Just as Sima Yi was about to say something, Cao Rui gently waved his hand and said, "I understand what Sikong meant, but the Minister of Justice has learned some other information from He Yan and others."
"I will let you discuss this matter together during the court meeting later."
"Sikong, go back first."
Sima Yi nodded and said goodbye.
However, an hour later, the four important ministers from the West Pavilion and the East Pavilion, as well as the four attendants Xin Pi, Chen Jiao, Yang Fu and Wang Su, all sat in their usual seats in the study.
Cao Rui said in a deep voice: "Today I am here to discuss matters with you, you can probably guess the reason."
"The Ministry of Personnel of the Shangshutai abused public power, and He Yan and others formed a clique in Luozhong."
"I do not want to delay these two matters, so I will discuss them with you in this court today, so that I can give an explanation to all the officials and subjects."
Cao Rui looked up at Zhong Yu who was standing in the corner and said, "Zhong Yu! Come here and read out the conclusion of the court's review for me."
"As you wish." Zhong Yu walked forward facing everyone's gazes, picked up the report from the emperor's desk and prepared to read it, with a hint of nervousness in his heart.
Sima Yi looked at the young man's slightly immature face and felt something strange in his heart.
He is obviously the son of Master Zhong and a minister of imperial guards appointed by the emperor, so why is he always ignored? If I had known this, I would have let Ziyuan enter the palace to be a minister of imperial guards!
Although Zhong Yu was a little nervous, he still read Gao Rou's two reports word by word in front of everyone.
Cao Rui asked directly: "The Shangshutai is managed by Sikong and Wei Shifu. The Ministry of Personnel has committed such illegal acts. Give me and the court an explanation."
When Sima Yi and Wei Zhen heard the words "Shangshu Tai", they both stood up.
Sima Yi cupped his hands and said, "This is my failure to supervise. Your Majesty, please dismiss me as Sikong to thank the world."
Wei Zhen also said immediately: "Your Majesty, I would like to take the position of Shangshu You Pushe."
Cao Rui tapped the table lightly and asked, "Are you two going to give up?"
"Yuan Kan and Zhuge Dan are not Wei Feng, and they did not plot a rebellion. You have not reached the level that Emperor Wu did when he demoted Zhong Yao to a commoner."
Cao Rui glanced at everyone in the study room and said, "Since you are working in the court, it is possible that you may encounter this or that thing due to poor supervision."
"You can avoid making mistakes only if you do nothing. If you give up when something happens, how can I count on you?"
"Don't ever mention the word resignation to me again!"
"Your Majesty is wise." Wei Zhen bowed and said, "After all, I cannot deny my fault. I hope Your Majesty will demote me to a lower position to punish me."
Sima Yi's eyelids twitched slightly when he heard Wei Zhen's words. You are very generous. Both the positions of Shangshutai and Silixiaowei are important enough! What use is my empty position of Sikong without the title of Lu Shangshushi?
But no matter what he thought, Sima Yi's actions did not slow down at all.
Sima Yi then said: "I also want you to demote me, Your Majesty."
Cao Rui nodded slightly: "After all, this is a matter of the Shangshutai, and the attitudes expressed by the two of you are responsible enough."
"Sima Qing's duties as Sikong and Lu Shangshu were demoted to Sikong and Li Shangshu You Pushe, and he still stayed in the East Pavilion as before."
"Wei Qing was demoted from Shangshu You Pushe to Shangshu Zuo Pushe, and his fiefdom was reduced by 200 households. His Sili Xiaowei remained unchanged and he still served in Dongge as before."
"Do you two have anything to say?" Cao Rui looked into Sima Yi and Wei Zhen's eyes.
Cao Zhen, Dong Zhao and four attendants who were sitting in the study also followed the emperor's gaze and looked at the two of them.
Sima Yi's expression remained unchanged, but he secretly complained in his heart. Wei Zhen's position as the Inspector of the Imperial Guards was not lost, but his position as the Recorder of the Imperial Secretariat was lost! Could these two positions be the same thing?
The inferior should rule over the superior. This has been the court practice since the Han Dynasty.
The governors of each state and county were all two thousand dan, but the provincial governors were only six hundred dan. The Shangshu Ling, who was one thousand dan, became the actual person in charge of all government affairs in the country.
The rank of Shangshu Ling was no more than 1,000 dan in the late Han Dynasty. Even though the rank of Shangshu Ling was changed to 2,000 dan after the emperor ascended the throne, it was difficult to conceal his so-called "low position".
No matter whether it was the general, the grand marshal or the three highest officials in the late Han Dynasty, if they wanted to make actual decisions on political affairs, they had to be given the additional title of "recorder of the Shangshu" before they could actually interfere in the affairs of the Shangshutai.
And what about the Sili Xiaowei? It was just a position that could be added or removed at any time according to the emperor's will, and it was only slightly higher than a governor!
Sima Yi was the first to answer: "Your Majesty is wise and wise. Demoting me one level is a great favor. I am willing to accept the punishment."
Wei Zhen standing by said the same thing.
