Chapter 100
Jianzhang Palace.
Coming out of the small dark room, Liu Ju held Liu Che's arm, and they leaned on each other as if they had no bones. Their intimacy was unbearable to watch. The guards and servants they met along the way couldn't help but get goose bumps, and subconsciously took a few more glances at them, feeling suspicious.
The Crown Prince and His Majesty have always had a close father-son relationship, a fact known to all. However, as the Crown Prince has aged, he's long since stopped being so affectionate in public. In the past two years, he's even taken on a youthful demeanor, shedding his childish innocence and rarely acting like a child.
Things seem a little different today.
Even Liu Che glanced sideways at her, glancing at her again and again: "How old are you? You still act like a three-year-old child."
She was clearly happy about her son's closeness, yet she kept scolding him. A typical example of someone who says one thing and does another.
Liu Ju didn't care at all and continued to act coquettishly: "No matter how old you are, you are still my father's child, and my father's most intelligent and capable child."
Liu Che sneered helplessly: "You are not ashamed at all."
"There's nothing to be ashamed of about having a good relationship with your own father. Not only is there no need to be ashamed, but tomorrow you can even have Taishigong record it and have it recorded in the annals of history."
Liu Che paused, shocked to see Liu Ju squinting his eyes and stroking his chin, as if thinking seriously and believing that this was feasible. "Are you serious?"
"What else? Isn't it a blessing for the officials and the nation of the Han Dynasty that the emperor, the crown prince, the father is kind, and the son is filial? Isn't it worth recording for future generations to admire? Shouldn't he have a few more 'praise words' for such a 'good deed'?"
Liu Che: ...
Just as he was thinking about how to subtly remind him that this was unnecessary, Liu Ju leaned in a little closer and said, "I just want everyone to know that my father loves me the most and I love him the most.
"In my heart, Father is number one in the world, no one else can compare to him; in his eyes, I am also his darling, no one can replace me."
Liu Che: ...speechless again, the corners of his mouth twitched even more violently.
How can you be so blatant and cheesy? How can you say it out loud? Although... although, well, it seems to be more or less the truth. But you can be more subtle.
Liu Ju's eyebrows danced with joy, and he was smug, silently expressing: What's the point of being subtle? It can't make a living. He just wanted to speak out loudly.
They walked while groaning, and the distance of just two quarters of an hour took them nearly half an hour. When they arrived at the palace, Liu Ju still behaved as usual.
Liu Che was somewhat helpless: "What's wrong with you? Why are you so clingy today?"
"Nothing, I just think that father is really good to me."
He pretended to have a headache, but Liu Che kept it in mind and put a lot of effort into it. How could it not be good?
Liu Che laughed: "Didn't you say that you are my most intelligent and capable son? If not you, who should I treat well?"
After saying this, both father and son paused and thought of Liu Hong at the same time.
They had previously thought Liu Hong was intelligent, but now it seemed his intelligence was simply his ability to pretend to be a child while being an adult.
Thinking of Liu Hong, both father and son were silent for a moment. After all, one had truly given his brotherly love, and the other had truly given his fatherly love.
At this moment, the two of them actually felt a sense of sympathy for each other.
The delicate atmosphere was not eased until the maid brought up the food box.
Liu Ju's expression returned to normal. He took over the maid's job and personally set the table for Liu Che. When he spoke again, he skipped Liu Hong and talked about Zhao Fan.
"He and the remnants of Liu Ling who were left behind have all been killed, but as for Nanyue...what does Father plan to do?"
Liu Che slowly ate the food that his eldest son had personally picked for him, his brows slightly furrowed. "Although Zhao Yingqi has some ulterior motives, she shouldn't go so far as to conspire with Liu Ling and support her rebellion."
Liu Ju nodded. "According to Zhao Fan, Liu Ling used him as a retreat. Since he was a retreat, they probably had no contact after they separated. It's unlikely that Zhao Yingqi knew about what Liu Ling did."
After all, the retreat route cannot be involved. This is the only way to be safe.
"But after Liu Ling got into trouble, he concealed his relationship with Liu Ling, which was one of his crimes." Liu Che curled his lips, "He may not know who Zhao Fan's biological father is, but he definitely knows that his biological mother is Liu Ling.
