Chapter 748 The Yu family and the Guo family
For the current Cao Rui, he still does not have the capital to go his own way despite the opposition of most of the important officials in the court.
No matter what his true thoughts are in his heart, on the surface, he must respect the opinions of the ministers.
No matter how much he dislikes the noble concubine Yu in the harem, these days, he always has to go to her place to spend the night.
“Madam, Madam! Your Majesty has sent a message, saying that he will spend the night at your place again tonight!”
Yu's personal maid ran over happily and said to Yu.
Yu Shi said "hmm", indicating that she understood.
His eyes didn’t even move.
She was sitting there, holding a pot of hot water in her delicate hands and pouring it on the teapot.
This is a tea-making technique that has just been introduced from outside the palace, and she is trying it out.
The mist rose up, covering her face in white, making it difficult for the palace maid to see her expression clearly.
She came into contact with this kind of tea passed down from Shu region, and she initially wanted to please Cao Rui.
It was only later on when she was granted the title of queen that she realized that as a royal wife, in the heart of the emperor, she was not even as good as a woman of low birth.
Later, she was deposed and moved to Yecheng.
It was then that she realized that in the emperor's heart, she was not inferior to others, but had no status at all.
This tea-drinking method passed down from Shu did not please the emperor, but the Yu family liked it himself.
The smell of tea is pleasant.
Making tea makes people calm.
Taste the tea and concentrate your energy.
It is the best way to cultivate the mind and nature.
There are two kinds of tea that are popular in Luoyang city now.
One is the old tea soup, which is made by mixing ginger, tea, meat oil and other ingredients together to make a boiling soup and drinking it.
There is another kind of tea soup like this.
In order to distinguish these two tea soups, people in Luoyang City call them Camellia oleifera soup and clear tea soup respectively.
At the beginning of tea soup, I don’t know where the saying came from. It was said that tea has a tea ceremony. Learning it can cultivate the mind and nourish the nature, and drinking it can calm the mind.
Yu Shi was hesitant at first, but now he is convinced.
Now the top dignitaries and descendants of aristocratic families in Luoyang City have begun to use tea soup when entertaining guests.
Only those from poor families like to drink oil tea soup.
Just like Mao who came from a humble background.
His father Mao Jia was originally a lathe worker in Dianyu. Because of Mao's family name, he was granted the title of Marquis of Boping Township and was promoted to the official position of Guanglu. He suddenly became wealthy overnight.
In order to improve the status of the Mao family, the emperor ordered all civil and military officials to have a banquet at Mao's house. Mao Jia behaved without etiquette and called himself "hou Shen".
At the banquet, the tea soup served by Mao's family was all tea soup. When others asked, they didn't know what tea soup was. They were really ignorant.
The emperor’s queen’s home became the laughing stock of Luoyang City overnight.
Thinking of this, Mr. Yu couldn't help but reveal a sneer at the corner of his mouth.
“Why are you laughing?”
Yu Shi was startled when she heard the sound. She looked up and saw that the emperor had come in without knowing it.
“I have met His Majesty.”
Mr. Yu quickly stood up and bowed down Yingying.
“Get up.”
Cao Rui sat down opposite her and said, "Sit down too."
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Cao Rui looked at the tea set on the table and then at the chair he was sitting on, "You seem to like the things from Shu?"
Mao would have been frightened when he heard the emperor's words.
But this is not the case for the Yu family. Anyway, she has already been deposed once, and the worst she can do is to do it again.
She smiled lightly: "Originally I was just curious, but after using it, I found it really useful, so I started using it."
It is actually very easy to make this kind of table and chair. The craftsman can make it after seeing the real thing and thinking about it a little.
But making it is one thing, whether it can be done to people's satisfaction is another matter.
For example, in the Yu family palace, the table, chairs, tea sets, etc. are all original items from Shu.
Needless to say, the wood is of the highest quality.
The key is to make it antique and have an ancient charm.
The most important thing is that I don’t know whether the wood is natural or coated with some unknown secret material.
It is as smooth as a mirror, does not seep water, and has no peculiar smell. It is really the best thing.
These items were transported from Shu to Luoyang without even a scratch. It really cost a lot of money.
Cao Rui felt a little uncomfortable when he saw that Yu Shi spoke lightly.
Since ancient times, Henan, Hedong and Hanoi have been the land of three rivers in the world. If they are like a tripod, the king will live there.
The so-called Henan refers to the Wanluo area, which is now the location of the intimate capital of Wei State.
Hedong is northwest of Luoyang City, on the north bank of the river, across the river from Luoyang.
Hanoi is also on the north bank of the river, immediately east of Hedong, and northeast of Luoyang City.
These three places, just like the current world, are close to each other and stand as a tripartite.
The Yu family in Hanoi originated from Emperor Shun and is one of the oldest surnames.
In order to gain the support of the Hanoi noble families, Cao Pi first re-employed Sima Yi, who was born in Hanoi, and then married Cao Rui to the Yu family as his concubine.
The Yu clan has a profound background. It is not a secret that there are caravans coming and going from Longyou, Liangzhou, and even Shu.
