The Huai River flows from west to east. Shouchun City, the capital of Yangzhou in the Wei Dynasty, is located south of the Huai River, echoing Xiacai City on the north bank.
As the emperor's envoy, Lu Yu, the imperial attendant, was responsible for welcoming Cao Xiu's coffin back to Luoyang. Jiang Ji, the governor of Yangzhou, also sent a representative, who was Sima Shi.
The farewell ceremony was grand and solemn.
Chen Qun, the military supervisor of Yangzhou, the prime minister of Wei and the acting general of cavalry, took the newly appointed military advisor of the general of cavalry, Feng Ping, and the governor of Yangzhou, Jiang Ji and others out of the city to the north, crossed the Huai River, and said goodbye to them ten miles north of Shouchun city.
All the generals and officials of Shouchun were present. Cao Xiu was an open-minded and intelligent person with a good reputation as an official. From time to time, cries could be heard from the crowd who were seeing him off.
When they were about to set off, Chen Qun bowed and said to Lu Yu, "Please ask Minister Lu to tell your Majesty that I am in Yangzhou, so your Majesty does not need to worry."
Lu Yu replied, "I have taken note of Situ's words. I will head north and ask Situ to return to Shouchun."
Chen Qun nodded, and after all the carriages and horses set off northward, he led a group of weeping generals and officials back to Shouchun.
Among the weeping crowd, there must be some who wept for Cao Xiu sincerely. But how many people pretended to be sad because of the situation?
Chen Qun didn't want to delve into it further, nor did he want to.
Regardless, a new era has begun for Yangzhou. With His Majesty's arrival in Xuchang next year and the plan to capture Ruxu, Yangzhou's military preparations are becoming increasingly important.
Chen Qun still has a lot of things to do.
In the caravan heading north, Cao Zhao, as the eldest son, had to stay by the coffin at all times, while Xu Xuan, as the Minister of Rites, had the responsibility of leading the caravan.
Instead, Lu Yu and Sima Shi became idle.
The team slowly moved northward. Sima Shi rode his horse to catch up with Lu Yu and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Lord Lu."
"It's Ziyuan." Lu Yu looked at Sima Shi calmly and said, "Ziyuan, what do you want to see me for?"
Sima Shiqian smiled and said sincerely, "It's nothing serious. It's just that I'm new to the job and I always have many doubts about how to act. I've heard that Lord Lu has done a good job in governing Hebei and benefited the people, so I want to ask Lord Lu for advice."
"The caravan is slow and has no chores. I wonder if Lord Lu has time to spare?"
Although Lu Yu had no idea what Sima Shi was up to, he was after all the son of Sikong, and his talent and reputation were well known in Luoyang. How could Lu Yu not give advice when he was so open-minded?
Who can refuse a humble and eager-to-learn junior?
"Of course I'm free." Lu Yu nodded to Sima Shi while riding on his horse, "What do you want to ask, Ziyuan?"
Sima Shi said: "I am currently the warehouse official in the state, and I have some questions about the allocation of money and grain..."
Indeed, Sima Shi asked about the administrative affairs of the state, and Lu Yu patiently answered them one by one.
With this opening topic, the rest of the conversation went much more smoothly.
Sima Shi asked, "I heard that Lord Lu and Cao Changsi came here in the pursuit chariot?"
"That's right." Lu Yu nodded and said, "Your Majesty, thinking of the deep affection between father and son, has specially granted us a pursuit vehicle. We will travel two hundred miles in one day and one night, and reach Shouchun in six days."
"Why, Ziyuan, are you curious about this Chariot? It is nothing more than a fast and light horse-drawn carriage. It can travel so fast because it constantly changes horses at post stations along the way."
Sima Shi shook his head. "It's not out of curiosity. I just remembered that my father seemed to have mentioned this chasing car to me."
"Oh?" Lu Yu followed up the topic and asked, "When did it happen?"
