Chapter 69
—Hahaha, this is hilarious. Did you finally remember that Brother Huo's life span is short?
—This doesn't feel right. Someone mentioned it before: sometimes he acts like a time traveler, sometimes not. Same here. Even I, a history nerd, know that Huo Qubing died young, so why does he act like he just found out?
—This has been discussed. Some suspect that Juzi isn't a time traveler. His "abnormality" might be some kind of "adventure." After all, we can all see the effects of alternate time and space. It's normal for Juzi to have some cheat codes.
I'm curious about what Juzi's cheat code is. But I heard the country has organized a research team to study this issue of space-time imaging. We don't understand much of it, so we'll just watch the excitement. At least Juzi is taking Huo Ge's health seriously, so there's hope for Huo Ge to change his fate of an early death.
—Ah, if only we knew how Huo Qubing died, we could take more targeted precautions. Sadly, the historical records don't mention the cause of his death. Some speculate illness, others that battlefield injuries left him with hidden dangers, and still others that he was assassinated by the Xiongnu. Speculations abound.
Liu Ju frowned. Sickness, injury, assassination?
He didn't think his cousin was someone who could be easily assassinated by the Xiongnu. As for illness or wartime injuries, the attendant physician had just examined him and found none. If it was the former, regularly checking his pulse should be able to prevent any further damage.
The latter... is not the previous war, not this war, then it can only be the war in the future.
Liu Ju's expression flashed, and he carefully remembered all of this in his mind so that he could be prepared in the future.
Seeing him quiet down, Huo Qubing finally got his chance. He beckoned the boy beside the cradle to his side and introduced him: "This is the Crown Prince, and this is the Fourth Princess."
The boy bowed respectfully: "Greetings, Prince and Princess."
Liu Ju came back to his senses, his face full of suspicion, he looked at the boy, then at Huo Qubing. You know what, they really do look a bit like each other.
Shi Yi was even more unconcealed, his eyes darting around on the other person, full of curiosity and scrutiny, and he asked with a smile, "Cousin, who is he?"
"His name is Huo Guang, from the Huo family."
Shi Yi was stunned for a long time before he realized that the Huo family referred to Huo Qubing's biological father, Huo Zhongru.
The Wei family had long been servants at the Pingyang Marquis's mansion. When Huo Zhongru came to the mansion as a county official, the master ordered the servant Wei Shaoer to serve him. During this time, Huo Zhongru and Wei Shaoer developed a brief romance.
Afterwards, Huo Zhongru finished his service and returned home to marry and have children. Wei Shaoer gave birth to Huo Qubing and raised him alone. They had no further contact.
Liu Ju tilted his head. The name Huo Guang sounded familiar. Where had he heard of it before?
Soon, the barrage gave him the answer.
——It turned out to be Huo Guang! Holy shit, did Huo Guang have such red lips and white teeth when he was a child?
——Just ask about the Huo family's Feng Shui. Huo Zhongru is not well-known, but his two sons are very capable.
I won't mention Brother Huo. Huo Guang was also the minister entrusted by Emperor Wu with the care of his son before his death. Not only did he assist Liu Fuling, but after his death, he also supported Liu He to ascend to power. Less than a month later, he ousted him and then supported Liu Ju's grandson, Liu Bingyi, to ascend the throne. A minister whose power rivaled that of the emperor, and the emperor had to rely on his presence for everything he did.
The power of ministers is approaching that of the emperor?
Countless questions popped up in Liu Ju's mind.
His father was so powerful and mighty that he would slaughter his subjects if they disobeyed him. But after Liu Fuling came to power, he was actually coerced by his subjects? Was he really that weak, or had the political situation at that time already reached this point?
Liu Ju looked at Huo Guang with a complicated expression.
Shi Yi had come to the cradle, leaned over to look at the sleeping baby inside, and asked again: "Who is he?"
Huo Qubing said with a melancholy tone: "This is a bit of a long story."
