Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Seeing Cao Rui's slightly unhappy expression, He Chu hurriedly explained:
"Your Majesty's previous teachings are engraved in my heart. It's not that I don't know, but I have another question."

Cao Rui glanced at He Chuan and asked, "What do you want to ask?"

He Chuan said, "I seem to have discovered that there is no one in the court to inspect the four directions now. The county magistrate governs a county, the county governor governs a county, and the governor governs a state. Now the governor has become a real position, and there is no censor in the court to inspect the local areas. Is this not appropriate?"

Cao Rui suddenly stopped and stood still.

He Chuan became more and more panicked, and even wanted to ask for permission to take back what he had just said. Seeing this, Xiahou Xuan quickly signaled the tiger guards in front and behind to stop, and the entire team stopped in the middle of the wide Tongtuo Street.

It was snowing lightly today. If one looked down at the situation from a high place, Tongtuo Street was like a snow-white scroll, with black cavalry lined up on both sides like the edge of paper. Cao Rui and the others who stopped here were like a thick ink spot.

"Go on." After Cao Rui stood still, he continued to stare at He Chu with his hands behind his back.

He Chuan said, "Your Majesty, I have learned about the official system when I was in the Imperial College. The Qin Dynasty divided the country into 36 counties, and each county had a county governor, a county lieutenant, and a county supervisor. The county governor was responsible for administration, the county lieutenant was in charge of the military, and the county supervisor was responsible for inspection. In the Qin Dynasty, the Censorate sent out censors to inspect the country. In the Han Dynasty, it was changed to censors. The powers of the former Han Dynasty and the latter Han Dynasty were different. After thinking about it, I have only one thing:"

"Supervisory officials sent from the imperial court to local areas always tend to become local officials with real power."

"In addition, during the Taihe period, Your Majesty often appointed the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat as Inspectors, which further increased the power of the Inspectors, and there was no longer any supervision from the court. The Inspectors were like the governors of the provinces in the past, except that they did not control the army, and the rest of their powers and responsibilities were almost the same. It's okay for now, but in the long run, I am worried from time to time."

"I am terrified!" He Chu bowed and said these three words forcefully to end.

Cao Rui nodded and said, "Zi Qi, it's a good thing that you can think of this while being by my side. Farming in various places is a kind of training, and being a Sanqi Shilang by my side is also a kind of training. Look at the big picture and start with the small things. Sooner or later, I will send you and Zhi Quan out to gain experience."

"Did you all hear that?" Cao Rui turned his head to look at the other seven imperial attendants standing behind him. "Today, He Chu asked me about the provincial governor's supervision. This is looking at political affairs from the perspective of the court. Several years ago, I personally went to the Imperial College to teach the students. I still remember that Tai Chu asked me about the selection of officials in the Imperial College. I was equally pleased then and now."

"However, I will tell you an answer today." Cao Rui said with a smile: "I cannot solve the problem that Ziqi just mentioned. Even in this world, it will be difficult to find a solution within a thousand years."

He stood there in a daze, staring at the emperor's figure. The surrounding imperial guards also stood there in surprise, as if they had heard something unbelievable.

In their eyes, His Majesty is a rare saint in the Wei Dynasty. He has been in office for only four years, but he has made great military achievements and has been honest and upright in his administration. Although there are always some difficult things in the world, they often hear His Majesty say that he should do it a few years later.

Your Majesty can't do this now, can't you do it in the future? This is the first time they heard His Majesty admit that he can't do it!
Cao Rui took in everyone's expressions and said with a calm smile, "I won't tell you any profound theories for now. Let's go to Wang Su's house first. I will listen to what this great scholar of the time has to say."

"As you wish." Everyone responded.

As the capital of the country, Luoyang has been a prosperous academic city for more than 200 years. Since the time of Emperor Guangwu, it has become the center of Confucianism. Decades of war could only put this matter on hold, but could not put an end to it completely.

Once Luoyang became the capital, the great scholars nurtured during its prosperity would establish their own schools of thought here, making Luoyang the focus of academic thought and attracting worldwide attention.

This is the situation in Wang Su's home.

As there was no prior notice, the Tiger Guards quietly occupied both sides of the road in front of Wang Su's mansion. Before Cao Rui arrived at the gate almost at the same time, Wang Su received the news from the servant at home. He hurriedly dropped the bamboo slips in his hand and trotted out to greet him.

As it was winter, the students who came to Wang Su's house to study sat neatly in the main hall. Wang Su treated his own house as a study. Although Wang Su was serious about his studies, which was in line with the "Su" in his name, he couldn't help but take a few peeks when he saw him running out in a hurry.

"Your Majesty, I, Wang Su, am here to pay my respects to you. It is my fault that I was unable to come and greet you from afar!" Wang Su bowed and saluted.

"Wang Qing has done a great job at home!" Cao Rui said with a smile: "It has been several months since the mourning period ended, why haven't you come to see me? I have kept the position of Shizhong vacant and have been waiting for you!"

