Inside the Imperial City-style Qian Hall in Luoyang.
Emperor Cao Fang looked at the memorial in his hand that was sent by Ding Mi, the minister of Sanqi, and written by General Cao Shuang. This is exactly the memorial that Cao Xi wrote for his eldest brother.
"The great general Shaoling Hou Shuang paid homage:
After my father died, I served in three dynasties. He served as the chief minister in Beizhong and became a general. The late emperor regarded his ministers as orphans in their hearts, so he rewarded them and promoted them, and entrusted his ministers with military training and imperial guards. Today, I will advance without loyalty and accumulation, and retreat without the loyalty of a lamb. The late emperor's holy body was not hesitant. Although his ministers were running around, waiting for the sick and taking medicine, they never responded sincerely. Both Wei and Taiwei Yi received the imperial edict, and they were ashamed and fearful, so they were told by Mi.
I heard that Yu and Shun ordered the virtuous, and put Ji and Qi first, and commended meritorious deeds. Yi and Lu were the first to review and select, and the good and the bad were selected...
This minister is secretly in the dark, he is the head of the court, he cares about his inferiority, he is ashamed and vigilant, he dares to exhaust his foolish feelings, and writes truthfully.
There are three people in the world who have mastered the Tao, and they are virtue, nobility, and teeth. The Taiwei is originally a high-ranking and upright person. He is in the position of a superior. His reputation is enough to control the people, and his righteousness is enough to lead his subordinates. The second thing is that he has a great strategy, allows both civil and military forces, and still achieves the merits of conquest. Thousands of miles of travel, personally receiving the edict, bright wings for the royal family, internal and external directions, three things. In addition, Qi Ai is responsible for the discipline of the country and the physical training of the government. In terms of morality, he is better than Ji Fu and Fan Zhong;
If I hold an empty reputation and stand on the right side of him, people in the world will say that I am using the clan for personal gain, knowing how to advance but not knowing how to retreat.
Your Majesty, Qi Yi, is a wise and kind person. If there is a suggestion to censor the ministers, I think it is appropriate to appoint Yi as the Grand Tutor. I will show your Majesty's wisdom in promoting the virtuous and demonstrate Yi's actual civil and military abilities. I will protect the foolish ministers from slander. There is a vacancy for Taiwei, and I am afraid that I will recommend Man Boning, the general who conquered the east, to take over the post. For the defense of Yangzhou, I can teach Wang Ling, the governor, and make Sun Li the governor. Zhuge Dan can take the post of general Wu and go to Yangzhou. The minister was frightened and bowed his head before His Majesty again. "
[Note 1: Pei annotated the original text of the Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms. In order to give readers a general understanding, the author has made modifications, deletions and additions. 】
After reading the memorial, Cao Fang roughly understood what Cao Shuang meant.
He said to Ding Mi, the minister of Sanqi who was standing next to him:
"I already know the general's intention. If you love me, you can go to the Chancellor's desk and convey my oral edict to Liu Fang, the supervisor of the Zhongshu, and Sun Zi, the Zhongshu Ling, and ask them to draft the edict on my behalf and promote the Taiwei to Taifu. As for the Taifu As for the post of Wei, I will teach Changyi Marquis Manboning to take over. The defense of Yangzhou will be handed over to Wang Yanyun, the governor of Yangzhou, and I will teach Sun Deda to take over. Zhuge Gongxiu will also be appointed as General Zhaowu and go to Yangzhou."
"I obey the order." Ding Mi saluted and left the palace, then headed all the way to the south of the Chancellor's desk.
Although Liu Fang and Sun Zi were somewhat reluctant, they did not dare not comply with the matter due to the pressure from the general and the emperor.
In a blink of an eye, it was the Ding Chou day's grand meeting.
In the Taiji Hall, the young emperor was wearing a slightly loose dragon robe, a heavy crown on his head, the Emperor's Sword hanging from his waist, holding a big jade gui, and he was sitting on the throne with the support of an attendant.
After the ministers shouted, Zhang Dang, the chief minister, took out an imperial edict and read it loudly:
"The edict said: The Taiwei was upright and loyal to three generations. He captured Mengda in the south, defeated the Shu captives in the west, and destroyed Gongsun Yuan in the east. His achievements were overwhelming. In the past Zhou Dynasty, Cheng Jian was an official who protected Fu, and in the recent Han Dynasty, Xianzong favored Deng Yu, so he is superior. Long and Jun Yi, there must be respect. He takes the Taiwei as the Taifu, and he is responsible for commanding the troops and supervising all military affairs as before. The general who conquered the east has made outstanding achievements and worked hard at the border. Now he is recruited into the dynasty as the Taiwei. In addition, General Wang Ling is appointed as the Taiwei. General of the Conquest of the East and Commander-in-Chief of Yangzhou, with Shangshu Sun Li as the Governor of Yangzhou and Zhuge Dan as General Zhaowu, they went to Yangzhou with them. I admire this."
