Chapter 82
However, Liu Ju's "happy and comfortable life" only lasted for two or three days before he welcomed an "uninvited guest" - Huo Qubing.
At that time, Liu Ju was taking advantage of the early morning sun and the low temperature to run two laps of horseback riding in his tight clothes. When he returned from his morning exercise, as soon as he entered the yard, he saw Huo Qubing lying on his original recliner very unceremoniously, leisurely eating grapes that he had asked his maid to pick out the seeds from.
On the other side, Huo Guang and his attendants were protecting Huo Xian as he rode a pony on the grass not far away.
Liu Ju was surprised. "Xian'er is only three years old, and he's already learning to ride a horse?"
Another grape enters my mouth, and it tastes so refreshing after picking out the seeds.
Huo Qubing sighed, "Being a Crown Prince is truly a pleasure." Without even raising his eyelids, he spoke with disdain, "You're already three years old, and you're not learning yet? Do you think everyone is like you, needing two years of preparation to learn horseback riding, and only officially starting at five?"
Liu Ju: ...
Too lazy to argue with Huo Qubing, he called Huo Guang over and asked, "How old were you when you learned to ride a horse?"
"Six years old."
Liu Ju looked at Huo Qubing and snorted, "My uncle started learning when he was eight years old."
Wei Qing's life story was similar to Huo Qubing's. Both were born from a brief romance between their mothers and a county official who came to the Marquis of Pingyang's mansion.
The difference is that after Wei Qing was born, due to financial hardship, his mother sent him back to his biological father, the Zheng family, and named him Zheng Qing. However, the Zheng family treated him very badly.
Wei Qing endured much hardship. At the age of six or seven, unable to make ends meet, he took a gamble and ran away from home, seeking refuge with his biological mother at the Marquis of Pingyang's mansion. He then stayed there, abandoning his surname, Zheng, for Wei, and severing all ties with the Zheng family.
It was also from then on that he began to have the opportunity to come into contact with horses, and taught himself riding and archery without a teacher, showing his remarkable talent.
With Wei Qing's experience in mind, Wei Shaoer learned her lesson after giving birth to Huo Qubing and made a completely different choice. She almost never thought of sending Huo Qubing to the Huo family and raising him alone.
Everyone in the Wei family also loves him very much.
So compared to Wei Qing, Huo Qubing can be said to be lucky.
After hearing Liu Ju's words, Huo Qubing disagreed and said calmly: "I started learning horse riding when I was three years old."
Liu Ju pursed his lips and said, "You are an outlier. I can't compare you with everything. Horse riding and archery are things that need to be learned step by step according to individual circumstances."
"Xian'er is only three years old. Are you sure you're not forcing his growth? Aren't you worried it might affect his physical development? He's your son after all. Can you please be more careful?"
Huo Qubing glanced at him, then stood up and said to Huo Xian, "You don't need attendants to escort you. Ride by yourself."
"good."
Huo Xian nodded crisply, and when the servant let go of the reins, he actually rode quite well.
Huo Qubing said again: "Run one."
At the mention of these three words, Liu Ju's heart nearly leaped into his throat. "No, what's wrong with you?" he asked. "A three-year-old child, without anyone to support him, could just take a few leisurely steps. Why are you letting him run away?" "You're not afraid of anything happening, but I am."
Just as he was about to stop it, Huo Xian pulled the reins and the foal started running.
Although he didn't run very fast, he did run and even turned in circles on the grass.
Liu Ju:!!!
Huo Guang explained at the right moment: "Ever since Shan'er could walk, my brother has taken him for a horseback ride every day. Shan'er loves it and always dances with joy and laughs.
"He persisted like this for a year. In the spring of this year, his brother let him learn to ride on his own. Perhaps because of his previous experience, Shan'er picked up the technique very quickly.
"My brother didn't let him ride recklessly. He set a time limit each day, only allowing him to ride for 15 minutes to avoid scratching his buttocks and thighs. He even asked the doctor, who agreed, so we made this arrangement."
Liu Ju was stunned, and suddenly remembered that when he was learning horseback riding, Huo Qubing had said sarcastically that he needed to rest after riding for a while. Why was he so attentive to Huo Xian now?
Liu Ju was very surprised: "I didn't expect you to be such a kind father?"
Huo Qubing squinted his eyes: "What do you mean, don't I look like him?"
"Not like it." Liu Ju shook his head with a firm tone.
"How am I not like that?"
"Not at all. How do you think you look like them?"
"Oh, I think I'm similar in every way."
