Chapter 107 Extra Seven
Liu Che didn't know why he woke up, and he didn't know why he woke up again.
This corpse was not in good health. He had fallen ill in Ganquan Palace, although the illness was not serious. However, he then rushed back to the capital, slaughtered the guards, ran around, and experienced great sorrow and pain.
His mental and physical energy was greatly exhausted, so it would have been normal for him not to be able to hold on, but he managed to hold on and became sober again.
He hoped that when he opened his eyes he would see the world he was familiar with. But no, not at all.
He closed his eyes countless times, opened them countless times, dozed off countless times, woke up countless times, but he was still here, and nothing around him had changed.
Liu Che was stunned, dazed and confused.
The commanders of the northern and southern armies came one after another to report.
"Your Majesty, Liu Qumao has been paraded through the streets in a cage and then beheaded."
"Your Majesty, the entire Li family will be exterminated."
"Your Majesty, all the guards who participated in the clearing of the Eastern Palace and the siege of the Crown Prince have been dealt with."
…
After the two finished their report, they waited for Liu Che's next instruction, but Liu Che did not respond, and it was unclear whether he had heard it or not. The two looked at each other and repeated their instructions again.
Liu Che remained in a daze, not saying a word or even making a single movement.
The two were momentarily perplexed, but it was the eunuch who had been temporarily promoted by Emperor Wu of Han who stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty is tired. The two generals should please return. If Your Majesty has any further instructions, I will summon the two generals to see you."
The commanders of the Northern and Southern armies had no choice but to bow and retreat.
The eunuch called out cautiously, "Your Majesty, you are still seriously ill. Would you like to return to the palace to rest?"
Liu Che didn't respond, he glanced around. Everything around him seemed so familiar, yet so strange.
It was the Weiyang Palace where he lived for decades, but it was not the Weiyang Palace where he lived.
He staggered forward slowly and unknowingly arrived at the Pepper Room.
He had many beauties around him in his life, who came and went in waves. He had many concubines who were favored by him, but only Zifu stayed with him the longest.
Even though he had known countless women, Liu Che had to admit that Zifu was the most special. They had been married for decades, sharing warmth, laughter, and deep affection. Zifu was always so tender and affectionate, always knowing how to comfort him and soothe him when he was upset.
Whenever he was having trouble or feeling down, he would always come to the Pepper Room to sit for a while. This habit was shared by everyone. But when did he start to come less and less?
It started with being suspicious of the prince and being on guard against him.
Liu Che felt a pain in his heart and took a deep breath.
Angry, he turned around and walked to the East Palace unknowingly.
The East Palace had been cleaned up by this time. There were no more corpses strewn about, no blood-stained ground. The entire palace was empty, just like his empty heart.
Liu Che had walked all this way, physically and mentally exhausted, feeling a bit overwhelmed. He touched the pillar and slowly sat down. The eunuch wanted to move the cushions on the spring stool, but he refused.
The eunuch urged him to go back and rest, but he waved his hand and said, "Let me be alone."
The eunuch wanted to say something but hesitated. In the end, he could only obey the order, but he did not dare to go far and waited respectfully in the front hall.
He sat on the steps in front of the inner hall, the same spot where Liu Jin had stood when he died. His vision slowly lost focus, and he seemed to see Liu Ju and Liu Jin again. It was the scene in his memory.
At that time, Liu Jin was only a few years old, still a chubby little boy. "He" was chasing and releasing silk birds with the little boy, and Liu Ju came over and said with a smile, "Father dotes on him too much. He's become more and more lawless."
He smiled and waved his hands: "It's okay, it's okay."
I don’t know if it’s because the two of them are connected, and their memories and emotions merge, but Liu Che’s eyes instantly become moist.
Order after order was issued, and the treacherous officials were eliminated one by one. But what was the use? His queen, his crown prince, and his grandson would never return.
Liu Che felt as if a piece of his heart had been ripped out, causing him to ache to the bone. His only comfort now was this: At least... at least in another world, his child was still there.
