Ke Bineng had heard that thunder and rain were all the emperor's grace. After Man Chong expressed his opinion, the more amiable the emperor was, the more frightened Ke Bineng became.
Ke Bineng was a man of the clan who had the final say and exercised authority. Now that the atmosphere in the tent was like this, he became more cautious in his responses.
"Your Majesty, I know about this matter. I heard it from a soldier under General Tian in Yanmen County." Ke Bineng bowed and saluted.
Cao Rui hummed, "More than ten years ago, the court withdrew the border counties back to Bingzhou and established a new county. This was by no means a custom, but only a temporary measure. Today, the leaders of the Xianbei, Wuhuan, and Xiongnu tribes are all in my tent, and I will explain this to you."
"General Man just mentioned the six counties of Shuofang, Wuyuan, Yunzhong, Dingxiang, Shangjun, and Beidi, Hetao and the areas south of Hetao. Dawei will sooner or later re-establish counties and prefectures, and sooner or later, they will be dominated by Han people. I will make it clear to you today that this is the general trend! The court previously set up a garrison in Yanmen in order to seriously figure out how the Han people should live in the border areas and how the Han people should get along with your tribes."
Upon hearing this, Ke Bineng kowtowed repeatedly and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I really didn't know the court's strategy. I made a mistake."
The other several Hu people also saluted and said yes.
"It's okay. I won't punish you." Cao Rui said calmly, "The border areas are not exclusive to the Hu people. They have been inhabited by the Han people for hundreds of years. During the reigns of Emperors Huan and Ling of the Western Han Dynasty, the country was in turmoil and the Han court was unable to take care of itself. In addition, there were frequent wars and corruption among officials, so the border areas got out of control."
"Under the rule of the Wei Dynasty and me, this situation will never happen again."
Cao Rui looked at Ke Bineng, who was terrified, and asked, "I remember you said that you learned Chinese from the Wang family in Taiyuan? Did they teach you Han Feizi?"
Ke Bineng shook his head and said, "I have never studied this book."
Cao Rui chuckled and said, "Well, I will teach you one thing. If you are weak but do not fear the strong, and are rude and insult your big neighbor, you will perish!"
Seeing that Ke Bineng seemed to have guessed something but didn't quite understand, Liu Ye smiled and explained: "If Chanyu doesn't understand, then I can explain it to you. It's quite simple. The court governs the world like spring breeze and rain. If someone relies on his remoteness and ignores the arrangements of the court, he will be courting his own destruction, just like Gongsun Yuan!"
"You scared the Chanyu, Liu Qing." Cao Rui smiled and pointed at the several Hu people standing in front of him: "State affairs should be handled in a proper way. The Han people are my people, and so are the Xianbei, Wuhuan, and Xiongnu. How to make you get along well with the Han people, how to make your tribes prosper like the prefectures and counties in the interior, the court will eventually find a way for you. Stand up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace." Ke Bineng stood up with a respectful expression.
With a wave of the emperor's hand, all the Xianbei, Wuhuan and Xiongnu people left, and finally it was the turn of the ministers in the tent to speak.
Man Chong showed a puzzled expression on his face: "Your Majesty, this is the act of a holy monarch, but I still don't understand why you have to explain it so clearly to these barbarians?"
"The Hu people gathered on the grassland, and it was a blessing from heaven that a Tanshihuai tree grew up. Now Kebi Neng is already in the Wei camp. If we kill Kebi Neng or take him back to Luoyang and put him under house arrest, wouldn't it be more effective and resolve the border conflict immediately?"
Cao Rui shook his head: "How can we guard against thieves for a thousand days? When dealing with the Hu people in the border areas, we should still use gentleness as the main method and use force and punishment as the auxiliary method. Just like what I discussed with you before in Yanmen, it is enough to trap Kebineng with rewards and salaries."
Liu Ye nodded thoughtfully: "Those Hu people all followed Your Majesty to pacify Liaodong and know the power of the Wei Dynasty. It is enough to explain the reason to them. The example of the execution of Gongsun Yuan's clan is clearly placed in front of us."
Man Chong thought for a few moments and sighed, "Perhaps I am narrow-minded. I have always believed that those barbarians have no filial piety, loyalty or trustworthiness. How can we persuade them with reason?"
Cao Rui looked up at Man Chong. He didn't need to think too much. Liu Ye's words just now might have been meant to agree with him, but Man Chong's words represented the thoughts of many court officials since the Han Dynasty.
Can Hu people be considered human beings?
Cao Rui sneered: "As for methods, I have plenty of methods to deal with the Hu people, but I just don't want to use them."
"I have always thought that the country has not yet been unified, whether it is the Xianbei or the Wuhuan Xiongnu, I can always recruit some cavalry for use, so I am more tolerant of them."
Liu Ye was curious when he heard this, and asked, "Since the Han Dynasty, the court's methods of dealing with the Hu people are nothing more than killing the main culprits and dividing them to surrender. Does Your Majesty have other ideas?"
The other ministers in the tent also looked over.
Cao Rui smiled and said, "Mr. Liu, Mr. Liu, you insist on asking me something. Well, I will talk to you a little more today."
Man Chong, Liu Ye and three attendants stood in silence waiting for the emperor to speak.
"No need to be so serious." Cao Rui waved his hand: "As the saying goes, the way of civil and martial arts is to alternate between tension and relaxation. There are both martial and literary means."