Liu Ju: ...What misunderstandings do you have about yourself?
Huo Guang looked up at the sky speechlessly: You are just making tongue twisters here.
Looking at Huo Qubing, and then at Huo Xian, who had switched from running to riding again, Liu Ju's expression was complicated. Finally, he had to accept that there were people in this world with good genes and extraordinary talents. With a light sigh, he took over the topic and asked, "Why are you here?"
"It's all because of your rain of fireworks. Don't you see how big a bomb you've thrown? Everyone in the streets of Beijing is talking about it right now."
Liu Ju nodded, not at all surprised: "I expected this, otherwise why do you think I came to Bowang Garden?"
After saying that, he paused and said, "Did the emperor ask you to arrest me?"
Huo Qubing snorted, "I'm telling you something out of kindness. If you don't go back and clean up the mess you've made, I'm afraid the next time His Majesty sends someone here, they'll really arrest you."
I thought Liu Ju would get anxious after hearing this, but he looked very calm: "I understand. Tell my father that I can't go back now. I have more important things to do."
More important things?
Just as he was about to ask for details, he heard the attendant come in and report: "Zhao Guo wants to see you."
Zhao Guo did not come empty-handed. He brought two servants with him and carried several baskets.
"Greetings to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
Liu Ju chuckled. "You are now the commander of the grain-collecting army, appointed by our father himself. You are responsible for teaching the methods of farming. You have responsibilities, so you should focus on your duties. I just need some things, so I can find someone. Why do I need you to deliver them personally?"
"Although I am the commander of the grain-collecting corps, I am still a subordinate of Your Highness. How could I neglect Your Highness's orders? Your Highness, rest assured, now is not the time for farming, so I am not busy with teaching. I know the priorities, and I prioritize official duties and farming over everything else. Today happens to be my day off, and I heard that Your Highness has gathered all the supplies he needs, so I took on this task and came here in person."
Liu Ju nodded to show that he understood.
Huo Qubing looked at the large baskets curiously: "What are they?"
Zhao Guo opened them one by one: "It's bran, chaff, and straw."
Liu Ju checked them one by one, frowned and said, "There are too many."
"Yes. Your Highness did not specify the amount in his message, only that a few pounds would suffice. I do not know what Your Highness intends to use it for. However, I believe that the amount is too small, and Your Highness should be careful in what he uses.
"They're not hard to find. There was a lot left from the wheat harvest, so it wouldn't hurt to send a few more. If Your Highness doesn't need them, that's fine. If you do, we can keep them as a reserve."
Liu Ju smiled and said, "You are so thoughtful. Thank you for your hard work."
Zhao Guo said frankly that it was not hard and bowed to take his leave.
Liu Ju then ordered his attendants to move the things to the storage room.
Huo Qubing watched the whole thing, completely bewildered. "What do you want all this for? Isn't it enough to have a glass greenhouse in Bowang Garden to grow vegetables? Now you want to raise chickens and ducks here too?"
The smile on Liu Ju's face disappeared, and his expression was indescribable.
When Bowang Garden was completed, he did indeed build a glass greenhouse specifically for growing vegetables in the winter, which was quite effective. Last winter, Liu Che, Wei Zifu, Wei Qing, Huo Qubing and others all tasted a lot of the vegetables he produced.
Everyone else was praising him, but Huo Qubing had no sense of gratitude at all. While praising him, he also did not forget to make fun of and complain.
"Is all you care about is food? Look at where we are. Bowang Garden, the Prince's Villa. Who would raise chickens and ducks in a place like this?"
Huo Qubing retorted, "No one would grow vegetables in a place like this. You're an outlier, who knows what you'd do? Aren't bran and chaff needed to raise chickens and ducks? Do you want to raise pigs?"
Liu Ju: ...It’s hard to put it into words plus.
"I want to make something, but I don't know if it will work, so I'll try it out first."
"experiment?"
Liu Ju nodded and walked in front, and Huo Qubing understood and followed.
They walked through the corridor to the backyard and entered a house. Inside was a large number of bottles and jars of various shapes, most of which were made of glass. There was also a small stove burning on the table nearby, which was very delicate.
Liu Ju introduced them one by one: "These are flasks, beakers, test tubes, and droppers. They are used for experiments. Fine salt is distilled through these."
Huo Qubing glanced over and his eyes fell on the other side. If this side was all glassware, then the other side was all wood. Various large and small wooden tubes and barrels. There was a small hole at the bottom of the barrel, and a bamboo tube was inserted into the hole.
