Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Chapter 7 Taking turns on duty

Beigong, the imperial study.

Sun Zi walked quickly all the way and finally submitted the summary documents of the ministers before Cao Rui had dinner.

Four bamboo scrolls were spread out on the table. Cao Rui frowned as soon as he read the first scroll.

In order to train his children, Cao Cao had Cao Zhen, Cao Xiu and others living and eating with Cao Pi. Cao Xiu had no interest in classics, and devoted himself to horsemanship and tactics, and later took charge of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry.

Cao Zhen was better than Cao Xiu and studied seriously for more than a year. However, his many years of military career made him better in literature than Cao Xiu, but still far from the level of Chen Qun and Sima Yi.

The first few words on the bamboo slips are "Your Majesty the Great Sima Xiu", which is definitely Cao Xiu's summary.

"Zi Yang, come and take a look." Cao Rui threw the bamboo slips aside.

Liu Ye, who was standing nearby, picked up the bamboo slips and read them in a low voice: "The rats of Eastern Wu dare not cross the river. The thieves of Western Shu are too cowardly to go north. Great is the Wei Dynasty, and the kingly way is prosperous."

Cao Rui shook his head and picked up the second scroll of bamboo slips.

The first few words on the bamboo slips are "Your Excellency General Zhen". Cao Zhen's summary is more detailed. When the news of the death of the former emperor Cao Pi spread to various places, the generals stationed in various places wrote letters to express their condolences.

After discussion with three other ministers, Cao Zhen believed that they could follow the example of Emperor Wu's death. The garrison commanders in various places would not have to rush to the funeral, but could just set up mourning halls in various places to worship the late emperor.

Cao Zhen only wrote about this incident.

Next came the reports of Chen Qun and Sima Yi. Cao Rui read them carefully and found that the two seemed to be competing in writing skills. They mentioned various aspects of state affairs, but they were just qualitative summaries.

Cao Rui sighed. The ministers of the Great Wei should not be so low-level. It seems that His Majesty the Emperor has to take action personally and teach them a good lesson.

"Minister of the Secretariat, what did you say to the ministers when you went to the Shangshutai?"

Cao Rui frowned and looked at Sun Zi.

Sun Zi was startled. He had just seen Cao Rui throw away the bamboo slips of Cao Xiu and Cao Zhen, and he wondered if the emperor would blame him now.

Sun Zi bowed his hands and replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, I and the ministers have told them to write a report each, and also said that Your Majesty will review it personally."

Cao Rui snorted. Of course he could tell that it was written by several ministers themselves. Cao Xiu and Cao Zhen's handwriting was like ghostly scribbles, and ordinary scholars could not write it deliberately.

Thinking of this, Cao Rui decided to teach them personally.

"Secretary Sun, draft an edict for me."

The Wei State inherited the Han system, and the power institutions at the center of the court were basically similar, which could be divided into the Shangshu Tai, Zhongshu Sheng, and Shizhong Temple.

The Chief Secretary Liu Fang and the Minister of the Secretariat Sun Zi were in charge of palace secrets and were responsible for drafting and announcing imperial edicts, etc. They were the emperor's confidential officials.

Sun Zi quickly sat down at the small desk at the side, picked up the brush and dipped it in ink, waiting for Cao Rui's next words.

"What I said was a bit messy, so please write it down first. Then sort it out and send it out."

Sun Zi quickly agreed.

"Let the four of them take turns writing and submit a brief report to me every five days."

"Every month, at the grand court meeting, I give a long report in front of all the ministers. This is also done in turns."

"As for how to write the report, divide it into three parts: domestic affairs, military affairs, and foreign affairs. Pick out some important things from each part and write down the cause, development, result, and evaluation clearly. Write in detail. You are not allowed to recite poems or compose fu for me anymore."

“After writing these three parts, add a summary at the end.”

Seeing that Cao Rui no longer spoke, Sun Zi took out a roll of silk and prepared to transcribe the contents of the shorthand on the bamboo slips as an imperial edict.

Liu Ye praised repeatedly from the side.

"Your Majesty's move is truly ingenious. The ministers wrote according to your Majesty's method, and the words are meaningful and have examples."

"Your Majesty, if you sit in Luozhong, you can see the whole of our Great Wei."

Cao Rui smiled. This thing, which was despised in later generations, was considered advanced during the Three Kingdoms period.

Daily reports, weekly reports, quarterly reviews, year-end reports... Cao Rui has so many tools at his disposal, and now he just asks his assistants to write a weekly report. I will gradually increase your strength in the future. Since you are all willing to die for the Wei Dynasty, I don't need you to die. Just work honestly in the Shangshutai.

