"When the minister of civil service Yang Jiang walked into the study, Cao Rui looked at him and threw the document brought by the ministry of civil service on the ground with a hand."
Yang Jì performed a bow and was just about to kneel down to pick up the documents when he was called by the emperor.
Cao Rui fixed his gaze on Yang Ji's eyes: "Minister Yang, what are you picking up? Don't you remember the officials you yourself selected?"
Yang Ji was 43 years old at that time.
Cao Rui, when he was in the East Palace, had a good relationship with Yang Ji. After he ascended to the throne, he regarded Yang Ji as his confidant.
In the past, when Xu Huang was still sick, it was Yang Ji, who was then the Commandant of Cavalry, whom Cao Rui sent to comfort him.
After establishing the six ministries, Cao Rui personally appointed Yang Ji as the minister of civil service, succeeding Wei Zhen's position.
Yang Ji looked up in surprise and saw the emperor's dissatisfied face.
"Minister Yang, I ask you, do you know about the story of Wang Xiang 'sitting on the ice to catch a carp'? "
Yang Ji had already become nervous, his nails digging into his flesh as he replied with a bow: "Your Majesty, I have heard something about it from the ministry of the civil service."
Cao Rui continued: "Then what do you think about the strange things happened to Wang Xiang, is it true or not?"
Yang Ji swallowed his saliva: "I, I am not sure, I truly do not know if it is true or false."
Cao Rui's anger increased further, speaking angrily and asking: "You are the minister of civil service in the great Wei, not some foolish people in the streets and alleys. How could you not distinguish the truth from falsehood? Knowing such a person who seeks fame and deceives the masses, how could you still appoint him as the administrator of Henan?"
"Who gave you the instruction?"
Yang Ji hesitated for a moment in his heart and replied, "Wang Xiang presented a letter from Lü Qing, the governor of Xu Province, in which he detailed that the governance of Xu Province was entirely due to Wang Xiang's efforts."
"The letter said that the local people had a song: 'The prosperity of Haixi, depends on Wang Xiang. The prosperity of the country will not be lacking, it is due to the achievements of the viceroy.'"
"What nonsense of a song?" Cao Rui glanced at Yang Ji: "Such a song could never be made by the common people. It must be the flattering moves of local scholars praising Wang Xiang."
"Do you believe that I can come up with ten such songs for you?"
After saying this, both Yang Ji and Xu Zhuang raised their heads to look at the emperor.
Cao Rui snorted coldly: "An emperor is no longer an emperor, a king is no longer a king, thousand chariots and cavalry ride to the north hill."
"A Han man in the west, another Han man in the east, when a deer enters Chang'an, then there will be no such difficulty."
"Thousand-mile grass, why so green! In a ten-day divination, it cannot be revived!"
After speaking, Cao Rui, ignoring the surprised gazes of the two, looked at Yang Ji again and asked: "So it was Lu Qing who told you to appoint him?"
Yang Ji bit his teeth and said, "In the letter, Lu Qing only mentioned that Wang Xiang's talent and ability are sufficient to govern a large prefecture."
Cao Rui asked again: "So you appointed Wang Xiang as the administrator of Henan? If I did not look at it and the officials did not mention it, would you just let it be like that?"
Yang Ji was silent for a moment and then knelt down and bowed: "I have sinned! Please treat my sin!"
"Look up!" Cao Rui, looking at Yang Ji with a mixture of frustration and resentment, said, "You only ask that I punish you but do not say why. Look up! I will speak for you!"
Yang Ji raised his head, but his gaze was directed at the ground, he dared not look at the emperor.
Cao Rui said: "Your father Yang Kè once stayed in Xu State for a long time, and he was friendly with Lu Qing. Lu Qing's recommendation is something you cannot ignore, isn't it?"
"Yes," Yang Ji replied in a solemn voice.
Cao Rui added: "You have always selected officials for Wei state only by their abilities and not their background. In the court, there are always people who compare you to the former Mao Jie and Cui Yan, saying that you are inhospitable to scholars. If it goes on for a long time, disaster will certainly befall you. Is that so or not?"
"Yes," Yang Ji replied again, his head bowing even lower.
Cao Rui sighed: "A few things have come together, Wang Xiang is about to appoint officials, but he has such a reputation in Luo Commandery. Are you worried that if you don't give him a good post, people will criticize you again, and fearing rumors, are you not?"
Faced with the emperor's repeated questions, Yang Ji could no longer hold back and bowed to the ground, saying: "I have sinned. Please dismiss the subject's position and thank the world!"
"Why thank the world! You should thank me!" Cao Rui stared at Yang Ji and said, "I entrusted you to manage the Ministry of Civil Service for me, and this is how you have been managing it?"
Yang Ji remained silent, only bowing his head without speaking.
Cao Rui sighed deeply and stood up to walk forward, personally helping Yang Ji up: "I only hate that you cannot hold your ground! A year of punishment for salaries as a warning!"
Yang Ji was stupefied.
He had never seen the emperor so angry before, but even though he was angry like this, it was only raised high and put down lightly, without really punishing him.
Cao Rui said: "I did not ask you to be a harsh official like Zhi Du or Zhang Tang. I just asked you to manage the positions in the Ministry of Civil Service for me and guard this gate for me."
"Do you not understand my intentions? It's not that you don't know, but rather, you have been taking chances, thinking that I would not investigate this person deeply."
"I will tell you today that I will not only investigate deeply, but I will also abolish the right of governors to nominate outstanding talents and officials in all states, and I will also dismiss Lu Qian's position. Lu Qian is not only my governor but also the governor of a prominent family in Xu Province."
Yang Ji bowed in a salute and did not speak much.
The obvious differential treatment by the emperor will certainly make Yang Ji the focus of discussion among all.