Seeing his confusion, Liu Ju continued, "It can also be distilled. Each has its own uses. I can't make all these tools just to make salt. That would be a waste. I have to do something else."
Huo Qubing raised his eyebrows and asked, "Is what you want to make difficult? Do you need so many tools?"
Just looking at these bottles and jars made his scalp tingle.
"It's not difficult. Most of these tools are for future use, not all of them can be used now. It's just..."
"Just what?"
"Although it's not difficult, it's quite expensive, and the raw materials are wasted a lot, making it unsuitable for mass production. So I wanted to see if I could use other raw materials instead."
Huo Qubing was filled with disbelief: "A substitute? Using bran, chaff, or straw?"
"I'm going to use bran and chaff to make koji. As a proper substitute, I plan to try straw first."
Try it first, that is, if the straw doesn’t work, try something else.
Huo Qubing's face was filled with confusion: "What exactly do you want to do?"
Liu Ju did not answer, his expression flickered.
Huo Qubing knew this was because he was unsure of success and didn't want to reveal it too early, lest he get embarrassment. Knowing Liu Ju's temperament well, Huo Qubing stopped asking and instead asked, "How long will it take?"
"One month? Two months? Two months at most."
Huo Qubing: ...
After a while, he said with a complicated expression, "Are you really here to make something, rather than to avoid the mess you left behind?"
Whether it takes one month or two months, the aftermath of the fireworks rain in the capital will calm down. No matter how big the mess is, His Majesty would have dealt with it long ago.
Liu Ju blinked: "Guess?"
Huo Qubing: ...No, he doesn't want to guess.
Knowing Liu Ju's hidden agenda, Huo Qubing knew that even if the "thing" was going to take so long, there was no need for Liu Ju to stay by his side. Huo Qubing remained silent, pretending to know nothing and reporting to Liu Che whatever Liu Ju said.
Liu Che was so angry that his teeth were itching, but because of the "important business" ahead, he had to give up and gave up the idea of capturing Liu Ju, but secretly became curious.
Bran, chaff, straw.
What does the brat want with these?
At the same time, Lanlin Palace.
Liu Hong was also confused. He racked his brains for a long time, but couldn't figure out what these three things could be done with his limited knowledge. He frowned and asked the system in his mind.
Yes, the system. This was something he had carried with him since birth. Oh, no, to be more precise, it was something he encountered when he died in his previous life.
——The system is damaged, the task mechanism is shut down, and the database data cannot be retrieved.
Liu Hong was clearly dissatisfied with this answer. "You're useless. Aren't you the subject? Liu Ju only possessed a fragment of you, allowing him to possess a wealth of information and knowledge, create countless inventions, and achieve unlimited glory. And yet you, the subject, tell me that the mechanism is closed and cannot be used?"
——Liu Ju did not use the system, but by chance he obtained a small amount of knowledge fragments that escaped from the information database when the system malfunctioned and was damaged.
Liu Hong sneered: "Then you can disperse one for me to see, and also get some fragments for me."
——Sorry, the system cannot be destroyed on its own, let alone dissipated on its own.
Liu Hong almost laughed out of anger: "Then what can you do! Don't forget, if it weren't for you, how could I have died in my previous life? You owe me!"
After these words were spoken, the system fell silent for a moment. It was indeed because it was traveling through time and space, affected by turbulence, and when it passed through the host's time and space, its direction deviated a little bit, causing the host to be in a car accident and near death, but...
—Host, this system originally gave you a choice. You can use the system's energy to heal your physical injuries. You won't die, nor will your health be damaged. However, according to the current rules of the world, to avoid detection, the energy healing will proceed slowly. Once the host is fully recovered, the system will automatically disengage.
——During this period, the system will search the world for information on medical expenses, lost work time and other financial losses, and compensate you with equivalent amounts through lottery tickets, stocks, etc.
Equivalence? Is this the equivalence he wants? What’s the point of this equivalence?
Liu Hong gritted his teeth. "But you yourself proposed the second option. Spacetime fluctuates. You're afraid that if you stay in my spacetime for too long, you won't be able to find your original anchoring route again, which will affect your ability to reach your destination."
"So you took the initiative to propose that there was another option. That was to bind to you, become your host, go with you, and land in Xihan together.
"You promised me that I would be your host and that you would serve me, find me a suitable body, and help me realize my dreams and reach the pinnacle of my life. At the same time, I also promised to help you complete your observation mission."
