Cao Rui smiled and shook his head: "You know, I am not such a lustful person."
"It will not harm your health." Cao Rui took a sip of the warm water on the table. "On the contrary, I am often distracted by state affairs."
"State affairs, what's wrong with state affairs?" Concubine Mao asked, "Didn't your majesty tell me that I should seize military power and personnel, and everything else is secondary?"
Cao Rui snorted: "It has nothing to do with military power, but rather trivial personnel matters."
Maopin gently stroked Cao Rui's back and said, "Don't worry. If it's trivial, we can talk about it tomorrow."
"Ask the ministers tomorrow. If what they say pleases Your Majesty, then let them do it. If not, let them change it to please Your Majesty."
Cao Rui looked at Concubine Mao and said with a smile: "Your idea is that you are born to be rich and idle!"
Concubine Mao smiled and said, "I have Your Majesty, so how can I not be a rich and idle person? Don't go back to the study tonight, just stay here with me."
"Okay!" Cao Rui nodded: "I will go to bed an hour earlier today. I will go to the Five Colonels' Camp to check on the military power and personnel matters tomorrow morning!"
Early the next morning, Cao Rui led the Huben troops out of the palace and went to inspect the camp of the Five Colonels.
After coming out of the Fifth Colonel's Camp, he led the Fifth Colonel's Inspector Wen Qin and walked around the outskirts of Luoyang City, carefully checking the city defenses.
On the morning of the third day, Cao Zhen and Dong Zhao from the West Pavilion also joined the emperor's inspection.
After inspecting the Wuwei Camp in the morning and having lunch, he went to the Luoyang Arsenal in the afternoon to continue his inspection.
On the way from Wuwei Camp to Luoyang Arsenal, Dong Zhao suddenly felt a lot of emotions in his heart.
Last year, in this armory, Dong Zhao dared to speak out and make direct criticisms, and secured himself a job in the Western Pavilion, allowing him to assist in military affairs across the country.
Now that we are reunited in the old place, it seems that there is still a chance to go further?
As Dong Zhao thought about it, his body unconsciously became more and more upright. Cao Zhen, who was standing by, looked at Dong Zhao sitting steadily on the horse and became puzzled.
This old guy is usually half dead in the West Pavilion, why is he so energetic today?
Walking into the armory, what comes into view are still rows of neatly arranged shelves and piles of bows, crossbows, arrows, swords, spears, armor, shields and other types of weapons.
Cao Rui asked: "General, how is the matter of sending troops to Chang'an going? Have you decided how to allocate these 20,000 people?"
Cao Zhen walked behind Cao Rui, and after taking half a step forward, he said, "Your Majesty, I, Lord Dong, and Dongge have tentatively agreed to draw 8,000 soldiers from Jingzhou and 12,000 soldiers from Yangzhou. This will be exactly one-fifth of the ratio for both places."
"As for which specific transfers are needed, I have already sent letters to the Grand Marshal and Chen the Cavalry. I estimate that I will receive a reply from them in about five days."
Cao Rui picked up the iron helmet on the shelf beside him, blew on it gently, and wiped off the excess dust with his hand: "Why is it only one-fifth? In the battle of Wankou, the foreign troops near Yangzhou also suffered more than ten thousand casualties."
"Do you believe it, General? The Grand Marshal will definitely write back to complain."
"This..." Cao Zhen stroked his beard and said, "Didn't Jia Kui's 10,000 foreign troops originally stationed in Yuzhou also return to Yangzhou? There should be no shortage of numbers."
“Hahahaha.” Cao Rui laughed loudly, patted Cao Zhen’s arm gently and said, “Anyway, there’s nothing going on in the southeast. As long as the troops in Wankou don’t move, I won’t care about anything else. Just discuss it with the Grand Marshal!”
Cao Zhen also smiled and said, "I understand. Of the four candidates for generals reported to Your Majesty earlier, which one did Your Majesty prefer?"
Cao Rui asked, "It's Man Chong, Cao Tai, Zhu Gai, and Qian Zhao, right?"
