48 It's all broken ice

Huo Qubing: Good!

A Huo Yan and a Liu Che taken individually are weapons of great destructive power, at most a little more damaging and shameless than others, but when Huo Yan and Liu Che join forces, they are a pair of treacherous men who can kill people without being seen. A Huo Yan, a Liu Che, plus the cruel official Zhang Tang, a professional in false accusations, and Zhufu Yan, who just introduced the policy of extending favors to target princes, and Sang Hongyang, who uses shady tricks to make money and will come up with various taxes to cut the biggest scoop in the future, can be called a nuclear explosion king combination, and one explosion can create a mushroom cloud.

The lights were on late at night, illuminating the Weiyang Palace like daylight. With Wei Qing away, the room was filled with shady men eager to stir up trouble. These old, sinister men from China and Korea, whom Liu Che considered his own, exchanged glances and smiled grimly. They were all bound together, devoid of conscience.

Liu Che said that it was his own idea. None of these people had any doubts and they immediately started discussing it heatedly.

With this efficiency, it is no wonder that China and North Korea have turned the foreign court into a mere slave.

Huo Yan didn't know from where Liu Che found this group of action-oriented people who were so compatible with him. He was like a fish in the sea, swimming among the group, flapping his tail hard, splashing water thousands of feet high.

When my uncle is not around, I throw away my conscience and start making trouble.

The stars gradually rose. After the discussion was over, Liu Che did not keep anyone and they all went back.

Huo Yan was mixed in with the crowd. He was short and squeezed next to Zhufu Yan and Zhang Tang, so he could not be seen. He tried to sneak out of the palace.

Liu Che was now obsessed with making money and had no time to care about them, so Sang Hongyang spread his sleeves and tried to take Huo Yan home.

"Yan'er, I haven't seen you in a while since the polo match. Let's spend the night together and figure out how to integrate the assets of those princes!" Sang Hongyang led Huo Yan to his side, preventing him from getting too close to Lord Father Yan. He stroked Huo Yan's head and smiled like a worthless old father. "I have a lot of abacus over there. If you like it, just pick one and take it home."

Huo Yan's eyes lit up. He and Sang Hongyang were close friends, so of course he wasn't being polite. He asked directly, "Uncle Sang, do you have any white jade? I sold mine when I was building the Yellow River dam."

"Yes, I have!"

Sang Hongyang smiled gently.

Seeing that Sang Hongyang was still smiling, Lord Father Yan snorted and went to Huo Yan. It was not because he was very familiar with Huo Yan, but he simply did not want Sang Hongyang to be happy.

Sang Hongyang's face darkened. For someone as despised as Zhufu Yan to have lived to this age without being beaten to death, he could only thank his own luck. It wasn't that Sang Hongyang was scolding him; it was simply that Zhufu Yan was an unpleasant person, and any number of sarcastic words could be used to describe him without sounding exaggerated.

How unpopular was Lord Father Yan? It can be said that, apart from the naive Wei Qing, no one in the court liked him. It is normal for a person to be disliked by a group of people, but it is abnormal for a person to be disliked by everyone.

There is a difference between one sinister person and another. If they lack virtue, they are all the same, but if they are not afraid of anything and are not even afraid of death, then they are also enlightened.

Zhufu Yan had always been a reckless and unscrupulous person, with eyes on the top of his head. He would bite a dog to death, and he always acted like everyone in the world owed him a debt. But he didn't find fault with Huo Yan who suddenly appeared, nor did he ridicule him, nor did he deliberately scare him.

Huo Yan was not surprised. During the years when Lord Father Yan was frustrated, only Wei Qing persevered in recommending him, believing that he was talented. As Wei Qing's nephew, they had also met twice.

According to my uncle's description, Lord Father Yan is not as beastly as outsiders say!

With recognition of Wei Qing's vision, Huo Yan bowed to Lord Father Yan and walked downstairs.

Unexpectedly, Lord Father Yan studied Huo Yan for a moment, particularly his almond-shaped eyes. Suddenly, a strange smile appeared on his otherwise decent-looking face. Huo Yan paused, and he subconsciously returned the smile in a friendly manner.

