As soon as Xu Miao said this, everyone in the room was shocked and looked at him sideways.
If we talk about indiscriminate attacks in front of the emperor, Xu Miao is the first one. As expected, he is an official of the Censorate, and his fighting ability is really strong.
Cao Zhen looked up at the emperor, and seeing that Cao Rui did not respond, he looked at Xu Miao with dissatisfaction: "Xu Yushi, you'd better explain it clearly. We work diligently in the palace every day, how can we be said to be usurping power? How can we be said to be 'only aware of the West and East Pavilions, but not Your Majesty'?"
Xu Miao looked at Cao Zhen and said, "In reply to the general, I am not targeting you. I am just talking about the system."
After using Xu Miao and Gao Rou's memorials to once again ascertain the emperor's attitude, Sima Yi's advice to Xu Miao was to muddy the waters.
The job of the Censorate is to supervise all officials. It is their duty to find any flaws in the system and criticize them.
By putting Zhongshu on the same level as Xige and Dongge, two institutions established by the emperor himself, selfish motives were concealed.
However, Cao Rui was not unprepared and he responded to each move accordingly.
Cao Rui frowned slightly and looked at Xu Miao: "Xu Qing, do you mean that the Secretariat and the West and East Pavilions are issuing orders under my authority instead of using my name?"
“Is this the idea?”
Xu Miao bowed and said, "Your Majesty, this is exactly what I mean. Grace and power all come from the top, and we should not let the ministers always stay in the palace and issue orders."
Cao Rui nodded and said, "I understand what Xu Qing said. I have no intention of making things difficult for you by asking you to come to the palace today. I am just discussing the matter at hand."
"I will tell you two results of what I just said."
Xu Miao bowed and said, "I will listen to your instructions."
Cao Rui said: "The first question is, Xu Qing, as an imperial censor, said that the Secretariat was by my side in the Forbidden City and could often give me advice, thus influencing the government, and the Secretariat became more powerful because of this."
"Xu Qing, is this what you mean?"
Xu Miao narrowed his eyes and thought for a few moments, then he clasped his hands and replied, "Your Majesty, that is exactly what I meant."
"Well," Cao Rui said, "If I limit the duties of the Secretariat to managing confidential matters, drafting imperial edicts, and transmitting information from top to bottom, and no longer consult the Secretariat, would that be beneficial to the system?"
Xu Miao replied: "Your Majesty is wise. If this is done, the court officials will no longer be afraid of the power of the Secretariat, and the power and responsibilities of the Secretariat will be clearer and purer."
Cao Rui nodded and said, "Second question, Lord Xu said that the close ministers have great influence and are not good for the country. The West and East Pavilions all use my name, which is a loss of my authority?"
Xu Miao recalled Sima Yi's instructions to him in the carriage yesterday, and nodded without hesitation: "That's exactly what I meant. It has never been heard of since ancient times for a minister to issue orders from the palace! It is really not a good policy."
Cao Rui smiled and looked at the four people in the West and East Pavilions: "What do you think of what the Censorate said?"
Cao Zhen was the first to bow his hands: "This is truly an unjustified crime! We are assisting Your Majesty in the palace, how can it be considered as usurping power? I do not agree!"
Dong Zhao stroked his long beard and said slowly, "Issuing orders in the palace does borrow some of your majesty's authority. I have nothing to say."
Cao Rui turned to look at Sima Yi and Wei Zhen: "Where are Sikong and Master Wei?"
Sima Yi clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I will obey your orders."
Wei Zhen also said immediately: "I also think the same as Sikong."
Cao Rui nodded and said, "Mr. Xu, you have heard the statements of the four important officials from the West and East Pavilions."
"As for what you just mentioned, I now have a solution."
"Since I have clearly explained the power of the Secretariat, I will no longer consult the Secretariat on government affairs. From now on, all documents entering and leaving the palace will be delivered by the Secretariat, and the same applies to the West Pavilion and the East Pavilion."
As soon as Cao Rui said this, the study room instantly became quiet.
In fact, when Cao Rui established the West Pavilion and the East Pavilion, it was to make military and political affairs come from the palace, to let the court adapt to this system first, and then to slowly gather power and make the generals and recorders of the extremely powerful responsibilities become roles similar to cabinet ministers.
But he did not expect Xu Miao to criticize this matter today. Cao Rui followed suit and made this suggestion.
Letting the decrees of the West and East Pavilions be issued by the Secretariat is already a nominal order from above.
Although it is impossible to let Cao Zhen and Sima Yi really become the emperor's assistants, but if Cao Zhen and Sima Yi are no longer in the palace in the future? If other people come to the West Pavilion and the East Pavilion, can they continue to go with the flow?
The road to centralization is long, so take it slow.
Cao Zhen, Sima Yi and others had no concept of a "cabinet" and never considered themselves as assistants to the emperor. So after hearing the emperor's words, their first reaction was just surprise.
At this time, Sima Yi had been thinking about it countless times, but he still vaguely found something wrong.
Sima Yi bowed and asked, "Your Majesty, I have a question. Although it is not appropriate, I still want to ask Your Majesty to allow me to speak."
