Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Cao Rui looked inside following the sound. There was no one else in the study room, but there was a small door on the east side. The pleasant greeting from the girl came from behind the door.

Wang Su looked embarrassed and said, "Your Majesty, the person in the inner room of the study is my eldest daughter, Yuan Ji."

"My daughter has been able to read since she was young. She was familiar with the Book of Songs and the Analects at the age of eight. Now she is about to turn fifteen. Her talent and learning are better than those of my ordinary students. Because she likes reading, I also allow her to enter my study at any time."

Cao Rui nodded calmly: "I noticed that Wang Qing hesitated when he mentioned the study room just now. He must be unsure whether your daughter is in the study room?"

"Your Majesty is wise," Wang Su replied, "I will call her out to see Your Majesty."

Cao Rui did not answer or stop him, but sat down on the main seat in the study. The eight knights also lined up on both sides of the room as usual.

After vaguely hearing Wang Su's instructions inside, Wang Su led his daughter out from the inner room.

"The people of the country Wang Yuanji pays homage to Your Majesty." Wang Yuanji paid respectful obeisance.

"Stand up." Cao Rui waved his hand casually.

Wang Yuanji stood up timidly, lowered her head slightly, and stood behind her father with her hands behind her.

Wang Su had a rigid face, like his father Wang Lang, and looked like a typical Confucian scholar. But Wang Yuanji was different from Wang Su, with delicate features and gentle eyebrows. Although she had not grown up yet, she was a beauty.

"Since Yuan Ji is as knowledgeable as Wang Qing, please stay here and listen to me and you talk." Cao Rui pointed to a chair beside him and said, "Wang Qing, please sit down."

"Yes, sir." Wang Su replied.

At this time, in the study of Wang Su's mansion, Cao Rui sat behind the desk like the owner, Wang Su sat carefully on the edge of the chair, Wang Yuanji stood beside her father with her hands behind her back, and eight imperial guards stood on both sides of the study.

Cao Rui said slowly, "My Lord, I came here on foot from the North Palace with the Imperial Guards today. On the way, He Yu asked me a question."

"Zi Qi, repeat it with Wang Qing."

"As you wish." He Chuan bowed to Wang Su again and said, "My Lord, what I am asking is related to the provincial governors of various places in the Great Wei..."

When they passed Tongtuo Street just now, He Chuwen was flustered, but now he became much calmer. After He Chuwen's clear and logical introduction, Wang Su's face became visibly serious again.

Cao Rui smiled and said, "I told Ziqi that I couldn't solve this problem. Does Wang Qing have a way to solve it?"

Wang Su replied: "If even Your Majesty cannot do it, then neither can I."

Since he was not asking the emperor a question directly, He Chu became bolder: "I hope the prince can give me some advice."

"Your Majesty?" Wang Su looked at the emperor with an inquiring look.

"You talk, I'll take a break." Cao Rui waved his hand.

Wang Su no longer hesitated: "Zi Qi, what you are asking today is that the provincial governors lack supervision from the imperial court and that the provincial governors hold administrative power. Is that true or not?"

"Yes. These are the two items I asked about." He Yu replied.

Wang Su looked at Xiahou Xuan again: "Let me ask Taichu first, is human nature good or evil?"

Xiahou Xuan did not dare to neglect him. After thinking for a long time, he bowed and replied, "Lord, when it comes to ordinary people, I believe that human nature is good. But when it comes to governing, the Legalist doctrine should be the main one, supplemented by the Confucian doctrine. Human nature is evil, and those who are good are fake. We should follow Xunzi's theory that human nature is evil."

"Today I will clear up your confusion." Wang Su chuckled, as if talking to the emperor, and then asked Xiahou Xuan: "Since human nature is evil, how did the system of provincial governors gradually stagnate because of human nature?"

Xiahou Xuan was also a man of great learning and intelligence, and he did not hesitate for long before answering:
"When county officials were corrupt and incompetent or did not govern well, the court sent governors to inspect the local areas to correct them. The governors only corrected mistakes but could not help. Over time, county officials would inevitably resent them, and the effectiveness of the governors' inspections would gradually decrease. In order to avoid this spontaneous resistance from the prefectures and counties, the court had to increase the power of the governors."

"Over time, the governors became more powerful, and their officials increased in number. Eventually, they gained real power in the local area and became a new type of administrative official, ranking above the counties. Today, the Wei Dynasty has recognized the changes in the powers and responsibilities of the governors at the level of the imperial court, so the power of the governors has increased."

Wang Su smiled and said, "What Taichu said is from the perspective of the duality of the court and the prefectures, but from this point of view, there are many more things that can be derived." "Zi Qi." Wang Su asked He Chu again, "Since the court lacks people to inspect the provincial governors, should the court send censors to inspect the local areas? Should censors inspect the provincial governors?"