Lord Father Yan smiled even more strangely.

"You're a good kid."

Huo Yan laughed, "The boy is good-looking."

The two of them were talking to themselves, but Sang Hongyang was shocked. Oh my god, this dog didn't bite people today, and it can even speak human language.

"The Grand Master is a close friend of mine!" Lord Father Yan laughed heartily, raising his eyebrows. "So, my son, do you know what I'm going to do?"

Lord Father Yan was able to catch the eye of Emperor Liu Che thanks to Wei Qing's repeated recommendations. Although he was a sinister person with a bad character, he was grateful to Wei Qing after all, so how could he sit idly by and watch Sang Hongyang abduct Wei Qing's nephew!

This scoundrel walked straight up the steps toward Liu Che's palace gate and shouted, "Your Majesty, this young Master Huo is coming with us!"

Huo Yan's brows twitched. He suddenly understood what this lunatic was thinking. He trotted up the stairs and said quietly, "Leave some space for us so we can meet again in the future."

Lord Father Yan chuckled and repeated it loudly.

Sang Hongyang was pinned to the steps, unable to go up or down. After a long moment, he gritted his teeth and said bitterly in the cold night wind, "You old thief!"

Lord Father Yan was not ashamed of this, but rather proud of it. He pinched the angry Huo Yan's face with a wicked smile and said proudly, "Boy, there's no need to send it. Ask the Grand Doctor to leave the gift at my door."

Huo Yan suddenly smiled strangely. Under Zhufu Yan's gaze, he quickly covered his face and pointed at Zhufu Yan. Tears instantly burst out of his eyes. He took small steps and clattered up the stairs, crying and shouting in the direction of Liu Che, "Uncle, Zhufu Yan beat me, he didn't even let my child go! Woo, uncle, this man has a bad character, let him go home and farm!"

Now it is Lord Father Yan's turn, and he is neither up nor down.

Sang Hongyang was so happy that he laughed heartily. He ignored Zhang Tang's refusal and pulled him up the stairs to testify for his good son, who was watching the fun on the side.

Yes, that bastard Zhufu Yan even bullies children.

They all left, leaving Lord Father Yan alone to blow in the cold wind.

He had always been the one to cheat others in the past, and this was the first time he was being framed here.

Zhufu Yan stroked his beard and smiled even more strangely.

This guy is really good, his methods are good, he can kill people and hurt their hearts.

The Taizhong family is full of my close friends! This guy and I are from the same sect.

"Furthermore, if a man cannot eat from the five cauldrons in his lifetime, he should be boiled in the five cauldrons after his death. Lord Father Yan said that his days were numbered and he was living day by day, so he had to resort to perverse and violent behavior."

[I would rather betray the world than let the world betray me!]

[Lord Father Yan is not afraid of death. What he fears is a death that is unknown and not grand enough. So telling him to go back and live an ordinary life is a threat to him.]

[Ah Yan is wonderful!]

[Hold his soft spot and poke out his weakness.]

[Ayan usually doesn't hold grudges, because he takes revenge whenever he can.]

[Lord Father Yan, why did you bother him for no reason?]

He's crazier than you.

[He, Huo Yan, is known as the Big Man's Little Mad Dog. Whoever he bites will die.]

[Tian Fen still plays the villain in the plays he directs.]

[The King of Huainan also ran into Ah Yan's abnormal growth.]

…

Liu Che was too lazy to deal with this matter.

Huo Yan was originally crying and looking at Liu Che with resentment. But when Liu Che took out the small ginger bag hidden in his sleeve in public, Huo Yan started to thunder without rain.

"Uncle, you are biased. Look at my face. He has disfigured me!"

Liu Che moved his face to the side, pointed to a piece of land and asked him to stand up straight.

"What's the point of crying every day? Stand still!"

Lord Father Yan was very proud when he saw this, but before he could even show his teeth, Liu Che hit him on the head with bamboo slips.

"You can even argue with him, are you worthy of his uncle?"

Lord Father Yan did not feel ashamed of it, but was proud of it.