—Yes, but the body the system selected for the host was Liu Hong. At that time, Liu Hong wasn't even born yet. Humans only slowly develop independent consciousness and a spiritual body after birth. Another way to describe it is the "soul." Before birth, all we have is the biological instinct to absorb nutrients from the mother.
—So, according to international time travel conventions, the system could have chosen a soulless body for you. You could enter that body and become him completely. With you, he would no longer have any independent consciousness. But you took the liberty of choosing Liu Ju.
——Liu Ju already has a complete self-awareness and spiritual body, and is an individual with full sovereignty. Entering his body requires expelling his consciousness, which is tantamount to murder and violates international conventions.
Liu Hong scoffed. "That's a nice way to put it. Choosing Liu Hong also deprives him of the possibility of developing independent consciousness, erasing his existence, doesn't it? So it's the same in both cases. Why bother making such high-sounding statements?"
The system fell silent again, unable to refute this, and after a while sighed:
—Host, regarding the laws of your own time and space. Babies only possess human rights after birth and are called "natural persons." Before birth, they possess no legal human rights. International conventions operate in the same manner.
The system doesn't deny your statement. No law, convention, or rule is perfect; loopholes are inevitable. International public opinion has long been controversial regarding some of the convention's provisions.
——But as long as the convention remains unchanged, the system will proceed according to it. Your actions violate international conventions, so the system has no choice but to intervene.
Liu Hong gritted his teeth. He hid it from the system and quickly shifted his target. He had thought that since Liu Ju was just a little kid, it would be easy to expel the other party.
As long as the task is completed, due to the host protection regulations, the system can only accept the failure.
How could Liu Ju, a child of only a few years old, possess such strong mental strength? He actually fought him closely, and even had the upper hand. However, children's mental and physical endurance was limited. As long as the battle continued, it would soon become weak, and he would be able to counterattack and win.
But at this critical juncture, the system failed to dissuade him and actually turned against him!
Otherwise, how could he be crushed to death by a little kid like Liu Ju?
Now, not only was he almost beaten to death by Liu Ju, but a large piece of his system was also bitten off.
When the system was on the verge of collapse, due to the host protection clause, he was forcibly kicked out of Liu Ju's body and dragged into Madam Wang's belly. After that, he was in poor mental condition for a long time and the system fell silent.
After recuperation, he finally recovered, and his system slowly reawakened. However, even after waking up, it was in tatters, broken here and missing there. It could do nothing but argue with itself.
This round was a lose-lose situation for both him and the system, and Liu Jubai got the advantage.
Damn!
The more Liu Hong thought about it, the angrier he became.
—Host. Liu Ju has found a blessing in disguise. Consider it compensation for attacking him. The system advises you to remain calm; opposing him is unwise.
—You are a time traveler, possessing knowledge that transcends this era by over two thousand years. Even without an information library, you can leverage your strengths and forge your own path.
Liu Hong rolled his eyes.
Why did he abandon the comfort and convenience of modern life and follow the system to the ancient times where resources were scarce? If he was a genius, why would he need the system?
Almost all the things he knew and could remember how to do had been completed by Liu Ju.
What else can he do on his own?
Like what Liu Ju was doing now, bran, chaff, and straw. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't figure out what the purpose of creating them was. But if the system was complete, if the database was available, he would definitely know.
Therefore, he must get back the missing half of the fragmented body, and he must repair the system!
He could not lose this strong support, nor was he willing to let Liu Ju take advantage of it for nothing.
no way.
********
Bowang Garden.
Liu Ju was completely unaware of Liu Hong's unwillingness and reluctance; he knew nothing about the origin of the system and the various entanglements behind the "nightmare" he had suffered that year.
He lived in Bowangyuan until early August, eating and drinking every day, taking a stroll in Shanglinyuan from time to time, and tinkering in the laboratory when he was free.
Koji making, boiling, fermentation, distillation and purification.
After one and a half months of hard work and waiting, we finally reaped the rewards.
Liu Ju swung the glass bottle in his hand, which was filled with clear and pure liquid, just like a mountain spring, transparent, colorless and spotless.
Hearty laughter was heard in the laboratory.
Feng He and the others stood up and stared at the door. When it opened, they all stepped forward at the same time: "Your Highness, is it done?"
"It's done!"
Liu Ju's mouth curled up, unable to suppress it. "Find a wooden box and put all these bottles I made in it. Fill it with straw and sawdust to prevent them from being knocked or broken."
Then he waved his hand and said, "Let's go back to the palace!"
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