"Knowing Liu Ling's crimes, he still chose to trust this child, keeping him with him, and even forging an identity to help him conceal his crimes. This is his second crime."
If it weren’t for Zhao Yingqi, Zhao Fan’s identity would have been exposed long ago.
So Zhao Yingqi may not have had any intention of rebellion, but he protected the rebels and covered up for them, which was a betrayal to the Han Dynasty.
Liu Che threw the question back to Liu Ju: "What do you think we should do?"
"South Vietnam is but a tiny nation. If it knows its place, the Han Dynasty will tolerate it. But now that it has crossed the line and violated the rules set by the Han Dynasty, that's another matter. However..."
Liu Ju narrowed his eyes slightly. "First, attack the Xiongnu, then destroy Nanyue. Nanyue and Minyue are neighbors, and Minyue is not very peaceful, so it's a good idea to deal with them together. Abolish the kingdom and establish counties, which will be managed by people sent by the court. The people under their jurisdiction will be re-registered, and from now on they will be citizens of the Han Dynasty."
"Those who were once members of the royal families of Nanyue and Minyue and showed good submission will be granted titles and allowed to live in leisure. For those who showed bad submission, don't blame us for being merciless."
"Attack the Xiongnu first, then destroy Nanyue..." Liu Che raised his eyebrows. "Are you afraid that the Xiongnu will take advantage of our attack on Nanyue to disrupt the border?"
"The spies the Xiongnu sent out this time were completely wiped out. With no information coming back for a long time, they'll inevitably notice something's amiss and realize their plans have failed. If they learn now that the Han have declared war on the South, they'll definitely take action.
"Nanyue is a small country, so it doesn't require too many troops. It's easy to take it down. But if we add Minyue, while it's not difficult, it will take more effort.
"Especially with the Xiongnu and Nanyue, who are located in the north and south, the stalemate is too long. Even if we can mobilize our troops, how can war be won solely by the number of troops? For example, the allocation of food and fodder, the demand for military equipment, the morale of the army and the people, and public opinion are equally important.
"If we want to proceed simultaneously, it's not completely impossible, but if we do, the soldiers will be very tired, the court will be very tired, and we will all be very tired. This tiredness is not only physical, but also psychological. The situation in the court and the opposition will inevitably become tense.
"Father, we already have better plans. There's no need to be so angry."
So before the Huns are defeated, let the bullet shot at Nanyue fly for a while.
This is what Liu Ju meant.
A smile appeared in Liu Che's eyes: "After careful consideration, I will do as you say."
Liu Ju grinned, very happy: "However, not sending troops for the time being does not mean doing nothing."
Liu Che understood and said: "I will send someone to reprimand him. Let's see what Zhao Yingqi will do after receiving the reprimand."
"I guess he will write a letter of apology and send a hostage to the capital."
Liu Ju's eyebrows moved, and his eyes met Liu Che's. Everything was said without words.
Do you think you can earn the Han's forgiveness and escape this disaster by doing so? Do you really think they are easy to talk to and have no temper? You're dreaming. Especially now that we have a legitimate reason to fight, and we can turn Nanyue into a county, why not do it?
It was already June, not far from September. After Huo Qubing's death in September, winter had arrived, and it was inconvenient for the army to march north in the cold. Even if they waited until spring, it would only take a few months.
Until then...
The corners of Liu Ju's mouth curled up slightly, his eyes rolled around, and his eyes were full of cunning.
Suddenly, there was a slap on the head.
Liu Ju touched his head in confusion, with an accusing look on his face: "Father, why did you hit me?"
"Don't try to be so naughty."
Liu Ju was dissatisfied: "When did I ever have any evil ideas?"
Liu Che chuckled, "You are my son, how could I not understand you? What were you thinking just now? You really thought I didn't know? You claimed that you quarreled with me in Xuanshi Palace because you wanted to personally lead an expedition against the Xiongnu.
"Although it was just a pretext to cover up the truth, you dare to say that you have no such intentions at all? Humph. With your behavior, I know what you are going to do as soon as you lift your butt. I tell you, forget it!"
Liu Ju frowned, "Father, what are you talking about? You are an emperor, how can you speak so vulgarly?"
