Lady Bian knelt outside Cao Cao's sleeping quarters. As it was winter, the icicles hanging from the eaves were melting, dripping one by one onto her shoulders.
Lady Bian, tears welling up, pleaded, "My King, Ziwen has made a mistake this time, and it is enough to punish him with lifelong confinement. At least his life would be spared. But Zihuan… punishing Zihuan with exile to the borderlands… that is a place of certain death!"
Cao Cao's expression was calm yet cold. "If I were already dead, if the Crown Prince had not been able to turn the tide, how many people in this city of Xudu would be dead by now?"
Lady Bian trembled with fear. "I know Your Majesty acts for the sake of Great Wei, to eliminate its hidden dangers. But… but even a tiger does not eat its cubs!"
Cao Cao sighed, "Tigers may not eat their cubs, but the King of Wei is different. Standing in this position of King of Wei, I must consider more, and consider more profoundly. I must nip in the bud anything that could threaten Great Wei in the future. Perhaps you will say I am biased towards the Crown Prince, but this bias is something the Crown Prince earned himself! Open your eyes and look. In this vast Great Wei today, how much of his painstaking effort is contained within it? Should I not be heartless for him just once?"
Cao Cao's words made Lady Bian clench her teeth, not knowing what to say!
At this moment, a eunuch timidly stepped forward to announce, "Your Majesty, Lord Xun and several strategists are waiting for Your Majesty in the side hall!"
Lady Bian wiped away her tears…
Seemingly unwilling to shed tears in front of the servants.
Cao Cao walked past her and pulled her up. "You need not weep. At least you still have Zijian. Is he not the one you dote on the most? He has made a great contribution this time. I can see that he will surely be an indispensable minister by the Crown Prince's side in the future!"
Speaking of which…
Cao Cao cast one last deep gaze at Lady Bian and, led by the little eunuch, slowly walked away.
In the side hall, Xun Yu, Xun You, Jia Xu, and Xi Zhicai were already waiting…
Cao Cao went straight to the main seat and knelt.
"Come, speak your minds."
Xun You spoke first, "Ma Teng of Xiliang has sent his son, Ma Chao, with the seals and household registers of the eight commanderies of Xiliang, offering his Xiliang tiger daughter in marriage to the Crown Prince of Great Wei, with the eight commanderies of Xiliang as her dowry!"
Xi Zhicai blurted out, "Sun Yi and Sun Quan of Jiangdong are likewise. The household registers and seals of the six commanderies and seventy-two counties of Jiangdong have all been brought by Zhou Yu. They also attach great importance to the marriage between Sun Xiaomei of Jiangdong and the Crown Prince!"
Next was Jia Xu, "Lu Fengxian did not bring household registers or seals, but he did bring a seal from the country of 'Yamatai'. This dowry from his daughter, Lu Lingqi, is no simple matter. This seal of 'Yamatai' also declares that 'Wa', east of Liaodong across the great ocean, will from today be an inalienable part of our Great Wei's territory!"
The words of Xun You, Xi Zhicai, and Jia Xu were simple…
But the information was immense!
Unlike Xiliang and Jiangdong giving away their territories as dowries, which was quite impressive…
Lu Bu's offer was even more extravagant…
One must know…
During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, "Wa" first arrived on the mainland. When their envoys met Emperor Wu of Han, they were too short, so Emperor Wu of Han bestowed upon them the title "Wa people".
The Han Dynasty also implicitly acknowledged… that there was an island in the great ocean east of Liaodong, named "Wa Kingdom"…
Who could have imagined…
That the empire once bestowed the title "Wa people" by Emperor Wu of Han would truly become an inalienable part of Great Wei's territory today.
This made Cao Cao feel quite excited.
"Indeed, Lu Fengxian! Hahaha…"
He laughed heartily…
However, while Cao Cao was laughing heartily, Xun Yu wore a worried expression, in stark contrast to the atmosphere.
