Liu Tan looked at Lu Xuan for a long moment before he spoke with difficulty, "You...you like men?"

Lu Xuan thought for a moment before saying, "No, I just like you."

Liu Tanxin said, "Am I not a man?"

Well, Liu Tan could understand what he meant. Lu Xuan's answer was probably the classic "I like you", but it had nothing to do with gender.

But... why? He didn't even think he was particularly familiar with Lu Xuan, so how could he fall in love with her?

If this happened in the future... Oh, he forgot, this era is actually more open, people are more tolerant of feelings, as long as you don't want to die and just want to grow old with one man.

Get married and continue the family line. Once you have done these two things, you can do whatever you want with men.

Liu Tan's mind was a little confused. He opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.

To be honest, in this era, he had already made many preparations, such as being forced by Emperor Wu of Han or Chen Ajiao to give him a young lady to be his wife.

Liu Tan himself did not like this matter, but if he could not resist, he seemed to have no choice but to accept it.

Therefore, Liu Tan never thought that he would have an emotional entanglement with anyone in this era.

Seeing Liu Tan sitting there expressionless and silent, Lu Xuan asked cautiously, "Are you angry?"

Liu Tan shook his head subconsciously. Someone liked him, so why should he be angry?

What's more, Lu Xuan is quite good-looking... right?

The fact that someone pursues him proves that he is good enough and worthy of this... and so on and so forth. This is not the point. The point is that he has no intention of dating a woman, let alone developing a relationship beyond friendship with a man.

Liu Tan took a deep breath and said, "Did you misunderstand something? We... have only known each other for a short time. Is it because I helped you last time? In fact, it was I who implicated you that time. Liu Fuling was originally targeting me, but you ended up being wronged. You didn't have to..."

"It's not because of these things." Lu Xuan said, "I'm not good at speaking, so I can't explain why, but... I just like you. I feel happy when I think of you and see you."

Liu Tan: ...

How the hell could he say this? He had lived two lifetimes and had never encountered anything like this.

#How can I politely reject a suitor? Waiting online, it's urgent#

Liu Tan's brows wrinkled subconsciously, no, rather, almost all of his facial features wrinkled, and he looked obviously very distressed.

Lu Xuan reached out and gently stroked his brow, saying, "Don't be unhappy. I'm not saying this to make you unhappy. It doesn't matter if you don't agree to me. I didn't expect anything in the first place. After all, there's a huge gap between our statuses."

Liu Tan couldn't help but whispered, "You...you understand everything, why are you still..."

Lu Xuan smiled. "Why should I say it out loud? I know you people from the Central Plains like to be more reserved, but in Wusun, if you like someone, you have to say it out loud. There's nothing shameful about liking someone. Besides, Ah Tan is so amazing. He can make wine, he can make grapes grow thousands of miles away, and he can even make grapes bear fruit in winter. There will definitely be others who like Ah Tan. If I don't say it, I might not even have the chance to say it."

Liu Tan avoided Lu Xuan's gaze. The brightness and enthusiasm in the boy's eyes almost burned him.

He suddenly felt guilty, wondering if it was because of the destined rejection.

Liu Tan hardened his heart: "I... I like you as a friend. I'm willing to be friends, but anything else... is impossible."

He knew that such a blunt rejection might make the other party very sad, but a short pain is worse than a long pain. No matter how you look at it, it is unlikely for him and Lu Xuan to survive.

First of all, not to mention that he had no such thoughts towards Lu Xuan, even if there was any sign of it, he would have nipped it in the bud.

If they really like each other, it would be a tragedy. No matter how close Wusun is to the Han Dynasty now, it is ultimately an independent country.

All countries that are close to each other are competitors, and their relations are always up and down, from territory to various resources.

Can their feelings withstand the national hatred and family feuds?

What's more, it is impossible for Liu Tan to betray the Han Dynasty. He doesn't care about going to the grassland, but he cares about whether the grassland he goes to belongs to the Han Dynasty.

Lu Xuan would return to Xiao Wusun sooner or later. He was the Kunmi of Xiao Wusun and the king there, and the country was waiting for him to become stronger.

Can the impulse and love of youth dilute the barriers brought by time and distance?

These are all problems. Liu Tan admitted that although he has been in school all his life and has not experienced much of the harshness of society, compared to Lu Xuan, he may be a little cold-blooded in reality.

