The reconstruction of the Imperial Academy and the re-establishment of the Stone Classics received near-unanimous approval from the entire court.
However…
There was a minor hiccup.
When Cai Yan was appointed as the Doctoral Supervisor of the Academy and the Chief Administrator of Education, and Lu Yu as the Chief Administrator of Administration, there was… some debate.
It wasn't about Lu Yu, but rather about Cai Yan being a woman!
A woman serving as the Chief Administrator of Education for the Imperial Academy was unprecedented.
But… because Yang Biao, Fu Wan, and others were old acquaintances of Cai Yong.
Furthermore… in the current state of the empire, it was truly difficult to find another renowned female scholar and leader of scholars like Cai Yan.
Coupled with the fact that women in the Han Dynasty did not hold a low status, and it was not unheard of for women to enter the palace to teach the Empress and imperial consorts, or even princes.
For example, Ban Chao, who pacified the Western Regions, and Ban Gu, who compiled the Book of Han, their sister Ban Zhao, had repeatedly entered the palace to teach and was known as "Grand Scholar Zhao." During Empress Dowager Deng's regency, she even participated in state affairs.
Therefore, appointing Cai Yan as the Doctoral Supervisor of the Academy and the Chief Administrator of Education, with historical precedent, was considered justifiable.
Thus… after some discussion, the matter was settled.
However…
Compared to Cai Yan, the Emperor Liu Xie paid more attention to the Chief Administrator of Administration for the Imperial Academy – Lu Yu.
One must understand!
The Imperial Academy, if not built at all, was one thing, but once rebuilt, it would be vastly different from ordinary private schools or official academies. Lu Yu overseeing the Imperial Academy meant, without exaggeration, that he controlled the future of the Han Dynasty!
He would also be the teacher to countless sons of court officials and scions of noble families!
The seemingly unimportant position of Chief Administrator of the Imperial Academy contained immense potential, and perhaps one day, this very position could stir the political currents of the Han Dynasty!
That day would surely come.
Hoo…
Liu Xie's eyes narrowed. At this moment, his desire to secure Lu Yu grew even stronger.
Moreover… without exaggeration…
Lu Yu was already a crucial link in stabilizing his reign.
This even concerned the future of the Han court.
…
The matter of rebuilding the Imperial Academy was settled.
Next, Cao Cao began to present his merits.
—"Your subject implores that those who rendered meritorious service in escorting His Majesty be rewarded…"
—"Your subject requests that Your Majesty grant Jizhou Governor Yuan Shao the official title of 'Grand General'!"
—"Your subject requests that Your Majesty grant Xun Yu the official title of Minister of Personnel…
—"Your subject requests…"
As expected…
This was something almost everyone could have predicted; Cao Cao's first memorial did not mention it, but the second one naturally would.
However…
There were a few points that made the court officials somewhat suspicious.
For instance, Cao Cao voluntarily relinquished the title of "Grand General," a position second only to the Emperor, which was personally bestowed by the Emperor. Instead, he placed himself behind Yuan Shao and even… behind the Grand Tutor Yang Biao, being appointed as Minister of Works!
And then there was the position of the Prefect of Xu – a post everyone was paying close attention to…
The person appointed was someone whose name had never been heard before – Man Chong!
Logically, the Prefect of Xu not being a member of the Cao or Xiahou clans should have reassured the officials, but… what was Man Chong’s background?
As the saying goes, a distant magistrate is not as effective as a nearby supervisor. The Prefect of Xu was directly related to all the court officials, and for a moment… everyone felt uncertain.
Even that was acceptable…
What surprised the Emperor and all the officials the most was Lu Yu.
Yes, it was Lu Yu, the newly recommended Chief Administrator of the Imperial Academy by Cao Cao.
It was already rumored throughout the court that many of the strategies employed during the escort of the Emperor were devised by him. Cao Cao's memorial also mentioned him as the foremost contributor to the escort.
