Wei Ni

For those on the verge of death, a final burst of energy is a final act of mercy from heaven.

But for Emperor Cao Rui, who was slowly closing his eyes, it was a torment and a regret, because he suddenly remembered that he had twice in his early years had the same dream about the Wei Palace and the deathbed memorial of the Chamberlain Gao Tanglong.

Two large trees fell, while a new one flourished within the Wei Palace, its branches shading the sky. The late Zhonglang Zhou Xuan explained this as a sign of a cuckoo usurping a magpie's nest. The late Gaotang Long also said that as early as the Huangchu era, Heaven had foretold that a strange bird with a red beak, claws, and chest was growing in the swallow's nest within the palace, a sign that a powerful minister in the Wei court would cause internal strife and a cuckoo usurping the magpie's nest.

The combination of these two factors left Cao Rui with no choice but to doubt his selection of the regents—Xiahou Hui and Cao Shuang were both members of the imperial clan, while Sima Yi was not!

Does this mean that Xiahou Hui and Cao Shuang, who already had conflicts, will clash in the future, proving the saying "a minister with eagle-like ambitions will cause trouble within the walls"? They will become two fallen trees, allowing Sima Yi to reap the benefits and become the dominant force in Wei, ultimately evolving into a "cuckoo taking over the nest" scenario.
After all, the late Minister Chen Jiao had subtly pointed out that Sima Yi was the hope of the Wei state!

Xiahou Hui had previously stated directly that Sima Yi was like a saint!

So, how does Sima Yi, who was once again entrusted with the care of the young emperor as a regent, compare to Wang Mang, who usurped the Han throne? In terms of family background, prestige, connections, and strength?

In the final moments of his life, Cao Rui suddenly discovered this.

But it was too late.

"Ho ho ho~"

With his eyes wide with anger, he struggled to stand up and looked at Xiahou Hui, Cao Shuang, and Sima Yi, who were kneeling at the front of the line to pay homage to Crown Prince Cao Fang. He wanted to say something, but only a single, unintelligible note could be squeezed out of his throat.

Xiahou Hui, who was at the front, noticed his unusual behavior.

Ignoring all etiquette, she rose directly and helped him up to sit or lie down. She gently patted his back to help him catch his breath and said, choking back tears, "Your Majesty, please swallow a little first, and then we can talk."

Cao Rui agreed.

He tried his best to clear his throat several times, but could not swallow the stale air stuck in his throat. His face turned blue and purple, and he could no longer make a sound.

So, as the red glow on his face quickly faded, he finally gave up.

Only when his eyes were fixed on Liu Fang not far away, did he raise his finger with trembling strength, point at Liu Fang, and squeeze out a few words, "Old...old thief, you've made a mistake."

Before he could finish speaking, his voice abruptly stopped, and his hand instantly went limp and fell to the ground.

His grayish-blue face still bore a ferocious look, and his eyes were still wide open in anger.

The death of the second emperor of the Wei dynasty, who died with his eyes open in dismay, left the Jiafu Palace deathly silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Liu Fang, who was being pointed at, was stunned and completely terrified.

Sun Zi, who was not far from him, closed his eyes with a look of grief and pain on his face: the ominous premonition in his heart came more quickly than he had expected.

Xiahou Hui, his face filled with grief, was filled with doubt: Why did Emperor Cao Rui, on his deathbed, suddenly curse Liu Fang as an old thief? Did this old thief refer to Liu Fang and Sun Zi, who had manipulated the selection of the Grand General, or to Sima Yi, who had been brought into the regent's group?

Sima Yi buried his head, not letting others see the expression on his face.

Because at this moment, he had completely abandoned the composure he had cultivated over decades, and his resentment was written all over his face and eyes—he was cursing Liu Fang and Sun Zi in his heart!
As a trusted minister of Emperor Wen of Cao Pi, and having already achieved both military and civil service positions, he had long desired to retire gracefully and secure a good reputation both before and after his death.

But this hope was shattered by the untimely death of Emperor Cao Rui.

Therefore, he could only settle for second best, thinking that he should carefully avoid the vortex of power in the future, live out his remaining years in peace and tranquility, and not leave any trouble for his family and descendants.

however!
Now, he has been inexplicably dragged into the list of those entrusted with the care of the young by Liu Fang and Sun Zi!

And it even made Emperor Cao Rui die with his eyes wide open in disgrace!

How can he possibly live in peace after this?

Emperor Cao Rui called Liu Fang an "old thief," but why did the emperor say that?

Isn't it because of the choice to entrust the child to someone?

Of the three ministers entrusted with the care of the young emperor, he was the only one who was not a member of the Xiahou or Cao families!
In this situation, how could he not be the subject of unfounded speculations among the court officials?
The only person in the hall who felt no fear was Cao Shuang.

He was not old yet, had not accomplished anything at this critical juncture, and was not the one entrusted with the care of the young emperor. No matter how the officials interpreted Emperor Cao Rui's unresolved grievances, they would not implicate him.

Therefore, upon seeing Cao Rui slumped in Xiahou Hui's arms, he immediately wailed, "Your Majesty!!"

It was this mournful cry that broke the deathly silence that brought everyone, with their differing thoughts, to their senses, causing them all to prostrate themselves and weep bitterly for the emperor's departure.

Two lines of clear tears also hung on Xiahou Hui's face.

But he didn't cry or shout anything.

No matter what twists and turns things may have taken, he is now the Grand General and the one entrusted with the care of the young emperor. There are certain things and responsibilities that he cannot shirk. Doing his best to fulfill his duties and protect the Wei dynasty is the best way to express his gratitude and repay Emperor Cao Rui, who has always valued him. Xiahou Hui sniffed hard, gently laid Emperor Cao Rui's body flat on the couch, and closed his eyes for him.