He doesn't have such strong and deep emotions.

Lu Xuan didn't show any sadness after being rejected by Liu Tan. Although he was inevitably a little disappointed, causing his even more beautiful dark green eyes to dim, he still said, "Okay, I understand. Don't worry. I won't pester you, nor will I use any underhanded tactics. Can we still be friends?"

As Lu Xuan spoke, he thought to himself that he had to be more confident when he said this next time.

In fact, if he hadn't noticed that Liu Tan seemed to be intending to marry a princess to him, he wouldn't have said it so bluntly.

At least we have to wait a little longer.

But now he doesn't regret it. Instead of hiding it, he might as well say it openly. His love is not shameful.

Liu Tan nodded and said, "Of course."

Having said that, Liu Tan still planned to try to keep a distance from this little Kunmi. He had already rejected her, but he still walked too close to her. It felt like he was keeping her hanging, which was not very kind.

Lu Xuan said happily, "That's good. Hey, are you painting?"

"Ah? Oh, I'm drawing some example pictures."

Lu Xuan changed the topic so quickly that Liu Tan was obviously a little slow.

Lu Xuan smiled a little embarrassedly and said, "I can write Zhongyuan characters, but I can never learn to paint."

Liu Tanxin said, "Don't talk about you, I can't do that either. This is not a painting at all. Painting should be artistic. This... is just an example picture."

Originally, Liu Tan thought that after the confession and the rejection, the atmosphere between him and Lu Xuan might become a little awkward.

As a result, the young Kunmi didn't seem to feel embarrassed by being rejected. He continued to discuss with him his experiences of the past few days with great enthusiasm. When he noticed that the heavy snow showed no signs of stopping, he even said naturally, "It seems that I can't go back to the city today. I'm afraid I have to stay here with Ah Tan for one night."

How could Liu Tan be so cruel as to let Lu Xuan go back in the heavy snow?

The snow outside was already very thick, and it was not safe to ride a horse or a car. Liu Tan originally wanted to let Lu Xuan stay overnight.

Perhaps influenced by Lu Xuan's attitude, Liu Tan said naturally, "Of course. How about staying in the same house you lived in before?"

Lu Xuan naturally wanted to live closer to Liu Tan, but any place closer was the master's bedroom. Among the guest rooms, his was the closest, so he happily nodded: "Of course, it's just... I was in a hurry to come out today and forgot to bring any clothes."

Liu Tan hesitated for a moment before saying, "I do have some clean clothes here. They're all newly made and haven't been worn yet. If you don't mind, you can take them and wear them first."

Although most of Liu Tan's things were in standard styles, there were also some clothes that didn't emphasize status, which were very suitable for Lu Xuan to wear at this time.

Lu Xuan winked at him and said, "It's okay if you go through it."

Liu Tan looked up at him, and for a moment he was not sure whether he was being teased.

Before he could say anything, Lu Xuan asked him seriously, "Ah Tan, do you want to take a shower? Together?"

Liu Tan said with a dark face: "No need!"

Is that appropriate? As men, there's nothing wrong with showering together, but could you please confirm that your confession just failed?

Lu Xuan seemed a little regretful, but he didn't dwell on it any further. He stood up and said, "It's getting late. Staying up late hurts your eyes. Ah Tan should get some rest early too."

Isn’t it early?

Why did he feel like time had already passed without him doing anything?

He subconsciously glanced at the sundial and found that it was about five or six o'clock in the evening in later times.

Normally at this time of year he might not even have had dinner yet, but now he has to go to bed.

Of course, despite his feelings, he also noticed that the room was a little dim. For the sake of his eyes, he decided to go to bed. If he was nearsighted these days, he would have to get a pair of glasses first.

But the problem was that at that time there was no reliable glass either in China or abroad. The best that could be made was like colored glaze. If he wanted to make myopic glasses, he had to make glass first, and that project would be too huge.

Of course, crystal lenses are not a bad idea, but... they will press on the bridge of your nose!

He didn't need to rush to finish his homework anyway, and even if he didn't sleep, he could still do other things, such as thinking about his sister's future.

Even though Princess Danyang was no longer his sister in reality, after all, they had no blood relationship, he still couldn't bear to see that bright girl gradually wither away.

