Just as Marish wanted to say something, Cao Rui gently waved his hand: "I understand the meaning of the Prime Minister, but the Imperial Adviser also learned some other information from He Yan and others."
"I will have you discuss this matter together during the court deliberation later."
"Go back first, Prime Minister Marish."
Marish nodded in farewell.
However, after a little over an hour, the four important ministers from the Western and Eastern Cabinets, as well as the four Imperial Secretaries Xin Pi, Chen Jiao, Yang Fu, and Wang Su, had all taken their usual seats in the study room.
Cao Rui spoke in a low voice: "Today, I have summoned you all to discuss affairs, and you can probably guess the reason."
"Overuse of public resources by the Censorate of the Ministry of Rites, He Yan and others' grandiose association formation in Luo."
"Regarding these two matters, I do not wish to delay them. Today, we will discuss them here in the court so that we can provide an explanation to all officials and the people."
Cao Rui looked up and addressed Zhong Yu: "Zhong Yu! Come over and read to the emperor the conclusion of the review by the Imperial Attorney."
"Obey the imperial order." Zhong Yu approached the group with the report from the emperor's desk, preparing to read it, with a trace of tension in his voice.
Marquis Cao Wei looked at the young man's slightly immature face and felt a strange sensation in his heart.
"It's strange that although Zhong Tafu is the son of Zhong Yu and appointed by the emperor as a detached messenger, he is often ignored. If I had known this, I would have let Ziyuan enter the palace to be a detached messenger instead!"
Zhong Yu was a bit nervous, but he still read the two reports from Gao Ruo word by word in front of everyone.
Cao Rui asked directly, "The Secretariat is under the control of the Prime Minister and the Marquis of Weifu. Since the Ministry of Rites has committed such illegal acts, give an explanation to me and the court."
When Marquis Marish and Wei Zhen heard the words "Secretariat," they both stood up together.
Marish bowed and said, "At this time, it is the fault of the subject's lack of attention. Please remove the Prime Minister's position from the subject as an apology to all."
Wei Zhen also quickly added, "Your Majesty, I request to take on the position of the Right Assistant Minister of Rites."
Cao Rui gently tapped on the desk, asking, "Are you both giving up your duties?"
"Yuan Kan and Zhuge Dan are not Wei Mo and have not rebelled. Your Majesty should not demote them to common people like Emperor Wu did with Zhong Yin."
Cao Rui scanned the assembly in the study room: "Since we are working in the court, it is possible to encounter various issues due to inadequate supervision."
"Only by not doing anything can we avoid making mistakes. If you abandon your duties when faced with problems, how can I rely on you?"
"From now on, you are not allowed to mention the words of resignation to the emperor again!"
"Your Majesty is wise," Wei Zhen said with a bow, "After all, I am hard-pressed to escape blame. Please, Your Majesty, demote me as a form of punishment."
Marquis Marish, standing nearby, heard Wei Zhen's words and his eyelids twitched. "You are generous. Either the position of the Secretary of the Secretariat or that of the Inspector of the Capital are both important posts! As for this empty position of mine as Prime Minister, what good is it without an additional appointment as recording clerk for the Secretary of the Secretariat?"
But even as he thought, Marish's actions were swift.
Following that, Marish said, "I too, Your Majesty, should be demoted from my position."
Cao Rui nodded lightly: "After all, the problem originated from the Secretariat, and your statements of responsibility are commendable."
"Marquis Marish's position of Prime Minister and Recording Clerk for the Secretariat will be reduced to that of Prime Minister and Acting Assistant Minister of Rites. He will remain in the Eastern Cabinet as before."
"For Marquis Wei, the position of Assistant Minister of Rites will be reduced to Left Assistant Minister of Rites, with a reduction of two hundred households in his fief. The position of Inspector of the Capital remains unchanged, and he will continue to serve in the Eastern Cabinet as before."
"Do you two have anything to say?" Cao Rui looked at Marish and Wei's eyes.
Cao Zhen, Dong Zhuo, and the four Imperial Secretaries sitting in the study room also turned their gazes towards the two men as directed by the emperor.
