In the evening, Luoyang, Xiangshi Mansion.
Sima Yi sat in the center of the hall, with his concubines and children seated on both sides, each person at their own table.
The Sima family of Heluo has always disliked excess display, and after Sima Yi became the Minister of the Interior, the family's daily evening meal only had six courses.
Moreover, the house rules were strict, and after the meal was announced, everyone quickly picked up vegetables and rice as if someone was pushing them from behind.
After Sima Yi finished eating and placed the wooden chopsticks on the bowl, it had not even been a few breaths before everyone in the hall had put down their wooden chopsticks.
Sima Yi stood up and walked out while saying, "Zi, come with me as my son."
"Yes." Sima Zhao replied vaguely, swallowed the food in his mouth, and quickly stood up to follow.
The two of them walked through the courtyard, proceeding to the side courtyard where the study was located. Following his father's silhouette, Sima Zhao quickened his pace as they approached the study door and then pushed it open swiftly.
Sima Yi did not look anywhere except straight ahead, and he directly lifted his leg to enter. Sima Zhao closed the door gently behind him.
After taking their seats, Sima Yi began to speak, "Tomorrow is your graduation day, Zi."
"Tomorrow, I will also go to the Imperial Academy with the emperor to attend the graduation summary for the third batch of students."
"Zi, tomorrow you will graduate. Do you have any reflections?"
Facing his father's inquiry, Sima Zhao always felt a bit nervous. Besides his brother Sima Shi, his father usually had a cold face at home and did not spare him either.
Since studying at the Imperial Academy, he has been called to the study room for a chat at the end of every month. He wasn't sure whether it was because his father genuinely cared for him or because his brother wasn't around, leaving him as the only person to ask about matters.
Sima Zhao pondered for a moment before saying, "In terms of the heart and soul gained from a year at the Imperial Academy, the most significant lesson is that life is hard and requires our best effort."
"Studying classics is fine, the Confucian scholars' interpretations are a bit profound, but there are no fundamental differences with what I learned and heard at home."
"It was only when studying criminal law and administrative affairs that I felt the difficulty. Often, as a local magistrate, I had to take into account laws, human nature, the people, and the court's demands."
"At the beginning of the month, Judge Gao from the Supreme Court came to the Imperial Academy to teach us about his experiences as a local official and his time in office."
"Son, I am only moved by the realization that simply sitting in the study and reading is not enough to understand these things; one must still face real-life challenges."
Gao Rou? Sima Yi chuckled in his heart, but his expression remained unchanged.
Sima Yi nodded gently, "So, it seems the difficulties you experienced are more related to 'managing people' rather than 'managing knowledge'?"
"Yes." Sima Zhao nodded vigorously.
Sima Yi finally laughed, "As for studying, father is not as capable as those doctors at the Imperial Academy."
"But when it comes to 'managing people', bundling Gao Rou and the officials from the six ministries and nine agencies together would not even be as effective as father's index finger."
Hearing his father's words, Sima Zhao straightened his upper body even more and slightly leaned forward, bowing and saying, "Please advise me, Father."
Sima Yi said, "At the age of forty, I was appointed as the Minister of Rites and Works. By the time I was nearly fifty, I held the position of the Three Public Offices. Do you know why?"
Sima Zhao had a sincere expression and said, "Of course, it is because father has the ability to benefit the people, save the country, and help the weak!"
Sima Yi snorted with disdain, "No matter how important talent is, it can only come second. Even if one has the talents of Lü Buwa or Yi Yin, without a sovereign to command them, they are no better than a worthless dog by the side of the road."
Sima Zhao bit his lip: "That means father has the favor of the ruler! In those days, when the former emperor was still around, he valued father highly, just as you said!"
Sima Yi nodded: "Being favored by the ruler is the true test of one's ability. Only then can one make a difference and achieve great things."
"But why did the previous emperor trust me?"
Sima Zhao said, "It's because of father's talents!"
Sima Yi laughed and said, "The world is full of talented people, and I am not the only one missing."