Cao Rui continued, "According to the law, the court judge ruled that Zhuge Dan should be put to death, and Yuan Kan and Xu Yun should be exiled. Do you two officials in charge of the Secretariat have any objections?"
Sima Yi cupped his hands and said, "The judge's judgment is appropriate. I have no objection."
Wei Zhen also said: "These three people brought this upon themselves, and this is exactly what should be done to make the law clear."
Cao Zhen, who was sitting opposite, sighed in his heart at this time, Your Majesty is really good to the two ministers in the East Pavilion. Wu and Shu have not yet been pacified, and Your Majesty can be somewhat tolerant of the capable ministers in the court, whether it is Sun Zi in the past or Sima Yi and Wei Zhen today.
On the surface, the punishment for Wei Zhen was heavier than that for Sima Yi. Sima Yi was only demoted, while Wei Zhen was demoted and his fiefdom of 200 households was reduced.
But in reality, aren't these two people still working in the East Pavilion? The two of them are still the most powerful in the Shangshutai, so what difference can there be? They have not lost the emperor's favor yet!
But Wang Su, who was sitting nearby, cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."
Cao Rui pointed at Wang Su and asked, "Minister Wang, what do you want to say?"
Wang Su asked, "Your Majesty, I thought that the Sikong was originally the recorder of the Shangshu affairs. If he was demoted to a lower level like the Wei Pushe, why was he not demoted to Shangshu Ling?"
Sima Yi was also somewhat puzzled and turned to look at Wang Su. Since Sima Yi had stood up Wang Lang and Wang Su in the matter of seeking Wang Yuanji for Sima Zhao, he thought that the Wang family would completely turn against him.
You'll even speak for me?
Xin Pi, who was also a minister, coughed lightly, turned his head and looked at Wang Su and said, "Minister Wang, you may not know that as early as last year when your majesty went to the south and appointed Wei Gongzhen as the right servant of the Shangshu, it was decided that the position of Shangshu Ling would no longer be established because of the heavy responsibilities of the Shangshu Ling."
Seeing Wang Su looking at him, Cao Rui nodded, indicating his agreement with Xin Pi's words.
"The Shangshu Ling has great power, so shouldn't the title of 'Lu Shangshu Ling' have even greater power and responsibility?" Wang Su said solemnly, "In order to rectify the rules and regulations of the court, I ask Your Majesty to follow the example of last year and abolish the title of Lu Shangshu Shi."
"If you need an important official to take charge of administrative matters in the future, you should personally take the actual position of the Shangshutai to show your respect for the official position of the court."
Sima Yi tried to remain calm, but the slightest facial movement of his eyes as if he was about to squint was keenly noticed by Cao Rui.
Cao Rui tapped the table with his fingertips and remained silent for a while. Sima Yi could not defend himself in this situation, and the others were also silent.
Although he pretended to be calm on the surface, Sima Yi was already cursing in his heart. It's not even to the point of breaking off the engagement, and I haven't even mentioned the marriage yet. Why are you holding a grudge and wanting to block my way? Your Majesty has already mentioned Dong Zhuo's name to me, how dare I continue to marry into your family?
Wang Lang, you old bastard! Wang Su, this little bastard, is also a bastard! Block my path!
However, Sima Yi did not make any move at this time. It was because he had just discussed Zhuge Dan and Yuan Kan of the Shangshutai, and had not yet mentioned the faction of He Yan and others.
"I agree with what Minister Wang said." Cao Rui looked at Zhong Yu and said, "Then I will tell you about the Fuhua clique."
"Yes." Zhong Yu replied.
Although the atmosphere in the study room became more subtle, Zhong Yu could clearly feel it, but his nervousness was much less than before.
After Zhong Yu told the story of the factional activities of the frivolous scholars in Luozhong, he read out the list of 'Four Intelligent, Eight Intelligent, and Three Skillful'. Except for Cao Zhen and Dong Zhao, everyone present became nervous.
Before anyone else could speak, Dong Zhao was the first to stand up from his seat.
"Your Majesty," Dong Zhao said solemnly, "In order to uphold the discipline of the court and the laws of the Wei Dynasty, I ask that you severely punish these people who form cliques!"
"Why?" Cao Rui asked with just a slightly raised eyebrow.
"The Wei Dynasty governs the world with education, and should respect honest and simple people and reject those who are hypocritical and untrue, because such people destroy education, disrupt governance, corrupt customs and harm civilization."
"At the end of Jian'an, Wei Feng stirred up trouble and misled the people with his words, causing chaos in Yecheng and was executed. During the Huangchu period, Cao Wei pretended to be a famous scholar and sought fame and integrity, but was executed in Luoyang."
"I have carefully checked in the palace, whether it is the edicts of Emperor Wu, the previous emperor or your majesty, all of them deeply detest such things as vanity and faction."
It would be more accurate to say that everyone in the study was listening carefully to Dong Zhao's speech rather than wondering why Dong Zhao's words were so harsh.
Cao Rui also sat behind the desk without saying a word.
Dong Zhao continued, "I have learned from the report of the court judge that the scholars in Luoyang do not focus on learning, but on making friends. The young officials in the court do not focus on filial piety, brotherhood and self-cultivation, but on seeking benefits first."