"I was concerned about his safety, and Doctor Wei has to thank me."

Huo Yan looked aggrieved next to Liu Che, and cursed in his heart, calling this man shameless.

Sang Hongyang was also stunned by his shamelessness.

Zhang Tang gathered his sleeves and lowered his eyes, but the corners of his mouth twitching slightly gave him away.

It can be seen that it is difficult to find someone as crazy as Zhufu Yan even in China and North Korea.

Liu Che was used to the mad dog Zhufu Yan, so he just told them to go home.

Huo Yan was among them all. He was so happy that he wiped the tears from his face, straightened his waist, and asked Liu Che for his little ginger bun.

"Uncle, give me the small packet. I'll need it next time."

Liu Che's hands were itching to do something, but for the sake of his brother, uncle, aunt, and his money, he showed leniency to the man and just pretended to pat him on the head.

Huo Yan did not hide. He put away his small bag with a playful smile and whispered a few nice words into Liu Che's ear.

"Uncle, I've recently had a new inspiration. I want to promote a new elixir. Don't worry, this time it's real. If you take it long-term, you'll definitely be able to return to life after death. Would you like to book a course of treatment first? If you invest money in me to build a shop, I will not only supply it exclusively for you, but also give you an eight-point discount. This is better than buying it from second-hand dealers."

Liu Che now finally understood that when he was a child his mother would sometimes get annoyed when she saw him. Who wouldn't be annoyed when seeing this dog-like appearance!

"If you don't get out, I'll break your legs!"

Huo Yan pouted, snorted, and was about to go find Sang Hongyang to sell his product.

The moment he stepped out of the palace, Liu Che called him. Huo Yan turned around and saw that his uncle was in a bad mood.

The emperor at the top waved at him, and Huo Yan ran over and put his ear close to him.

Liu Che liked his cleverness and told him all the evil plans he had just come up with.

"I've invested in your pharmacy. I'll go ask Sang Hongyang for it later. But you don't have to give me the pills. You can give some to the princes. It doesn't have to be too much, just twenty gold coins. After all, this is a good thing in Chang'an."

Huo Yan blinked his big eyes, which were full of ferocious light.

"Uncle, is that poisonous? I still have poisonous ones. You pay more and give me a list of names. I guarantee you will be satisfied with the way he died."

Liu Che patted his head again and said, "I finally managed to fatten the sheep, and now you poisoned them. I have to wait a while before I finish killing them, but I can still make some money for myself first."

Huo Yan smiled, made a number seven, and pointed at himself.

Liu Che nodded and made an eight sign to him.

Huo Yan's eyes suddenly lit up.

"I did it!"

He cheered and jumped to ask Sang Hongyang for money, and even his back gave off an air of being skinny.

It’s good to confiscate the house, it’s good to confiscate the house, and things will get better at home.

Liu Che's hands were itching to hit him again. This kid really deserves a beating.

The eunuch came forward and asked him to change his clothes.

Liu Che sat in front of the mirror, and even the blurry bronze mirror could not hide the smile on his face.

After a long moment, he touched his face, which was now scarred, with only a single red mark remaining that was invisible unless one looked closely. He suddenly laughed and sighed, "If my son looked like him, with two demon stars around him, even I wouldn't be able to bear it."

Zhang Tang was very quick and within half a month the charges of Liu An's treason were placed on his desk.

Zhang Tang originally thought that this was another false accusation that suited the emperor's purpose, so he sent some imperial censors to Huainan as a gesture, just to pretend that he was going to conduct a thorough investigation.

So when the censors really put the evidence of Prince Huainan's rebellion in front of him, he was really shocked. After reading the evidence of Liu An's preparation of weapons and offensive equipment, accumulation of gold and money to bribe county governors and princes, and recruitment of retainers, he didn't even put on his hat and trotted straight into the palace.

The King of Huainan usually looked like a weak scholar, but he actually harbored rebellious intentions and had been lying dormant for many years.

When these evidences came out, everyone was shocked, even the most enthusiastic Lord Fu Yan was silent.

The atmosphere in the Weiyang Palace was solemn. Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, sat upright with a face as gloomy as water.