But the strangeness lay here…
This person, whom all the officials speculated Cao Cao might recommend for a position among the Nine Ministers, was… apart from the Chief Administrator of the Imperial Academy, there was no further mention of him in Cao Cao's memorial…
He was not enfeoffed as a Marquis, nor appointed to a high position among the Nine Ministers, not even… given any official title. In that case… wasn't he still just a minor Clerk of the Military Headquarters?
Coupled with the signal the Emperor had subtly conveyed to the officials through the eunuchs during the court session, indicating his intention to win over Lu Yu… and asking the officials to cooperate.
But now… without even an official post, how could they cooperate?
Had the Emperor's intention to win over Lu Yu been discovered by Cao Cao?
If these two points were combined, it would be rather significant.
This…
Indeed, Emperor Liu Xie was the first to speak. "Throughout this journey, Cao Aiqing and the soldiers have made great contributions. I shall approve everything Cao Aiqing requests. Let the Secretariat draft the imperial decree! However…"
Emperor Liu Xie paused…
He slowly stood up and walked down the steps… "Cao Aiqing, why is Lu Yu's name not in this memorial? Cao Aiqing also mentioned that without him, the strategies along the way would have been insufficient. Why… was he only granted the title of Chief Administrator of the Imperial Academy? Does Cao Aiqing have any unutterable difficulties…"
Emperor Liu Xie was testing the waters, fearing that Cao Cao might have gotten wind of something.
But… how could he know that just as he wanted to reward Lu Yu, Cao Cao also wished to? This was like his own son… let alone the Nine Ministers, if Lu Yu had asked, Cao Cao would have even petitioned for a position among the Three Dukes for him.
The problem was, Lu Yu himself did not agree, and this matter… could not be forced.
"Your Majesty, I understand…" Cao Cao cupped his hands, maintaining an extremely humble demeanor. "Lu Yu was originally a Clerk in my headquarters. Regarding this reward, your subject also inquired about his opinion."
"Lu Clerk is clever and wise, truly a rare talent for the Han Dynasty. Your Majesty, please forgive me, your subject has not yet decided which official title would be most suitable for him. Originally, I planned to discuss it in detail with the Minister of Personnel after the court session. I did not expect Your Majesty to ask first."
Oh…
Upon hearing this, Emperor Liu Xie nodded. He paced back and forth within the Changle Palace.
The atmosphere in the entire hall suddenly became somewhat peculiar.
His eyes darted about, as if he were deep in thought…
The original plan presented by Empress Fu Shou to him was to promote Lu Yu. If Cao Cao appointed an ordinary official title, Liu Xie would promote him to one of the Nine Ministers. If Cao Cao appointed him to one of the Nine Ministers, Liu Xie would promote him to the rank of the Three Dukes.
But now…
Cao Cao was not playing by the rules, so… he couldn't play by the rules either.
"Haha…" Emperor Liu Xie let out a hearty laugh. "Cao Aiqing has worked hard, but… as they say, the one in the game is confused, while the observer is clear. I have an idea for Lu Yu's official title. What does Cao Aiqing think?"
Was this… the Emperor seeking Cao Cao's opinion? It certainly felt like he was showing great respect to his subordinates…
This…
The officials paused slightly. This was the Emperor showing great deference to Cao Cao.
As expected, Cao Cao's eyes fixed on him, and he immediately put on a look of being greatly honored, repeatedly cupping his hands and bowing. "Your Majesty, please command. Whatever Your Majesty says, your subordinate will do! How could I dare to have any doubts!"
The cultivation of an actor, you see…
Everyone was a good actor… this scene was a perfect match.
One was a loyal subject to the Emperor, and the other was an Emperor who was exceptionally concerned about his subordinates.
What a scene of harmonious ruler and subject.
"Cao Aiqing speaks too highly…" Emperor Liu Xie continued. "Your subject Lu Clerk has made immense contributions to the rescue of Your Majesty and all the officials. If he were merely appointed Chief Administrator of the Imperial Academy, my heart would not be at ease. Coincidentally, the position of 'Minister of Agriculture' in the court is vacant. How about we let Lu Yu serve as the 'Minister of Agriculture'? What does Cao Aiqing think?"