Cao Cao noticed Xun Yu's expression.
"Such joyous news, why does Lord Xun have such a look?"
Xun Yu paused before speaking, "Your Majesty, I was thinking. When the Crown Prince was merely a Marquis, he had two wives in his mansion, marrying Princess Wannian and a noble lady of the Xiahou clan… just arranging this wedding caused 'Grand Astrologer' and 'Grand Coachman' to rack their brains. In the end, it was Your Majesty who compromised, placing Princess Wannian first and the noble lady of the Xiahou clan second, even separating the wedding nights into upper and lower sessions! But now…"
Xun Yu did not finish his words, and the matter he mentioned was not significant.
But…
These words made Cao Cao shiver.
Not just Cao Cao shivered.
Jia Xu, Xun You, Xi Zhicai… all were stunned for a moment.
Who would have thought that as soon as the Crown Prince ascended the throne, the first hurdle had already arrived.
The Xiliang Princess;
Lu Bu's daughter;
Sun Xiaomei of Jiangdong… this marriage… is not easy to arrange.
One must know, separating the wedding nights into upper and lower halves was already difficult!
Now… it would have to be separated into upper, middle, and lower halves. Fortunately, there wasn't another one, otherwise, the upper and lower halves would have to be divided into four sections!
In normal thinking, everyone wants to be the first, and no one wants to use what others have used.
Yet, these three daughters… in terms of status and background, none were inferior to the others!
A big problem!
— A big problem indeed!
…
…
Xudu City, School of Officials.
Cheng Yu, dressed in casual attire, seemed in high spirits due to happiness…
He paused at the entrance of the School of Officials and inscribed: "Heaven and Earth have shifted, the dust has settled."
Xu Shu was also there…
Xu Shu pondered and commented, "People say 'a person in good spirits when encountering joy…' It seems Master Cheng is still vigorous. Even now, I can still feel the lingering pain on my back from those whip lashes!"
Cheng Yu and Xu Shu were considered the primary contributors to this incident.
Of course, achieving primary contributions did not make them overly joyous.
Instead, the fact that Lu Yu became "Cao Yu" and the Marquis of Southern Hunt became the "Crown Prince of Great Wei" was enough to make people excited.
Very few school officials were on duty at the School of Officials today…
Most were celebrating in groups of three to five.
Of course, it was not just the School of Officials, but also the Dragon Soaring Camp… and the Forging Workshop, the Carpentry Workshop, the Smelting Workshop…
These workshops closely associated with Lu Yu, because of Lu Yu's change in status, saw their already high value soar even higher.
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However, only Guo Jia and Ju Shou had moods completely different from everyone else.
As they entered the School of Officials, they appeared preoccupied…
Seeing Cheng Yu and Xu Shu, Guo Jia immediately said, "Well said, 'a person in good spirits when encountering joy.' Master Cheng, Yuan Zhi… we cannot celebrate too early yet!"
Hmm… Xu Shu and Guo Jia were both from Yingchuan and had known each other since childhood.
Xu Shu said, "The School of Officials is the direct lineage of the Crown Prince of Great Wei. Future promotions and glory for our families are assured. Why do you say this, Fengxiao?"
"Heh heh…" Guo Jia seemed to see things more clearly. "Yuan Zhi's state of mind has changed!"
"What do you mean?" Xu Shu asked, puzzled.
"The former Yuan Zhi would not say such things, nor would he value fame and fortune so much!" Guo Jia lamented, "Zi Yu has become the Crown Prince, and Yuan Zhi cannot escape this, let alone others!"
Guo Jia's remark instantly enlightened Xu Shu.
"Hoo…"
He suddenly gasped.