But... Lu Xuan didn't want to marry. After the confession, Liu Tan didn't want to mention it anymore, otherwise it would be too disgusting.

What is this? Is he pushing the man his brother doesn't want onto his sister? Or is he giving his sister to you as a substitute? Neither is appropriate!

Thinking about it this way, Lu Xuan is still a principled person. At least he doesn't want to engage in substitute literature.

Stop, this is not the point.

The point is...how is he going to explain this to Chen Ajiao?

Liu Tan thought he would be worried about insomnia, but in reality, even if he went to bed so early, it was almost noon when he woke up in the morning.

It was just that it was still snowing outside, so it seemed very dark.

After Liu Tan woke up, he looked at the snowflakes still falling outside and couldn't help but sigh: "Why is it still snowing?"

Cen You handed him the washcloth and said with a smile, "Your Highness, this is a good omen. Auspicious snow means a good harvest."

Liu Tan smiled and said, "Too much rain would be a disaster. What about Little Kunmi? Is he up yet?"

Cen You said, "Little Kunmi got up early in the morning and was originally going to practice martial arts, but the snow made it inconvenient, so he changed to practicing archery. It should be almost over now."

Liu Tan paused, deeply envious of Lu Xuan's self-discipline.

This is really training in the coldest and hottest days of winter. Let alone practicing martial arts, even his daily exercises are delayed as much as possible. There is always an excuse for him to avoid it.

After putting on his clothes, Liu Tan looked in the mirror and sighed that fortunately this body had a good shape, at least not fat. Otherwise, there was no cotton in those days and people had to rely on fur to keep warm. Although this thing looked luxurious, it really made people gain three times more weight when worn. Even someone as thin as him looked a little round.

Well, it’s because he’s not tall enough. If he had Lu Xuan’s height, what would he be worried about?

While he was thinking about this, Miao Rui came over and asked if they wanted to set up the dinner. Liu Tan asked someone to call Lu Xuan over.

He decided to forget Lu Xuan's confession yesterday and pretend it never happened. Otherwise, he would be the only one who would be troubled in the end. Lu Xuan, on the other hand, looked like nothing had happened. It was really strange.

As Liu Tan walked out, he ordered someone to place the meal not far from the window and warm up a pot of pomegranate wine.

His garden is extremely exquisite and beautiful. It looks even better after the snow. It is obviously suitable for enjoying the snow. However, it is a bit cold with the window open. Perhaps a pot of warm wine would be better.

When Liu talked about the restaurant, Lu Xuan happened to walk over from the other side.

Liu Tan, who was holding the hand warmer, looked up and saw Lu Xuan in dark red clothes.

Liu Tan looked at Lu Xuan, who was wearing thin clothes but didn't seem to be cold at all, and then looked at himself who was wrapped in three layers and holding a hand warmer. He began to think deeply, is it really time to exercise?

Lu Xuan walked over quickly after seeing Liu Tan, reached out and touched his face naturally, saying, "It's all cold. Come in quickly."

Liu Tan blinked and opened his mouth, realizing that he had missed the opportunity to teach Lu Xuan a lesson.

Of course, it was also because Lu Xuan was too frank, as if he was just concerned about Liu Tan. There was no trace of vulgarity in his eyes or actions.

Liu Tan thought about whether he was really making a big deal out of nothing and then let it go.

He walked over to the desk and sat down. Because they wanted to enjoy the snow, his desk and Lu Xuan's desk were placed side by side. This made him feel a lot more comfortable. At least he didn't have to look up to see Lu Xuan staring at him.

However, he soon discovered that since he sat down, Lu Xuan's neck had never been straightened, and his face seemed to be facing him. The beautiful snow scene outside was not in his eyes at all.

Liu Tan originally wanted to ignore him and enjoy the snow leisurely, but he didn't expect that he still underestimated the power of the cold wind. In the end, he had to shiver and ask someone to close the window.

When Liu Tan ordered the window to be closed, he heard Lu Xuan chuckle. He felt that this guy must be laughing at him and couldn't help but look over.

As a result, he was almost blinded by Lu Xuan's indulgent expression.

Frankly speaking, Liu Che treated him quite well, didn't he? However, Liu Che never showed such an expression in front of him.

Chen Ajiao was even more indulgent to him, right? Chen Ajiao had never done this in front of him.

