Both Chenliu and Yungqi are central cities, and the road between them is quite smooth. However, it is not as good as that around Si Lü.
The carriage rocked as it traveled, and the Yingqi King Cao Zhi and the Prime Minister Huang Xiu inside it swayed with the movement of the carriage.
Yingqi is only 50 miles away from Chenliu, and before dawn, Yingqi King Cao Zhi set out from Yingqi. It was almost noon when Cao Zhi and his party finally arrived at the outskirts of Chenliu City.
Since Cao Cao's death and Cao Pi's accession to the throne, Cao Zhi's former posture of a prince has been moderated greatly.
Together with the servants and guards of the entire Yingqi Palace, there were no more than 200 people, and most of them were elderly, weak, or sick. To be able to form a team of 20 people to accompany him to Chenliu was already a great show for Cao Zhi at present.
Cao Zhi's tension gradually rose to his throat as he got closer and closer to the outskirts of Chenliu City.
Although their relationship with the former Emperor Cao Pi was very strained before, after all, they were brothers born of the same mother, and they had known each other for two or three decades. Moreover, there was their common mother, Empress Dowager Bian, mediating between them, so the brothers were not at the point of mutual destruction where only one could survive.
But the current emperor is the son of the former emperor, and I have no emotional connection with him. Moreover, it has been more than ten years since I last saw him.
Cao Zhi tentatively asked the Prime Minister Huang Xiu: "Huang public, we are now outside the outskirts of Chenliu City. However, I really know very little about the current emperor. Is there anything you can teach me?"
Although Cao Zhi was a legitimate prince of a state, he never acted with airs when dealing with his Prime Minister, using "I" instead of the royal title "The Crown Prince."
Huang Xiu was from Changsha, Jiezhou, and after Cao Zhi's transfer to Yongqi, he was appointed as the country chief of Yongqi by the court.
Emperor Cao Pi, the former emperor, was constantly vigilant about the princes of the ruling family. He not only appointed Monitors and Advisers as positions to oversee the princes, but also selected loyal officials as Prime Ministers.
Huang Xiu was of the same mind.
Although people often have preconceived opinions, these opinions may change over time.
Since the Western Han Dynasty, both prefectures and principality states have existed simultaneously. Prefectural governors are undisputed 2,000 stone officials who govern a state as large as a prefecture.
However, Cao Zhi's state of Yongqi is merely the size of a county, and Huang Xiu, as the Prime Minister, is only a 1,000 stone official.
The juxtaposition of the title "Prime Minister" and the level of 1,000 stone officials is rather strange.
If I must make an analogy, it would be like an official named mayor in the later period, but he is just a mayor of a county-level city.
Over the years, the court in Luoyang, besides urging the Prime Minister to supervise Cao Zhi and prevent him from having any undue desires, seemed completely indifferent to the performance assessment and governance of Yongqi State.
Of course, there was no intention to promote or reward Huang Xiu.
The emperor is far away, but the Prince of Yongqi is close by.
Furthermore, Huang Xiu was a man of learning. After years of interaction with Cao Zhi, he gradually realized the talent and literary attainments of Cao Zhi. Over time, Huang Xiu also felt a trace of compassion for Cao Zhi's plight.
Huang Xiu heard Cao Zhi's question, hesitated for a moment, and then said: "If I tell the king, please keep it a secret for me."
Cao Zhi had little hope, just like countless times before in the past. But today, Huang Xiu's willingness to reveal some information to him was a pleasant surprise.
"Please rest assured, Mr. Huang," Cao Zhi said, bowing his hands: "I will not spread any rumors."
Cao Zhi usually lives in the city of Yongqi, and the information about national politics is so scarce for him. In addition, before Emperor Cao Pi's southern expedition, Cao Zhi's submission to the emperor made him displeased and led to a change in the positions of Monitor and Adviser. Since then, there have been fewer people willing to tell Cao Zhi about political affairs in the capital.
