My younger brother Zhuge Liang

Chapter 837 Historical Characterization: Thirty Years of Dong-Cao Rebellion (Unified Ending, there will be a sequel later)
Cao Pi and Sima Yi were both seriously injured by Ma Chao. One had his entire arm removed, and the other had his tendons in his hands and feet cut. They were tied up and captured, and the rest surrendered.

Ma Chao had the urge to kill the other party directly, but these people had important identities after all, so he should try his best to capture them alive and send them back for trial, so that he could give a better explanation to the people of the world.

Because these two important prisoners were seriously injured, after Ma Chao captured them, he sent them back to Jincheng on stretchers. After discussing with Zhao Yun, who was chasing and killing the remaining enemies, they decided to let them recover in Jincheng first and then send them back to Luoyang to prevent them from dying on the way.

Of course, for such a huge achievement, a memorial must be written to explain the situation first.

When it came to distributing the credit, Ma Chao did not dare to take it all for himself. He and Zhao Yun wrote a memorial regarding the credit for capturing Cao Pi alive, with the credit split roughly 70:30 - Zhao Yun's official position was higher than his, and it was Zhao Yun who also led the Western Expedition.

It was only because Ma Chao was more familiar with the local terrain of Xiliang and was suitable for fighting at home, and Zhao Yun was afraid of making mistakes in the final stage, that he took the initiative to propose a division of labor with Ma Chao. He would block the remaining enemies in Jincheng, and Ma Chao would be responsible for chasing those who broke through.

Therefore, no matter whether Cao Pi stayed in Jincheng, made a feint, or really broke out, as long as he was eventually captured, both groups should have contributed, just with different temporary divisions of labor. Ma Chao actually succeeded, so he should be credited with 70%, and Zhao Yun should also get 30%, which is very reasonable.

Otherwise, if we encounter such a situation that requires division of labor in the future, everyone will fight for the weaker ones and it will be difficult for them to obey orders and work together.

It took only seven or eight days for Zhao Yun and Ma Chao's memorials to reach Luoyang, which was only the beginning of March in the third year of Zhangwu.

Liu Bei was naturally very excited when he received the good news.

It all came to an end at last.

The last false emperor of the Cao family was also captured, which made up for the regret that Cao Cao was not tried and executed when he died.

"I have finally put my worries to rest. God bless the Han Dynasty! Tomorrow I will go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to comfort our ancestors!"

Liu Bei was so excited that he took the memorial from Zhao Yun and others and showed it to his Zhuge brothers and other trusted civil and military officials.

"We, the ministers, congratulate Your Majesty! The great cause of suppressing the rebellion has finally been accomplished!" All the ministers congratulated him.

"Well, it's not a complete accomplishment. The four counties in Hexi are all part of our Han territory. In the next one or two years, we still have to slowly recover them to at least Yumen Pass. Although Cao Pi is dead, Jia Xu is still here. But the road is long and dangerous, so I only leave Meng Qi's army and we can take it slowly." Liu Bei said tactfully.

After all, the Hexi Corridor is too narrow, long, dangerous and far away. Sending a large army on an expedition would be too costly. The imperial court had just pacified the country and had a lot of work to do, so it could not afford such consumption.

Fortunately, the enemy's strength is not large, so even if Ma Chao is only given 10,000 or 20,000 cavalry, or at most 30,000, he can slowly flatten the area within Yumen Pass by his own strength. It just will take some time, so there is no need to rush.

This is a long-term project, so we cannot rush for quick results and must focus on cost considerations.

……

For the next six months, Liu Bei rested with the people in Luoyang, reduced taxes and levies, and the war in the west also progressed in an orderly manner.

Ma Chao led the cavalry and took advantage of the warm weather to gradually recapture Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan and other places within half a year. Dunhuang and Yumen Pass were just a matter of time.

The two thieves, Cao Pi and Sima Yi, had been recuperating in Jincheng for more than a month and were able to set off. In early May, they were escorted back to Luoyang by troops sent by Zhao Yun and finally arrived safely at the end of May.

After Cao Pi was brought in, he would naturally be taken to trial by the Chief Justice.

Along the way, Cao Pi and Sima Yi actually thought about committing suicide, but Zhao Yun was on guard. Even if Cao Pi went on a hunger strike, Zhao Yun would have someone knock out his teeth, then pry open his mouth and force-feed them liquid food. This way, they didn't have to worry about starving to death or dying of thirst, nor could they chew their tongues to commit suicide.

There is no doubt that during Cao Pi's trial, as a usurper, it was inevitable that he would eventually be torn to pieces by chariots.

However, Sima Yi still wanted to struggle and appeal at the last moment, emphasizing that his crime was not that serious, and that he had only done many things that other officials who had joined the rebellion would do. When Cao Cao usurped the throne, he did not play a major role, nor was he the one who instigated it.

As for Sima Yi's complaint, Liu Bei did not know what happened in the original history, so he thought it made some sense. Liu Bei did not understand why Zhuge Jin had such a high hatred for Sima Yi.