Liu Tan was shocked and decided not to pay too much attention to Lu Xuan.

What he needs to do now is how to gain the best benefits for Danyang.

There have been many analyses of Liu Che's personality in later generations.

However, only when you actually meet him will you realize that this person is not just as described in the few words in history books.

People are multifaceted. If you try to communicate with them based on the fixed impressions in history books, you will end up in trouble.

But one thing is certain, that is, Liu Che is very concerned about his reputation and likes new things. If it can make him happy and does not involve some issues of principle, he will still be willing to let it go.

Liu Tan didn’t know what to ask for now, but it was always right to make him happy first.

The only thing he can work hard on is the sugar tree, and other places are not his business. As for fruit wine... it is better not to make this thing casually, after all, it is an entrance.

Liu Tan looked out the window and suddenly asked, "Lu Xuan, do you think it's nice outside?"

"It's Axuan."

"Huh?" Liu Tan turned around and looked at Lu Xuan in confusion.

Lu Xuan looked at him and said, "Even if Ah Tan and I can't be considered close friends, we can still be considered as close as brothers, right? Why is Ah Tan so distant?"

Liu Tan originally wanted to say that it was a matter of courtesy, but after thinking about it, he felt that calling him by his name didn't seem polite at all. If he changed it to Kunmi, Lu Xuan would probably be very sad again.

It would be best not to alienate Lu Xuan from the Han Dynasty because of him. He didn't know whether the little Wusun was important or not, but judging from Liu Che's attitude, it should still be useful.

Thinking of this, Liu Tan smiled and said, "Okay."

However, Lu Xuan continued to look at him with those beautiful eyes, as if waiting for him to speak. Liu Tan had no choice but to repeat himself: "A Xuan, do you think it's nice outside?"

Lu Xuan was finally satisfied. Without even glancing outside, he said, "No, I don't like it. This kind of heavy snow will last all winter in Wusun. Once it snows, it means the herders won't be able to graze their livestock, and many people will suffer from the cold and hunger. I wonder how many people can survive this winter."

Liu Tan was stunned and suddenly felt a little ashamed. Although he knew that there were many people in the world who lived in difficult circumstances, he seldom realized that the beautiful scenery he was admiring was a disaster for many people.

In fact, according to birth status, Lu Xuan was higher than him. In his previous life, his family was just an ordinary well-off family.

However, when Lu Xuan saw the snow, he thought about whether his people could survive this winter.

Liu Tan suddenly remembered a saying: Some people think of the throne as the power to rule the world and the lap of a beautiful woman, while some people think of the throne as the responsibility.

Lu Xuan should be the latter.

Liu Tan looked at Lu Xuan seriously and said, "You will definitely become a good Kunmi."

Lu Xuan laughed happily after hearing this: "Really? Is that what Ah Tan thinks? Then I have to work harder to live up to Ah Tan's expectations."

Liu Tan didn't know how to respond, so Lu Xuan asked again, "Why did Ah Tan just ask me if the snow scene was beautiful?"

Liu Tan was stunned for a moment before asking, "Oh, I just wanted to ask, what scenery do you most want to see in weather like this?"

Lu Xuan thought carefully and said, "Like the grape vines in a greenhouse, right?"

Liu Tan was stunned for a moment: "What? Grape vines?"

Little Kunmi, isn't your hobby a little off? Can grapes be grown in Dunhuang? Haven't you seen grape vines before? Did you see them once and couldn't forget them?

Lu Xuan explained, "In winter, everything is white. Looking at it for too long gets tiring, so I want to see other colors."

Liu Tan was thoughtful after hearing this: "Is that so? That's right, how could I have forgotten?"

The crystal clear sugar tree is indeed beautiful, but there is no shortage of white things in winter, so it is obvious that brighter ones will be more popular.

For example, the uniforms of the palace people were brighter in color, red, in winter, and green in summer.

Then it would be boring if the sugar tree was just purely transparent, or it would be boring if it was transparent from beginning to end.

How to change it?

Seeing that Liu Tan was silent, Lu Xuan wanted to say something, but after seeing the other party's thoughtful expression, he shut his mouth.

Liu Tan had almost forgotten Lu Xuan's existence at this time, his mind was full of various ideas.

The first thing to make sure is that the trunk and branches can be transparent, but there must be flowers, leaves and fruits on them.

