Chapter 28

Liu Che coughed lightly.

Liu Ju turned and saw him. He called out "Father" and pointed to the empty seat beside him. "Come here too. This is prepared for you."

Pointing to the parasol and the tall round table, he said, "They're both newly made in Baishan."

Liu Che looked at the lounge chair, the umbrella, the round table, the fruit plate, snacks, and juice, and finally his gaze fell on Liu Ju's face, which was full of satisfaction. "You really know how to enjoy yourself."

Liu Ju nodded sincerely: "Of course, if you have the means, why not treat yourself better? Life can't just be lived, it must be lived with quality."

Liu Che: ...

I am too exhausted to complain. I don't know where this kid comes from with so many weird words recently. They make people frown at first, but when you think about it again, they make a lot of sense.

Liu Che strode away, turned his head and glanced at Liu Ju: "Come here quickly."

Liu Ju followed behind eagerly: "Father, let's take a rest first. You just ran for so long, aren't you tired?"

Before Liu Che could say anything, the generals waved their hands, "Not tired, not tired? How can it be tiring to ride such a small horse? Your Highness, let's talk about the harness first. The saddle and stirrups look easy to install, but how do you get the horseshoes?"

Liu Ju curled his lips and sighed: "You are too impatient. You really can't wait even a moment."

Liu Che was speechless. Such an important thing, such a big matter, and yet you are the only one who is not in a hurry and is leisurely and comfortably enjoying it!

"Ah." Liu Ju sighed. "Since that's the case, let's get down to business first. It's always easier to explain how it was done in words than to see it with your own eyes."

This was exactly what everyone wanted, and the generals applauded, "This is the best."

"I still have nine sets of unused harnesses here. Would you like to equip your beloved horses with them?"

Everyone:!!!

That’s a must!

Liu Ju waved his hand, and an attendant brought over the neatly assembled horse harness. The first set was naturally for Liu Che. Liu Ju carefully removed it and handed it to Wu Changshi.

The second set was given to Wei Qing, the third set was given to Huo Qubing, and then to Li Guang and others.

After handing out the nine sets, Liu Ju waved his hand again and strode forward. He led everyone for a distance, turned a corner, and arrived at the back of the palace.

Here, the blacksmith has already lit the fire, and Baishan has been waiting there for a long time.

At Liu Ju's command, Baishan and his attendants worked together to install the saddle and stirrups on the horse's back, and then to nail the horseshoes.

A group of people gathered around the blazing fire. The generals who had been overjoyed to receive the horse harness were now feeling a little uneasy.

His Highness had never told them before that this is how horseshoes are nailed!

Everyone was whispering to each other.

"Is this really okay? I hope it won't hurt my beloved horse. Hey, why are you using a knife?"

"Why bother with the knife? Didn't His Highness tell us to trim the horse's hooves first? Why have you never had your beloved horse's hooves trimmed? What's the big deal?"

"It's been trimmed before, but never like this. Trimmed by the stove, and then pressed the red-hot horseshoe directly on? My God, is Your Highness really not kidding?"

"Ah, not only are there red-hot horseshoes, but nails are being hammered in too! Damn it! This is just outrageous! Your Majesty, you haven't said a word yet. At least give them some advice."

"No. This is my beloved BMW. He's been with me for many years. I dare not gamble with my BMW. Otherwise, I don't want this horseshoe."

"What are you yelling about? It's not your turn yet. And what about your beloved horse? Could your beloved horse be as precious as your Majesty's? Your Majesty has the guts to be the first to have his horse shoed. If he's not afraid of you, why should you be afraid?"

"His Highness said that horse hooves are like our fingernails. The horseshoe nailed to the horse's hoof is like nailing our extra fingernails. It's no problem. Didn't you see that the horse isn't going crazy or whining, but is humming and wagging its tail in comfort?"

"Are you senile or blind? Didn't you see the horseshoes on the horses' hooves when you were not running? Those horses are fine, so ours will be fine too. You can take it or not, but I have to try it. Anyone who doesn't want this kind of horse harness is a fool."

As soon as the words fell, the shoes on both feet of Liu Che's beloved horse were fixed. Everyone held their breath and focused their attention.

But when the horse's hooves touched the ground, the horse raised its head slightly and neighed in a pleasant and cheerful voice, and even took a few steps on the spot.

Everyone's eyes lit up at the same time, extremely excited: It's done, it's done! It really worked!

Everyone's restlessness faded, and they rushed forward like a swarm of bees. "Nail mine first, nail mine first. My horse has the saddle and stirrups already set, all it needs is two pairs of horseshoes."

