Chapter 4: At the Court Meeting Luoyang North Palace, side room of Chongde Hall. Cao Rui pulled up his collar and turned around in front of a huge bronze mirror. The black and red court dress was very elegant, and the dragon pattern embroidered with gold thread was extremely majestic. "How do I look in this dress?" Xin Pi, the attendant standing not far away, smiled and praised: "Your Majesty is heroic and majestic." "Hahaha." Cao Rui laughed a few times: "Come, bring the crown tassel over here." The twelve-beaded ceremonial crown was quite heavy and it took a while to put it on my head. "What's on the agenda for today's meeting?" Xin Pi picked up a scroll of bamboo slips from the table and introduced to Cao Rui the arrangements for the grand court meeting. "Your Majesty, today is the first court meeting since Your Majesty ascended the throne. I have prepared three agenda items. I hope Your Majesty will give your instructions." "Go ahead." Cao Rui did not nod. The crown on his head was too heavy.
"One of the agenda items is that your majesty and the ministers will determine the late emperor's posthumous title and temple name, as well as honoring the empress dowager as the Grand Empress Dowager and the late emperor's empress as the Empress Dowager." "Second item on the agenda is that grace comes from above. Your Majesty will decide on rewards for meritorious officials and confer titles on members of the royal family." The two agendas were just a formality, Cao Rui did not say anything. Xin Pi looked up at Cao Rui and then continued his statement. "The third item on the agenda is that the late emperor selected four ministers to assist him in governing the country before his death, and all four ministers were given the title of generals. However, the powers and responsibilities of the four ministers were not clear before, and Your Majesty needs to divide their powers and responsibilities among them." Cao Rui and Xin Pi looked at each other. This third item on the agenda was the most important of this court meeting. Cao Wei had many talented people. After Cao Pi ascended the throne, he had four permanent ministers: two counselors, Dong Zhao and Liu Ye, and two remonstrants, Xin Pi and Su Ze. Dong Zhao was promoted to the position of Grand Minister of Rites, Su Ze had already passed away, and the only two permanent officials left were Liu Ye and Xin Pi. Although Liu Ye was a man of wisdom and strategy, his moral standards were relatively flexible. Xin Pi was not known for his wisdom and strategy, but he was a man of high moral character, upright and decisive, and a minister who dared to correct the emperor's mistakes. Liu Ye was on duty yesterday, and Xin Pi is on duty today. Cao Rui looked at Xin Pi with a serious expression: "What do you want to say, Minister?" Xin Pi stood aside with his hands in his pockets. Nearly 60 years old, Xin Pi served three generations of Wei emperors. Facing national affairs, Xin Pi's attitude was always serious and earnest. "Your Majesty, the country is still in turmoil, so we should use force externally, not internally." "Yongliang, Jingxiang, and Xuyang are three important border defense areas. Two of them should be led by clan members, and one should be led by civil officials to control military power." "The remaining one will assist Your Majesty in governing the country." "I think this should also be the original intention of the late emperor in selecting these four regents." Cao Rui was silent for a moment. Cao Pi had a very good intention in choosing these four regents, and it was not difficult to see what Cao Pi meant. But what is commendable is Xin Pi's loyalty and his willingness to give direct advice to the emperor without reservation. Cao Rui said: "When I was in the Eastern Palace, I heard for a long time that Minister Xin was upright and honest, and he never gave false advice. Today I saw it with my own eyes." Xin Pi bowed deeply to Cao Rui and said nothing else.
