Cao Rui nodded slightly and said: "Biao, the King of Baima, was born in the second year of Xingping. In the twenty-first year of Jian'an, he was granted the title of Marquis of Shouchun. In the second year of Huangchu, he was granted the title of Duke of Ruyang. In the seventh year, he was moved to Baima."
"Since Emperor Wu granted you the title of Shouchun in his early years, you should go to Shouchun and serve as a school lieutenant under General Cao Tai, the General of Guarding the East."
"Would you like to go?"
Cao Biao kowtowed repeatedly: "I am willing to go. As long as I can do something for the Great Wei, I am willing to go!"
Cao Rui smiled and shook his head: "Prince Baima, please get up quickly. If others see this, they will probably say that I am being harsh on the royal family."
"I dare not. Thank you very much for your grace, Your Majesty!"
After Cao Biao stood up and straightened his back, he could still see the suppressed excitement on his face.
"Okay, next one." Cao Rui said in a deep voice.
Cao Yu stepped out and saluted, saying that he just wanted to be like an ordinary scholar, and just have an official position in Luozhong, and nothing else.
Cao Yu and Cao Rui were of similar age and had known each other since they were teenagers. Unexpectedly, this relationship would be put to use more than ten years later.
Cao Rui said: "Since father Shan wants to be an official like a scholar, then you can go to the Shangshutai as a Lang. However, you still have to listen to the arrangements of Zuo Pushe as to what you are going to do."
"Do you know?"
Cao Yu thanked him and said, "I have never thought of serving in the Shangshutai before. I will do my best to repay your majesty's grace."
Cao Rui looked at Cao Yu and nodded slightly.
With the examples of Cao Zhi, Cao Biao and Cao Yu, the remaining few people dared to speak more, and Cao Rui satisfied them one by one.
Puyang King Cao Gun went to Chongwen Temple to study.
When Cao Gan, the King of Julu, was young, he was awarded a house in Luozhong. A few years later, he entered the Imperial College.
However, King Cao Lin of Juancheng, King Cao Jun of Xiangyi, and King Cao Hui of Shouzhang all expressed that they did not seek official positions, but only wanted to enjoy the wealth and splendor of the royal family in peace.
Cao Rui could understand their feelings very well.
After being imprisoned in his fiefdom for nearly ten years, he was tired of being an official and gave up all his fantasies about the imperial court. With his status as Cao Cao's son, why not enjoy some wealth?
As a member of the royal family, it is fine to seek wealth and stability. Being crowned a king in a mere county is not a big deal in the vast Wei Dynasty.
But don't even think about getting another seal or going any further in the future.
Cao Rui said calmly: "Since you are my relative, it is only right for you to enjoy wealth and honor."
"The Imperial Guard and the Defense Assistant were established by the previous emperor. I wish to abolish this system. After the three of you return to your fiefdoms, you will govern your own counties with the assistance of the Prime Minister. I will not send anyone to restrain you."
Cao Lin and the others were about to thank him, but were stopped by Cao Rui: "Wait a moment, I haven't finished speaking yet."
Cao Rui continued, "Since the Wei Dynasty has enthroned you as kings with a county, if you cannot manage your fiefdom as well as an ordinary county magistrate, then Sun Zi, the governor of Yanzhou, will be able to convict you without my help."
"Would you like that?"
What Cao Rui said just now was very clear.
I have withdrawn your surveillance, and for the sake of Emperor Wu's bloodline, I will give you freedom and wealth. If you fail to govern your fiefdom well, what awaits you is the reduction of your fiefdom and the removal of your title.
But who would think that he couldn't even govern an entire county?
Cao Lin, Cao Jun and Cao Hui all thanked him.
……
Luoyang was the place with the best news in the world. The emperor released the restrictions on his close relatives and appointed them to real positions.
The news quickly spread throughout Luoyang.
Cao Gun himself took up his post at Chongwen Temple, Cao Biao went to the Privy Council, and Cao Yu went to the Secretariat. These things happened in public.
The emperor had no intention of covering up at all.
The next morning, Cao Rui summoned the West Pavilion and the East Pavilion to the study to discuss matters.
Cao Rui said softly, "Have you heard about my enfeoffment of the princes yesterday?"
The four of them nodded.
Cao Rui said: "Except for the Prince of Yongqiu, among the seven people, only three are willing to serve the Wei Dynasty as officials. I am already satisfied."
"I can't figure out the talents and personalities of these three people at the moment. I can only let them do things while I observe them."
Sima Yi bowed and said, "Your Majesty is wise. These three princes have almost never served in government before, so their abilities and character can only be observed over time. Official positions such as lieutenant and minister are neither low nor high, so it is appropriate to assign them positions now."
Cao Rui nodded: "Yes. I have found positions for them all. Should my two sons also be given titles?"
Dong Zhao was silent for a few moments, then said, "Your Majesty, there are not many precedents in the Later Han Dynasty for making a prince a king at a young age."
"If the princes grow older, I am worried that they may want to fight for power."
Cao Rui shook his head: "Struggle for power is one thing, but being born in a royal family, how can I not have a desire for the throne? If I am not crowned a king, then I will not fight for it?"
Dong Zhao said: "Your Majesty is wise."