Why did Lu Qian suffer misfortune and there were no more outstanding talents in the world, but you only got a year's penalty? Just because you are the emperor's confidant and can be treated differently?"
But Yang Ji could no longer worry about these things.
The meaning of the emperor's orders is already clearly presented in front of him. If he continues to defy, he may only have the option of resigning and returning home.
Cao Rui looked at Yang Ji: "The Ministry of Civil Service, this person Wang Xiang is indeed detestable to the emperor. In the emperor's court, this kind of person who seeks fame and deceives the masses is not allowed to rise. He is not the county magistrate of Wen County? Then adjust it evenly."
Yang Ji nodded and agreed: "I will comply with the order, Your Majesty. Do you have any intention of sending Wang Xiang to a certain place?"
Xu Zhuang was listening silently on the side.
Xu Zhuang has served the emperor for over a year by his side, and he is the most compatible with the emperor's temperament among all the attendants.
In other words, Xu Zhuang has the dignified air of a high-ranking minister, but also has the rare righteousness of his youth when he was a martial hero.
Xu Zhuang has served for many years during the two dynasties of Jian'an and Huang Chu, and the prevailing atmosphere at that time did not allow him to show his martial heroism. However, now the emperor appreciates Xu Zhuang's courage, so he is rare among ordinary ministers with corrupt officialdom.
There has been a lack of people like this by the emperor's side.
Just now, Xu Zhuang suggested killing Wang Xiang. In the days when Cao Cao was in power, he would have been killed without any objections from others.
Today, Cao Rui not killing Wang Xiang is only showing respect for the laws of Wei.
But respect is respect, Wang Xiang was originally a county magistrate of 600 zhou. Can't we just demote him instead of giving him a beautiful position?"
Of course, one can.
Cao Rui pointed at Xu Zhuang: "Xu Zhuang, tell me a place!"
Xu Zhuang calmly said: "Let him go and be the dragon and leash commander."
Dragon Leash?
As the emperor of Wei, Cao Rui has heard of the name of this county, but he cannot remember where it is.
Seeing the emperor frown, Xu Zhuang explained: "Your Majesty, Longle County is to the west of Dunhuang. The Yangguan and Yumen passes, both under the jurisdiction of Longle County."
Cao Rui lightly nodded and then turned his gaze back to Yang Ji.
Yang Ji understood the emperor's intention and bowed his hand in agreement: "The border areas have always lacked governance, and the position of the county magistrate of Longle County has not been filled for many years. It should be assigned to Wang Xiang to spread education there."
Cao Rui nodded: "Yang Yanlu, go back to the Board of Rites. You should have a clear idea of how your future path should be."
Yang Ji bowed deeply before picking up, arranging, and placing his memorial document in his bosom. Then he left.
After Yang Ji left, Xu Zhuang also felt a sense of sighing.
"Rumors can kill people," Xu Zhuang whispered, "I'm afraid that after the lord Yang went back to the Board of Rites this time, he really became a person who was pointed to by a thousand men."
Cao Rue, without any expression on his face, said: "What's there to be afraid of people's talk when serving the Great Wei? I let him take on such an important position as the Minister of Civil Service, and I didn't send him to Dunhuang."
"If he is appointed to this position and still wants to engage with others, worrying about the opinions of scholars, I can tolerate him for the first time, but not for the second. Otherwise, he will be digging his own grave."
"I just want him to be a lone minister."
"But I also feel a bit melancholic," said Cao Rui, looking at Xu Zhuang. "You tell me, over these years, as I have discarded such actions of seeking fame, why is Wang Xiang still so deceptive in Luoyang?"
Xu Zhuang thought for a moment before speaking: "I think, it is precisely because Your Majesty has cleaned up the atmosphere of Luoyang that such a person has not been seen in the capital for a long time. When Wang Xiang first arrived in Luoyang from Xuzhou, he was so eager to climb up and down, that he could deceive people for a time."
Cao Rui helplessly shook his head: "Then it is my fault?"
Xu Zhuang quickly explained: "Transforming customs among scholars is not a matter of a few years. It needs to be slowly educated and cultivated. As long as the recommendation system continues, such things will be difficult to prohibit."
Cao Rui sighed: "The recommendation system must exist. How can I now establish the imperial examination? Great Wei does not have the conditions."
Xu Zhuang faintly furrowed his brows, not knowing what the "imperial examination" referred to.
Cao Rui did not explain: "Taking away the right of governors to nominate outstanding talents, selecting some scholars and assigning them small offices of 500-600 zhou is acceptable. The highest talent, an official of 2000 zhou, is a much larger issue."
Xu Zhuang spoke up: "Just now, I suggested sending Wang Xiang to Longle, but I fear that scholars will criticize me again."
Cao Rui looked up at Xu Zhuang and asked, "How can you, Xu Zhuang, be afraid of people's talk?"
Xu Zhuang smiled and replied: "I have never been afraid of people's talk in my life! But just now, after mentioning Longle, I thought about how there has been no governor of Dunhuang for twenty years."
"Taking this opportunity, we might as well choose a new one. Your Majesty mentioned the Western Regions trade route before, right? It would be a good chance to govern it."
Cao Rui nodded: "Alright, I will appoint one person."
"Years ago, when I was in Chang'an, I saw that the prefect of Chang'an, Cang Ci, was careful and had a sense of order in his actions. He also understood the affairs of Guanxi and was very diligent."
"You go and tell the Eastern Academy to appoint Cang Ci as the governor of Dunhuang. Let him meet Sima Fu in Wuwei on his way and carefully study the matters of trade in the Western Regions, then come back to report to me."
"Following the order, Your Minister Xu Zhuang will go and say it. (Chapter ends)"