"Yes." Cao Zhen nodded.
Cao Rui asked in return: "General, who do you think is more like Zhang He in commanding troops among these four?"
"Zhang He?" Cao Zhen thought for a moment and then said, "I think these four are not as good as Zhang He in commanding troops."
"Don't I know?" Cao Rui laughed, "If he is not as good as Zhang He today, he may not be as good as Zhang He in the future. Generals are always selected from generation to generation, right?"
"Your Majesty is right." Cao Zhen said, "Zhang He has two characteristics in using troops. One is that he is as swift as the wind, and the other is that he is clever and resourceful."
"I will not talk about his rapid advance for now. Zhang He used his troops skillfully and flexibly. He could fight in the field, defend cities, use his troops in the mountains, and roam the plains."
"Among these four, Man Chong can be considered steady, Cao Tai can be considered brave, Zhu Gai can be considered all-round, but only Qian Zhao can be considered as having the demeanor of a great general."
Cao Rui nodded and said, "When you and the Minister of Works recommended the candidates to replace Xu Huang, they were Xiahou Ru and Qian Zhao, right?"
"That's right." Cao Zhen replied.
Cao Rui said: "I remember that during the time of Emperor Wu, Zhang Junyi and Xiahou Miaocai, one was the vanguard and the other was the general. With their cooperation, they could march forward to the right of the pass."
"I actually also want to bring together two people like Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He."
Cao Zhen reminded: "In fact, the two people your majesty mentioned do have shortcomings."
Cao Rui laughed in silence: "How can there be a perfect man? Of course I hope to choose a general who is both prudent in using troops and unrivaled in bravery. If Xu Huang is not dead, of course I will let Xu Huang go."
"If there is no tiger, a leopard will do. If there is no leopard, two wolves will also do!"
"What do you think of Qian Zhao and Cao Tai?" Cao Zhen frowned. "Your Majesty wants Cao Tai to be Zhang He and Qian Zhao to be Xiahou Yuan?"
Cao Rui nodded.
Cao Zhen cupped his hands and said, "I don't think so! In the past, when Zhang He and Xiahou Yuan worked together, Zhang He was usually in the front as the vanguard, while Xiahou Yuan led the army in the back."
"But the reason why we use Zhang He as the vanguard is not because of his bravery, but because he is the best at judging the situation! If he can find an opportunity, he can fight quickly; if he can't find an opportunity, he can hold on and wait for help!"
Cao Rui frowned: "What does the general mean?"
Cao Zhen replied in a serious tone: "If your majesty agrees, I think Zhu Gai should be used as Zhang He, and it doesn't matter who plays Xiahou Yuan!"
Cao Rui took a deep breath and said, "Then let Qian Zhao be the main general and Zhu Gai be the deputy general. What do you think, General?"
"I think it is very appropriate."
"Let's send a letter to summon these two people back to the capital tomorrow! Qian Zhao is the governor of Yanmen, so he can be transferred back directly. Let the Grand Marshal choose who will replace Zhu Gai."
"As you wish." Cao Zhen replied with a bow.
Just when Cao Rui, Cao Zhen and Dong Zhao were walking in the armory, the Secretary Wang Chang actually found the armory.
Cao Rui glanced at Cao Zhen and Dong Zhao, and said with a smile: "I have been waiting for news from the Supreme Court these past two days. I didn't expect to see it in the armory."
Wang Chang came running over, panting slightly as he said, "Your Majesty, the court official has submitted a report stating that the interrogation of He Yan and others into forming a clique has yielded preliminary results, and I am now reporting this to Your Majesty."
Cao Rui took the document from Wang Chang, looked at the list written in the document, and read softly: "Four Cong, Eight Da, Three Yu..."
Passing the document to Cao Zhen beside him, Cao Rui said, "General and Lord Dong should also take a look!"
Cao Zhen took a quick look at it and handed it to Dong Zhao, who read it carefully from top to bottom several times.