Marquis Marish maintained a steady expression, but inwardly he sighed heavily. Wei Zhen had retained his position as Inspector of the Capital, while Marish had lost his post as Recording Clerk for the Secretariat. Could these two positions be the same?
Submitting to the higher position, this has been a court tradition since the Han Dynasty.
The governor of each state and county has a salary of 2,000 stones, but the prefectural administrator only has a salary of 600 stones. The Prefect, with a salary of 1,000 stones, becomes the actual head of all government affairs in the realm.
In the late Han Dynasty, the salary of the Secretary-General was only 1,000 stones. Even after the emperor took the throne and changed the salary of the Secretary-General to 2,000 stones, it was still hard to conceal its so-called 'low status'.
No matter whether it was the General, Grand Marshal, or various Three Grand Offices in the late Han Dynasty, in order to make policy decisions, they had to add this 'recording clerk for the secretariat' appellation to actually intervene in the affairs of the Secretariat.
As for the Inspector of the Capital? It's just a position that can be added or removed at the emperor's will, nothing more than a bit higher than a Prefectural Administrator.
Marish was the first to respond: "Your Majesty is wise. Demoting me to a lower position is already an imperial grace, and I willingly accept punishment."
Wei Zhen on the side also had the same statement.
Cao Rui said, "The Imperial Attorney has made a judgment according to law. Zhuge Dan is guilty of death and Yuan Kan and Xu Yun are guilty of being exiled. As the heads of the Secretariat, do you have any objections?"
Marish bowed and said, "The Imperial Attorney's judgment is appropriate, and I have no objections."
Wei Zhen also said, "These three men brought their misfortunes upon themselves. It is fitting that they should be punished according to the law and precedents."
Cao Zhen, sitting opposite, thought to himself in his heart, "Your Majesty is truly kind to these two ministers of the Eastern Cabinet. With Wu and Shu yet to be pacified, Your Majesty can tolerate a considerable amount for the capable officials in the court, whether it be Sun Zhi of old or Marquis Marish and Wei Zhen of today."
From the surface, the punishment for Wei Zhen is heavier than that of Marish. While Marish only lost his position, Wei Zhen has not only lost his position but also had his fief and household income reduced by two hundred.
In reality, aren't these two people still working in the Eastern Cabinet? The Secretariat is still their domain, what's the difference? Their imperial favor has not been lost!
But Wang Su, sitting beside him, raised his hand in a bow and said, "Your Majesty, there is something I wish to report."
Cao Rui pointed at Wang Su and said, "What matters does the Imperial Secretary have to say?"
Wang Su asked: "Your Majesty, the subject believes that the Prime Minister originally held the position of Recording Clerk for the Secretariat. If it is reduced by one level like that of Assistant Minister of Rites, why not be reduced to Secretary-General instead?"
Marquis Marish was also puzzled and turned to look at Wang Su. Because Marish had let Wang Lang and Wang Su down on the matter of seeking marriage for Marquis Zhaosun with Wang Yuanyi, he had thought that the Wang family would totally turn against him.
Surprisingly, he is still speaking up for me?
Xin Zhi, another Imperial Secretary, coughed lightly and turned to Wang Su, saying, "Perhaps the Imperial Secretary is not aware that last year, when Your Majesty led a southern expedition and appointed Grand Master Weigen as Assistant Minister of Rites, it was due to the excessive authority of the Secretary-General that it was decided not to establish the position of Secretary-General in the future."
As Wang Su's gaze came over, Cao Rui nodded in acknowledgment, indicating agreement with Xin Zhi's words.
"The weight of the position of the Secretary-General is too heavy. 'Recording Clerk for the Secretariat' is even more responsible, is it not?" Wang Su spoke seriously: "To maintain order in the court, Your Majesty may follow last year's example and abolish the position of Recording Clerk for the Secretariat."
"In the future, if it is necessary for a high-ranking official to take charge of administrative affairs, they should assume the actual duties of the Secretariat to show respect for the official ranks in the court."
Marquis Marish tried to maintain composure, but the tiny facial movement of his almost squinting eyes was keenly noticed by Cao Rui.
