"On the tenth day of July, within the city of Xiangping."
It's interesting.
Du Su has never spent a day in his official office since taking up the post of Governor of Liaodong, always staying within the official residence of the Xiangping County Magistrate.
At this moment, within the main hall of the Governorship of Liaodong, Cao Rui listened to Sima Yi's report and couldn't help but furrow his brow:
“So a small area of Samhan is divided into seventy-eight countries?”
Sima Yi helplessly spread his hands: “There are three types of Han: one is Mahan, two is Chenhan, and three is Bihang. They call themselves countries, but in my view, they are no more than tribes like the Qiang people. The larger ones have more than ten thousand households, the smaller ones have a few thousand households, totaling about eighty to ninety thousand households, with a population of three to four hundred thousand people.”
"When He Liu arrived at the southernmost part of the Daiyang Commandery, he found that he couldn't find a suitable representative of the Samhan tribes. So he had to bring back Sun Qu, the county magistrate of Tixi, who is familiar with border affairs."
"However, when He Yu returned, he also brought a person from the country of Wa from Daiyang Commandery. According to He Yu's report, Wa has always sent envoys to Daiyang Commandery, Baej and Samhan."
" Wa." Cao Rui pondered for a moment, tapping the table lightly with his hand, "I faintly remember that during the Han Dynasty, there was an envoy from Wa who came to Luoyang and was granted an edict of appointment? Is that true?"
Sima Yi shook his head slightly to show that he didn't know.
Lu Yu bowed on the side and said, "Your Majesty, while organizing the classics in Luoyang, I came across a record of this event. In the middle of Han Gengwu's Yuan years, a Japanese envoy went to Luoyang to pay tribute and was granted a title of king by Gengwu."
Cao Rui laughed, "This really goes back to the ancient times. The Great Wei inherits the mandate of heaven from the Han Dynasty, so the Wa slaves are also subject countries under my rule?"
Lu Yu nodded, "All the lands under heaven are subjects of the king. The Wa country is indeed a vassal of the Great Wei."
"Well, let's also summon the person from Wa this afternoon. The kings of Fuyu and Baej are both here, right?"
Sima Yi replied, "They have all arrived. King Ti Tai of Fuyu came first with Xiahou Yuan, while He Yu came later from a distant place and King Ou Sou of Goguryeo has been in Xiangping and has not left. So Your Majesty can summon them all together this afternoon."
Cao Rui nodded, "I should have my midday meal. In half an hour, the Ministry of the Interior will lead them all over."
"Obedient to your command." said Sima Yi.
In the afternoon, in the main hall of the governor's mansion, Cao Rui watched with interest these small kingdom monarchs dressed in Han-style attire.
That's right, Sima Yi has already changed their clothes to make them conform to the etiquette, and they have also bathed.
Sima Yi bowed and said, "Your Majesty, this is the King Youjun of Goguryeo, King Ti Tai of Fuyu, King Ou Sou of Baej, and the envoy from Wa, Nan Shengmi."
Liaodong was originally a place where the Sun family was in control, and naturally, the Han language was in use. The surrounding countries were not far apart, and since the kings and envoys are all from the elite class of their nations, they should be able to understand.
"Your Majesty, we bow and pay our respects!" The four of them knelt down together in unison.
Cao Rui seemed to recall, as if he had seen such a scene somewhere before.
Liangyou! It was like this when we trained the Qiang leaders to enter within the city of Shanggu back then.
Cao Rui only found it interesting, and he raised his right hand to indicate, "Stand up straight."
"I have already met King Youjun. King Ti Tai of Fuyu and King Ou Sou of Baej, you two are the first time I have seen, and this envoy from Wa."
"Nan Shengmi!"
"I am present!" Upon hearing Cao Rui call out his name, Nan Shengmi, who had been about to bow down and pay respects, repeated the gesture he had just made.
Seeing that all the ministers in the hall were holding back their laughter, Sima Yi had no choice but to step forward and pull Nan Shengmi up: "Get up quickly! You don't have to bow anymore!"
Cao Rui laughed lightly a few times: "Nan Shengmi, I have something to ask you. You must answer truthfully and not speak falsely."
Nan Shengmi bowed and said, "If Your Majesty has something to ask, Your servant will answer truthfully."
Cao Rui nodded, "I have heard that Wa is a general term, and it is further divided into many small countries. Where are you from in Wa?"
Nan Shengmi swallowed nervously and then bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I come from the country of Yamato. Forty years ago, there was great chaos and civil war among the many small countries of Wa. Then they jointly elevated the queen of Yamato, Pimihou, to be the king of Wa, and only then did Wa find peace."
Cao Rui asked again, "Who is the current king of Wa?"
