Luoyang, Beigong.
After returning to the study from Empress Dowager Guo's palace, he dealt with some military and national affairs, and it was gradually getting dark.
Cao Rui asked, "How are the preparations going at Chongwen Temple? Make sure nothing goes wrong."
Sun Zi bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, this afternoon, Doctor Gaotang has sent someone to report. Everything is ready. We are just waiting for Your Majesty to come tomorrow."
Cao Rui stood up from behind the desk, stretched, and yawned slightly.
"Sun Zhongshu, please go back. I also need to go back to the harem to rest." Cao Rui said with a little tiredness: "Since returning to Luoyang from the southern expedition, Mao Fei and the Queen Mother have advised me not to stay up late like this."
Sun Zi smiled and said, "Although state affairs are important, your Majesty's health is also a top priority."
Cao Rui nodded slightly, and when he was almost at the door, he turned around and asked, "Are Sun Zhongshu and Wu Zhi familiar with each other?"
"I have also heard a little about Wu Zhi's affairs." Sun Zi bowed.
"It's good to hear it." Cao Rui asked: "If you were to evaluate Wu Zhi, would he have any complaints about being transferred back to Luoyang by me? I heard that Wu Zhi arrived this morning, and I didn't have time to meet him."
Sun Zi said cautiously: "Wu Zhi is a friend of the late emperor..."
"I know." Cao Rui interrupted Sun Zi: "He is a friend of the late emperor. Didn't I also reward him with the rank of Guanglu Dafu, which is higher than the nine ministers, because of the late emperor's kindness?"
"Sun Zhongshu, please feel free to speak."
Sun Zi replied: "Although Wu Zhi has made contributions to the late emperor, he has always relied on his favor and looked down on other ministers."
Cao Rui nodded and motioned Sun Zi to continue. Cao Rui was aware of Wu Zhi's arrogant character. At a banquet in Luoyang that year, Wu Zhi had quarreled with Cao Zhen on the spot, and nothing happened afterwards.
Sun Zi continued, "The current Grand Herald Cui Lin, when he was the governor of Youzhou, was impeached by Wu Zhi because he did not flatter Wu Zhi, and was demoted to the governor of Hejian."
"Is there such a thing? The late emperor didn't care about it?" Cao Rui frowned.
Sun Zi looked up at the emperor, then bowed and said nothing.
Cao Rui already understood in his heart.
The indulgent attitude of the late Emperor Cao Pi towards Wu Zhi was the source of Wu Zhi's tyranny.
However, Cao Rui had no intention of bringing up the past of the Huangchu period. He took away Wu Zhi's post as governor of Hebei and transferred him to the Chongwen Temple in Luoyang. Wu Zhi would probably have come to his senses.
Let’s wait and see what happens.
Cao Rui said: "Tomorrow, Secretary Liu will stay in the palace, and Secretary Sun will also go with me."
"I obey your command." Sun Zi bowed and said.
……
At night, the palace was still brightly lit.
Cao Rui was leaning on a recliner in the bedroom, reading a volume of "Taiping Jing" in his hand.
In recent days, reading "Taiping Jing" and learning about the Yellow Turban Rebellion have become one of Cao Rui's entertainment activities.
Among the four ministers in the West Pavilion and the East Pavilion, Dong Zhao is the oldest.
At that time, Cao Rui once asked Dong Zhao whether the millions of followers of the Yellow Turban Army believed in Zhang Jue's teachings?
Dong Zhao objected to this.
Dong Zhao said that apart from a few Taoists of the Taiping Dao, the rest of the Yellow Turban Army were mostly local tyrants, bandits, and refugees. These people couldn't even read, so how could they understand Zhang Jue's teachings?
It was just using the name of "Huang Tian" to deceive the people, giving the sick some magic water and the hungry a bowl of porridge. But even such "little grace" was much more benevolent than the government at that time, which was also an important reason why the Yellow Turban Rebellion was successful.
Cao Rui just smiled at the time, indicating that he roughly understood it.
It was nothing more than the government not treating the people as human beings, and Zhang Jiao could only give the refugees a bite to eat. Since the General of Heaven gave you food, and the General of Heaven said to worship Huang Tian, then worship Huang Tian!
Cao Rui flipped through the Taiping Jing and couldn't help but sneer.
The "Taiping Jing" actually defends the Han Dynasty!
The book says that the people should obey the emperor, slaves should obey their masters, and natural disasters and man-made disasters are mainly the responsibility of the ministers rather than the emperor.
Fortunately, none of the Yellow Turbans could read.
If he could read, he would probably question the great and virtuous teacher for not following the teachings. How ironic.
Seeing the emperor leaning on the recliner, the serving palace maid brought a basin of warm water to wash the emperor's feet according to the previous custom.
Cao Rui glanced at the maid who washed his feet today and found that it was Zhao Yuan, one of the two sisters, so he slowly said, "Are you and Zhao Jie waiting outside the bedroom tonight?"
Zhao Yuan lowered her head and placed the basin next to the recliner, and replied softly, "Your Majesty, we two sisters will serve you tonight."
Cao Rui recalled the scene in Empress Dowager Guo's palace this afternoon, so he said to Zhao Yuan, "You two go back, and let Guo Yao and Da Hu come tonight."