"The previous emperor trusted me because every time he encountered a situation, I was by his side, offering advice and making plans, and these often worked!"
Sima Zhao scratched his head, showing a hint of confusion and difficulty.
According to what father said just now, father could rise to high positions because the previous emperor favored him. This favor was due to his talents, but he also had to wait for the right moment.
Which is more important?
Sima Yi did not elaborate on these points: "At such a place as the Imperial Academy, you can already see through these things, which is quite good. As you said, it is the right path to learn and practice slowly in real-life situations."
"Being an official requires talent and learning, but it also requires tricks."
Sima Zhao asked, "What kind of tricks?"
"Then father will give you an example freely," Sima Yi said. "When I was forty, I served as the Chief of the Secretariat of the Prime Minister, and when I was nearly fifty, I held the position of the Military Administrator of Yu Chiang and stayed there."
"How should I gain the respect of others?"
Sima Zhao asked, "Should it be by talent? Or by the favor of the previous emperor?"
Sima Yi shook his head: "Others cannot see your talents, relying on your reputation to intimidate people will only be laughed at."
Sima Zhao was puzzled and asked, "Then how did father do it?"
Sima Yi was proud and stroked his beard, saying, "By showing the dignity of government positions, by acting with strict authority, and by being careful with one's words, one can make others respect and fear you."
"For the cunning, use bravery to compel them. For the brave, use distance to control them. For the honest, use fame to bind them."
"As for the majority of mundane individuals, using their ranks and official positions to pressure them is already sufficient."
Sima Zhao thought to himself, "Father's great talent, son cannot learn from it. It is likely that I need to practice for decades more."
In fact, Sima Zhao over-thought. Sima Yi's set of skills, even if he studied for his entire life, might not all be learned.
Sima Yi smiled and said, "Let's talk about your future prospects as a student of the Imperial Academy."
"Most of the graduates from the first period are currently engaged in land reclamation in Longyin, and there is no sign of them being called back. Judging from the intentions of Emperor Yang and the Grand Historian Yang Yishan, it seems likely that they will be kept there for another year."
Sima Zhao interjected, "The first batch graduated in Taihe Year One, and now it is already Taihe Year Three."
"Is it to be fully engaged in land reclamation for three years?"
Sima Yi nodded: "The second batch of students at the Imperial Academy went to Guanzhong and were also scattered in foundational positions managing land reclamation."
"Zi, if my guess is correct, you guys are also going to continue to be sent out to manage the land reclamation."
As Sima Zhao, the second son, was often given more care by his older brother and mother, he sighed at this moment: "If what father said is true, then I will have to leave Luoyang and be away from father's side."
"Which regions have the first two batches gone to, and where will this batch be sent?"
Sima Yi calmly said, "It would likely be Huaiyang."
Sima Zhao's eyes lit up: "If it is Huaiyang, it would be closer to my brother!"
"Last month, I received a letter from my brother, who was working as a scribe in Yangzhou for a year. He had a good reputation in the administration, and just got transferred to the Warehouse Custodian by General Jiang."
"My brother also said that by the end of the year, during the time when the states submit their annual reports, he will come to Luoyang to report to the Ministry of Rites as a state-level reporting official!"
"Pretty good reputation?" Sima Yi bitterly shook his head, "My brother is just a scribe. What kind of political reputation can he have? It's only because of Jiang Zitong looking at my face that he got the job as a warehouse officer."
"As for letting Zi Yan serve as the state-level reporting official, it might be because Jiang Zitong let him take a detour home on his way back. Who would be in charge of the state-level reporting at the age of twenty-five?"
"I will write to Jiang Zitong tomorrow and ask him not to send Zi Yan back."
Sima Zhao stuck out his tongue and felt that he had wronged his brother: "Father, brother's learning and ability are well-known to both of us. How can he not rely on his own talent?"
"Talent?" Sima Yi coldly smiled, "An ordinary scholar would be grateful to reach the position of a state-level officer by the age of fifty! Who could become an officer at the age of twenty?"
"Zi, in this world, there are two sets of rules."
