Chapter 1062 General Wei
Compared to Sima Yi's scheming, Gou Dao is the king.
Cao Shuang seems much more immature.
Since he was a child, he was a son of a powerful person and a family member, so he was deeply loved by Cao Rui.
So I have never experienced too much trouble in my life.
Now that he has suddenly reached a high position, he has all the power of the court in his hands.
For this reason, on the one hand, he still has great respect for Liu Fang and Sun Zi who helped him rise to power.
Not only did it not take away the authority of Shu Sheng from the two of them, but it actually relied more heavily on them.
In the first few months of taking charge of the government, he asked the two for their opinions on almost everything.
On the other hand, he acted like a polite corporal and asked his disciples how to deal with the situation at hand.
There was a man under his family, whose surname was Ding Mi and whose given name was Yanjing.
When Cao Shuang served as General Wu Wei, he had already had a good deal with it.
The friendship between the two was so deep that Cao Shuang praised Ding Mi many times in front of Emperor Ming and suggested that Emperor Wei Ming reuse him.
As soon as Cao Shuang became the general, he immediately promoted Ding Mi to the rank of Minister of Sanqi and regarded him as his confidant.
Ding Mi also knew Cao Shuang’s intentions, so he added:
“Although the general has the late emperor’s edict to assist the emperor, the world is in turmoil and people’s hearts are unstable, but those who are determined to serve the country cannot help but wait and see.”
“In ancient times, a thousand pieces of gold were used to buy horse bones. Why don’t generals use wise men with no aspirations to show their enterprising spirit?”
Cao Shuang sighed:
“I want to seek virtuous people, but I don’t know where they are.”
Ding Mi smiled and said:
“If a general wants to show his ambition to the world, the quickest way is to recruit famous people who are famous but have no ambition.”
"We, the Wei Dynasty, are in the middle of the world and have so many famous people. Why should the general worry about finding talented people but not getting them?"
When Cao Shuang heard Ding Mi’s words, his heart moved:
“Maybe Cheng Yanjing already has a candidate?”
Ding Mi shook his feather fan lightly, shook his head, and said confidently:
"Uncle He Ping (also known as He Yan) has a long-standing reputation for talent. He once annotated the Analects of Confucius and was the adopted son of Emperor Wu. However, he has only served as a redundant official for so many years. Can he be said to have failed?"
"Deng Xuanmao (also known as Deng Yang) has a rare reputation. He once served as Shangshulang and then as magistrate of Luoyang County. He was later dismissed from office until today. Can it be said that he has no ambition?"
"Zhuge Gongxiu (i.e. Zhuge Dan) once served as an official to the imperial censor Zhongcheng. All colleagues in the court treated each other with caution, but now he is just a commoner. Can he be said to have no ambition?"
Ding Mi even mentioned three people, all of whom were well-known figures before the flashy case.
But later on, no matter whether they were big or small officials, Cao Rui wiped them out and no longer used them.
Hearing this, Cao Shuang couldn't help but hesitate:
"These people are all deposed by the late emperor. If I appoint them, I'm afraid they will be criticized."
In fact, before the Fuhua case, everyone in Luoyang's dignitaries and aristocratic families was proud to participate in activities where celebrities could communicate and talk.
Cao Shuang is naturally no exception.
At that time, he had close friendship with these people.
So when I heard Ding Mi mention these people, my heart moved.
But friendship is friendship. He had only been a general for less than half a year, and he had made a move that went against the emperor's suppression of ostentation during his lifetime. Naturally, he felt worried.
Ding Mi has known Cao Shuang for many years and is now Cao Shuang's confidant.
Naturally, he guessed a little bit about Cao Shuang’s thoughts, and he smiled and said:
"Why should the general worry? I was also involved in it back then, so why doesn't the general worry about being criticized?"
"It is precisely because the late emperor suppressed these people too much that if the general uses them in an unusual way, they will feel grateful to the general. This can be said that a scholar who is a close friend will die."
When Cao Shuang heard this, he still hesitated and remained silent.
Ding Mi continued:
“Besides, there were more than a few of them who were implicated in the Fuhua case. The two sons of Zhongshu from Zhongshu Province are nearby, and the one from Luoyang is far away..."
“Now that all of them have become feudal lords, can anyone say that they are not?”
"On the other hand, the general is in charge of the government, but he is timid. He has the heart to seek talents but dare not do anything to appoint them. If others find out, he will be greatly disappointed."
Cao Shuang suddenly woke up:
That’s right, the two sons of Zhongshu, Sun and Liu, used to be the “Three Yus” in the “Four Congs, Eight Das and Three Yus”.
Not to mention that Sima Yi’s son Sima Shi was locked up in the palace by his Majesty himself for several days and nights as a warning.
Now that they have all been granted the title of marquis, I have to tie my hands and feet even if I am appointed as a confidant. Isn’t it ridiculous for others?
After thinking about this, Cao Shuang showed a smile on his face: "Yan Jing's words made me enlightened!"
So he asked again:
“But you don’t know that these three are qualified for any position?”