Huang Xiu nodded, ready to tell Cao Zhi something that wouldn't cause any major harm: "I have heard that Your Majesty's southern expedition was a great victory, wiping out the ten thousand rebel troops of the Eastern Wu and occupying all of the land of Lufeng Prefecture."
Cao Zhi asked, "Isn't the former Duke of Cao, the great general, already occupying Wancheng? Why is it still Wancheng this time?"
Huang Xiu said, "I have heard that Sun Quan crossed the Yangtze River to attack, and then the army of the Great Wei retaliated against the Wu troops in Lufeng."
"It's truly a great victory," Cao Zhi reflected for a moment, "The former emperor never achieved such a victory during the Huangchu years."
"Huang public, do you remember at the end of Huangchu 6 years, when the former emperor returned from the expedition against Wu, he came to Yongqi to see me.” Cao Zhi looked up and recalled: "At that time, the former emperor said that if there was a chance in the future, he would give me a real position and have me contribute to our country."
Huang Xiu sighed to himself in his heart. This prince had been confined for many years and had an obsession with restoration and a real position. How could one persuade him? Let him continue to have such thoughts, then.
When Cao Zhi was still several miles away from Chenliu City, the Commandant of the Imperial Horse Guards, Xuan Qiu Jian, had already been before the emperor.
There was no one else in the hall. The attendants, horse riders, and tiger guards were all cleared outside.
Ma Qiu Jian stood respectfully beside the emperor's desk, softly reporting the situation in Luoyang City to the emperor.
"Who? Xun You?" Cao Ru asked with a furrowed brow.
"It's Xun Yǔ, not Xun Yù," Ma Qiu Jian carefully explained, "It's the second son of Xun Yù, Xun Manskhan."
Cao Rui nodded: "I know this person. Is it only him who died in the imperial prison?"
"To answer Your Majesty, when I left Luoyang, only Xun Yǔ had died," Ma Qiu Jian replied.
"Hmm, I have noted that. How many people did Master Wei capture in total?" Cao Rui used his fingertips to rap on the table, speaking in a low voice.
Ma Qiu Jian said, "In total, more than seventy people were arrested and sent to the imperial prison. The Chief Judge Gao Rou refused to open the imperial prison without an edict, so the Superintendent of the Xiliang region had him confined at home."
"More than seventy people, half of whom are members of the Xun family, some of whom are former retainers of Xun Yu. In addition to them, there are Zhi Jinwu Zhang Bao Zhang Xuan Gao and his son."
Cao Rui narrowed his eyes and did not speak. He pointed to a seat outside, indicating to Ma Qiu Jian to take a seat himself.
Ma Qiu Jian was very familiar with the emperor and knew that when the emperor began to think about things, he would not be shy, so he sat down and waited for the emperor's further questions.
Xun Yu...
In fact, there has been a long-standing conflict between the Cao family and the Xun family within Wei's territory.
In the 17th year of Jian'an, at the time when Dong Zhao planned to raise Cao Cao's rank to the title of Wei Guo, thereby laying a foundation for replacing Han with Wei. At that time, Xun Yu strongly opposed this matter.
Back then, it was you who helped me rise to a high position, and now you want to block my path?
Cao Cao was therefore not able to restrain his anger, and when he was on the southern campaign against Sun Quan, he submitted a memorial to the Han Emperor, summoning Xun Yu to lead the troops in Nao County. When Xun Yu arrived at the army, he was then kept in the army.
When Cao Cao's troops reached Ruuxu, Xun Yu remained behind in Shouchun. At that time, Cao Cao gave Xun Yu an empty food vessel, and Xun Yu committed suicide by drinking the poison. Emperor Han also deeply regretted this.
At the end of the 17th year of the Jian'an era, Xun Yu accompanied Cao Cao on a southern campaign and died in Shouchun.
In the autumn of the 19th year of Jian'an, Xun You accompanied Cao Cao on a southern campaign and died on the way to the front.
Cao Rui had once carefully perused the imperial library.
Whether from the classics, minutes, or from his ministers around him, Cao Rui did not learn any more details. However, from an emperor's intuition, Cao Rui believed that Xun You was also like Xun Yu, who was either granted death by Cao Cao or forced to take his own life.
