Chapter 89
Sugarcane has two uses: one for making sugar, the other for making alcohol. This delighted the Minister of the Imperial Household Department and the Imperial Medical Bureau's military medical department.
Liu Ju had accomplished a lot over the years, and the various departments had become quite proficient in learning and taking over. Having done a set of procedures many times, the chaos of the past was long gone.
Everyone has become accustomed to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince being in charge of research and leaving the subsequent arrangements to them; they are even more accustomed to the situation where His Royal Highness the Crown Prince takes action and everyone in the court is left alone.
While this side was busy, Liu Ju leisurely awaited the arrival of spring. During this period, Wei Qing and Pingyang celebrated their wedding. After the wedding, news arrived that envoys from various countries were preparing to depart. However, Zhao Fan, the second prince of Nanyue, arrived first.
All the states in the Western Regions, regardless of size or strength, were foreign nations. Nanyue was a vassal state, and its political status was different, so Liu Ju didn't need to intervene; he even stayed in the Eastern Palace and didn't leave.
But Zhao Fan was a sensible man. After meeting Liu Che, he took a short rest and then sent someone to report to him and come to pay him a visit.
Liu Ju met him in the East Palace and sat at the head of the table to talk with him. He found that he had delicate features, a handsome appearance, calm and proper manners, and elegant and humorous conversation.
Having traveled thousands of miles to the unfamiliar capital of the Han Dynasty, I was neither sad about being far away from my homeland nor obsessed with the prosperity of Chang'an.
He always maintained the right attitude when speaking. He did not fail to see the current situation clearly and still carried the arrogance of being a prince of Nanyue; nor did he fail to see the current situation clearly enough and be embarrassed by being a hostage.
Neither humble nor overbearing, neither arrogant nor impetuous, he was respectful and courteous, yet not ingratiating. He always acted with measured action and measured proportions. His words were gentle, and he always found interesting topics to discuss, rarely leaving the conversation dull, but rather creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.
The last person who made Liu Ju feel this way was Liu Ling.
Liu Ling...
Thinking of this, Liu Ju raised his eyes and looked at Zhao Fan twice.
Not like that.
Liu Ju breathed a sigh of relief, amusement welling up in his heart. Perhaps the incident between Madam Li and Wang Wanyi had given him PTSD, making him overly sensitive to even the slightest hint of déjà vu.
There are so many people who are good at socializing, and Liu Ling is not the only one.
After Zhao Fan left, Feng He couldn't help but sigh: "This Second Prince of Nanyue is really a character."
"Of course." Liu Ju nodded, "He's only about fifteen years old now. Zhao Yingqi should have been only around ten when he returned.
"It's no easy feat for a child in his teens to suppress a group of people who want to seize the throne when the former King of Nanyue is critically ill and delay time until Zhao Yingqi returns.
"He's smart, sensible, knows when to act, and isn't bad looking. No wonder my father was so impressed with him that he let him live in Zhao Yingqi's former residence in Beijing and even allowed him to visit the palace from time to time."
Of course, this person's entry into the palace to speak was not simply because of a "good impression". Liu Che probably also wanted to observe him more to see whether he was qualified to be supported by the Han Dynasty to take over Nanyue.
Liu Ju turned his head and looked towards the side hall, where Yu Sui and Sheng Gu were sorting and registering the gifts sent by Zhao Fan. He thought for a moment and ordered, "Gifts should be reciprocated. He has given so many things, I can't just say nothing. Give me a gift in return."
Feng He said yes and asked, "What would you like to return, Your Highness?"
Liu Ju curled his lips and said, "Didn't I prepare souvenirs for each member of the Western Regions' delegation? Send one to him as well."
Feng He agreed and was just about to leave when Yu Sui and Sheng Gu walked in, one holding a booklet and the other holding an ebony box.
Liu Ju raised his eyebrows: "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with the gift Zhao Fan sent?"
He was the crown prince, and there were so many people who gave him gifts. Usually, the three maids would sort them out and put them into the warehouse. He only needed to look at the list afterwards and didn't need to worry too much. But now the behavior of these two people was different from before.
Yu Sui shook her head. "Your Highness, there is no problem. The rest are all common, either special products of South Vietnam or common treasures. Only one is particularly special, and I think it requires Your Highness's review."
"What?"
Liu Ju became interested. He sat up straight, took the wooden box handed to him by Sheng Gu, and opened it with a click. Inside was a bead the size of a goose egg. Unlike a goose egg, this bead was round and shaped like a pearl, but more translucent than a pearl.
Yu Sui said, "Your Highness, please go to the inner room."
Liu Ju, confused, carried the beads into the inner room. Yu Sui and Sheng Gu drew the curtains. The room was dim, and the beads emitted a white, slightly greenish fluorescent light, as bright as the full moon.