He then stood up, bowed to Crown Prince Cao Fang, and then took his hand and helped him up, saying softly, "Your Highness, now is not the time for grief. Please come with me to the Taiji Hall."

A country cannot live without a ruler for a day.

At certain times, however, one cannot be without a ruler for even a moment.

He intended to take Crown Prince Cao Fang to the Taiji Hall to summon all the officials and ministers to announce Emperor Cao Rui's will, so that the Crown Prince could ascend the throne and receive the homage of all the officials, thus quickly establishing his official status.

Crown Prince Cao Fang is only eight years old (actually seven).

However, after several years of enlightenment, he still hasn't even mastered the Analects, let alone has any independent opinions.

The main reason he was chosen as crown prince was that Qin King Cao Xun, who was a year older than him, was frail and sickly. In the short span of twenty years since Wei replaced Han and inherited the Mandate of Heaven, two emperors had died, both of whom were short-lived. Considering the Mandate of Heaven and the people's hearts, the Wei court could not and dared not welcome another physically weak emperor.

He was led to his feet obediently, and Crown Prince Cao Fang glanced back at the emperor on his sickbed, his eyes filled with confusion.

"If the Crown Prince is in this hall, the officials are not allowed to enter to prepare the late Emperor's clothes. Moreover, this hall is the main chamber and is not used as the late Emperor's funeral place. We request that the Crown Prince move to another hall."

Having roughly guessed his thoughts, Xiahou Hui explained again in a soft voice.

"Ah."

Cao Fang nodded slightly, and as he stepped forward, he seemed to realize that his previous answer was somewhat inappropriate, so he added, "Alright. Thank you for leading the way, General."

"only!"

Somewhat relieved, Xiahou Hui accepted the order and led the way himself.

The other officials in the hall also rose and crowded around Cao Fang, following in order of rank.

Among them, the old eunuch holding the emperor's seal and edict was slightly different. He and Bixie accompanied Cao Fang on the left and right, respectively, and temporarily served as Cao Fang's attendants.

As they walked out of Jiafu Hall, the sound of the bell announcing the emperor's passing echoed throughout the palace and gradually spread throughout the entire city of Luoyang.

Without the need for the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to issue a written notice or urge them, all the officials on duty in the various departments of the Southern Palace put down their work, tidied their clothes, and went to the Taiji Hall to witness the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne and to respectfully welcome the new emperor of the Wei Dynasty.

Officials outside the palace were exempted from all weddings, banquets, and merrymaking. They voluntarily prepared mourning clothes and came to the South Gate to await entry into the palace, where they would go to the funeral home of the deceased emperor. Following the precedent of Emperor Wen Cao Pi (Fa) being buried in the Chonghua Front Hall (now the Kowloon Front Hall), they knew where to pay their respects.

When I was young, I went to the Taiji Hall.

After waiting for a while, Empress Guo and the officials of Nanque arrived. Bixie led Crown Prince Cao Fang to stand in front of the throne, while the old eunuch faced the officials and read out the emperor's edict.

The first document is Emperor Cao Rui's deathbed edict, which appoints the regents and establishes the crown prince.

Therefore, after the imperial edict was read, the old eunuch and Bixie helped Crown Prince Cao Fang sit on the throne, and presented him with the imperial crown and seal, so that he could receive the homage of the officials.

From this moment on, Cao Rui will be referred to as the late emperor.

Therefore, the second edict read aloud by the old eunuch was also known as the late emperor's last edict, and it was quite long.

First, he humbly reviewed his own misdeeds during his reign, encouraging the new emperor to take them as a warning, and asked Empress Guo and the officials to assist him wholeheartedly.

Next came the general division of powers among the three regents.

For example, the imperial guards who were responsible for guarding the palaces in the north and south were each led by General Xiahou Hui (who held a high position above the Three Dukes) and General of Chariots and Cavalry Cao Shuang (who held a high position like the Three Dukes and held a high position); the four garrison camps were used to fill the General's camp (five units); and an imperial edict ordered Xiahou Hui, Cao Shuang and Sima Yi to be appointed as Attendants-in-Ordinary and concurrently as Directors of the Secretariat.

Finally, there were instructions concerning the women of the harem and the rites of funeral.

For example, it was decreed that all the concubines below the rank of Shuyuan and Zhaoyi should return to their respective homes; it was also said that burial should follow the frugal and simple funeral advocated by Emperor Wen of Han (Cao Pi), with all funeral rites kept simple, no trees or mounds erected, no gold, jade or precious jewels buried, and funerary objects replaced by tiles and pottery, etc.

After the imperial edict was read, Emperor Cao Fang, guided by Empress Guo and his attendants, went to the Nine Dragons Hall—where all court affairs would be held until the late emperor's funeral procession. The officials gradually dispersed. Those qualified to pay their respects at the Nine Dragons Hall went in turn to collect their mourning clothes; those not qualified returned to their respective departments to attend to their duties.

Soon, only Xiahou Hui, Cao Shuang, Sima Yi, Situ Wei Zhen, Sikong Cui Lin, and Shangshu Ling Pei Qian remained in the vast Taiji Main Hall.

Their temporary stop was not to discuss the posthumous title of the deceased emperor.

That was a matter for the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and Cao Rui had already given himself the temple name "Liezu" as early as the first year of Jingchu.

Their reason for staying was to discuss the contents of the first edict for the new emperor's ascension to the throne.

After all, the content of this edict was not only intended to highlight the new emperor's benevolence and establish a wise image, but also to add some good reputation to the late Emperor Cao Rui after his death. (End of this chapter)