Chapter 3: Long Life, Short Life
Four years ago, Cao Rui married the Yu clan, a prominent family from Henan. This arrangement was made by Emperor Cao Pi.
As Cao Rui's official consort, it's understandable that Yu would want the empress's position after Cao Rui ascended the throne.
But the problem was, the current Cao Rui and Yu were not familiar with each other at all!
Furthermore, Wei continued the Han system, and there was no rule in the Han Dynasty that an official consort would necessarily be made empress.
Cao Rui had just entered the sleeping quarters, and Yu immediately batted her eyelashes and demanded the empress's position?
Establishing an empress was an extremely serious political issue!
What's more, Cao Rui was determined to be a pleasure-seeking emperor. Why bother establishing an empress so early and cause himself trouble?
Cao Rui coughed lightly and took half a step back.
“This… the matter of establishing an empress is not urgent. Let us discuss it after I report to the Empress Dowager.”
A hint of anger appeared on Yu's beautiful face. She snorted lightly, stood up on her own, and sat back down at her dressing table.
She was clearly waiting for Cao Rui to come and coax her.
But from Cao Rui's perspective, it was like a blind date in later generations. The girl opposite was very pretty, but as soon as they sat down and ordered coffee, she demanded that her name be added to the property deed.
Cao Rui immediately felt a bit bored. He turned and walked towards the bed, saying to Consort Yu without looking back.
“Consort Yu, you can go out and find somewhere else to sleep! I'm tired and going to bed now.”
Yu became even angrier, standing up and glaring at Cao Rui.
“Cao Rui, did you forget about me after becoming emperor?”
“Are all you Cao family members so heartless?”
“Silence!” Cao Rui was also angered at this point.
Both Cao Cao and Cao Pi had some dark history in this regard. Cao Cao's original wife, Lady Ding, divorced him and never saw him again. Cao Pi even executed Zhen, Cao Rui's birth mother.
Yu's veiled accusations were intolerable for Cao Rui, as he was an emperor.
“Someone, where are the guards!”
The two guards on duty outside the sleeping quarters pushed open the door and ran in, their armor clanking.
“Please escort Consort Yu… please escort Consort Yu out and send her to her own palace!”
“Understood!”
The two guards exchanged glances and walked to Consort Yu's side.
Consort Yu looked left and right, her almond eyes wide as she glared at Cao Rui: “Fine, Your Majesty, I can walk myself, there's no need for you to send people to escort me!”
“Tomorrow I will go to the Empress Dowager for a fair judgment!”
A moment later, with a bang, the door of the sleeping quarters was slammed shut.
Silence fell upon the sleeping quarters.
“Sigh.” Cao Rui lay alone on the couch, letting out a long sigh, looking slightly troubled.
Consort Yu wanting the empress's position was a family matter, and Cao Rui could handle it himself.
As early as Huangchu Year 3, Emperor Cao Pi issued an edict stating, “When women interfere with governance, it is the root of chaos. Families of empresses shall not hold positions of auxiliary governance.” In the current Wei, the imperial harem and imperial in-laws had no power whatsoever, so there was no need to worry.
However, there were many Ministers in the outer court; Emperor Cao Pi alone left behind four auxiliary Ministers.
Cao Zhen and Cao Xiu, two members of the imperial clan, had been commanding troops for many years, while Sima Yi and Chen Qun had been in charge of court affairs for years.
Not to mention the many meritorious veteran Ministers who had followed Cao Cao in establishing the dynasty.
Who didn't have selfish motives?
Yu wanted to be empress, and for that, she yelled loudly at Cao Rui.
Did others not have selfish motives? Did Cao Zhen and Cao Xiu not want to control more military power?
And Sima Yi, when did Sima Yi start thinking about usurping power?
Lost in thought, Cao Rui could not fall asleep for a long time. In an era without air conditioning, the summer heat at night made people irritable.
...
At the same time, inside Sima Yi's residence.
The candle in the study was still burning. Sima Shi, his eldest son, trimmed the wick and looked at his father, who was writing at his desk.
Sima Shi smiled and said, “Father has only returned home after several days in the palace. Your son hasn't had a chance to congratulate you on becoming one of the auxiliary Ministers.”
Sima Yi snorted coldly: “What is there to congratulate?”
“When the Emperor was alive, Chen Qun and I jointly managed the Imperial Secretariat. How is this different from auxiliary governance?”
“Although the Emperor appointed me Grand General Who Pacifies the Army before he passed away, my duties and authority have not changed at all.”
Sima Yi dipped his brush in ink and continued writing on the bamboo slip.
Sima Shi nodded: “Father is right. It seems whether the Emperor lived or died, it makes no difference to our Sima family.”
Sima Yi's brush tip paused, leaving a heavy ink blot on the bamboo slip.
“Ziyuan, silence! Disrespectful words, even in a dark room, should not be spoken. The Emperor ascended to heaven.”