"Go away! You talk as if someone's horse is missing a saddle and stirrups. Everyone needs two pairs of horseshoes! I'm in the front of the line, so I'll go first."

"That's enough. Who said you didn't want this thing? If you don't want it anymore, why are you still fighting with us? If you don't want it, why don't you give me your share?"

"Don't you have it yourself?"

"I can't have too much!"

…

The general who used to gallop across the battlefield with might and courage, and who could fight against the Huns without batting an eyelid, was now red-faced and vying for a pair of horseshoes, which stunned the Baishan blacksmith and his attendants.

Liu Che suppressed his pounding heart and called Liu Ju out. Liu Ju naturally understood what he meant and winked at Bai Shan. Bai Shan immediately understood.

Entering the palace, Liu Che was about to take a seat when Liu Ju stopped him. With a wave of his hand, Bai Shan and his attendants arrived with two chairs. Liu Ju arranged for one to be placed where Liu Che had originally sat, and one to the side.

"This is called a chair, and it's also new. It can be made in different heights and sizes according to your needs."

Liu Ju took Liu Che's hand and let him sit down. He then took another seat and swung his feet. "This way, my feet can hang down and touch the ground. It's more comfortable than kneeling on my heels, and it's also more comfortable than a spring stool."

Pointing to the seat, he said, "If you think it's too hard, you can add a cushion."

Pointing to the back of the chair, he said, "You can put a pillow here."

Liu Che: ...Okay, it was too early to say he would enjoy it. I should have said it now.

Liu Che's mouth twitched, he didn't care much about these strange and tricky "little tricks", and asked about the real business.

But Liu Ju directly pushed Bai Shan out: "I came up with the idea, but the entire production process was handled by Bai Shan. He was responsible for the size and how to make the design more reasonable.

"The only thing is blacksmithing. Although he knows a thing or two, his skills aren't very good. I asked him to find a blacksmith from the Shaofu Examination Office. He's the one who helps with horseshoeing. They work together."

Liu Che looked at Bai Shan, who stepped forward and replied, "Making it isn't difficult. We only encountered some minor problems initially designing the sample. Now that we have the finished product, making it is much simpler. We can just follow the previous process step by step. The only difficulty lies in having enough materials."

At this point, Liu Ju nodded quickly: "Yes, the material is the most important. Everything else is irrelevant, the key is the iron. If I could get a lot of iron, I wouldn't be able to make only this little."

Liu Che raised his eyebrows.

"I was thinking of a black row of cavalrymen marching over, each equipped. Then there would be a clang clang clang clang, roar ho ho ha ha!"

Liu Ju couldn't help but stand up and demonstrate a few moves, looking pretty much like the real thing.

The two men were too close, and the cup in Liu Che's hand was almost knocked over by him. He subconsciously leaned back to avoid it.

Liu Ju was completely unaware and sat down, continuing, "He's so majestic and imposing, so impressive. The horse's harness is perfect for such an appearance. So impressive!"

Liu Che was speechless for a while.

Liu Ju held his chin in his hand and said, "If we can train them into an elite force, it will be even more impressive. The moment they appear, they will show the majesty of the Han Dynasty."

Train into elite troops?

Liu Che's eyes were deep: "You also know how to train soldiers?"

Liu Ju paused and waved his hands repeatedly: "I don't understand. I will provide equipment, and professional matters such as training should be left to professionals."

Liu Che nodded slightly, but his eyes were still on him. He looked like he was thinking about something, but he didn't know what he was thinking about.

After a while, he looked away and didn't continue the topic. Instead, he turned around and asked Baishan about a few details of the process. Then he nodded and said, "It seems that as long as we have enough materials, the rest is not difficult."

Liu Ju rolled his eyes. "Is your Majesty ready to start production now? Good things can't be delayed. The sooner we use them, the better."

Liu Che did not reply, but waited quietly for him to finish.

"Since we're going to be producing in large quantities, naturally someone should be in charge." Liu Ju pointed at Baishan. "Why not leave it to Baishan? He made the first batch, so no one knows it better than him. Even I don't know the exact specifications and dimensions as well as he does."

"If we send someone else, they'll inevitably have to consult Baishan frequently when problems arise. So, why not just skip that hassle and let Baishan handle this matter directly?"

Liu Che's mouth curled up: "If I take on this responsibility, do I need a corresponding status and position?"

Liu Ju nodded: "Of course, otherwise how can I manage things and win the support of the people?"

The little thoughts are clear at a glance.

