165 Chapter 165

◎King and his subjects, father and son. (Liu Ju's chapter is finished)◎

Many things have changed, but many things remain the same.

His Majesty the Emperor must offer sacrifices to the gods on Mount Tai. Although he no longer desires immortality, he still wants to understand the significance of offering sacrifices to the gods on Mount Tai.

Only a sage king can offer sacrifices to the gods at Mount Tai.

But just like when the First Emperor offered sacrifices to the gods on Mount Tai, there were endless arguments in the court over the issue of etiquette. The emperor of the Han Dynasty also encountered such problems when he offered sacrifices to the gods on Mount Tai.

The reason why the Qin Emperor and the Han Emperor are mentioned together is not only because they all had great achievements, but also because they were all self-centered emperors.

Therefore, His Majesty the Emperor was certainly impatient to listen to their quarrels, and he personally drafted all the rituals of Fengshan.

The official date for the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai was set for April, but the court had already begun preparations before the sixth year of Yuanding had even passed.

As the legitimate crown prince, Liu Ju had a lot of things to do. The Fengshan ceremony was not over until all the ceremonies were completed and the emperor received congratulations from his ministers in the Mingtang.

But Liu Ju was a little confused. Changing the reign title? Did his father forget something important?

His Majesty the Emperor had already gone to change out of his formal attire, so Liu Ju had no choice but to go back and change out of his complicated and heavy formal attire before coming back to find his father.

When Liu Ju arrived, the Emperor was standing in the corridor. When he saw him coming, he waved his hand and asked the attendants to leave.

Liu Ju hadn't noticed anything was wrong yet. He said, "Aunt, you forgot one thing. Changing the reign..."

"Ju'er." Liu Che suddenly spoke.

"Hmm?" There was something wrong with the sound. Liu Ju stood at the bottom of the stairs and had to look up to see the emperor's expression. Then he was stunned, "Ah Weng..."

"Since the first year of Zhenghe, you and I, father and son, have not seen each other for more than two thousand years." Liu Che sighed.

In the fifth year of Yuanshou, when the emperor was ill in Dinghu, Liu Ju had a brief loss of consciousness. He seemed to see the emperor of his previous life again. Later, he thought it was an illusion.

It turned out not to be the case. Liu Ju closed his eyes.

"...I died in August of the second year of Zhenghe, Your Majesty. When I was alive, Your Majesty did not want to see me. Is there any need to meet me after I die?" Liu Ju looked up at the Emperor with an extremely cold look in his eyes.

Liu Che lowered his eyes and looked at his prince. It was a look that was very unfamiliar to him. The prince had never looked at him like this in his two lifetimes.

His Majesty the Emperor walked down the stairs, and he and the Crown Prince stood at the same height.

But this seemed to irritate Liu Ju. He took a step back, calmed his mind, and said, "Fusu... Is Fusu also... Is this what he is hiding from us?"

Liu Che paused and nodded. "The three of us spent... a little effort to get the underworld to create this thing, opening up three parallel time and space to... make up for our regrets."

A little effort? Liu Ju certainly didn't believe it. If it could be done so easily, would he have waited all these years in the underworld?

It must have been a huge price to pay, Liu Ju pursed his lips.

"Ha... and Emperor Taizong of Tang?" Liu Ju laughed. "Isn't he afraid that Li Chengqian will turn the Tang Dynasty upside down?"

Liu Che said, "We didn't know in advance that our memories would be erased."

Liu Ju paused and asked, "Didn't the First Emperor tell you?"

Liu Che asked in return: "Did his son tell you?"

Liu Ju: “…”

It seems that there is nothing more to say. After all, His Majesty the Emperor has made it clear that they went to great lengths to develop this thing just to eliminate regrets.

Liu Ju glanced at the Emperor, who was standing with his hands behind his back. He wanted to ask something, but...

Liu Che took the initiative to say: "It does require some price to pay."

Liu Ju blurted out, "What's the price?"

Liu Che smiled and said, "When I get back, I will also go to Naihe Bridge to queue up for reincarnation."

"What?" Liu Ju took a few steps forward and grabbed his arm. "You actually... Aren't you the one who wants immortality the most?"

Although it is only the immortality of the soul, it is different from the underworld which is eager for souls like Liu Ju to reincarnate as soon as possible. Emperors of the Qin Shi Huang, Han Wudi and Tang Zong, who are the greatest emperors in history, will receive extraordinary courtesy in the underworld, just like the countless people who have contributed to the development of China. Of course, many of them will choose to reincarnate on their own initiative, but as long as they stay, no matter their status in life, the treatment of the underworld after death will be ranked according to their historical contributions.

"Didn't I say that death is not to be feared?" Liu Che said, "I've experienced immortality, and it's not a good thing."

No matter how courteous the underworld is, it cannot change his own memories. In his previous life, Liu Che lived to be seventy years old. For an old man, it is difficult for him to be free and easy. Therefore, he has to always be trapped in the memories of the last years of his previous life.

It was not only Liu Ju who was unwilling to give up and wanted to save the situation and change it, but also Liu Che.

Liu Ju slowly loosened his hand. It had been more than two thousand years, and everyone would change, including the emperor who had been obsessed with immortality for so many years.