After the imperial edict Zhang Dang read out the edict, before everyone in the edict had time to express their gratitude, Zhang Dang took out the second edict at the instruction of the emperor:
"General Shaoling Hou Cao Shuang and Grand Tutor Wuyang Hou Sima Yi accept the order!"
"Long live my emperor!" Cao Shuang and Sima Yi came out of their duties and knelt down, bowing their heads to listen to the order.
"The edict says: General Cao Shuang was entrusted by the late emperor to assist me and bow to me. He is now promoted to the rank of servant, and is given the title of Marquis of Wu'an. He has a household of 12,000 households. He is specially given swords and shoes to go to the palace. He will not rush to the court and will not be praised. . The Grand Tutor has been given the important task of being the Prime Minister and has made outstanding achievements. He is also specially given swords and shoes to go to the palace. He will not be followed when he enters the court, and he will not be praised and worshiped. I admire this!"
"I would like to thank Your Majesty for your kindness!"
After hearing these two imperial edicts, the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty had different reactions.
The people of General Cao Shuang's party were naturally very happy to see Cao Shuang conferring titles on thousands of households, going to the palace with swords and shoes, entering the court without paying tribute, and paying tribute without recognition. When the veterans of Sima Yi's party heard about Cao Shuang's title of Marquis Wu'an, they were all indignant.
Since ancient times, which one of those with the title of Wu'an is not a god of war with outstanding military exploits on the battlefield?
Qin Dynasty had Wu'an Lord Bai Qi, Zhao had Wu'an Lord Li Mu, Chu had Wu'an Lord Xiang Yan... But who is Cao Shuang, and he dared to let your Majesty make him the Marquis of Wu'an?
Cao Shuang turned a blind eye to the disdainful looks of the old officials and happily accepted the order to thank him. Sima Yi, who was promoted to Taifu, remained expressionless and seemed very calm.
————
Although Cao Shuang and Sima Yi still respected each other and were harmonious on the surface, privately they had begun a fierce power struggle. Of course, the emperor Cao Fang, who was only eight years old but smart, could not see this and was kept in the dark for the time being. .
In the east hall of the General's Mansion, Cao Xi, his fourth brother Cao Xun, and fifth brother Cao Yan were called here together. They were discussing something with his eldest brother Cao Shuang.
"Third brother, fourth brother." Cao Shuang patted the shoulders of the two increasingly mature brothers and said earnestly: "Since the death of my father, you and I have been valued by the late emperor and have been in charge of the palace. Now, the eldest brother needs your help. The time has come."
"Brother, please tell me, as long as Xi can do his best, he is willing to go through fire and water for eldest brother!" Cao Xi thought of his late father and couldn't help feeling sad.
"Third brother, you know that the government is now in dire straits. The eldest brother is competing with Sima Yi for many gaps in the court. The defense of the palace is of great importance. However, the eldest brother is really short of candidates to take charge of the imperial army. I originally wanted to arrange for Xi Di It's a pity that Sima Yi took advantage of the opportunity and arranged for General Jiang Ji to be the leading general of the Central Army. Fortunately, there were still vacancies in the Zhongling Camp and the post of General Wuwei that the eldest brother had previously held. Brother, you can take over the imperial army, and you can also be my right-hand man, leaving Jiang Ji, the leader, without an army to lead!"
The leading general controlled the three major battalions of Zhongba, Wuwei and Wuxiao. Cao Shuang's arrangement really completely emptied Jiang Ji's military power.
"Since eldest brother has made arrangements, brothers should do their best to assist eldest brother!"
Cao Shuang listened to the two brothers' statements and nodded. He thought in his heart that Jiang Ji, an old man, had been in the position of general of the army for too long, and that boy Xia Houxuan was a close friend of his third brother, and he was also a close friend. The most talented of the cousins could replace Jiang Ji as the Central Guard.
However, as a result, the military affairs in Taichu were busy, and the number of regular knights accompanying His Majesty at all times in the palace was reduced. Moreover, I heard that Sima Yi had recently appointed his son Sima Zhao as a regular servant of knights. If he did not have one, If there are people to check and balance, if Sima Zhao, Zhong Yu, Sima Jun and others are allowed to control the young His Majesty, the consequences will be really disastrous.
Just when he was hesitating, he suddenly saw his sixth brother Cao Yan standing aside.
He said to Cao Yan: "Brother Yan, you have always only liked to write and write. My eldest brother can't let you take charge of the army. It just so happens that there is still a shortage of casual knights around your majesty. You can help my eldest brother keep an eye on that Sima Zhao." , don’t let him control Your Majesty!”
"I understand, brother."