The Emperor still spoke in a tone of consultation…
But…
As the words "Minister of Agriculture" were uttered, the eyes of all the officials sharpened, especially Cao Cao, whose eyes widened abruptly.
No one knew the position of "Minister of Agriculture" better than Cao Cao…
His father, Cao Song, had previously served as the Minister of Agriculture and held the position for six years.
One must understand that the reason Cao Cao, in his youth, offended powerful families and even assassinated Zhang Rang, yet remained unharmed, was closely related to his father's former positions as "Minister of the Imperial Clan" and "Minister of Agriculture"…
Both the Minister of the Imperial Clan and the Minister of Agriculture were among the Nine Ministers.
The Minister of the Imperial Clan, being the official who had the most contact with the Emperor, was because he managed the Emperor's private treasury!
And the Minister of Agriculture, in addition to being responsible for the empire's agricultural policies, also managed taxes and the national treasury… effectively grasping the imperial finances.
On this point, Cao Cao felt deeply.
How rich the Cao family was… perhaps even Cao Cao himself did not know!
It could be said that the Minister of Agriculture was the most lucrative and powerful department in the Han Empire!
Regardless of which department conducted its affairs, could it be separated from money and grain? Grasping the power of money and grain was tantamount to grasping the lifeline of the entire empire.
It was clear that Emperor Liu Xie had not spoken impulsively but had carefully considered it.
This…
Cao Cao paused slightly. It wasn't that he thought Lu Yu couldn't handle the position.
The crucial issue was that this went against Lu Yu's original intentions. Managing the empire's agriculture and finances… no matter how you looked at it, it was not an easy task!
Yet… now… with the Emperor having spoken at the court, if he refused, it would seem like he was going against the Emperor.
Alas… it seemed Lu Yu could not escape the title of Minister of Agriculture!
Immediately, Cao Cao cupped his hands.
"Your Majesty is wise. It was your subject's oversight, but Your Majesty's discerning eye for talent has identified the most suitable candidate for the position of Minister of Agriculture. Your Majesty is wise!"
Every word was spoken with emphasis, the sentences filled with vigor!
As Cao Cao's words escaped, the matter was settled.
The assembled Han officials also cupped their hands in agreement:
"Your Majesty is wise…"
"Your Majesty has a discerning eye for talent…"
At once, everyone began to act. They should cooperate with His Majesty's performance and not turn a blind eye!
Of course… in their view, this was the Emperor's first, and perhaps most crucial, step in winning over Lu Yu.
However, in Cao Cao's heart, he couldn't help but feel a bit remorseful. He had originally intended to keep Lu Yu from being so busy, but ultimately, he couldn't achieve it…
Still, it was good. Managing the empire's finances, in plain terms, meant managing Cao Cao's money. If it were someone else, Cao Cao would not feel at ease!
Thus…
The entire commendation was settled.
Yuan Shao was conferred the title of Grand General, and the imperial decree was immediately sent to Jizhou.
Cao Cao became one of the Three Dukes, the Minister of Works, with a status only below the Emperor, Grand General Yuan Shao, and Grand Tutor Yang Biao.
Xun Yu became the Minister of Personnel, and along with Xi Zhicai, Xun You, and Cheng Yu, he entered the Secretariat.
The mysterious Man Chong became the Prefect of Xu… leaving the officials to guess.
Most importantly, Lu Yu, the greatest contributor in this matter, besides serving as the Chief Administrator of Education for the Imperial Academy, was also conferred the title of "Minister of Agriculture," thereby controlling the empire's finances!
In addition, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Yue Jin, Yu Jin, Li Dian, Xu Huang, Xu Chu, and others were all enfeoffed.
The ranks of the Cao faction generals had not just increased by a large margin…
It was like a little cow riding a seagull – soaring to the clouds in one go, incredibly impressive!
…
…Da Feng Novel Network
The court session dispersed, and Cao Cao returned to the Ministry of Works.
Coincidentally, Cao Ang, Cao Anmin, Xiahou Heng, and Xiahou Ba were all there.
Besides them, his cousin Xiahou Yuan was also present.
It turned out that the Dragon Cavalry Battalion had been given a few days off, mainly to allow the armored soldiers to relax.