"If..." Liu Ju's voice was a little hoarse, "If in the previous life, Your Majesty could also..."

If the Emperor could see through all this in his previous life, the final outcome might not have been so tragic.

Liu Che whispered, "I am old, my son, I was old at that time."

"An old man, an old man who holds all the power in the world in his hands. You can't imagine what he will do to protect his rights."

As the emperor grew older, the prince grew up slowly.

The emperor will become old and frail, but the prince will be strong and healthy.

The emperor, who is high and mighty and self-centered, has to watch the prince grow up step by step and take away his power bit by bit.

The emperor knew that this was necessary for the continuation of the dynasty and the stability of the country. To this end, he had to train the prince and teach him how to seize the power from him.

He will be unwilling to accept it.

How could he be willing?

Liu Ju remained silent for a long while. When he spoke again, his voice regained its coldness: "Your Majesty, have you ever considered killing me?"

Without waiting for the emperor's reply, Liu Ju said, "I have thought of killing you."

Liu Che paused, then said somewhat dully, "Ah... really?"

Liu Ju didn't say anything else. When he started the rebellion, the situation between him and the Emperor was a life-and-death one. There was no need for him to hide it.

Liu Che felt tired, so he took a few steps back and sat down on the steps. He raised his arm, wanting to wave to Liu Ju to come and sit down, but saw that his eyes were slightly red.

Liu Che sighed and said, "I have thought about it too."

Liu Ju looked at the emperor, but only saw the crown on his head and his tied-up hair mixed with many white hairs.

"When they told me that the prince was plotting a rebellion." Liu Che looked up at him.

Liu Ju moved his lips and said, "He really deserves to die."

Liu Che stretched out his arm, smiled again, and said, "Come and sit down. I'm exhausted these days. Can you please be considerate of my father-in-law?"

Liu Ju tilted his head and came over to sit down after a moment, just a few steps away from the Emperor.

"I deserve to die," His Majesty the Emperor suddenly said, "I was the one who made the mistake first. Er, I was just trying to protect myself. You did nothing wrong."

Liu Ju pinched his palm, but a tear still rolled out of his eye. He turned his head to the other side, bit his lips, and refused to make a sound.

"There was a moment when I really wanted you to die." Liu Che looked at his back. "I am the Son of Heaven. The whole world should bow down to me, but my son actually betrayed me. At that time, I really wanted you to die, but..."

"Zi'er, you are my most beloved son." The Emperor's voice choked for a moment. "That has never changed."

Liu Che moved a little, closing the distance between the father and son. He patted his son on the back and said softly, "It was Grandfather who wronged Ju'er."

"I..." Liu Ju choked up, "I'm also at fault. It's not just that Grandpa is alienating me, I'm also alienating Grandpa."

Liu Che took the handkerchief and handed it to him, rubbing his head: "Fortunately, our Han Dynasty is not like the Qin Dynasty. It is not a crime for a man to shed tears."

Liu Ju paused as he wiped his tears and struggled, "I'm not crying, I just... the strong wind blinded me."

"Okay." Liu Che smiled softly, "If the prince says the wind is strong, then it is strong."

Liu Ju wiped his eyes hastily and stuffed the handkerchief back into his pocket: "The wind is really strong on the top of Mount Tai."

"Not only is the wind strong, but climbing up is also very tiring." Liu Che said, "In this lifetime, this is the only time I will perform Fengshan."

Liu Ju turned to look at him, and then the handkerchief was stuffed back into his hand: "Wash it clean and return it to me."

Liu Ju was speechless for a moment. A handkerchief, do you still need this little bit of cloth?

"You have always been the only prince I have chosen," Liu Che said suddenly.

Liu Ju was stunned for a moment, then nodded: "I know."

Liu Che added: "I have just written an edict of abdication."

Liu Ju was stunned even longer this time. It took him a long time to understand the meaning of this sentence.

"Are you crazy?" Liu Ju stood up suddenly. "What do you mean by abdication? Are you senile?"

Liu Che laughed cheerfully and said, "It is precisely because I am not yet senile that I want to abdicate."

"I don't want it!" Liu Ju flatly refused.

"The emperor can depose the prince, but no one can depose the emperor... Well, Huo Guang doesn't have that ability now." Liu Che said nonchalantly, saying something that was as funny as hell.

"Ju'er, this way you can feel at ease."

Liu Ju said frantically: "I am also at ease as the crown prince!"

"But I'm not entirely at ease," Liu Che said solemnly, "while I'm still clear-headed..."

"Zhao Guo!" Liu Ju shouted, "Ah, do you remember Zhao Guo? Even in your old age, you can still discover Zhao Guo, and you can still bring the Han Dynasty back!"

"Of course you should be the emperor of the Han Dynasty."

Liu Che looked at the determination in the prince's eyes and asked, "Ju'er, aren't you afraid?"

"I've never been afraid." Liu Ju answered without hesitation.

Liu Che nodded slowly: "Okay."

There were still six years left in Yuanfeng, and His Majesty the Emperor calculated that he could wait until the next change of reign to abdicate to the Crown Prince - at least during the Yuanfeng period, everything was going smoothly.

However, there is no need to inform the prince in advance this time.

Thinking of this, Liu Che patted the prince's shoulder and said with a smile: "I forgot one thing. Have I not changed the reign yet?"