Metaphysics?
Cao Rui hesitated for a moment upon hearing the word, but then realized, this is just the Metaphysics of the Wei and Jin dynasties! It seems to have emerged around that time.
Xiahou Xuan, He Yan, Ruan Ji, The Seven Worthies of Bamboo Grove, Wei and Jin Prominent Figures... Some concepts that had been stored in my mind for a long time suddenly came out all at once.
Xun Can came to Luoyang. He Yan and Xiahou Xuan, et al., began inviting Xun Can to discuss the Metaphysics at Taixue. This seemed to be a significant event in the history of thought. But at that time, Cao Rui did not want to interfere too much, after all, Metaphysics is a matter of spirituality, and the world is materialistic.
These theories and doctrines will take some time to influence politics.
Cao Rui said casually, "Sun Zhongshu, you take charge of it. Let He Yan and Xiahou Xuan enter the palace in a few days. I will ask them about this Metaphysics properly."
Sun Zi accepted the task and then started reporting the last thing.
"Your Majesty," Sun Zi said after glancing at Emperor Cao Rui's expression. "Prince Cao Zhi of Yongqiu seems to have been quite active recently. He has frequently been holding wine in his mansion, discussing state affairs with guests, and even claimed that he intends to submit a memorial to Your Majesty."
As a matter of fact, during the entire Huangchi era, Cao Zhi had been suppressed by Cao Pi. That is to say, Cao Pi's close relations and those who could be granted the title of king, namely his branch relations, were always treated with caution and suspicion by Cao Pi.
In the second year of the Huangchi era, Cao Zhi was granted the title of Marquis of Anxiang with an estate of eight hundred households. In the same year, July, he was then reassigned as Marquis of Juancheng. In the third year of the Huangchi era, Cao Zhi was promoted to King of Juancheng. In the fourth year of the Huangchi era, he was again changed to King of Yongqiu.
According to the Han and Wei system, princes could not leave their domains at will. Cao Pi's arbitrary change of Cao Zhi's domain was, in fact, a repeated attempt to force his half-brother, who shared the same father and mother with him, to move house and resettle.
Upon hearing Sun Zi's report about Cao Zhi, Emperor Cao Rui also felt only trouble at the moment. Cao Zhi was exceptionally talented in literature, and later generations said of him, "All the talent in the world is a peck, but Zijian alone has eight pecks."
However, Cao Zhi's talent is only literary, and not necessarily practical and capable of saving the country and people. Nevertheless, Cao Zhi, like those frivolous people, believes that the government not using him is a great waste of talent. This seems rather absurd.
Moreover, Cao Zhi wrote in the last lines of the mourning poem for Cao Pi's "Emperor Wen Di Mournful Eulogy" that "In solitude, my sorrow cannot be expressed; I look back and feel pity for my reflection."
The former emperor has passed away, and you're indulging in your own sorrow? It's not because you feel that you haven't been recognized or used to your full potential, is it?
Cao Rui is not a fool. This relative who once competed for the throne with Cao Pi, regardless of whether he has or doesn't have any talent, using him would be like planting a mine for oneself.
Cao Rui shook his head slightly: "Since King Yongqiu wants to submit a memorial, the monitor's envoy has also reported it in detail. Let him submit it, he is an elder, and I cannot silence him."
How to deal with Cao Zhi is actually a serious issue of the royal family, fortunately, Emperor Cao Rui has plenty of time.
As for the royal family, not long ago, Emperor Cao Rui had restored Cao Hong's status, appointing him as the Commanding General, Lord of Yucheng, and granting him an estate of one thousand households.
That is to say, after Cao Xiu's Great Marshal and Cao Zhen's General of the Army, another senior general of the Cao family has been added.
In fact, Cao Hong is not a great talent, but with his close relationship and long-standing experience, he has been loyal to Cao Cao throughout his life. During the Battle of Guandu, when Cao Cao personally launched a surprise attack on Wu Chao, it was Cao Hong who was responsible for guarding the main camp.
In the 22nd year of Jian'an, Cao Hong led his troops to resist Zhi Fei, Ma Chao, and Wu Lan's invasion in Wudu. Cao Cao said to Cao Xu, who served as Cao Hong's aide at that time, "Although you are named a military aide, in fact, you are the commander of this army."