Originally, he thought that since he had borrowed Liu An's first position for his own great cause and had ruined his good reputation, he naturally needed to make some compensation. He even wanted to increase the fief of the current King of Huainan, Liu Qian①.

Who would have thought that the King of Huainan had already harbored rebellious intentions?

At this moment, everyone's silence was deafening.

Liu An was urgently interrogated, and Wei Qing immediately received Liu Che's order to summon troops to escort all the relevant personnel who had contact with Liu An back to Chang'an.

For a while, all the officials and counselors in Huainan who were protected and recommended by the King of Huainan, and the people in the martial arts world who were secretly won over by Liu An, were in danger. Liu Qian, seeing that things were going badly, immediately wanted to raise an army to rebel, which added fuel to Liu Che's anger.

The emperor's wrath is about to burn Huainan to ashes. Anyone who resists will be killed, and anyone who is involved will be killed.

When Liu Qian started the rebellion, he thought that he would get a lot of support, but the situation did not happen. In addition, he met Wei Qing. Within a month, Wei Qing's absolute military force eliminated all the entrenched forces under Liu Qian, and he was forced to commit suicide to apologize.

This major move implicated thousands of marquises, officials of the rank of "two thousand stone" and local tyrants who had conspired with Liu An and his son to rebel, along with their private slaves. All of them were executed by the enraged Liu Che, and the number of people in the court was reduced by half.

The people of Emperor Wu of Han did not know whether millions of people would be killed when the emperor was angry, but their majesty's anger was about to burn them to death.

His Majesty's eyes were like knives when they fell on them. Except for Doctor Wei, everyone else looked like a traitor.

Another morning court session, another day of trepidation.

In late spring, after a long wait, good news finally came from the court: the entire section of the Yellow River embankment had been built.

His Majesty Liu Che's mood finally improved.

Huo Qubing didn't know whether Liu Che was in a good mood or not. He only knew that since Shi Yi was born, his uncle had become more and more superstitious, in short, he was crazy about wanting a son.

He invited one god after another, giving money to this god and trying to connect with that god.

If my son doesn't come out soon, all these princes will rebel!!! God, please give me a definite answer on when my son will be born.

Huo Qubing thought his uncle was crazy, but his uncle was still alive and not dead. Rather than accompanying his uncle to watch the immortal dance, he preferred to go and watch A Yan's new play. He liked to watch Kong Ming and the Monkey King.

But this time the play is different from before.

The play is no longer joyful, it is heavy.

A dynasty in a precarious situation, hiding in a corner, with aggressive foreign enemies and a confused and cowardly emperor.

There is actually an emperor in this world who, when threatened by the enemy, would hide under the table and cry to the sky, demanding to cede land and pay compensation to the enemy!

What the hell is this!

Huo Qubing frowned as he watched, Su Wu was so angry that he couldn't eat, and Cao Xiang was eating like he was eating a fly. This group of young men from the Five Tombs in Chang'an have always been full of youthful vigor and believed in fighting if they don't obey. They have never seen such a coward in their lives.

Even Sima Qian, the weakest and most frail person who was just an addition, looked miserable.

Pay, pay, pay, pay his father!

Huo Qubing glanced at Dongfang Shuo beside him and said, "If you can't write, I'll ask Ah Yan to replace you."

Dongfang Shuo was also devastated and gritted his teeth.

"Damn it, who changed my play? It wasn't that disgusting when I wrote it."

They were feeling disgusted when suddenly a young man in white clothes and a high ponytail appeared on the stage. He smiled brightly and boldly. Everyone's eyes were on him. They couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Oh my god, there was finally a sense of normal people in this scene.

In the play, the young man has a bright smile on his face, holds a horse and a sword, spends all his money, and runs around. More and more loyal and righteous people join his army, and finally he has a group of like-minded friends around him. Those foreigners are driven away by them. The young man becomes a veteran, pointing at the Yellow River with high spirits. The sparks gather into a fire, and finally it becomes a prairie fire.

The old general in white now spoke, his voice as clear as when he was young, pointing to the stage, "Drive out the barbarians and restore our country!"