"If we talk about military means, the court will select the time when the cattle and sheep of the Hu people are fat and strong, and send cavalry to the border every year to plunder and destroy their nests, so as to feed the war and exterminate their species. Is it feasible? If we talk about civil means, the court will divide the Hu people again, with thousands of people on one grassland. Without the imperial edict, they are not allowed to leave their territory. Those who violate the order will be attacked by the left and right, so as to control the population and consume them. Is it feasible?" Listening to the emperor's words, even Man Chong was a little stunned. These methods were unheard of, and no one knew how the emperor came up with them!
Cao Rui looked at the expressions of the crowd and said with a smile, "These are just the two easiest methods. I don't want to talk to you about more cruel methods such as reducing the number of people by proselytizing."
"In short, I can deal with Wu and Shu, not to mention those insignificant Hu people on the grassland. There is no system among the Wuhuan and Xianbei at present. Without a leader, there will be no one to lead the rebellion. Therefore, I will delay the matter of the Hu people for now. After Wu and Shu are pacified, I will slowly free up my hands to deal with them."
"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"
Liu Ye cupped his hands and said, "The biggest worry for the court is the two thieves Wu and Shu, not the Hu people. Now that Liaodong has been stabilized and has become Yingzhou, and the Xianbei have surrendered and served the army, the court's focus should be on the south!"
"That's right." Cao Rui nodded: "After we return to Yecheng and reward the troops, the court should put the conquest on the agenda!"
……
While Cao Rui was leading his troops to rest in Jieshi, the North Palace in Luoyang City became unusually lively.
In front of the main hall of Changle Palace, Queen Guo and Empress Dowager Guo were sitting on a vermilion lacquered and gold-painted chair placed in the corridor, surrounded by eunuchs and female officials on both sides, walking around busily.
Of the twenty-one concubines Cao Rui left in the palace, five were brought from Luoyang to Xuchang at the beginning of the year. Of the sixteen women left behind, only Mao Yan, Mao Guipin, and Sun Luban, Sun Zhaoyi, were allowed to come to Changle Palace.
The emperor loved war, and the palace was always lonely. In addition, Mao Yan had a good temper, Sun Luban was quite perceptive, and the two were the only two people in the palace with children, so they were very close to each other.
Empress Dowager Guo knew about the friendship between Mao and Sun, but she had no intention of controlling or interfering. It was the fourth year of Taihe, and the princes were still young. When the princes were seven or eight years old and were about to start school, the relationship between the two would certainly not be very good.
Watching the eunuchs playing with the two children, Cao Qi and Cao Yan, under the long corridor, Mao Yan heard the sound of rain outside the corridor and whispered:
"Da Hu, do you still remember when His Majesty took Guo Yao to Xuchang at the beginning of the year? Half a year has passed in a flash. When they left, Su Huan was not pregnant yet, but now she is about to give birth."
Sun Luban chuckled, "I remember, of course I remember. At that time, you and I envied Guo Yao, but who would have thought that His Majesty didn't even stay in Xuchang for a few days, but went straight north to lead the troops."
"Hasn't the court received good news before? When Your Majesty returns to Luoyang and finds that he has a child, the scene will be interesting."
Mao Yan also smiled: "Who said it wasn't? I just don't know whether Su Huan will give birth to a prince or a princess this time."
Sun Luban glanced at Queen Mother Guo who was sitting at the door, and then said, "Looking at Su Huan's slender figure, she is not as lucky as her sister. Maybe she will give birth to a princess."
Mao Yan nodded slightly: "Whether it's a prince or a princess, it's all good. It's been four years since the Taihe era, and Your Majesty still only has two heirs. It's a bit thin anyway."
Sun Luban sighed: "Your Majesty is out on the battlefield, and he can't even take care of you and me, how can he have time to have more heirs?"
"However," Sun Luban approached Mao Yan and chuckled, "Sister can have another child then."
"Me?" Mao Yan laughed dumbly: "I already have the eldest prince in my palace, it would be nice to have another princess."
"You two please keep your voices down! I can hear you from here!" Empress Dowager Guo frowned and scolded Mao Yan and Sun Luban who were standing beside her.
"Yes, mother." The two girls bowed and then walked away about ten steps, and then continued chatting animatedly.
Queen Guo saw it, but just shook her head slightly and said nothing more.
The emperor was not in Luoyang this year, and there were many things going on in the palace. Among the several senior officials left in Luoyang, the only one, Hua Xin, was old and sick, and Wei Zhen only cared about government affairs and did not want to get involved in palace affairs.
Including the funeral of Empress Bian which had just been held not long ago, all these tedious affairs in the palace were handled by Empress Dowager Guo alone.
Although she was a little tired, Queen Mother Guo seemed to be more energetic the more tired she was. When she was young, Queen Mother Guo had given advice to Cao Pi on how to succeed the throne.
I am not yet fifty years old, and I have been a widow for many years with nothing to do. This is the age when I am full of energy!
A eunuch came in holding an umbrella in the rain. As soon as he entered the corridor, Empress Dowager Guo asked, "Have the three been notified? What did they say?"
Huangmen bowed and said, "Her Majesty, General Hua claims to be ill and cannot come, and Zongzheng is on his way to the North Palace. And the Shangshutai Wei Pushe..." (End of this chapter)