Liu Che raised his eyebrows: "Then what position do you think is suitable?"

"The Shaofu has Ruolu and Kaogong. Baishan is young, so there's no need to give him the magistrate of Ruolu or Kaogong right away. Besides, the magistrates of both places are already in place, and the magistrate of Ruolu is still his master Gongshu Xing.

"It would be inappropriate for a disciple to seize Master's position or become equal to Master as soon as he arrives. Baishan is still in Gongshu's family. But I heard that there are still vacancies for Junior Commander and Doctor. Even if there are, these positions can be added. So, Father, please make your decision."

Liu Che: ...You have said so much now, what should I do?

Currently, military equipment duties fall under the jurisdiction of the Shaofu. Both Ruolu and Kaogong are subordinate to the Shaofu. Ruolu oversees the manufacture of military equipment, primarily for military use. Kaogong also oversees the manufacture of military equipment, primarily for the garrison of the capital.

The so-called "many" only refers to most of the time. In fact, there is a lot of overlap in the supply of military equipment produced by the two.

Horse harnesses are very useful. Apart from daily household maintenance and transportation, they are most in demand by cavalry and scouts.

Therefore, if mass production is to be carried out, it would be much more convenient to classify it as armaments manufacturing, with better management and faster speed. And as for armaments manufacturing, Ruolu and Kaogong are indeed the most suitable.

Liu Che looked at Liu Ju. It was obvious that he had done his homework before saying this, and he even considered Gongshu Xing.

Liu Che's expression flickered slightly, and he glanced at Bai Shan who was sitting below him: "You are quite good at asking for a reward for him."

Bai Shan's heart trembled. He wanted to refuse, but he didn't dare. He really didn't expect His Highness to ask for an official position for him, and such an important one at that.

He had no idea what was going on. He wanted to say something, but couldn't. After all, His Majesty and His Highness were talking, so he had no business interrupting. If he did, it would be disrespectful.

He was worried, but Liu Ju took it for granted: "Of course. If he follows me, he is mine. I can't treat him badly. If he has done something good, I should ask for a reward for him.

"Father, don't underestimate him because he's young. He's capable of this. As I just said, although I came up with the idea for the three-piece harness, he did all the manufacturing. I just talked about it and only gave the general idea; he completed everything else."

This was not Liu Ju's deliberate praise of Baishan, but was a statement based on facts.

He didn't search his mind for the method of making horse harnesses, he only found an introductory video, which was missing most of the content.

Therefore, what he repeated to Baishan was not completely detailed. The specific steps, especially the control of details such as size, shape, and material, were all pondered over and over by Baishan.

This also made him understand that Baishan has his own thoughts and abilities.

Liu Che thought for a moment and said, "The improvement of the Wugang chariot and crossbow has made great progress. Gong Shuxing is busy with the Ruolu area, so I will hand this matter over to the Imperial Examination and appoint him as Junior Imperial Examination Officer."

Liu Ju was very satisfied, his eyes smiling: "Thank you, father."

He turned around and reminded the confused Bai Shan: "Why don't you thank me quickly?"

Baishan then came back to his senses and was extremely surprised. He knelt down and kowtowed to Liu Che, and then kowtowed to Liu Ju.

That's how it was settled.

In the next two days, Liu Che was busy arranging the mass production of horse harnesses; the generals were busy testing the new horse harnesses over and over again, and playing all kinds of tricks; the young men and women were thinking about the polo matches and were ready to organize one themselves.

And what about Liu Ju?

Liu Ju was strolling leisurely on the grass on his beloved pony. Yes, strolling.

After two days of practice, even though he cannot run yet, he can already ride the horse slowly by himself without the need for someone to hold him by the leash.

What a great improvement! Liu Ju was very satisfied and couldn't help himself.

Huo Qubing's mouth twitched as he watched, but before he could stop, Liu Ju waved for someone to carry him down. He said happily, "Today's training mission is completed, rest!"

Huo Qubing: ...

Look at the sky, calculate the time Liu Ju has been riding. Speechless, speechless, absolutely speechless!

When he was learning to ride a horse, his uncle would always yell at him to stop several times, and he would be so angry that he would pull him off the horse, but he would still yell and want to get on again. Who is like this brat?

Huo Qubing chuckled: "Who was it that boasted that he could learn it quickly and wouldn't need me to lead the horse? You, with your current level of skill, still have the nerve to say you can learn it quickly?"

"Why are you embarrassed? Learning should be gradual. Who is as unrestrained as you? Don't think I don't know.

