Chapter 171 Imperial College Lecture
"Use the Qiang to control the Qiang..."
Lu Xun whispered the four big words on the emperor's letter, and couldn't help but murmur in his heart.
The next day, when Xiahou Ba was about to hand over Wuwei's 1,000 county soldiers to Lu Xun, he was rejected by Lu Xun.
Lu Xun only wanted two hundred Wuwei soldiers as his personal guards, and he wanted to personally recruit volunteers from among the Qiang people for the rest of the troops.
Although Xiahou Ba was a little confused about Lu Xun's intention, since Lu Xun insisted, he let him do it. Anyway, with Hao Zhao's two thousand soldiers here, no thief can turn the tables.
Three days later, Luoyang, Beigong.
Xiahou Xian walked into the study and saluted, saying, "Your Majesty, the Tiger Guards have been assembled. Your Majesty may set out now."
"Okay." Cao Rui nodded.
Before leaving, he pointed at Zhong Yu who was standing in the corner and said, "Zhong Yu, come with me to the Imperial College. You can also listen to my lectures today."
Seeing that the emperor was in a good mood today, Zhong Yu also smiled and said, "Last year, when your majesty went to the Imperial College for the first time, all the students of the Imperial College were very excited. From Luoyang to Yecheng and then to Yingchuan, the story had already spread."
Cao Rui chuckled: "The Imperial Academy is where I select talents for use, so it is right to be more attentive. Boy, you are still too young at fifteen, so just stay by my side and serve me. At the beginning of next year, you will also enter the Imperial Academy to study classics."
"As you wish." Zhong Yu bowed and asked, "Do you want to bring along the documents that Your Majesty prepared yesterday?"
"No need." Cao Rui shook his head gently: "I'll just finish the draft."
A moment later, inside the south gate of the North Palace, Cao Rui was seen wearing casual clothes and a golden crown, sitting on a white horse.
As Xiahou Xian personally led two hundred cavalrymen to clear the way, Cao Rui rode slowly on his horse, and several attendants and the imperial cavalryman Zhong Yu also followed behind.
Cao Rui waved his hand behind him and said, "Yang Qing, come forward."
Yang Fu, who was still being talked about by Hao Zhao, Lu Xun and others who were far away in Hehuang a few days ago, was summoned by the emperor yesterday to fill the vacancy left after Huang Quan took office as the governor of Yuzhou.
Yang Fu felt somewhat flattered.
To be honest, Yang Fu, who was fifty-five years old this year, had already achieved the pinnacle of being an official in Liangzhou. The prefect of two thousand stones was the pinnacle, and as for the nine ministers or even the three dukes, it was almost impossible to even think about it.
During the Ma Chao Rebellion in Liang Province, Yang Fu led his troops to fight against Ma Chao's rebels. He was wounded in five places and seven of his clan brothers died in the battle. He can be said to be a family of loyal heroes.
After Xiahou Yuan pacified Longyou, Yang Fu was also granted the title of Guannei Hou for his merits. During the expedition to Hanzhong, Yang Fu even served as the governor of Yizhou.
Just two years ago, before Emperor Cao Pi went south, he was preparing to recruit Yang Fu to serve as an official. Yang Fu was also transferred from the post of Wudu prefect to a temporary position as the city gate lieutenant.
However, as Cao Pi went on a southern expedition and his health deteriorated rapidly after his return, Yang Fu stayed in the position of City Gate Captain for two years.
The leaders are gone and the promotion plan has fallen through.
However, what puzzled Yang Fu was that he really had no idea how he was summoned by the emperor.
I am just a Liangzhou native...can I be in the same position as the former Shangshu Ling and be by His Majesty's side?
No matter how Yang Fu speculated, reality is always unexpected and will not go according to people's ideas.
Yang Fu rode forward, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I am Yang Fu. May I ask what Your Majesty wants me for?"
Cao Rui smiled and said, "This is your first day on duty, Mr. Yang. Yesterday I issued an edict to transfer you to serve as the Minister of the Interior. What do you think?"
Yang Fu was dressed like a scholar, but with the beard that ran from top to bottom on both sides of his cheeks and his rather strong physique, he looked like a military commander.
Yang Fu hesitated for a moment and replied, "I was also a little confused when I received the imperial edict yesterday. But after thinking for a while, I remembered Su Ze, who served in Liangzhou like me and later served as a minister."
Cao Rui laughed loudly: "Mr. Yang, you may not know that it was the Inspector General of the Imperial Guards who recommended you to me a few days ago and suggested that I appoint you as the Minister of the Interior."
Yang Fu thought for a moment and said, "When your majesty was on a southern tour and had not yet returned, Duke Wei asked the newly appointed Protector of the Qiang, Lu Xun, to come to me and ask me about the Yongliang incident."
Cao Rui nodded: "Although I do not restrict people by their origins or places of origin, I am still clear about the principle of assigning specific people to specific jobs."
"The only problems facing the country right now are the two places of West Shu and East Wu. From the end of last year to the beginning of this year, I personally went to Yangzhou once and won a battle. I now have a general idea of Yangzhou's military, geography, and administration."
"Since Yangzhou is worry-free, the only thing I need to worry about is Yongliang."
Yang Fu patted his chest and said in a firm tone: "I have been in Liangzhou for more than 50 years, and all the affairs of Liangzhou are in my heart. Since Your Majesty has appointed me, I will not let Your Majesty down."