He Chuan lowered his head slightly, hesitated for a long time, and then said with a cupped hand: "My Lord, I don't know."

"No problem." Wang Su looked at Xiahou Xuan again: "What do you think, Taichu?"

Cao Rui leaned on Wang Su's study chair, watching Wang Su and his cavalrymen explain politics at leisure. Wang Su's conversation with the two young men, He Jue and Xia Hou Xuan, was somewhat like Confucius' "patiently persuading".

However, Cao Rui just caught a glimpse and saw that when He Chu was hesitating, Wang Yuanji, who was standing next to Wang Su, seemed to have something to say.

Xiahou Xuan hesitated for a long time, then bowed to Wang Su and said, "My Lord, I and He Ziqi don't know how to deal with this. According to what I and my Lord just said, the governors are gradually becoming local administrative officials. If we send censors to inspect, it will be another layer of governors, and they may still become local officials. But if we don't send censors, it will lose the meaning of supervision..."

"Yuan Ji." Cao Rui suddenly pointed at the person standing beside Wang Su and said, "I see you have something to say. Do you have any opinion on this matter?"

Wang Yuanji was still a little timid, and replied in a low voice: "I dare not interfere in the affairs of the court."

"No problem, I approve it." Cao Rui said, "Is Xiahou Taichu's words right or wrong?"

Wang Yuanji looked up at her father again, and after receiving Wang Su's supportive look, she immediately replied:

"I think what Minister Xiahou said is very wrong."

Xiahou Xuan was stunned and stared at Wang Yuanji's face.

Wang Yuanji mustered up her courage and said, "I know a thing or two about the court system. During the Han Dynasty, the emperors ignored government affairs and delegated state affairs to eunuchs and relatives, which led to the decline of government and incompetence in governance. Therefore, it is very important for provincial governors to supervise local areas."

"Now the Wei Dynasty has a sage king in power, the court is full of righteous people, and the internal and external affairs are in order. The superiors follow the example of the subordinates and the state affairs will not be neglected. The provincial governors are also loyal and capable people who are trusted by the emperor. Why should we do this and get entangled?"

"I think that we can send imperial censors to inspect, but we don't need to treat them like provincial governors!"

"Hahahaha." Cao Rui chuckled a few times, then deliberately put on a stern face and looked at Xiahou Xuan: "Taichu! What else do you have to say?"

Xiahou Xuan's face turned slightly red, but he didn't know whether it was because of Wang Yuanji's look or because he was annoyed by Wang Yuanji's retort. He clasped his hands and replied:

"My lady, the prince just told me that human nature is evil. If there is no permanent system of supervision, won't the local governors gradually become powerful and difficult to control? I think your remarks just now are inappropriate!"

Wang Yuanji started to speak eloquently, her chin slightly raised, and her bright eyes met Xiahou Xuan's for a few moments:
"Wei has a sage ruler in power, who is capable of governing. Why should we worry about these things?"

After Wang Yuanji said this, not only did Cao Rui continue to smile, but even Wang Su's mouth corners curved slightly, and it was obvious that he was trying hard to hold back a smile.

Of course, the knights standing in the room did not dare to show any expression. Their positions were not high enough to reach such a high level.

"What the young lady said makes sense, but I don't agree with it." Xiahou Xuan insisted.

Wang Su interrupted them with a smile and held up two fingers: "In fact, Ziqi and Taichu only thought of one level, that is, the governor gradually encroached on the power of the local government. But this matter is not just about the governor, but two things."

"Two things?" Xiahou Xuan and He Chu asked at the same time. Wang Yuanji also looked at her father's profile with some confusion.

Wang Su said slowly: "First, the governor actually controls the administrative power from the inspection agency. Second, there is a system of rotation between the inner and outer courts."

Cao Rui sat behind his desk and said in agreement, "That's what I've been waiting for, Lord Wang."

"Yes." Wang Su bowed to the emperor and then said to Xiahou Xuan and He Chu:
"The country has always been governed by loyal and capable officials. Although the governors have great power, the emperor can demote or promote them with a single word. It is no longer the situation of the Han Dynasty, which was incompetent and corrupt. Nowadays, the governors are often transferred from officials who are familiar to the inner court, such as the ministers and ministers, so there is no need to worry for the time being. If something goes wrong, the governor can be replaced with an imperial edict."

"This is what my daughter meant by 'the Holy Lord is in the court'."

Wang Yuanji was a little stunned when she heard this. She didn't seem to have thought so far just now. How could her father be so good at talking? (End of this chapter)