Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

"Nonsense! Full of nonsense!"

Sima Yi was so angry that his lips trembled. He pointed at Chen Jiao and cursed: "I wanted to save you out of public interest, but you are trying to bite me like this. It's really rude!"

"Your Majesty, this man's words are not to be believed. I have always served loyally and conscientiously. My many years of hard work are all before your eyes. How can you believe this man's nonsense?"

Cao Rui certainly knew how much Sima Yi had contributed and how hard he had worked. To be fair, Sima Yi had made great contributions in the cabinet and in his military campaigns over the years, and could even be called a model worker in the court.

But Sima Yi is still Sima Yi.

Cao Rui did not respond to Sima Yi's words, but sighed: "How did my cabinet become like this!"

Seeing this, Sima Yi quickly changed his words and demeanor, and said with his hands clasped, "Your Majesty is right. I was disrespectful just now. Please punish me! But I still want to say that Your Majesty knows what kind of person I am. Your Majesty appointed me as one of the Three Dukes, and I have never failed Your Majesty..."

Chen Jiao sarcastically said, "Are the Three Dukes no longer ministers of state? How can there be Three Dukes who want to defeat their colleagues all day long? There were no such Three Dukes during the reigns of Emperors Huan and Ling!"

"That's enough!" Cao Rui raised his hand and knocked heavily on the table: "How long are you going to quarrel? You two are quarreling in my study. How can you take me seriously?"

"I absolutely do not mean that!" Upon hearing this, Chen Jiao immediately walked from his seat into the hall and knelt down.

"I dare not!" Sima Yi also knelt down.

Cao Rui sighed: "You two are both cabinet ministers, and both are my right arms and legs. Just like a person's left hand and right hand. Who is right and who is wrong? Does the left hand have to compete with the right hand?"

"It really chills my heart."

Chen Jiao and Sima Yi stopped talking, just bowed their heads and did not move.

"This is my cabinet." Cao Rui sighed again: "How can you help me govern the world? When I set up the cabinet, I never expected that there would be such a quarrel today!"

"Your Majesty," Dong Zhao also stood up, straightened his body, and said with his hands clasped, "I have something to say. Your Majesty, please allow me to report it."

"Go ahead." Cao Rui responded softly.

Dong Zhao said, "I am the chief of the three ministers, the Grand Commandant, and the chief of the cabinet ministers. I should have corrected the rules and regulations for Your Majesty and assisted the cabinet ministers in assisting Your Majesty. Now the Minister of Works and the Minister of Justice are arguing endlessly, and I am also at fault."

"No matter who is right or wrong, the Minister of Works and the Minister of Pushe are both trusted confidants of His Majesty. If they really find out something, how can it be a good thing? The dignity of the court will be destroyed. If nothing is found, the cabinet will attack each other. How can they have the virtue to assist the emperor? They will be the laughing stock of the world!"

Sima Yi and Chen Jiao lay on the ground motionless. Cao Rui waved his hand and said, "Stand up, both of you! Don't kneel there and get in my way!"

"Yes."

"According to the order."

They both stood up.

Dong Zhao continued, "Your Majesty, according to what I just said, it is me, the head of the cabinet, the Grand Commandant, who failed in my duty. Your Majesty, please dismiss me from my position as a cabinet minister and appoint someone more capable and virtuous!"

Sima Yi was already terrified at this time.

What exactly is Dong Zhao up to?

Today, Chen Jiao is acting abnormally, Your Majesty is acting abnormally, and even Dong Zhao is acting abnormally. What is going on in this court?

Cao Rui looked at Dong Zhao and said, "Why are you resigning from my office, Lord Dong? This matter has nothing to do with you." Dong Zhao bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I am the head of the cabinet ministers and the chief military commander of the three ministers. I cannot make the cabinet ministers properly assist Your Majesty, nor can I correct the moral mistakes of my colleagues. How can I stay in the cabinet and cling to power here?"

"Not only that." Dong Zhao's eyes gradually became firm: "The cabinet's duty is to assist Your Majesty. Since ancient times, I have never heard of an assistant minister causing the master to worry. Please, Your Majesty, dismiss the cabinet!"

As a general and a cabinet minister, Cao Zhen should have expressed his opinion on this matter. However, Cao Zhen could not understand the twists and turns between Chen Jiao and Sima Yi, and he knew that he was a member of the royal family and was specially positioned to lead the army for His Majesty, so he just listened silently and did not get involved in this matter.

But now Dong Zhao actually said he wanted to dismiss the cabinet. Cao Zhen could no longer sit still: "What does Lord Dong mean by this? Why did you go to this extent?"

