Cao Rui sighed: "This is a book written by Xiahou Xian! I haven't seen him for two years."
Glancing at it a few times, Cao Rui threw it back on the table: "What is this book by Xiahou Xian about?"
Pei Qian replied: "This book by Xiahou Tao gives an explanation of Zhuangzi. Although I don't understand Taoism very well, my brother says that this book is excellent and advises me to read it carefully."
Cao Rui said: "Since your brother Pei Hui has said this, it seems that Xiahou Xian has read some valuable things while studying for two years in Qiao County."
"Unlike some people, after I released the talented scholars involved in the Floating Pig Case, they rushed back to Luoyang."
Pei Qian is also a wonderful person, who knows that this is the best time to increase personal affection when discussing others privately.
Pei Qian smiled and said, "I think I remember, Sima Zi Yuan, the elder son of the Marquis of Songsang, returned to Luoyang just after being released. The next day, he met with scholars in Luoyang."
"When I came to Luoyang last year, my brother told me about this matter. At that time, I still felt quite surprised."
"What's surprising?" Cao Rui asked.
Pei Qian said, "Perhaps it's because he is too young and a bit impetuous."
Cao Rui whispered, "People have their own aspirations, and I cannot interfere in such trivial matters. What can a son of a marquis possibly worry about?"
"I heard that Sima Zi Yuan went to Yangzhou last winter and served as a clerk in the office of Jiang Zi Tong, the prefectural magistrate. He was quite useful."
Pei Qian said, "Being appointed by a state-level official is a national practice, and there is nothing to criticize."
Cao Rui sighed softly: "Yes, the marquisates have the power to recruit, and governors of prefectures and counties also have this power. The country is still relying on recruitment based on talents."
Pei Qian was already fifty years old, but he remained clean-cut and handsome with well-defined facial features. After smoothing his short beard, Pei Qian replied: "The emperor grazes the ministers, and the ministers graze the people. That is precisely what should be done."
Cao Rui looked at Pei Qian, "By the way, this is the first time I have had such a conversation with you."
"Do you know that when I summoned you back to Luoyang for employment, there were some controversial opinions?"
There were rumors all over the world, and as the capital of Luoyang, it was indeed a great dyeing pot, where various kinds of rumors ran around wildly, making people unable to trace the origin and end.
Pei Qian pursed his lips: "I've heard a bit of it."
Cao Rui smiled and asked, "What have you heard, Pei Qian?"
Pei Qian said, "The first one is that the Chancellor has too much power. When I first came to Luoyang and stayed at my brother's house, on that very evening, many people sent gifts to my residence."
"The generosity was hard to refuse, and I couldn't refuse it at the time. So I had to write down each gift in detail and seal them. I plan to return them along the same route when I leave."
Cao Rui roughly guessed that Pei Qian might be saying this because he really was doing so.
But it is unclear whether he did it out of sincerity or deliberately set up this situation, waiting for the emperor to come later and ask.
Cao Rui smiled and said, "When you return home tomorrow, Pei Qian can remove the seals on the gifts and keep them for himself. I've never been afraid of these things."
"I am rich in the realm and cannot let the ministers around me be in a state of financial distress."
Pei Qian was taken aback, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say.
Just as he was about to speak in defense, he saw the emperor's eyebrows slightly raise, and Pei Qian had to bow his hands in compliance.
Cao Rui said: "Once there is one, there will be two. Have you heard anything else?"
Pei Qian replied, "The second is that there are rumors in Luoyang that Your Majesty is too lenient with people from Hedong, and it seems like you want to challenge the people from Yingchuan on equal footing."
"How does that make sense?" Cao Rui smiled and looked at Pei Qian.
Pei Qian said, "There is a saying in Luoyang that the Hedong has four families of high standing. Jia, Guanqiu, Pei, and Wei."
As an emperor, of course, Emperor Cao Rui could have heard such things from the secretaries' office. However, it is quite interesting to hear such matters from the mouths of the parties involved.
Pei Qian originally wanted to lecture about these things seriously, but seeing the emperor's smiling face, he couldn't help but laugh: "Jia Zhennan holds important national responsibilities at Anhui Pass and has a beautiful Jia woman in the palace."
