Cao Rui's words just now can be said to be a mortifying remark.
If Gao Rou has an excuse to avoid, then it cannot be explained why Gao Rou did not report during almost a year of the emperor's reign, raising the suspicion of being incompetent.
If Gao Rou admits that it is his fault, then it becomes digging a pit for himself.
No matter how Gao Rou answers, it seems not quite right.
The eyes of everyone turned to Gao Rou, the usually stern and strict Minister of Justice, had he been cornered today as well?
Gao Rou, however, remained calm and bow his hands said, "Your Majesty, I did not inform Your Majesty about this matter, and it is indeed because there are causes for it."
"Speak," Cao Rui simply said just one character.
Gao Rou said, "Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, both the inner and outer court have felt the majesty of Your Majesty's wisdom. Moreover, Your Majesty rarely uses the School Affairs. Therefore, I have always regarded the School Affairs as useless, and waited for its power and responsibility to vanish."
"However, I recently heard that Your Majesty has taken the School Affairs back from the Ministry of Revenue and distributed them to the Lord of the Studies, which is just changing the pot without changing the meat. The School Affairs are showing signs of resurgence."
"That is why I have put forward this table today."
Cao Rui asked in a calm expression, "So, Minister Gao believes that because Your Majesty no longer wishes to use the School Affairs, you did not report to Your Majesty. Now that Your Majesty is considering using them again, you have submitted this petition?"
"Even if Your Majesty's reign can be justified, what about the years of the late Emperor?"
Gao Rou said, "I was appointed as the Minister of Justice in the fourth year of Huang Chong. In the first year after I was appointed as the Minister of Justice, I ordered the various officials of the Minister of Justice to investigate and report to His Majesty all past wrongful or unjustly handled cases by the School Affairs. However, these reports were denied by His Majesty."
"In the fifth and sixth years of Huang Chiu, the late Emperor led his troops to fight against Wu twice. I did not want to distract the late Emperor with this matter or cause turmoil in the court, so I did not report."
Is it enough to shift the blame onto the late Emperor like that?
Cao Rui nodded indifferently: "Yes, it was the late Emperor who did not pay attention to this matter. Since the late Emperor is no longer here, what else can Your Majesty say?"
"If we follow Minister Gao's logic, then if there were issues with the School Affairs and the late Emperor didn't deal with them, it would be inappropriate for Your Majesty to reopen old accounts, right? When the late Emperor was alive, did anyone dare say such things about Emperor Wu?"
"Do you think I am a wise king, only to realize that I am not after You have used the School Affairs?"
Cao Rui looked at Gao Rou with a cold expression: "Minister Gao Ruo concealed the report and failed in his duties, so he will be punished by being banned from receiving his salary for three months. Is this still acceptable to you?"
Gao Ruo bowed and saluted: "This matter is improper on my part, and I am willing to accept the punishment."
Cao Rui's expression slightly softened: "Minister Gao, I ask you again, why do you have to abolish the School Affairs?"
Gao Ruo replied with a serious expression: "Your Majesty, the harm caused by the School Affairs has been long lasting."
"The personnel selected for the School Affairs are mere clerks, with low positions and insufficient credibility. The School Affairs use Your Majesty's divine authority outside to enhance their power, and within, they gather treacherous individuals to form the core of their faction. High-ranking officials in the court are ashamed to argue with them, mostly enduring the School Affairs. Common people and clerks fear their might and often have no place to appeal for justice."
"Now, the outer court has officers and ministers leading officials, and the inner court has the Lord of the Studies and the Minister of Ceremonies managing all affairs. Moreover, there is the Inspector of the Capital Districts to supervise the capital area and the Chief Censor to investigate officials."
"If these wise and virtuous ministers are not competent, how can we trust the small clerks of the School Affairs? If the ministers are competent, what is the need for the School Affairs to exist?"
This statement seems to have a bit of sense to it?
Cao Rui asked out loud: "I have already entrusted the power of the School Affairs to my Lord of the Studies. My Lord of the Studies, Xin Zhaozhi, Chen Jiapei, and Yang Yishan are not all wise and virtuous ministers?"