But is that child good?
Liu Che suddenly thought of something and stood up. If he came here, then what about "he"? Where did "he" go? Would he go into his body? If so, what would "he" do? Would he hurt Juer?
Thinking of this, Liu Che's face changed drastically, and there was a fear in his pupils that was even greater than witnessing "Liu Ju" committing suicide with his own eyes.
No. No, he had to go back. He had to go back.
——Father!
Liu Che paused, he seemed to hear Juer's voice. Was it his illusion?
——Father, wake up.
Liu Che's eyes trembled. It was indeed Juer's voice, his Juer.
——Father, please don’t scare me. Please wake up.
Liu Che looked around hesitantly: "Ju'er, is that you? You are calling me, right? Ju'er!"
——Father, you have been in a coma for many days. If you don’t wake up, I won’t be able to hold on any longer.
"Father, you must not be in any danger. You promised me that you would stay with me forever."
——Father…
one
Hearing the call, Liu Che unconsciously followed the sound. Suddenly, a dazzling white light seemed to flash before his eyes, and his consciousness became blurred again. When he opened his eyes again, he was already lying on the warm bed in the greenhouse hall. He moved slightly and found a sleeping boy lying beside the bed.
If it’s not Liu Ju, then who else could it be?
Liu Che was overjoyed and tremblingly reached out his hand, wanting to touch him and hug him, but he didn't dare to touch him. He was afraid that this was a dream, his beautiful fantasy, which would be shattered if touched.
So his hand stayed in the air for a long time and finally fell down.
Liu Che looked at Liu Ju greedily, thinking that it would be better not to touch him. Even if it was an illusion, it would be good to let him look at it for a while longer.
So he just watched quietly, and suddenly found that Liu Ju's face was full of fatigue, and his eyes were dark blue. He didn't know how long he hadn't had a good sleep.
There was a small couch next to his bed with bedding on it, which seemed to be used for sleeping.
Liu Che was just beginning to wonder when a figure beside the bed began to stir. Liu Ju frowned slightly, his neck moving as he slowly opened his eyes. He met Liu Che's gaze silently, then leaped to his feet, his face filled with joy. "Father is awake!"
The next second she threw herself into Liu Che's arms, tears falling uncontrollably: "Father, you finally woke up. You almost scared me to death, Father."
The body of the person in my arms is warm and familiar, even the tears.
It’s not a dream, it’s not a dream!
Liu Che sat up trembling and hugged Liu Ju back: "Yes, father is awake, father is back."
He really came back.
From great sorrow to great joy, Liu Che cried and laughed, looking like a madman, unable to control his emotions. Suddenly, he spat out a mouthful of blood from his throat. Liu Ju was frightened and shouted in panic: "Doctor, call the doctor!"
As he was about to go get the doctor himself, Liu Che grabbed his wrist and said, "Don't be afraid, Father is fine. It's okay, son, don't be afraid."
He was crying, laughing, and even vomiting blood. How could he be okay?
Liu Ju didn't believe it at all and was so anxious that he jumped up and down.
Liu Che knew that this must be the blood that had been on his chest in his dream. He just needed to spit it out. He chuckled and pulled Liu Ju into his arms again, holding him tightly. "Ju'er, you're still here. You're okay. That's great, that's great."
Liu Ju was confused and noticed that Liu Che was in a bad mood. Not wanting to upset him, he let him hold him and replied, "Yes, father, I'm still here. I'm fine."
He even reached out and patted his back gently to comfort him.
It was not until the arrival of the royal doctor that the clinging father and son were separated.
Almost all the people from the Imperial Medical Bureau were dispatched, taking turns to check the pulse and diagnose the patient again and again, and the result was: His Majesty is fine.
, but the disease comes like a mountain falling and goes away like a thread being pulled out. Now I am a little weak and need to take good care of myself.
Liu Ju finally breathed a sigh of relief and had the news spread to reassure the harem and the court, but he also ordered them not to come to see him for the time being. This was also what Liu Che meant.
