Cao Rui is taking advantage of an information gap here.
If viewed through the eyes of people of this era, if an emperor were to reduce your power, how could there be a reason for inviting you to the palace and consulting with you on every matter?
Are you also allowed to ride a horse inside the North Palace? In history, the most an emperor could do was to have officials wear swords and shoes and go to the palace. There is no record of allowing officials to ride horses inside the palace.
But Cao Rui did this. He left two rooms next to the emperor's study, one for the general Cao Zhen on the west side and one for the Records of the Prime Minister Sima Yi on the east side.
What a level of favor and respect that is!
However, from Cao Rui's perspective, it may not have been like that.
Earlier, in the east warehouse of the military arsenal in Luoyang, Dong Zhao's discussion of name and reality was undoubtedly a more advanced analytical tool that allowed Cao Rui to grasp.
In Cao Rui's view, for the past four centuries since the Han Dynasty, what have been the names and realities of the powerful ministers throughout history?
The name of a powerful minister is the position they hold within the imperial system. General Cao Zhen's title and Records of the Prime Minister Sima Yi's post may have the potential for promotion to become a powerful minister.
In the later Han Dynasty, it was customary for the general to assist in governance. Even when Cao Cao was in power, he once conferred the title of General on himself. Of course, later on, he still relinquished the title of General to Yuan Shao.
The position of the Records of the Prime Minister is a practical role as the overall administrator of state affairs. In other words, it is a post equivalent to that of a prime minister.
What is the reality of a powerful minister?
The reality of a powerful minister is his close confidants and supporters. In the age of the late Han and the Three Kingdoms, the key to establishing close confidants and supporters lies within a powerful minister's 'residence'.
Historically, titles such as General and the Three Ducal Posts were all eligible for establishing their own government offices. In short, it meant they could recruit their own officials and have their own system of officials within their residence. There were later titles like "Establishing a Government Office and Forming a Banner," "Establishing a Government Office with the Rank of the Three Ducal Posts," and "Imperial Strategist General's Office..."
Take Cao Zhen, the then General, as an example. Within his residence, there were officials such as the Chief of Staff, Sima Yi, and others. During a war, there would be an additional Military Adviser within the residence.
The standard procedure for issuing military orders in Cao Wei was for the emperor to pass the order to the General, who would then relay it to various commanders in different regions under the authority of General Cao Zhen.
The position of the Records of the Prime Minister also operates similarly. Above the six bureaus of the Secretariat responsible for overall governance, the Records of the Prime Minister, held by Sima Yi, oversees them. When Chen Qun, who was stationed in Jingzhou, issued orders or commands, he did so through his own post of General in Charge of Military Affairs at his residence.
Cao Rui, on the other hand, had Cao Zhen and Sima Yi work in the North Palace together, physically separating them from their respective residences.
Although Cao Zhen and Sima Yi still performed their original duties, from that point onward, military orders and political decrees were issued from the North Palace in a formal sense!
Orders were directly issued from the North Palace to the Governor of Jingzhou, or directly to a specific bureau within the Secretariat...
It would be impossible for Cao Rui, the current emperor, to directly cut off powers. What he can do at present is to change the formal issuing of some military and political decrees from the palace to himself, subtly taking some powers away from the positions of General and Records of the Prime Minister.
I'll leave it to see how things develop and change in the future.
The struggle between imperial power and the power of the prime ministers has lasted nearly a thousand years. For Cao Rui to make use of some information gaps and reach this point is already a victory.
After all, it is difficult for people to have an outlook beyond their time. The concepts of cabinets and military offices that did not emerge until centuries later were certainly beyond the understanding of Cao Zhen and Sima Yi.
……
After Cao Rui had settled the matters with Cao Zhen and Sima Yi, and named Cao Zhen's room on the west side as the "Xicai" (Western Pavilion) and Sima Yi's room on the east side as the "Dongcai" (Eastern Pavilion), Chancellor Sun Zi walked in.
As the Chancellery Office held important documents and controlled the system of inquiry, it was likely that Sun Zi had some confidential matters to report.
Cao Rui leaned back into his reclining chair. Conversing with an official like Sun Zi, who he sees every day, is more relaxing than speaking with Cao Zhen and Sima Yi.