"This is your duty. If you still need my advice, it will be boring." Cao Rui said on his horse, "Among the people from Liangzhou currently serving in the court, you are the only one with the highest official position, right?"
Yang Fu blurted out without thinking: "There are not many civil officials with a salary of two thousand stones in Liangzhou, and I am the person with the highest official position in Luoyang at the moment."
Cao Rui nodded and said casually, "Whether it is a state, a prefecture, a county, or a family, there must always be someone who dares to take the lead."
"Although there are few people from Liangzhou in the court, in my opinion, it is not impossible for people from Liangzhou to become the Three Dukes!"
After saying this, Cao Rui turned his head and looked forward, smiling and tapping the horse's belly with his foot. The majestic horse under his crotch immediately began to walk faster, obviously not intending to wait for Yang Fu. Yang Fu was stunned and did not follow the emperor's horse. Instead, after thinking for a moment, he slowly returned to the several attendants behind him.
Liu Ye glanced at Yang Fu casually, then turned his head forward, feeling mixed emotions.
The emperor had previously appointed Huang Quan, seemingly to cultivate his confidants by using surrendered generals after taking office.
The appointment of Yang Fu this time was probably a preparation for using Wuliangzhou after the affairs of Yangzhou were temporarily settled.
But for some reason, Liu Ye always felt that something was wrong. This vague feeling had been lingering in his heart for a long time.
It was not until the team slowly approached the gate of the Imperial College that Liu Ye looked up and saw the stone scriptures on both sides of the gate, stretching across an entire street, that he suddenly realized.
It turned out that he was also an old minister like the stone classics in the Imperial Academy.
If one day I go against His Majesty's wishes... I should still be cautious!
Zheng Cheng and Gao Tanglong were standing at the gate of the Imperial College, welcoming the arrival of the emperor and his entourage.
Zheng Cheng bowed and said, "Welcome, Your Majesty. We have learned that Your Majesty will come to the Imperial College to teach in person, and everyone in the Imperial College is looking forward to it."
Gao Tanglong also smiled and said, "I have been preparing for a long time. The day before yesterday, the imperial edict of His Majesty arrived at the Imperial Academy, saying that His Majesty would give a lecture on state affairs."
"I wonder what your majesty is going to teach today? Do you need me to prepare anything?"
Cao Rui smiled and said, "Is the screen that I asked Master Gaotang to prepare ready?"
Gao Tanglong nodded and said, "Your Majesty, it's ready. I have already placed a screen ten feet high and ten feet wide in the Jixian Hall in advance."
"That's good." Cao Rui nodded with a smile, turned to Zhong Yu and said, "Bring me the things I prepared!"
After Zhong Yu answered, he took out a long, thick scroll from the carriage following behind.
"What is this?" Zheng Cheng asked with a little confusion.
"Master Zheng will know later." Cao Rui said with a smile: "I will keep it a secret for now, and I will tell you after I enter Jixian Hall."
Zheng Cheng understood and nodded in agreement.
After entering Jixian Hall, Zhong Yu directed several servants to slowly hang the map, which was ten feet long and wide, on the screen.
Zheng Cheng looked at the map and couldn't help but exclaimed in a low voice: "I have never seen such a large and detailed map! How did your majesty make it?"
Cao Rui smiled and said, "It's just gluing pieces of Zuo Bo paper that are longer and wider than a meter together and letting them dry to form a large piece of paper."
Seeing the emperor looking at him, Zhong Yu also walked in front of the group and explained in detail: "First, use very thick lines to draw the boundaries of each state, and then mark the mountains and rivers on it."
"As for the states and counties, they are also marked in detail in small print."
Gao Tanglong exclaimed: "It is said that seeing the details can reveal the whole. Now, the students of the Imperial Academy can roughly understand the world situation by looking at this map which is ten feet long and wide."
Cao Rui said: "This picture is just a teaching aid for my class. If the two masters find it useful, maybe you can piece it together into a large wooden board and then paint on it."
Gao Tanglong nodded repeatedly: "Your Majesty is absolutely right. I will order someone to do it later."
Several people chatted in the side room of Jixian Hall for less than half an hour. When they came out again, all the students were already sitting in Jixian Hall.
Unlike the last time when the students of Class A, Class B, and Class C sat scattered around, this time Gao Tanglong had already sent people to arrange the seats. The first three rows were for the fifty students of Class A, and the students of Class B and Class C also sat in order at the back.
As the emperor entered the hall, the five hundred students present stood up from their seats and saluted.
After Cao Rui walked to the podium, he said loudly: "Everyone, please take your seats."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." It was only a few moments after the students took their seats that the entire Jixian Hall returned to peace again.
The red and black uniform made Cao Rui's already slender body look even taller. In the morning, the light shone into the hall directly on the emperor, and the golden crown reflected the sunlight, making him look even more majestic.
Cao Rui saw that the scene had calmed down, nodded and said, "Everyone, you are the first batch of students after I ascended the throne. Whether you become doctors, serve as officials in prefectures and counties, or return to your hometown to study classics, I always have high hopes for you."
"From now on, I will come to the Imperial College every three months as promised to teach the students in person."
"Today, the first lesson I want to teach you is what the general trend of the world is!"
As soon as the emperor finished speaking, the screen on the side slowly turned around.
A huge map that no one present had ever seen appeared in front of the students of the Imperial Academy.
For a moment, there were exclamations in Jixian Hall.
(End of this chapter)