It goes without saying that the leaves must be green, but it cannot be pure green. It is best to have a transparent green, like jade.

What kind of fruit should be used?

The first thing Liu Tan thought of was peaches, red peaches with green leaves, or pink peaches. If such a tree appeared in the middle of winter, it would be eye-catching.

The more Liu Tan thought about it, the more excited he became, and he couldn't wait to ask the craftsman to make it immediately.

However, when he came to his senses, he found that he had not finished his meal. He quickly took a few bites and turned to Lu Xuan and said, "Ah Xuan, you can play as you please. I have something to take care of."

Lu Xuan nodded: "You can go now, don't worry about me."

He didn't think that Liu Tan would always be with him, and he also had his own things to do. Seeing that the snow was gradually getting lighter, he began to wonder whether he should return to Chang'an.

He left in a hurry yesterday and only asked someone to inform his mother. By now, his mother must have been very anxious.

After Liu Tan finished eating, he apologized repeatedly before leaving.

He himself also felt that it was not a good idea to abandon the guests, but time waits for no one, and the state banquet was really not far away.

After Liu Tan returned to his study, he drew the shapes of a peach and a maple leaf and told the craftsmen to make them accordingly, with the peach being hollow.

Although he knew that peaches should be paired with peach leaves, the problem was that the peach leaves did not look very good in the end, while the pentagonal shape of the maple leaf should be very good.

Anyway, people at that time didn't know what peaches were, so naturally they wouldn't complain about the leaves being wrong. Everything was just for the sake of looking good.

In fact, it is not difficult to make a model. The most difficult part is how to color the leaves and peaches.

Because sugar is used, there is no guarantee that people will taste it, so it must be an edible coloring.

Unfortunately, these fancy things haven’t been developed yet these days, and all the ingredients are natural, so it might not be easy to dye them.

If it were Liu Tan himself, he would definitely be worried, but he has people at his disposal.

The first thing to make sure is that the peaches must be pink or red, the leaves must be green, and they must be practical, so you should target foods that are easy to dye.

The red color is easier to deal with. There is a kind of berry that is pure red when ripe. It is edible and is also grown on a large scale. However, the reason it is grown is not for eating, but for making rouge and powder.

So the red extract is still very mature and can be eaten.

As for green, you can just choose green vegetables with less taste. Just add water and boil them until they are soft, then mash them to produce natural pigments.

It may have a bit of a vegetable taste, but that’s okay, since the leaves are not meant to be eaten anyway, they are just for viewing.

It’s okay if someone wants to eat it, because the sweetness of the sugar will mask the taste and you won’t be able to detect it.

After Liu Tan wrote these down step by step, he felt that this idea was good.

But based on this, he wanted to do something fancy: put food inside the peach, preferably make it look like a real peach, and then cover it with a sugar shell. When eating, just tap the shell lightly to break it and you can eat the inside.

Liu Tan can no longer remember the name of this dessert, but he has a very deep memory of it because... it was too expensive!

However, peaches need to grow on trees, so the sugar wall of the peach itself must be thin enough and able to support its own weight.

This... is a bit of a test of technique.

Liu Tan always felt that this thing was not easy to make, and he had no idea what to put inside it.

This may require asking Liu Ju. After all, the menus for state banquets are regulated. Liu Che can change them according to his mood, but it is best for others not to challenge Liu Che's authority.

Liu Tan thought about this and decided to wait until the peach was actually made before asking Liu Ju. What if there was something that couldn't be put in it? What was the point of telling him so early?

After Liu Tan finished giving the order, he looked up and realized it was almost lunchtime, so he asked, "Where's Lu Xuan? What is he doing?"

Cen You said: "Little Kunmi has left."

Liu Tan was a little surprised: "When did he leave? Why didn't he tell me?"

Cen You said, "Little Kunmi originally wanted to come and say goodbye to His Highness, but when he arrived, His Highness was busy and didn't want us to disturb him. He left a message saying that he would come to see His Highness to enjoy the snow next time he had the chance, and then he left."

What Cen You didn't dare to say was that Lu Xuan stood outside and looked at Liu Tan through the museum shelves for a long time before leaving.

Liu Tan felt extremely embarrassed after hearing this. He was the host, but he didn't even notice the guest had left. Fortunately, it was Lu Xuan. If it were someone else, they would probably get angry with him.

