158 Chapter 158

◎Apologize.◎

After paying his respects to the Queen, Liu Ju first sent Qing Yue back to the Prince's Palace before going to the Xuanshi Hall to pay his respects to his father.

When Liu Ju arrived, the Emperor had just finished his meal and was having someone clear away the dishes. Liu Ju hurriedly asked, "Aunt, didn't you leave any food for me?"

Liu Che leaned over and said casually, "You came here on an empty stomach?"

"Yes." Liu Ju said as a matter of course, "Don't I always eat with Grandpa?"

Liu Che sat up straight at once: "It's already so late, are you stupid?" After that, the emperor immediately ordered someone to serve the meal again.

Liu Ju still felt very aggrieved: "I didn't know that Grandpa didn't wait for me. If I had known, I would have stayed in the Pepper Room to eat."

The Emperor felt strangely guilty. "Alright, alright. I thought you were staying in the Pepper Room for dinner, otherwise I would have been waiting for you. Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Liu Ju clutched his stomach and said, "Aunt, I'm starving. Are you still blaming me?"

"Nonsense!" Liu Che pulled the man over and shouted at the attendants in the hall, "What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and serve the meal!"

Liu Ju took his father's teacup and drank a glass of water before saying, "Aunt, you must save some food for me next time."

Liu Che handed him the handkerchief and couldn't help laughing. "I'm the crown prince of the Han Dynasty, but I'm so hungry that I have to drink tea to fill my stomach. It's really... outrageous!"

"Aunt..." Liu Ju wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief and said speechlessly, "If you didn't smile, I might feel better."

Liu Che laughed and said, "Alas, this is not my fault, my son. You are such a grown-up, and you still let yourself starve..."

At this point, His Majesty the Emperor shook his head: "I said you should grow up, but it turns out you are still a child after all."

Liu Ju shook his head. "Aunt, when have I not been a child to you? When you are seventy and I am in my forties, I will still be your child."

When the emperor mentioned the age of seventy, he couldn't stop laughing: "When I am seventy, you will be in your forties. By then, you will have become a grandfather. Then our family will be very lively, with four generations living under one roof. It will be a great blessing."

Four generations living under one roof...

Liu Ju's eyes were a little hot, he squinted his eyes and chuckled: "We are a royal family, Aung, so naturally we will have this great blessing."

Even though he knew in his heart that this was just a beautiful wish, Liu Che couldn't help but imagine the family happiness that would be possible based on these words.

"Aunt, when Qingyue has a child, can you promote her to be the Crown Princess?" Liu Ju couldn't help but make such a request to his father.

The Emperor was stunned for a moment, then asked, "If you intend to make her the Crown Princess, why didn't you mention it to me earlier?"

Liu Ju was also stunned: "Ah Weng didn't mention the appointment of a crown princess."

"I said it, why didn't I say it?" Liu Che suddenly felt wronged. "You forgot, I mentioned it, but you didn't want to. You also brought up the cement road and diverted the matter of selecting a concubine."

"No..." Liu Ju's mind was a little confused. "At that time, wasn't it already decided that Qing Yue would be the Consort?"

Liu Che said, "I haven't issued an edict yet. If you like her, even though her status is not high, it still depends on your feelings. Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Liu Ju was stunned by the question: "I..."

This was the aftereffect of his previous life, and Liu Ju had no way to explain it. His original plan was to wait for Jin'er to be born and then ask for Qing Yue to be named Crown Princess.

But his father meant that as long as he liked, it was not impossible for Qing Yue to be the Crown Princess directly. The problem with all this was...

On Liu Ju's body.

Because he did not have a heart-to-heart talk with his father about this matter, but... used it to test the bottom line of his father's preference for him.

Liu Ju suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. This idea of ​​his was really inappropriate.

All intimate relationships, whether family or romantic, need to be managed with care, but you should never test the other person's feelings wantonly.

At this moment, the attendants brought in the meal. Liu Che did not pursue this trivial matter and said, "Eat first."

Liu Ju picked up the chopsticks and finally said, "Aunt, I'm sorry."

Liu Che was startled. Seeing that the Crown Prince looked like he was about to cry, he hurriedly said, "What's the matter? It's not a serious matter. If you want Shi to be the Crown Princess, I will issue another decree. A real man should not behave like a child."

"That's not it." Liu Ju took a mouthful of rice, swallowed it, and then said, "I shouldn't have told Grandfather earlier. Instead, I kept arguing with Grandfather and always making him angry. That's why we're in this situation today. It's all my fault."

After hearing his words, Liu Che's brows relaxed and a smile appeared on his face: "You are quite self-aware. Apart from you, who else would dare to always anger me like this?"

Liu Ju swallowed another mouthful of meat and said seriously, "Ah Weng, I will definitely not make you angry again in the future."

"Alright, alright, it's good that you admit your mistake." Liu Che said with a smile, "Have your meal first. Don't say a word while eating. It makes me uncomfortable."

Liu Ju nodded, quickly filled his stomach, rinsed his mouth, and sat down next to his father.

His Majesty was reading a memorial when he saw the Crown Prince being so affectionate. Without even looking up, he smiled and said, "You're already married, yet you're still so clingy to your father-in-law. Aren't you afraid of being laughed at?"