Therefore, Liu Bei also secretly asked: "Will the special care and severe punishment given to Sima Yi frighten other scholars who once surrendered to Cao Cao and served as false officials? Although I am not short of talents now, it is impossible to deal with all those people.

Some people have committed minor crimes, so they can be thrown into the wild and left to fend for themselves. If they harbor more resentment towards the court, it will not be a good thing after all.”

After all, Liu Bei was still worried about those "wild and isolated people who were obviously no longer needed by him, but he still didn't want them to resent or be too afraid of the court."

In response to Liu Bei's understanding, Zhuge Jin had no choice but to use the credibility he had accumulated in His Majesty's heart over the years and persisted in persuading him:

“Your Majesty, please do not be too lenient. Although Sima Yi did not directly persuade Cao Cao to usurp the throne, he was the culprit who assisted Cao Cao in abolishing the Three Dukes and re-establishing the position of Prime Minister. He also indirectly caused the death of Zhao Situ, a veteran minister of three dynasties.

Even if Your Majesty only wants to show respect to Situ Zhao and avenge him, you should exterminate Sima Yi's entire clan! Only in this way can the world be cleansed."

Liu Bei was somewhat reluctant: "I kept my promise even to Cao Cao's offspring, leaving Cao Zhi to change his surname back to Xiahou Zhi and save his life. After all, Cao Zhi brought the King of Shanyang back with him, which saved the life of the late emperor's son. For this benefit, I have to let him go.

Since Cao Cao's descendants are not extinct, and only one is left, but Sima Yi is to be killed, will it scare the world? Moreover, if Sima Yi is killed, I will not be able to appoint a prime minister in the future. Because Sima Yi was killed because he assisted Cao Cao in appointing a prime minister, if I appoint a prime minister in the future, wouldn't it be going back on my word? This is also for your brothers' consideration. "

Zhuge Jin tried every means to persuade him: "Your Majesty! I did not say that I want to wipe out the entire Sima family. Sima Yi is only the son of Sima Shi and Sima Zhao. Just kill the three of them.

Although Sima Yi's brother Sima Lang also committed some crimes and worked for Cao Cao for many years, he had never participated in the conspiracy to usurp the throne. And it is said that he is now old and seriously ill, so it is better to imprison him and let him fend for himself. As long as he dies of illness, he can be exempted from trial.

His third brother Sima Fu had done nothing wrong, and after entering the government, he was only a literary official for Cao Zhi. Since the lord even changed Cao Zhi's surname to Xiahou Zhi and spared his life, he could naturally keep Sima Fu's branch to show that rewards and punishments were clear.

As for the position of Prime Minister, I would rather not have the position of Prime Minister for my whole life than have Your Majesty spare the lives of Sima Yi and his son out of sympathy for our contributions."

In the end, Zhuge Jin did not explain the reasons in detail. He just firmly advised Liu Bei to kill the three members of the Sima family, father and son, without leaving any one alive.

Seeing that he was so serious, and considering Zhuge Jin's many years of merit and divine calculation, Liu Bei did not ask about the details of the principle behind it, and the matter was settled. Moreover, Liu Bei knew Zhuge Jin too well, and he knew that Zhuge Jin had absolutely no selfish motives in saying this.

The Zhuge brothers would rather not be prime ministers for their entire lives and give up that empty title than not kill Sima Yi, so Sima Yi's entire family must have met their own death!

Ultimately, the trial lasted from the end of May to the entire month of June and was then completed.

All files and determinations of crimes can stand up to historical scrutiny.

Finally, Liu Bei personally approved it, and on the first day of July in the third year of Zhangwu, Cao Pi and Sima Yi were dragged to the Shi Cao in Luoyang City and torn to pieces in public.

In this era, there was no punishment by slicing, so the most severe punishment was torn apart by chariot. The difference was that after the execution, the bodies of the two people would be beheaded and hung for display.

However, the remaining body, which had been broken into five pieces, did not need to be minced. After all, times were progressing and there was no need to impose additional punishment beyond the law.

During the Han Dynasty, the practice of pickled meat was almost not a legal punishment. Only a few rulers, such as Empress Lü, liked to use it, just like Empress Lü liked to cut up human pigs. Abuse of it would undermine the seriousness of the court's laws.

In addition, in history, Cao Pi had as many as nine sons, but now it corresponds to the 21st year of Jian'an in the original history, so Cao Pi has not yet given birth to so many sons. There are only four in total so far, and Cao Rui is not one of them - even Cao Rui's mother Zhen Ji has nothing to do with the Yuan family and the Cao family, so Cao Rui of course no longer exists.

Of course, these four children, as well as Sima Shi and Sima Zhao, had to be executed, but only by beheading.

After dealing with these criminals, Zhuge Jin finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally, we don't have to worry about another round of sharp decline in national credit. At least, in my lifetime and that of my second brother, we shouldn't see such a mess as pointing fingers at Luoshui and farting.

As for whether future generations will lower the credit limit again, that is not something their generation can worry about.

Sometimes, Zhuge Jin actually knew that according to the laws of history, the lower limit of credit was getting lower and lower, and there was nothing he could do about it, because as long as someone did something dirty, it would be recorded in history books and it would be impossible to erase it. Future generations would naturally learn the lesson, and then the chain of suspicion would be upgraded to the next level.