Nan Shengmi replied, "It is still Queen Pimihou who is in power."
Could it be that this Pimihou has been on the throne for forty years and is still reigning as the king of Wa? She must be so very old?
Although the hall was not noisy, everyone in the hall had an unusual expression on their faces. It was really quite strange. Cao Rui asked again, "How old is Pimihou this year?"
Nan Shengmi hummed and then shook his head, saying, "Your Majesty, I really do not know."
Don't you even know the age of your own king?
Cao Rui shook his head and said, "What I just said is indeed amusing. Whether old or young, they must have a certain age."
However, Nan Shengmi replied, "Your Majesty, I have not seen Queen Pimihou, and neither can the others in my country. It is said that the queen has thousands of maids and that her residence is heavily guarded, and that no subject is allowed to enter. Queen Pimihou excels in ghost worship, so all the people of Wa revere her."
Cao Rui laughed lightly and pointed at Nan Shengmi, addressing the assembly, "Do you all know why Wa is like this?"
Man Chong also seemed to have a slight smile on his lips and directly answered, "Since it uses ghost worship to deceive the people and strictly controls access to outsiders, it is likely that this Pimihou has already changed many people in the palace!"
The King of Baej, Qiu Shou, who was somewhat familiar with Nan Shengmi, turned his head and stared at him strangely. The others in the hall were also enlightened, some shaking their heads in disdain and others laughing in mockery.
Cao Rui gave a light cough, and the hall returned to silence.
"Today, you and the others have come to pay homage to me. I will also make a considerate arrangement for you. Ti Tai, Qiu Shou, do you know about the matter of Goguryeo receiving a title?"
Both of them nodded.
The King of Fuyu, Taitai, was about fifty years old and bowed to say, "Your Majesty, I was deceived by the Sun family and respected their position, which was not my intention."
"If your Majesty does not hold a grudge, the subject would be happy to have his position ratified as for the case of Goguryeo, the subject's heart is indeed delighted!"
Cao Rui laughed, "So you agree?"
Taitai quickly nodded, "The subject naturally agrees!"
After that, Taitai glanced at Youjun beside him, hesitating slightly, "Your Majesty, if the subject's new Fuyu country is built by the emperor, then will Fuyu be equal to Goguryeo and Baej in status as a Commandery of the State of Wei's camp?"
Cao Rui nodded in response.
Sima Yi interjected, "If today you three agree, then the Camp Commandery will become a region with four countries and three territories, covering a total of seven commandery regions."
"The four commanderies of Liaodong, Xuantu, Yelang, and Daifang, as well as the countries of Fuyu, Goguryeo, and Baej."
Taitai asked again, "Your Majesty, is it permissible for commanderies within the jurisdiction of the Great Wei to engage in military action against each other?"
Sima Yi scolded, "Don't say nonsense! As fellow territories of the Wei Empire, how can they engage in mutual military actions?"
"That's good, that's good." Taitai bowed and thanked, "The subject will follow the emperor's command! From now on, if Goguryeo bullies Fuyu again, we will have your majesty to support us!"
Goguryeo has a wider territory and more people. To the west, they can't defeat the Sun family, and to the north, Fuyu, and to the south, Woju, among others, are in trouble.
The rotund Youjun stood there, watching Taitai perform in public, feeling rather helpless inside.
Cao Rui laughed and said, "Qiu Shou, what about you? Would Baej accept the edict of appointment from the Great Wei to be a vassal state in the State of Wei's Camp Commandery?"
King Qiu Shou also bowed and said, "The subject is willing!"
"Well." Cao Rui's expression also gradually became serious. "Since you three countries are willing to become vassal states of the Wei, I will follow the example of Emperor Gaozu entering Chang'an, and draft laws for you three countries."
"In other words, I will establish rules for you three countries."
The three kings bowed together, leaving only Nan Shengmi, who seemed a bit embarrassed, standing in the hall.
Cao Rui said, "Firstly, countries must not engage in mutual military actions. Any disputes shall be reported to the Governor of the Commandery for mediation."
"Secondly, the kings of each country must send their eldest son to Luoyang to serve as a literatus. If there is a change in the throne, the eldest son will return to his country to ascend the throne."
"Thirdly, the three countries must each send their elite troops to serve in Xiangping. Goguryeo will send 1,000 troops, while Baej and Fuyu will each send 500 troops. They will be under the command of the Governor of the Commandery, and their supplies will be provided by the local state."
"These three rules are the ones that you three countries must abide by under the rule of the Wei. Who agrees? Who opposes?"
After thinking for a moment, realizing that this 'Three Principles' was indeed lenient, the three kings knelt down and kowtowed together, no one daring to say a word more. (The chapter ends)