Gao Rou personally interrogated He Yan and asked for the names of all the "famous scholars" in Luozhong who had interacted with him.
The people who are famous in Luoyang today can be called the "Four Smarts", "Eight Greats" and "Three Yus".
The so-called "Four Smarts" refers to He Yan, Xiahou Xuan, Deng Biao and Pei Hui, who were smart and outstanding.
The 'Eight Great Men' are one level lower than the 'Four Smart Men'. They include Zhuge Dan, Yuan Kan, Xu Yun, Li Sheng, Bi Gui, Ding Mi, Sima Shi and Li Feng.
There are also the 'Three Yu', which actually refers to three people whose talents are not as good as the 'Four Clever and Eight Da' but who have joined the group by relying on the power of their fathers. They are Liu Xi, the son of Liu Fang, the Minister of the Central Secretariat; Sun Mi, the son of Sun Zi, the Governor of Yanzhou; and Wei Lie, the son of Wei Zhen, the Right Prime Minister.
Cao Rui looked at Wang Chang and said, "Wang Qing, please go back first. I will keep this memorial with me."
"I obey your command." Wang Chang bowed and took his leave, but Cao Rui felt a little doubtful at this time.
There is no other reason, it’s just that these flashy celebrities all have prominent backgrounds!
Among the four smart people, He Yan and Xiahou Xuan's backgrounds are beyond words. Pei Hui is the younger brother of Pei Qian, the current governor of Jingzhou, and his family background is only comparable to that of Deng Yang.
Among the Eight Great Men, Sima Yi’s son Sima Shi was prominently listed.
Not to mention the fathers of the 'Three Yu', Liu Fang, Sun Zi and Wei Zhen.
"What is your Majesty worried about?" Dong Zhao's eyes were burning and he could see Cao Rui's hesitation at a glance.
At that moment, there were only Cao Zhen and Dong Zhao around Cao Rui. There was nothing worth avoiding talking about this case with these two people.
Cao Rui said softly, "Gao Rou said that in addition to these four wise men, eight wise men and three wise men, there are more than a hundred children of officials in Luozhong who have been in contact with, socialized with, and evaluated these people!"
"I intend to punish those who are extravagant and clique-forming, but I don't want to turn the court upside down!"
Dong Zhao stood aside, bowed his hands and said solemnly: "Your Majesty, do you know why these people are forming a clique?"
"Is it nothing more than becoming famous and becoming an official?" Cao Rui raised his eyebrows and looked at Dong Zhao.
Dong Zhao shook his head and said, "Yes, but not entirely."
"The so-called 'vanity' is nothing more than the scholars' love of fame and integrity, forming cliques and groups, flattering each other and boasting in order to gain reputation."
"But at its root, this matter is actually digging up the roots of the Nine-Rank Zhongzheng and Xiaolian of the Wei Dynasty, or the aftermath of the scholars in the late Han Dynasty who were fighting for fame, insulting each other, and choosing positions based on their reputations!"
Cao Rui frowned: "Mr. Dong, what you mean is that the harm of these 'Four Intelligent, Eight Da, and Three Yu' is not the formation of a faction, but the interference with the election of officials?"
"That's right!" Dong Zhao said firmly, "Your Majesty, think about it. Among these 'Four Intelligent, Eight Insightful, and Three Skillful', Zhuge Dan, Yuan Kan, and Xu Yun are officials in the Ministry of Personnel, while He Yan, Li Feng, Deng Yang, and others are responsible for evaluating people."
"If the trend of making friends and seeking personal gain is allowed to grow, how many of the children of officials in Luoyang City, and even the students of the Imperial Academy that Your Majesty has devoted all his energy to, will be able to work peacefully and become officials through hard work?"
"Even if such a frivolous person gets an official position by chance, he will definitely attribute it to his father, fame and friends. How can he be grateful to the court?"
"The more powerful the child is, the more serious the matter is. I beg Your Majesty to punish him severely!"
"To correct a wrong, one must go too far!" (End of this chapter)
