annan to Han Zong who surrendered from Dongwu before, and Han Zong died in Huainan. I will keep this title of general for a while to get rid of the bad luck."
Cao Rui looked at Xiahou Ru and said, "How about changing your core general to General Pingnan?"
Xiahou Ru knelt on one knee, saluted the emperor and said, "I will definitely defend Jingxiang for your majesty this time."
"That's quite right." Cao Rui looked at Xiahou Ru and said, "I originally asked you to defend Jingxiang. You can't expand the territory by yourself."
Although the emperor was telling the truth, Xiahou Ru was still a little embarrassed at this time.
"I know my limits and will not mobilize troops in Jingxiang without authorization," Xiahou Ru replied.
"Get up, there is a chair over there, sit down first and then we talk." Cao Rui pointed to the side.
"I thank your majesty for the seat."
After Xia Houru stood up, he sat down on the right side where the emperor had just pointed. There were four chairs on the right side. If he sat too close to the emperor, it would seem disrespectful, but if he sat too far away, it would seem inappropriate.
Xiahou Ru carefully sat in the second seat.
"I asked you to lead Xu Huang's troops. What is your plan?" Cao Rui asked.
"Reporting to Your Majesty," Xiahou Ru said, "Xu Gongming is well-known for his strict military discipline. When I take over his subordinates, I will definitely continue this military discipline..."
"Wait." Cao Rui interrupted Xiahou Ru.
"I'm not asking you that." Cao Rui said, "You've also been in the army for twenty years. You don't need to tell me that."
"I really don't know what Your Majesty means." Xiahou Ru was a little confused.
Didn't the emperor ask him to guard Jingxiang? If he wasn't asking about military management, then what was he asking about?
Cao Rui said slowly: "Last year, I asked General Chen Qun to supervise Jingzhou, but Chen Qun has always served in the court and has not made many achievements in military affairs."
"At the beginning of the year, Xu Huang fell ill, and Chen Qun led his army along the Han River, but was easily defeated by the Wu army and retreated."
Cao Rui looked at Xiahou Ru and said, "Originally, I wanted Xu Huang to make up for Chen Qun's military shortcomings. But now Xu Huang is dead, and you have to shoulder this burden."
"Xu Huang is a steady commander of the army. You should be like Xu Huang when you lead his troops in Jingzhou. You should anticipate defeat before anticipating victory. You should not mobilize troops rashly, nor should you easily weaken your military strength."
"Understand?"
Xiahou Ru replied: "I understand, and I will remember your majesty's instructions."
Cao Rui nodded and said, "After you go to Jingzhou, who can recommend a successor to the Central Core Battalion?"
"Your Majesty, let me think about it for a moment."
After a while, Xiahou Ru replied: "Your Majesty, I think Xiahou Xian can take on this task."
Xiahou Xian? This person has always been leading the Tiger Guards in front of him, which is not a problem. But if Xiahou Xian is gone, who will lead the guards in the palace?
Cao Rui laughed and said, "If Xiahou Xian goes to the Central Camp, what will happen to my Tiger Guards?"
"Your Majesty, Qin Yuanming may be able to take on this task." Xiahou Xian replied.
"Qin Lang, Qin Yuanming?" Cao Rui nodded. "I haven't seen him for several months. I will talk to Qin Lang first and ask him if he is willing to take on this responsibility."
Xiahou Ru also smiled and said, "Qin Lang has been living in Luozhong for a long time and has long wanted to become an official."
"You can give it a try." Cao Rui said, "Leading the Tiger Guards does not require a lot of talent. Loyalty, bravery and prudence are the most important."
"After you leave me, go to the West Pavilion and tell the general. Leave for Xiangyang within three days."
"As you wish." After paying his respects in the hall, Xiahou Ru slowly took his leave.
But when Xiahou Ru went out, he saw Cao Hong standing in the yard with a few beads of sweat on his face.
"What happened to General Wei?" Xiahou Ru asked in surprise.
The two were colleagues who led troops in the central army. Xiahou Ru led the core battalion and Cao Hong led the central fortress battalion. They were already very familiar with each other.
"Junlin, go first, don't ask me." Cao Hong said impatiently, pointing in the direction of the courtyard gate.
Xiahou Ru didn't know why, nor did he know what happened to Cao Hong today. Anyway, he was about to leave Luoyang and head south, and the affairs in the capital had nothing to do with him anymore.
At this time, Zhong Yu came in and said, "Your Majesty, General Wei is waiting in the courtyard."
"Let him in."
"According to the order."
After a while, Zhong Yu brought Cao Hong in.
Luoyang in March was not very hot, but there was already a lot of sweat on Cao Hong's fat face, perhaps because of nervousness, or perhaps Cao Hong's physique was prone to sweating.
Cao Hong was feeling anxious.
Just at the beginning of last year, Cao Hong was threatened with execution by the late Emperor Cao Pi because one of his retainers broke the law. It was Empress Dowager Bian who tried hard to stop him and Empress Dowager Guo who persuaded him a lot that saved his life and property.
Now it's one of my own family members who is breaking the law.
And he died in the Luoyang County Prison.
Although Cao Hong was a general of the Wei Army, he was afraid to ask at this time.