Guo Jia continued, "When the Crown Prince was still the Marquis of Southern Hunt, Jiangdong was not pacified, and Xiliang was not subdued. Even the court had hidden dangers. At that time, Great Wei was in its entrepreneurial phase, fighting its way to conquer the world. But now… Jiangdong and Xiliang have submitted, and only the lone territory of Bashu remains in defiance. This is the time for consolidating achievements, and consolidating is more difficult than pioneering. Governing the country is more difficult than fighting wars. Consolidating and governing rely not on troops, supplies, or wealth, but on people's hearts!"
Speaking of this, Guo Jia shook his wine gourd.
"Born Guo Fengxiao, he loves wine above all…"
Only someone as open-minded and unrestrained as him, unburdened by fame and fortune, could discern the true meaning of this.
Guo Jia's words made Cheng Yu and Xu Shu fall silent for a moment…
Cheng Yu's initially joyful mood vanished completely. "During the entrepreneurial phase, we were united against a common enemy. In the phase of consolidating achievements, everyone wants a piece of the pie. The School of Officials and the Dragon Soaring Camp are the Crown Prince's direct lineage, but what about the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, the Tiger Guards… and those nobles from Qiao and Pei? They are the King of Wei's direct lineage! Moreover… Great Wei embraces all rivers. Today, Great Wei encompasses more than just us. For example, will those surrendered generals of Yuan's faction follow Ju Shou? And will young scholars from Yingchuan follow Fengxiao and Yuan Zhi? Hahaha…"
As he reached the end, Cheng Yu laughed, stroking his beard and sighing…
He had been a bit naive earlier.
— Pioneering is difficult, consolidating is even more so!
…
…
The lamplight was dimming. Yang Xiu and Sima Yi sat in a private room of a wine shop.
"Zhongda, you seem troubled?"
"Aren't you troubled as well?"
When two sharp minds like theirs met, they were full of schemes, and neither could deceive the other.
Yang Xiu's eyes narrowed. "When Emperor Guangwu revitalized the Han Dynasty, he established the Twenty-Eight Generals of Yuntai, bestowing great honor upon them. Today, you, I, and our teacher have ascended to the position of Crown Prince. You and I… and the School of Officials, the Dragon Soaring Camp, should also see the honor of a 'Twenty-Eight Generals of Yuntai'!"
"Heh…"
Sima Yi immediately understood Yang Xiu's meaning and retorted, "A good 'Twenty-Eight Generals of Yuntai.' Yet, it was from these 'Twenty-Eight Generals of Yuntai' that clans began to monopolize all resources step by step – commerce, agriculture… and eventually, even the recommendation of filial and incorrupt officials fell into the hands of local clans. Even the officialdom was monopolized… Perhaps, from that moment on, the revival of Emperor Guangwu was doomed to decline."
Hmm…
Sima Yi's words aroused Yang Xiu's interest.
"Zhongda, you need not hide it. I suspect you have thought of it too, haven't you?" Sima Yi narrowed his eyes. "Previously, you and I were merely disciples of the Marquis of Southern Hunt. Our ambitions were only to assist the Marquis of Southern Hunt, the School of Officials, and the Dragon Soaring Camp… At that time, our opponents were also in the open, be it Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, or Lu Bu, Liu Biao… But now, our teacher has become the Crown Prince. Our ambitions are no longer for one city or county, but for the whole world… for this Great Wei."
Sima Yi sighed, "Amidst all the chaos, there are only a few people who can truly quell the great disorder. Some people have followed the King of Wei for decades, and they have seniority. Some have the support of the great families of Yingchuan. But we… what do we have to govern the country? During our governance, if we conflict with those who have seniority and background, can the Crown Prince not be put in a difficult position?"
Sima Yi's words resonated with Yang Xiu.
"Yes, people say to perform one's duties diligently, but diligence alone is not enough. Before, we only had to deal with a few people. Now, we have to deal with the entire Wei. And soon, we will have to deal with the entire world."
Speaking of this, Yang Xiu paused. "One dynasty, one emperor, one set of officials – this is an eternal truth. But how to transition peacefully, how to avoid repeating the mistakes of the rise of the Han clans, how to walk this path is difficult! It is difficult!"