Cao Rui smiled and said, "Why are you being so polite, Sikong? Just say what you want to say."
"Yes." Sima Yi said, "Your Majesty has assigned the authority to handle documents entering and leaving the palace to the Secretariat. I understand your Majesty's intention. But if the Secretariat takes over, it may delay the affairs."
Sima Yi said it in a tactful way, but Cao Rui understood Sima Yi's subtext instantly. What do you mean by delaying the affairs? Sima Yi was worried that the decrees of the West and East Pavilions would be obstructed or even rejected by the Secretariat. If this were true, the power of the Secretariat would increase, and the West and East Pavilions would be like puppets.
Cao Rui smiled and said, "Regarding matters in the West and East Pavilions, whether it is documents submitted to the palace or government orders conveyed outside the palace, the Secretariat has the sole responsibility of delivering them immediately and cannot interfere in any way."
Sima Yi cupped his hands and said, "If that's the case, I have no problem with that."
Cao Rui asked, "General, Wei Wei, Master Wei, do you have any questions?"
From the perspective of these three people, it is nothing more than that eunuchs used to deliver documents in and out of the palace, but now it has been changed to the Secretariat. What's the harm?
Cao Zhen, Dong Zhao and Wei Zhen all expressed that they had no objections.
Cao Rui looked at Xu Miao with a smile on his face. Cao Rui was very satisfied with this censor who had given him a beautiful assist for some reason.
"I have answered all of what Lord Xu said in his memorial. Do you have any other questions?"
Xu Miao bowed and said, "I have no problem with that! Your Majesty is wise and wise, you are truly a sage ruler who has never been seen before!"
Cao Rui sneered, "You are a saint who has never lived before. Xu Qing, please tone it down and stop being so boastful."
"Minister Chen, please remember this for me."
When Chen Jiao heard the emperor's call, he quickly stood up and walked to the desk where the Secretariat used to draft imperial edicts.
"A minister with integrity is what the ruler can rely on. He is honest and upright, diligent and loyal, and always makes suggestions on important national affairs. He is loyal and energetic, and I admire him very much."
After Cao Rui finished speaking, he smiled and said, "Send this message to the Secretariat later and have it issue an edict to the Censorate. I want to praise Censor Xu in public."
Xu Miao's mentality had been up and down several times in the palace today, and now he was praised like this, which really made him confused. Sima Yi, who was standing aside, looked normal, but he had no idea what the emperor was thinking.
Xu Miao could only bow and say, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."
After Xu Miao, the law enforcer of the Censorate, left, Cao Rui called Gao Rou in without any pause.
Gao Rou had seen Xu Miao's rather strange look when he came out of the courtyard. When he walked into the study, he was even more surprised.
How come there are so many people here?
After a simple greeting, Xin Pi continued to ask questions.
Xin Pi said, "Excuse me, the court judge said in the previous memorial that many illegalities occurred in the Huangchu period. How illegal were they? Why did you wait until Your Majesty transferred the power and responsibility of the school affairs before submitting the memorial?"
Gao Rou bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, I would like to first talk about Liu Ci, the commander of the Luoyang School. In the past two days, I have sorted out nearly a thousand unjust, false and wrong cases caused by Liu Ci."
"I have asked the Imperial Court Supervisor Wang Guan to come with me and write down the general facts of the case. Should I present it to Your Majesty now?"
At first, Cao Rui thought that Gao Rou did not say it earlier or later, but chose to say it at this time, which seemed to be an intentional attempt to get rid of the school affairs.
But now it seems that what the school has done over the years is not clean?
Cao Rui thought for a moment.
If you don't know these details, you can still continue to work in school.
But if you know about the illegal activities of the school officials, but pretend that you didn't see them and continue to use the school officials to solve the case, isn't that deceiving yourself?
Who does the world belong to? How can you fool yourself?
Cao Rui nodded gently: "Bring the case here."
Zhong Yu went out to bring Wang Guan in. After reading the information presented by Wang Guan, Cao Rui couldn't help but shake his head repeatedly.
If we use three words to summarize the unjust, false and wrong cases committed by school officials, it would be “low standard”!
Most of the cases involved minor officials and civilians. The ones that really involved the officials of Luoyang were nothing serious except for some trivial matters.
Why are you only targeting minor officials and common people? You should be targeting ministers and noble relatives!
Since the school had committed a crime and should be punished, there was no need for Cao Rui to waste his time on it.
What Cao Rui wanted to keep was the school affairs institution, not the individuals in it. If some of them went too far or even committed a crime, they would be punished according to the law!
Cao Rui said slowly: "It's shocking! There are so many wrongful convictions committed by the school officials. What crime should the court punish according to the law?"
Gao Rou said slowly: "Your Majesty, as the commander of the school affairs, Liu Ci cannot escape death. But the other school officials of the school affairs office must also bear more or less responsibility."
Cao Rui had no intention of conducting a major purge of the School Affairs Office now: "Since Liu Ci is guilty of capital punishment, I will sentence him to death. I will also ask the three ministers to discuss the responsibilities within the School Affairs Office."
Cao Rui looked at Gao Rou and said, "I want to know why the court official is reporting the illegal activities of the school office to me now?"
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" (End of this chapter)
