Chapter 2: Emperor Wen's Peer
Luoyang, Imperial Secretariat.
Since the Han Dynasty, the Imperial Secretariat has been the administrative center of the empire. The head of the Imperial Secretariat is called the Shangshu Ling, a minister of the highest rank.
When Xun Yu assisted Cao Cao in governing the realm, he held the position of Shangshu Ling.
However, at this moment, Shangshu Ling Chen Jiao was seated at the lower end of the hall. Seated in the superior positions were the two assisting ministers, Sima Yi and Chen Qun.
Chen Jiao impatiently tapped the table with his finger: “Zhongda, we will see Your Majesty at tomorrow’s court assembly. Why must we question Liu Ye today?”
Sima Yi smiled and said, “Shangshu Ling, please be patient. I have already sent someone to invite him; he will arrive shortly.”
Chen Qun sat silently to the side. Shangshu Pushe Wang Si and Ministry of Personnel Wei Zhen exchanged glances but did not respond.
Footsteps approached from afar. Everyone looked out, and the person arriving was Attendant Liu Ye.
Sima Yi was the first to stand and walk towards the door to greet him. The others also rose, some before, some after.
Sima Yi said with a smile, “Ziyang, we have been waiting for you at the Imperial Secretariat for half a day.”
Liu Ye gave a bitter smile and cupped his hands: “Zhongda, just call me by my name. How can Liu Ye be worthy of the title ‘Gong’? Why are you all waiting for Liu Ye at the Imperial Secretariat?”
Sima Yi said, “Ziyang, I heard you were summoned alone by His Majesty. We are quite envious.”
Compared to Sima Yi’s polite words, Chen Qun, who was always composed, directly raised the question.
“Ziyang, may I ask what kind of person His Majesty is?”
This question was very direct and sharp.
Today, Cao Rui summoned Liu Ye into the palace, partly because Liu Ye was an Attendant, and advising on various matters and responding to consultations was inherently Liu Ye’s job.
On the other hand, Liu Ye had been by Cao Cao and Cao Pi’s side for a long time, so he knew more about Cao Rui’s grandfather and father.
As for the ministers in the Imperial Secretariat, whether it was Sima Yi or Chen Qun, they had countless government affairs to attend to every day.
Although their positions were higher, their frequency of contact with Cao Pi was much lower than that of officials who attended the emperor, such as Attendants.
If even Liu Ye was not familiar with Cao Rui, Sima Yi and Chen Qun were even less so.
Liu Ye felt a surge of alertness. The imperial court was always fraught with undercurrents, especially with a new emperor ascending the throne.
If Liu Ye leaked the content of his conversation with the emperor, it would surely invite disaster.
If he said nothing, he would clearly offend the several high-ranking officials in the Imperial Secretariat. If he spoke, he would have to consider it carefully.
Seeing that Liu Ye was still silent, Sima Yi turned to the Ministry of Personnel Wei Zhen behind him.
“Gongzhen, when His Majesty was in the Eastern Palace, you discussed classics with him many times. You are considered the most familiar with His Majesty among the external officials.”
“Before, when we asked you about His Majesty’s situation, you always refused to reveal a single word. Today, Ziyang has also spoken with His Majesty. Do you want to say something as well?”
Wei Zhen looked at Sima Yi expressionlessly, his already stern face becoming even more impassive. The Imperial Secretariat had six departments, each managed by a Shangshu, and Wei Zhen was currently the Shangshu of the Ministry of Personnel.
“Zhongda, the late emperor once asked me the same question.”
“At that time, I told the late emperor that the Marquis of Pingyuan was discerning and virtuous, with no further words. Today, Zhongda asks Wei Zhen again, and Wei Zhen still says those four words: His Majesty is discerning and virtuous.”
Chen Qun stroked his long beard: “His Majesty is naturally discerning and virtuous.” Then his gaze went straight to Liu Ye.
Liu Ye was extremely intelligent; the situation was already very clear.
There were five people present: the assisting ministers Sima Yi and Chen Qun, Shangshu Ling Chen Jiao, Shangshu Pushe Wang Si, and Ministry of Personnel Wei Zhen.
Chen Jiao and Wang Si were essentially there for numbers. Having two more ministers present when discussing His Majesty, and being in the main hall of the Imperial Secretariat, made it a public matter, not a private discussion of the emperor.
Wei Zhen had taught Cao Rui classics in the Eastern Palace several years ago, practically being half of Cao Rui’s teacher. Having Wei Zhen there implied transparency regarding the emperor.
The key figures were Sima Yi and Chen Qun.