Cao Rui looked up and saw Ma Qiu Jian sitting straight in his seat.
Ma Qiu Jian saw the emperor's gaze fall on him, ready to stand up and reply, but he found that the emperor had turned his gaze to another direction again.
Since the deaths of Xun Yu and Xun You, it seems that the scholars of Yingchuan have publicly abandoned their opposition to Cao Cao's advancement in rank and have instead turned their support to the matter of competing for the throne by Cao Pi.
Zhong Yao and Chen Qun, representatives of the scholars of Yingchuan, made significant contributions during the struggle for the throne by Cao Pi and were rewarded with high positions upon his accession to the throne.
But what about the Xun family?
Cao Rui looked at Ma Qiu Jian and asked, "Zhong Gong, who were the descendants of Xun Yu who were arrested? Name the key figures."
Ma Qiu Jian stood up and bowed his hands: "Your Majesty, Xun Yu's second son Xun Miao died in prison."
"Xun Yu's third son Xun Sheng, sixth son Xun Yin, and the two sons of Xun Yu's eldest son Xun Yuan, Xun Hao and Xun Xu, as well as the son of Xun Yu's brother, Xun Cheng, named Xun Geng, were all captured by the Superintendent of the Superintendency and sent to prison."
Cao Rui raised his hand to indicate that Ma Qiu Jian should pause.
"Zhong Gong, Your Majesty is a bit confused. There are so many people with the surname Xun, how many sons did Xun Yu have?"
Ma Qiu Jian counted: "Xun Yu... Xun Yu had about seven sons, with the fourth and fifth sons dying at an early age. The youngest son Xun Can had not yet come of age, so he was not arrested by the Superintendent of the Superintendency."
Cao Rui stretched out his left hand and rubbed the acupoints on both sides of his eyes: "The Xun family is so fertile. I remember that Xun Yu's grandfather Xun Shou was known as the divine ancestor and had eight sons, known as the 'Eight Dragons of the Xun Family'."
"Xun Yu's grandfather had eight sons, so his father's generation had eight people. Adding to that, Xun Yu also had four elder brothers..."
Cao Rui paused and said, "Indeed, there are descendants without number."
Ma Qiu Jian also embarrassedly said, "This... I don't know. Perhaps Yingchuan is richer, but the He Dong area I am from doesn't have such families."
Cao Rui seemed to understand Wei Zhening's meaning.
As early as in Luoyang, Wei Zhening had frequently come and gone from the palace, and he had long been aware of the emperor's concerns about the scholar-gentry, especially the Yingchuan scholar-gentry.
If the emperor wants me to take a similar approach to the Wei Mien case, killing some and leaving others, then let's take advantage of the momentum of His Majesty's great victory in the south and start by targeting the Xun family among the Yingchuan scholar-gentry.
Cao Rui furrowed his brow and asked, "Is it true that Xun Yu, the second son of Xun Yu, died in the imperial prison? Has Master Wei figured out the charges against Xun Yu?"
"It has been preliminarily found out." Ma Qiu Jian bowed his hands and said, "Xun Miao claimed that his eldest brother Xun Yun, who was granted death by the former emperor during the Huangchu years, caused him resentment. Therefore, when Your Majesty went on the southern campaign and the capital was empty, Xun Miao spread rumors and caused disturbances."
Cao Rui said, "Xun Yun... I remember he was good friends with Prince Yongqi and opposed the former emperor, right? Are the others all conspirators of Xun Miao?"
Ma Qiu Jian answered, "According to the late Xun Miao's statement, Xun Yu's nephew, Xun Hong and Xun Zhongmao, were co-conspirators."
Cao Rui furrowed his brow: "Who is Xun Hong and Xun Zhongmao? I can't remember."
Ma Qiu Jian bowed his hands and said, "Xun Hong is the son of Xun Yu's fourth brother, Xun Chen. He served as an official under Prince Yongqi during the Jian'an years."
(Chapter ends)
