" 'Your Majesty, Your Majesty, wake up.' Bi Jin called out in a long, gentle voice outside the bedroom."
"In the early morning, birds in the courtyard chirped and chattered nonstop."
Hair pillow had been awake for a long time on the bed. She gently pushed Cao Rui's shoulder that was still in dreams, trying to wake up her partner beside her.
Cao Rui had already woken up, but he did not want to end the warmth of the moment. At this moment, the Emperor of Great Wei was pretending to be asleep on the bed.
In fact, the last time Cao Rui stayed in the palace of Mao's concubine, nothing had happened between them. They just lived in the same palace and that was it.
Their significant progress came last night, after a deep understanding between Cao Rui and Mao's concubine over the past several days.
Last night, the two talked from the Milky Way to mythology and legends, from local customs in Henan to the emperor's menu, and then to literary poetry and verses, chatting nonstop until midnight.
Following that, the moon shone brightly with scattered stars and the crows flew south.
Then, the mountains are never too high, nor the seas too deep; Zhou Gong offers food and nourishment, and the hearts of all under heaven turn to him.
"Cao Cao's poetry is truly wonderful."
Mao's concubine is undoubtedly a contradiction. This twenty-year-old woman is both bold and bashful, wanting her husband's favor but also wanting to maintain a certain modesty.
At that time, Cao Rui looked down at Mao's blushing face and said, "If the emperor gives you an edict, will you follow my words or not?"
This is somewhat oppressive. It is taking advantage of the emperor's power and oppressing those below him.
Mao's concubine also happily accepted the offer and later the two had nothing to say for a whole night until dawn.
Waking up feeling refreshed and energized, it was very pleasant.
Cao Rui's skill in pretending to sleep was far from excellent. His handsome face showed slight tremors in his eyelashes. Mao pushed him, but he remained unmoved.
"Your Majesty, Wei Zhen, the Minister of Rites, is outside the emperor's study." Bi Jin's shrill voice shouted from the door, sounding rather unpleasant.
Upon hearing Bi Jin's words, Cao Rui did not want Bi Jin to enter, but he got up from the bed himself, put on a thin silk robe, and walked to the door of the bedroom to open it.
"Why have you arrived so early, Master Wei?" Cao Rui asked Bi Jin.
Bi Jin respectfully said, "I asked Master Wei, and he said that since this is the first time His Majesty has summoned him to the palace, he dare not show the least bit of negligence. Master Wei is currently waiting outside the emperor's study."
Cao Rui quickly said, "Why didn't you tell me earlier that Master Wei had come?"
Cao Rui hurriedly ordered the eunuch to deliver his robes, and after dressing and arranging his appearance, he hurriedly went to the study to meet with Wei Zhen.
Before reaching the study, Cao Rui saw Wei Zhen standing at the door from a distance. There was no one else around, but Wei Zhen's posture remained upright and straight.
"Master Wei, I'm sorry for coming late," Cao Rui said as he walked forward.
"I, Wei Zhen, pay my respects to the emperor." Wei Zhen bowed respectfully when he saw the emperor. Before Wei Zhen had risen, the emperor had supported his arm and helped him up.
Cao Rui smiled and said, "Master Wei is my teacher, so there's no need for formalities."
Wei Zhen, who was usually cold and aloof, also showed a slight smile: "Gifts are like laws, how can I not adhere to them?"
Cao Rui held Wei Zhen's arm and led him into the study: "Follow me, Master Wei, let's sit down and talk."
The two people slowly sat down inside the study.
Wei Zhen had a deep connection with the Cao family.
In the past, when Dong Zhou was ruling chaos in Luoyang, various rulers in the eastern region of the country banded together to fight against Dong Zhou. At that time, Cao Cao wanted to raise an army in Chenliu but was struggling to gather enough military supplies.
It was Wei Zhen's father Wei Zi who spent all his wealth to support Cao Cao, helping him recruit 5,000 soldiers in Chenliu. Wei Zi spoke of 'Great turmoil has arisen, and it can only be rectified with military might' as a word of war, and further praised Cao Cao with 'The one who will bring peace to the world is him.'