Of course, this natural law does not mean that we must go against it. Although the credit requirements in ancient times were high, the fewer people were bound by "propriety" and "faith", and the narrower the scope of application.

Although the credit requirements in later generations are lower, the scope of people subject to restrictions is becoming increasingly wide.

Zhuge Jin was well-versed in history books and was also aware of a comment that was widely circulated in later generations, regarding the declining credibility of Chinese history.

It is said that the Pre-Qin period was an aristocratic credit society, the Han Dynasty was a scholar's credit society, the Wei, Jin and Tang dynasties were relatively broken scholar's credit societies, the Song Dynasty became a citizen's credit society, the Ming Dynasty became a mob's credit society, and the Qing Dynasty became a slave's credit society.

Of course, it does not mean that the lower the title, the worse it is. The higher the title, the higher the credit requirement, but the fewer people are bound. In the pre-Qin period, if someone did not keep his word or made a promise that he could not fulfill, he would be forced to commit suicide. However, this requirement only constrained the nobles and not the common people, because "etiquette does not extend to the common people." There is a threshold for being polite and trustworthy.

In the Han, Wei, Jin and Six Dynasties, only scholars were required to follow the credit and morality. In the Song Dynasty, it was extended to citizens. In the Ming Dynasty, farmers and refugees were included. In the Qing Dynasty, even slaves were required. The scope of the restrictions became wider and wider, but the requirements became lower and lower.

This is a double-edged sword, and there is no absolute good or bad.

Zhuge Jin's generation could only ensure that the social credit system of "restraining scholars" did not collapse. As for the requirements for citizens and even farmers, it was beyond his control. We should trust in the wisdom of future generations.

After dealing with these criminals, Liu Bei was finally able to put the matter of ennobling meritorious officials and revising the official rank system on the agenda.

Before Cao Pi died, because of this loophole, Liu Bei had been delaying the formal promotion and title conferring, but only gave rewards and fiefs to stabilize the meritorious officials first.

Now, the Zhuge brothers have made it clear that they would rather not be prime ministers in this lifetime than not kill Sima Yi's family, and Liu Bei also has a plan in mind.

However, Liu Bei also realized that the Three Dukes system was indeed a bit outdated, and considering that he had served as the Grand Marshal before he ascended the throne, if the position of Grand Marshal was still established in the future, it would inevitably cause concern among the ministers who sat in that position.

It's like in history, before Li Shimin became emperor, he served as Shangshu Ling. After that, there was no Shangshu Ling in the Secretariat, and that position remained vacant, with only Shangshu Zuo Pushe in charge.

So in the end, Liu Bei decided to downgrade the system of court officials in the future. No one would be appointed to the positions of the Three Dukes. They would only be special honorary titles, and "if there is no such person, the position would be vacant."

Liu Bei himself had served as the Grand Marshal, so there would no longer be a Grand Marshal in the future. At most, Guan Yu could serve as the Grand Marshal during his lifetime, but there would be no Grand Marshal after Guan Yu.

Zhuge Jin was the Situ during his lifetime. There will be no new Situ in the future. Zhuge Jin will be the last Situ of the Han Dynasty, and of course it will be a lifelong position.

The future imperial official system will be changed to the three-province and six-department system in advance according to Zhuge Jin's guidance. After Zhuge Jin, the last prime minister, steps down in the future, the imperial civil service system will be headed by the Shangshu Ling of the Shangshu Province, which is Zhuge Liang's position.

Anyway, it's good enough to have real power in your hands. There's no need to covet false fame or come up with some new fancy titles, which are all empty.

The generals successfully filled the previous gaps, especially Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, and Gan Ning. In the final stage, they made some contributions, and Ma Chao and Gan Ning caught up.

In terms of titles, because Cao Cao was called Duke of Wei before he usurped the throne and Wang Mang was called Duke of Anhan before he usurped the Han Dynasty, Liu Bei certainly could not confer the title of Duke on his meritorious officials.

The highest nobility in the Han Dynasty was still the Marquis, and there was nothing wrong with that. When Qin Shihuang first unified the six kingdoms, the Marquis was even more valuable. Only people like Wang Jian, who had conquered several kingdoms, could be granted the title of Marquis. However, the Marquis was gradually made worthless and diluted by water.

Liu Bei did not want to be accused of abolishing the ancient system, so he still regarded marquis as the highest rank. However, he compromised by setting up "county marquis" above "county marquis", allowing an entire county to be used as a fief. This title was only conferred on important contributors to the revival of the Han Dynasty. In the future peacetime, as long as there was no threat to the survival of the Han Dynasty, future emperors would not be allowed to confer this title.

The Zhuge brothers, Guan, Zhang, Zhao and others were naturally among those who were granted titles.

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PS: I will apply for the main text to be completed tomorrow. There will be more updates later, but they are all free extra chapters in the form of testimonials. They are free and do not require subscription. They are usually updated once or twice a week. Before starting a new book, there will be more intensive updates for a few days. That's it.

(End of this chapter)