By the time Man Chong brought the victory report from Xiangping and Cao Rui personally led the remaining troops to Xiangping, it was already June 11th.
Man Chong himself had also led all his troops to head eastward in pursuit of Gongsun Yuan.
The entire Xiangping City was controlled by the Wei Central Army Cavalry. The doors of every household were closed and no one was allowed to come out.
Jiang Wei, the one with the least experience, was left behind by Man Chong to guard the city of Xiangping. At this time, Jiang Wei, Jiang Boyao, rode in front, leading Cao Rui slowly into the city from the west gate.
As Jiang Wei walked, he introduced: "Your Majesty, the palace ahead is the palace built by the treacherous Gongsun. I have followed the order of General Man to expel all the people in the palace and have sealed it properly."
"I wonder if Your Majesty would like to go in and take a look?"
Cao Rui sneered: "Since I am here, let's take a look. Gongsun's plan is very grand. The palace is built in the style of a king!"
Sima Yi fanned the flames and said, "The traitor Gongsun has been a rebellious family for three generations. I heard that when Gongsun Du was still alive, he built temples for Emperor Gao of Han and Emperor Guangwu of Han in Xiangping City, and set up an altar to worship heaven and earth in the south of Xiangping City. The carriages and ceremonial guards were all against the rules."
The Tiger Guards had already opened the palace gates and entered to search everywhere. Not long after, Cao Rui also entered the Xiangping Palace and watched as if he were watching a theater, but his interest waned after a while.
Cao Rui pointed at the slightly cracked crack on the door lintel and said, "Gongsun Yuan wanted to learn the style of the Central Plains, but he couldn't do it well. The paint has already cracked, and Gongsun Yuan can't see it?"
Sima Yi laughed and said, "Liaodong is a cold and remote place. What knowledge can they have? I wonder if Your Majesty would like to stay here?"
"Forget it." Cao Rui glanced inside with disdain, then turned his horse around and went out: "There must be a government office in Xiangping, I will stay in the government office. As for Gongsun Yuan's palace, you can burn it or demolish it as you like, I will not care."
"As you wish." Jiang Wei bowed his hands and said, "I have checked and found that all the household registration books of Liaodong are in the governor's mansion. I will hand them over to the Minister of Works later."
"Okay." Cao Rui said, "I am already in Xiangping City, let Sikong do these things."
"Boyue, you come with me too."
"As you wish." Jiang Wei agreed.
A moment later, in the Liaodong governor's mansion in Xiangping City.
Cao Rui, wearing a thin gauze robe, sat in the middle of the hall. Sima Yi, Xu Shu, Lu Yu, Pei Qian, three cavalrymen, and General Jiang Wei all sat on both sides of the hall.
The weather in Liaodong in June is surprisingly hot, just like in Luoyang.
Cao Rui coughed lightly and said, "The army has already secured Xiangping, and Gongsun Yuan's defeat is inevitable. The Gongsun family has ruled Liaodong for nearly fifty years. How should we deal with the Gongsun family, how should we bring Liaodong back under the jurisdiction of the court, and how should we stabilize the court's borders?"
"Today, all the ministers are free to speak their minds. I want to hear your opinions. Whether you are the Minister of Works, the Vice Minister, or the Lieutenant General, you can all make your opinions."
Sima Yi did not give up his position to others just because the emperor ordered him to speak freely. He directly said, "The Gongsun family has been separatist in Liaodong for three generations. Their rebellious intentions are obvious. Whether it is from the laws of the Wei Dynasty or the righteousness of the Spring and Autumn Period, the Gongsun family should be exterminated."
When Xu Shu, Pei Qian and others heard Sima Yi's words, they all expressed their agreement.
In this expedition to Liaodong, the Gongsun clan must be annihilated, this is an obvious truth. They have all survived many battles in the chaotic world, who would have the slightest mercy on the Gongsun clan?
Not to mention that if a few people with the surname Gongsun were left, what would happen if the army returned to Henan in the future and there was another disturbance here? Would Liaodong still be able to take care of it? Would they have to do it again?
Seeing that there was no controversy about this topic, Cao Rui had nothing to say and immediately stated: "Then let's follow the law."
"What do you think of the other two things I mentioned?"
Sima Yi was silent at this time.
Just now, Sima Yi was the first to speak out about the extermination of the Gongsun clan. Not only did this relieve his personal anger as a student of the former Henei governor Li Min, but he also set the tone for the entire meeting in front of the emperor.
Several of the attendants were silent for a while. Cao Rui smiled and pointed at He Chuan: "Come on, the cavalrymen, speak first."
He Chuan bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Liaodong has been out of the court's control for too long, just like Liangzhou during the Huangchu period. I think we should select virtuous and important officials from the court to guard here, educate the people, study classics, and implement laws and regulations, so that Liaodong will gradually become the same as the prefectures and counties in the interior."
Correct and useless words that are nothing new.
But Cao Rui didn't say anything, instead he pointed at Xiahou Hui and said, "Zhi Quan!"