However, Wei Zi met a swift demise. In the first year of the Chuping era, when Cao Cao was defeated by Xu Rong, a general under Dong Zhou, in Xingyang, Wei Zi led 3,000 soldiers with him and fought to his death.
Wei Zi's great help to Cao Cao and the Cao family naturally became Wei Zhen's merits after Wei Zi's death. Wei Zhen first served as a clerk under Xiahou Dun, was later appointed as an Imperial Messenger, and then entered the office of Cao Cao as an official in charge of tax affairs.
Indeed, it is a trusted position.
After Cao Pi ascended the throne, he appointed Wei Zhen as the Grand Chancellor and enfeoffed him as the Marquis of AnGuo Ting. He later successively appointed Wei Zhen to positions such as Minister of Works and Commander-in-Chief.
It is even more so that Cao Pi appointed Wei Zhen to teach his eldest son Cao Rui classical texts and government affairs, forming a teacher-student relationship between them.
What is the meaning of "having red roots and pure shoots"? Wei Zhen is an example of a first-class "having red roots and pure shoots" minister in the Great Wei dynasty.
Looking at the emperor, Wei Zhen raised his hands in a gesture of respect and asked, "Yesterday at the Ministry of Works, I heard the imperial edict. Why has Your Majesty summoned me to the palace today?"
Cao Rui thought for a moment and said, "Master Wei is my teacher. I have just ascended the throne and want to make progress in state affairs, but I don't know where to start."
"Can Master Wei teach me anything?"
Wei Zhen nodded but did not immediately respond to the emperor's question about state affairs. Instead, he mentioned an incident that had occurred at the Ministry of Works.
Wei Zhen said, "I have something to say to Your Majesty. Before Your Majesty's first audience, I heard Ma Yi and Chen Qun ask Liu Ye, who had just left the North Palace, about matters related to Your Majesty at the Ministry of Works."
Cao Rui frowned slightly but did not speak, merely nodding lightly to indicate that Wei Zhen should continue.
Wei Zhen continued, "Chen Qun asked Liu Ye in such a way, asking, 'Who is the emperor?' And Liu Ye replied, 'The emperor resembles Emperor Wen of Han.'"
Cao Rui snorted coldly, having inquired about ghosts and gods from Liu Ye, who then compared Cao Rui to Emperor Wen of Han. Cao Rui could not help but notice that Liu Ye was using the reference to "Emperor Wen of Han" to mock Cao Rui and use the name of "Emperor Wen of Han" to avoid two chancellors.
Cao Rui did not want to correct this matter with Wei Zhen; instead, he took Emperor Wen of Han as a lead to ask Wei Zhen about him.
Cao Rui said, "If I were to become Emperor Wen of Han, would you, Wei Zhen, be willing to be my Chuangsang?"
Emperor Wen of Han, Liu E, had Chuangsang as his confidant when he was the King of Chao. On the very night Emperor Wen ascended the throne and entered the Unyielding Palace in Chang'an, Chuangsang was appointed as Marshal of the Guards overnight to command the palace's guards.
Wei Zhen, having read extensively, could not fail to understand the emperor's meaning. The young emperor, having ascended the throne at a young age, thought and felt only about how his ministers hindered him and how he could not extend his own power.
Making Wei Zhen Chuangsang was likely to be used to compete with the ministers for power.
After some thought, Wei Zhen bowed and said, "I have long received great kindness from the Wei family. I should naturally be willing to die for the emperor and be Chuangsang."
"But I think, Your Majesty is the eldest son of the former emperor, and your position cannot be shaken by anyone. Therefore, there is no need for me to act as urgently as Chuangsang."
Cao Rui understood Wei Zhen's meaning. Wei Zhen was telling himself that there was no need to rush to seize power, as the ministers would not make any drastic moves in the short term. It can be dealt with slowly.
Cao Rui, without hesitation, directly asked Wei Zhen, "Master Wei, Chen Qun and Ma Yi were the friends of the late emperor, but not of His Majesty. According to your opinion, are these two men considered as ministers who are loyal to the state?"
