Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

"I met Yan Zhi once when I led the army through Shanggu County. It was a quick meeting and he did not leave much impression on me. Xin Qing said that Yan Zhi has always been prestigious among the Xianbei. How can this be explained?"

Xin Pi bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, I was also in charge of logistics for the Liaodong expedition army in Quanzhou, Yuyang County this year, and I heard about it from the local people in Youzhou. In the past, the late emperor used Yan Zhi in Shanggu, just like he used Tian Yu and Qian Zhao in Youbing Border County, but Yan Zhi was not good at leading troops, so he did not have a military position."

"So he is also a special person for a special purpose?" Cao Rui said with a smile: "Yan Zhi can deal with the Xianbei in a border area like Shanggu, but if he is sent to other prefectures in the interior, he will be worse than an ordinary governor?"

"Your Majesty is wise." Xin Pi replied.

Dong Zhao, Man Chong and Sima Yi all saw it in just a few words.

Today is Xin Pi's first day in office as Shangshu Zuo Pushe and cabinet minister. It is also the first time for a new official to recommend candidates. As long as he does not recommend anyone too outrageous, Emperor Cao Rui will agree.

The emperor has the power of the emperor, and the Shangshu Pushe also has the power of the Pushe. Since a minister has been appointed as the Pushe, at least the basic personnel rights must be respected.

Cao Rui just nodded to show his agreement before asking for details.

"Okay, I won't let Secretary Liu draft the decree this time. Let Shuping try." Cao Rui pointed at Yin Fan and said, "Did Shuping write it down?"

"I have a photographic memory and have written it all down." Yin Fan bowed.

Cao Rui smiled and nodded.

Sima Yi tilted his head slightly, looked up and down at Yin Fan for a few moments, then turned to look at the emperor and asked, "Your Majesty, have you found another talented person? Why don't you ask Liu Zhongshu to introduce one or two to me? I don't even know their names."

Dong Zhao stroked his beard and said, "I don't know either."

Liu Fang smiled and said, "This is a long story, and we should start from the Imperial College..."

Cao Rui smiled and waved his hand to interrupt Liu Fang: "Let me speak."

As Cao Rui recounted the story of his hiding in the Fan country bit by bit, everyone in the study began to sigh in admiration.

What Yin Fan did was not something that ordinary people could accomplish. It would be too easy for an envoy to be sent to a foreign country as a stubborn and strong envoy, to die for the king. Being able to do such a thing at the age of just over 20, this person's future is really promising.

Cao Rui smiled calmly and pointed at Yin Fan: "Sun Quan appointed Shu Ping as the Chief Justice in Wu. From a humble background to this position, Sun Quan is considered magnanimous. I cannot be narrow-minded than Sun Quan."

"I asked Shuping if he was willing to return to his native county to be a governor, and he said no, and wanted to be by my side as a minister of the imperial guards. In my opinion, it would be a waste of Shuping's talent to be a minister of the imperial guards, so I will temporarily let Shuping serve as a minister of the imperial court."

Sima Yi also smiled and nodded: "The Secretary of the Central Secretariat and the Imperial Guards are different."

"It is indeed different." Cao Rui said, "Let Shuping gain some experience. I will be of great use to him in the future."

……

The next morning, after bidding farewell to the emperor in the study, the two attendants Xu Shu and Pei Qian walked out of the North Palace. At the south gate of the North Palace, they took two white horses from the Huben soldiers and walked more than a mile south. Then they both rode their horses and walked slowly towards the south gate of Luoyang.

"Yuanzhi, you and I have a good job today." Pei Qian sat on a white horse, stroked his beard and said jokingly: "There are not many jobs like this one outside the palace. No, Yuanzhi was out of the palace for several months before, and even earned himself a part-time job as a guard."

"Wenxing, don't make fun of me." Xu Shu shook his head. "You and I are both Shizhong. You know that Weiwei has little real power. Although your majesty loves me, this part-time job of the Nine Ministers is just an extra salary."

"An extra salary?" Pei Qian laughed a few times: "I also want to get an extra salary like this. There are too many people in my family, how can I not get an extra salary?"

Xu Shu sighed softly, "Wen Xing, I come from a single family in Yingchuan. I can't say I have any clans, and I don't even have any brothers or sisters. I'm not like you, who come from a big family in Hedong and are envied by others. Today, His Majesty asked us to inspect the Jiangzuo Station beside the Luo River. Your brother Wen Ji has just been appointed as the Chief Architect, and he needs you, his elder brother, to help out."