"Is it wrong for Your Majesty to use wise and virtuous ministers to lead the School Affairs?"
Gao Ruo again bowed and said, "If that is the case, isn't it just like adding another Censorate and another Inspector of the Capital Districts? What benefit does it bring to the Great Wei?"
At this time, Cao Rui finally understood.
In essence, this is about who should have the power of supervision.
According to Gao Ruo's theory, the power of supervision is sufficient with the Censorate and the Inspector of the Capital Districts!
Gao Ruo didn't ask the sentence he wanted to say: "What are you planning to do with the School Affairs, Your Majesty? Are you keeping them for causing trouble?"
Cao Rui snorted coldly: "Minister Gao, I ask you, if the high-ranking officers and officials in the court make mistakes or behave improperly, who should monitor them?"
Feeling like he was between a rock and a hard place, Gao Ruo said directly, "By the Inspector of the Capital Districts and the Censorate."
Cao Rui asked again: "If there are shortcomings in the Censorate and the Inspector of the Capital Districts, or if they also make mistakes, then who should be responsible?"
Gao Ruo bowed and said: "If the Censorate and the Inspector of the Capital Districts make mistakes, Your Majesty should remove the relevant personnel and choose wise and virtuous individuals instead."
Cao Rui tapped the table with his knuckles a few times: "How should Your Majesty discover these things?"
Gao Ruo's cold sweat flowed straight down his back: "Your Majesty is naturally wise and decisive..."
Cao Rui said with anger, "What natural wisdom and decisiveness is it! Does Your Majesty have three heads and six arms? Your Majesty also has two ears and two eyes. How can Your Majesty know so many things on their own?"
"Does Your Majesty not need informants and lackeys to help keep an eye on this vast city of Luoyang?"
"Minister Gao really doesn't understand, or is pretending to be confused with Your Majesty?"
Gao Ruo, hearing this scolding, immediately knelt on the ground and bowed down. His forehead also directly touched the tiles.
"It is the minister's words that were imprudent, please Your Majesty punish the minister!" The trembling voice of Gao Ruo came through.
This matter has nothing to do with the four ministers, as well as Cao Zhen and Dong Zhao in the Western Office.
Among the two in the Eastern Office, Wei Zhen cannot take a position different from that of the emperor, and at this point, there is no reason to dissuade the emperor. After all, both positive and negative words have been exhausted by Emperor Cao Rui and Minister Gao Ruo.
Sima Yi was the one who encouraged Gao Ruo to submit the memorial. At this moment, the emperor is in a state of great anger, and there is no way to rescue Gao Ruo. Moreover, it is impossible to add salt to the injury, as Gao Ruo would not hesitate to turn against Sima Yi.
Cao Rui looked at Gao Ruo and said, "Again, asking for forgiveness and allowing Your Majesty to punish you! Instead of thinking about the worries of the throne, you are adding trouble and obstructions!"
"I don't believe you don't understand the situation, but you still did it."
"Look up!"
Gao Ruo slowly raised his head, looked at Cao Rui for a moment, and then lowered his gaze slightly.
Cao Rui said slowly and without expression: "How can such a person who does not help the emperor solve problems and instead adds trouble to the throne do as one of the nine ministers?"
"Minister Gao, I am willing to give you some dignity and another chance. Do not say any more about phrases like 'ministers are wise and virtuous' and 'the emperor is wise and decisive'."
"If I do not use the School Affairs, how can I monitor both the inner and outer courts?"
"If you say something good, not only will I not blame you, but I will also praise you. But if you can't say even a single word, then the post of the Lord of Justice should not be held by you anymore."
In the face of the emperor's fierce anger, no one dared to say a word. Even Wei Zhen, who was closest to the emperor, remained completely silent and did not want to touch this bad omen.
Gao Ruo knelt in the center of the study, feeling as if the emperor and the others' gaze was like a scorching flame that was about to burn him, and the cold tile beneath him carelessly emitted a chill.