But since they have left, he can only put this matter aside for now.

The production of the peach tree was quick. Liu Tan gave the order the day before, and the model was ready on the third day.

After making a preliminary peach model, Liu Tan was very satisfied, as the craftsman had met almost all of his requirements.

Hollow, thin-walled, and lifelike.

As for the fact that the shape of the tree does not resemble a peach tree but has maple leaves, these are just minor details and there is no need to go into details. Anyway, Liu Che may not like the shape of the peach tree.

He has always liked tall and big ones.

Since the sugar peaches are fine, the leaves are fine, and even the tree is fine, all that’s left is dyeing.

In order to achieve realism, it must be dyed when making the mold.

Then Liu Tan put forward a requirement that made all the craftsmen scratch their heads: there must be a gradient.

Of course, they definitely don’t understand what gradient is, so Liu Tan said that there should be changes in light and dark.

The leaves don't have to have gradients within one leaf, but the colors of each leaf should be different.

For peaches, the color must be lighter near the root and then gradually darker.

To be honest, these craftsmen have never done such work.

Liu Tan originally thought that since lacquerware was so developed these days, these people would definitely be able to do it, but he didn't expect that they couldn't.

But think about it, the gradient of lacquerware is painted on, and the gradient must be created in the process, and the peach mold is a closed type, which means that it is impossible to open the mold and operate before the sugar is completely hardened.

However, none of these pose any difficulty for Liu Tan.

Although Liu Tan was not a master of figurines in his previous life, he also liked to make small things.

If you want to make a gradient, just put in a part of the darkest sugar liquid at the beginning and let it stand. Then wait until the sugar liquid becomes a little thicker, pour in the light-colored part, and so on, until you pour pure transparent sugar liquid on the top.

Of course, even though it sounds simple, it is difficult to do, because Liu Tan did not have a tutorial at hand this time. No one told him how many milliliters to put in each time and how long to wait for the sugar solution to become viscous. He had to experiment all of this by himself.

But with the method, even experimenting is extremely easy.

When a perfect hollow red heart model came out, Liu Tan tried to hang it on the tree.

There are some problems with this hanging method. The most important thing is whether the handle can bear the weight of the peach. As for the hanging method, it is very simple. Sugar itself is sticky. Just apply sugar water on the joint and wait for the sugar water to solidify.

Liu Tan made a model that was almost one-to-one with the peach tree he was going to use. Of course, it was called a model, but in fact, even if he just pulled the tree over and used it directly, it would be good enough.

When the whole tree was assembled, it was indeed quite eye-catching, and he began to write a letter to Liu Ju.

After reading his description, Liu Ju couldn't imagine what the sugar tree had become. He was afraid that Liu Tan would mess around without restraint, so he hurried over in person.

Liu Tan didn't want to hide it, so he took Liu Ju to see the semi-finished product - the reason why it was called a semi-finished product was because there was nothing in the Tang Tao.

Liu Ju was stunned when he entered the house. He really didn't expect that Liu Tan could create the effect of red flowers and green leaves in the middle of winter.

I have to say, in winter when there are dead branches and leaves all around, suddenly seeing such bright colors makes me feel much brighter.

Liu Ju circled the sugar tree several times, rubbing his hands and saying, "Okay, okay, this is good. Father will definitely like it. Ah, what did you ask before? Can this be put in something else?"

Liu Tan nodded: "Yes, you can put some food in it as a dish. Of course, if it's not suitable, it's also good to just use it as a viewing object."

"Release it, of course we have to!" Liu said decisively.

Being able to create such a tree is already amazing, and the fact that the fruit of the tree contains food is something that ordinary people cannot do.

What a perfect opportunity to showcase the Han Dynasty's superb skills! How could we not do it?

Liu Tan asked, "What?"

Liu Ju looked up at the peach tree and said, "This is made with rock sugar, so the flavors need to be compatible. I have a dish of honey meatballs that I've removed that I can put here."

Honey meatballs... Liu Tan knew that meatballs actually meant meatballs, and honey... was sweet. When Liu Tan heard the name of this dish, he felt choking. If it were paired with sugar-coated peaches... he hoped that everyone's blood sugar would be maintained within a stable range after eating it that night.