Xiahou Hui said, "Your Majesty, I have just discussed this with the Minister. I have a humble opinion. For the long-term stability of Liaodong, we should send important generals from the imperial court to lead the foreign troops in Liaodong to deter those who are disloyal." Cao Rui nodded and pursed his lips at Du Shu: "Wu Bo! You are the oldest among the Ministers. What do you think?"
Du Shu thought for a few moments, then he bowed and said in a slow voice, "Your Majesty, I have a humble opinion. To ensure the safety of Liaodong, I think we should relocate some of the people of Liaodong to live in Jizhou."
Cao Rui then smiled: "That's interesting. Wu Bo, tell me in detail, which people should be relocated?"
Du Shu saluted and said, "Emperor Wu's government relocated people many times during the Jian'an period to resolve the threat on the border between Wu and Shu. Now that Liaodong has been settled, the hidden danger is no longer an external enemy, but an internal one."
"I think that all the families of Liaodong's noble families and officials should be moved to Yecheng to live, just like the mausoleum system of the former Han Dynasty. If all the noble families and old officials are transferred away, the court will naturally be able to make arrangements in Liaodong at will, and no longer have to worry about the old people in Liaodong hindering it."
"Hahahaha." Cao Rui laughed several times, pointed at Du Shu and said to the attendants, "The son of Marquis Du is so knowledgeable, he is worthy of your father's name. My lords, take a look at the talents of my cavalrymen."
Xu Shu smiled and bowed: "Minister Du is pragmatic and talented. I think he will be of great use in the future."
Sima Yi looked at the three attendants smiling and trying to please the emperor, and couldn't help but sneer in his heart. What's the point of you three praising Du Shu? This man was recommended by Xin Pi to be selected as a Sanqi, and he came to your majesty's side earlier than the three of you!
After hearing the praises from his attendants, Cao Rui smiled and said, "During the Han Dynasty, the wealthy families from Shandong were moved to Guanzhong to guard the tombs. This not only eliminated hidden dangers, but also made Guanzhong prosperous."
"The population of Liaodong is 600,000. If we take a 150% cut, we can relocate about 30,000 people."
"Wu Bo," Cao Rui pointed at Du Shu and asked, "How old are you this year?"
Du Shu stood up and bowed, and replied, "Your Majesty, I am thirty-three years old this year."
Cao Rui nodded and said, "I have always selected officials based on their abilities, not on common sense. Wu Bo has been by my side for almost two years, so let him stay here and serve as the governor of Liaodong."
"I will also let you handle the relocation of the people here. Do a good job and don't let me down!"
Du Shu couldn't believe his ears. He stood there for a moment, then raised his hand with a trembling hand and asked, "Your Majesty, are you going to let me be the governor of Liaodong?"
"Why, you don't want to?" Cao Rui smiled and waved his hand, with a hint of teasing: "If you don't want to, then it won't be difficult for me to take back my order."
"I am willing to be loyal to Your Majesty and the Great Wei with all my strength!" Du Shu responded loudly, then knelt down and paid homage.
While Du Shu was getting excited, the others in the hall also became excited. A 33-year-old governor of a large county, not to mention the newly conquered Liaodong County, this reward was not small, and it was mixed with full trust in Du Shu.
Different people have different thoughts in their minds.
The three ministers suddenly thought of other positions. Now that we have the governor of Liaodong, what about Xuantu County? What about Daifang County? What about Lelang County? Do we need governors for all of them?
Will there be another military governor's office here, or will it be divided into a state like Qinzhou?
Sima Yi actually showed a trace of envy in his eyes. When he was 33 years old, he was still working in the East Cao of Cao Cao's Yecheng, and he couldn't even get close to the 2,000-stone official position.
Is it really good to be a trusted minister of His Majesty?
Thinking of this, Sima Yi couldn't help but smile self-deprecatingly. So what if he was a governor for thirty years? Wasn't he still a three-rank official for forty years?
After Du Shu was appointed, Cao Rui then pointed to several attendants.
Xu Shu was the first to bow: "Your Majesty, I have something to say."
The enthusiasm was thus mobilized. Cao Rui smiled and pointed at Xu Shu: "What do you want to say, Mr. Xu?"
Xu Shu cupped his hands and said, "I think we should follow the example of your majesty's conquest of Shu in the past and divide the Liaodong area to establish a new state. Youzhou is too vast, thousands of miles long from east to west, which is not conducive to the court's governance!"
"Establish a new state?" Cao Rui blurted out, "I have thought about this issue, but I have not made a decision yet. When Qinzhou was established, it was because Yongzhou was vast and there was Longshan in between."
"The situation in Liaodong is similar to what Lord Xu said. I remember that Gongsun Du once set up a Pingzhou in Liaodong, and he called himself the governor of Pingzhou, right?"
"How do you think it should be set up, Xu Qing?"
Xu Shu stood up and saluted, saying: "I think we should restore the ancient system and establish Yingzhou in Liaodong, with the Liao River as the boundary with Youzhou!" (End of this chapter)