"The first is the set you learned in the Imperial Academy, starting as a general officer, then serving in local governments or being selected to various state and county offices."
"Accomplish real achievements and then gradually advance step by step."
Sima Zhao seemed to understand something: "Father, what is the second set of rules?"
Sima Yi said, "The second set of rules is about power and connections."
"Who is related to whom, who is a student of whom, who is from the same region as whom, who is related by marriage to whom. The promotion and demotion, appointment and dismissal, everything is woven into this network."
Sima Zhao frowned: "Is the whole world like this? Father has always let me study Confucian classics, but he has never talked to me about this before."
"Isn't talent alone sufficient?"
"Sons, today I will tell you, it is not enough."
Sima Yi looked at his son, who was just about to turn eighteen, and spoke, "If my grandfather had not recommended Emperor Wu to the position of Yubu Prefect in Luoyang, how could the name of our Sima family have reached such prominence today?"
"No matter how talented, one also needs an opportunity."
Sima Zhao listened to his father's words with one ear and dismissed them with the other. After all, he was the son of the Minister of Justice, and why should he worry too much about his future prospects?
However, Sima Zhao still mentioned, "Father, two days ago a fellow student from the Imperial Academy came to look for me, saying that he graduated in the same year as me."
"I asked him in detail, and it turns out that this person is from the same region as us, surnamed Shan, named Tao, with the style name Juyuan. He also claims that we are distant relatives."
"I asked my mother and found out that there really is such a person. The father of Shan Jiyuan is my mother's cousin."
Sima Yi slightly frowned: "The Shan family from Huai County?"
The mother of Sima Yi's wife, Zhang Chunhua, was from the Shan family. However, Sima Yi had always disliked relatives seeking favor, and this family had never approached him.
Sima Zhao nodded in agreement.
Sima Yi said, "After two years of studying at the Imperial Academy, he is not a genius, but he is at least someone who can be used."
"Since he is related to us, you, Zi, should invite Shan Jiyuan to the mansion one day and have him pay respects to your mother. If I happen to be at home, I can also give him some encouragement."
Sima Zhao was overjoyed. This was the first time his father had promised to give him face in front of his classmates: "Thank you, Father. Although my fellow student did not mention these things, I think it would be a great honor for him to be received by you."
Sima Yi laughed and did not delve into it: "By the way, Zi, a few days ago, there was a letter from the Jin County clan saying that the Ministry of Personnel will summon Jin County Prefect Wang Xiang to court. He will come to our mansion to pay respects when he arrives."
"Wang Xiang is a man of some reputation. He once served as the Assistant Administrator under Lü Qing in Xuzhou and has been in charge of provincial affairs for a long time. I will have him at a banquet at the mansion, and you should come along as well."
Sima Zhao was surprised: "He has served as the Assistant Administrator of Xuzhou, how can he now serve as the Prefect of Wen County? How could he have such a career?"
Sima Yi calmly said: "Wang Xiang applied for the recommendation of talent, which is the court's system. Since he wants the name of talent, he must walk through such a process in the Ministry of Personnel."
Sima Zhao nodded and then asked again, "Father, how old is this person?"
Sima Yi said, "He is five years younger than me."
Sima Zhao shrugged his shoulders: "He has only reached the position of county magistrate at this age. Can this be considered talent? Father still wants to meet him?"
Sima Yi shook his head: "You don't understand."
"Last year, Wang Xiang was recommended for talent, and last year his brother Wang Lang was also recommended for filial piety. The Xuzhou clan values these two brothers very much."
"The East Sea Wang family and I are not on good terms, so I will support the Langya Wang family."
"Adding to the trust from our clan, it's not something I can easily refuse."
Sima Zhao became even more curious: "These two brothers are highly valued by the entire state of Xuzhou? What are their abilities?"
Sima Yi laughed and said, "Zi, have you heard of 'Lying on the Ice to Seek Carp' and 'Wang Lang Competes for the Poison Cup'?"
Sima Zhao naturally shook his head.
Sima Yi said, "By some time in the future, you will know." (This chapter concludes)
