The elite did not migrate south

Chapter 464 Vindication!

"Father!"

Guo Ping shouted happily.

"Brother!"

Cao Qi also spoke.

"Brother-in-law??"

Sima You shouted hesitantly.

Cao Mao looked at the three naughty kids in front of him and slowly brushed off the dust on himself.

He looked at the Cuju on the ground.

"Who threw the Cuju?"

Cao Mao didn't expect that he could defend against the assassin sent from outside, but he couldn't defend against the internal thief. Cao Mao had just finished an important matter in Taiji Hall and was about to go to Zhaoyang Hall, but he was almost hit on the head by Cuju.

Hearing Cao Mao's words, the three little guys immediately became nervous. Cao Mao looked around, found a clean step, sat down directly, waved his hand, and asked the three to stand in front of him.

These three naughty kids are now hanging out in the palace.

Guo Ping's health has been getting better and better since he was treated by Huangfu Mi several times. Perhaps his mother was worried that he would get sick again, so she kept feeding him. This guy started to become plump.

What gave Sima Yi a headache was that this guy didn't like to study, ran around all day, and had no intention of studying at all.

Then there is Sima You.

Sima You was also a frequent visitor to the palace and often came to Sima Li. Cao Mao knew that this was probably Wang Yuanji's order, just to make him show off in front of her. No matter how much he did, it would not be as good as being remembered by the emperor.

Wang Yuanji is paving the way for her son.

Sima You was different from Guo Ping. He was precocious and intelligent. He had visited Cao Mao several times in the past, wanting to ask him some questions about Confucian classics.

This guy inherited some of the wisdom of Sima Shi and Sima Yi, and is completely different from his brother.

But Cao Mao had no fear of him. Smart? How did he compare to Sima Shi?

Once many systems are established and the world is unified, the problem of powerful officials can be effectively curbed.

The last naughty kid is Cao Mao’s younger brother Cao Qi.

When this guy first came to Luoyang, he was still very frightened. After all, he was a prince of the Wei Dynasty. But after staying in Luoyang for a while, he began to make up for his childhood. He followed these two people to travel around and wasted his childhood time.

Cao Mao picked up the Cuju, threw it, and caught it easily, then looked at the three people in front of him seriously.

"Do you three know what it is to throw a Cuju ball at the emperor?"

The three guys stood in front of Cao Mao with their heads down, not saying a word.

Cao Mao then looked at Guo Ze who was not far away and asked, "Mr. Guo, what crime is this?"

Guo Ze smiled and replied, "Eight hundred strokes of the cane."

"You all heard it, Mr. Guo never lies!"

Guo Ping couldn't help but said, "Father, we didn't drop it on purpose, we just couldn't catch it."

Cao Mao looked at Guo Ze again, "Mr. Guo, what is the crime of not catching the Cuju?"

"A thousand sticks."

Guo Ping was so scared that he almost cried, but Sima You was very calm. Are you two playing with the kids from over there?
Cao Qi looked a little hesitant.

Cao Mao then looked at him and said, "Qi, you are the oldest, so you should add another 800."

Cao Qi hurriedly said, "Brother, this Cuju was given to us by Captain Cheng!!"

Just when Cao Mao was playing with the children, Sima Li arrived late. She frowned and scolded several people.

"I told you to study in the East Palace, so why are you out again? And you even disturbed His Majesty?! Do you know how busy His Majesty is?"

Cao Mao smiled and looked at the three little guys in front of him. In fact, these three people can be trained.

The three people represent three different forces. If they can succeed, they can become his arms in the future.

He said sternly, "Today I will pardon the crimes of several of you. Now return to the Eastern Temple and study! If I find you escaping again, I will punish you for all your crimes, at least two thousand strokes of the cane!"

The three people hurriedly said yes.

Cao Mao then stood up and threw the Cuju to them. The three guys took the Cuju and ran away.

Sima Yi saluted the emperor with some guilt.

"Your Majesty, it is my fault for not disciplining you properly."

"No problem. These three guys are all talented people with great potential. If they don't like studying, then let them read some military tactics. Which of the Three Dukes of Wei doesn't have military merits? Which one hasn't fought in a war?"

"Don't push them too much. It's okay for them to play occasionally. They are just children after all. As long as they can complete their studies, let them go and play."

Cao Mao talked about parenting.

This surprised Sima Yi very much. How could His Majesty seem to be very experienced in educating children when it was obvious that His Majesty himself was just a child?

When Cao Mao led Guo Ze away, Sima Yi stood there for a long time, looking at the emperor's back.

At this moment, Cao Mao also saw the two members of the Guo family at the gate of Zhaoyang Palace.

When they saw Guo Ze following behind Cao Mao, a few smiles suddenly appeared on their faces.

These two were currently assisting He Zeng, doing things that would have the scholars jumping up and down and cursing in the streets. At this moment, they stood at the gate of Zhaoyang Palace, smiling broadly, not daring to enter.

Cao Mao asked in surprise, "Why did you come here but not go in?"

