Chapter 29
What the hell is this tradition?! What does "jiangjiangniangniang" mean? I don't understand it, but it's clearly not a good thing, especially when combined with the word "male companion" in the preceding sentence.
Furthermore, Han Yan's involvement was with a maid in the harem, not a concubine, so strictly speaking, it couldn't be considered an affair. The emperor treated him differently, not because he was his "male favorite," but because he was his study partner and they had grown up together.
Like Sang Hongyang and Zhang Qian, they have a very good relationship with my father, and my father values them very much!
Liu Ju gnashed his teeth and his eyes were bloodshot.
He'd known the comments were outrageous, but he'd never known there was no such thing as the most outrageous, only ever-increasing ones. Each time, it refreshed his understanding. It was the perfect example of "I don't wish the Liu family well."
Still following the Liu family tradition? Haha, I'm following your tradition, you immortal boss!
Liu Ju's facial features were wrinkled because of anger.
Liu Che was suspicious: "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Liu Ju took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He made up an excuse, "I'm just thinking about how to train these people."
Liu Che smiled and said, "No rush, take your time. I only said there should be some improvement, but I didn't specify the extent of the improvement. This request is not difficult."
He then pointed to a group of people galloping ahead and said, "They've just received the new saddles, stirrups, and horseshoes you developed, and they're very enthusiastic about you. No matter how much you bother them, they'll be happy to give you guidance."
My ears are broken? Liu Ju invented saddles, stirrups, and horseshoes?
Look at the people galloping behind Liu Che and Liu Ju in the distance. They all have horse harnesses. Clearly, in the previous scene, Huo Qubing and Liu Ju were riding horses, and there were no harnesses on the horses.
I initially thought it wasn't that there weren't any, but rather that not every horse had them. But then I also thought the crew couldn't be that broke. They already had so many real horses, what else could they possibly need? I was completely surprised when Liu Che said Liu Ju had made them. Shocking!
—Director, screenwriter. Come on out! Are you serious? Not only did you bring up the appearance of horse harness, but you also attributed this invention to Liu Ju? Are you crazy?
The barrage of comments was boiling, and then it flickered and disappeared in the boiling.
Liu Ju rolled his eyes. "Oh, be shocked, right? That's all right. You're allowed to shock me, but not you? Just wait, I've made not only horse harnesses, but also Kongming lanterns and compasses. And there will be more to come. I'll shock you to death." Humph!
With this "lofty ambition" in mind, Liu Ju looked at the fifty selected people, his gaze shifting to one of determination. His attitude also changed from a lazy, indifferent attitude to a proactive one, and he immediately joined the generals to seek their advice.
But as the saying goes, no matter how much you hear, it is better to see it in person.
Therefore, when Liu Ju returned to Beijing from Shanglin Garden, he pestered Huo Qubing to go to the military camp.
Emperor Liu Che valued military power, so the Han army, whether guarding the capital or serving in the border towns, was no ordinary soldier. An ordinary lazy person wouldn't be able to survive there.
As soon as he entered the camp, Liu Ju felt a solemn and murderous atmosphere.
The soldiers sweated profusely on the training ground, their moves were vigorous and powerful, their movements were in perfect unison, and their roars and shouts were deafening.
Liu Ju clenched his fists and his blood boiled.
"That's nothing, there are even more powerful ones."
Huo Qubing raised his eyebrows, chuckled, and walked onto the stage, accepting the command flag from his deputy general. Holding the flag in his left hand, he held it horizontally, and the soldiers on the parade ground instantly shifted positions, forming a fan-like formation. Then, with the flag raised, they instantly dispersed like geese.
Then he changed to holding the flag with his right hand, with the flag held horizontally. The soldier in front squatted on one leg and raised his shield. The soldier behind quickly followed, with his spear coming out from behind the shield.
The flag was raised, and the soldiers broke up into small groups and retreated instantly.
The whole process was quick to respond, smooth and orderly.
Liu Ju's eyes sparkled, and it took him a while to come back to his senses. He clapped his hands vigorously, "Great!"
Huo Qubing raised his chin slightly and pointed at the huge crowd of troops on the parade grounds: "They all knew you were coming, and they've all put in their best efforts."
Liu Ju was stunned for a moment, frowning slightly: "I came here to see everyone's daily training, not to ask you to prepare it specially for me."
Huo Qubing glanced at him and chuckled, "Who are you looking down on? This is just daily training!"
Liu Ju blinked, confirming that Huo Qubing was not joking, and felt relieved. He gave a thumbs up and said, "Great."