…… The court meeting began, and Cao Rui sat upright in the hall. Civil and military officials stood on both sides of the hall, and accompanied by the Minister of Rites, they all paid homage to the new emperor of Wei. The empty hall was filled with echoes. Cao Rui sat on the dragon throne, and at this moment he had a strong sense of the heroic feeling of owning the world. A real man should be like this, he should enjoy all the pleasures in the world! But when Cao Rui thought of Liu Chan of Shu Han and Sun Quan of Eastern Wu, his mood was not so good. Looking at the ministers through the twelve strings of imperial crowns, the figures were not very clear. Only one person stepped out, holding a white ivory tablet, and saluted Cao Rui. Chen Qun walked to the center of the hall and said, "Your Majesty, I, Chen Qun, the Recorder of the Secretariat, have something to report." It was the first time that Cao Rui faced such a scene, and he felt a little nervous, not sure whether he was excited or nervous. "Please speak, Mr. Chen." Cao Rui's words were not patronizing. Chen Qun said: "Your Majesty, the late emperor has passed away. According to the etiquette, the late emperor should be given a posthumous title and temple name." Cao Rui asked, "Does the Shangshutai have a public discussion?" Chen Qun said, "I, along with General Cao Zhen of the Central Army, General Cao Xiu of the Eastern Expedition, and General Sima Yi of the Pacification Army, discussed the posthumous title and temple name of the late emperor yesterday, and there has been public discussion." "The former emperor was a man of great virtue and knowledge, so he can be posthumously named Emperor Wen. The former emperor founded the Wei Dynasty and pacified China, so he can be posthumously named Gaozu." Cao Zhen, Cao Xiu, and Sima Yi also stepped out from the left and right and said in unison, "I second the motion." Cao Rui replied: "Emperor Wen and Emperor Gaozu, both posthumous titles and temple names are excellent, approved." Chen Qun paused for a moment and continued, "The late emperor has passed away. Your Majesty, please respect the late emperor's empress dowager as the grand empress dowager and the late emperor's empress as the empress dowager." Cao Rui sat on the dragon throne, his face obscured by the twelve tassels on his crown, making it impossible for the ministers below to see his expression. In fact, Cao Rui was looking at the faces of the four regent ministers at this time, observing their facial expressions. Seeing Cao Rui sitting on the dragon throne without saying anything, Chen Qun was slightly surprised and thought that Cao Rui did not hear clearly, so he was about to raise his voice and say it again. Sima Yi coughed lightly beside him. Chen Qun frowned and did not look at Sima Yi. Instead, Cao Zhen and Cao Xiu's eyes were attracted. Cao Zhen and Cao Xiu were both fierce generals, and they were very good at fighting on the battlefield. They knew little about the tricks in the court. But Chen Qun was startled, and a bad situation appeared. Yesterday at the Shangshutai, Chen Qun had communicated with Sima Yi in a veiled way. At the court meeting, Chen Qun, as the recorder of the Shangshu, should report to His Majesty the matters concerning the late emperor, the late empress dowager, and the late empress. But the problem is that the late emperor’s empress, Guo, was not Cao Rui’s biological mother. In fact, Cao Rui’s biological mother, Zhen, was killed by the slander of Empress Guo! This brings up three possibilities. First, Cao Rui did not mention his biological mother Zhen, so everything was fine. Secondly, Cao Rui took the initiative to mention posthumously honoring his biological mother. This is also easy to do. The grass on the grave is already green, so he can just give her a posthumous title. Third, and this is also the worst scenario, Cao Rui does not agree with Queen Guo being named the empress dowager, and instead wants to name his biological mother Zhen as the empress dowager. You have to know that the late emperor Cao Pi has not been buried yet, and these old ministers of the late emperor have been rewarded by the late emperor. Could it be that they can't even make the late emperor's queen be named empress dowager? The silence of Emperor Cao Rui at this time represents Cao Rui's choice, either the second or the third, which can no longer be simply fooled away. Sima Yi coughed lightly, and Chen Qun understood everything instantly. Chen Qun immediately said, "I have heard from you that our dynasty attaches great importance to filial piety. Your Majesty can posthumously confer a posthumous title on your biological mother."
In fact, the silence of Cao Rui and Chen Qun was very short, only five seconds. The ministers certainly had no time to react, but the parties involved, Cao Rui, Chen Qun and Sima Yi, had already gone through two rounds of probing. Cao Rui said, "Please prepare for the ennoblement of my grandmother and stepmother according to the rules. As for the posthumous title of my biological mother, are the four regents ready?" Only then did Cao Zhen and Cao Xiu realize that Cao Rui wanted to posthumously confer a title on their biological mother, Zhen. Chen Qun responded: "I dare not discuss this matter privately, so please let your Majesty give us your instructions." Cao Rui looked at the four regents standing in the center of the hall, and chuckled as he sat on the dragon throne. Do you think I want to posthumously honor my biological mother? I don't care what happens to Zhen. I am Cao Rui, and I am not Cao Rui. Whether you are willing to cater to my wishes, whether you are willing to make concessions to the emperor, whether you have any private connections, this is what I care about. This is my first time writing a book. I’m looking for your attention and collection. Thank you all my readers~ (End of this chapter)