Sima Shi asked, "I wonder where Lu Gong was in the 25th year of Jian'an?"
Lu Yu raised his head to look at the sky and recalled for a few moments: "I was the Minister of Personnel of Wei State in Yecheng at that time."
The 25th year of Jian'an was actually a very sensitive year.
Because in this year, the world changed three era names.
The 25th year of Jian'an, the first year of Yankang, and the first year of Huangchu are actually all referring to the same year.
The three era names were roughly divided by two major events: Cao Cao's death and Cao Pi's enthronement.
When Sima Shi referred to the 25th year of Jian'an, he should be referring to the period when Cao Cao passed away.
Sima Shi continued, "I seem to have heard from my father that when he went from Luoyang to escort the coffin of Emperor Wu back to Yecheng, he rode on a pursuit chariot and it took him three days to arrive."
Lu Yu stared at Sima Shi in surprise for a few seconds, then turned his head away: "Really? Maybe Ziyuan remembered it wrongly."
"If I remember correctly, the coffin set out from Luoyang on the 25th year of Jian'an, the first month of the year Renyin, and arrived in Yecheng on the 25th day Jiyou. The distance from Luoyang to Yecheng is 700 miles, and it took seven days to arrive."
Seeing that Sima Shi was about to bring up the topic of the Chariot again, Lu Yu changed the subject, unwilling to listen to the secret: "Ziyuan, do you have anything else to say?"
Sima Shi was not amused, so he bowed and said, "Thank you very much for your guidance today, Lord Lu. When we return to Luoyang, please allow me to visit you."
Lu Yu smiled and said, "If Ziyuan comes, I will welcome him anytime."
Sima Shi turned and left, but Lu Yu sat on his horse and thought about this matter.
What difference does it make between three days and seven days, whether you ride in a pursuit car or not?
There is a difference, and it is a big difference.
Two days after Cao Cao's death, Sima Yi, Jia Kui and Xiahou Shang returned to Yecheng from Luoyang with Cao Cao's coffin.
Zigong means the emperor's coffin.
Those were the days before the establishment of the Great Wei, when the political situation was most tense.
Luoyang, Yecheng, Xuchang...
All three parties were racing against time to deal with Cao Cao's death.
The reason why the Chariot was so fast was that, as a light carriage, it sacrificed most of the unnecessary weight, and was quite crude and bumpy. If the road was slightly bumpy when sitting in the Chariot, people would be shaken at full speed.
If this is the case with people, what about the coffin?
Is such a bumpy ride an act of disloyalty and unfilial piety?
In the past, all the officials in Yecheng thought that the coffin of Emperor Wu Cao Cao would arrive in Yecheng in seven days. Now Sima Shi said that it would arrive in three days, so why did all the officials in Yecheng know that it would arrive in seven days?
Sima Yi, Jia Kui, and Xiahou Shang actually hid such a secret at the same time. If Lu Yu had not learned it from Sima Shi today, he would have known nothing about it.
Are they so anxious to bring the seal of King Wei to Yecheng? No wonder they are so highly valued by the late emperor!
What does Sima Ziyuan mean by this? He is using this as an excuse to talk to me about such a secret matter. Is he trying to win me over for his father?
Moreover, before this in Shouchun, the governor of Yangzhou, Jiang Ji, had visited him late at night, and his words and deeds showed that he wanted to make friends with him and help each other in the court.
Jiang Ji and Sima Yi were close friends, and everyone in the world knew it, even His Majesty knew it.
Lu Yu took a deep breath.
Can’t tell, can’t tell anyone!
The court was in danger, as this matter involved the late emperor, Sima Yi, Jia Kui and others. If it was leaked carelessly, I, a small minister, would be in danger.
Lu Yu and his party were walking slowly on the road and it would take a long time before they could reach Luoyang.
……
Two days later, in the study room of Luoyang North Palace.
There were three documents on Cao Rui's desk.