Heh heh…
At this point, Sima Yi actually smiled.
This smile attracted Yang Xiu's attention.
"Do you still remember the two systems of selecting officials that our teacher proposed when he lectured at the Imperial Academy?" Sima Yi asked.
Yang Xiu's eyes flickered, and he immediately replied, "The Nine-Rank System and the Imperial Examination System?"
"Yes!" Sima Yi's tone was firm. "To curb the development of clans and avoid following in the footsteps of the Han, the 'Three Mutual Regulations' are certainly not enough. The most crucial step is to reform the selection of officials. No matter how capable the Crown Prince is, he is still one person. He cannot focus his attention on all walks of life to purify the impure and preserve the pure, to select the most suitable talents to help the Crown Prince alongside you and me. Only then can the ills of the Han be fundamentally resolved, and a new era be ushered in!"
Hiss…
Yang Xiu's brows furrowed even more.
He pondered for a moment and retorted, "I recall our teacher mentioning when explaining the Nine-Rank System that this system of selecting officials divides talents into nine grades: Upper-Upper, Upper-Middle, Upper-Lower, Middle-Upper, Middle-Middle, Middle-Lower, Lower-Upper, Lower-Middle, Lower-Lower. Although it solves the problem of having no standard for selecting officials to a certain extent, in reality, it is a compromise with the clans."
"Exactly!" Sima Yi added, "Our teacher proposed that the core of the Nine-Rank System lies in the 'Middle Official,' who is responsible for evaluating individuals in a region and managing the evaluation of people from several commanderies within a state. His evaluations are inevitably based on family background and reputation! This is still selecting from within the clans, and commoners without backgrounds still have difficulty competing! The saying 'based on the merits of talent, not the high or low status of lineage' will sooner or later become empty talk. Therefore…"
Reaching this point, Yang Xiu fully understood Sima Yi's intention.
"Zhongda, what you want to say is the 'Imperial Examination System' that our teacher favored, right?"
Yang Xiu's spirits were raised to the highest degree. "Bachelor, Mingjing, Junshi, Jinshi, Mingfa, Mingzi, Mingsuan – various subjects, with examination content including current affairs policies, classical texts, and miscellaneous essays… Selecting talents through examinations is the only way to truly achieve 'based on the merits of talent, not the high or low status of lineage.' This also gives opportunities to many who come from humble backgrounds!"
Once upon a time, when Yang Xiu and Sima Yi were studying at the Imperial Academy, Lu Yu lectured on the Imperial Examination System on the stage…
Who would have thought then…
That they would one day put that advanced "system of selecting officials" into practice? This was too crazy, too crazy!
"It's just…"
"Zhongda, please speak your mind!"
"Abolishing the recommendation system and implementing the Imperial Examination System is shaking the very foundations of the aristocratic families, and it will not be easy… The implementer will inevitably become the target of public criticism!"
"Hahaha!" Yang Xiu laughed heartily. "Every legal reform has had its sacrifices. Shang Yang's reforms led to his dismemberment by chariots, yet they made the state of Qin rich and strong! If there is no need for bloodshed, then what use are you and I?"
"Dezu…"
Sima Yi softly called out Yang Xiu's name…
At this moment, an official from the School of Officials knocked and entered, "Director Yang, the School of Officials has received urgent intelligence!"
"Speak!"
Yang Xiu commanded, and the official quickly walked to his side, whispering something into Yang Xiu's ear.
Yang Xiu's eyes suddenly widened…
This…
He was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Sima Yi.
— "Zhongda, the implementation of the Imperial Examination System, there are actually people willing to be the target of public criticism!"
As he said this, Yang Xiu's eyes inexplicably held a great deal of admiration.
If he had not heard it with his own ears, he would never have believed that this person would provide such "divine assistance" for the Imperial Examination!
…
…
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