Huo Qubing reluctantly accepted the compliment and explained, "Although they are more excited and training more vigorously because of your coming, we would still do the same thing even if you didn't come. It doesn't matter much to you. You are only a few years old. Even if I were to perform in front of you, I would have to be a little older."
How much of a future could a child of what age offer these soldiers? If Liu Ju wasn't six, sixteen would be about right.
Liu Ju tilted his head and thought about it, and it was indeed true.
Huo Qubing chuckled: "So if you want to come to the military camp to take a look, then take a good look. Don't take yourself too seriously."
"I don't think of myself as an onion, I think of myself as a human being." Liu Ju raised his eyebrows. "Is there any good person who doesn't want to be treated like an onion? Cousin, are you talking about yourself?"
Zhao Po Nu couldn't help but chuckle, and quickly lowered his head to cover it.
Huo Qubing bared his teeth: "Isn't it just a joke? Do you have to be so harsh on me? You really won't accept the slightest loss."
Liu Ju raised his eyebrows again: "What good thing is loss? Who would rush to eat it? You must be a fool."
Huo Qubing was almost choked to death, and after a while he recovered and said: "You always say you are smart, whether you are smart or not is not the point. This time you are really good at choking people to death."
Liu Ju was not ashamed, but proud, and was delighted: "Thank you for the compliment, I will definitely keep working hard and strive to reach a higher level."
Huo Qubing: ...Look at what you can do.
This time I am really speechless.
Liu Ju returned to the main topic and asked, "Besides this, what else do you practice?"
Huo Qubing pointed forward and said, "Both trotting and galloping on horseback train our speed, strength, and endurance. They are essential for marching during wartime."
Liu Ju looked up and saw a group of people practicing running in front of him.
"Every now and then, we'll have the soldiers spar with each other. Besides that, we'll occasionally split them into two armies and have them fight each other."
Liu Ju nodded: "No more?"
Huo Qubing was stunned, looking suspicious: "What else do you want?"
Liu Ju held his chin in his hand and thought for a while: "Not sure, I don't know for now, let me think about it."
Huo Qubing:...No, I just asked casually, do you really want to?
He was just about to tell Liu Ju to take it easy, but then he remembered Liu Che's instructions that as long as he didn't do anything too reckless, he could do whatever he wanted, so he finally shut up.
He pondered and said, "Okay, then take your time to think about it. Actually, these are secondary. The most important point, I need to remind you, is to train the generals first before training the soldiers."
Liu Ju nodded: "I understand. If one soldier is cowardly, all the generals will be cowardly."
Huo Qubing was stunned for a moment, then laughed: "That's right. The fifty people you selected are not from the same team, nor are they from the same military commander.
"They were scattered, and you gathered them together and reassembled them. So, have you ever thought about who should be the leader among these fifty people?
"You can't always monitor the training schedule. Even if you could, you wouldn't do everything yourself. They not only need a supervisor, but also a strict hierarchy of positions."
Liu Ju blinked, stood up, and waved his hand casually: "This is easy, go choose now!"
Just pat your butt and go.
Huo Qubing: ...No, when did you become so decisive? Is there any need to be so anxious?
******
Shanglinyuan, training ground.
After the fifty men had gathered, Liu Ju got straight to the point: "You are all good men selected from the army. Since you have joined the army, I believe you are willing to make achievements and establish your careers. Many of you may even have your own ambitions.
"Now, I'll give you a chance. I plan to select one of you as captain and one as vice-captain. As you're military veterans, you should be familiar with the responsibilities of the captain and vice-captain. I don't need to explain them further.
"As my personal guard, your position may not be very high at this stage, and it seems that there are not many opportunities for promotion. But I am the eldest son of my father and I am deeply loved by him.
"I'm sure you're not so foolish as to think that just because you're my personal guard today, you'll always be my personal guard. If you have the ability, I wouldn't mind if it were seen by my father. If there's an opportunity, I can even fight for you."
"So, I think you should understand what it means to be my personal guard, or even my personal guard captain. Now, those who are willing and feel they are capable of this position, please step forward!"
Guards:!!!
Huo Qubing:!!!
The guards' breaths were held, their hands clenched, their hearts fluttering with anxiety. Huo Qubing, on the other hand, was in shock.
Should he say he's worthy of being a member of the royal family? Even at such a young age, he's already using his status to paint a picture of a grand future. What's that called? Liu Ju seemed to have coined a new term: ah, yes, painting a pie in the sky.
What shocked him even more was that Liu Ju's way of selecting people was so direct.
Liu Ju responded, "What else can we do? It's said that if one soldier is cowardly, the whole army will be cowardly. If a team leader doesn't even have the courage and confidence to volunteer, how can I trust him to lead this army and make it a formidable force? I want tigers and wolves, not rabbits or sheep."