Cao Rui tapped on the desk with his fingertips, silent for a moment. Marish in this situation could not possibly explain himself, and the other people were also silent.
On the surface, Marish pretended to be calm, but his inner thoughts had already started swearing.
It's not even to the extent of regretting a marriage proposal; I haven't even made one. How can you hold such a grudge and cut off my path? Your Majesty has even referenced Dong Zhuo's name when addressing me, how dare I continue to marry into your family?
Old dog Wang Lang! Little bastard Wang Su is also a dog! They've cut off my path!
However, Marquis Marish made no move at this moment. The reason was simple: the discussion had just mentioned Zhuge Dan and Yuan Kan of the Secretariat, but had not yet touched upon the matter of He Yan and others forming extravagant factions.
"According to what the Imperial Secretary has said, I agree," Cao Rui looked at Zhong Yuchi: "Tell the officials about the matter of extravagant factions."
"Yes." Zhong Yuchi responded.
Although the atmosphere in the study room had become more subtle, Zhong Yuchi could also clearly sense it. But at this moment, Zhong Yuchi's nervousness was much less than before.
After Zhong Yuchi described the factions of extravagant literati in Luo, he then read out the list of "Four Intelligent Ones, Eight Directional Connections, and Three Yu Prefectures." Everyone in the room, except for Cao Zhen and Dong Zhuo, became nervous.
Before others could speak, Dong Zhuo was the first to stand up from his seat.
"Your Majesty," Dong Zhuo said seriously, "For the sake of maintaining the discipline of the court and upholding the laws and decrees of the great Wei, I beg for severe punishment for these extravagant literati who form factions!"
"Why?" Cao Rui only raised his eyebrows and asked.
"Great Wei is governed by virtue, and should honor the staunch and simple among the people, while rejecting those who are false and untrue. This is because such people destroy virtue, disrupt governance, corrupt morals, and damage customs."
"In the late years of the Jian'an era, Wei Fan incited chaos with his words and misled the masses, causing unrest in Ye City and was executed. During the years of Huang Chu, Cao Wei pretended to be a renowned scholar, seeking fame and truth, and was publicly punished in Luoyang."
"I have personally investigated in the palace, and all the edicts of the Emperors Wu, the previous emperor, and Your Majesty himself have expressed deep hatred and disgust towards the formation of factions among extravagant literati."
It would be more accurate to say that everyone in the study room was carefully listening to Dong Zhuo's speech, rather than trying to figure out why he spoke with such intensity.
Cao Rui also sat silently behind the desk, saying nothing.
Dong Zhuo continued, "From the reports of the Imperial Attorney, I learned that the scholars in Luo do not prioritize seeking knowledge through learning and practice, but rather consider making friends as the most important thing. The young officials in the court do not prioritize filial piety and self-restraint, but rather focus on trend-following and seeking profits."
"The young scholars gather in factions, praise each other, and praise and commend those who attach themselves to them. They defamed and disparaged those who did not conform to their group."
"It has even come to the point where there are incidents such as He Yan and Deng Yao exchanging public offices for personal fame, and Yuan Kan and Zhuge Dan doing so. Moreover, there is also the case of He Yan gathering a crowd in Luoyang to take the Five-Stone Medicine, a drug that weakens one's will and ruins one's physique."
"Such behaviors are incompatible with the law and should not be forgiven. They have no difference from Wei Fan and Cao Wei."
"I beg to severely punish these extravagant and gossipy people!"
Cao Rui listened quietly to Dong Zhuo's words and asked, "The things mentioned by the Imperial Attorney are indeed shocking. The assistant minister's words also seem to have much truth in them."
"Officials, do you have any other opinions?"
Cao Rui glanced around, the several Imperial Secretaries were all expressionless, Cao Zhen stood aside with no concern, Wei Zhen was looking at the floor.
Only with Marquis Marish did he make eye contact for a moment, and Marish actually lowered his gaze proactively.
Dong Zhuo spoke of the young scholars so severely, and Marquis Marish naturally knew about it! But his eldest son Marquis Shi's Five-Stone Medicine incident was still pending, and how could he dare to speak at this time and risk angering the emperor?