Behind him, the young men of the past were riding their horses, making movements as if they were about to cross the Yellow River.

"Cross the river! Counterattack!"

There was thunderous applause in all the boxes next door. "Good boy!" Everyone couldn't help but praise in their hearts.

Huo Qubing nodded slightly and gave his evaluation, "It's not bad now."

Su Wu was able to eat now. He brought the glutinous rice cake in front of Cao Xiang to his hand, picked up one and stuffed it into his mouth, puffed up his cheeks, squinted his eyes and chewed like a fat cat.

Huo Qubing reached out and grabbed one, chewing it slowly. Although he ate slowly, his hands were quick, and in a moment, he had grabbed the rest.

Cao Xiang snatched food from the tiger's mouth, snatched it from Sima Qian, and held his hands in front of him to protect it.

It may be because they are in the growth period. They are just hungry recently. They don’t gain weight even if they eat a lot. Instead, they are getting thinner and thinner.

This was Huo Yan's territory, and with Huo Qubing by his side, they treated it as if it were their own home, eating to their heart's content and taking things away as they went. Every time Huo Yan looked at their bills, he felt like he was raising a glutton.

Now that I was in a better mood, I felt even hungrier. After a big meal, the table and cups were in a mess.

Zhuo Wenjun, who was busy at the bottom, asked someone to serve them two plates of new dishes and also asked someone to bring a pot of milk tea that children like to drink.

Unfortunately, the situation took a turn for the worse. The young man, overjoyed, submitted numerous petitions requesting a northern expedition, meticulously crafting a plan to reclaim lost territory. However, his plan was met with disapproval from the Southern Song court. The emperor, convinced by the corrupt counsel of his ministers, even demanded the young man withdraw his troops. Seeing the prospect of reclaiming lost territory, the young man refused, and his repeated petitions fell on deaf ears.

The emperor took away the boy's military power, expelled him and his subordinates from the army, and offered gold, silver, cloth and silk to negotiate peace with the foreigners.

Seeing that his ambition to recover the Central Plains was difficult to achieve, the young man was filled with worry and anger. Finally, he became ill and lay on his couch with his white hair and a sword in his hand, shouting, "Cross the river! Kill the bandits!" before dying of a spurt of blood.

The play ends with a hoarse, absurd voice, like a sigh.

"Let's not talk about the famous generals of previous generations, but let's talk about my old marshal. For forty-eight years, you have been loyal to my country. When foreigners crossed the river and plundered, you commanded with confidence to save Bianliang. Seven hundred thousand troops surrendered in one day. He didn't want to stay in Jiangzuo secretly, he just wanted to cross the Yellow River to drive out the Jin invaders and restore his old country! But the cunning of the treacherous ministers was exposed to the world, and your loyalty turned into melancholy. You ended up vomiting blood and dying. Your upright and courageous work was in vain. After ten years of vomiting blood to pacify the enemy, I might as well be a tree farmer again."①

No one can drink this pot of milk tea.

Sima Qian, who always prided himself on being a gentleman, suddenly burst into a rude remark, opened the window, and yelled at the man pretending to be the emperor, "What an idiot you are!"

Everyone in the theater had their brows furrowed so tightly that they could pinch a fly to death. They couldn't help but think in their hearts that if they didn't use their generals and gave up the good situation, the country would be finished.

The play continues.

The war broke out again, and this time there were no young people who stood up. The foreigners completely captured the capital and trampled people into mud with their iron hooves.

The stage was filled with wailing and crying.

Above the mountains and rivers, there are flames of war and smoke, and the sound of iron hooves wailing.

They were displaced and enslaved, and their children were exchanged for food. Bones were piled up in the wilds.

What ended up happening was the wailing of the people.

"When will I return home? When will I see the blue sky? When will I return home?"

For a long time, thousands of people under the stage were silent.

How is this different from the Han Dynasty's current attitude towards the Huns? They sent gold, jade and beautiful women to the Huns. How is this different from the place called Southern Song Dynasty that is hiding in this play!

Cutting flesh to feed a tiger, the tiger's desire is endless!