Huo Qubing was stunned. This made a lot of sense.
The guards clenched their fists even tighter, their blood boiling. They were all strong men. If they could be tigers or wolves, who would want to be rabbits or sheep? Besides, were they really that cowardly?
No, they are definitely not cowards.
Almost as soon as Liu Ju finished speaking, more than a dozen people stepped forward and stepped out of the line. Then several more followed, totaling twenty-seven people, more than half of the group.
Liu Ju narrowed his eyes, very satisfied.
He asked Huo Qubing for advice and ordered his men to ride their horses to the spot designated by Huo Qubing and plant two small flags, one red and one blue, about three feet apart.
Everything was ready. Liu Ju said to the 27 candidates, "Start from here and end at the flag. You will all walk there. I don't care what means you use. The first one to get the red flag will be the captain, and the one to get the blue flag will be the deputy captain."
Everyone was stunned and looked towards the direction of the flag with glittering eyes. Many people also looked hesitant and seemed to be hesitant to speak.
Liu Ju: "If you have any questions, please feel free to ask."
Several people looked at each other in confusion. One of them thought for a moment and asked, "Your Highness just said that you don't care what the means are?"
"Yes. I don't forbid you from fighting each other, but please remember that this is friendly competition, not a life-or-death struggle. Remember to use the right amount of force when you strike.
"But I also understand that since this is a fight, it's impossible to remain unscathed. Therefore, I can accept minor injuries, but not serious ones, let alone death. If anyone takes advantage of this opportunity to retaliate, once discovered, they will be disqualified from the competition and charged accordingly.
"You are allowed to use weapons, but considering that swords have no eyes, I will temporarily confiscate your weapons. There are additional tools prepared over there, you can choose from them."
Liu Ju pointed to the rear, Feng He had already asked his servants to move all the things over.
Everyone looked up and saw a uniform display of wooden weapons. Sticks were the most common, but there were also swords and spears. The swords were recreated one-to-one with wood, while the spears had the tips removed, leaving them similar to sticks, differing only in length.
"On the count of three, you can go and choose your weapons. Once you've chosen your weapons, you can go capture the flag directly without waiting for orders."
"one two three!"
As soon as the three words were spoken, twenty-seven people rushed forward at the same time. Everyone's target was very clear, and they mainly used red tasseled spears or wooden sticks with the spearheads removed.
After all, although wooden swords have the same shape, they no longer have the advantages of swords. Unless one is good at using swords and only good at using swords, they will not only be of no help, but will become useless.
Almost everyone immediately rushed towards the sticks and guns, except for one person. He immediately went to the inconspicuous long whip lying nearby.
Liu Ju rolled his eyes and asked quietly, "What's his name?"
Yu Sui had a keen sense of smell, and Sheng Gu had a strong ability to recognize people. They had memorized all the names of the twenty-seven people when they introduced themselves. With just a glance, they gave the answer: "Your Highness, this person's name is Yan Sui."
Liu Ju nodded, took the juice handed to him by Fenghe and drank it slowly. He also asked Huo Qubing to have a glass as well, without making any other expression.
On the field, candidates are chasing each other and vying for the first place.
Everyone wants to win, and no one wants to fall behind. Therefore, those behind desperately try to catch up, desperately trying to find ways to overtake their competitors ahead; while those ahead need to work hard to maintain their advantage, while also guarding against surprise attacks from behind.
This is not a battlefield, but it is also a battlefield.
Liu Ju watched a fierce battle. At the end of the battle, after a long melee, a few people finally broke out of the encirclement, left the others behind, and gradually widened the distance between them.
Yan Sui is one of them, and there are two others who are equally matched with him.
This time, without Liu Ju having to speak, Sheng Gu took the initiative to tell him: "The one on Yan Sui's left is called Chao Nan, and the one on his right is called Cang Hai."
Soon, the three of them were approaching the finish line.
Chao Nan gathered his strength and, at the end of the battle, suddenly charged forward, instantly pulling Yan Sui and Cang Hai two steps apart. Gathering more strength, he stretched out his arm to grab the red flag. Just as his hand was about to reach it, a whip came from behind and rolled up the flag.
Chao Nan was horrified. He tried to grab it, but it was too late. The whip and the flag fell into Yan Sui's hands. Looking back, the blue flag on the other side had also been grabbed by Zang Hai.
The winner is clear.
The three of them returned to the starting point. Yan Sui and Cang Hai were overjoyed, but Chao Nan's face looked unhappy.
The duck that was almost in his grasp flew away, and it flew away at the last second. This was a very unpleasant feeling, so everyone understood and said nothing.