Liu Che: ...???
Weren't you the one who said this first? I was just using your words. Who is the rude one?
Liu Ju glanced at the food on the table: "You're still eating, uttering such foul language, how can you still eat?"
Liu Che: ...
He hadn't thought about it that way at first, but after Liu Ju's revelation, Liu Che uncontrollably connected the two things and suddenly felt his stomach churning and he felt nauseous and wanted to vomit.
Liu Che put down his chopsticks in frustration, unable to eat any more. He tilted his head and saw Liu Ju happily slurping his food.
Liu Che was stunned: How did this guy do it?
Liu Ju waved his hands proudly: "This is called a firm mind, not disturbed by external things."
Liu Che's mouth twitched. "Haha, you're saying I'm weak-willed. How bold!" He sneered, but his face showed no anger.
Liu Ju was secretly delighted. The topic of the personal expedition was perfectly covered, handled with ease, brilliantly.
As for the so-called "don't even think about it"? That's not a big deal. There are still several months left.
As the saying goes, a fierce woman... Oh, no, a fierce "father" is afraid of pestering his "son". As long as he is good at pestering people, there is nothing he can't accomplish.
Liu Ju ate heartily and only stood up to say goodbye after he was full and rode back to Bowang Garden.
It happened that Zang Hai returned from Mount Li and brought back important information - a wooden box.
Zang Hai held it in his arms, extremely solemnly and carefully.
Liu Ju was slightly alarmed by this gesture. He stepped forward and opened it, his eyes brightening. "Gunpowder bomb? Li Shaoweng and several alchemists have overcome the difficulties and created real gunpowder bombs?"
If it wasn't a genuine gunpowder bomb, like the previous ones that made more noise than power, he would have known, so there was no need for Cang Hai to make another special trip. So it could only be a genuine gunpowder bomb.
Liu Ju looked at Zang Hai intently, waiting for his answer.
Zang Hai nodded, "Yes, Your Highness, we succeeded. We have already conducted preliminary tests, and the results are consistent with what Your Highness described. Don't worry, Your Highness. Knowing that gunpowder shells would make a loud noise, we specially traveled to the remote mountains and wilderness to conduct tests, and even waited for many days, choosing thunderstorm weather.
"There's no one living within a radius of over ten miles. Even if someone heard it, they would just think it was thunder. Li Shao Weng knows that I'm here to report this, so he asked me to ask if His Royal Highness the Crown Prince wants to personally witness the second test."
"Yes, of course!"
Liu Ju was incredibly excited. He had expected the breakthrough to come quickly, but he hadn't expected it to be this fast. His mouth curled up unconsciously, and he answered without hesitation, with a firm, decisive voice.
Not only he was going, but his father was going too. Such a big event, such a heaven-defying artifact, how could he not witness it in person?
Liu Ju held the wooden box and felt that it weighed more than a thousand pounds, as if it contained not gunpowder bombs, but the entire Han Dynasty.
Raising his hand to wave away Zang Hai, Liu Ju carefully closed the lid. Just as he was about to find a place to properly put it, Feng He came hurriedly to report: The second prince died suddenly.
Sudden death?
Liu Ju's eyelashes twitched slightly, knowing that this was probably Liu Che's way of dealing with it.
No matter what, Liu Hong's external identity was a prince.
Liu Che would not want people to know that his son was a "wandering ghost", nor would he want people to know that his son was related to the treasonous rebels and mortal enemies, the Huns.
Therefore, sudden death from a serious illness was the "best ending" arranged for him by Liu Che.
Liu Ju paused, feeling something slowly draining from his body. Before his eyes, the virtual screen, long absent, flickered, slowly changing from a lightning-like horizontal line to a blue screen before words appeared.
Liu Ju suddenly had a strong premonition that this might be the last time the barrage appeared.
He put down the wooden box, went to sit upright on the couch behind the desk, straightened his clothes, and smiled at the comments: "Hello everyone."
——I haven’t seen this thing for a long time. I almost thought it was gone, but it appeared again today.
—No, do they look like they're looking at us? What did they just say, hello everyone? No... they're not saying hello to us, are they?