Shi Yi blinked, sat down, and looked at him leisurely: "Cousin, take your time. I have nothing to do anyway, so there's no rush."
Liu Ju pulled her and said, "Can you please stop being like this and be more restrained?"
Shi Yi rolled his eyes: "I don't believe you are not curious."
Liu Ju: ...That’s indeed quite curious.
Then the two of them looked at Huo Qubing together. Huo Qubing was speechless. Wei Qing said, "Just tell me. We'll tell them sooner or later. Are you still planning to keep it a secret?"
Of course it is impossible to hide it, and there is no need to hide it.
But Huo Qubing did not speak directly, but first instructed Huo Guang: "Take Shan'er back home first."
Huo Guang shook his head: "Brother, there's no need to send me away. I'm not that fragile. There's nothing I can't talk about, and nothing I can't hear."
Huo Qubing had no choice but to give up and get to the point: "I used to have some understanding of my life experience, but I didn't know who my biological father was. In recent years, as I grew older, my mother told me the truth.
"This time, while on the expedition, I passed through Pingyang. The Hedong prefect took me to his inn to rest. To curry my favor, he sent someone to invite... to invite the Huo County official to come and see me."
He really couldn't call his biological father, who was absent from his entire life, the word "father", but because of the father-son relationship, he couldn't call him by his name, so he could only use "Huo County Official" instead.
"I had never met him before, but I thought it would be nice to meet him, since he was my biological father. So I agreed. After the meeting, I had military duties to attend to and had to rush to the front, so I couldn't stay any longer.
"I gave him some money and asked the governor of Hedong to help me buy land and servants for the Huo family. It was my best intention and a way to repay my gratitude. I thought it was just a matter of convenience, but I didn't expect it would lead to such a tragedy for the Huo family."
massacre?
Liu Ju and everyone in Shiyi were surprised.
Huo Guang said, "It has nothing to do with my brother. The Huo family dispute already existed, and my brother just happened to show up at that time. Even if my brother hadn't shown up, there would have been other reasons. What was supposed to happen would eventually happen."
After hearing this, Liu Jushiyi became even more curious.
Huo Qubing continued, "After returning home from Chang'an, County Official Huo married and had a daughter and a son. My daughter is a year and a half younger than me and her name is Huo Yu. My son is Huo Guang.
"But his wife had died of illness many years ago, and he had never remarried. The family's backyard was managed by Madam Ru. Madam Ru was quite fond of him and had a son who was about the same age as Huo Guang."
Liu Ju, who had been deeply influenced by TV dramas and online comments, immediately understood the hidden meaning of these words: "Is that Madam Ru restless and wants to take the throne and fight for the inheritance?"
Huo Qubing scoffed, "Yes. But she is just like a lady, and her son is a concubine and a young one. Huo Guang is the eldest son, so he is not at fault. Huo Yu is not a coward, and she married into a family of minor officials, no worse than the Huo family."
"Both sides are restraining each other. Although the Huo County official likes her and is easily influenced by her, he won't always agree to her demands. She can't act recklessly. She needs to find the right time and plan carefully.
"My appearance just gave her inspiration. She first suggested to the Huo County official that since I was his biological son, he should include me in the Huo family tree and recognize my ancestry.
"I am now the Marquis of Guanjun, and I am favored by His Majesty. The officials of Huo County are so eager to join me, how could they refuse?"
Liu Ju rolled his eyes. "If my cousin accepts his ancestral lineage, you will be the eldest son, and Huo Guang's status as the eldest son will be gone. And she probably wants to not only deprive Huo Guang of the title of 'eldest', but also the title of 'legitimate'."
Huo Qubing curled his lips, a sneer flickering across his face. "Of course. This was just her first step. After the Huo County official was moved, she said that if we were to record the family tree, she didn't know how to do it, and under whose name it should be recorded. She was hinting that, since I have a biological mother, I certainly wouldn't be willing to acknowledge the late Huo family's wife as my mother, even if it's just a title in the family tree."