But Chao Nan was unwilling to give up. After hesitating for a moment, he stood up and said, "Your Highness, Yan Sui is behind me. I should be the one to capture the red flag."
Liu Ju looked calm: "But he was the one who captured the flag in the end."
Chao Nan gritted his teeth: "He used a whip."
Liu Ju shook his head: "I said no matter the means, but I didn't specify that the whip is an exception."
Chao Nan's face turned pale and he pointed at the other stick in Yan Sui's hand: "He has already taken the stick, the whip..."
Before he finished speaking, Liu Ju added: "I also don't limit the number of weapons you can use."
That is to say, Yan Sui had both a whip and a stick, and there was no problem.
Chao Nan's expression turned even paler.
Liu Ju chuckled. "Why were you able to exert so much strength at the last moment? Weren't you conserving some energy beforehand, deliberately creating a state of exhaustion like everyone else, creating a false impression and letting your opponent down, allowing you to achieve a surprise victory near the finish line?"
Chao Nan's eyes flashed and he lowered his head instantly. It was obvious that what he said was right.
Because he knew very well that once he showed that he still had strength left, he would most likely be blocked by Yan Sui and Zang Hai.
"You pretended to be doing your best, and Yan Sui used a wooden stick on the surface, but concealed a long whip, all to confuse the opponent. If you can do it, why can't he?
"From the time the weapons were brought in until I gave the order for you to choose, there was a period of several breaths. During these few breaths, did you observe what weapons there were, and how many of each type there were?"
Chao Nan was stunned, and the other twenty or so people were also stunned.
"There are actually plenty of wooden sticks and red tassel spears with their tips removed; there's no need to fight over them. But there are only two long whips. You all rushed towards the wooden sticks and spears, but only Yan Sui noticed the long whip in the corner.
"After you got your weapons, you all rushed to the finish line. Yan Sui was the only one who didn't rush. He took the long whip and then the wooden stick. Therefore, he started a little later than the rest of you."
Liu Ju pointed to the remaining weapons at the back and said, "If Yan Sui had been more ruthless, he could have put away both whips. But he didn't. He only took one and left the other.
"If any of you had thought of this strategy more carefully, you could have taken the remaining one and used the same strategy as Yan Sui. But you didn't."
Everyone bowed their heads at this remark. Chao Nan's face turned from pale to red, as if he were embarrassed.
Liu Ju did not stop there, he continued: "The captain is the head of a team, whoever has the best skills should be the captain, why don't I let you fight one-on-one directly instead of using this method?
"Yan Sui's ability to spot the problem the moment the weapons were brought up and quickly formulate a tactical plan was key to his victory. Not only does he possess agile skills, able to break through the melee, but he also possesses keen insight and wise planning.
"You may be as good as him in the former, but the latter two are far behind. You're not even as good as him."
Liu Ju pointed at Zang Hai. "He also didn't see the advantage of the long whip, but he knew how to make a choice. Everyone knows that between the captain and the vice-captain, the captain has a higher position. But there is only one captain.
"When you're not completely sure you'll be captain, and when you realize your opponent is too strong, being decisive and making choices is a form of courage."
He turned to Chao Nan again and said, "Of course, this doesn't mean you can't fight for it. After all, even if it's like this, you're not without a chance of winning. Ambitious people should be courageous and energetic, dare to fight, and dare to face difficulties.
"But since you've made your choice, you must be prepared for failure and be willing to bear the consequences. Otherwise, you might as well do as Cang Hai did and settle for the next best thing. If you can't keep the best, at least keep the next best thing, so you don't end up with nothing."
Liu Ju stared at Chao Nan. Although he was still so young, he still had to look up to him, yet he inexplicably had a certain intimidating power. "Any other questions? Are you still not convinced?"
At this point, Chao Nan couldn't feel any resentment. His cheeks flushed with shame, and he wished he could find a hole to crawl into: "No...no."
Liu Ju chuckled. "That's not necessary. Knowing shame is the beginning of courage. Today's incident serves as a lesson for you. As I said earlier, your martial arts skills are not inferior to others, so you have your advantages."
"Whether you can learn from today's lesson and make good use of your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses in the future depends on you. I am still young, and my personal guard is only fifty people, but that doesn't mean it won't increase in the future. Besides, my father and the Han Dynasty need talents, and they need a lot of them."
The meaning is self-explanatory.
Huo Qubing, who had been watching the show, suddenly had an idea in his mind: He has started to paint the pie in the sky again.
Especially before promising something, he knows how to give a slap in the face and then offer a sweet treat. While criticizing, he also doesn't forget to offer comfort and encouragement.
