Chapter 3: The Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty
"Okay, extraordinary, this time you take Jie'er back to the door to save your relatives, and the middle father still has important things to discuss with you." Cao Cao waved his hand, signaling that the assassination of Lu Rui's wedding was over, and Cao Cao still had important things to discuss with Lu Rui.
"Please make it clear to my father!" Lu Rui arched his hand and sat on the second position below Cao Cao's right hand.
"Extraordinary, thinking of Brother Lu's entrustment that day, Father Zhong thinks of it today, and often sighs, if there is no rescue from Brother Lu, there will be no Cao Cao today, Father Zhong decided to promote Brother Lu as Chen Liuhou, I don't know what Extraordinary thinks?" Cao Cao sighed, as if he thought of Lu Bo's rescue of himself, and his face was slightly sad.
"The child thanked the middle father for his father, and the father knew about it, and he would be grateful to the middle father." To be honest, Lu Rui has no feelings for Lu Bohao, he grew up in the Cao family since he was a child, but he still retains a minimum of respect for this "father" Lu Rui who seems to have given him life, and in the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was he who gave him rebirth.
"Okay, this matter is decided, after Brother Lu is named Marquis Chen, the tombstone will also be repaired, as for the inheritance of the title, it will be inherited by Bufan, for Bufan, it is just a thank you for the money." Cao Cao smiled, Lu Rui is not short of money, the caravan in Fan County can now be regarded as the top ten caravans in the Han Dynasty, and there is no need to pay taxes to the imperial court, in terms of financial resources, I am afraid that among Cao Ying, no one can compare with Lu Rui.
"Father Xie Zhong!" Lu Rui bowed to Cao Cao and expressed his gratitude. Wait, Marquis? Cao Cao just said that he was a marquis, and Cao Cao wanted to give Lu Bo a luxury marquis himself? Cao Cao is just a commonplace, if he wants to be a marquis himself, then Cao Cao's official position?
"Middle Father. Are you going to make my father a marquis? Lu Rui asked Cao Cao tentatively.
"Not bad. Feudal marquis. I want to give Brother Lu a marquis! Cao Cao replied firmly to Lu Rui.
"Father, do you want that?" Lu Rui got Cao Cao's affirmative answer, and he had a bottom in his heart, and it seemed that Cao Cao was determined to go further.
"Zhong De suggested to me that now that our army controls more than half of the Han Dynasty, and Your Majesty has reached adulthood and has been in power for several years, and now the contradiction between Your Majesty and Zhong Father is deepening day by day, and Zhong De thinks that he wants to restore the official position of Prime Minister. Strengthen the rule of this Sikong in the Great Han! Cao Cao bluntly stated his contradiction with Liu Xie, if he did not strengthen his rule, I am afraid that Han Xin in the early Han Dynasty would be Cao Cao's end.
"The middle father is wise, and the child will definitely support the middle father to ascend to the position of prime minister." Lu Rui finally knew Cao Cao's move, to depose the three dukes, restore the prime minister, and hold the power of the court tightly in his hands.
"Okay, three days later, it will be the day of the morning meeting, and this time it will be led by Bufan. Propose to His Majesty to restore the position of Prime Minister! Cao Cao took a sip of tea and gave Lu Rui an order directly.
"Yes. The child knows. ”
"Extraordinary, tomorrow the tiger and leopard rider will be quietly transferred into the city, if there will be a change in the court, you know what to do." Cao Cao threw away his Sikong Great Seal and glanced at it disdainfully, Cao Cao was no longer interested in Sikong's position.
"Don't worry, the child knows what to do."
"Okay, Bufan, this matter is decided, and the time is not early, Jie'er and they are still waiting for us." Lu Rui came home on behalf of Cao Jie to save his relatives this time, and it was the first time to save his relatives, and there were a lot of things to do, not that his son-in-law could just take something to the door.
"Yes, father-in-law!" Lu Rui helped Cao Cao and walked towards the main hall.
In the palace of Xudu, Liu Xie paced back and forth in his bedroom. After lying down, he knelt down, trembling and not daring to make a sound.
"Guozhang, what's going on? Isn't it just to give Lu Rui a little color to see? How did you become the assassination of Lu Rui, Guozhang, you know how serious the consequences of this matter are! Liu Xie looked at Fu Wan angrily, and asked him to make a small move at Lu Rui's wedding, how could it be an assassination, the general of the Han Dynasty was assassinated, and Cao Cao could make a fuss again.