What if he wasn't registered under the original wife's name? He couldn't possibly be a bastard. Even if Huo Qubing was an illegitimate child, he was now a high-ranking official. To put it nicely, it was "returning to one's roots," but to put it bluntly, it was an attempt to curry favor. How could he be made the lower-ranking one?
If she became the heir under other names, then what about the original wife? What about Huo Guang?
Huo Qubing chuckled: "To be honest, this is a terrible idea. No one with any brains would do it." But the Huo County official was tempted.
"In the past, he was unsure of the Wei family's attitude towards me and didn't dare come to Chang'an to meet me, fearing that I and the Wei family would be displeased and that this would bring disaster upon us. Now that he sees that I'm not opposed to it and has even offered him money and land, he naturally wants to keep me, so he's starting to hesitate about this proposal.
"After Huo Yu found out, she didn't argue with them. She just said that the key to this matter was me, and they needed to know whether I was willing to return to my ancestral home.
"The Huo County official suddenly came to his senses. He was afraid that his own decision would go against my will and disgust me, so he had to give up. He planned to wait until I returned victorious and meet with me again to test my intentions."
Liu Ju nodded. Huo Yu was clever, hitting the nail on the head and solving the problem effortlessly.
Huo Guang pursed his lips. "My sister once said that regardless of whether one is legitimate or illegitimate, poor or humble, it all comes down to one's own ability to establish oneself. The imperial court doesn't consider one's status in selecting talents based on illegitimate status. So, status is important, yet not that important. But if your actions are insulting to my mother, I cannot tolerate it."
"My sister said that Madam Ru's goal wasn't to prevent me from becoming the eldest legitimate wife. This move was probably a test. Testing our reaction, testing how much Father values my brother.
"Sure enough, within two days, Madam Ru frankly admitted her mistake, saying that her previous method was ineffective and that she had misjudged him. She also suggested to her father that they could find a way to send her son to her brother to raise him.
"This will not only foster brotherly love, but will also strengthen the relationship between my brother and the Huo family. With this bond, my brother will definitely always protect the Huo family." Unfortunately, my sister rejected his idea again.
"Sister said we can't rush this matter. We can wait for Brother to return and take my younger brother and me to meet him. We'll see what Brother thinks first. If he's willing, then the choice shouldn't be ours; it should be his."
Huo Guang glanced at Huo Qubing and said, "I know my sister wants to turn Madam Ru's proposal into an opportunity for me. She doesn't want me to be trapped in Pingyang, trapped in the Huo family. She wants me to have many opportunities and a broader future. She is confident that my brother will either choose neither of them. If he has to choose, my talent and character are definitely superior to my brother's."
Huo Qubing understood.
Huo Guang lowered his eyes, his expression gloomy. "The plan failed, and she was even used by my sister. Madam Ru is very angry. Madam Ru had made many small moves in the past, but they were always suppressed by my sister. Now, new grudges and old grudges have come together, making her very angry.
"Especially since the Huo family had so little wealth before, she had some thoughts but they weren't too serious. Now that she has a brother and the Huo family is on the rise, she is determined to get it.
"She felt that her biggest obstacle to ascending to the throne and allowing her own son to enjoy everything in the Huo family was her elder sister. So she decided to get rid of her first. As long as her elder sister died, I would still be young, without her protection, and my father was easily influenced. She would have plenty of opportunities.
"So she went to her brother-in-law's house."
Having said this, Huo Guang trembled and gritted his teeth.
Huo Qubing could only take over and say, "Huo Yu and my husband were married by their parents' orders and the matchmaker's words. Huo Yu has a strong personality, but her husband only likes gentle and considerate women. Their personalities don't match, and their relationship after marriage is average.
"Her husband had a beloved concubine outside and wanted to bring her home. Huo Yu refused and even went straight to the door and took her husband back. Her husband felt humiliated and was still angry.
"Madam Ru went to her husband and said that Huo Yu had no sense of propriety as a good wife, and that Huo Guang had a lot of complaints about him because of the Le Ji incident and didn't like him as a brother-in-law.