After bowing, Sun Zi said, "Your Majesty, King Yongqiu has submitted a memorial. Would Your Majesty like to examine it personally?"
Yes, Yongqiu King is Cao Zhi. Recently, both the inquiry office and the acting prince's messenger reported that Cao Zhi wanted to submit a memorial to the court.
Has it been written yet?
Cao Rui asked casually, "What did Cao Zhi write in the memorial?"
Sun Zi replied, "Yongqiu King wants Your Majesty to give him a practical position and fulfill his wishes."
Cao Rui frowned slightly at Sun Zi: "I know that Yongqiu King has excellent literary talent, and everyone knows that he has excellent literary talent. But besides literary talent, what else can Yongqiu King do?"
Sun Zi hesitated for a moment: "During the reign of the previous emperor, Yongqiu King repeatedly submitted memorials, but the previous emperor did not appoint him to any position."
"If it had been earlier, during the Battle of Xiongnu and Xuchuan in 242 AD when Guan Yu launched his attack on Xiantan and Wu Commandery, the emperor made Yongqiu King the commanding general of the South Commandery and sent him to lead seven armies to rescue Cao Ren at Wu Commandery. However, Yongqiu King was unable to proceed due to his intoxication."
Cao Rui thought for a moment: "Afterward, did the emperor send Yu Jin?"
Sun Zi nodded: "Yes, it was Yu Jin."
Cao Rui sighed lightly: "Even the emperor before couldn't use Yongqiu King effectively. How can I dare to use him? What does Yongqiu King want as a practical position?"
Sun Zi organized his words and recited Cao Zhi's original words: "If Your Majesty issues a decree of extraordinary importance, allowing me to contribute my minute talent, I can be assigned to the west under the General, leading one squadron; or to the east under the Great Marshal, commanding a portion of the troops. I must seize opportunities and take risks, galloping on with my steed..."
"That's enough," Cao Rui interrupted Sun Zi. "Bring it here, I will read it myself."
Sun Zi handed Cao Zhi's memorial to him, and Cao Rui took it and read it for a long time before placing it on the table.
Cao Rui sighed: "Yongqiu King's literary talent is truly excellent! Even a memo seeking employment is written in an up-and-down manner, with parallel and scattered sentences, harmonious rhythm and lyrical language, but what is the use of that?"
"He himself says that he wants to lead a force of five hundred under the command of the General, and to lead a part of an army under the Great Marshal. He also says that he has been on the move with the emperor, and has learned the profound military strategies of the emperor."
"Battling and war is not about artistic expression, it's not possible to defeat enemies solely through literary talents."
Cao Rui was complaining about Cao Zhi, and Sun Zi could only stand to the side quietly, listening to the emperor's complaints, and did not dare to join in.
Cao Rui looked at Sun Zi: "Sun, as the Chancellor, what do you think Yongqiu King wants military power for? Does he really think I can let him lead five hundred men to fight against Zhuge Liang or Sun Quan?"
"The previous emperor did not use him, neither shall I! Tell the inquiry office and acting prince messenger to keep a close eye on Yongqiu King. If there is the slightest negligence, I will hold them responsible."
Sun Zi bowed and said, "I shall remember this. By the way, Your Majesty, you mentioned that when General Cao Hong returned to Luoyang from Hebei, you would like to see him personally. Now General Cao Hong has returned from Hebei to Luoyang."
Cao Rui asked, "Has General Cao Hong completed the matter of selecting soldiers for the central army from Hebei?"
Sun Zi replied, "It has been completed. Half were selected from Pingzhi and Youzhou, and the other half from Jizhou. There are still some vacancies in the border army and state-controlled troops. Wu Zhi, the commander of Hebei, has selected some to fill the gaps in the border territories from Jizhou, so there are currently not enough state-controlled troops in Jizhou."
Cao Rui nodded: "Jizhou is at the heart of Hebei. The troops are lacking, but they can be gradually replenished. Call for Liu Ye and Chen Jie. I will go to Zhongliei Camp to meet General Cao Hong in person."
Sun Zi assented repeatedly.
