Chapter 59: Zhuge Liang prioritized the well-being of the people before governing the army, even while caring for children. ...

Before dawn, Huo Qubing got up. He changed into casual clothes, hid his sword under them, and tied his hair up casually, looking like a dashing young man from a wealthy family.

At three quarters past the hour of Yin (3:45 AM), Huo Qubing arrived outside the North Gate.

Huo Qubing waited in the shadows. The sound of the night watchman's drum came from within the palace walls; it was dawn. His fingers unconsciously tapped the hilt of his sword. Time ticked by, but Xiao Liu Ju still hadn't appeared.

It's possible that His Majesty learned of this.

Just as he was about to give up, the side gate of the palace wall creaked open a crack. A small figure emerged, looking around. Huo Qubing immediately recognized it as Liu Ju—the young prince was dressed in ordinary clothes, his hair haphazardly tied into a ponytail, looking just like a little boy.

"Your Highness! This way!" Huo Qubing called softly.

Liu Ju ran over at the sound, his face flushed and beads of sweat on his forehead. "I lied to the palace maid and said I needed to use the restroom," he said breathlessly, "and then I crawled out through the dog hole in the side hall!"

Huo Qubing couldn't help but chuckle. The dignified Crown Prince of the Han Dynasty crawling through a dog hole—if those old Confucian scholars knew, they'd probably faint from anger. He brushed the dust off Liu Ju's clothes: "From now on, Your Highness is my cousin. When you arrive and meet the old gentleman, you must learn from him properly, understand?"

Liu Ju nodded dejectedly: "I understand. So why do we still have to study even in the Immortal Realm?"

He thought that once he went to the fairyland, he wouldn't have to study anymore.

It seems that everyone, whether mortal or immortal, needs to study.

well.

I wish I didn't have to study.

"Your Highness—" An older palace maid stood outside the palace gate, holding a scroll, her voice already tinged with anxiety. Daylight had broken, and the Grand Tutor had been waiting in the Mingguang Hall for some time, but the Crown Prince, who was supposed to be attending the lecture, was nowhere to be seen.

Several palace maids, carrying palace lanterns, searched anxiously around the Jiaofang Palace, their skirts rustling as they swept across the stone steps. Suddenly, the youngest maid covered her mouth; she had spotted a dog hole in the corner of the wall.

Follow this cave.

"Found him! His Highness the Crown Prince is..."

Her voice stopped abruptly.

Ten paces away, Huo Qubing was half-squatting, tightening the ribbons of Liu Ju's cloak. The young prince had changed into ordinary clothes, and the golden crown in his hair had been replaced; he looked like a wealthy young master preparing to go out for a stroll. Hearing the noise, the two turned their heads simultaneously, Huo Qubing's fingers still lingering on Liu Ju's collar.

Before the little palace maid could even utter her exclamation, Huo Qubing and Liu Ju vanished in a flash of white light, like a small sun exploding beneath the palace walls.

"Close your eyes!" Huo Qubing pulled Liu Ju into his arms.

She instinctively raised her hand to shield her eyes, but when the bright light faded, the two figures were nowhere to be seen. Only a few pear petals, startled by the light, were slowly drifting down to where they had just stood.

The palace maid naturally knew that the Marquis of Champion had been recruited by the immortals, but this was the first time she had seen it with her own eyes.

"The immortal... the immortal has appeared..." The palace maid's legs went weak and she knelt on the ground, the hair ornaments in her hair jingling. She trembled as she reached for the open space, but there wasn't even a footprint left on the bluestone slab, only a faint white mist was dissipating.

From afar came the calls of other palace maids: "Have you found His Highness?"

The girl opened her mouth, but found her throat tightening.

The chaos on the Han side is another story.

Early in the morning, when it was time for work, everyone had gathered, and everyone looked radiant. Each of these people could hold multiple positions, working in Songyang County during the day and returning to their respective dynasties at night.

It was really tough.

When people arrive, they don't just stand there; they all chat for a bit.

Zhou Yu was very concerned about the television set, since he had only watched it once and hadn't finished watching it yet.

"Sanbao, hasn't Your Majesty finished watching that television yet?"

Logically speaking, is a TV series really that long? Why is Old Zhu still refusing to let go of the TV?

Forehead......

Upon hearing this, Zheng He's forehead immediately broke out in a fine sweat. He stammered, "Gongjin, you may not know, but my Emperor... he observed very carefully..."

Zhou Yu frowned slightly.

"Could it be..." Zhou Yu suddenly lowered his voice, "that he's watching it repeatedly?"