Everyone gathered at the Imperial Secretariat and waited for Liu Ye for two hours, clearly indicating that the two assisting ministers, Sima Yi and Chen Qun, wanted to gain more understanding of Cao Rui before tomorrow’s court assembly.
Realizing this, Liu Ye already knew how to respond. After a moment of thought, Liu Ye slowly said, word by word.
“His Majesty is a peer of Emperor Wen of Han, though his talent is slightly inferior.”
Liu Ye then repeatedly cupped his hands to the others.
“Having said this much, Liu Ye will take his leave.” Liu Ye finished speaking, turned, and quickly walked out of the main hall.
Liu Ye’s footsteps gradually faded away. Having received the desired reply, no one stopped him.
Liu Ye’s words can be viewed in two parts.
“A peer of Emperor Wen of Han means that Cao Rui is similar to Emperor Wen of the Former Han.”
“Though his talent is slightly inferior means that Cao Rui’s talent is slightly less than Emperor Wen of Han.”
Emperor Wen of Han, from being a mere vassal king, was welcomed into Chang’an by military generals after the Lü Clan Disturbance and ascended the throne, then initiated the Rule of Wen and Jing, recognized as a sagely ruler for four hundred years of the two Han dynasties. To say that Cao Rui was slightly inferior to Emperor Wen of Han truly held no derogatory meaning.
But… Liu Ye said Cao Rui was similar to Emperor Wen of Han, in what aspect were they similar?
The few people looked at each other for a moment. Seeing that no one intended to speak, Sima Yi was the first to break the silence.
“You have all heard Liu Ziyang’s words. It’s getting late, please return home.”
At this moment, Liu Ye, who had just walked out of the main gate of the Imperial Secretariat, began to sneer.
Cao Rui summoned Liu Ye and chatted about alchemists and ghosts for an entire afternoon, even asking for details about bedroom arts.
How was this any different from Emperor Wen of Han summoning the famous minister Jia Yi, only to ask about ghosts and spirits for half the night? It was even worse!
When Liu Ye said Cao Rui was like Emperor Wen of Han, but slightly inferior, this was what he meant.
He wondered how Sima Yi and Chen Qun would interpret it further.
Thinking this, Liu Ye snorted coldly on the road.
Let them guess!
...
Meanwhile, His Majesty Cao Rui, the Emperor of Great Wei, was living quite comfortably.
After enjoying a sumptuous lunch, chatting with Attendant Liu Ye for an afternoon, and then having an equally sumptuous dinner, he was content and prepared to head to his bedchamber.
Night enveloped the entire city of Luoyang. Without light pollution, the starry sky revealed the entire Milky Way.
Cao Rui sat in a sedan chair carried by four eunuchs, swaying gently forward.
The eunuch Bi Jin bent down by the sedan chair and whispered, “Your Majesty, the bedchamber has arrived. Consort Yu is waiting inside.”
“Consort Yu?”
Cao Rui, who had been busy for several days, suddenly realized at this moment that he had a harem, which made things a bit awkward.
Four years ago, when Cao Rui was nineteen, he married Yu, a member of a prominent family from Henan, as his consort.
Now, Cao Rui was twenty-three, and Yu had just turned twenty, a blossoming age.
Yu sat at her dressing table, admiring her reflection in the mirror. Hearing sounds from outside the hall, she raised her hand, signaling the palace maid to open the door.
Cao Rui entered the bedchamber, walking with his arms outstretched. Two palace maids discreetly took his outer robe from behind him, quietly walked out, and closed the hall door.
At this moment, only Cao Rui and Consort Yu were inside the bedchamber.
Cao Rui walked behind Consort Yu, saw her reflected in the bronze mirror, and also saw himself.
This was also the first time Cao Rui seriously examined his own appearance.
Cao Rui’s grandfather, Cao Cao, was not tall but had a brilliant and heroic spirit; in other words, he wasn't handsome, but he had outstanding charisma.
Cao Cao married Bian, who was a singer, and Bian’s beauty was top-notch, so her son Cao Pi naturally had a dignified and exceptionally heroic appearance.
Not to mention Cao Rui’s birth mother, Zhen. Zhen’s beauty could be compared to that of the Goddess of the Luo River, truly peerless.
The beautiful genes of Bian and Zhen shaped Cao Rui’s appearance to be exceptionally handsome.
At this moment, Yu slowly stood up from her seat and gracefully bowed to Cao Rui.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty.”
Before rising, Yu looked up, her almond eyes curving as she gazed at Cao Rui.
Cao Rui didn’t know what to do for a moment.
As Cao Rui was lost in thought, Yu thought he was staring at her beauty. She then looked into Cao Rui’s eyes with a hint of triumph and softly said.
“Your Majesty, when will you make me empress?”