"People in Luoyang say that the Jia family is the best in Hedong."
Cao Rui laughed but said nothing.
The Jia beauty mentioned by Pei Qian just now is actually the daughter of Jia Kuai, the Prime Minister of the Hedong Commandery.
Thinking carefully, I haven't seen her for about three months.
There are so many people in the palace, and this is inevitable. I'll go find her tomorrow!
Pei Qian continued, "After the Jia family, it's Guanqiu, Pei, and Wei families in that order."
"The father and son of Guanqiu serve as a prefectural magistrate and a middle military commander, respectively, both of whom are trusted by the emperor. I am an advisor to the chancellor, and my brother serves as a minister in the imperial palace. As for the Wei family, it refers to Wei Jiu, the Minister of Civil Affairs and Wei Gong."
Cao Rui shook his head and said, "If I say that when I summoned you back to the court, I had not thought about your origin from Hedong, will you believe me, Pei Qian?"
Pei Qian bowed his hands and said, "Your Majesty's words are like golden bells and jade lips. I naturally believe you."
Cao Rui said, "Just now you mentioned two things."
"The weight of the Chancellor's power is intentional on my part. I would of course use people I am familiar with as prefectural governors."
"Even if Pei Qian is serving in Luoyang at the moment, if given enough time, I may still have to send you to work outside the capital."
Pei Qian followed up: "Serving the country, what need is there to discuss positions? The imperial court assigns what tasks, and I will do them accordingly. That's it."
Cao Rui nodded, "That attitude is correct."
"However, I haven't been to Changsha yet. I've always heard that the two cities of Wuxian and Bancheng are across the water, similar to Xuchun on the river Huai and Xiaodao."
"Is Wuxian and Bancheng worth a visit?"
Pei Qian replied, "Xiangyang is indeed magnificent in its topography, but because it is south of the Han River, there are few people around. Although the city walls are intact, within the city it is still dilapidated and lacks the prosperity of the time of Jian'an."
"In terms of scenery, it is not worth visiting."
Cao Rui thought for a moment: "Was Xiangyang burned by Cao Reng?"
Pei Qian said, "That was a matter from the first year of the Huangchu era. Cao Zi Xiao was stationed in Yanzheng City at the time, and Xiangyang and Bancheng were burned clean by a single fire."
Cao Rui sighed and said, "I've heard many people talk about this. When Liu Bei was in Xiangyang, the prosperity of that place was comparable to the early years of Luoyang."
"The end of Han Dynasty and the turmoil brought by the chaos had long left the nation in turmoil."
"Chang'an, Xiangyang, Nanyang, these famous cities and large towns, are no longer as prosperous as in the past. It is truly a matter of regret!"
Pei Qian whispered softly, "The bones of the dead are exposed in the wilderness, and there is not a single chicken to be heard over a thousand miles. The lives of the living are reduced to a hundred out of a thousand, thinking about it makes one's heartache."
"This is a poem by Emperor Wu." Cao Rui said.
Pei Qian replied, "Last year, the Songwen Guan published a collection of Emperor Wu's poems, and I have a copy of it. I often read it, and it is always new every time."
Cao Rui said, "Emperor Wu's grandeur and poetic talent seem to be given by heaven. I cannot learn it."
"Wu Di can make these realistic poems, but I want to write some poems about peace and ease."
Pei Qian said, "With the great victory of the Great Wei twice, the military pressure from all directions has decreased a lot, and the people have gradually begun to accumulate wealth."
"In the end, it will surpass the prosperity of the Han Dynasty."
"Does it surpass the early and later Han Dynasties?" Cao Rui looked up and took a breath: "I hope that I can achieve such great achievements with all of you."
"Certainly, it will be successful," Pei Qian responded.
Cao Rui glanced at Pei Qian and said, "Today in the court, there are two things. One is Liaodong, and the other is Shouchun. What do you think?"
Pei Qian knew that the critical moment had arrived, adjusted his spirit, and didn't dare to be lax at all. He immediately replied, "The Shouchun matter, the court has already done everything possible. I have nothing to say."
Cao Rui said, "Then it is about the matter of Gongsun Yuan in Liaodong?"