Liu Ju nodded: "Yes, I am just saying hello to you."
Barrage:!!!
Ahhhh, after scrolling through the screen for a long time, netizens finally regained their senses.
—Although…although I had previously suspected that Juzi could see our comments, but Juzi never responded, I thought we were overthinking it. But…this…this is too shocking.
——According to...according to, can you really see it?
Liu Ju said seriously, "Yes, I can see it. I'm sorry I haven't been honest with you all this time. It's because this matter is too absurd, too unbelievable, and I'm worried and dare not tell you everything. I have been hiding it from you all this time, and I want to say sorry to you."
—No, that's not necessary. People's hearts are hidden, not to mention the distance between us and time. It's right not to reveal everything. No need to apologize.
"I also want to say thank you. You told me a lot about the history of another world, allowing me to prepare early and take precautions. This has changed the fate of many people and the direction of many things. Thank you."
——No...you’re welcome?
—Fuck, I'm still in shock. Shocked that my adopted child actually responded to me one day. I... my thoughts are in a mess right now, I don't know how to form any words.
—That's not right. You said you didn't dare to tell me everything, so now...
—The words from the upstairs woke me up from my dream. "My dear, you can keep pretending. And why do I feel like there's something wrong with your demeanor today? You're making me uncomfortable."
Liu Ju took a deep breath and said, "I am being honest with you today because I feel that you have been with me for several years. In this final moment, I should be honest with you and say goodbye formally."
——Say...goodbye?
"Yes. You guessed correctly, I have a part of the system's golden finger. But now this part of the system is about to dissipate. After it dissipates, you will no longer see me, and I will not be able to know you."
Barrage: ...suddenly sad.
"Although I'm a little reluctant, I think this is the best arrangement. Things like space-time images and barrages shouldn't exist. They're a nuisance to both you and me.
"Especially with these mysterious technologies that are beyond our comprehension, we don't know if there are any hidden dangers behind them, so perhaps disappearing would be good for all of us."
The comments fell silent. This made sense; they all understood.
"Please believe me, I already know a lot about the direction of events and a lot of advanced knowledge. I will use this information wisely and maximize its benefits.
"I am Liu Ju, but not the Liu Ju you know from history. I will not let myself end up like him. I will become better and stronger.
"I know our two worlds are parallel. No matter how much I change here, it won't affect your history. But I want you to remember... remember that in another distant time and space, there is another Liu Ju working hard.
"He will be like the emperor, a loving father and a filial son, with no doubts about each other. He will continue to walk this warm and happy path. He will lead a group of talented and ambitious friends to embark on his journey.
"He will ensure that his family can have the life they desire, a life of abundance and happiness; he will ensure that his people can live a happy life, simple and adequate; he will make the Han Dynasty the most dazzling pearl in the world, dazzling and eye-catching.
"Please believe me, I can do it. I am willing to work hard for it my whole life, giving it my all and doing my best."
—Wow, I can't help but burst into tears. You're so kind, kid. We believe in you. You can do it.
—Zhuzi, although you are not the Liu Ju we know, and you are not part of the history we know, at least you let us know that in another time and space, there was another Liu Ju, a different one. He changed his own destiny, and he also made up for our regrets about history.
—Hey, go ahead, don't worry. I promise, we'll remember. We'll definitely remember it deeply.
Liu Ju's nose felt slightly sore, his eyes were watery, and he choked out a sob and said, "Goodbye."
--goodbye.
The screen flickered and faded into nothingness.
Liu Ju sat there for a long time, then slowly stood up and walked to the window.
Outside the window, in the courtyard, Wei Buyi and Huo Guang exchanged blows, back and forth, neither yielding. These were the promising young men and the successor force of the Han Dynasty.
Next to him, Huo Qubing reclined on a couch, eating fruit while watching and occasionally offering pointers. This was the astonishing genius and pillar of his Han dynasty.
Turning back, inside the room, the wooden box containing the gunpowder shells was still quietly placed on the table. This was his unparalleled artifact, a strong shield and a sharp blade.
And he himself. He is the strongest root and cornerstone of the Han Dynasty.
The giant ship of the Han Dynasty has raised its sails and is about to embark on a new voyage.
He is with it.
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