“Your Majesty, your words are too kind. How dare I, a humble servant, be trusted by Your Majesty?” Although Wang Su said this, his expression and movements were still respectful as usual. He walked sideways to Cao Rui and said, “Your Majesty, please come in. It’s just that my house has not been cleaned yet…”

"No problem." Cao Rui said, "Wang Qing is studying at home, and I'm bringing the cavalry to join in the fun."

"Let's go."

"Yes, sir." Wang Su responded, then led the way in front, and gestured carefully, asking the tiger guards at the door to go in and be on guard first.

When they reached the entrance of the main hall, Wang Su bowed slightly and introduced: "Your Majesty, the main hall in front is used by me as a study area. Currently, there are 28 scholars studying here."

"Where are these scholars from? They are reading so quietly." Cao Rui looked inside through the open door. All the decorations and furnishings in the main hall had been cleared away, replaced by tables and chairs.

"My home is different from the Imperial College. I don't like noise either. Therefore, students usually recite books silently. I also take out an hour every day to give lectures on the meaning of the classics." Wang Su calmly led the emperor into the hall and said, "As for their hometowns, these 28 scholars are from all over the country. Some are from Youzhou, some are from Liangzhou, some are from Yuzhou and Yanzhou. Five of my hometown Donghai County are studying here." Cao Rui nodded and said, "As a great scholar, of course I have to bless my hometown. In the past, the great scholar Lu Zhi, the father of Lu Shizhong, opened a school in Luoyang. Didn't Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan from Youzhou all get in? Five people are a little too few."

"Yes." Wang Su responded.

Cao Rui raised the corner of his mouth slightly and stamped his feet slightly: "Wang Qing, is there any maid here?"

Wang Su's expression didn't change much, but Xiahou Xuan and He Chu behind him changed their expressions and looked at each other. His Majesty is indeed abnormal today!
"My family is harmonious and peaceful, so I don't have any maids here." Wang Su answered calmly.

Cao Rui said: "That's right, Wang Qing has a good temper."

Wang Su glanced at the expressions of the people behind him and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, I think the imperial attendants do not seem to understand your majesty's intention. I would like to explain it myself."

"Okay." Cao Rui nodded and said, "Wang Qing only teaches but doesn't answer questions?"

Wang Su replied: "There are few who answer questions, but most of them explain the principles when I give lectures every day."

Cao Rui said slowly: "A teacher's purpose is to teach, impart knowledge, and resolve doubts. In my opinion, there are many examples similar to Wang Qing, who only teach and impart knowledge, but do not resolve doubts, even in the Imperial Academy."

"Wang Qing, what is enlightenment?"

Wang Su thought for a few moments: "To draw inferences from one example and apply it to other similar cases is enlightenment."

Cao Rui said: "Some people have good understanding and can become talented through self-study. Some people have poor understanding and mediocre talent, and need the elders to answer their questions."

"In my opinion, the three things of preaching, imparting knowledge, and resolving doubts should be given equal importance. If the prince makes some changes, I will ask the Imperial College to make the same changes."

Wang Su clasped his hands and replied, "Although your Majesty just said only one sentence, it gave me a sense of enlightenment. I did miss the point of solving puzzles."

"However, I'm sorry to say that before this, it seems that all the famous teachers and scholars have not taken solving doubts as a serious matter. They all explain on their own, depending on the students' qualifications. Starting from today, your majesty's words, all students in the world will benefit from this."

"Your Majesty is wise!" Wang Su bowed.

"Okay." Cao Rui chuckled, "I won't go into the main hall. I've been to Wang Qing's house several times. The scholars are studying now, so let's go sit somewhere else."

Wang Su hesitated for a few moments, then lowered his voice and said, "Your Majesty, my study is simple, but there are still seats available. How about asking Your Majesty to move to my study?"

"Okay." Cao Rui responded.

As Wang Su walked, he explained to the imperial attendants:

"Your Majesty just talked to me about an old story. In the past, Zheng Xuan and Zheng Kangcheng studied at home in Donglai County. The learning atmosphere was flourishing, and hundreds of people came to study at home. Zheng Xuan was fond of literature and art, and the maidservant in his home could also understand the Mao Shi."

"One day, Zheng Kangcheng got angry and punished a maidservant, making her kneel for a long time in front of the main hall of the house. Another maidservant asked, "Why are you in the mud?" The kneeling maidservant replied, "I went to complain and met with his anger."

"I see." Xiahou Xuan replied in a low voice, "I didn't know this story before."

Cao Rui smiled and said, "As the saying goes, the deeper the love, the more severe the criticism. Prince Yong often refutes Zheng Kangcheng's theory. Since he refutes it, he must have a very good understanding of Zheng Kangcheng."

"He told me this story in the past. If we talk about who in the Wei Dynasty is most familiar with Zheng Kangcheng, it must be him."

Wang Su responded: "This is indeed ridiculous."

"Your Majesty, I will open the door."

Wang Su's study was not very big. It was surrounded by wooden shelves, which were almost all filled with bamboo slips. Even the floor was piled with books.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me for making a fool of myself." Wang Su explained, "I do have books stored elsewhere at home, but every time I flip through a book, I always think about reading it next time. Over time, my study room has become almost the same as my collection room."

At this moment, a greeting came from the study:
"Is father back?" (End of this chapter)