Pei Qian replied, "It is indeed the matter of Liaodong. I think that Gongsun Yuan's strength is not enough to challenge Wu and Shu, and the Wei Dynasty should not tolerate him. He should be attacked as soon as possible."
Cao Rui countered, "Why? Have Wu and Shu forgotten about them?"
Pei Qian said, "That is because we need to consider Wu and Shu. The state can tolerate Sun Quan and Zhuge Liang, but can it tolerate a mere Gongsun Yuan?"
Cao Rui suddenly asked, "Have you visited Li Yuan in Luoyang?"
Pei Qian felt that his palms were slightly sweating.
Li Yuan is the grandson of the late Prefect of Hedong, Li Min, and Pei Qian had once studied under Li Min. It was Li Min who was murdered by Gongsun Du.
Li Yin, Li Min, Gongsun Du, and Gongsun Yuansu......
Your Majesty knows everything? Is there anything in the world that Your Majesty doesn't know?"
Pei Qian took a deep breath and bowed his hands to reply, "I have visited Li Yin and given him some books. Li Yin is staying with Zhong Gong's family, so I suppose he should be safe."
Cao Rui said, "As you can see, just based on Li Min's alone, you, Guanqiu Xing, and the Prime Minister all have reasons to kill the Pongsun clan."
"This is different from facing Sun Quan and Zhuge Liang. The Great Wei is at war with Wu and Shu, which is a national conflict, but your conflict with the Pongsun clan is a personal grudge."
Pei Qian said seriously, "Of course, there are personal grudges, but there are also public enemies!"
"In the late year of Jian'an, I served as the prefectural magistrate of Dai Prefecture for three years. At that time, Gongsun Kang was still in Liaodong. He had often held alliances with Wuhuan and Xianbei. Wuhuan and Xianbei frequently invaded the borderlands, which cannot be said to have been unrelated to the Pongsun clan."
"This time, Gongsun Yuan's connection with Sun Quan is merely a sign of his fear of the Great Wei, and he woke up halfway through, but it does not excuse his crime of establishing a separatist regime!"
"For the sake of the country, the Great Wei, and the wellbeing of all people in the world, it is absolutely unacceptable for the Pongsun clan to continue to thrive in Liaodong!"
Pei Qian stood up and bowed, "The court should summon Gongsun Yuan to Luoyang to pay homage!"
"If Gongsun Yuan comes, he should be apprehended on the spot, and officials should be appointed to the counties and prefectures to prevent Liaodong from becoming a separatist region again."
"If Gongsun Yuan does not come, he will further lose his reputation for righteousness and virtue."
Cao Rui said, "But you also know that I have to deal with the southeast now, and how can I have the energy to deal with Liaodong at this time?"
"Pei Qian, you have served in Dai Prefecture, and Liaodong is even colder. It is far away, how can we launch an offensive?"
Pei Qian said earnestly, "Gongsun Yuan is different from Wu and Shu. He usurped the position of his uncle Gongsun Gong, and has no official position in the government at all. He has no trace of a semblance of righteousness or virtue."
"The Great Wei has difficulty attacking Liaodong, and Liaodong has difficulty invading the Great Wei. What is there to fear?"
"He has no legitimate status and his position is not justified; over time, there will inevitably be internal turmoil! By then, the Great Wei taking over Liaodong will be as natural and smooth as ripe melon falling from the vine."
Cao Rui nodded slightly, "Pei Qian's words have some truth to them."
"Then how about this, you come to the study tomorrow, and with the face-to-face support of the West Hall and East Hall, say it out loud. Let's see what the high-ranking officials think."
For over a year, this was the first time Pei Qian had proactively proposed such a major state policy strategy. The fact that the emperor allowed for a discussion in his presence actually meant that it was possible!
Pei Qian bowed his hands and agreed.
Cao Rui stood up, moved his bones and joints, and prepared to go out.
At the doorway, Cao Rui turned back to look at Pei Qian, "As for what you said about sending an edict to summon Gongsun Yuan, I have no strong opinions either way. It all depends on what others say."
"I understand," Pei Qian said. (This chapter is complete.)