Liu Che pulled Liu Ju to sit beside the bed and asked carefully, "How long have I been unconscious?
“It’s the seventeenth.
Seventeen was the time he spent in his dream.
“What’s the situation outside now?
"With my mother in charge of the harem, everyone was very quiet. At court, I stepped in to calm the ministers and asked my uncle to dispatch troops to reinforce the border. I also sent my cousin Qubing to guard the armory and the Lishan workshop just in case. Fortunately, with the prestige of gunpowder, no one in our court dared to move.
Liu Che nodded. If the emperor had been unconscious for only a day or two, it would have been fine. But if he had been unconscious for more than half a month, it would have easily caused unrest in the court, and it would have especially led to ulterior motives, such as thieves colluding with foreign tribes to commit crimes.
Liu Ju's arrangement was also a precautionary measure. If there was any accident, he could respond at any time and nip the conspiracy in the bud.
Liu Che asked again: "What about other matters in the court?
"I have ordered all the ministers to submit their memorials as usual, and the Prime Minister will compile them and hand them over to me, acting as the interim representative. If I find them feasible, I will approve them directly. If I am unsure, I will consult the Prime Minister, the Grand Tutor, and my uncle. Would Your Majesty like to take a look?"
⑩
Liu Ju was a little hesitant about the last sentence. Normally, he should report everything to Liu Che after Liu Che woke up, but Liu Che was not fully recovered yet, and he was afraid that the complexity of things would make Liu Che tired.
Liu Che just chuckled and said, "Just handle it yourself. I'm afraid I'm not capable of doing it right now."
Liu Ju thought about it and nodded in agreement.
The father and son chatted for a while longer, and the maid brought over a meal, consisting mainly of porridge and vegetables, very light. Liu Che had just woken up and hadn't eaten a normal meal for a long time, so he couldn't suddenly eat cold, hard meat.
Liu Ju served Liu Che the meal naturally. While eating, Liu Che was curious: "I have been unconscious for seventeen days, how can I eat?
"Other foods are inconvenient to feed Father, so I can only feed him some soup or porridge. Fortunately, Father can still swallow it on his own.
This was the only thing Liu Ju was thankful for. If he couldn't even eat and swallow, in those days without nasogastric feeding tubes or intravenous nutrition, he would have starved to death.
But even with these soups and porridge, Liu Che could only barely maintain his basic body functions, and he still lost weight.
Seeing that Liu Che was not as strong and robust as before, Liu Ju felt a lump in his throat and his eyes reddened, but he tried hard to hold back his tears. After Liu Che finished his meal, he advised, "Father, please take a rest. I will watch over you.
"No need. Liu Che
He shook his head and said, "Now that I'm awake, I'm fine. There's no need to stay here. Go back to sleep."
But seeing that Liu Ju was still insisting, Liu Che said again, "I'm worried that you won't be able to rest well if you stay here."
This sentence blocked all of Liu Ju's arguments and Liu Ju had no choice but to leave.
How could Liu Che not want his son to stay? But seeing the exhaustion that could not be concealed on his son's face, he could not bear it. However, after Liu Ju left, he could not sleep and dared not sleep for fear of waking up and returning to that world.
But after all, he had been in a coma for several days and was weak and exhausted. He tried to hold on for a long time, but his eyelids began to twitch uncontrollably and he closed his eyes without realizing it.
When Liu Che opened his eyes, he was startled. Only when he saw that the familiar greenhouse palace was still in front of him and that the usual maids and eunuchs were serving him did he breathe a sigh of relief.
After a few days, seeing that nothing had happened in his own world, Liu Che finally felt relieved and began to return to his normal life. He sent for an audience with the harem and the major court officials to reassure them, and specially summoned Wei Qing and Huo Qubing.
By that time, Liu Che's health had improved a lot, and he had someone move him to lie down in the yard to bask in the sun, but his eyes were always fixed on the pages of the book in his hands, with a dazed expression.