Cao Shuang thought again of Zhong Yu, the opponent placed beside the emperor, as well as Sima Fu, Zhao Yan, Lu Yu, and Wang Guan, the stumbling blocks in the pavilion.
Sima Fu is Sima Yi's biological brother, and he has always been impeccable in everything he does. There is nothing I can do against him for the time being, but I still have ways to transfer Zhong Yu, Zhao Yan, Lu Yu, and Wang Guan out of Taige. However, I am suffering from a temporary lack of manpower and there are no suitable people to fill these vacancies. It seems that we can only recruit talents quickly and then take control of the platform.
Thinking that everything was finally arranged, Cao Shuang breathed a sigh of relief. So far, he was very satisfied with his arrangements.
"You brothers, you can't stop talking about things, come and have dinner!" Cao Shuang's wife Liu and his sister-in-law Wei Yuan arranged for their servants to prepare lunch, but they couldn't wait for a long time, so they guessed They must be discussing matters in the east hall again.
"Sister-in-law, did you ask the cook to make that mutton pancake today? I'm so greedy." Cao Yan became excited when he heard that his sister-in-law Liu had arranged lunch.
"You kid, you just know how to eat!" Cao Xi smiled and poked his sixth brother on the forehead. Seeing the happy family in front of me, I couldn't help but think of his seventh brother.
He has seven brothers in total, and his seventh brother Cao Ai is the youngest. However, he had been in poor health since he was a child, so his father contacted the Taoist priests at Longhu Mountain in the south of the Yangtze River, and when the seventh brother was three years old, he was sent to Longhu Mountain, a faraway place, to rest and learn martial arts.
In this flash, more than twenty years have passed. Apart from exchanging letters, the brothers have never seen each other again. Even the seventh brother failed to come back the year his father passed away.
I wonder how the seventh brother is doing now...
"Husband, what are you thinking about?" Seeing Cao Xi dazed, Wei Yuan couldn't help but asked with concern.
Cao Xi put away his misty thoughts and said with a smile:
"It's nothing, I just suddenly missed my seventh brother."
————
Soon after, Cao Xi and Cao Xun were promoted by their eldest brothers to the positions of General of the Middle Base and General of Wuwei, respectively, and were assigned to the Fifth School Camp, respectively in charge of the Middle Base Camp, Wuwei Camp, and the Fifth School of the Forbidden Army. camp.
The guard general Jiang Ji was also transferred to the leading general. However, this leading general no longer had any troops to lead, because the command of the 30,000 forbidden troops in the three battalions had all been transferred to the middle base general Cao Xi and the military guard general Cao Xi. Xun, the commanders of the five schools and the school were divided among themselves.
He was replaced by the newly appointed Central Protector Xia Houxuan as the Protector General who was responsible for supervising the Forbidden Army, presidential generals, and presiding over the election of military attachés.
[Note 2: During the Han, Three Kingdoms, and Jin dynasties, the Central Guard Army was the subordinate deputy of the Central Leading Army. He was responsible for supervising the imperial army, president of the generals, and the election of military attachés. One officer had three positions, and he had great power. 】
Cao Yan also became the emperor's regular knight attendant. The rest of the brothers, except for the younger brother Cao Ai, who was frail and sick since childhood and was sent to the Longhu Mountain in the south of the Yangtze River to rest and study. You can go in and out of the forbidden gate for a while, and no noble favors can be brought to court here.
At this time, the power of the palace guards was basically controlled by Cao Shuang.
In the temple, due to the death of Pei Qian's father in Shangshu Ling and Ding You's resignation, Sima Yi's younger brother Sima Fu was able to take up the post of Shangshu Ling. There were also Liu Fang, Zhongshu Ling and Sun Zi, Zhongshu Ling, plus the chief minister. Cao Shangshu, Lu Yu, Lu Zijia, who had the power to elect and remove civil servants, as well as Zhao Yan, Wang Guan and other ministers, Taige was temporarily firmly in the hands of the Sima family. .
Not only that, Tingwei Gaorou and Tingwei Zhengsima Qi controlled the judicial power, and Sili Xiaowei Xu Miao also had the power to impeach hundreds of officials, which was enough to make the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty fearful. Therefore, the power of the government is still firmly controlled by the Sima family.
As for the casual knights around the emperor, Cao Shuang's faction currently includes Cao Yan and Wei Lie, while Sima Yi's faction includes Dingling Marquis Zhong Yu and Sima Zhao. The two parties are fairly evenly matched in strength.
Fu Gu and Xun Yi, who had been recruited as vassals by Sima Yi before, were recommended to serve as ministers of Huangmen, following Zhong Yu and Sima Zhao to stay with the emperor to advise and serve.
At this moment, the balance of power is still balanced, and General Cao Shuang is beginning to think deeply and prepare to take control of the Taige government.