Ding Mi suggested:
"Uncles He Ping and Deng Xuanmao are both known for their talents. They can be appointed ministers, and the generals can consult on important state affairs sooner or later."
Speaking of this, Ding Mi said meaningfully:
"These two people were recommended by the general and entered the chancellery. How could they not care about the kindness of the general?"
"When the time comes for the minister to report something, he will naturally have to go through the general first. In this case, why should the general worry about losing his authority?"
Cao Shuang was so happy that he couldn't help shouting: "Wonderful!"
It turns out that this is the purpose of confidants and minions!
So he asked happily:
“Then what should Gong Zhuge do?”
“Zhuge Gongxiu is fair in his affairs, and his colleagues in the early years have treated him with caution, so he can be appointed as the Sili Xiaowei, in charge of both the inside and outside of the capital. In this way, the general will be safe both inside and outside!”
Cao Shuang laughed.
Then he looked at Ding Mi and said:
“After Yan Jing’s many considerations, there is still something missing.”
When Ding Mi heard what Cao Shuang said, he couldn't help but think about it again, but he didn't find anything wrong. He immediately asked:
“I dare to ask the general, but I don’t know where Mi is missing?”
Cao Shuang looked at Ding Mi's appearance and felt even more happy:
"This sparseness means that Yan Jing has neglected himself!"
"Mi just wants to be by the general's side and can do some small things, that's enough!"
Ding Mi quickly said modestly.
"Uncle He Ping and Deng Xuanmao were recommended by Yan Jing, and they can still be admitted to the chancellery. How can I take Yan Jing lightly?"
Cao Shuang waved his hand grandly and said:
“How about I also let Yan Jing join the ministerial office and hold the position of election?”
The so-called official election is actually responsible for selecting officials.
This can be said to be a matter of weight.
Ding Mi received Cao Shuang's promise. Even with his arrogance, he was so excited that his body trembled slightly, and he saluted Cao Shuang deeply:
“Mi, I will definitely live up to the general’s trust and select talented people who are loyal to the state affairs for the general!”
It turns out that this is what it feels like to have great power.
Just as one word can make a person become a minister, one word can also make a person become a commoner. It is up to oneself to like or dislike it. This feeling is so refreshing!
However, he still maintained a trace of sobriety and corrected:
"This is not for me, but for the Emperor. Yan Jing, you have lost your words!"
Ding Mi quickly said: "Yes, yes, that's right, Mi made a mistake."
Just as Ding Mi said, when the conquest order issued by General Cao was delivered to He Yan, Deng Yang, Zhuge Dan and others, everyone heard about it and came.
Looking at these famous talents in the past, all of them responded to his call, Cao Shuang felt extremely relieved.
For a time, the general's residence was crowded with celebrities, cars and people were coming and going, and it was very lively.
Cao Shuang listened to the praise of celebrities every day and felt that in the future, the Wei Dynasty would be full of talented people, and he would be the minister of the resurgence of the Wei Dynasty.
Just when Cao Shuang was trying to bribe his confidants and was preparing to use his fists, someone finally stood up to object:
“General, when the late emperor was here in the past, he once said, ‘Don’t choose someone with a good name for election. Make cakes with picturesque names and don’t eat them.’”
"Nowadays, not only are the generals employed by the former emperors mostly those who were ill, but they also only select people based on their reputations, but not their talents. This is not an acceptable approach!"
This person is none other than General Shi Sunli.
It turns out that Cao Rui knew that Cao Shuang was weak by nature and had no independent opinions. He could only rest assured when he had a good assistant.
So after making Cao Shuang the general, Sun Li was appointed as the general's commander-in-chief to help Cao Shuang handle affairs.
After Cao Cao captured Youzhou, he recruited Sun Guansi to serve as Sikong's adviser. In this way, he can be called an old man of the Four Dynasties.
Just because his background was not very good, but he had a bad temper, and he even let criminals go without permission.
So although he is quite talented, he has served as governor in various places and his political achievements are considerable.
But in the end, he just returned to the court and took up the position of minister.
Finally got the position of Minister, but he repeatedly advised Cao Rui not to build large-scale construction projects.
Once, after Cao Rui agreed to let the people go back to farming, the supervisor asked the people to stay one more day to finish the work.
Sun Li learned about this and went directly to the construction site, saying that the emperor had issued an edict to exempt people from labor and let the people go home in advance.
Although Cao Rui did not blame him in the end, it is simply impossible to say that he did not have any knot in his heart.
It is precisely because of Sun Li's temper that he did not receive much importance despite the three emperors: Cao Cao, Cao Pi, and Cao Rui.
Finally, by chance, Cao Rui went out to hunt and met a tiger on the road.
In order to protect Cao Rui, Sun Li wanted to fight the tiger alone, and then he got Cao Rui's attention.
Cao Rui finally remembered him before he died, so he appointed him as the general commander Shi to assist Cao Shuang.
Sun Li was upright and fierce by nature. Naturally, he couldn't get used to what Cao Shuang was doing now, so he didn't give the general any face at all:
How long ago did the late emperor pass away? General, as the person appointed by the late emperor to assist the government, how could you overturn the measures taken by the late emperor during his lifetime?