"This?" Fu Wan knelt on the ground and didn't dare to make a sound, originally Fu Wan's plan was very good, contact those courtiers who supported Liu Xie, find an excuse not to attend Lu Rui's wedding, and save the face of Cao Cao and Lu Rui, and at the same time when Lu Rui was in the cave room, put a few fires to harass Lu Rui, but how did things become like this?
"Guozhang, do you know that Lu Rui was stabbed, Cao Cao will definitely take the opportunity to exert his power, now that the city is calm, maybe it will be bloody tomorrow!" Liu Xie threw all the twists and turns on the desk off the ground, and his anger could no longer be expressed in words.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty is not good, the palace gate is blocked, blocked!" The little eunuch beside Liu Xie, little Liu's father-in-law rushed into Liu Xie's bedroom in a panic, and even knelt in front of Liu Xie, looking panicked.
"Presumptuous, too presumptuous, do you know the rules in the palace, come here, drag it out, and beat it with a cane!" Liu Xie roared, since the death of Father-in-law Liu, he didn't even have a caring eunuch, this little Father-in-law Liu is the adopted son of Father-in-law Liu, but he can't even report such a simple thing.
"Your Majesty spare your life, Your Majesty spare your life!" Little Liu's father-in-law hurriedly pleaded guilty to Liu Xie and kept kowtowing.
"Someone!" Liu Xie shouted loudly a few times, but no guards came, only a few eunuchs at the door looked into the dormitory from time to time. In order to control Liu Xie, Cao Cao dropped all the guards loyal to Liu Xie to the royal mausoleum of the Emperor Shouling, and now Liu Xie only has the guards arranged by Cao Cao.
The guards arranged by Cao Cao will protect Liu Xie's life and death, and the rest of the things will be done.
"Alas!" Liu Xie shook his head, even if he shouted in his throat at this time, I am afraid that no one would pay attention to it.
"Alright, you all go down, I'm tired, I want to rest." Liu Xie waved his hand and let the two retreat. My heart is so tired that I want to take a break.
"Yes!" The two of them hurriedly retreated as if they were relieved.
The days passed quickly, and the court meeting arrived three days later, Liu Xie came to the court under the guidance of the little eunuch, Liu Xie looked at the ministers in the court, and there were many ministers who supported him did not appear in the court, and it seemed that Cao Cao had cleaned up.
"Long live Your Majesty, long live, long live!"
"The Qing family is flat!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
"Ladies and gentlemen?" Liu Xie glanced at the little father-in-law Liu beside him.
"Your Majesty is not feeling well today, please ask your lords." Little Liu's father-in-law saw Liu Xie's face. Hurriedly helped Liu Xie round the field.
"Chen Lu Rui has something important to do. Disturb Your Majesty's Dragon Body. Please forgive your Majesty! "Of course Lu Rui knows Liu Xie's little Jiujiu, if he wants to say that he is sick and can't go to court, he thinks so beautifully!
"What does General Lu have to report?" When Liu Xie saw Lu Rui standing up, it was not easy to refuse, so he had to listen to what Lu Rui said.
"Your Majesty, since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the Great Han Dynasty has collapsed and separated, and the princes of various places have their own policies. Disrespecting the imperial court, Sikong Cao Cao raised troops in Yanzhou, suppressed the princes from all walks of life, and disrespected the rebels of the imperial court, and made great contributions. Lu Rui first wrote about Cao Cao's official achievements.
"General Lu, Cao Sikong's exploits, I and all the Qing families are aware of it, Cao Sikong is indeed a great contribution, but unfortunately Cao Sikong has already lived in an official position, and the official position cannot be re-entered. This time, Cao Sikong has the merit of Pingxi, and I decided to reward Cao Sikong with 10,000 taels of gold. As a sign of grace. Liu Xie kicked the problem to Lu Rui, Cao Cao wants to go further, whether he has the ambition to usurp the Han, this problem can't be clarified now, if it is clarified, Cao Cao will be in trouble.
"The minister seconded the proposal, General Lu, Lord Sikong has already lived in an official position, and the official position cannot be re-entered, as for the title, Lord Sikong is already a marquis, is it possible that Lord Sikong wants to enter the Duke of Jue?" Kong Rong saw that Lu Rui stood up, and he also had to compete to help Liu Xie.