Dong Zhao glared at Cao Zhen and said, "Why are you asking me questions here when you are not commanding the troops properly for His Majesty?"

Cao Zhen was stunned at first, and was about to get angry, but in an instant he understood what Dong Zhao meant.

Cao Zhen knew how important Dong Zhao was to the emperor. It could be said that the military operations of Wei in all directions over the years were the foundation for the emperor to establish his prestige and power. The original source of this way of thinking was Dong Zhao.

Dong Zhao was already eighty years old, so he would not fight for power or harm His Majesty. Although Cao Zhen did not know what Dong Zhao was going to do, he understood what Dong Zhao meant: As a general, you are in charge of military affairs for His Majesty. If you are not in the cabinet, can you not be in charge of the army for His Majesty?

This was almost an explicit message, telling Cao Zhen not to get involved. Cao Zhen immediately understood and kept silent.

Cao Rui sighed, "How can the cabinet be dismissed just like that? If I dismiss you, what will happen to the government? How can I explain to the world?"

Dong Zhao said in a resounding voice: "In my opinion, the chaos in the court today is all due to the excessive power and responsibility of the cabinet, which is not the original intention of your majesty to establish a cabinet! The affairs of the whole country of Wei are managed by the Shangshutai, the Privy Council, the states, and the counties, with hundreds of thousands of officials. How can it be managed by just a few people in the cabinet?"

"If Your Majesty wants me to give you a reason, I will only give you one. That is, I should not hold multiple cabinet posts at the same time!"

Sima Yi never thought that Dong Zhao would say such words. The cabinet is not allowed to hold concurrent posts, but now the four ministers in the cabinet, don't they all hold other posts concurrently?

Dong Zhao was also the Grand Commandant of Wei, Cao Zhen was the Grand General of Wei, Sima Yi was the Minister of Works and the Right Minister of the Secretariat, and Chen Jiao was the Minister of the Secretariat. Everyone held concurrent positions.

What if I can’t hold both positions?
Cao Rui also asked the same question: "Mr. Dong said that he could not hold concurrent posts. What does this mean?"

Dong Zhao cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, the so-called cabinet is actually the people who live in the palace and sort out the key points of government for the emperor. They should not have power to prevent the emperor's power from being usurped! Therefore, they are not allowed to hold actual positions concurrently!"

"I just said that I cannot hold multiple positions. Your Majesty, please return the four of us to our original positions and select four more people to serve in the cabinet! I will be the Grand Marshal, Cao Zidan will be the General, Sima Zhongda will be the Minister of Works, and Chen Jibi will be the Minister of the Secretariat. Each of us should stay in our positions, avoid fighting, and keep our dignity as ministers!"

"In this case, I can thank the world!"

Cao Rui understood what Dong Zhao meant. Dong Zhao was saying that the cabinet should return to its essence as the emperor's secretary, and that the current cabinet was going further and further off the track. If all four of them left the cabinet, Dong Zhao would become a minister without any responsibility, Cao Zhen could still lead the army, Chen Jiao would first be the Shangshu Pushe, and his relationship with Xu Xuan would be discussed separately. Only Sima Yi, who held three positions at the same time, should he be the Sikong or the Shangshu You Pushe?

Cao Zhen remained silent. For his role, whether he was in the cabinet or not did not play a decisive role. Cao Zhen had always played a rubber stamp role in matters passed down by the Privy Council.

The Right Supervisor of the Privy Council had already prepared everything for him. As for the major policies, the emperor would take the lead in making them, and he would not have to worry about his brain. For Cao Zhen, the general was still the general without the cabinet.

Cao Zhen immediately stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the cabinet has indeed disappointed you. What Mr. Dong said makes sense, and I also ask to step down from my position as a cabinet minister. Please make your decision, Your Majesty!"

But it was different for Sima Yi and Chen Jiao.

Obviously, Chen Jiao also figured out the trick. If he was dismissed from the cabinet, he could give some explanation for this matter. After punishing him once, it would be difficult to punish him a second time, and even if he was punished a second time, it would be lighter. But for Sima Yi, he had to face a difficult choice, to choose the Three Dukes or the Shangshutai.

At this moment, Chen Jiao was desperate. If he could overthrow Sima Yi and protect himself and his two sons from being threatened by Sima Yi, it would be the best thing in the world for Chen Jiao. As for the cabinet ministers? Chen Jiao finally understood that if a fight really broke out, what would the cabinet ministers mean? It was nothing more than an empty title! (End of this chapter)