Liu Ju said lazily, "When I become an old man and a great-grandfather, I will still cling to him like this. Let anyone laugh at me. Maybe their old man doesn't love them."

Liu Che laughed heartily: "My prince is still shameless, eh, not bad!"

Liu Ju was a little sleepy after eating. He rubbed his eyes and said, "Aunt, I need to take a nap first."

"Why are you so sleepy?" Liu Che raised his hand and patted his head with the memorial. "Come and see the progress of the road construction."

"Oh." Liu Ju said listlessly.

After finishing his duties, Liu Ju brought up the matter of appointing a Crown Princess: "Aunt, I do want Qingyue to be the Crown Princess, but... let's wait until we have a child. That way we'll have a legitimate reason and it'll also look better."

Liu Che snorted, "What are you trying to show off?"

Liu Ju touched his nose and said embarrassedly, "To make you look better."

His Majesty the Emperor just appointed the daughter of the Shi family as the Crown Prince's Consort, but a few days later he changed his mind and appointed her as the Crown Princess. This is not good for His Majesty's reputation as he changes his mind every day.

Liu Che knocked on his head and said, "You still know what I mean. You refused to explain a good matter clearly and kept making a fuss about it. I have to accompany you in making a fuss too."

"I was wrong." Liu Ju lowered his head again.

With the Crown Prince admitting his fault so sincerely, the Emperor had no choice but to tug at his son's ears and say, "Alright, remember not to do it again."

Liu Ju immediately shouted, "Don't worry, Grandpa! I'll remember this!"

Liu Che raised a finger: "Keep your voice down."

Liu Ju whispered, "Don't worry, Grandfather. I will definitely not do it again."

Liu Che nodded with satisfaction and said, "You've made a mistake again. How about I give you two more bear paws during the autumn hunt?"

Liu Ju: “…”

Liu Ju said seriously, "Aunt, I don't think bear paws are very tasty."

His Majesty the Emperor said leisurely, "I think it's good, especially good."

"Oh, two is enough," Liu Ju said reluctantly. "Aunt, I haven't finished reading the memorial yet. Why are you lying down?"

"I was frightened by you. I need to rest for a while." Liu Che raised his hand. "After you finish reviewing, I will check again after I have rested."

Liu Ju: “…”

I will never admit my mistakes even if I am beaten to death.

…

In April, a little girl was born in the Guanjun Marquis's mansion, and Liu Ju and Qing Yue went to congratulate them together.

The women were in the backyard, while Liu Ju was in the front talking to Huo Qubing. However, the Marquis of Guanjun's first words made him want to leave: "When will His Highness have good news?"

Liu Ju covered his face and said, "Cousin, your character... you are OOC."

Huo Qubing asked in confusion: "What am I saying?"

"I mean, cousin, how could you become one of the ones who induced birth? Marquis Guanjun, you have come down from heaven to earth." Liu Ju joked.

Huo Qubing said, "You want to say I'm vulgar? But I'm a mortal being, so I'm vulgar by nature."

Liu Ju paused. "That's true. Who isn't a common person?" He smiled. "Especially parents like you, you really want to persuade others to become parents as soon as possible."

"It's not me." Huo Qubing said, "Your Highness, didn't you notice that there's one person missing from my house today?"

Liu Ju said, "I was just about to ask, cousin, where is Shan'er? Whose house did he go to play with?"

"To your house." Huo Qubing was a little helpless.

"Ah?" Liu Ju asked, "Has Shan'er been summoned to the palace by my grandfather? No, he saw that you had another child, and he's so jealous that he wants to snatch Shan'er away from you?"

Huo Qubing said sincerely: "So, Your Highness, you should have a child soon. When you have a child, His Majesty will be able to play with your child."

Liu Ju: “…”

"Did you know that Madam Li is pregnant?" Liu Ju asked, "I think the old man can play with his own child."

Huo Qubing answered honestly, "Of course I don't know. Why would I want to know whether your Majesty's concubine is pregnant?"

Liu Ju held his forehead and said, "Cousin, the key is that Grandpa is going to have his own child, so..."

"Your Majesty wants your child more." Huo Qubing said.

Liu Ju was speechless for a while, and finally said: "I think, cousin, Grandpa is still too idle. When he has something important to do, he won't always think about these trivial things."

Just as Liu Ju wished, two months later, His Majesty the Emperor, who was spending the summer in Ganquan Palace, received some good news. The King of Nanyue, Zhao Yingqi, died of illness, and the new King of Nanyue, Zhao Xing, was young. The Queen Mother should have been regent, but the Queen Mother of Nanyue was a Han Chinese and had no support in Nanyue. Almost all the government affairs were controlled by Prime Minister Lu Jia.

Therefore, there was inevitably a rift between the King of Nanyue, the Queen Mother and the Prime Minister. For the Han Dynasty, this was undoubtedly an opportunity.

Liu Che summoned the officials of the inner court to discuss sending an envoy to Nanyue to inform the king and queen mother of Nanyue and ask them to submit to the Han Dynasty.

Because the Queen Mother of Nanyue was a Han Chinese, Emperor Liu Che specially ordered people to investigate her family affairs, but unexpectedly learned that she had had a love affair before she married the King of Nanyue. Therefore, His Majesty the Emperor ordered the Queen Mother of Nanyue's old lover An Guo Shao Ji to be the main envoy to Nanyue.