Zheng He's expression immediately became quite interesting. He said with a pained look, "Gongjin, you are wise... His Majesty has not only watched it repeatedly... he... he has almost read through five thousand years of history..."

It turns out that Zhu Yuanzhang treasured this television set as if it were a priceless gem. He would watch it after reviewing memorials during the day, before going to bed at night, and even have eunuchs hold up the screen and play it while he ate.

When Zheng He went to report on Zhuge Liang's affairs last time, he happened to see the emperor angrily cursing at the screen: "This hairstyle of shaving half and leaving a braid is extremely ugly!" - It turned out that he was watching "Yongzheng Dynasty".

“The worst part is…” Zheng He whispered in Zhou Yu’s ear, “His Majesty now even requires his ministers to recount the events during the morning court session…”

Zhou Yu was dumbfounded.

“Then… my Romance of the Three Kingdoms…” Zhou Yu was still unwilling to give up.

Zheng He shook his head helplessly: "His Majesty said that only by reading the entire history can...only then can we 'learn from history'..."

Upon hearing this, everyone present showed expressions of disappointment. Zhou Yu's gently waving feather fan suddenly stopped, and his usually smiling phoenix eyes dimmed slightly. Although Zhuge Liang maintained his composure, the fingers gripping the feather fan unconsciously tightened—although he had never seen the magical television set with his own eyes, the descriptions of its wonders had stirred a sense of longing within him.

In the corner, the usually taciturn Kui Shun pressed his lips together. His rough fingers unconsciously rubbed the sword at his waist, a complex expression flashing in his eyes. He, too, wanted to see; what he most wanted to know was when General Yue would be exonerated...

"Ouch—" Jiang Ge, clutching her aching back, limped into the office and collapsed into a chair. She'd been busy harvesting wheat yesterday, and her back was still throbbing. "If you ask me," she said, rubbing her lower back and seeing the disappointed expressions on everyone's faces, "if you want to know any history, just ask Zheng He, won't you?"

Everyone turned to look at her.

Magistrate Jiang counted on her fingers: "First, Zheng He won't distort the plot like in TV dramas; second, you can watch whichever period of history you want without waiting for commercials; third..." She suddenly lowered her voice, "and most importantly, you don't have to fight with Zhu Yuanzhang for the remote control!"

Upon hearing this, Zheng He shook his head, both amused and exasperated. He glanced around and, seeing the expectant glint in everyone's eyes, cleared his throat: "In that case... which passage would you like to hear first?"

Zhou Yu immediately sat up straight: "It is naturally the achievement of Eastern Wu! I want to see how future generations will write about us."

Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan and said in a gentle voice, "I am more interested in how future generations will evaluate the Northern Expeditions."

Kui Shun hesitated for a moment, then finally mustered his courage: "This humble general...this humble general would like to know about General Yue..."

Looking at the expectant gazes of the crowd, Zheng He suddenly felt the weight of the burden on his shoulders increase. This was far too much, he thought, taking a deep breath.

"I'll go back and get the book for everyone to see."

They each said when they would finish.

Zheng He looked around and asked curiously, "Why hasn't General Huo arrived yet?"

He had just finished speaking.

A flash of white light stung everyone's eyes, and when they opened them again, they saw Huo Qubing standing in the center of the office with a child.

Huo Qubing was dressed like a rich young master, and so was the child.

His attire, ironically, made people unsure of his identity.

Qin Shubao asked, "Qubing, what's wrong?"

Ever since Magistrate Jiang said they couldn't bring people along, they had given up on the idea. They never expected that Huo Qubing would bring people along.

that is......

Who is this kid?

Qin Shubao looked at the round-eyed Liu Ju, but couldn't remember who he was. Could it be Emperor Wu of Han shrunk down?

Huo Qubing patted Liu Ju on the shoulder and introduced him to everyone with a smile: "This is my cousin."

—Liu Ju.

That is, the Crown Prince Li, who dared to rebel against Emperor Wu of Han.

At that time, he was just a young child with a round face full of innocence.

All eyes fell on Xiao Liuju, and everyone tried their best to restrain themselves, suppressing the emotions revealed in their eyes.

In fact, there was no need for Huo Qubing to say anything more; Zhuge Liang had already recognized the child's identity from the noble air he exuded.

He straightened his clothes, stepped forward and bowed deeply: "Your subject Zhuge Liang greets Your Highness the Crown Prince." His voice was steady and powerful, carrying the respect and solemnity of a Han dynasty official.

"No need for formalities." Little Liu tried his best to keep a straight face, imitating how his father received ministers.