"If Huo Guang took over the Huo family in the future, he would not be able to enjoy much glory and would be completely controlled by Huo Yu. But if his son took over, it would be different.
"Mrs. Ru gave him a sum of money as a token of her sincerity and also promised to marry her niece to him.
"Now that the Huo family has established a relationship with me, Mr. Huo Yu is naturally unwilling to give up this marriage. But if he can maintain the relationship without being controlled by Huo Yu and choose a wife that suits his heart, he will naturally agree.
"The two hit it off and decided to take action against Huo Yu. At that time, Huo Yu was already six months pregnant and about to give birth. There was no need to look for another opportunity to take risks. All they had to do was to do something during the birth and kill the mother and save the child.
"In order to ensure the smooth implementation of the plan, Madam Ru, under the pretext of a victory report from the front, asked the Huo County official to bring his two sons to the county government a few days in advance.
"He's going out of his way to greet me, which shows his sincerity. He can also take advantage of these few days to stroll around the county seat and prepare some gifts. As a son, I have given him land and money, so as a father, he should also show some appreciation."
"She had a good plan. During this time, I could kill Huo Yu and then pass the news to Huo Guang a day in advance. Huo Guang would have no mood to see me. This would not only remove Huo Yu, the thorn in my heart, but also eliminate Huo Guang, the competitor.
"If I want to bring a brother to the capital, it can only be her son. It kills two birds with one stone."
Liu Ju and Shi Yi all gasped.
What a wicked plot! They both looked at the child in the cradle, and both had a rough idea of who he was. He wasn't Huo Qubing's illegitimate child; he was most likely Huo Yu's.
Now the child is with Huo Qubing, but Huo Yu is nowhere to be seen. I'm afraid Huo Yu has already...
Huo Guang bit his lower lip, his eyes moist, and said nothing.
Huo Qubing sighed, "When Huo Yu was giving birth, she discovered something was wrong, but the midwife was hired by her husband's family. They put their house under martial law and forbade anyone from entering or leaving, in order to end her life.
"Fortunately, she had two loyal servants. One loyal servant guarded her during childbirth, while the other climbed out of the dog hole in the backyard and rushed to the county government to report the news and ask for help.
"Unfortunately, even though we rode there as fast as we could after hearing the news, we were still a step too late. When we arrived, the courtyard was littered with corpses. Her husband and the hired midwife were lying on one side, each with seven or eight holes in their bodies, blood all over the ground, and no trace of life.
"A loyal servant collapsed at the door, dead, having died protecting Huo Yu. The baby inside the house was wailing loudly."
Liu Ju & Shi Yi: !!!
The two of them were worried: "Then...what about Huo Yu?"
Huo Yu leaned against the body of her loyal servant, sitting on the threshold, her back against the doorframe, her long sword in hand, her clothes stained with blood. Only a trace of breath remained. She had been forcing herself to wait for Huo Guang. When she saw Huo Guang, she struggled to say a few last words, and then passed away.
Liu Jushiyi felt very unhappy.
While she resented her husband's viciousness, she also lamented the servants' loyalty, and was even more astonished by Huo Yu's tenacity and decisiveness. A woman who had just given birth was always weak, especially Huo Yu, who had a difficult delivery. Even in such a situation, she could still rise up and kill her husband and the midwife. How remarkable!
What a pity...Alas.
Liu Ju pursed his lips and asked cautiously, "What about Madam Ru?"
"I killed him."
Huo Guang's expression was cold and his tone was harsh.
At that time, he was almost going crazy. Huo Qubing restrained him and asked him what he wanted to do. He said he wanted to kill Madam Ru.
I had thought Huo Qubing would stop it. After all, if his wife were to be exposed, it would surely not end well. He didn't need to do it himself, lest it get out and cause controversy.
