Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Ever since Liu Ye took up the post of Governor of Youzhou and Right Supervisor of the Privy Council, it has been a long time since he has been with Your Majesty like this with the three attendants.

This situation made Liu Ye feel a little dazed, as if he was still a minister.

Liu Ye received replies from His Majesty on both of his questions. Since he had nothing else to do at the moment and His Majesty did not drive him away, Liu Ye was happy to stand here, looking at the scenery and listening to what the emperor was talking about with Xu and Lu.

Cao Rui flipped through a petition in his hand and read it for a long time: "No. You two are still a little rude, which is not in line with the elegant politics of the Great Wei."

Xu Shu and Pei Qian both stood there in a daze, their eyes filled with doubt and confusion.

Could it be that it was not His Majesty himself who gave us the copper coins yesterday? Could it be that the three things of reducing taxes, increasing copper production, and capturing Xianbei people for work are not connected?

Pei Qian was still thinking of his words in a roundabout way, but Xu Shu beside him bowed and asked directly:

"Your Majesty, taking advantage of the Xianbei conflict to capture the Xianbei people and mine copper is a good thing both in public and private. I am a little confused about what your Majesty means."

After Xu Shu said this, Pei Qian signed the petition with him and said softly, "I am also a little confused."

"I'll think about how to explain this to you." Cao Rui pointed to the building behind him and said, "Let's go inside and talk."

"Yes."

"According to the order."

Liu Ye, Pei Qian, Xu Shu, and Lu Yu followed Cao Rui into the pavilion. As soon as they sat down, Cao Rui began to speak:
"My lords, tell me the truth, don't you regard the Xianbei as human beings?"

Xu Shu cupped his hands and said, "Of course the Xianbei are human, but they are not of our race, so their hearts must be different. Moreover, the Xianbei have always invaded the borders of Wei and Han. Rather than letting them grow and multiply on the border, it would be better to mine and consume them."

Pei Qian also said: "Your Majesty, I think the mining is too arduous. Rather than letting the people of Wei suffer losses, it is better to let the Xianbei suffer losses."

Cao Rui said, "I am not saying that you two are wrong. Using Xianbei people to mine is feasible. But I think the method you wrote in your memorial is not advisable. Either send troops to capture people, or negotiate with Zonu to hand over the people of the Borgu tribe to the Wei Dynasty. This method is too direct."

"Directly?" Liu Ye whispered two words.

Cao Rui said calmly, "Take the Qiang people for example. This year when Yongzhou was collecting grain for Qinzhou's war, many Qiang people in the counties gathered together to rebel. In the end, didn't they only execute the ringleaders and pardon most of the Qiang people?"

"The Qiang people came to Wei to settle down and cultivate the land. I did not kill most of the chieftains in the Qiang tribes. Instead, I gave them titles and some wealth and kept them in Luoyang City, where they lived a peaceful life. Since we want to treat the Qiang people as our subjects, we cannot be rough or direct in our actions. We must consider future generations."

"What about the Xianbei?" Cao Rui said slowly, "Kebi Neng is dead. The Xianbei people may be as obedient as the Southern Xiongnu in the future. Does the Wei Dynasty have to forcibly demand population and make a mortal enemy of the Xianbei people?"

Xu Shu and Pei Qian were already very confused at this time.

The two looked at each other, and then at the emperor at the same time. Although they didn't say anything, the hidden meaning was obvious. You agree to let the Xianbei people mine, so why do you say you are against the Xianbei?
Cao Rui laughed and said, "I'll tell you a way."

"We listen respectfully to your instructions." Xu Shu and Pei Qian stood up and saluted at the same time.

Cao Rui said: "Since Wei wants to unify the world, it must have the spirit of a prosperous dynasty. Abolishing military farms is one thing, and reducing taxes is another. I understand that mining consumes manpower, but this vengeance cannot be settled by Wei, but by the Xianbei people themselves."

"Excuse me," Liu Ye interrupted and asked, "Your Majesty, do you mean to let those Xianbei nobles lead their people to the Wei Dynasty to participate in the mining? If this is discussed in the history books in the future, it will be the Xianbei people's own greed that caused the trouble, and it will have nothing to do with the Wei Dynasty."

"Correct." Cao Rui nodded and replied, "Since the Qiang people can be bribed with money and titles, how can the Xianbei nobles not be bribed?"

"Having said this, I will not say any more. You can go now. Come up with another plan." "As you wish." Xu Shu and Pei Qian agreed.

……

The next day, Cao Rui practiced archery in the harem. After shooting all five quivers, he sat on a chair and watched eight cavalrymen shooting arrows.

After several months of practice, the archery skills of the imperial attendants have improved greatly. Although they are not yet proficient, they no longer miss the target as often as when they were beginners. They have already reached the level of entry.

But there is still a long way to go from beginner to good archery.

"A gentleman must learn the six arts." Cao Rui said with a smile: "Today, He Yu has the best archery skills. I will reward you with ten taels of gold. You can go and claim it later. In another month, I will test your archery skills again, and I will reward you then."

"We, the ministers, will follow His Majesty's will." The seven knights said at the same time.

"I thank Your Majesty for the reward." This was Heju's voice.

For Cao Rui, ten taels of gold were nothing, and even for these young people from aristocratic families, it was not considered a high reward.

But ten taels of gold is not a small amount after all.

It can not only motivate the ministers, but also give them some financial rewards, which is a good thing. For these young people who are closest to you, it is okay to be strict, cold, and even scold them occasionally, but you can't be stingy.

"Let's go back to the duty room and change into casual clothes. I'll give you a quarter of an hour and then take you to visit Wang Ziyong's home." Cao Rui said with a smile: "In the past two years, Wang Su has been at home observing mourning and writing books, and his reputation in Luozhong has become increasingly greater."

"As you wish." Everyone agreed.

Cao Rui was only wearing casual clothes today. Under the protection of a group of tiger guards, he walked out of the south gate of the North Palace in a dignified manner and headed towards Wang Su's home.

Of course, there were cavalry escorts on both sides of the road, and the Tiger Guards had already cleared all the idle people on the road. But Cao Rui didn't need to take these into consideration. A gentleman doesn't stand under a dangerous wall. Cao Rui would never be careless when it comes to safety.

After all, there were eight people behind him, and the people following Cao Rui on both sides were Xiahou Xuan on the left and He Jue on the right.

After walking more than half a mile on Tongtuo Street, He Xun followed behind the emperor on the right side, hesitated for a while, and said softly:

"Your Majesty, I have a question that I have been thinking about for more than two months. Today, seeing that Your Majesty is free, I would like to ask Your Majesty for advice."

Cao Rui smiled and said, "Zi Qi, what do you want to ask me?"

He Chuan bowed and said, "Your Majesty knows that my father, in response to your Majesty's and the court's orders, was responsible for the political affairs of Yongzhou for your Majesty and served as the governor of a state. But when I was with your Majesty in Xuchang, my father wrote me a letter home, which also mentioned the reason for the position of governor."

"Go on." Cao Rui showed some interest.

He Chu paused and continued, "According to common sense, the post of Inspector was originally sent by the Imperial Censorate to the Inspectorate of each state to perform the duty of supervision for the emperor and the court. But according to the current system of Wei, the Inspector was promoted from 600 Dan to 2,000 Dan, and was often transferred from important positions such as Shizhong, becoming more powerful. Except for not being responsible for military affairs, the rest is very similar to the previous governor."

Cao Rui frowned slightly. It was not that the question was difficult to answer, but that the question had already been decided, and He Chu's question seemed a little unprofessional.

"Didn't I tell you this reason before? It was caused by the chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty?" (End of this chapter)