“Yes, yes, yes, ascended to heaven. Your son knows his mistake.”
Sima Shi admitted his mistake verbally, but his expression remained unchanged.
“Father, auxiliary Ministers are mostly established for young monarchs. But the Emperor is already twenty-three years old, and there are still four auxiliary Ministers. Such a court situation has never existed before.”
Sima Yi put down his brush and looked at his nineteen-year-old eldest son. His sharp eyes were particularly bright in the candlelight.
“Ziyuan, you analyze this court situation.”
Sima Shi was silent for a moment: “Before Emperor Wu of Han passed away, he appointed Huo Guang, Jin Midi, Shangguan Jie, and Sang Hongyang as auxiliary Ministers. Jin Midi died early, and Huo Guang carried out a coup, executing Shangguan Jie and Sang Hongyang. From then on, all state affairs came from Huo Guang's hand.”
“There will also be power struggles among the auxiliary Ministers. Father has been in the Imperial Secretariat for a long time without military power, which is where the danger lies.”
“But the current Emperor is already twenty-three, old enough to govern personally. Cao Zhen and Cao Xiu are loyal to the Emperor, so they probably won't cause much trouble.”
Sima Yi nodded: “Ziyuan is right.”
“With border troubles in West Shu and Eastern Wu, there will be no major changes within Great Wei. Cao Zhen goes to Yong and Liang, Cao Xiu goes to Xu Province; the use of these two is inherently on the battlefield.”
“Chen Qun and I have also been Lu Shangshu Shi for several years. In the short term, the court situation will probably not change much.”
Sima Yi continued.
“Ziyuan, I always make you read history books.”
“Do you remember how Emperor Wen of Han gained power at the beginning of his reign?”
Sima Shi inherited the Sima family's academic genius, having been widely read and having an excellent memory since childhood. This question would not stump him.
After a brief mental organization, Sima Shi cleared his throat: “Before Emperor Wen of Han ascended the throne, he was a vassal king in the State of Dai. After Zhou Bo and other military generals executed the Lu clan, they welcomed Emperor Wen of Han into Chang'an.”
“On the night of Emperor Wen of Han's ascension, he appointed his confidant Song Chang as Wei General and Zhang Wu as Langzhong, thereby controlling military power inside and outside the palace.”
“For military generals like Zhou Bo, he first rewarded them for their merits, then sent them back to their respective fiefdoms, and from then on, Emperor Wen gained great power.”
“Father, why do you ask about Emperor Wen of Han?” Sima Shi looked at his father, the flickering candlelight casting alternating light and shadow on Sima Yi's face.
Sima Yi took a deep breath: “Liu Ye was summoned by His Majesty this afternoon and spoke with him for half a day. Chen Qun and I stopped Liu Ye at the Imperial Secretariat.”
“According to Liu Ye, the current Emperor is very similar to Emperor Wen of Han.”
Sima Shi looked surprised: “Is Liu Ye implying that His Majesty intends to govern personally and seize power?”
Sima Yi snorted lightly: “Liu Ziyang said nothing, slippery as an eel. Let's see how His Majesty acts at tomorrow's court meeting.”
Sima Shi chuckled: “Being like Emperor Wen of Han is better than being like Huan or Ling. And Father doesn't want to be Huo Guang.”
At this point, Sima Shi paused, then continued.
“Your son heard these past two days that a story is circulating in Luoyang about the diviner Zhu Jianping telling the Emperor's fortune.”
Sima Yi raised an eyebrow and looked at his son.
“I've been in the palace these past few days and haven't paid attention to outer court matters. Tell me in detail.”
Sima Shi continued.
“It is rumored in Luoyang that when the Emperor was still the Colonel of Wuguan, he invited the physiognomist Zhu Jianping to read the faces of everyone at a banquet.”
“The Emperor asked about his lifespan, and Zhu Jianping said that the Emperor would live to eighty, and would encounter a minor misfortune at the age of forty.”
“The rumor also says that it was because the Emperor replaced Han with Wei that he incurred the wrath of Heaven, which turned the minor misfortune into a major one. Some even say that Zhen came to claim his life…”
Sima Yi frowned deeply: “Enough! Such rebellious words, you are not to mention them to anyone again.”
Sima Shi felt a bit wronged at being reprimanded by his father: “Father, I didn't say these words, it's just that the Emperor himself had a short life!”
Sima Yi became angry and slammed the table heavily: “Ziyuan, where is the virtue I usually make you cultivate? Do you really not understand the principle that disaster comes from the mouth?”
“You are not allowed to leave the house for a single step this month. You reflect on yourself properly.”
Seeing that his father was truly angry, Sima Shi quickly stood up, bowed, and took his leave: “Your son knows his mistake. Father, please rest early and do not stay up too late.”
Sima Yi waved his hand, and Sima Shi quietly walked out of the room, closing the door softly.
Only Sima Yi remained, staring blankly at the candlelight on the desk, lost in thought.
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