Gao Ruo knelt there quietly, and Cao Rui did not speak either, just staring at him.
Just as Cao Rui's patience was about to run out, Gao Ruo suddenly looked up urgently and said, "Your Majesty, we can revise the examination and assessment laws! Clarify the duties of officials both inside and outside, and then conduct assessments. Additionally, with regular inspections, we will surely be able to fulfill the supervisory role!"
Cao Rui raised his eyebrows, slightly surprised to look at Gao Ruo.
You actually came up with an idea?
Using performance appraisals as a whip to drive officials and scholars forward, right?
However, it must be said that this is a good idea, but it is not clear whether it is applicable in today's era.
Since Gao Ruo has suggested it, let him give it a try and see how it works.
Cao Rui looked at Gao Ruo with a complex expression and asked, "Minister Gao, do you plan to revise the examination and assessment laws? How long will it take?"
Gao Ruo knew that this time was crucial to his political life. If he said too much, the emperor would certainly have grievances. If he said too little, then he might not be able to accomplish it.
Gao Ruo replied, "Please grant the minister a deadline, Your Majesty. If I am unable to complete it, then punish the minister accordingly."
Cao Rui thought for a moment and said, "I will give you the best of one year! Will that be enough?"
Gao Ruo said decisively: "One year is enough! Please allow the minister to demonstrate his performance afterwards."
Cao Rui nodded: "Since that is the case, I am willing to give you an opportunity. Within one year, your position as Lord of Justice will be temporarily changed to Acting Lord of the Imperial Stables, and you will assume this role."
"Get up! Don't kneel."
Gao Ruo slowly rose: "Minister, thanks to Your Majesty's grace."
......
After Gao Ruo returned to the Lord of Justice's office, the officials in his study also dispersed one by one.
By evening, Sima Yi left half an hour earlier than usual and arrived at the Lord of Justice's office.
After closing the door, Sima Yi asked, "My brother Wenhu, why did you propose the examination and assessment laws today? If this law is implemented, it may make you the target of everyone's arrows!"
Gao Ruo was without thetimidity he displayed in the study earlier. His eyes were angry as he furrowed his brows and stared at Sima Yi, "If I hadn't said so, I might have been demoted to a commoner and sent back to my hometown of Chenliu to till the land!"
"Time is of the essence, what can I do?"
Sima Yi sighed lightly and bowed, "I came to the Lord of Justice's office today to apologize to my brother Wenhu."
"I can't help but think that Your Majesty's decision to send Sun Zi into exile and entrust the School Affairs to the Lord of the Studies shows dissatisfaction with Sun Zi and the School Affairs. That's why I asked Xu Jingshan to impeach the Grand Secretary and for you, Wenhu, to impeach the School Affairs."
"Unexpectedly, we have come to this point!"
Gao Ruo is indeed a wise man, but due to different perspectives and positions, he has not been on the same wavelength as the emperor's considerations.
Now that he knows of the emperor's sensitivity to power, Gao Ruo has made up his mind never to touch such a bad omen again in his life. Being able to seize this opportunity counts as being lucky.
Gao Ruo coldly snorted, "Yes, who could have predicted such a turn of events?"
"You, Sima Zhongda, are a mastermind with profound strategy. Instead of submitting your own memorial, you goad me and Xu Jingshan into action.”
"Please, Sima Zhongda, consider our many years of friendship, and don't involve me in such matters again. Gao Wenhui can't bear the responsibility!"
Sima Yi had no choice but to kneel deeply and bow, expressing his sincerity with a serious expression, "Minister Gao, please forgive me. It was I, Sima Yi, who led you into danger!"
"I remember that the eldest son of the Minister Gao is still at home in Chenliu, having not yet entered public service, is that correct? Would it be acceptable for me to recruit him into the Bureau of the Grand Master?"
Gao Ruo inspected Sima Yi from top to bottom.
Now that compensation is being offered to me? Whether it is out of good intentions or not, it is better to receive some practical benefits.
Gao Ruo then bowed: "In that case, I thank you, Sima Zhongda." (Chapter ends)