The first one was a list of new two thousand stone officials selected by the Ministry of Personnel in winter, sent by the Minister of Personnel Yang Ji.
The second one was a report sent by the Luoyang school officials.
The third one was a report submitted by Zheng Chengchu of the Imperial College, which recorded that Wang Xiang came to the Imperial College and caused a sensation because of his filial piety and righteous deeds.
After Xin Pi left for the west, the Luoyang school affairs were now concurrently in charge of the Palace Attendant Xu Shu. And Xu Shu himself was standing in front of Cao Rui's desk at this time.
Cao Rui sighed, leaned back in his chair, and pointed at the three documents on the table with his right hand: "Tell me, how come there are still such people in Luoyang now?"
"Has the case of vanity been in vain? Has all my painstaking efforts in the Imperial College over the past few years been in vain?"
"Xu Qing, take a look!"
Xu Shu bowed, walked forward silently, and turned over the three documents one by one.
In the first document, Yang Ji stated that the former Henan Yin Feng Ping had gone to Shouchun and the position was vacant. However, Xuzhou's talented people Wang Xiang and Wang Xiuzheng were both virtuous and had outstanding political achievements, so they should be appointed to fill the post of Henan Yin.
The second document was reviewed by Xu Shu himself.
After Wang Xiang arrived in Luozhong, he first visited the residence of Sima Yi, the Minister of Works, and four of the Nine Ministers. He also went to the Imperial College and Chongwen Temple.
Moreover, the stories of "Lying on the Ice to Catch Carp" and "Wang Lan Fighting for Doves" were also widely publicized.
For a time, almost everyone in Luoyang knew Wang Xiang’s reputation for filial piety.
In the third document, Zheng Cheng reported that after Wang Xiang came to the Imperial College, many scholars from Qing, Xu and Yangzhou came one after another to ask Wang Xiang to comment on them.
After Xu Shu read through them carefully, he turned the three documents around and pointed them back at the emperor.
Cao Rui raised his chin towards Xu Shu and asked, "Minister Xu, do you have anything to say?"
Xu Shu took a breath and said, "Your Majesty has repeatedly stressed that the selection of scholars should be based on their moral character and political achievements, and not on fame and prestige."
"But Wang Xiang fabricated such absurd things to seek fame for himself and to become famous in Luozhong."
"These people who cause chaos should be killed."
Cao Rui said calmly: "Let's not talk about Wang Xiang for now."
"The Minister of Personnel Yang Ji selected such a person to be the governor of Henan. The Governor of Xuzhou Lu Qian also recommended such a talented person to the Wei Dynasty."
"Yang Ji is my confidant, and Lü Qian is a veteran minister of the Wei Dynasty. These two people really disappoint me. Do you think Yang Ji is unaware of the false reputation of Wang Xiang?"
Just as Xu Shu was about to say something, Cao Rui said directly, "Forget it, the Minister, call Yang Ji over to me. I want to ask him in person now! Go back and forth on horseback!"
Seeing that the emperor was somewhat angry, Xu Shu did not dare to speak out and advise him: "As ordered, I will summon Minister Yang right away."
The study is in the North Palace and the Secretariat is in the South Palace.
Xu Shu received the emperor's order and rode his horse directly from the study to the Nangong Shangshutai. After calling Yang Ji, they rode back to the study together.
Yang Ji was called hurriedly by Xu Shu, so he had to put down what he was doing and go there immediately.
In the Shangshutai, Yang Ji did not ask in public.
But when they reached the passage between the North and South Palaces and were still outside the South Gate of the North Palace, Yang Ji sat on his horse and asked Xu Shu:
"Brother Yuanzhi, what happened?"
Xu Shu glanced at Yang Ji from the side and silently mouthed the word "king".
Yang Ji sighed and said no more.
The two horses galloped side by side to the outside of the study. Xu Shu and Yang Ji dismounted together and walked quickly towards the study. (End of this chapter)
