The emperor's personal presence was an expression of his respect for his subjects, and no one would pursue the details.
Except for Cao Rui himself and the ministers who went with the army, all the other ministers in Luoyang had already come here, so there was no reason to bow a second time.
Therefore, all the space was left to the emperor, Wang Su, Sima Yi, Xin Pi and a few others.
After the sacrifice, Cao Rui did not intend to hide anything and asked in front of everyone: "Lord Wang, after the hundred-day mourning ceremony for Wang Situ, do you want me to order the removal of love?"
As soon as the emperor said this, everyone present fell silent and turned their eyes to Wang Su.
Sima Yi had long been somewhat dissatisfied with the favor bestowed upon Wang Lang and his son Wang Su.
At this time, in addition to Sima Yi, Xin Pi also frowned and stared at Wang Su's face.
No, you, Wang Su, are only over thirty years old. How can you be worthy enough to ask the emperor to ask you whether you want to seize the love?
We are all ministers, why do you have such a good personal relationship with His Majesty?
Just because you are Wang Lang's son?
In fact, the words Cao Rui used just now were not accurate. The word "seize love" was inappropriate, and the word "reinstate" should be used.
The so-called "deprivation of love" is a political term that is opposite to "dingyou".
After the death of their parents, officials were required to resign and return home to mourn, which was called Dingyou. If they concealed the death of their parents, they would be severely punished if they were found out.
If the imperial court did not allow an official to observe mourning according to the actual situation, this was called "deprivation of affection".
If one has begun mourning but the mourning period has not yet expired and he is called out by the court to take up an official position, this is called "reinstatement."
For Wang Su, the word "qifu" is appropriate.
But no matter whether the emperor's words were accurate or not, the importance he expressed for Wang Su was enough to make everyone look at him sideways.
Wang Su's expression froze, and he bowed respectfully: "Your Majesty, I have been learning Confucianism since I was young, following my father's teachings. Now is the mourning period for my father, please allow me to observe the full three years of mourning."
Cao Rui glanced at Wang Su.
He was not polite to Wang Su, so naturally he thought that Wang Su was not polite to him.
If Wang Su wants to be a filial son according to secular etiquette, then let him be.
Cao Rui nodded gently: "Three years? That would be twenty-seven months?"
"The three-year mourning period ends in twenty-five months." Wang Su replied, "I have already researched and found that Zheng Xuan's statement of twenty-seven months is a lie. Twenty-five months is the correct answer."
Cao Rui had no objection. Whether it was twenty-five months or twenty-seven months, the emperor never needed to worry about the details.
But Xin Pi frowned and asked, "Ziyong, it has always been 27 months. I wonder how Ziyong's theory is two months less than that of Duke Zheng?"
Wang Su answered swiftly, "The twenty-seven months Zheng Xuan mentioned are based on the legend that there is a minor auspicious period, a major auspicious period, and a mourning period in the middle of the month."
"After the burial, there will be a minor auspicious ceremony on the thirteenth month, and a major auspicious ceremony on the twenty-fifth month. Zheng Xuan interpreted the word 'zhong' in 'zhongyue er 禫' as 'between', and below I will refer to 'zhongyue' as 'the middle of the month'."
"In this case, there is only a difference of two months. This is in line with the rite in the Three Years Question, which states that 'the three-year mourning period ends at the end of twenty-five months.'"
Just as Xin Pi was about to ask another question, Cao Rui interrupted him with a smile.
"It's just a matter of etiquette. Wang Situ is a great scholar, and Ziyong is also a well-educated man. Since he can explain it, there's no harm in doing as he says."
"I understand." Xin Pi replied calmly.
Xin Pi had argued with the emperor in order to test his intentions, but now that the emperor had taken sides, there was no need to try again.
When serving the emperor, how could there be so many likes and dislikes? It was just a gesture made according to political needs.
The one who died was Wang Su's own father, and it has nothing to do with others.