"Lord Kong is serious, Lord Sikong is loyal to the Great Han, how can he be so ambitious?" In addition to several heroes who were slaughtered in the early Han Dynasty, the marquis was the highest non-clan title in the Han Dynasty after Liu Bang.
"General Lu?"
"Your Majesty, now the world is still in the hands of all the princes, the world is undecided, Lord Sikong has worked hard for the court and is loyal to his duties, but unfortunately every major event must obey the laws of the court, and every government affairs will be slightly blocked, wasting time."
"The ministers seconded General Lu's words!" The pro-Cao ministers immediately stood up and supported Lu Rui.
Lu Rui looked at the ministers, nodded in his heart, and continued to speak.
"The minister thinks that in an extraordinary period, with an extraordinary method, the minister proposed to His Majesty to restore the rule of the prime minister, depose the three dukes, and let Lord Sikong assume the position of prime minister, please Your Majesty will be clear!" Lu Rui glanced at Kong Rong, don't you want to respect Liu Bang's rules? Prime Minister is a title set up by Liu Bang himself.
"No, Your Majesty, by all means, the position of prime minister is the head of the hundred officials of the Han Dynasty, the general leader of the government, and the government affairs are busy, if the position of prime minister is re-established, I am afraid that Lord Sikong will not be able to do physical strength and be overworked." Kong Rong had no confidence when he spoke.
Originally, when Liu Bang founded the country, the Han Dynasty inherited the Qin system and set up the prime minister to lead the government, which was the head of the hundred officials, and Xiao He was the first prime minister. Later, during the period of Emperor Wen, in view of the fact that the prime minister had too much power and threatened the throne, he set up the left and right prime ministers to contain each other.
After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, in order to strengthen the imperial power, the Emperor of the Han Dynasty no longer set up the position of prime minister, but set up three dukes: Da Sikong, Da Si Nong, and Da Sima respectively to deal with government affairs, take charge of the economy, and take charge of the military to divide the power of the prime minister.
After arriving in Guangwu, in view of the military power of Da Sima, Emperor Guangwu replaced Da Sima with Da Situ, and no longer promoted anyone as Da Sima, and took back the military power in his hands, ensuring the foundation of the Eastern Han Dynasty for hundreds of years.
Kong Rong is a scholar, and his political views are good. As soon as Lu Rui's suggestion came out, Kong Rong immediately stood up against it, but Kong Rong had no reason to oppose Lu Rui, after all, the prime minister's official position was not canceled by the emperor, but was only replaced by the third duke.
The emperor wanted to strengthen the imperial power, but it was impossible to directly say that the prime minister was in the way and wanted to abolish the prime minister, so the emperor of the Han Dynasty just stopped establishing the prime minister, but replaced the functions with the three dukes.
"Kong Qing's family is reasonable, Cao Qing's family is the pillar of the country, if I overwork, I will also feel guilty." Liu Xie was no longer angry when he spoke, this reason is indeed not a good reason.
"The minister Cao Cao played Your Majesty, the minister did his best for the Han and died, I dare not say that I am hard, if Your Majesty entrusts me, my Majesty will do my best." Cao Cao waited for Liu Xie's opportunity, and immediately stood up and told Liu Xie that he was not afraid of hard work.
"This?" Liu Xie looked at Kong Rong, who didn't know how to deal with it. Liu Xie looked at Yang Biao again, Yang Biao squinted, and didn't seem to want to interfere.
"Your Majesty, please think twice, re-establish the prime minister, and rectify the dynasty!" The ministers saw that Cao Cao had expressed his position, and immediately began to stand in line, if Cao Cao became the prime minister, he would definitely have his own benefits, and he couldn't talk about adding officials to the knighthood, and there would still be some rewards.
"This?" Liu Xie looked at the ministers who were pressed by the black, and his heart suddenly cooled, and almost no one supported him.
Kong Rong has no choice, Lu Rui's assassination is a big deal, Cao Cao used this as an excuse to arrest all the officials who did not go to Lu Rui's wedding banquet, and interrogated them harshly, now the court is full of Cao Cao's people, Kong Rong and several people stand on top of the court, and they don't know where to go when there is a gust of wind.
"Hey!" Liu Xiechang sighed and finally agreed to Lu Rui's suggestion.
In the summer of 205 AD, Cao Cao deposed the three dukes and became the prime minister of the Han Dynasty of Liu Xie! (To be continued......)
PS: Yesterday I went to my parents' house for dinner, I forgot to bring the key, and I couldn't come back to my own house.