Chapter 54 Luoyang Arsenal (Seeking follow-up reading) Luoyang, Arsenal. This was the first time Cao Rui came to the Luoyang Arsenal. As the capital of the emperor, Luoyang had an arsenal where the central army and some of the military equipment in stock were stored, including bows, crossbows, arrows, swords, spears, halberds, armor, shields, drums, flags, chariots, and crossbow carts. The Luoyang Armory was extremely large, 400 steps wide from east to west and 800 steps long from north to south, with four sub-warehouses in total. The one Cao Rui entered was a warehouse specifically for storing bows, crossbows and arrows. The armory commander who followed Cao Rui reported: "Your Majesty, there are a total of 136,000 crossbows, million crossbow arrows, 74,000 bows, and million bow and arrows in this armory." Cao Rui turned his head and glanced at the armory commander, then looked at Weiwei Dong Zhao who was standing behind him. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Weiwei was an official in charge of the palace garrison, military equipment, and ceremonial guards. After Cao Pi replaced the Han Dynasty with the Wei Dynasty, the Weiwei's original garrison duties were replaced by the Wuweiying and other central troops. The current Weiwei can only manage the armory and ceremonial guards. Therefore, when Cao Rui inspected the armory, Dong Zhao also came here in person. Apart from this, the Weiwei really had nothing more to do. If someone who doesn't know much about military affairs hears the armory commander report that there are millions of crossbows and bows and arrows, he might think it is quite spectacular.
Cao Rui didn't know anything about military affairs, but he was good at reading. Cao Rui turned to Dong Zhao and asked, "Mr. Dong, the history books say that Li Ling of the Western Han Dynasty went out to attack the Xiongnu and used up 500,000 arrows in one day. I remember that Li Ling only led 5,000 infantrymen." "There are only a few million arrows in the arsenal now. How can they be enough?" Dong Zhao was once the top strategist of the Wei State. Although he is now in his seventies, he is still energetic. When the emperor asked a question, he bowed and answered it. Dong Zhao said, "Your Majesty, as the Minister of Defense, the armory is my responsibility. The crossbows and bows in the Luoyang armory are half of the central army's inventory. The other half of the central army's inventory is stored in Chang'an and Qiao County." Cao Rui wondered, "Why Chang'an and Qiao County? Could it be related to the frequent dispatches of the Central Army?" Today was Dong Zhao's first time to play with the emperor. I have heard that although the current emperor is young, he is quite shrewd and wise. One of the necessary abilities for an emperor or a manager is to connect known information. Dong Zhao was a close minister during Cao Cao's period. During Cao Pi's period, Dong Zhao's position was replaced by Chen Qun, Sima Yi, Liu Ye and Xin Pi, who were closer to him. Now that the new emperor has ascended the throne, it has been several months since Dong Zhao was able to make a solo appearance. Dong Zhao was unwilling to miss this opportunity. Dong Zhao responded, "That's right. The Central Army has been dispatched to the east and west many times. For the convenience of transportation, half of the Central Army's equipment is stored in Luoyang, the remaining 20% is in Chang'an, and 30% is in Qiao County. There are treasures stored in the arsenal in the east warehouse. Your Majesty may wish to go and take a look." Cao Rui was a little confused. If there was one counselor who could be called the chief counselor for Cao Wei, Dong Zhaoruo would be the first and no one could be second. There is no other reason, it is just that Cao Cao's series of political operations that promoted him to Duke of Wei and King of Wei were all done by Dong Zhao back then. Dong Zhao was a man who calculated every move. It was obvious that there was something in the east warehouse that was worth Dong Zhao's exploit. Cao Rui did not ask any further questions. Following the guidance of the armory commander, he slowly walked into the east warehouse. Dong Zhao walked from behind Cao Rui to the front, to a huge altar, pointed at three things on the table and said, "Your Majesty, please look, these three are the best treasures in the armory: the sword of Emperor Gaozu of Han who killed the snake, Confucius's clogs, and Wang Mang's head." Cao Rui became interested. Could it be that this thing that only existed in legends could actually be seen in real life? As Cao Rui walked to the front of the stage and carefully observed the three items, his newly-aroused interest immediately died down: Emperor Gaozu of Han's Snake-Slaying Sword was a bronze sword with mottled colors, Confucius' clogs were a pair of oversized wooden shoes, and Wang Mang's head was just a painted human head placed in a lacquer box. Cao Rui picked up the sword used by Emperor Gaozu of Han to slay the snake, waved it a few times and said, "I knew these three were treasures, but I didn't know they were so worn out." Dong Zhao stood aside and said solemnly: "Your Majesty, this is a sacred artifact. I hope Your Majesty will handle it carefully." Cao Rui frowned slightly. They are just a few objects. In terms of symbolic meaning, the sword of Emperor Gaozu of Han Dynasty symbolizes the divine right of kings, Confucius's clogs symbolize the legal principle of governing the world, and Wang Mang's head symbolizes martial virtue. I just don't know how Dong Zhao will explain it. Since Dong Zhao wanted to use this as an opportunity, Cao Rui asked, "Mr. Dong, how do you explain the word 'divine weapon'?" Dong Zhao asked, "Apart from your Majesty, would you allow anyone else to hold this snake-slaying sword?"