Cao Xu was the nephew of Cao Hong, and this appointment, where Cao Hong was named as the nominal commander while his nephew Cao Xu actually led the army, allowed Cao Hong to maintain his dignity. However, when Cao Pi came to power, he did not treat Cao Hong with the same leniency.
Emperor Cao Rui looked at Sun Zi and asked, "Where is Cao Hong at the moment?"
Sun Zi replied with a bow, "Cao Hong has already arrived in Yè City. In accordance with Your Majesty's arrangements, Cao Hong's current journey is to select troops from the various states and counties of Hebei as well as the frontier troops in order to replenish the shortage in the central military forces."
Emperor Cao Rui nodded. For a royal relative like Cao Hong, who has extensive experience but lacks ability, sending him to do an important but not particularly challenging task of selecting soldiers for the central army is a reasonable placement.
This brings us to the current structure of the Wei's central army.
The central army, also known as the Imperial Guard, is Wei's elite central direct-led troops, with a strength of 50,000.
Among them, the Wubei Camp has a strength of 25,000, the Zhongjin Camp has 8,000, the Zhonglei Camp has 7,000, the Five Schools Camp has 4,000, the direct command of the Middle Leader has 3,000, and the direct command of the Grand General also has 3,000.
In Wei's various battles, the central army was often on the move all over the place. Just during the year when Cao Pi was in power, from suppressing the rebellion of the Western Regions' Xiongnu to three campaigns against the Eastern Wu, the central army was always in action.
Cao Wei's central army is indeed reliable and credible, but the side effect of frequent relocations often leads to excessive troop losses, with a shortage of nearly 30%.
And the Hebei region where Cao Hong is going is the only area with lighter pressure among the four strategic directions of Wei: east, south, west, and north.
At this time, Hebei has people like Tian Yu, Qian Zhao, and Liang Xie who are stationed in the north to defend the frontier, and the Liaodong region has Song Gong who is always obedient. In general, the military pressure is not severe and there is naturally enough spare force to select a part of the soldiers from border troops and state-level troops to be allocated to the central army.
After all, the treatment of the central army has indeed improved a lot. Defending the Xianbei in the north is not as good as serving as imperial guards in Luoyang.
At the same time, in Wu (Wu state), Po Yang commandery.
In the great hall of Po Yang Governor's Office, Zhou Fang, who was then the Po Yang Governor, and Hu Zong, the prefectural official responsible for solving troubles, had just received a decree from King Sun Quan in Wu sent from Wuchang.
Sun Quan was very clear in his message: The rebel Peng Qi within the Po Yang region had contacted Cao Xu, the Grand Marshal of Wei, planning to lure him across the river to Po Yang.
And King Sun Quan of Wu and Lu Xu, the Administrator of Jing State, believed this was an opportunity to lure the enemy deep. Therefore, they ordered Zhou Fang to find some more suitable bandit leaders for pretending to surrender to Wei.
The order was simple enough, but at this moment, Zhou Fang and Hu Zong, who were in the city of Po Yang, were at a loss.
Sun Quan's orders are simply not feasible!
The reason was also simple: Peng Qi was already the leader of the Mountain Yue people in the Po Yang area, and his strength and followers had reached ten thousand!
In other words, within the territory of Po Yang commandery at the time, there were either the people of Wu living in the county town and its surrounding areas, or the Mountain Yue people led by Peng Qi who were rebelling from the mountains and lakes, with no other forces present.
Thin-faced Zhou Fang sat in the hall with a worried expression on his face. Zhou Fang, who was from a prominent Wu family and had been serving as the Po Yang Governor for two years, was looking very worried. The task of eradicating Peng Qi's band of Mountain Yue people had made little progress so far, and now King Sun Quan of Wu had sent him a new mission.
Zhou Fang was truly at a loss as to how to proceed, so he turned to Hu Zong for help: "Hu brother, what should we do? Since you are well acquainted with King Sun Quan of Wu, please teach me how to handle this."
Hu Zong stroked his beard, looking a bit troubled as well: "King Sun Quan doesn't have detailed information about the rebel Peng Qi in Po Yang commandery. I suppose King Sun Quan just wants to have someone who is capable enough to be taken seriously by Cao Xu to pretend to surrender, thus luring the Wei troops south."
"Who it is doesn't really matter. After all, King Sun Quan didn't specify either."
Zhou Fang, upon hearing this, narrowed his eyes slightly.