Cao Rui nodded: "How does the Assistant Minister propose to deal with these extravagant literati who form factions?"
"Replying to Your Majesty," Dong Zhuo, although he bowed, straightened his back even more: "For these scholars who engage in extravagant socializing, the government's laws and regulations should serve as a deterrent."
"The subject proposes that the scholars listed in the namesake be immediately relieved of their positions, return to their original residences, and may not serve in government positions without an imperial mandate. They may not leave the place of their original residence." This would cut off their connections and serve as a deterrent.
"If these scholars in the future have changed their ways and undergone a change of heart, after being reviewed by the court, they may be granted an amnesty!"
"This is truly a measure of preventing future problems by addressing the root causes and saving the people!"
"Your Majesty, isn't this just another instance of the Party Banishment Disaster? What should we do if it causes chaos throughout the land?"
Marquis Marish glanced at Yang Fu, but inwardly, he felt that this man was indeed unique. To put it nicely, he was straightforward; to put it less nicely, he was naive!
He Yan has become such a big hole that he has drawn all the scholars in Luo into it, and myself along with Wei Zhen have also suffered from an unprovoked disaster.
What is most annoying is Wang Su and Dong Zhuo! They have taken advantage of this opportunity to give themselves another blow, and Dong Zhuo has cut off the career prospects of officials' sons in Luo.
Look at who has suffered, myself, Wei Zhen, Liu Fang, Sun Zi, as well as the officials' sons from the Secretariat and various departments in Luoyang. The number is not small at all.
Luckily, the matter was not sealed, and there is still a possibility of lifting the ban in the future. If the issue of the Five-Stone Medicine at the Cultivation of Literature Academy were mentioned, it would seem that Zi Yuan would never be able to serve as an official in his lifetime.
It seems that I need to make my position clear in a hurry.
At this moment, Marquis Marish spoke up actively: "The Viscount Yang probably misunderstood! According to the list obtained by the Imperial Attorney, the number of scholars involved in such activities does not exceed two hundred people. How can it cause chaos throughout the land?"
"Your Majesty," Marquis Marish bowed and looked towards the emperor: "The Assistant Minister's words are very appropriate, and I agree!"
Marquis Marish's son is included in the list, and even he said so, Wei Zhen stood up and said, "I also agree."
The rest of the officials present also rose to agree.
Cao Rui nodded: "The Assistant Minister speaks well! Punishing past mistakes and saving the people, I deeply agree with this!"
"Let these extravagant scholars return to their original residences and study the virtues of loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and forgiveness from the Five Classics. Let them compare their previous actions with their present state!"
"There were no precedents for the court to rely on before, and I have been saving the people. From today onwards, if anyone in the court is found to be taking the Five-Stone Medicine, lifelong banishment is not an empty threat!"
"The emperor is wise." Everyone bowed and exclaimed.
Cao Rui sighed softly, "In this matter, apart from the extravagant scholars, there are also many problems exposed by the Secretariat."
"The Steward, how many officials are there in the Six Offices and Twenty-Five Divisions of the Secretariat at present?"
Marquis Marish bowed: "Replying to Your Majesty, the Secretariat now has six officials. They directly lead the Departments of Personnel, Guest Relations, Military Affairs, Agriculture, Finances, and Left Ministries. At the same time, each one supervises three to five departments."
Cao Rui nodded: "Do you two have any ideas on how to reform the internal affairs of the Secretariat?"
Wei Zhen answered: "Replying to Your Majesty, Marquis Marish and I have roughly agreed on the restoration of the positions of the Left and Right Assistants to the Minister of the Secretariat. The Left Assistant will be responsible for the discipline and order of the Secretariat, while the Right Assistant will be responsible for managing the finances and official seals."
"Not enough." Cao Rui shook his head slightly: "I intend to reorganize the Secretariat's structure. The six officials will no longer directly manage their own departments, but will instead supervise the affairs of several departments to avoid another occurrence of such lax supervision."
"Change the six departments of the Secretariat to six ministries, with the Secretaries of the Six Ministries overseeing the Chiefs of the twenty-five departments." (End of chapter)
