Chapter 10: Focusing on State Affairs
Luoyang, North Palace.
The summer heat was scorching. The swimming pool that Cao Rui had been thinking about for half a month had already been completed by the Emperor of Great Wei and his Attendants.
Swimming in summer can both strengthen the body and provide relief from the heat. Cao Rui also had a need to exercise; he couldn't very well run laps inside the North Palace as an Emperor, could he?
The construction method was simple. Four thick walls were built with bricks and stones on flat ground, and the inside was lined with two thick layers of wooden boards. In other words, it was like building and fixing a large rectangular boat on flat ground.
Water entered through a high opening and exited through a low opening. The key to making the water flow was a hand-cranked water wheel operated by an Attendant.
The Emperor swam for an hour, and an Attendant consumed a bowl of millet rice, which was very environmentally friendly. Fortunately, there were no democrats in the Three Kingdoms period to offer suggestions to the Emperor.
Cao Rui enthusiastically swam a few strokes, then discovered a fatal problem: there were no suitable materials for swimwear in the Three Kingdoms period.
Linen clothes were out of the question; they were terribly rough, felt like hemp ropes when tied to the body, and created significant drag when wet.
The only available material was silk. Even silk, an expensive material, would still catch water during swimming if it wasn't close-fitting after entering the water. The solution wasn't difficult: cut the silk to a suitable, close-fitting size, making it suitable for swimming.
But perhaps Emperor Ling of Han, fifty years prior, didn't possess such talent for costume design to solve the swimwear problem, so Emperor Ling of Han could only choose to swim naked with his concubines, which was even recorded in historical texts and criticized for two thousand years.
Just as Cao Rui was sketching on the zuo bo paper in his study, Bi Jin said to Cao Rui with a fawning smile, “Your Majesty, this old servant sees that you are too tired designing this swimwear. Why don't I do it for you?”
Cao Rui looked up and glanced at Bi Jin. Bi Jin was an Attendant who had served the late Emperor for nearly ten years, and he was now the head of the Attendants in Luoyang Palace, very familiar with everything in the palace. Since Cao Rui's ascension, Bi Jin, fearing loss of favor, frequently tried to show off in front of Cao Rui.
Cao Rui asked, “You? You can make clothes?”
Bi Jin lowered his head and replied, “This old servant is foolish and cannot do such delicate work as making clothes. However, this old servant can arrange for the palace's weaving bureau to do it; they also have experience.”
“Weaving bureau.” Cao Rui thought for a moment and found something amiss.
“Isn't the weaving bureau under the Treasurer of the Palace? How is it arranged by you?”
“Your Majesty,” Bi Jin knelt down in a panic, hastily explaining, “This old servant does not have the slightest courage to usurp power.”
“The late Emperor long ago issued an order prohibiting Attendants from holding official positions, and even had this regulation carved in stone. He also abolished the Central Regular Attendant and Yellow Gate Attendant. How could this old servant dare to have any extra thoughts?”
“When the late Emperor first moved into Luoyang Palace, these palace rules were originally supposed to inherit the Han system. But the Former Han Emperor's palace was chaotic and lacked proper order, with more people carrying swords than us eunuchs.”
“The late Emperor was also unwilling to trouble Treasurer of the Palace Chang Gong with these trivial matters in the palace, so in the end, all these tasks fell to this old servant.”
Cao Rui nodded, indicating he understood Bi Jin's meaning. Wei, in its nascent stage of establishing institutions, originally intended to emulate the Han Dynasty's court system. However, Han Emperor Xian's palace was open on all sides, with guards watching Han Emperor Xian almost outnumbering the eunuchs, which was by no means a normal court.
To put it bluntly, this was because they were still in a time of chaos. Neither Cao Pi nor the former court officials had the mind to standardize these trivial matters in the imperial palace.
Cao Rui thought for a moment: “Is the current Treasurer of the Palace still Chang Lin? He must be almost seventy, right?”