However, Xin Pi was still pondering in his heart. The emperor indulged Wang Su so much, what did he want Wang Su to do? Let's see how the two of them would argue.
After Wang Su thanked him, Cao Rui asked again: "Does Situ Wang have any last wishes? If I can do it, I will do it for Situ Wang."
Wang Su took the opportunity to pull out a booklet from his sleeve and presented it to the emperor with both hands:
"Your Majesty, my father wrote thirty volumes of collected works, and his most proud work is this Zhouyi Zhuan."
"My father's last wish was to spread this book Zhou Yi Zhuan throughout the world. I hope Your Majesty will fulfill this wish. I will be grateful to you."
Cao Rui glanced at Wang Su, stretched out his right hand and took the "Zhou Yi Zhuan". He opened the book and flipped through a few pages, and seemed to understand the profound parts, but he didn't quite understand them. He closed the book again and held it in his hand.
"I won't read it carefully." Cao Rui said, "I know Wang Qing's knowledge, and I am also familiar with Wang Situ's knowledge. Let me ask you, does this copy of Zhou Yi contain prophecies, disasters, and other things?"
"There are no prophecies or disasters!" Wang Su replied seriously: "My father and I have never believed in these things! My father's life's work is all in this "Zhou Yi Zhuan"."
Cao Rui nodded, turned around and handed the book in his hand to Cao Zhi.
"Uncle, please take a look at it for me. If there is no problem, send it to the Imperial Academy to be used as a teaching material."
"I obey your order." Cao Zhi took it with both hands and carefully placed it in his arms.
One is held in the hand, the other is held in the arms, this is how cultured people cherish books.
Cao Rui said slowly: "Since Wang Qing is proficient in Zhouyi, I have something I want Wang Qing to explain to me."
"I witnessed people worshipping Dong Zhuo's ghost in the suburbs of Chencang. I also saw the dew-receiving plate used by Emperor Wu of Han to pray for immortality in Chang'an..." Cao Rui briefly recounted the incident and then said, "There are many bad customs among the people. I want to get rid of them all."
"The Han Dynasty lasted for 400 years, and its cultural heritage is very rich. I intend to preserve the good things of the Han Dynasty and show the spirit of the new Wei Dynasty."
"The late emperor didn't have time to do these things during the Huangchu years. Now that I have returned from the expedition to Shu, it is time to fulfill the late emperor's unfulfilled wishes."
Sima Yi was listening to the emperor's words from behind, and couldn't help but curl his lips in his mind. The previous emperor was only thinking about defeating the Wu Kingdom, so how could he have thought about such a high-end thing?
Using the late emperor as a cover, won't there be no evidence to prove it?
Wang Su frowned and stood there thinking for a while.
Cao Rui was not in a hurry. He turned around and walked to Wang Lang's tablet to add a few more incense sticks. Then he walked around a few times and glanced through the hall door at the ministers who were doing nothing and chatting outside.
When he walked back to Wang Su again, Wang Su finally figured it out, and said with a folded hand: "The most important affairs of the country are war and sacrifice."
"The Wei Dynasty inherited the mandate of heaven and ruled the world on behalf of the Han Dynasty. The rituals of imperial sacrifice should be different from those of the Han Dynasty."
Cao Rui asked, "How is it different?"
Wang Su said: "During the Han Dynasty, sacrifices to the heaven were all made to the 'six heavens', not to the 'one day'."
"The new Wei dynasty should correct its original intention and worship the correct 'one day' instead of 'six days'."
"Wait, I'm a little confused." Cao Rui stopped Wang Su from talking about Confucianism and asked, "What do you mean by 'six days' and 'one day'?"
Wang Su asked: "Your Majesty, may I ask, is there one 'sky' or six?"
Cao Rui frowned: "What you said is absurd! Heaven is Heaven, there is only one Heaven, how can there be six?"
Everyone in the hall also stared at Wang Su.
Perhaps it was because the emperor's voice was a little loud, Hua Xin, relying on his old age and virtue, came uninvited from outside the hall and walked to the side of several people.