If it had been before, Cao Shuang might not have been unable to listen to Sun Li's advice.
It’s just that these days, he feels so comfortable being flattered by famous celebrities that his mentality is somewhat inflated.
When I heard Sun Li's words again, I felt that they were very harsh.
So he couldn’t help but lower his face and scolded:
“You are only a long history, you are assisting me in doing things, not teaching me to do things!”
Sun Li has such a violent temper, how can he endure this?
I immediately pushed back:
“According to the general’s opinion, doesn’t that mean that even the late emperor made mistakes? Or does the general want to teach the late emperor how to do things?”
Sun Li was a bandit in the mountains in his early years. He served as the governor of various places. He also followed Cao Xiu to attack the state of Wu. He was very courageous. How could the weak-tempered Cao Shuang withstand it?
He felt a little guilty when he heard Sun Li say this.
Seeing Sun Li's stern expression again, he couldn't help but take a step back.
After retreating, Cao Shuang realized that he was actually showing weakness in front of his auxiliary officers.
At that moment, I couldn’t help but feel ashamed and angry, and shouted:
“Bold! Have you ever talked to a superior like this?”
Sun Li did not give in at all:
“The late emperor appointed Li as the general and commander of history because he wanted Li to assist the general in his actions.”
"The general is not doing something right now. If he still keeps silent about courtesy, what is the difference between courtesy and those who flatter him?"
“In this case, the etiquette violates the entrustment of the late emperor, so it must not be done!”
Cao Shuang was so angry that his whole body was shaking. He pointed his fingers in parallel and pointed at Sun Li: "You, you, you... you are so bold!"
He talked about "you" for a long time, but finally realized that he couldn't defeat Sun Li, so he waved his sleeves bitterly and turned around to leave.
I can’t afford to offend you, so I can’t afford to hide?
Just after returning to the palace, Cao Shuang became more and more angry. He immediately summoned Ding Mi and told him what had happened.
Then he asked:
"I want to make a difference, but Sun Li is very rude! If I let him restrict me, I'm afraid things will be inconvenient."
"However, he is the general and commander-in-chief appointed by the late emperor himself. I cannot dismiss him lightly. What can I do?"
Winning the hearts of famous people to increase their reputation was Ding Mi's personal suggestion.
Ding Mi has always been arrogant. When he lived in Yecheng in his early years, he once borrowed an empty house from others.
Some members of the Cao clan also took a fancy to this house, but they didn't know that Ding Mi would get it first, so they went straight in.
Ding Mi saw his clan members entering, crossed his legs and lay down on the bed, and directly ordered his servants:
"Who are these people? Why don't you drive them out quickly?"
His arrogance is so great.
Hearing that Sun Li was totally against his idea, how could Ding Mi still hold back?
He naturally shared the same enemy with Cao Shuang, and also resented Sun Li.
However, he has more ideas than Cao Shuang.
After thinking about it carefully, he said to Cao Shuang:
"Since the late emperor valued Sun Deda (i.e. Sun Li), he must be a talented person. At this time, the country was in turmoil, especially Yecheng, Hebei, which was the founding place of the Wei Dynasty."
"At this time, the Shu soldiers are approaching the party and want to take a peek at Ye City. This must be guarded against. Why doesn't the general order Sun Deda to go to Ye City to prevent the Shu soldiers?"
Can’t you?
Then go to Hebei. If you can defeat the Shu captives, it will be because the general knows people well and uses them well to stabilize the situation in Wei.
“If Sun Deda fails to resist the prisoners, he is just talking arrogantly. If he is disrespectful to the general and fails to resist the prisoners, then the general will punish him for several crimes. What can a mere long history do?”
When Cao Shuang heard this suggestion, he agreed with it. He then showed a ruthless look on his face and gritted his teeth and said, "That's exactly what it should be!"
At that moment, without any hesitation, Sun Li was directly appointed as the governor of Jizhou.
In order to avoid being exposed, Cao Shuang also spent a lot of money to confer Sun Li with the title of General Fubo and the title of Marquis of Guannei.
Although Sun Li knew that Cao Shuang wanted to transfer him away from Xuchang, he had no way to refuse.
After all, the Wei State at this time has indeed reached a critical moment.
After he was appointed, he took ten blank appointment documents, led 3,000 troops, and started heading north.
At this time, Wei Yan had led his army all the way up the Fen River, passing through Pingyang County, Xihe County, and Taiyuan County, and then rested briefly in Qi County on the right side of the original Xiongnu.
After resting, they then turned and headed down the Nirvana River, breaking through several small counties and dozens of villages along the way, heading towards Xiangyuan.
As long as Xiangyuan is captured, the next step is Huguan, the county seat of Shangdang County.
PS: The three most powerful assistants of General Cao Shuang during the Three Kingdoms period: He Yan, Deng Yang, and Ding Mi. Known as the "Three Dogs of Taichung".
(End of this chapter)