Seeing Cao Rui's expression clear slightly, Bi Jin felt the stone hanging in his heart drop. “Replying to Your Majesty, it is indeed Chang Lin Chang Gong. He is… he is probably sixty-seven years old this year.”
Cao Rui whispered, “It's not his fault. He's reached the point of being old and virtuous; he probably doesn't have the energy to manage these trivial matters.”
Bi Jin did not respond, his head bowed very low on the ground.
Cao Rui asked, “Tell Zhong Yu to stop copying books and have him call Chang Lin here.”
Bi Jin acknowledged and quickly went to carry out the order.
Not long after, footsteps were heard from the outer room again. Cao Rui looked up and saw that the person who had come was Attendant Liu Ye.
Liu Ye stepped forward: “Your Majesty, today is the bi-monthly imperial report. The assisting ministers have all come from the Imperial Secretariat and are waiting outside the hall.”
Cao Rui nodded: “Then proclaim them to enter.”
The four assisting ministers walked in, Cao Xiu and Cao Zhen in the front two, followed by Chen Qun and Sima Yi.
Seeing the assisting ministers bow, Cao Rui quickly rose from his seat: “This is a private discussion, not a court session. There is no need for such formalities, assisting ministers. Please rise quickly.”
“Grant seats.” Cao Rui gestured with both hands, indicating for the ministers to rise.
“We thank Your Majesty for your grace.” Seeing Cao Rui's politeness first, the assisting ministers also returned the courtesy.
Cao Rui smiled and looked at the four: “This is the first time I have discussed state affairs with you all. What do you wish to teach me?”
Sima Yi cupped his hands and spoke: “Your Majesty, I was entrusted by the late Emperor and also have the duty to admonish Your Majesty. I heard that Your Majesty built a naked swimming hall in the palace. Is this true or false?”
Cao Zhen quickly tried to smooth things over upon hearing this: “Sima Zhongda, why are you so meddlesome? His Majesty is just swimming; why are you gossiping here?”
Cao Xiu also interjected: “Exactly, what is there to admonish about? You're even managing His Majesty's private affairs.”
As military generals, Cao Zhen and Cao Xiu were more open-minded about matters of personal morality. In their values, even if Cao Rui had indeed built a naked swimming hall, or even held a party in it, it would not harm the national image.
But from the perspective of Sima Yi and Chen Qun, this matter already carried a hint of being a 'monarch of a doomed state'. Why imitate Emperor Ling of Han instead of learning from the virtuous Emperor Wen of Han?
The expression on Cao Rui's face did not change in the slightest due to Sima Yi's first admonition. He still smiled, and there was even a hint of sincerity in his smile.
“I did build a swimming pool in the palace, but my swimming pool is different from Emperor Ling of Han's naked swimming hall. Clothes are to be worn, and only I use it.”
Sima Yi's eyes widened slightly, though it was hard for others to discern. Cao Rui's sincere attitude somewhat surprised Sima Yi.
According to Cao Rui's words, the swimming pool seemed to be merely for exercise and cooling off, and had nothing to do with extravagance or debauchery.
“This minister… this minister is not saying that this swimming pool is bad. This minister only wishes to say that Your Majesty should focus on state affairs. Regarding such recreational matters, I hope Your Majesty will not be distracted.”
“I understand. Such small matters are of no concern.” Cao Rui nodded and looked at Chen Qun: “I see Chen Qing also seems to have something to say?”
Chen Qun's face clearly showed a desire to speak, then he paused and pulled out a small scroll of bamboo slips from his sleeve.
Chen Qun said: “Replying to Your Majesty, the content of my admonition is all written on these bamboo slips.”
Cao Rui motioned for an Attendant to take the bamboo slips. After opening and reading them, he chuckled softly.
“Chen Qing is still as loyal and outspoken as Sima Qing. But why do both of you advise me to focus on state affairs?”
“I see that you two have been managing state affairs quite well in the Imperial Secretariat recently, haven't you?”