Wang Su asked again: "I would like to ask Your Majesty, was the late emperor born by a human?"
Was Cao Pi born of a human?
Sima Yi frowned and took a half step forward, pointing at Wang Su and shouting, "Wang Su! You are not allowed to speak nonsense in front of His Majesty!"
"Stop." Cao Rui looked at Sima Yi coldly, raised his hand to stop him, and then asked Wang Su: "I don't think you will go crazy in front of me."
"Don't keep me in suspense. Tell me clearly what it means."
Wang Su glanced at Sima Yi, then turned to look at the emperor: "Your Majesty, the late emperor was born of a human. Emperor Wu and the Empress Dowager were both human beings, not gods."
"Emperor Gaozu of Han rose to power by slaying a white snake, and was called the son of the Red Emperor."
"The mysterious bird of destiny, descended to give birth to quotient."
"Xia is the son of the White Emperor; Yin is the son of the Black Emperor; Zhou is the son of the Blue Emperor."
"The ancestors of Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin and Han were all born from divine inspiration."
As Wang Su was speaking, Sima Yi suddenly came to his senses, took two steps back, and said nothing.
The words just now were really too radical! Wang Su is a great scholar of the time, and you really shouldn't question Wang Su in front of Your Majesty on a whim.
Cao Rui seemed to understand something and looked directly at Wang Su: "Please continue, Mr. Wang. I am listening."
Wang Su said: "There are five emperors in the sky: Blue, Red, Yellow, White and Black. The ancestors of the emperors of all dynasties were born from the interaction between their mothers and the essence of the five emperors."
"The emperor is the Son of Heaven, and one of the Five Emperors he inspired is the Emperor of Birth."
"Your Majesty, I would like to ask, among the Five Emperors, which emperor are the descendants of Cao?"
Cao Rui put his hands behind his back and said with great familiarity: "Emperor Wu once wrote a family history, saying that the Cao family is the descendant of Cao Shu Zhenduo. There are also some sayings that 'the Cao family originated from Zhu'."
Wang Su asked again: "Some are descendants of Huangdi, some are descendants of Zhurong, and the ancestors of Cao family are also unknown. Which emperor do you want to choose as your ancestor?"
Cao Rui sneered and said, "The so-called Blue, Red, Yellow, White, and Black Five Emperors are nothing more than the five spiritual energies. Why would Cao need to resort to such absurdities to gain the world and become the emperor?"
"I think this is quite funny!"
Wang Su cupped his hands and said, "Whether it is the Han ritual or Zheng Xuan's words, when offering sacrifices to heaven, the ancestors are worshipped together with the Emperor of Life. Therefore, the Five Directions and Five Spirit Emperors are also regarded as the Emperor of Heaven."
"Thus, the Han dynasty offered sacrifices to the God of Heaven and the Five Spirits Emperor for a total of six days. Zheng Xuan also annotated this."
"The Green Emperor of the East is a powerful figure, and Taihao is worshipped with him; the Red Emperor of the South is a fierce figure, and Yandi is worshipped with him; the Yellow Emperor of the Center is a pivot, and Huangdi is worshipped with him; the White Emperor of the West is a white figure, and Shaohao is worshipped with him; the Black Emperor of the North is a light figure, and Zhuanxu is worshipped with him."
"In my opinion, Zheng Xuan's six-day statement is wrong!"
"If your majesty does not wish to echo such strange theories, and does not wish to take the spirit of the Five Emperors as your ancestors."
"Then the Wei Dynasty is different from the Han Dynasty. It should worship 'one day' instead of 'six days', so as to set the record straight and promote the ritual system of the new dynasty!"
"How can there be six celestial bodies, when there is only one?"
Wang Su bowed and said, "The most important affairs of the country are war and sacrifice. Your Majesty, please carefully consider what I just said!"
Looking at the emperor's thoughtful expression, Sima Yi shook his head and sighed.
Zheng Xue is done! (End of this chapter)