Huh?
Liu Ju blinked, interest immediately evident in his eyes.
Yu Sui introduced: "Your Highness, this is the Suihou Pearl."
Sui Houzhu.
Liu Ju curled his lips. "I've heard of it. The Suihou Pearl is an artifact from the Sui State during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Rumor has it that the Suihou once encountered a wounded snake in the wild. Out of compassion, he applied medicine to it. After the snake recovered, it returned the favor and vomited a precious pearl from its belly as a gift to the Suihou. It's said that this pearl is so smooth and translucent, so radiant, it could replace candle wax."
He lowered his head and glanced at the Suihou Pearl in his hand: "It is consistent with the rumors, it is a treasure."
Although he said "baby", he didn't really take it seriously. He closed the lid and handed it to Yu Sui: "Just register it normally and put it into the warehouse."
He turned to leave, but suddenly stopped, vaguely remembering something: "Zhao Fan also gave Father many things before, including a piece of Heyu."
Feng He and the others were stunned for a moment, then immediately understood what he meant. It was said that this piece of Hepu also had a great history.
In the past, Bian He, a native of Chu, presented a piece of jade to King Li of Chu. King Li ordered an appraiser to examine the jade, but the appraiser said it was just an ordinary stone. Furious, he punished the king. After King Li died, King Wen succeeded him and ordered the stone to be chiseled. The stone was found to be a rare gem, and the jade was thus made into the Heshi Bi.
The jade pu was made from the remaining raw materials after the Heshi Bi was made. It is also made of jade. However, since Qin Shi Huang later obtained the Heshi Bi and made it into a jade seal, the significance of this jade is very different.
Zhao Fante presented the jade from the same source to Liu Che.
Liu Ju glanced at the box. "Both the jade and the Suihou Pearl have been missing for a long time. He must have put a lot of effort into finding these two items."
Feng He shook his head. "Your Highness, it was the people of Nanyue who said that the jade and the Heshi Bi came from the same source. While the texture of the jade is indeed somewhat similar, there are many similar jades in the world. Who knows if they are real? Even this Suihou Pearl may not be the legendary one."
Yu Sui said, "That's true. But even if it weren't, finding two similar treasures wouldn't be easy. The Second Prince of Nanyue came to the capital this time with great preparation and effort, just to please the Emperor and His Highness so that he could get what he wanted in the future."
What he wanted in the future was naturally the throne of Nanyue.
Liu Ju's eyes were restrained. "He is a man who knows how to behave. Not only me and my father, but also all the palaces have sent gifts. Let's go and ask what they are."
Feng He took the order and left. He returned within an hour to report, "They are all common items. Even if there are some rare ones, they are not as valuable as the jade or Suihou Pearl."
After saying this, he chuckled and said, "Your Highness, for such precious items, it's already great to be able to find two. How can you expect to find a third one?"
Liu Ju nodded to show his understanding, but his brows did not relax. He was still deep in thought, and no one knew what he was thinking about.
This state lasted for about half a day. He called Yan Sui over and said, "Go to Huainan and help me with something."
Yan Sui was stunned: "Huainan?"
"Yes. The Yu family, into which Liu Ling married, seems to be a prominent family in Huainan. Even though they are a prominent family, they are certainly well-known locally. You should investigate their family, especially to see if anyone survived after Mr. Yu's death."
"Try to find the Yu family and bring them to Chang'an. If you can't find them, ask the locals and draw a portrait of Mr. Yu. Also, find out everything you can about Liu Ling's past with the Yu family, no matter how big or small.
"Don't rush. But remember, it's not speed that matters, it's precision and thoroughness that counts."
After hearing this, Yan Sui's expression froze: "Your Highness, do you suspect there's something wrong with this?"
Liu Ju pursed his lips and said, "I'm not sure. I don't know if it's a clue or if I'm just being overly sensitive. Anyway, go and check it out first."
After a moment's thought, he added, "I will transfer you out of the capital under the pretext of sending you south to expand sugarcane cultivation. Don't reveal your true purpose, and conceal your movements. Don't make your trip to Huainan public, lest others learn of it, detect any abnormality, and alert the enemy."
Yan Sui straightened his body and replied solemnly, "Yes."
But he had some concerns: "Cang Hai is now in charge of supervising the Lishan workshop, so he has little time to guard the Eastern Palace. If I leave, Your Highness will only have Chao Nan by his side. Will it be..."
Liu Ju chuckled. "Although Chao Nan isn't as thorough and observant as you, his skills are no less impressive. After all these years of experience, he's long since changed his reckless nature. If it's just about protecting me, he's more than enough."
"I have hundreds of guards in the Eastern Palace, and it's time to promote a few of them. When you all have missions outside, I'll need someone to take charge.