In the future, if there is a war, Cao Xiu and Cao Zhen will definitely be sent out to lead the troops. If these two are not enough, Chen Qun can also be sent out, after all, Chen Qun still has the title of "General of the Garrison Army".

As for Sima Yi...Cao Rui would never send him out to lead troops, never in this lifetime.

The best ending for Sima Yi in this life was to work in the Shangshu Tai day after day, year after year, working for Cao Rui and managing the trivial affairs of the world until he was squeezed out of energy, or preferably died young.

As for Cao Rui himself? Of course, he had to go to bed early and get up early to take care of his health, cultivate his body and mind while governing the country, and then work hard to reproduce and live to the age of eighty.

Letting Sima Yi govern the world wouldn't be considered an underestimation of his loyalty to the late Emperor Cao Pi, right?
Thinking of this, Cao Rui quickly ordered Sun Zi to fill the loophole.

"Sun Zhongshu added that the four ministers can take a day off every five days and are not allowed to take leave unless necessary. Those who are supposed to write reports will be on duty."

Sun Zi quickly recorded it in the imperial edict.

I'm afraid Sima Yi would never have imagined in his dreams that the rest of his future life had already been planned by His Majesty the Emperor.

There was a sound of footsteps outside the imperial study. Bi Jin came to the door and a eunuch whispered something to him.

Bi Jin walked carefully to Cao Rui and said, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager wants you to come over immediately. She said she has something important to discuss with Your Majesty."

"Grand Empress Dowager?" Cao Rui thought for a moment and realized that it was Cao Cao's Madam Bian, who was also Cao Rui's current grandmother.

Cao Rui did not dare to delay his grandmother's summons and immediately set out to leave. Before leaving, he even told Sun Zi to go to the Shangshutai to announce the decree the next morning.

……

In the Empress Dowager's palace.

"Cao Rui pays respect to the Imperial Grandmother."

Cao Rui's posture of saluting was still respectful, but his face looked very bad at this time.

The reason was very simple. Concubine Yu, who had asked Cao Rui for the position of empress a few days ago, was sitting in the palace of the Grand Empress Dowager crying.

Family affairs are the most difficult to deal with, let alone the affairs of an emperor. Bian was born in a humble family, and when she was in Cao Cao's mansion, she was often bullied by Mrs. Ding, who came from a noble family in Qiao County.

Now that the young Concubine Yu was crying in the Bian Palace, the Empress Dowager also felt some sympathy for her.

Queen Mother Bian looked at Cao Rui kindly and said, "Rui'er, you are the emperor now. Grandmother shouldn't ask too much about the matter of appointing a queen. It should be decided by your mother."

"But your biological mother passed away early, so I want to ask you, how is Yu's child?"

Cao Rui glanced at the kind-faced Bian, then glanced at Yu who was sitting aside crying, and felt a little annoyed.

Cao Rui did marry you four years ago, but that was another Cao Rui's business. I haven't even touched you yet, and you, Concubine Yu, dared to ask my grandmother to threaten me?
What’s the difference between this and being forced to get married?
Cao Rui forced a smile and said, "Grandmother, the matter of establishing a queen concerns the foundation of the country. I have just ascended the throne, so there is no need to rush to establish a queen."

"I didn't say that I wouldn't make Concubine Yu the heir." Cao Rui shook his head slightly.

Bian was just an old woman who tried to mediate. Upon hearing this, she advised Concubine Yu: "Crying too much will hurt your eyes. You've seen it, and the emperor hasn't said he won't make you the heir."

Yu raised her head while crying. She had married Cao Rui four years ago, and she had planned that Cao Rui, the eldest son of the emperor, would make her the empress after he ascended the throne.

But now Cao Rui refused so much, it was clear that there was no hope for him to establish a queen. It must be that Cao Rui wanted to establish the Mao family, who he favored recently, as the queen!

Yu's gloomy expression made her pretty face look particularly ferocious because of desire.

"Cao Rui, you must want to make that bitch Mao your queen, right?"

Seeing that Yu was so presumptuous, Cao Rui suppressed his anger and did not want to argue with her in Bian's palace.

"Princess Yu, please stop making a fuss here. Come back with me and I will explain it to you slowly."

"Where are I going back to? Are you going to banish me to the cold palace?" Yu shouted.

"You, the Cao family, have always made lowly people your queens! You never choose people based on their virtues. Sooner or later, your country will be destroyed and your descendants will be extinct!"

(End of this chapter)