"My uncle told me that on your first day learning to ride a horse, you were so excited that you refused to get off. As a result, your legs couldn't be put together, and you scraped the skin off. You couldn't walk at all, and you had to stay in bed for several days."

Huo Qubing:... Damn, uncle, you haven't told me about so many of my heroic deeds, but you are telling this to a brat!

Liu Ju raised his eyebrows: "That's why my uncle told me not to imitate you. You are a fool."

Huo Qubing:...Uncle, you are truly my uncle.

Liu Ju raised his head and turned around. Just as he was about to go back to his room, he saw Wu Changshi approaching him: "Your Highness, His Majesty invites you."

When Liu Ju arrived, Liu Che was sitting at the top, and a crowd of people stood below him, all standing straight, motionless, and looking straight ahead.

Seeing him, Liu Che waved: "Come here."

Liu Ju ran over and asked, "What does your Majesty want to see me about?"

Liu Che chuckled: "You have done something great this time, and you have given me a big surprise. I will give you a surprise in return."

surprise?

Liu Ju's eyes lit up.

Liu Che pointed at the crowd and said, "Don't you want to train your troops for your grand occasion? Go and pick some and train them well. I await your results."

Liu Ju: ...his smile froze.

What the hell is this military training? The harnesses are out, and what's the point of all this grand ceremony? And he's training troops? What kind of troops can he train?

His father is such a grown-up and such a wise emperor, so how could he not understand what people say?

Did he say anything that day that indicated he wanted to train troops?

It must be intentional, it must be intentional, it must be intentional!

The barrage that hadn't been seen for several days was finally revealed.

"Oh shit, what did I hear? No way, did I misunderstand? Is Emperor Liu Che really serious about having a child like that recruit soldiers for training?"

—I don't think they were letting Liu Ju practice. So, they wanted him to have a reputation, so he would definitely be supported. For example, Wei Qing, Huo Qubing, and so on. They probably wanted him to learn through this, to cultivate his understanding of this area. After all, Emperor Wu of Han was a martial artist and valued the military. His posthumous title speaks for itself.

That's too early. Liu Ju is still so young. Liu Che wasn't afraid of forcing things. And if that's the case, I can't help but mourn for Liu Ju for a second. I don't know what surprise Liu Ju gave Liu Che, but if he said it was a merit, then it's definitely a good thing, well done.

Does this situation sound like this to you: Son, you did really well on the test this time. Dad loves you. Come, Dad has prepared a reward for you. Then he stuffs a stack of exercises into my hand.

—Ah, this… Hahaha, I feel it’s inexplicably fitting. Most importantly, Liu Che was talking about a surprise. Liu Che actually called this a surprise!

Liu Ju: ...

I was already depressed, and after reading these words, especially that metaphor, I felt even more depressed.

Liu Ju was mentally scrolling through his OS: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh. How could he have such a father?

My father is not a human being!

Liu Ju raised his eyebrows and looked at Liu Che with a very subtle look.

Liu Che coughed lightly, averted his gaze, and continued calmly: "There are hundreds of people here, no matter how many you choose. It's already the end of July, and in a few days it will be August, which means it's only two months away from the New Year.

"I promise you, if you can improve their skills before the New Year, I will give them all to you as your personal guards, at your disposal. How do you do that?"

Liu Ju: ...Haha, what use does he have for this personal guard?

Liu Ju looked at Liu Che with resentment. Seeing that Liu Che had no self-awareness at all, he had to remind him: "Father, I told you I don't know how to train soldiers."

"If you don't know how to do it, you can learn. No one is born with the ability. Your uncle and cousin are both experts in this field. You can ask them for advice."

Liu Ju hit the nail on the head: "If that's the case, why don't you just hand it over to your uncle and cousin? Besides them, there are also generals like Li Guang and Li Xi. You don't lack people to train the troops."

Liu Che paused.

Liu Ju pursed his lips, his expression complicated: "Father, are you trying to find trouble for me because you can't stand my idleness?"

Deliberately looking for trouble? Although this is the truth, will Liu Che admit it? Absolutely not!

"How could that be? You're overthinking it."

Liu Ju curled his lips. He was foolish to believe this. "Do you still remember how old I am now? Are you sure you want me to train with you?"

Of course Liu Che remembered it and took it seriously enough, so he nodded affirmatively.

Liu Ju: ...looking up at the sky in silence.

He felt that there was something really wrong with his father's brain.

Liu Che patted his head and said, "I just want you to be exposed to more different things and learn more different things."