"Don't worry. I'm in Chang'an, in the palace. There's no danger. Besides, I have the Imperial Guards, my uncle, and my cousin. What could possibly happen?"
Yan Sui thought about it and realized that this was indeed the case. Although he was the commander of the Eastern Palace guards, he was not that important. He accepted the task and bowed to take his leave.
********
With the lavish gifts and his excellent performance before the emperor, Emperor Liu Che treated Zhao Fan favorably. He said he was sent to serve as a guard, but Emperor Liu Che didn't assign him to duty, treating him like an ordinary young nobleman. He waited and saw.
Zhao Fan's life in Chang'an was not much different from his life in Nanyue. In fact, because Chang'an was more prosperous and had more abundant resources, he had more money, so his life was more refined.
Standing in the courtyard, Zhao Fan gazed westward. Zhao's residence was on the east side, and the third house on the west side was the former residence of his biological mother, Liu Ling.
After Liu Ling's death, the house was reclaimed by the royal family, but it has not yet been granted to anyone else to live in. It had been abandoned for several years. He glanced at it as he passed by. There were weeds growing on the walls, and the interior was probably even worse.
Sangzhi stepped forward and reported, "The carriage is ready. Are you going out, young master?"
"Go out. You've been in Chang'an for a few days, and you've met everyone you need to meet. Now that you've finished your business, it's time to take a good look at what Chang'an looks like today and how much it has changed thanks to the efforts of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
The master and servant went out one after another and sat in the carriage, watching the scene outside.
Shops are lined up side by side, and the streets are bustling with people. Customers are coming in and out of the major shops, and business seems to be booming. The people on the streets are also filled with joy, the smiles that only come from a comfortable life, with no worries about food and clothing.
Many of them were not dressed luxuriously, but simply, wearing coarse linen clothes. But it was precisely because of this that it became clear that this was the norm for ordinary people in Chang'an, and not the prosperity of a small group of upper-class dignitaries.
Zhao Fan had been to Chang'an when he was young. He used the identity of a merchant to see the situation in Chang'an and secretly met Liu Ling twice.
Chang'an at that time was completely different from what it is now. There was no comparison, absolutely no comparison.
Zhao Fan's heart sank. He had anticipated that with the Crown Prince's abilities, Chang'an today would be a far cry from what it was back then. But he hadn't expected it to be several times better than he'd imagined.
Before they knew it, the carriage arrived at the entrance of Liuli Street.
Zhao Fan breathed a sigh of relief. "Let's go in and take a look. Liuli Street is famous far and wide. Everyone says that if you don't go to Liuli Street, you've been to Chang'an in vain. Since that's the case, we have to go and take a look while we're in Chang'an."
After saying that, he jumped out of the car and went inside.
As he walked along, the shock of Glazed Street was greater than anything he had experienced before. Zhao Fan didn't even know how he had been squeezed into the mirror maze by the crowd.
But here, he met a man - His Royal Highness the Second Prince of the Han Dynasty.
Liu Hong tilted his head, slightly surprised. "It's you. Are you here to play in Liuli Street today too?"
"Yes, young master, do you come here often?"
If it wasn't so special, how could we meet by chance?
Liu Hong shook his head. "Not often. I've been to Glazed Street a few times, so it's nothing new to me. But the mirror maze has changed its layout and design over the past two days, and it's different from before. Every time it changes, I come and experience it again."
Zhao Fan nodded, understanding. The mirror maze was designed by the Crown Prince, Bai Shan, and the members of the Gewu Division. While fun, mazes are boring after a few attempts, as you memorize the route. Therefore, the design changes periodically. He had heard of this.
Liu Hong added, "Since we've met, why not go in together? It'll be nice to have some company. My brother has something to do today and can't come with me. Would you mind accompanying me?"
Zhao Fan's eyelashes moved and he agreed happily.
The two of them "ran into each other" in public, in a place called the Mirror Maze, owned by the Crown Prince. Almost as soon as they entered, the news reached Liu Ju.
At this time, Liu Ju was in Yunsong Bookstore.
He gently tapped the note with the message, unfolded it, and placed it on the candle flame to burn it. Turning to look at Huo Guang with a smile, he said, "Buyi is ready to leave. Are you really not going? Opportunities like this are not easy to come by."
"It's not hard to get, but it's not impossible to get. You'll get it in the future. There's no need to rush."
Huo Guang was very calm, he had his own considerations.
Zang Hai was in Mount Li, and Yan Sui immediately headed for Huainan. Although there were many people under the Eastern Palace, there were only a few who could be called Liu Ju's confidants, whom Liu Ju could use without any scruples.
Wei Buyi went. If he had gone too, Liu Ju might have encountered another problem and would not have enough people around him.