Cao Rui was naturally unwilling to do so. How could he allow his subject to hold the legendary weapon that symbolized Liu Bang's imperial achievements? Cao Rui replied: "How can I wish this? This sword is not something a subject can hold." Dong Zhao said slowly, "How can you ask about the weight of the tripod? In my opinion, these three treasures are divine artifacts like the nine tripods. Your Majesty, please look at Wang Mang's head." A dead person's head sealed with lacquer, Dong Zhao tapped it lightly with his fingers. Dong Zhao said: "This Wang Mang's head can break the Snake-Slaying Sword." Cao Rui had no intention of playing word games with this 70-year-old man. Cao Rui looked into Dong Zhao's eyes and said, "Mr. Dong, if you have something to say, just say it directly." Dong Zhao was not in a hurry: "The First Emperor of Qin succeeded his ancestors by exerting the remaining power of six generations. The Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, became the emperor by holding the sword that killed the snake, and he destroyed the Qin Dynasty and put down the rebellion." "How did the late emperor obtain the throne? Was it just because of abdication?" Cao Rui understood that Dong Zhao was taking advantage of the situation and using the three objects to discuss the legal principles of Cao Wei with him. Cao Rui asked, "Could it be related to Wang Mang's head?" Dong Zhao bowed to the emperor and said, "That's right. After the late emperor became emperor, he once said to me, 'I know about the affairs of Yao and Shun.'" "And Emperor Wu and the previous emperor were able to successfully replace the Han Dynasty step by step thanks to the story of Wang Mang." Cao Rui nodded and motioned Dong Zhao to continue. Dong Zhao also understood that this might be his only chance to show his merits to the emperor at such a good time and place. Dong Zhao did not dare to neglect it: "The reason why Wang Mang replaced the Han Dynasty was, first, that the Mandate of Heaven did not belong to the Han Dynasty, and second, that he replaced the Han rituals with the Zhou rituals." "According to Dong Zhongshu of the Han Dynasty, the relationship between heaven and man is that the ruler is the ruler, the minister is the minister, the father is the father, and the son is the son. How can the son replace the father? How can the minister replace the ruler?" "Wang Mang was very good at Confucianism, but he could not find a way out from Confucianism, so he could only trace back to the Zhou Dynasty. He borrowed the story of the Zhou Dynasty replacing the Shang Dynasty, and thus succeeded in replacing the Han Dynasty." Cao Rui had never heard such a statement before: "Mr. Dong, please continue." Dong Zhao continued, "Your Majesty, just look at the story of Emperor Wu. Emperor Wu was named Duke and established the State of Wei, which was on par with Han, just like Zhou and Shang. He was granted the Nine Gifts, which was like Duke Zhou administering for Han." "I'll be frank with you. It was because the Wei Dynasty followed Wang Mang's old system that it was able to replace the Han Dynasty with the Wei Dynasty and have new legal principles." Cao Rui knew that Cao Cao's title of duke and king was planned by Dong Zhao, but it seemed that Dong Zhao's intention today was not just to educate Cao Rui. Cao Rui asked: "Mr. Dong, are you teaching me to act in a formal and authentic way?" Dong Zhao shook his head slightly: "What I want to say is that Your Majesty does not need to seek fame when governing, but only needs to seek results." New author, new book, thanks to all the readers. If you have extra votes, please vote for me. Please read this book, thanks~ (End of this chapter)