But Huo Qubing did not. Instead, he drew his attendant's sword and put it into his hand, saying, "Even when your sister was weak, she could still fight two enemies alone and kill them with her own hands. You should be no worse than your sister."
He rushed into the house, sword in hand. Mrs. Ru tried to escape, but even called on her brothers from her mother's family to help her. Three grown men armed with clubs and swords confronted a child like him, yet he showed no fear.
He had only one thought: he wanted to die like his wife.
Kill one if one comes, kill a pair if two come, until the last sword pierces Madam Ru's chest.
Huo Qubing watched quietly from the side, covering the battlefield for him. After he finished, he stepped forward, took back his sword, wiped the blood off his face, and asked him if he was willing to go with him.
Huo Guang looked at Huo Qubing, his eyes full of gratitude.
He was grateful to his brother for allowing him to take revenge personally, grateful for taking him away, and even more grateful for his willingness to take in Shan'er.
Sensing his turbulent emotions, Liu Ju patted his shoulder and then patted his own chest: "It's all over. Don't worry, I will protect you in the capital from now on. No one will dare to bully you. You are my cousin's younger brother, so you are my younger brother!"
Full of righteousness and heroic spirit.
Huo Qubing raised his eyebrows and reminded: "He is ten years old this year, older than you."
Liu Ju: ...
He glared back angrily: "If you don't speak, no one will think you are dumb. Is now the time to worry about age? What's wrong with being older than me? I am the prince, I have more power and ability than him."
The corners of Huo Qubing's mouth twitched and he chuckled twice.
Liu Ju snorted, then returned his gaze to the baby, inquiring, "Is this Huo Yu's child? You brought it back. Her husband is dead, but does her family have someone else? They didn't say anything?"
Huo Qubing snorted coldly: "They dare not."
That's right. My family had committed a grave crime, and now they were facing the Champion Marquis, so how could they dare to object? They could only hope that the other party wouldn't vent their anger on them.
"Boy or girl? Have you picked a name yet?"
"A boy. Name..." Huo Guang looked dejected. "When my sister was pregnant with him, she suggested several names, but she didn't decide on a final one. But she chose a nickname and said that no matter whether it's a boy or a girl, he can be called Xian.
"Xuan means transformation. My sister said that life is always full of ups and downs. She hopes that this child can turn each ups and downs into a transformation; that he can go from being a fledgling under his parents' wings to a soaring eagle.
"My sister wanted me to have more opportunities and a better future, and naturally she wanted the same for this child."
"Xian also means replacement. Replacement usually means good replacing bad, strong replacing weak, or stronger replacing stronger. Ultimately, it's an upward trend.
"Sister hopes that if it's a girl, she'll be better than her, surpass her, and carve out her own world. If it's a boy..."
Huo Guang paused and looked at Huo Qubing: "Sister has always admired and worshipped brother, but it's a pity that we didn't get to spend time together. Even the only time we met was when he was dying, and we didn't even have time to say a word.
"If it's a boy, my sister would naturally want him to emulate his brother."
Huo Guang lowered his eyes to look at the baby. "Before my sister died, she instructed that she not be buried in her husband's family's grave. This child will not be given to her husband's family, nor will he bear his surname. Such a beastly creature does not deserve descendants. My sister asked me to choose a good family for him and to take care of him within my ability."
Choose a good family...
Huo Yu was genuinely concerned about her child. She didn't want her child to be registered with a father who had killed his mother and a mother who had killed her father.
Huo Qubing sighed and said, "Please put him under my name. I will adopt him."
Liu Jushiyi was stunned, and Huo Guang was also stunned: "Brother?"
Huo Qubing said seriously, "Remember my name, add the surname Huo. It's not someone else's Huo, but our Huo."
Others refers to Huo Zhongru.
Wei Qing, who had been silent, looked over and asked, "Have you decided?"
"yes."
Wei Qing frowned, but didn't object. He simply said, "This matter needs to be reported to your mother and Her Majesty the Queen first."
