"Here comes one, and there's another one!"
Cao Rui said angrily: "I finally did something, and these people are here to criticize me!"
"Come, Master Wei, take a look at these two petitions."
Wei Zhen did not immediately speak to appease the angry emperor. Instead, he stood up and slowly walked to the table, gently picking up Gao Rou's memorial with both hands.
Wei Zhen, who was well-informed and had a strong memory, could memorize all the contents after just a cursory glance. After putting down Gao Rou's memorial, he picked up Xu Miao's. Like Gao Rou, Xu Miao's memorial was also submitted directly to the palace without going through the Secretariat.
After looking at it, Wei Zhen placed it steadily on the table without making any noise.
Cao Rui said: "I know it is not appropriate to let the Zhongshu take over the school affairs, so shouldn't I take over all the school affairs myself?"
"I deliberately avoided their native places and let Xin Pi from Yingchuan take charge of Luoyang school affairs, let Yang Fu from Guanxi take charge of Xuchang, and let Chen Jiao from Yangzhou take charge of Hebei."
"I still tolerated Sun Zi and sent him to a post outside the capital instead of dismissing him. I took the overall situation into consideration, so why can't the Supreme Court and the Censorate take this into consideration?"
Wei Zhen said quickly, "Your Majesty, it would be better not to get angry. The Imperial Court and the Censorate only saw Sun Zi being sent out and the school affairs being transferred to other departments, and took this opportunity to criticize the Secretariat and the school affairs. They don't know your Majesty's painstaking efforts."
Cao Rui raised his eyes and looked at Wei Zhen: "There are too few people like Master Wei who understand the big picture."
"Xu Miao criticized the Central Secretariat for usurping power, and Gao Rou accused the school officials of being too arrogant. These two people didn't say anything earlier or later, but chose to say it just when I was about to make the move."
"Do they think that I have long been dissatisfied with the Secretariat and the School Affairs?"
Wei Zhen bowed and said, "How can a minister understand the emperor's mind? I can only make a rough guess based on trivial matters."
"I think it is necessary to give these two people a brief explanation."
Cao Rui snorted: "I have to tell you everything. If I don't tell you clearly, won't these two people know what's going on?"
"I have made up my mind. I will keep Xu Miao and Gao Rou's memorials. Let's wait and see what else these two will do."
Wei Zhen sighed and said, "Your Majesty, please don't be angry. I have read these two memorials and they are the responsibility of these two people."
"Xu Miao and Xu Jingshan are in the Censorate. They are in charge of law enforcement and are below the Chief Censor. They are responsible for supervising all officials."
"Xu Miao mentioned in his memorial that the secretary has been by your side for a long time, in charge of confidential matters and often helping your majesty deal with state affairs, which is not a blessing for the country. If the ministers have too much power and responsibility, the country will be in danger. If the ministers are too close to you, the king will be deceived."
"If the ministers take advantage of your Majesty's fatigue to make decisions, the ministers will see that they can influence affairs and will inevitably move closer to them. Once this starts, the evaluation and reputation of officials will be biased, and the fawning villains will succeed."
"Officials in Luozhong heard the name of 'Zhongshu' and were afraid that even a single word would offend Zhongshu, so as to prevent him from making slanderous remarks in front of Your Majesty."
Cao Rui frowned and said, "I understand what Xu Miao meant. But what exactly does he want to do by saying these words? Does he want me to dismiss Liu Fang and Sun Zi, or does he want me to abolish the Secretariat?"
"He didn't mention how to change it, but instead just said here how bad Zhongshu was."
"If there is no Zhongshu, there will be Shizhong, and there will be Xige and Dongge. How can this kind of thing be stopped?"
"Your Majesty..." Wei Zhen was about to speak when he was interrupted by the emperor.
Cao Rui said: "Let Xu Miao submit another memorial to defend himself! I want to see what good system he has if we reject the Secretariat according to his argument!"
Wei Zhen couldn't dissuade him and had to agree. Then he started talking about the contents of Gao Rou's memorial.
Wei Zhen said, "Your Majesty, Gao Rou's memorial said that officials in the court each have their own duties, and selecting and appointing school officials is not an act of trusting the ministers. Moreover, over the past ten years, school officials such as Lu Hong, Zhao Da, and Liu Ci have been acting arbitrarily and dominating based on their own likes and dislikes, which is really not the original intention of Emperor Wu to set up school officials."
Cao Rui said with an unhappy look on his face: "Why did you do that earlier? Why did you have to wait until I took over the power and responsibility of the school affairs?"
"Isn't Gao Rou the chief judge? Ask him to produce evidence to show what illegal things the school officials have done."
Wei Zhen had no choice but to agree.
……
On the second day, Gao Rou sat in the lobby of the Supreme Court with a solemn expression. The tip of the brush in his hand was covered with ink, but he was unable to write.
Wang Guan, the Imperial Court Supervisor, came over holding three scrolls of bamboo slips and said, "Mr. Gao, the materials on the case involving Liu Ci have been sorted out. Please have a look."
Gao Rou didn't look up: "Put it here, thank you for your hard work, Weitai."
Wang Guan replied, "This is my job. During the Huangchu period, Liu Ci caused nearly a thousand false and wrongful convictions, in addition to the cases that were nitpicking and punishable or not."
After seeing Wang Guan put the bamboo slips on the table, Gao Rou carefully read through them from beginning to end, and then sighed: "Such a bad record, the harm of the school far outweighs the benefit! Weitai, would you like to come with me to the palace tomorrow?"
"I will present this case to your majesty!"
Wang Guan saluted with a serious expression and said, "When Lord Gao takes action, I will follow him."
It was evening, the time when ministers finished their shifts and went home.