Wei Huo approached and saluted, and then Liu Che looked up from his book, suddenly coming to his senses and asking the two of them to sit down.
Wei Qing glanced at the content on the page - "Zhuangzi's Equality of Things". He was quite puzzled. Liu Che did not value Huang Lao's thoughts nor did he like to read Zhuangzi's theories which were equally famous.
◆
And his face looked thoughtful and a little strange.
What made him even more puzzled was that Liu Che's next question was, "Have you, Zhongqing, read the 'On the Equality of Things'?"
"Your Majesty, I have taken a quick look at it."
"Then, Zhongqing, do you think it was the butterfly dreaming of Zhuang Zhou or Zhuang Zhou dreaming of the butterfly?"
Wei Qing was stunned. Firstly, he had never expected Liu Che to ask this question. Second, he really didn't know much about Zhuangzi and had never thought about the question of whether the butterfly dreamed of Zhuang Zhou or Zhuang Zhou dreamed of a butterfly.
On the contrary, Huo Qubing, who was standing next to him, responded with an open mind: "Who cares who dreams about whom? If I become a butterfly, I will be a butterfly; if I become Zhuang Zhou, I will be Zhuang Zhou. Why think so much? Maybe I am both the butterfly and Zhuang Zhou."
Liu Che's movements were slightly delayed, so is he both him and "he"?
Huo Qubing was also puzzled: "Your Majesty, why are you studying Zhuangzi?"
Liu Che chuckled and turned away without answering, then turned to business: "After this experience, I know that good health is more important than anything else. Zhongqing is not young anymore. The Imperial Medical Bureau has recruited many doctors in recent years, and their medical skills are quite good.
First, I will move two of them to the General's Mansion.
Finally, he turned to Huo Qubing and said, "I'll give you two too.
Huo Qubing looked puzzled. "Your Majesty, my uncle is quite old, and I am still young and strong. There is really no need for him. And your Majesty has forgotten that the Crown Prince gave me and my uncle a place to live in the palace long ago, and even asked the Imperial Physician's Office to arrange for someone to come and check my pulse from time to time."
Liu Che was stunned. He had truly forgotten. After all, it had been many years since the incident. Although Liu Ju had reported it to him at the time, he hadn't paid any attention to such a trivial matter. He hadn't taken it to heart at all, and even laughed at Liu Ju for worrying too much.
Now that I think about it...
Liu Che's heart moved. In that world, he had neither the time nor the mood to think carefully. Now, when he recalled it, he found many clues.
"Do you remember that in the fourth year of Yuanshou, the court proposed to fight the Xiongnu again. You and I both agreed, but Erer insisted on suppressing the matter and letting us wait a little longer.
"In the sixth year of Yuanshou, this proposal was brought up again, and Zier once again suppressed it, even suggesting that it must be at least September. Why must it be September?
Huo Qubing was suspicious: "Isn't it for gunpowder?
Liu Che looked at him with complicated and ambiguous eyes.
He also thought it was because of gunpowder, but even if it was gunpowder, why was it in September? This node was very subtle, not related to gunpowder, but to Huo Qubing.
In that world, Huo Qubing died in September of the sixth year of Yuanshou. This September was the day of his death.
According to my son, isn't it...
Liu Che suddenly thought of Liu Hong again. Liu Hong was almost driven crazy by himself when he was in the small dark room. He would beg for mercy and curse at others, his words were incoherent, and he even used threats and inducements.
He said that the system knows astronomy and geography, and can understand the future through the past.
He also said: "You are torturing me and forcing me for Liu Ju now, but do you know that one day you and your son will turn against each other, you will doubt him and force him to death. Then you will know how ridiculous your actions today are."
At that time he just thought it was Liu Hong's crazy nonsense, but now it seems that it may not be the case.
Liu Hong may have known something through the system, and so did Juer.
Think about it again, what is the root of the huge difference between the two worlds? The system.
