In response to the emperor's question, Sima Zhi smiled and replied, "Your Majesty is wise. I think Sun Quan is indeed bribing Your Majesty."
"He can neither fight nor surrender, and he is unwilling to make peace. Sun Quan can only use these private means to make His Majesty go easy on him."
Cao Rui nodded slightly and said, "Now that the Imperial Household Official has met Sun Quan in person, what do you think of him?"
Taifu?
Sima Zhi was shocked. Wasn't his position the Imperial Household Official? Did His Majesty make him a permanent official?
Although he was delighted, Sima Zhi suppressed his excitement temporarily because he could not be distracted when he was discussing with His Majesty. This was the Nine Ministers!
Sima Zhi hesitated for a moment and replied, "I don't need to talk about his appearance. Many officials from the Wei Dynasty have been sent as envoys to the Eastern Wu. I also saw Sun Quan's portrait before I left."
"But I have entered Sun Quan's mansion twice, and I can clearly sense the change in Sun Quan's attitude."
Cao Rui smiled and said, "Tell me, I have time today."
Sima Zhi bowed and said, "After I entered Wuchang, I stayed in the inn for many days but was unable to see him. When I first met Sun Quan, I saw Zhuge Jin and Quan Cong in the hall, who were supposed to be leading troops outside."
Cao Rui knew that Zhuge Jin was in Gong'an and Quan Cong was in Wuhu.
Seeing that the emperor did not speak, Sima Zhi continued, "When I first met Sun Quan, the first thing I mentioned was that Your Majesty wanted to marry Sun Jieyi and give Sun Quan a betrothal gift."
"From the perspective of this envoy, it is obvious that Sun Quan was in a state of panic and could not make up his mind, so he pretended to be unwell and left the hall."
Cao Rui said: "You have done a good job. You have put back all the words that Sun Quan had prepared."
"Although it has no impact on the major events of Wei and Wu, it does show some of Sun Quan's thoughts."
"Your Majesty is wise." Sima Zhi bowed his hands. "When I met Sun Quan again the next day, there was an extra Zhang Zhao in the hall. It was also at this time that Sun Quan refused to submit to Wei again."
After Sima Zhi finished speaking, he thought the emperor would ridicule Sun Quan, but he did not expect the emperor to react that way.
Cao Rui sighed softly and said, "Sun Quan is able to humble himself and endure humiliation, and he is able to employ talents and make plans. This man is a far greater threat to Wei than to Western Shu!"
"We could have made the decision with just one word, but we have to wait for the general to return before discussing the matter. We have been alienating Zhang Zhao for a long time, and we can still use him to strengthen our resolve."
"He even had the nerve to bribe me!" Cao Rui looked at Sima Zhi with a smile: "Sun Quan was able to occupy Jing and Yang provinces, so he must have some ability. If he had a son, he would have one like Sun Zhongmou!"
Sima Zhi didn't know what to say, so he could only reply, "Your Majesty is wise."
Cao Rui didn't take it seriously and said slowly, "The more Sun Quan behaves like this, the quicker I will get rid of him."
"Zhong Yu!" Cao Rui shouted loudly.
Zhong Yu walked in from outside and bowed: "What do you want, Your Majesty?"
"Go now, invite the West Pavilion and the East Pavilion together, and then go to the Secretary's Office to find the list of tributes that Sun Quan presented to the late emperor when he was granted the title of King of Wu."
"According to the order."
Sima Zhi looked up at the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, I have not finished speaking. I still have three things to report to Your Majesty."
"That's fine." Cao Rui said, "Let's wait until the West Pavilion and the East Pavilion come together."
After a while, Cao Zhen, Dong Zhao, Sima Yi and Wei Zhen all sat down in their usual seats.
Cao Rui looked at everyone and said, "Sima Zihua brought news from Wuchang that Sun Quan does not want to submit to Wei nor fight against Wei."
"Taifu, you said there were three more things to say, go on!"
Sima Zhi nodded, but he unconsciously glanced at his cousin in front of him. Before he set out last time, Sima Zhi was still standing in His Majesty's study, and now he can sit down like his cousin.
Sima Zhi said: "Your Majesty, the first thing is that I learned from Hu Zong that Wu and Shu have formed an alliance."
"Wu and Shu called each other the Lord of the East and the Lord of the West, and no longer cared about the difference in status between the King of Wu and Liu Chan, the pseudo-Han Emperor."
Cao Rui nodded: "It is within my expectation. How should Wei respond? Can we fight one by one?"
Sima Zhi didn't know how to answer, but he didn't know that the emperor was not asking him at all.
Cao Zhen bowed and said, "Your Majesty, when Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty conquered the Yuan family in Hebei, he waited until the brothers Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi had fought each other before attacking Yuan Shang first and then destroying Yuan Xi."
"If Wei doesn't attack Wu or Shu for the time being, there will definitely be a rift between Wu and Shu. In the past, Liu Bei and Sun Quan drew the boundary at the Xiang River, and Lu Meng attacked Guan Yu. These events are still fresh in our memory!"
Sima Yi also said, "Your Majesty, I think that Sun Quan's rejection of Wei's request this time means that he is determined to oppose Wei. I am afraid that he will not change his mind in the short term."
Cao Rui interrupted, "Why not contact Zhuge Liang and Shu? Even if Zhuge Liang won't waver, it would be good to shake the morale of the Shu army and people."
Sima Yi shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, when Liu Bei died in the third year of Huangchu, General Hua, Minister Wang, General Chen, Grand Historian Xu Zhi, and Minister Zhuge Zhang all wrote to Zhuge Liang, urging him to follow the will of heaven and become a vassal of the whole country as soon as possible."