Of course, General Cao Zhen did not reveal to Cao Hong any information from the emperor's study yesterday. Cao Zhen's character would not do such a thing.
Say a few words to defend Cao Hong and confirm that the emperor will not severely punish Cao Hong, then everything will be fine. As for other minor punishments, can't the honorable general of Wei bear it?
There is no need to worry about it.
But Cao Hong did not expect that the first words the emperor blurted out would make Cao Hong cry.
"The governor of Henan executed your wet nurse in prison. By the time I learned about this, it was already too late." Cao Rui said softly, "General Wei, please accept my condolences."
Cao Hong originally thought that the emperor would punish him as severely as the previous emperor, and it was possible that he would lose his office and title again.
When Cao Hong heard the emperor's words, he could no longer suppress his emotions and tears immediately flowed from his eyes.
The tears and sweat on his face mixed with his beard, and he looked quite embarrassed for a moment.
Cao Hong has also experienced life and death for decades and is not a pretentious person.
But the death of the wet nurse really made Cao Hong, who was a sentimental person, extremely sad.
In this era, wet nurses were not servants or ordinary family members, but were generally regarded as respectable elders in the family.
What's more, during the reign of Emperor An of Han, his wet nurse Wang was named Lord Yewang, who for a time held great power in the court and amassed enormous wealth.
Cao Hong was already in his sixties, and his wet nurse Chen was nearly eighty. Cao Rui could understand this sentimentality to some extent.
"Your Majesty, I...I am really sad and have lost my composure. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."
"Punish, what crime?" Cao Rui frowned and looked at Cao Hong: "Let me ask you, that 'Wujian God', did you know that someone in your family worshipped him before?"
Cao Hong cupped his hands and said, "I dare not lie. I do know something. But I really don't care about it. I have never seen anyone in my family worship this god."
Cao Rui shook his head: "Since you knew about it, but did not prohibit or report it, it would be difficult for me to convince the people if I did not punish you."
"Didn't you gain 300 households during this southern expedition?" Cao Rui said, "I will reduce your income by 200 households. Do you accept this?"
"I deserve the punishment for my crime." Cao Hong said, bowing.
"You deserve it?" Cao Rui shook his head: "You still don't understand what I mean."
Cao Hong looked up in surprise.
"My surname is Cao, and yours is also Cao." Cao Rui pointed to his chest and then to Cao Hong's face.
"Since I am the emperor, is there anything you can't talk to me about directly? Do you have to file a petition with the Grand Empress Dowager in the palace and be accused of communicating with the harem?"
Cao Hong's eyes widened, not knowing what to say for a moment.
Cao Rui sighed softly: "Of the two hundred households that were cut, one hundred were because of the obscene sacrifices in your family, and the other one hundred were a punishment for you to communicate with the harem instead of coming to me directly!"
"I want to ask you, when you submitted the petition to the Grand Empress Dowager, did you intend to ask her to send someone to reduce the sentence of your wet nurse?"
Cao Hong nodded and said, "I do have such thoughts."
"Then do you know that the Empress Dowager, in a desperate situation, directly sent the eunuch to find the Henan Yin, hoping that the Henan Yin would release the person directly?" Cao Rui slammed the table.
"Your Majesty...I only found out about it later." Cao Hong replied.
Cao Rui shook his head slightly: "The harem is not allowed to interfere in government affairs, and is not allowed to communicate with officials outside the court. How can you not understand this obvious truth?"
Seeing the emperor's serious words, Cao Hong knelt down and apologized: "Your Majesty, I was just in a hurry at the moment, and I really didn't mean to let the harem interfere in politics."
"Get up!" Cao Rui glared at Cao Hong and said, "Don't do this again. You have also betrayed the Empress Dowager this time."
Cao Hong stood up and said, "It's all my fault..."
"If you are guilty, you must accept the punishment." Cao Rui said: "When you encounter problems in the future, don't look for the Empress Dowager to back you up. I am here, and I will naturally make calculations in my mind. Why do you need to look for others?"
"I am the backer of the Cao family." Cao Rui looked into Cao Hong's eyes and asked, "Does General Wei know?"
Cao Hong bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty. I understand."
Cao Rui waved his hand and said, "Go back and take care of the aftermath. I won't keep you here any longer."
Cao Hong bowed and left, but when he was about to reach the door, he suddenly turned back.
"Your Majesty, I have a suspicion in my mind that I would like to express." Cao Hong said with a bow.
Having just said that he wanted to be the backer of Cao's people, Cao Rui had no choice but to patiently listen to what Cao Hong had to say.
"What's the matter?" Cao Rui asked.
"Your Majesty, I suspect someone is plotting to harm me." Cao Hong said with a hint of anger.
"Oh? Who wants to harm you?" Cao Rui asked puzzledly.
"I guess it was Sima Yi who harmed me!" Cao Hong said bluntly.
Cao Rui frowned: "Why would Sikong want to harm you?"
"Your Majesty, you don't know." Cao Hong stepped forward and said fiercely, "When Sima Yi was in office, I had something to ask Sima Yi, but Sima Yi was ashamed to have any contact with me."
"Over the years, I have had several conflicts with Sima Yi."
"I was not loved by the late emperor. This was my fault. But when the late emperor wanted to execute me, I knew Sima Yi must have been behind it!"
(End of this chapter)