Wow, where did this brat learn this skill? It’s not easy.
Turning around again, I saw Chao Nan looking excited and grateful, with every feature of his face filled with four big words: Your Highness is so nice.
Thinking of this "competition" set up for selecting the captain, Huo Qubing looked at Liu Ju with a more complicated look.
No wonder His Majesty told him to follow, but not to interfere too much. Who knows, there might be other surprises. Isn't this a surprise? They say a son knows his father best, and that's absolutely true.
Huo Qubing sighed inwardly. Should he say that he was worthy of being the son of His Majesty?
Unfortunately, Liu Ju at this time was unaware of his feelings, nor did he notice Liu Che's little thoughts. After giving Chao Nan a certain degree of recognition, he officially appointed Yan Sui as captain and Zang Hai as deputy captain.
"From now on, your training will be led by Yan Sui, with assistance from Zang Hai. For now, we will follow the current training plan of the military camp. If there are any subsequent changes, I will notify you separately."
That being said, Liu Ju already had an idea of how to "change" it.
The current plan is actually quite good and can be retained with only a few adjustments.
Liu Ju rubbed his stomach and waved his hand: "Let's stop here for today. Everyone is hungry, let's eat first."
Huo Qubing: ...You must be hungry.
Liu Ju had no guilty conscience at all. He was just hungry and wanted to eat, so what?
The world is big, but eating is the most important thing.
The west side of Shanglin Garden was near the Zhicheng Gate, not far from the Weiyang Palace. Even so, returning would take time. Liu Ju's stomach growled, so he simply decided not to leave, not even visiting the palace. He simply ordered the cook who prepared food for the guards to make more.
He arrived unexpectedly today, and no one knew about his arrival, much less expected him to dine with them. Therefore, no extra ingredients were prepared. Only dry, hard multi-grain pancakes and wild vegetable soup were provided.
These two things were rare for poor families, but common for those who were better off. Especially in the military, soldiers shouldered heavy responsibilities and consumed large amounts of food daily, so their food would not be too bad.
There is improvement every now and then by adding meat and other non-vegetarian foods.
Isn't this a coincidence? I didn't run into him today.
In reality, any ingredient, properly cooked, can yield a delicious taste. However, military food is cooked in large cauldrons, and the cooks might not even understand the meaning of "cooking." The only criteria are that it's cooked, safe, and edible. Therefore, the taste is truly unremarkable, and it can't even compare to the food served in the palace.
Liu Ju didn't feel disgusted at all. He felt very happy when he saw the series of shocked words in the barrage.
Haha, little brat, do you think I’m extremely smart?
I haven't watched so many TV series in vain, my Highness. I've learned so much from them. You're just like me, watching TV without thinking, and I don't know what kind of straw is in your head.
Otherwise, after watching me for so long, why don't you understand the situation and still treat me as the paper man you think I am? Tsk tsk.
Lines of comments flashed by, with shock and praise. Liu Ju ate while watching, and his food was so sweet, with a comfortable and relaxed expression.
Huo Qubing looked at him, then at the bread and soup in his own hands, lost in thought, questioning his own life. Was it his imagination? They were clearly the same thing, so why did it feel like Liu Ju was eating something truly exquisite?
The guards were even more excited.
His Highness actually dined with them and ate the same food as them!
—Fuck, he knows how to win people over. Just now, he did it to Chao Nan, and now, too. Look at the expressions on the guards' faces; they clearly admire him even more. A superior condescending to mingle with the lesser. Eating and living together. How can one not be moved, submissive?
——As expected of a capitalist. Even though he's young, he's still a small-time capitalist. His tactics are incredible.
—Capitalists? Who are the capitalists insulting? This is the feudal imperial family. How can the capitalists compare? The children of the emperor, with all the resources in the world at their disposal, have been exposed to the atmosphere of harem struggles and court power struggles since childhood. How could they be simple characters?
—I'm so numb. I...my intelligence and skills are worse than a child's. I'm lucky I was born in a good era, otherwise if I were in a TV series, I wouldn't survive more than two episodes.
Liu Ju blinked, glanced at his guards, and took in their expressions. He was quite surprised. He had been so focused on the barrage that he hadn't noticed the taste of the food in his hand. Unexpectedly, it had this effect?
It was such a pleasant surprise.
Liu Ju looked down at the pancake and soup in his hands and ate even more happily.
As long as I don't say it, others won't know that this is a beautiful misunderstanding.
Aaaaaah, the comment is right, I’m awesome!
Huo Qubing: ...I began to doubt my life again. I felt that the food in my hand was really different from that in Liu Ju's.
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