Cao Rui smiled and said, "Is there such a thing? Did Zhuge Liang reply?"
Sima Yi nodded: "Zhuge Liang has a sharp tongue and a twisted reason."
Cao Rui said, "Forget it. Wei has been fighting with Wu and Shu for so many years. Who doesn't know each other? Don't do this kind of useless work anymore."
"I am wondering, if Sun Quan usurps the throne, what will happen to the Wei Dynasty?" Cao Zhen said firmly: "If so, I will be the vanguard to help Your Majesty destroy Sun Quan!"
"That's right, General!" Cao Rui nodded. "If Sun Quan dares to overstep his authority, I will send troops to attack him!"
Cao Rui looked at Sima Zhi and asked, "What's the second thing the Grand Master asked?"
Sima Zhi slowly stood up from his seat and took out two stacks of documents from his arms: "Your Majesty, this is the memorial that Chen Huqi asked me to bring when I passed by Xiangyang. It said it was related to the revision of the law."
"I couldn't refuse, so I brought it here on behalf of Chen Huqi."
Sima Zhi held the document in his hand and waited for two moments, but no one came to take it. Cao Rui glanced at the table and signaled, and Sima Zhi took a few steps forward and slowly put down the document in his hand.
Chen Qun originally asked Sima Zhi to hand in these two documents secretly in order to avoid the Secretariat and court officials, but now both the West Pavilion and the East Pavilion know about it.
Cao Rui said, "I'll look back and take my time. What about the third thing?"
Sima Zhi said: "Compared to this, the third incident seems like a trivial matter. I heard from Hu Zong that all the officials of Wu State knew about the famous scholar Li Feng in Luoyang."
Cao Rui frowned: "Li Feng Li Anguo? How did the people of Wu know him?"
"Li Anguo was once a writer in my Eastern Palace. How come I didn't know that he was so famous?"
"I remember that when I met him last year, I didn't give him any real position, but only gave him the title of Counselor. Where is he now?"
Cao Rui looked around and found that no one in the hall knew the answer, so he decided to ask Xin Pi later.
After Liu Ye left, the task of collecting information for the emperor fell on Xin Pi.
After the ministers left, Zhong Yu came back with the old files of the Secretariat.
Cao Rui took it and looked at it carefully, then laughed to himself, "Does Sun Quan really think that gifts are not a problem? I will use all these treasures to build ships!"
……
The next day, when Cao Rui and Xin Pi were chatting, they brought up the matter of Li Feng.
Xin Pi frowned and said, "I really don't know for the time being. I will send someone to check it out."
"Go ahead." Cao Rui nodded.
About half an hour later, Xin Pi came back and said, "Your Majesty, I have learned that Li Feng is now a scholar in Chongwen Temple."
Cao Rui frowned and said, "Scholar? Why didn't I know that he went to Chongwen Temple?"
Xin Pi replied: "I first sent someone to Li Feng's home and learned that he is now a scholar in Chongwen Temple. I also sent someone to the Ministry of Personnel to ask about it."
"Li Feng entered Chongwen Temple last month and is now translating the Book of Songs with Prince Yongqiu."
Cao Rui asked curiously, "Who asked Li Feng to go? The Prince of Yongqiu?"
Xin Pi shook his head: "I don't know yet, Your Majesty, do you need me to investigate?"
Xin Pi was in charge of the Luoyang School Affairs Office, so he was really in charge of this kind of thing.
Cao Rui nodded: "Go ahead, and check the recent movements of Prince Yongqiu."
"Yes, sir." Xin Pi accepted the order.
The mission was sent out in the morning and the situation was clarified in the afternoon.
Xin Pi found the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, Prince Yongqiu has been doing nothing all the time. He has been working in Chongwen Temple all day and has no contact with people from the outside world."
Cao Rui asked curiously: "Who recommended Li Feng?"
Xin Pi saluted with a serious expression and said, "Your Majesty, Li Feng was recommended by He Yan, a scholar of Chongwen Temple. And the school seems to have discovered something illegal."
"What's the matter?" Cao Rui was puzzled.
Xin Pi coughed lightly and said, "Your Majesty, Chongwen Temple has recently recruited nearly ten scholars. Five of them were recommended by He Yan, including Li Feng and Li Anguo."
"The date of Li Feng's appointment ordered by the Secretariat did not match the date of his appointment at Chongwen Temple. Li Feng started to report to Chongwen Temple every day on May 11, but the Secretariat recorded that Li Feng only got the position on May 13."
Cao Rui frowned: "Did Li Feng take office ahead of schedule? If he wanted to go to Chongwen Temple, why didn't he tell me directly, but went to He Yan for recommendation?"
Xin Pi shook his head and said, "I don't know about this matter, but I think there seems to be something fishy about it."
Cao Rui said in a deep voice: "Minister Xin, the Ministry of Personnel is under the charge of Master Wei, right? Call Master Wei here for me."
Xin Pi took the order and left. A moment later, Xin Pi and Wei Zhen came to the study together.
Cao Rui didn't even bother to exchange pleasantries with Wei Zhen, and asked directly, "Master Wei, what is the current procedure for the appointment and dismissal of officials by the Ministry of Personnel? Li Feng was appointed on May 13th, so why did he take up his post at Chongwen Temple on May 11th?"
Wei Zhen thought for a moment and said in a firm tone: "To answer your Majesty's question, according to the rules, officials below 600 dan can be decided by me, and officials with 1,000 dan will report to the Sikong who is in charge of recording the Shangshu affairs, and officials with 2,000 dan will report to your Majesty."
"Li Feng, a scholar of Chongwen Temple, also had a salary of 600 dan. I clearly remember that I approved Li Feng's case on May 13th." (End of this chapter)