Seeing that Liu Ju was about to persuade him again, Huo Guang spoke up, "Your Highness, I have my own plans. Buyi and I have different paths to follow."
As he expected, Liu Ju fell silent after hearing this. He respected everyone's life choices.
Qi Yuanniang walked up the stairs slowly: "Your Highness."
Liu Ju was a little surprised. Qi Yuanniang had just come out of confinement and hadn't fully returned to work yet, so Yin Liu was still running the bookshop and gathering information. When he came today, Yin Liu was also there to report everything; Qi Yuanniang wasn't there.
If you suddenly show up halfway, there must be something wrong.
As expected, Qi Yuanniang said the next moment, "I went out today and visited the shops on Glass Street. I ran into Zhao Fan, the Second Prince of Nanyue. He and the Second Prince were just emerging from the mirror maze. They were chatting while admiring the glass ornaments in the shop."
Liu Ju nodded: "I know about this. Yin Liu just reported the news to me."
Qi Yuanniang lowered her eyes and said, "I noticed that there was someone following the Second Prince of Nanyue. It was a woman who looked much older than him."
Liu Ju carefully recalled that when Zhao Fan came to the Eastern Palace to pay his respects, he was accompanied by this person. So he said, "You must be talking about his maid. I think her name is Sang Zhi. I heard that she has been taking care of him since he was young. Although they are master and servant, their relationship is different from that of ordinary masters and servants. What's wrong with her?"
If there was no problem, Qi Yuanniang would not have mentioned it specifically, and she would not have had this expression.
"Sangzhi... so her name is Sangzhi." Qi Yuanniang frowned. "Your Highness, do you still remember that when the white jade paper was first invented, you asked your subordinates to hold an auction at Shengping Tower, and someone bought it for several times the price?"
Liu Ju's memory came back: "I remember you reported that the man's name was Sang Zhu."
Mulberry branches, mulberry bamboo...
If they are not placed together, no one will make the association; if they are placed together, the names are somewhat similar.
Qi Yuanniang then further confirmed his guess: "This mulberry branch is somewhat similar to the mulberry bamboo from that year. Judging from their age, they are most likely brother and sister."
Liu Ju rolled his eyes and raised the corners of his lips: "It's just a piece of bamboo paper. Since I dare to hold an auction, I don't care who the seller is. It doesn't matter who I sell it to.
"There's nothing wrong with this. Regardless of whether it's Nanyue's intention or Zhao Fan's personal intention, it's normal for him to want to buy back such a good thing from the Han Dynasty.
"But Sang Zhu's claim of buying at a high price was intended to allow him to split and resell the goods after returning. Furthermore, he claimed to be a Xuzhou merchant and had a corresponding household registration."
There is no problem with the South Vietnamese purchasing it, but forging household registration and purchasing it under another name is somewhat like trying to cover up the truth.
Liu Ju waved his hand to let Qi Yuanniang leave, tapping his fingers on the table again and again.
"Zhao Fan came to Beijing as a hostage, intending to stay there permanently. Although he brought a few people with him from Nanyue, they were too few. He would definitely need to buy slaves for the house."
Huo Guang understood the meaning of the string music and asked, "Your Highness, do you want to send someone to sneak in?"
"That house was given by our father, and he will certainly keep some things in reserve, but we must also make some arrangements of our own. You are the one who sent the people to my second brother's manor, so I will leave Zhao Fan's side to you as well. How about you keep an eye on both sides?"
How could Huo Guang not respond? He nodded immediately, feeling relieved.
Look, it’s a good thing he didn’t go with Wei Buyi to meet the delegation, otherwise His Highness would have needed him.
If he is not here, His Highness can be handed over to someone else, but he will not be as useful as him.
Huo Guang's lips curled up. Liu Ju stood up and patted him on the shoulder: "Good brother, you have worked hard."
Of course, there is one thing that was not said: If you can do it, do more.
Liu Ju wasn't being polite at all. After all, he had a lot on his plate and couldn't possibly do everything himself. For example, right now, preparing for the mission was more important.
The next day, Huo Qubing and his young generals quietly set out to meet the envoys outside the Great Wall. No one except a few officials in the court knew about this, just to give the Xiongnu a "surprise".
Half a month later, a letter was received by carrier pigeon in the palace. The "surprise" achievement was successfully completed.
Of course, for the Huns, "shock" was inevitable. As for whether they were "joyful"... well, at least let them all be buried in a place with lush grass and water, which is better than abandoning their bodies in the wilderness to be eaten by vultures and falcons.
So, it can barely be considered "joy"?
But whether the Xiongnu wanted this joy or not was not within Liu Ju's consideration. Anyway, it was enough that he, the Han Dynasty, was very "happy".
Another half month later, the delegation finally arrived in the capital.
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