When Cao Ang, Cao Anmin, Xiahou Heng, and Xiahou Ba entered the city, they happened to meet Xiahou Yuan, who excitedly brought them to the Ministry of Works.
"Elder Brother, quickly come and see! The children are all back! Hahaha… they've all grown taller, gotten darker, and stronger!"
Upon seeing Cao Cao, Xiahou Yuan repeatedly reminded him.
Speaking of which, seeing Cao Ang also made Cao Cao very happy…
Before Lu Yu, Cao Cao had always considered Cao Ang to be his legitimate eldest son. From childhood, he had hired famous teachers to guide him, placing great hopes on him!
Even after Lu Yu, although Cao Ang became the second son, Cao Cao did not distance himself from him.
Of course, due to Lu Yu's exceptional talent, in comparison, Cao Ang seemed rather ordinary.
However, Cao Cao quickly came to his senses. A prodigy like Lu Yu was a rare occurrence once in several centuries. How could one demand so much from an ordinary child!
He still had to hold hope for Cao Ang… let alone reaching Lu Yu's level, even achieving thirty percent of it would bring comfort to him as an old father.
Furthermore, since Lu Yu would inherit the position of Crown Prince in the future, he would need the support of his brothers.
For this very reason, Cao Cao was quite pleased when he heard that Madam Ding had permitted Cao Ang to join the Dragon Cavalry Battalion.
This time, upon returning home…
"Hahahaha…" Cao Cao walked towards Cao Ang with a hearty laugh.
"Greet Father!"
"Greet Uncle Cao…"
"Greetings, Nephew!"
"Greetings, Nephew…"
Four voices, along with four crisp military salutes, this was the rule of the Dragon Cavalry Battalion. In times of peace, subordinates were to salute superiors.
A private would salute a corporal, a corporal would salute a sergeant, and everyone certainly had to salute a general.
Each salute made every armored soldier eager, longing for the next opportunity to earn merit, who wouldn't want to stand in a high position and receive salutes from others!
Seeing these four military salutes, Cao Cao's heart trembled slightly. It felt a bit like being in a military camp.
"This is not the military camp, please dispense with the formalities!"
Cao Cao waved his hand… and then invited them inside to chat in detail…
Cao Cao was in high spirits today. Except for Lu Yu unexpectedly gaining the position of "Minister of Agriculture," everything else in the court session was within his plans.
Of course, Lu Yu's position as Minister of Agriculture could not be considered bad.
Disregarding Lu Yu's feelings, in Cao Cao's opinion… it was a great thing!
"Anmin, I heard you captured three enemy soldiers in the Battle of Runan? Is this true?"
Cao Cao first asked Cao Anmin… this was on behalf of his younger brother Cao De. Since his brother was still in Mount Tai Commandery taking care of their father, he, Cao Cao, naturally had to teach his nephew Anmin well!
"Your uncle's reputation has not been tarnished. Your nephew personally beheaded three enemy soldiers… however, the gap with the other knights of the Dragon Cavalry Battalion is still very large!" Cao Anmin appeared quite humble.
"Don't rush, take your time," Cao Cao said with a slight smile, patting his shoulder.
The battle report from the Battle of Runan for the Dragon Cavalry Battalion had already reached him.
Cao Anmin and Xiahou Heng had each beheaded three enemy soldiers. Cao Ang had beheaded two enemy soldiers and a centurion. Xiahou Ba was fiercer, having beheaded seven enemy generals, including two centurions!
Because of this, he was directly promoted to centurion of the Dragon Cavalry Battalion… and the others also became squad leaders.
Of course, such merits could not be compared to Huang Zhong's beheading of the "Sky-Cutting Yaksha" He Man and his shooting of two enemy generals with two arrows…
However, for the children to achieve such merit on their first battlefield, Cao Cao was very pleased.
"Ba'er, Heng'er, you both did very well!" Cao Cao patted Xiahou Ba and Xiahou Heng's shoulders respectively.
When patting Xiahou Ba's shoulder, he specifically put a little more strength into it.
He emphasized it.