Pei Qian was a little helpless: "Why did it get to this point? This is clearly a normal business trip. What does it have to do with Pei Hui being my brother?"

"You dare to say no?" Xu Shu pointed at Pei Qian. "Forget it, let's not talk about it." Pei Qian avoided the topic.

After the two of them rode out of Luoyang's south gate side by side, Xu Shu said with a hint of emotion: "Wenxing, although you don't want to mention it, people in the court and in various government offices often talk about you Hedong nobles."

"The original order was Jia, Guanqiu, Pei, and Wei, but one or two years ago, as Guanqiu and his son were given more important positions, and the position of Jia concubines in the palace was not prominent, Jia's ranking was moved back to third. Now it is Guanqiu, Pei, Jia, and Wei."

"Wenxing, your Hedong Pei clan has fallen behind the Guanqiu clan. Are you unhappy about this?"

The conversation has come to this point. If Pei Qian continues to hide it and is unwilling to speak, it will be really boring.

Pei Qian sneered: "How can the Pei family compare to the Guanqiu family? Although my father's family is higher than the Guanqiu family, Guanqiu Zhonggong was able to follow the emperor when he was in the residence, and he is only thirty years old now. Yuanzhi, a thirty-year-old general, what can I, Pei Qian, compare with? I am afraid that in a few years, my bones will be buried in the ground."

"That's right." Xu Shu thought for a moment and said, "When Guanqiu Zhonggong led his troops to Fancheng this time, he also brought his younger brother Guanqiu Shugong and the one called Axiu with him. Guanqiu Xiu is a real Thousand Stone Sima, personally appointed by His Majesty. When Zhonggong evaluated the merits, he ranked Shugong's merits at the top of all the Simas in his camp. What can I say?"

"So you just accept it?" Pei Qian raised his eyebrows.

Xu Shu snorted, "It's all thanks to his brother Zhong Gong. How can I stop him from sharing some of the profits with his brother? Of course I accept it."

"Also, Wenxing, do you know that after the military report was sent back to Xuchang, His Majesty took a quick look at it and said nothing, and directly asked General Man to approve it."

Pei Qian said, "Anyone could have missed something, but Your Majesty could not have missed it. There is no reason why Your Majesty could not see something that you and I could have noticed. I, Pei Qian, pride myself on my extensive knowledge and strong memory, but Your Majesty seems to be even better than me, and your wisdom and intelligence seem to be born with nature."

"As the son of Emperor Wen, how could he not be good at literature?" Xu Shu responded.

"What Yuan Zhi said is very true." Pei Qian bowed his hands behind him and said, "It is a blessing for the Great Wei to have the Holy Emperor in the court!"

"That's true." Xu Shu nodded.

After the two men rode out of Luoyang City, their horses gradually increased in speed and began to gallop towards the direction of the General's Office. After a brief report, Pei Hui also rode out of the General's Office.

Don’t blame Pei Hui for riding a horse.

The production site of the Great Wei Dynasty's Jiangzuojian has always been separated from the Jiangzuojian. Materials produced in Hebei, Yanzhou, Qingxu and other places were all brought to Luoyang via the Yellow River-Luoshui waterway. The Jiangzuojian was located next to the water and had a rather long and narrow shape, with four docks on the side.

"Greetings to Minister Xu, and greetings to Minister Pei." Pei Hui bowed and greeted them.

"General Pei." Pei Qian coughed lightly.

"Hahahaha." Xu Shu laughed out loud: "Wenxing, Wenji, you two brothers, stop pretending in front of me and speak nicely."

"Okay." Pei Hui smiled and nodded: "Brother, why did you and Minister Xu come to the prison?"

Pei Qian took out a brocade bag from his sleeve and handed it to Pei Hui:
"This is a gift from His Majesty. Perhaps because there has been nothing going on in the court recently, His Majesty has rarely found something interesting. Wenxing, please open it and take a look. Inside is what His Majesty wants to ask."

After Pei Hui took the brocade bag with both hands, he looked a little strange.

"Brother, is this a letter? Or something else? Why is it so light?"

Pei Qian said, "I don't know either. Wen Ji, open it and take a look."

"Okay." Pei Hui nodded, untied the rope with a serious face, reached inside with his hand, but only took out a copper coin.

"Zhi Bai Wu Zhu?" Pei Hui looked at the seal characters on the front of the copper coin and read them out loud. (End of this chapter)