Although my son is still young, he has made a Kongming lantern, a compass, and horse harnesses. He also knows how to use his detective thinking to solve cases. He is definitely not an ordinary child.

Since ancient times, child prodigies like Gan Luo and Xiang Tuo have received unique educational approaches. Just because something is unsuitable for ordinary children doesn't mean it's unsuitable for Liu Ju.

Besides, who knows if there will be more surprises?

Liu Che's eyes flickered. He admitted that he was also testing while educating, testing continuously.

But Liu Ju only felt that it was indeed so. As expected, the comment was right!

Dad, you are really my dad!

Seeing Liu Ju's displeasure, his eyes filled with both grievance and accusation, Liu Che knew he was unwilling. But no matter how smart he was, he was still a child, a typical child, and Liu Che knew how to deal with it.

"Don't you want to be impressive? Let them be your personal guards. When you take them out in the future, it will be grand and impressive, right?"

Liu Ju shook his head decisively: "No. I stay in the palace all day and rarely leave. Even when I go out, I am accompanied by guards, and the guards are also very impressive. Why should I bother with so much trouble?"

He is not a fool and would not do unnecessary work.

Liu Che narrowed his eyes slightly, like a fox. "The guards are the guards of the palace, not just yours. If you want to leave the palace, you must report to me in advance so that I can make arrangements. The personal guards are directly under your jurisdiction, act according to your orders, and are specifically responsible for your safety.

"With them around, your future travels will naturally be more convenient. Even if you encounter other things, you can assign them to help you, so you won't be without help."

Liu Ju tilted his head. It seems there is some benefit in saying this?

Liu Che chuckled, "Training requires a place. I allow you to come to Shanglin Garden. How about that?"

Come to Shanglinyuan? Does this mean he can come here anytime and do anything else?

Liu Ju blinked, his mind stirred. He tried hard to suppress the corners of his mouth that were raised, trying to make himself appear less "realistic". He coughed lightly and said, "Are you kidding?"

Liu Che nodded: "Sir, don't joke."

"Okay, deal!"

Liu Ju grabbed Liu Che's hand and slapped it, and instantly became energetic. He walked towards the crowd, looked at them one by one, and selected the soldiers and generals according to his own wishes. He asked those he liked to step out of the line. In a short while, he had selected dozens of people.

The speed surprised Liu Che: "Is it over?"

"That's all. I'm still a child, so I don't have much to do. Why do I need so many people? These are enough."

Liu Che glared and asked, "Am I asking about the number of people?"

"Don't they need to show off their skills?"

Liu Ju waved his hand: "No, as long as it looks good."

Liu Che glanced sideways and saw that the chosen ones were indeed well-proportioned with handsome features. The remaining ones were not ugly, but compared with the chosen ones, their appearance was indeed inferior.

Liu Che: ...

He sighed and said earnestly, "They are the ones who will follow you and protect you in the future. How can you just judge them by their appearance? Zi'er, remember this. Whether it's a person or an object, practical value, not superficial appearance, is what matters most."

Liu Ju was unconcerned. "Even if the abilities of those summoned by the emperor aren't top-notch, they certainly aren't mediocre. I'm in the capital, not at the border. Why would they be so strong? We're not going to fight the Xiongnu."

"So, as long as their abilities aren't too bad, it doesn't matter who you choose. So, why not choose someone who's more attractive?"

Liu Che: ...speechless again, with a complicated expression.

The barrage became cheerful.

——Hahaha, what's with that look in Liu Che's eyes? Don't you know that a son resembles his father? Your son has inherited it from you. You yourself are a face lover, how can you have the nerve to teach your son not to be too superficial?

— Wei Zifu, Lady Li, Lady Gouyi, any one of them, if they weren't beautiful, I don't believe you would have been able to eat them. Not to mention that you fell in love with Wei Zifu at first sight, and Lady Li was even said to be "a beauty that could overwhelm a nation."

—The above person miscalculated. Han Yan should also be included. If Han Yan was a misfit, how could he have become Emperor Wu of Han's favorite? Han Yan was in and out of the Yongxiang, and had affairs with the concubines, yet Emperor Wu of Han still protected him. What true love! The others above pale in comparison to this one.

——So I am very curious. This plot specifically points out that Liu Ju loves beauty. Is it intended to create a male favorite plot when he grows up, have an affair with Liu Ju, and then cause trouble as the point of intensification of the conflict before the prince is offline?

——Although there is no mention in history that Liu Ju was bisexual, this is an old tradition of the Liu family, so it is very likely!

Liu Ju: ...Liu...the Liu family’s old tradition?

Pupils tremble!!!