"Indeed, a tiger father has no weak son. Beheading four soldiers and three generals, well done, well done!"
These words were also a veiled compliment to his cousin Xiahou Yuan beside him…
"Ang'er is also not bad!" Xiahou Yuan reminded him when Cao Cao didn't praise Cao Ang.
Cao Cao nodded… "It's not bad. Next time you earn merit, you can become a centurion like Ba'er. I heard that a centurion in the Dragon Cavalry Battalion is more majestic than a regular camp's gate guard, hahaha…"
Saying this, Cao Cao couldn't help but laugh heartily…
He was truly happy. Was this considered double happiness? It was… even more than double happiness!
"Ba'er will behead ten centurions next time! The position of Dragon Cavalry Battalion's gate guard will be mine!"
Xiahou Ba was quite assertive…
In comparison, Cao Ang appeared much more humble.
"Ang'er will work even harder, not to disappoint Father, nor to fail the cultivation of the Dragon Cavalry Battalion…"
"Very good!" Cao Cao nodded in approval.
Suddenly, he seemed to remember something and quickly turned his head to look at Xiahou Yuan.
"Miaocai!" Cao Cao blurted out, "I intend to send Anmin, Ang'er, Ba'er, and Heng'er to study at the Imperial Academy? What do you think?"
Ah… ah…
Upon hearing this, Xiahou Yuan was stunned? To study at the Imperial Academy?
Speaking of which, he, Xiahou Yuan, was not unfamiliar with the Imperial Academy. After taking the blame for Cao Cao, Cao Song treated Xiahou Yuan almost like his own son. Naturally, Cao Cao also arranged for Xiahou Yuan to study at the Imperial Academy.
Xiahou Yuan's military class teacher was the same as Cao Cao's, Duan Jiong…
However, Xiahou Yuan experienced it more profoundly than Cao Cao.
Duan Jiong's military strategy emphasized rapid marches… which, for Xiahou Yuan, became rapid marches plus rapid marches… and was elevated to divine speed;
Duan Jiong's emphasis on marching a hundred li a day was accelerated by Xiahou Yuan to a hundred and fifty li, or even two hundred li a day. Who in the Cao camp didn't know – Xiahou Yuan's marches were five hundred li in three days! A thousand li in six days!
Logically speaking, it was not bad for the children to enroll in the Imperial Academy.
The Dragon Cavalry Battalion primarily trained generals, but the Imperial Academy trained commanders of armies!
However… does the Imperial Academy exist now?
Xiahou Yuan muttered in his heart…
Or, to put it another way, even if the newly established Imperial Academy was reliable? Could they still find renowned teachers like Duan Jiong for military classes now?
"Is Elder Brother serious?"
Xiahou Yuan immediately retorted…
Just as Cao Cao was about to nod in agreement, Cao Ang and the other four said in unison: "This child will not go to the Imperial Academy, this child wants to serve in the Dragon Cavalry Battalion!"
Hey…
This… this had developed into a sense of loyalty to the Dragon Cavalry Battalion.
However…
Cao Cao was immediately amused. Why did these four children want to serve in the Dragon Cavalry Battalion? Wasn't it because this was Lu Yu's military unit?
If they knew that Lu Yu was also in charge of the Imperial Academy, would they still say they didn't want to go?
Heh, knowing this, they would probably have to break their heads to get in, right?
Haha…
Cao Cao laughed and asked, "Have you children thought it through? The opportunity to study at the Imperial Academy is only once. If you miss it, there will be no more chances!"
"This child has already decided, we will stay in the Dragon Cavalry Battalion!" Cao Ang's tone was exceptionally solemn!
Cao Anmin, Xiahou Ba, and Xiahou Heng also nodded heavily.
Cao Cao nodded slightly… "Good, then we shall follow your wishes. However… the Chief Administrator of the Imperial Academy is precisely your Dragon Cavalry Battalion commander – Lu Yu! But, what a pity… what a pity!"
As these words were spoken…
The faces of Cao Ang and the other four changed drastically. This… this…
It seemed that the Imperial Academy had suddenly become very appealing.
…
…