He secretly sized up the elderly man with white hair and beard in front of him—his cousin had said he wanted to find him a tutor, and this old man was the oldest among them, so he must be the one.

"Is the gentleman my cousin found for me you?" Liu Ju looked up, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. He noticed that the feather fan in the old man's hand gleamed warmly in the sunlight, just like the old man himself, giving off a friendly feeling.

Zhuge Liang smiled slightly and waved his feather fan gently: "If Your Highness does not despise me, this old minister is willing to serve you like a dog or a horse." He deliberately slowed down his speech so that the young crown prince could hear every word clearly.

Liu Ju blinked, then suddenly seemed to remember something, and pulled a delicate purse from his sleeve: "Then this is for you! It was embroidered by my mother, and inside it is..." He stood on tiptoe and lowered his voice, "...containing spices from the Western Regions that my father bestowed upon me. The smell will keep me awake!"

Everyone present was amused by this naive act. Huo Qubing patted Liu Ju's head, while Zhuge Liang solemnly accepted the purse with both hands, a kind smile appearing at the corners of his eyes: "This old minister thanks Your Highness for the gift. This item is precious, and I will wear it every day."

Liu Ju and Zhuge Liang, a beautiful scene.

But—it's time to get to work.

"Let's get to work! Let's get to work!" Jiang Ge called out, and everyone responded.

Most of the wheat in the granary hadn't been threshed yet yesterday. After threshing, it still needs to be dried for a few more days. The work isn't finished yet.

In the warm morning sunlight, Zhuge Liang held Liu Ju's little hand and walked slowly towards the granary. In the distance, farmers had already begun their day's work, and the rhythmic sound of flails echoed from the threshing ground.

"Sir, what are those people doing?" Liu Ju pointed to the busy figures in front of the granary.

Zhuge Liang did not answer immediately, but instead led him to a granary piled high with wheat ears. The golden wheat ears gleamed warmly in the morning sun, exuding a sun-baked fragrance. The old man bent down, picked up an ear of wheat, gently rubbed it open, and placed a few plump grains in Liu Ju's palm.

"Does Your Highness know how much wind and rain a single grain of wheat must endure to reach this granary?"

Liu Ju curiously picked up a grain and examined it closely in the sunlight. The grain trembled slightly at his fingertips, as if it were alive.

Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan, his voice flowing like a clear spring: "When sowing in autumn, we must avoid the cold dew; when growing in spring, we must prevent lodging; and when harvesting in summer, we must seize sunny days." He pointed to the farmers in the distance, "Those people are threshing wheat right now—one of the hardest jobs."

Just then, an old farmer walked by carrying a flail, his calloused hands still covered with wheat awns. Zhuge Liang suddenly bowed and said, "Old man, you've worked hard."

Liu Ju's eyes widened in surprise—the old man was actually bowing to a farmer?

The Crown Prince's teacher was the Grand Tutor, a man of scholarly integrity who did not easily bow to others, let alone to farmers.

“Your Highness,” Zhuge Liang straightened up, his eyes gleaming with wisdom, “do you know why ‘the bravest general is not as good as the fullest granary’?”

The young prince shook his head, and the ears of wheat on his clothes swayed gently with his movement.

The tutor only taught him to read; he didn't know much else.

Zhuge Liang led him to the shadows of the granary and took out a pair of exquisite counting rods from his sleeve: "A single elite soldier eats two liters a day, and an army of 100,000 consumes 2,000 shi a day. In a year of famine..." The counting rods drew deep furrows in the sand, "An army on an empty stomach, no matter how brave, will be defeated."

Suddenly, cheers erupted in the distance—several children had discovered a field mouse burrow and were using bamboo poles to scoop out the hidden grains of wheat. Liu Ju, engrossed in watching, didn't notice that Zhuge Liang had already crouched down to face him at eye level.

“A skilled warrior has no illustrious achievements, and a skilled healer has no glorious name. A ruler…” He gently held the prince’s small hand and pressed a grain of wheat into the child’s palm, “and should first nourish the people, then govern the army.”

Liu Ju suddenly felt the wheat grains in his palm become heavy. He looked up at the granary, and every line on the wheat grains was stained with the sweat of the farmers.

"Sir, I..." He clutched the wheat grains tightly, then suddenly turned and ran towards the threshing floor. "I want to help them thresh the grain!"

-----------------------

The author's note: Zhuge Liang: A skilled strategist does not need a illustrious name.

The words had barely left his mouth.

Xiao Liu: But my cousin and uncle are both very famous~ [Okay]