"These young scholars formed cliques and praised each other. They praised whoever was attached to them, and belittled and slandered whoever was not upright."
"There were even cases where He Yan, Deng Yang, Yuan Kan, and Zhuge Dan exchanged public resources for private fame. And He Yan gathered people in Luozhong to take drugs such as Wu Shi San, which was a drug that broke people's minds and destroyed their bodies."
"All this is against the law and unforgivable! How is it different from people like Wei Feng and Cao Wei?"
"I beg you to severely punish these people who are sociable and extravagant!"
Cao Rui listened to Dong Zhao's words quietly and asked, "What the court official said is indeed shocking. What the military official said is also quite reasonable in my opinion."
"Gentlemen, do you have any other opinions?"
Cao Rui glanced around and saw that several of the attendants had blank expressions on their faces. Cao Zhen looked indifferent, while Wei Zhen was looking at the floor.
Only after looking at Sima Yi for a moment, Sima Yi actually lowered his gaze on his own initiative.
Sima Yi was naturally aware of Dong Zhao's serious remarks about these young scholars! However, the matter of his eldest son Sima Shi's Five Stone Powder had not yet come to a conclusion. How could he dare to speak out at this time and displease the emperor?
Cao Rui nodded: "What do you suggest, Weiwei, do we need to do with these extravagant and clique-forming scholars?"
"Your Majesty." Although Dong Zhao bowed, his back straightened: "These frivolous scholars should be deterred by the laws of the court."
"I propose that the scholars on the list be dismissed immediately and return to their hometowns. They are not allowed to take up official posts or leave their hometowns without imperial decree. This will cut off their connections and serve as a warning to them."
"If such scholars reform themselves in the future, they can be released from confinement only after the court's review!"
"This is truly a move to punish past mistakes, prevent future ones, and cure diseases and save lives!"
Yang Fu stood up with a worried look on his face: "Your Majesty, isn't this another round of Party Imprisonment? What should we do if it causes unrest in the world?"
Sima Yi glanced at Yang Fu and secretly felt that Yang Fu was really different. To put it nicely, he was straightforward, but to put it bluntly, he was naive!
He Yan's big trap trapped all the scholars in Luoyang, and he and Wei Zhen also suffered from it.
The most hateful ones are Wang Su and Dong Zhao! Taking this opportunity to jump out, Wang Su stabbed himself in the back, and Dong Zhao cut off the official careers of the children of officials in Luozhong.
Look at who is suffering: himself, Wei Zhen, Liu Fang, Sun Zi, and the sons of officials from the Shangshutai and other government offices in Luozhong. This number is not small at all.
Fortunately, the matter was not final, and there was a possibility of lifting the imprisonment in the future. If the matter of the Five Stones Powder that was decided in Chongwen Temple was mentioned, I am afraid that Ziyuan would never be able to serve as an official in this life.
It seems that I still need to express my stance as soon as possible.
Sima Yi took the initiative to say: "Minister Yang may have misunderstood! According to the list found by the court judge, the number of such scholars is less than 200. How could the world be in turmoil?"
"Your Majesty," Sima Yi bowed and looked at the emperor: "What the Weiwei said is very reasonable. I second it!"
Sima Yi's son was on the list, and he said so. Wei Zhen also stood up and said, "I second the motion."
The rest of the people present also stood up and seconded the motion.
Cao Rui nodded and said, "What the Weiwei said is right. To punish past mistakes and prevent future ones, and to cure diseases and save lives, I agree with that!"
"Let these frivolous scholars return to their hometowns and learn the principles of loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and forgiveness in the Five Classics, and compare their previous words and deeds!"
"There was no precedent before, and I still cured the disease and saved lives. From today on, if anyone in the court is found taking Wushisan again, he will be imprisoned for life, and this is no empty talk!"
"Your Majesty is wise." Everyone bowed and shouted.
Cao Rui sighed softly: "In addition to the flashy scholars, many problems of the Shangshutai were also exposed in this incident!"
"Sikong, I want to ask you, there are six ministers and twenty-five departments in the Shangshutai now, right?"
Sima Yi bowed and said, "Your Majesty, there are currently six Shangshu in the Shangshutai, directly in charge of the six Caos of Personnel, Guest Cao, Five Armies, Agricultural Cao, Duzhi, and Zuomin, and each of them supervises three to five Caos at the same time."
Cao Rui nodded: "How can we deal with the internal affairs of the Shangshutai? Do you two have any ideas?"
Wei Zhen replied, "Your Majesty, the Minister of Works and I have roughly agreed to restore the positions of Shangshu Zuocheng and Shangshu Youcheng, with the Left Chancellor in charge of the Shangshutai's discipline and the Right Chancellor in charge of the Shangshutai's money and grain seals."
"Not enough." Cao Rui shook his head gently: "I intend to reorganize the structure of the Shangshutai. The six Shangshu will no longer directly manage the Caos under their names, but will be in charge of the affairs of several Caos to avoid such poor supervision from happening again."
"The six departments of the Shangshutai were changed into six ministries, with the six ministers in charge of the doctors of the twenty-five departments." (End of this chapter)