In fact, the Wei State now has channels to collect wool for the army's generals to keep out the cold, and the caravans under the names of the famous families in the Three Rivers Land are indispensable.
If Xiahou Mao had not misappropriated the grain and grass stocks in Guanzhong, he should be a great hero now.
Because in winter, the entire territory of the Wei Dynasty, from Jianghuai to Youzhou, and from Guanzhong to Luoyang, was either frozen or snowed, and it was very cold.
Things to keep out the cold are really important to the Wei State.
Cao Rui was able to defeat Sun Quan in his first year on the throne.
The next year, the Hexi Rebellion was put down again.
In addition, there were many veterans who stayed from Cao Cao's period at this time.
That's why he had the confidence not to make the Yu family his queen, and also to weaken the constraints imposed on him by the aristocratic family.
In the third year, he went to Chang'an in person, hoping to defeat the Shu Han himself and thus completely consolidate his foundation.
It’s just that people’s calculations are not as good as God’s calculations.
If we talk about the defeat in the southeast, it can be said that Cao Xiu was too aggressive.
So the loss of Longyou was because Cao Rui's imperial commander personally conquered it, and no one could excuse him.
In addition, only Sima Yi could kill Mengda and control Jingzhou at that time.
In this case, he had to welcome the Yu family back to Luoyang to calm the family.
So, seeing Yu's attitude in Cao Rui's eyes, it is natural that he will overthink it and feel uncomfortable.
Yu Shi brought a cup of tea and brought it to Cao Rui, "This is the tea I just brewed. Your Majesty, please have a taste."
Cao Rui took it and took a sip, feeling that it was both bitter and sweet.
“In the past month, there have been a lot of rumors about Liangzhou, all saying that the Shu people are marching westward.”
"Sun Quan in the south proclaimed himself emperor at this time and made an alliance with the Shu people. He wanted to do harm to the Wei Dynasty. I wanted to attack him, but all the ministers said it was impossible."
“However, in the city of Luoyang, the powerful children and students who met in the glitz and glamor spoke sharply and criticized the imperial court for its inability to do anything, which made people very troubled.”
Mrs. Yu lowered her eyes and said softly: "The late emperor once said: The relationship between husband and wife and politics is the root of chaos. Your Majesty talks to my concubine in court affairs, but I dare not speak lightly."
In the Han Dynasty, two palaces stood side by side, that is, the Queen Mother lived in Changle Palace and the Emperor lived in Weiyang Palace.
In the Han Dynasty, the country was governed by filial piety, and the queen mother often engaged in political affairs.
When ministers have something to do, they often report to the Queen Mother, so the relatives can show their dignity.
In the Later Han Dynasty, because most of the emperors were young, the problem of relatives became more and more serious.
To prevent this situation from happening, Cao Pi issued an edict:
The relationship between husband and wife and politics is the root of chaos. From now on, the ministers are not allowed to serve the Queen Mother, the descendants of the family are not allowed to serve as assistants to the government, and they are not allowed to accept the title of Mao Shi. This edict is passed down to future generations. If anyone violates it, the whole world will punish him.
At the same time, it also abolished the centuries-old rule in the Qin and Han Dynasties that women could be knighted.
It is said that the Qin Dynasty violated the ancient system and was inherited by the Han Dynasty. However, this method did not conform to the ancient etiquette and law, so the Wei Dynasty abolished it.
Even the Empress Dowager Bian, the Empress Dowager, did not show any disdain whenever she saw her foreign relatives.
He also often advises his relatives: "You must live frugally, and you should not expect rewards or covet comfort. Don't blame me for being too merciless to you, because I have my own principles."
“I have served Emperor Wu for forty or fifty years and have been accustomed to living a frugal life. It is impossible for me to become extravagant and luxurious. If you dare to violate the laws and regulations, I will make you one more serious crime than an ordinary person.”
“You can’t even expect me to send you money or food, or to forgive you.”
With the Empress Dowager taking the lead, the concubines in the harem of Wei State have always been relatively quiet and rarely caused trouble.
Except for the fact that Yu was snatched away from her position as queen, there was a big fuss.
Now that she has returned to Luoyang, her mentality has already changed and she will not say anything more.
Cao Rui's eyes flashed and he stared at Mrs. Yu closely, as if he wanted to see the true thoughts in her heart from her face.
It’s just that Mrs. Yu’s face is respectful, nothing else.
After staring at Mr. Yu for a while, Cao Rui really couldn't tell her true thoughts, and then nodded, "Well, since you don't want to say more, that's okay."
"It seems that you haven't seen your family since you returned to Luoyang from Yecheng, right? In a few days, I will have someone notify the Yu family and ask them to send someone to the palace to talk to you."
Yu Shi raised his head suddenly.
What greeted her was Cao Rui's sharp eyes.
The emperor continued to give instructions, "It would be best to let the person in charge of the caravan also enter the palace."
Recalling what Emperor Cai said about Liangzhou, Mrs. Yu understood. She opened her mouth and wanted to say something, but in the end she could only agree: "Promise."