In this world, Liu Ju and Mrs. Wang collided, causing an accident. At the same time, the system crashed, resulting in Liu Hong's unusual behavior and Liu Ju's adventure.
After that, through Liu Ju's efforts, the Han Dynasty underwent earth-shaking changes, and they all had different impacts with the changes.
If...if there hadn't been that accident, if the system hadn't appeared
, so how will things develop?
Liu Che had a premonition that this would be the direction of "that world".
That world was a Han Dynasty without a system. Without any system change, he and Liu Ju eventually met the end predicted by Liu Hong.
And as far as I know, he knows all of this.
That was why he hated the sorcerers' tricks so much. Whenever the sorcerers' magical powers were mentioned, he would sneer and jump in anger.
Because he knew that "Liu Ju" in another world suffered greatly from it.
But he did not hold a grudge against himself. On the contrary, he tried every means to maintain his health in order to achieve the longevity he wanted.
He established a rule that the Imperial Medical Bureau must check the patient's pulse every few days; he asked the Imperial Medical Bureau to research a nourishing and healthy diet; he pondered and discovered the "Five Animal Exercises" for strengthening the body...
∷
Liu Che suddenly realized that Liu Ju had done so much without his knowledge.
In fact, if you simply want to avoid repeating the same mistakes, there is a most worry-free way, which is to kill yourself as soon as possible and ascend the throne directly under the protection of Wei Huo.
For example, his previous coma was the best opportunity. But Liu Ju didn't do it. Not only did he not do it, he never even thought about it. He hoped to wake up, hoped to be safe, and hoped to live a long and happy life.
Compared with Liu Ju, the actions and thoughts of "myself" in another world seem so ridiculous, so confused, so foolish, and even so despicable.
Liu Che's eyes were moist. Since his son had gone through so much for him, how could he allow such a tragedy to happen again?
Liu Che's expression froze as he made a decision. He took a deep breath and said, "Since Ju'er has already given me one, there's no need to move two. Just one. I'll keep both of them in the mansion and look after you all the time."
Wei Huo: ...Are you and your son both so obsessed with sending doctors to other people?
Liu Che made the decision directly without giving them any chance to refuse.
The first step to prevention: protect Wei and Huo. These two are the backbone of the Han Dynasty and also the biggest support for Er.
Wei Huo excused himself, and Liu Che rose and returned to his room, where he personally ground ink and wrote a blank imperial edict. Step Two: Abdicate and let Juer ascend the throne.
This is the most convenient, direct and effective solution. It can solve the problem once and for all and fundamentally.
But the succession of imperial power required an opportunity and a smooth transition, and could not be hastily initiated. He needed some time to plan. This planning was for both the court officials and Liu Ju.
Step 3: He has to keep something in reserve.
Since he can go to that world and become "him", who knows whether "he" will come here to replace himself?
It could be tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, or many years later.
In order to prevent "him" from causing trouble, Liu Che once again spread out a blank imperial edict and wrote the second decree.
This decree indicated that he was "sick." If one day he was not right, if he acted absurdly, it must be because he was "sick," and his actions and thoughts were not what he meant. Whatever decision Liu Ju made was correct.
In this way, Zier can hold two imperial edicts in his hands and ascend the throne smoothly.
If the other party arrived after Er'er ascended the throne and he became the retired emperor, the retired emperor's power should not be underestimated. But Er'er was already the emperor, and with Er'er's power, the other party would not be able to cause any major disturbance. It would be easy to suppress him.
The difficulty lies in how to deal with the comments of others and the writings of the historians. When the two men conflict, the father always has the upper hand due to the father-son relationship.
If Juer fails to handle the matter perfectly, his reputation will be damaged. This imperial edict will then clear Juer's name.
He not only wanted to ensure that Er'er ascended the throne smoothly, but also that Er'er maintain a good reputation both during and after his death. Er'er was so good, she must not be tarnished by "him" in the slightest.
"He" doesn't deserve it!
The author has something to say
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