"I understand." Zhao Yuan looked at the hot water beside the recliner and asked, "Should we help Your Majesty soak his feet first before going?" Cao Rui did not say anything, but just looked into Zhao Yuan's eyes.
"I'll go right away." Zhao Yuan bowed and saluted, then picked up the basin of hot water she had just brought and stepped out in small steps.
Cao Rui was still reading a book, while Guo Yao and Sun Luban also hurried over.
Cao Rui heard the voice and looked up slightly.
Sun Luban came in with a basin of new hot water, and Guo Yao followed behind him, looking a little restrained.
Seeing the emperor looking over here, Sun Luban whispered to Guo Yao: "Go massage behind His Majesty."
"Yes." Guo Yao also replied softly.
Sun Luban placed hot water next to the recliner, knelt on the ground, and then skillfully took off the emperor's shoes and socks.
Upon seeing this, Cao Rui slowly closed the "Taiping Jing" and handed it to Guo Yao behind him with his right hand, then pointed in the direction of the desk.
Guo Yao immediately understood, put the book on the desk, returned to the recliner and gently massaged the emperor's shoulders.
Cao Rui closed his eyes and leaned back on the recliner, and asked, "Which of you burned incense today?"
Sun Luban explained in a low voice: "It was I who burned the incense. It was not my turn to be on duty tonight, so I burned the incense for a few minutes."
Cao Rui nodded slightly, looking down at Sun Luban who was massaging his feet: "How long has Da Hu been with me?"
Sun Luban looked up at the emperor and said nervously, "I started serving Your Majesty in February, and it has been nearly two months now."
"I remember you said that you also studied in Jiangdong, right?" Cao Rui asked.
"Yes, I studied with my brother for several years and read some of the Five Classics, but I didn't learn them in depth," Sun Luban replied.
"Do you know Yu Ji, who wrote the Taiping Jing?" Cao Rui asked casually, "It should be a person from several decades ago. I roughly remember that Yu Ji was killed by your uncle Sun Ce, right?"
Sun Luban did not stop, still lowering her head to gently massage the emperor's feet, and at the same time said: "I know Yu Ji, and there have been many miraculous stories about Yu Ji."
"What miraculous thing?" Cao Rui asked curiously, while his eyes also looked at Dahu's curvy, slender and plump figure.
Sun Luban replied: "I heard that Yu Ji was thrown into the city by my uncle, but he came back to life again!"
"Your Majesty, there is someone in Jiangdong who is more powerful than Yu Ji!" Sun Luban looked up at Cao Rui, but saw a face with a smile on the corner of his mouth.
Sun Luban is no longer a girl, so she can still understand this kind of smile.
After pursing her lips slightly and blushing a little on her cheeks, Sun Luban said with effort: "Your servant... Your servant is talking about a Taoist priest named Ge Xuan."
Cao Rui chuckled, closed his eyes and felt the massage from the two women in front and behind him, then asked: "Ge Xuan? I have never heard of this person, Da Hu, can you try to tell me about him?"
"Your Majesty." Sun Luban's voice began to rise slightly and became thinner. "Legend has it that Ge Xuan was Zuo Ci's apprentice. My father once asked Ge Xuan to pray for rain, and heavy rain immediately poured down. He also asked if there were fish in the water, and Ge Xuan conjured up hundreds of fish in the pond."
Cao Rui shook his head in his heart. Isn't this similar to Zuo Ci's transformation into a fish? He is indeed Zuo Ci's apprentice.
Sun Luban continued, "Moreover, my father even asked Ge Xuan to pray for the longevity of Lü Ziming, who was close to death."
"What, praying for longevity?" Cao Rui opened his eyes, sat up and looked at Sun Luban: "Lü Ziming, are you talking about Lü Meng?"
"Yes." Sun Luban looked at the emperor with her pretty eyes: "I was still young at that time, but I heard it clearly from the servants around my father."
"It was probably Gong'an in Nanjun at that time. After Lü Meng became seriously ill, he summoned Taoist Ge Xuan to Gong'an. He set up an altar under the stars for seven consecutive nights to perform magic. Lü Meng lived seven more days."
Cao Rui frowned and said, "Is this true? Do many people know about this?"
Sun Luban shook her head gently: "It shouldn't be much. I heard it from my close servants."
Cao Rui nodded, and thought of Zhu Jianping from Luoyang whom he had mentioned to his ministers, as well as Zhou Qun and Zhang Yu from Shu whom Huang Quan had mentioned.
If he heard of such a supernatural person again, he would immediately call him to Luoyang and test him personally.
Are these people truly supernatural, or are they just liars who are trying to deceive the public?
After a few moments, Cao Rui came back to his senses and looked at Sun Luban at his feet: "Stop for a while. After you clean up, come to me again. I have something to say to you."
"Yes, sir." Sun Luban said softly, then took a clean linen cloth to wipe the emperor's feet, stood up and bent down, picked up the basin in front of the emperor, and slowly walked out.
Watching Sun Luban walk out, Cao Rui asked in a low voice: "Guo Yao, right? When did you enter the palace?"
"I transferred you to serve me after I returned to Luoyang last month. Do you have any complaints?"
Guo Yao was startled, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke: "I have no complaints, serving Your Majesty is my blessing."
"I entered the palace at the end of the first year of Huangchu."
Cao Rui waved his hand, signaling Guo Yao to come over to him. (End of this chapter)