Liu Ju was overjoyed and was about to report back to Liu Che. Before leaving, he warned, "The recipe for this is your secret. Don't tell anyone easily. I see you're using mute slaves here. That's great, but you also need to prevent them from defecting or being captured. After you're done, keep these people under close watch."

Liu Tan: ...

He didn't think of this thing as something very important. Although it sounded difficult, it was just a bit time-consuming and brain-intensive. The actual operating difficulty... was not something he had to deal with anyway.

But since Liu Ju reminded him like this, he must have his reasons, so he nodded obediently.

Before leaving, Liu Ju asked, "By the way, what's the name of this thing? It needs to be on the state banquet menu."

Liu Tan glanced outside and said casually, "It's more beautiful than frost and snow."

More beautiful than frost and snow... Liu Ju muttered it casually twice and felt a little strange, as if the word did not mean this but was very appropriate.

He couldn't think of a better name, so he simply said, "Okay, I'll go back and report to my father."

Liu Tan couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness has come from the palace. Do you know how the Queen Mother is doing these days?"

Liu Ju smiled and said, "Are you worried about my wife and Lady Gouyi? Don't worry, my father has already reprimanded Lady Gouyi for this matter."

Liu Tan was very surprised: "Did the emperor scold Madam Gouyi?"

Liu Ju smiled in an enigmatic manner, "Of course. This was all Lady Gouyi's fault. How could the Emperor be so blinded by beauty?"

Seeing that his smile was a little creepy, Liu Tan felt that Liu Ju must have contributed to this matter. After all, this was a good opportunity.

Liu Tan didn't say anything else, just nodded and said, "That's good. I have one more thing to trouble you with, Your Highness. Please help me pass this letter to my mother. I'm afraid I'll have to keep an eye on this matter before the state banquet to see if there are any areas for improvement."

Liu Tan felt a little guilty when he said this. In fact, he didn't stay because of the responsibility, but because he didn't know how to face Chen Ajiao.

Lu Xuan... had messed up this matter!

However, in fact, even if he hid again, he had to go back before the state banquet.

When he saw Chen Ajiao, he could see that Chen Ajiao didn't look very good recently, and he thought she was worried about Princess Danyang.

Chen Ajiao's complexion improved after seeing Liu Tan. Before Liu Tan could speak, she said, "Danyang's affairs have nothing to do with you. Don't think too much about it."

Liu Tan lowered his head. Words of comfort were no longer of any use at this point. He took a deep breath and said, "Mother, does Danyang know?"

Chen Ajiao curled her lips and said, "With Gou Yi here, how could he not know?"

Liu Tan asked cautiously: "Then...she..."

Chen Ajiao's eyes seemed to have tears: "Danyang is sensible. I can see that she is sad, but she comes to persuade me not to be sad."

Liu Tan pursed his lips and said, "Mother, I'm going to see Danyang."

Princess Danyang did not appear in the Pepper Palace today. It was obvious that this incident had dealt a heavy blow to her.

Chen Ajiao nodded slowly: "Go ahead, you are her brother after all, with you around, she is not helpless."

Liu Tan knew that Chen Ajiao was just comforting herself. How could he give Danyang support when they were so far apart?

Liu Tan went to Princess Danyang's bedroom with a slightly heavy heart. Princess Danyang's bedroom was very close to the Pepper Room.

After he entered, Princess Danyang came out to greet him. Liu Tan felt a little distressed just by looking at her.

The once bright and beautiful princess had become much more gloomy at this moment. Even her smile was forced, and her voice was much softer.

Liu Tan was really worried that Princess Danyang would be suffocated to death after marrying him.

After sitting down, Liu Tan gritted his teeth and said, "Danyang, things have come to this point, and I'm afraid there's no turning back. But there's always a way out, and this trip might not be a bad opportunity for you."

Princess Danyang looked up at Liu Tan and found that his expression was very indifferent, not like his usual self at all. She couldn't help but ask with wide eyes, "What do you mean, brother?"

Liu Tan lowered his eyes and said, "Wusun Kunmi Liejiaomi is now old, and Junxumi is young and impulsive. Even if you marry them, you will definitely not be alone. I will ask my father to bring you as many people as possible. Then...why can't the Han princess rule Wusun?"

This time, Princess Danyang opened not only her eyes but also her mouth.