Huo Qubing understood. He had a son in his name, so he couldn't fail to inform his biological mother. The Empress and his aunt were like half a mother to him, and His Majesty treated him like a son or nephew, so he deserved their approval.
"Uncle. I'll go and tell him myself."
His nephew was already twenty years old and was no longer an ignorant child. Since he had made the decision and understood its implications, Wei Qing did not intend to interfere too much. He nodded and said no more.
Huo Qubing looked at Huo Guang and asked, "Do you think this is a good arrangement? Are you willing to do it?"
Huo Guang's lips moved, his throat choked with sobs: "I... of course I am willing. On behalf of my sister and Shan'er, I would like to thank you, brother!"
After saying this, he knelt down and bowed deeply with his hands on his forehead.
Huo Qubing helped him up and said, "The word 'Xian' is a good name. It embodies Huo Yu's expectations for him. Let's use this name."
He bent down and gently poked the baby's cheek: "Your name will be Huo Shan from now on."
Huo Xian was completely clueless. When he was woken up, he groaned unhappily, then turned his head and fell back asleep.
— Holy crap, Huo Xian! It's actually Huo Xian! I'm shocked. Doesn't history say Huo Xian was Huo Qubing's son? How did he become his nephew and adopted son? And according to records, Huo Xian was born in 120 BC. According to the parallel universe, he should have been born next year.
The characters and events in these parallel universes are clearly distinct. Here, Lady Li appears three or four years earlier and becomes a spy for Liu Ling. This shows that different universes have similarities as well as differences. Furthermore, history only states that Huo Xian was Huo Qubing's son; whether he was a biological or adopted son remains unknown, nor is the identity of his biological mother.
This can be seen as a difference caused by the inflection point of the space-time branch. However, Brother Huo's adoption of this child doesn't mean the original "Huo Xian" won't be born. If Brother Huo marries and has children in the future, "Huo Xian" might reappear. If he doesn't marry and have children, adopting Huo Xian and keeping him around is also a good idea.
——+1. Furthermore, Huo Xian's uncle, Huo Guang, was incredibly talented, and his biological mother, Huo Yu, was also quite good. If Huo Yu hadn't died, given her ability and character, which she managed to take away before her death, she could have achieved something significant. Speaking of this, one can't help but marvel at the miraculous nature of Huo Zhongru: a bronze-level player who gave birth to three champions. Two of them were top-tier champions. Incredible.
—Am I the only one who felt deeply moved watching Liu Ju's heroic words about protecting Huo Guang? Historically, Huo Guang was unknown at the time of Liu Ju's witchcraft, and his presence is completely absent from historical records. However, he later supported Liu Ju's grandson, a fact that was a thorn in Liu Bingyi's side.
Speaking of Liu Bingyi, I feel bad for him. Liu Ju was given the posthumous title "Li." While many interpret it as meaning "injustice," honestly, "Li" has more negative connotations. So, in my opinion, it's still considered an unlucky posthumous title. I wonder what Liu Bingyi was thinking at the time, and whether Huo Guang's influence played a role in this.
Liu Ju: ???
What does this mean? Doesn’t it mean that the posthumous title of Prince Li was not given by his father or his brother who came to the throne later, but by his own grandson?
Li does have the meaning of injustice, but it also means perverseness, violence, sin, and disaster.
Just because it's "injustice" isn't a bad posthumous title, but Liu Ju, like the commentators, finds it hard to accept. After all, it's like his criticism of "beautiful and charming." There are countless words in the world, so is there no other choice?
Even if we want to express "injustice", it is not just the word "li"; and "li" obviously has little meaning of injustice, and other "evil" meanings are more.
If Liu Fuling gave it to him to step on him, he would feel relatively better.
It turned out to be relatives, grandchildren, and sons!
Even if there may be some political considerations and games, or other difficulties in this. Liu Ju was in a very bad mood, secretly thinking: Can I not have this grandson?
Also, which son gave birth to this grandson? Can the son just not want him and cut off the family line at the source?
The unborn Liu Jin: ...
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