Guo Zhi was the first to speak and answer: "His Majesty has summoned me. How can I dare to go in without seeing His Majesty?"

Cao Mao was very satisfied. Guo Zhi was a very bad person, almost the same as He Zeng, but there were many things that could only be done best by people like him.

Guo Zhi worked in cahoots with He Zeng in the Censorate. He was specifically responsible for digging up dirt on others, while Guo Jian was responsible for taking action.

Guo Jian dared to attack the scholars, so they could only curse him in their hearts and did not dare to say it out loud.

Cao Mao took the two of them into the Zhaoyang Palace.

Empress Dowager Guo had been waiting and was very happy to see Cao Mao come in.

Cao Mao sat next to the empress dowager, and three members of the Guo family sat in front of them. It really looked a bit like the Guo family at its peak in the past.

Empress Dowager Guo asked directly, "How are these two people doing their work recently?"

Cao Mao glanced at them and said with a smile, "He works diligently, and many officials praise his ability."

Empress Dowager Guo laughed. When they made mistakes, the empress dowager was unwilling to get close to them, but when they did something great, the empress dowager felt that it was her own contribution.

She looked at the three people in front of her again and ordered, "His Majesty has pardoned your past crimes and has made important appointments with you. You must not be neglected."

Several people said yes.

Cao Mao came this time not just to get together with the Guo family.

"Mother, the King of Qi made many mistakes in the past."

"You abolished him because you couldn't stand his mistakes."

"He also ignored the objections of the ministers and made me emperor."

"All the ministers admire your actions. When the Wei Dynasty was at its weakest, it was because of you that we were able to achieve the current situation."

Cao Mao began to talk about the past.

Empress Dowager Guo was very happy to hear this, and Guo Ze couldn't help but nod his head. However, Guo Zhi and Guo Jian looked at each other and realized something was wrong.

Why did Your Majesty suddenly bring up this matter?

These things that happened in the past are things that these ministers are unwilling to recall.

Empress Dowager Guo smiled and said, "I am just a woman, I can't say I have made any great contributions."

Cao Mao shook his head and said, "Mother, this is all thanks to you."

"Mother, there is something else that requires your intervention."

The Queen Mother was a little surprised, but still very happy, "My son, just say it!"

Cao Mao then spoke up, "Back then, Xiahou Xuan and Li Feng wanted to replace the general. Many people were implicated and were considered traitors, so they were all executed."

"But I have heard from virtuous people that everyone, including Xiahou Xuan, are highly respected and virtuous people, wholeheartedly devoted to assisting the country and having no intention of rebellion."

"So, when General Sima Shi was in power, his edicts were presumptuous and the King of Qi lacked virtue, but this does not excuse Sima Shi's disloyal behavior!"

"The King of Qi was incompetent, and the only person who could have been involved in this matter was his mother. Sima Shi, as a minister, did not show enough respect for the emperor at the time, which led Xiahou Xuan and other important officials to think about getting rid of him."

"Immediately, all those involved in this incident were executed. Isn't this a very excessive punishment?"

"I have long wanted to vindicate Xiahou Xuan and his men, believing their uprising was likely due to the fault of the King of Qi. However, more virtuous people say their uprising was due to Sima Shi. Sima Shi was the first to commit treason, leading Xiahou Xuan and his men to fight back!"

"As a minister, Sima Shi first behaved disrespectfully towards the King of Qi, and then treated me like a child!!"

When Cao Mao said this, Guo Zhi and Guo Jian were scared half to death.

Is this a reckoning for past sins?
If past crimes are to be settled, no one can avoid it, and it will certainly cause a huge impact in the country.

Cao Mao's expression was calm.

If we want to restore the orderly atmosphere of the Wei Dynasty, as Guanqiu Jian said, we must solve the problem fundamentally!

If we don't clarify right and wrong at the source, and don't let people know that good deeds will be rewarded and evil deeds will be punished, how can we educate the people everywhere?!
Sima Gan's setback gave Cao Mao an idea.

The general's inheritance has been completely eaten up by himself, and the transfer is completed. It has nothing to do with the general anymore.

In this case, it is natural to repay the general's kindness.

We need to trace the origin of this current trend from its source.

Rehabilitate Xiahou Xuan and others, convict Sima Shi, strip his titles if necessary, and change the funeral regulations if necessary!
Haven’t you seen that the grave of Sun Jun, the great general of the Wu State, was dug up and its specifications changed?

If the Wu Kingdom can do it, why can’t our Wei Kingdom?

In addition to Sima Shi, there are also Sima Yi, Cao Shuang and others. Of course, the actions of these people must be judged one by one so that the people of the world can know clearly!
Upon hearing Cao Mao's words, Empress Dowager Guo became excited.

She has wanted to do this for a long time!!

At the beginning, Sima Shi was so aggressive that the empress dowager lost face. When Cao Mao took power, she wanted to issue an edict to criticize the general. However, Cao Mao declined politely, saying that the time was not right.

It seems that now is that time?

She exclaimed happily, "It's long overdue!!"

(End of this chapter)