Sima Yi's carriage passed the Censorate. Xu Miao, who had been waiting at the corner of the street, looked around and took advantage of the few moments when the carriage stopped to get on the carriage without any hesitation.
Xu Miao asked anxiously, "Zhongda, Zhongda! What can we do?"
Sima Yi glanced at Xu Miao and said, "Brother Jingshan, why are you so anxious? Is the sky falling?" Xu Miao said angrily, "How can I not be anxious? This morning, His Majesty asked me to submit a petition to defend myself. Just this afternoon, another messenger came to the Censorate and asked me to go to the palace to see the emperor tomorrow."
Sima Yi smiled and said, "What's there to be afraid of? You didn't say anything wrong, so why would you worry about His Majesty blaming you?"
Xu Miao frowned, "You are right. The power of the Secretariat is indeed inappropriate. But Your Majesty wants me to explain how to solve the problem. If it does not meet Your Majesty's wishes, I am afraid I will not escape reprimand."
Sima Yi said, "How did His Majesty ask you to defend yourself? Please tell me in detail, don't leave out a single word."
After Xu Miao spoke seriously, Sima Yi pondered for a moment and gave Xu Miao a few instructions. Xu Miao's expression gradually relaxed.
When they were almost at Sikong Mansion, the carriage stopped at a place with few people, and Xu Miao got off the carriage. Before leaving, Sima Yi patted Xu Miao on the shoulder.
……
The next day, in Beigong, in the study.
Cao Rui sat behind the desk, and eight ministers sat on chairs on both sides.
Cao Zhen and Dong Zhao from the West Pavilion, Sima Yi and Wei Zhen from the East Pavilion, and four attendants were all present.
Cao Rui said calmly, "Did you all hear clearly the two memorials that Master Wei read just now?"
Everyone nodded.
Cao Rui nodded and said, "I summoned you here today, firstly to discuss with you the memorial submitted by Xu Jingshan and Gao Wenhui, and secondly to explain something to you."
"Let Xu Miao come in first."
Zhong Yu, who was standing in the corner, bowed and walked out quickly. After a while, Xu Miao, who was waiting outside, walked in.
Xu Miao bowed and saluted: "Your Majesty, I, Xu Miao, greet you."
Cao Rui nodded and said, "I summoned you to the palace today because I want you to explain your thoughts to me and the other ministers."
Xu Miao calmly cupped his hands and said, "I will obey your order and tell you everything."
Cao Rui pointed at Xin Pi and said, "Minister Xin, ask for me."
After receiving the order, Xin Pi stood up, walked to the side of Cao Rui's desk, and picked up a piece of Zuo Bo paper on the table.
Xin Pi coughed lightly and then asked, "Excuse me, Censor Xu, when you submitted the petition the other day, why didn't you send it through the Secretariat but directly to the palace?"
Xu Miao looked at the emperor and answered with a folded hand: "Your Majesty, I am impeaching the Secretary of State. How can I ask the Secretary of State to summon me?"
Cao Rui asked, "Are you afraid that the Secretary of State will conceal your memorial after receiving it, so that I won't be able to see it?"
Xu Miao calmly replied: "That is not my intention. I just thought that if I impeach the Secretary of State, it would be inappropriate to submit a petition through the Secretary of State."
Cao Rui looked at Xin Pi and said, "Minister Xin, does the Wei Dynasty have any regulations on the channels for ministers to submit petitions?"
Xin Pi thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, there is no such rule."
"Well, we'll have it today." Cao Rui said slowly, "From now on, ministers can only submit memorials to the palace through the Secretariat. The Secretariat is the department responsible for passing down information and cannot be used as a decoration."
"As you wish, I have noted it down and will inform the Secretariat later," Xin Pi replied.
It sounds a bit funny, but the edict stipulating the powers and responsibilities of the Zhongshu still has to be issued by the Zhongshu.
Cao Rui asked again: "What Xu Qing said in his memorial is that if the king listens to the left and right, he will be deceived. Who are the left and right that Xu Qing is talking about here?"
"Are you talking about the Minister of the Central Secretariat Liu Fang and the Minister of the Central Secretariat Sun Zi?"
Xu Qing took a deep breath and said, "Your Majesty, the Secretary is a close minister in the palace, so he is naturally included."
After a few seconds of silence, Xu Miao said, "Your Majesty, I think it's not just the Secretariat, but also the West Pavilion and the East Pavilion!"
"Every word I say comes from my heart. If Your Majesty keeps gathering ministers in the palace and listening to your subordinates, in the long run, all the ministers in the court will only know the Secretariat, the West Pavilion, and the East Pavilion, but not Your Majesty!"
"If the minister's authority is too great, the subjects will certainly be afraid of him and look down on Your Majesty. Please Your Majesty, please understand!"
Sima Yi had discussed with Gao Rou a few days ago. He originally wanted Gao Rou to report the school affairs and then let Xu Miao impeach the Secretariat, so as to reduce the power and responsibility of the Secretariat as a whole.
The palace issued orders to the outer court either through imperial edicts from the Secretariat or through the East Pavilion to convey government orders to the Secretariat.
When the previous emperor Cao Pi was in power, although he valued Chen Qun and Sima Yi in the Secretariat, he also used the Secretariat to divide the power of the Secretariat.
What Sima Yi did today was simply to gather power in the Secretariat.
But what surprised Sima Yi was that the emperor not only did not listen to Xu Miao's advice and weaken the Secretariat when Sun Zi was sent out, but instead ordered Xu Miao to defend himself.
Then the wind direction is obvious.
It seems that the person that Your Majesty is dissatisfied with is Sun Capital, not the Secretariat as an institution. (End of this chapter)