If we don't fight back and if we don't cherish our good generals, the Song on the stage today will be the Han off the stage tomorrow.

The wailing and wandering on the stage today will ring in their ears tomorrow.

Everyone watching the show today sighed deeply, with a hint of sadness in their eyes.

The Huns have strong soldiers and horses, can they win?

"Our Han Dynasty is in danger of repeating the same mistakes."

After a long time, someone sighed, which made everyone in the building feel sad.

Huo Qubing pushed away Sima Qian, who was glaring at the emperor, opened the window, and glanced around. His eyes were calm, like wind and thunder, with a sharp light in them.

This young man also wore a ponytail, a black robe with arrow sleeves, and a sword at his waist. He was surrounded by several young men of similar age, his hands calloused from years of archery practice. He looked very similar to the young man on the stage.

He answered the people in the play and also the people in the building.

"When the king is willing to live, the soldiers fear no death, and the people bravely follow, and the entire nation, from top to bottom, places the greater good of home and country first, then the backbone of the nation will remain unbend, and the foundation of the state will be forever solid. Why worry about not being able to return home! Why worry about not being able to see the light of day! Why worry about not being able to restore our home and country! Let us take up our weapons, and march as we fight!"

The words were powerful and the young man's eyes were as sharp as knives.

"Your Majesty is a man of great talent and strategy. The Xiongnu have horses, and so do we, the Han. The Xiongnu can kill me, and I can kill him too!"

When the audience upstairs suddenly saw the young man, they couldn't help but clap their hands and laugh.

Young people are so passionate that even ice and snow cannot cool them down.

Amiable and lovely.

With such a young man, how could the Han Dynasty feel the tragedy in the play again?

Our great Han Dynasty is powerful and majestic, so how could their emperors be as stupid as pigs like the characters in this play?

I'm really old and sentimental.

Huo Qubing's eyes met the young man in white on the stage. The young man in white waved at him, revealing his almond-shaped eyes that were about to break and a small red mole at the corner of his lip hidden in his white face.

Brother, what should I do with you?

Huo Qubing, who had been optimistic and high-spirited just now, suddenly pursed his lips.

It seemed like he had accidentally tricked Ah Yan.

How about I let Sima Qian criticize that emperor?

He asked Huo Yan.

Huo Yan used his eyes to stop his hand from pushing Sima Qian out. Sima Qian opened his mouth and said that everyone would be scolded if they didn't watch the show today.

He brainstormed quickly on the stage, then stepped forward, brandished his sword and spear, and sang loudly. He sang, "I heard the bandits are heading south again, killing civilians and devouring the land. I am old enough to still hold my sword and spear, and I am willing to follow you to wipe out the bandits. How can such a great country surrender and allow the enemy to run wild?"

The atmosphere is tense now. Huo Qubing, you take over!

Huo Qubing didn't receive his vicious look. He just laughed while stroking the window frame amid the cheers of the people in the building, "Good!"

It was an unintentional achievement, but it was truly a heroic achievement.

[Bingbing is truly a young hero!]

[Oh my god, I'm so obsessed.]

[Sick boy, you've completely messed up Ah Yan's plan.]

[Hahaha, if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten. Ah Yan originally intended to show them how miserable he looked after being attacked by the Huns at his doorstep. But after Bingbing mentioned that, he turned it into a recruitment advertisement.]

[I specifically supplemented my knowledge of the Southern Song Dynasty, hahaha.]

[Ayan is almost broken.]

[Ah Yan: Whoever messed up the place, damn it, he's my brother, so let's fix it.]

[He’s so busy, hahaha.]

[He is broken into pieces of ice.]

[Yan, stop being so upset. At least now the fighting spirit is aroused, which can be considered as achieving the purpose of supporting the war.]

[However, Aunt Chunyu is coming back soon, isn't Ah Yan going over yet?]

[I always feel like Ah Yan exploded in silence.]

[He was so busy making money with Sang Hongyang that it was a big deal for him to be able to act.]

[Indeed, he was in cahoots with Sang Hongyang.]

[Propaganda is really scary, especially when someone like him sells fake medicine.]

…