There is nothing worth discussing about this matter.
The sons of Emperor Wu could be made kings, the sons of Emperor Wen could be made kings, but when it comes to the current emperor, he has to be limited by age?
That doesn't make sense.
Cao Rui said, "Let's give them counties." "My eldest son Cao Qi and my second son Cao Yan are of different ages, so there should be an order of priority. Give Cao Qi a large county, and Cao Yan an ordinary county."
"It's best if the fiefdom is not too far away from Luoyang."
Sima Yi asked, "Your Majesty, are you still enfeoffed in Yanzhou?"
Cao Rui quickly denied it, saying, "Don't enfeoff him in Yanzhou, but in Hebei! How can we enfeoff all the princes in the same state?"
Dong Zhao smiled and said, "Since we are going to give the eldest son a large county, there is no county in the world better than Ye County."
"Your Majesty, what do you think of Yecheng?"
Cao Rui smiled and said, "King of Ye? Ye City is a good place, and it is a perfect match for my eldest son. I'll make him King of Ye!"
Sima Yi thought for a moment and said with a smile, "Yecheng is the foundation of the Wei Kingdom. It is indeed appropriate. The fief of the second prince should not be too close to Yecheng."
Cao Rui nodded slightly but said nothing.
The emperor didn't speak, and the crowd was in a dilemma. It was easy to pick the best county, but it was always a little bit timid to pick an ordinary one.
Seeing that everyone was unwilling to speak, Cao Rui said softly: "Since he is the emperor's second son, I hope he will be safe and happy. Isn't there a Changle County in Chen County?"
"How is King Changle?"
The four of them agreed.
"Okay then." Cao Rui nodded and looked at Du Shu who was standing in the study: "Wu Bo, go and call Liu Zhongshu. I want him to draft the edict."
Not long after, Liu Fang hurried over.
Cao Rui said, "Liu Zhongshu has drafted an edict to choose an auspicious day this month to confer the title of Prince of Ye on the eldest son Cao Qi and the title of Prince of Changle on the second son Cao Yan, in order to show that the Wei Dynasty will be forever secure."
"Yes, sir." Liu Fang replied.
After the matter of crowning the prince as a king came to an end, Cao Rui glanced at Dong Zhao, and then said to the four people in the West and East Pavilions: "I have thought about the matter of the accompanying worship in the Imperial Ancestral Temple that I talked to you about before."
"For the first four people to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, I have chosen Xiahou Yuanrang, Cao Zixiao, Cheng Zhongde, and Wang Jingxing. What do you think?"
After everyone in the study looked at each other for a few seconds, Sima Yi cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty's selection of four important ministers is the backbone of the Wei Dynasty. I fully agree with it."
"I second the motion." Dong Zhao said.
"I also agree." Man Chong and Wei Zhen answered at the same time.
Cao Rui nodded gently: "Okay, let's choose an auspicious day this month to start the sacrifice."
"The first batch consists of four people. I want to select eighteen people for the second batch."
"The list of eighteen people, go to the West Pavilion and the East Pavilion to discuss it together, and report it to me tomorrow."
After that, Cao Rui slowly stood up and said, "I am going to practice sword skills. You can go to the West Pavilion to discuss."
"As ordered, I will take my leave."
……
Cao Rui went to the martial arts field in the harem to practice swordplay. Swordplay should be constantly updated and never neglected, as it is the true skill of dripping water wearing away a stone.
However, the four people in the West Pavilion had different thoughts about the list of eighteen people.
Sima Yi coughed lightly and said, "Your Majesty asked us to select these eighteen people. How to select and evaluate them still needs to be supported by evidence."
"Nine civil officials and nine military generals, how about this?"
Wei Zhen naturally had no objection to this assignment.
However, as the Western Pavilion was in charge of the military affairs of the Wei Dynasty, Dong Zhao and Man Chong looked at each other and seemed to disagree with this way of assignment.
The reason is also very simple.
The heroes at the beginning of the founding of the Wei Dynasty, this involves the sensitive issue of Wei officials and Han officials.
Those military generals who directly obeyed Cao Cao's orders can certainly be regarded as the founding heroes of the Wei Kingdom.
But what about those civil officials? Were they officials of Cao Cao or the Han Dynasty?
Can't tell.
Moreover, Emperor Wu Cao Cao had a difficult time starting his business, and he fought almost every year. Troubled times are the time for military commanders to show their talents, and it is natural that military commanders have greater achievements!
How can we discuss it in such a simple way that it is half civil and half military?
Man Chong coughed lightly and said, "Sikong, they are all meritorious officials of the country. We only need to judge by their merits. Why should we judge by their civil and military merits?"
"How about we make a list first and then select the appropriate eighteen people from it? Is that ok?"
The four people in the West Pavilion and the East Pavilion, Dong Zhao, Man Chong, Sima Yi, and Wei Zhen, each of them is almost a spirit.
Their recognition and compromise are just a weighing of the pros and cons, and there will almost never be any unexpected situations.
With Sima Yi's push and Man Chong's blocking, things returned to normal.
Sima Yi nodded: "General Man is right. Since we have to choose eighteen people, given the number of Wei officials, we still have to draw some lines."
"How to select generals and civil officials? There should be a standard." (End of this chapter)