Cao Rui stood up, opened his arms, and said calmly: "Go to bed."
Yu Shi walked to Cao Rui and helped him untie his clothes. An unknown cold light flashed in her eyes where Cao Rui couldn't see her.
"If your Majesty is really worried about Liangzhou, I have an idea."
“Aren’t you talking about court affairs?”
Cao Rui had a sneer on his face.
“It’s not a matter of the court, but a matter of the harem.”
Yu Shi gritted her teeth behind Cao Rui, but her voice became gentler.
"There is a person in the palace who comes from a wealthy family in Hexi. If your majesty goes to find her, it is possible that she will be of some help."
This time Cao Rui was really surprised. He couldn't help but turned his head, "Huh? There is such a person? Why didn't I know?"
"This person was banished to the palace during the reign of the late emperor. It is possible that your majesty did not notice it for a while."
Faced with Cao Rui's doubtful gaze, Mrs. Yu, not knowing whether intentionally or unintentionally, moved closer and helped him take off his outer robe.
“At the beginning of Huang Dynasty, there was a rebellion in Hexi, and the powerful Guo family participated in it. The Guo family from Xidu was banished to Luoyang Palace.”
Xidu is the county government of Xiping County.
“Guo’s family?”
"It is the Guo family." Yu Shi whispered softly, "Although the Guo family is gone, my uncle is still there. If your majesty can call him and ask him in detail, it may be of some help."
Although her words and deeds were gentle, there was a sneer in her heart.
His Majesty, the Emperor, is of a sentimental nature, but he also likes beauty - the beauty of both men and women is appreciated.
Mao is beautiful, but Guo is even more beautiful than her, and Guo is young.
After a few years, Mrs. Mao became older and older, while Mrs. Guo happened to be at her most beautiful age.
When the time comes I want to see if His Majesty the Emperor will treat Mao the same way he treated me that day?
"Ms. Guo is quite attractive. Even when I see her, I feel pity for her. If Your Majesty is interested, how about I ask someone to call her over now?"
Cao Rui was already very moved when he saw Mrs. Yu's attitude, and when he heard that she actually took the initiative to recommend palace people to him, his heart became even more intense.
Seeing him like this, Mrs. Yu knew what he meant, so she turned around and gave the order.
After a while, a timid woman was led in.
When Cao Rui saw her, her eyes lit up: She is indeed a beauty!
A few days later, news came from the palace: the emperor’s inner palace had a newly appointed Mrs. Guo.
At the same time, during the early Huang Dynasty, the Guo family, who was implicated in the rebellion in Xiping County, and was moved to Luoyang, welcomed a happy event.
Mrs. Guo's uncle Guo Zhi was named Huben Zhonglang General.
His uncle Guo Li was granted the title of Cavalry Commander.
At the same time, Wei Emperor Cao Rui issued an edict: The world has been in chaos for a long time, but the law cannot be maintained for a long time! Those in prison are the life of the world. They cannot help but riot and cannot govern the country.
In order to show that he attaches great importance to the law, Cao Rui ordered the Pingwang Temple to be changed to the Litigation Temple. When deciding important criminal cases, he would go to the Litigation Temple to listen.
During this process, Cao Rui also discovered that from the beginning Li Kui formulated the six chapters of the "Book of Laws" to Xiao He's "Han Code".
As time goes on, the laws of the world continue to increase, lose, and are constantly mixed and mixed. There are more than ten Confucian scholars such as Ma and Zheng who have annotated them.
So far, there are 26,272 various laws and regulations, with more than 7.73 million words.
So he ordered Sikong Chenqun, Sanqi Changshi Liu Shao and others to cancel the Han law.
The legal standards were re-established, and the annotations of Zheng shall prevail.
At the same time, based on the suggestion of Shangshu Wei Ji, a doctor of laws was appointed to clarify the laws.
Specially stated:
The criminal law is very valuable to the country. However, some people ignore the national law and discuss it in private to show their contempt.
Failing to obey the laws is the beginning of the country's ruin. Therefore, in the future, you must not use false and untrue words to destroy religion and disrupt governance. Anyone who violates this rule shall be punished by law!
Edicts and various measures are all reaffirming laws and clarifying laws to prevent people from being at a loss.
In the eyes of many people, this was because the emperor accepted the advice of his ministers, gave up his thoughts of conquering Shu, and began to rectify the internal affairs of Wei.
Sima Yi, who was guarding Jingzhou, at this time, wrote a letter to his son Sima Shi, a member of the young people's association with the core of "Four Cong, Eight Reaching and Three Henan" in Luoyang City.
I gave Sima Shi a lot of comfort and asked him to study in a down-to-earth manner.
Master Sima was a little confused after reading his master's letter.
It's all right, why do you say that a temporary setback is nothing?
At the same time, Sun Quan in the south announced that he would move the capital to Jianye.
Let the prince Sun Deng stay in Wuchang, and the general Lu Xun will assist him. He will also be in charge of the affairs of Jingzhou and Yuzhang counties, and Dong will supervise the military affairs.
(End of this chapter)