Chapter 9
After the victory report, the army returned to the capital. Liu Ju waited happily for one day, two days, three days...
Bored, he flipped through the information in his head and picked out a costume detective drama. That's right. Besides popular science and production tutorials, the information also included novels, audio stories, and the TV series that had been mentioned many times in the comments.
Even though many of them are missing some content like Kongming lanterns, the lack of some of these recreational items does not affect the viewing experience at all.
When Liu Ju saw the second part, the army finally arrived near Chang'an. They would enter from the Hengmen Gate and go straight into the city through the street between the East and West Markets.
Upon hearing the news, Liu Ju immediately sent someone to secure the best viewing spot facing the street. He got up early that day and went there with his three sisters.
The four of them leaned on the railing and looked into the distance. When they turned their heads, they found that there were quite a few people in the row who had come to join in the fun, both men and women, mostly young people.
As they waited for the arrival of the army, everyone chatted and laughed, and the topic of conversation was naturally Huo Qubing, who had made a stunning debut in this battle. There were expressions of admiration, praise, envy, and respect, and some of the girls even expressed a subtle admiration for him.
“Here it comes!”
Not long after, there was a noisy sound all around. Liu Ju turned his head and saw that there was indeed a group of people riding horses coming from the distance, and the leader was his uncle Wei Qing!
"Huh?" Shi Yi tilted his head. "Didn't they say my cousin had the greatest contribution this time? Why isn't he the one standing next to my uncle? Who is that?"
She was a woman and had seen very little of the other ministers, but Liu Ju knew them all: "Who told you that the one with the greatest achievements should stand in front? That's General Li Guang. General Li Guang is a veteran of three dynasties. He fought for the Han Dynasty against the Xiongnu for many years, serving with loyalty and bravery."
Liu Ju thought for a moment and continued, "My uncle and General Li Guang are on par with each other. I didn't let myself fall behind because I was the commander-in-chief; and I didn't let General Li fall behind because I showed respect for him."
Li Guang, no wonder his smile was forced. If it were him, it wouldn't be surprising if there was a hint of melancholy in his expression.
He was the most senior of the group. But Wei Qing and the others had already been made marquises. Huo Qubing was the only one left, and he was about to be made a marquis. Even Zhang Qian, who had followed in as a supporting officer, was made Marquis of Bowang. Only Li Guang remained untouched.
——So the actors were very attentive in combining their performance with the background and handling the small details.
——Alas, I don’t know if it’s because the story of Li Guang getting lost and committing suicide is too famous, but when I talk about him, the four words “Lost General” pop up in my mind.
Speaking of getting lost, even the ancients had a difficult time. We have many tools today to help us determine direction, especially GPS. But it was different in ancient times. Did they have compasses during the Western Han Dynasty? At most, they had the ancient Si Nan (Si Nan) compass. There wasn't even a compass, let alone in the desert. It was incredibly difficult.
Liu Ju paused. Lost and committed suicide? A compass? He seemed to have seen this thing in the literature. Just as he was thinking about it, he heard Shi Yi cheering: "I saw my cousin, behind my uncle. They are coming!"
As the army drew closer, the whole street erupted in excitement. A brave woman opened her mouth and shouted, "General Huo!"
Then a sachet was thrown over and landed in Huo Qubing's arms with a plop. Then another one, and another one...
Most of the generals present were elderly, all had wives and children, and some even had grandchildren.
The only one left was Huo Qubing, a handsome young man with a heroic demeanor, who had just won a brilliant battle.
He is simply the standard male protagonist in TV dramas. He exudes a dazzling light, so how can he not be loved by girls?
After a while, Huo Qubing collected several sachets, silk handkerchiefs and flowers.
Shi Yi frowned, turned around and took off the sachet and silk handkerchief on his body, and then told the maids: "Give me yours too."
Liu Ju looked puzzled: "Why do you need so much?"
"They all throw, so we have to throw too. Not only do we have to throw, but we have to throw more than them. We can't be outdone by them."
Liu Ju: ...What a weird desire to win you have.
He didn't understand, and what puzzled him even more was that after collecting a bunch of things, Shi Yi didn't take any for himself, but stuffed them all on his two sisters, snorting, "Don't think I don't know what they're thinking. They just have their eyes on my cousin. My cousin is such an outstanding person, even if you want to marry him off, it should be with someone from our family, not outsiders. Sister, go ahead!"
Liu Ju:!!!
Wei Chang & Zhu Yi: !!!
Seeing that the army was getting closer and closer, if they delayed any longer they would miss it, Shi Yi hurriedly urged: "Sister, throw it away quickly."
Zhu Yi's face flushed, his heart pounding. He stuffed the things back into Shi Yi and stamped his feet lightly: "Who wants to compete with others in this?"
The guard chief had no choice but to return the things to the maid and take his own. He smiled and said, "It's okay to join in the fun. One is enough, there's no need for so many. My cousin has worked hard in this battle and has made great contributions to the country. I should show my appreciation."
With just a few words, he not only satisfied Shi Yi's wishes, but also saved himself and Zhu Yi from the siege, turning the matter from a love affair to the interests of the family and the country.
She pulled Zhu Yi to the window sill and threw it in without hesitation. Huo Qubing looked over and saw the four people raised their eyebrows, waved their hands, and pointed forward.
Liu Ju naturally understood what he meant and nodded vigorously. After the army left, he immediately jumped down from the windowsill and said, "Let's go back to the palace and wait for my cousin."
The first thing the army did after returning victoriously was to go to the court to meet the emperor. After the meeting, Wei Zifu's two brothers and nephews would naturally come to see her. Liu Ju and his sisters waited in the Pepper Room Palace and sent the eunuch to the front hall to listen.
"His Majesty was delighted and rewarded the general according to his merits, bestowing upon him a thousand pieces of gold."
"Your Majesty highly praised General Yao's achievements and conferred upon him the title of Marquis of Champion."
"Your Majesty has also appointed Captain Zhang as Marquis of Bowang."
As the news trickled back, Liu Ju froze, his pupils trembling. The Marquis of Guanjun and the Marquis of Bowang both matched the barrage. Weren't the barrages fabricated? Couldn't they all be? If so, which ones were true and which ones were false?
He took a deep breath and calmed down. He couldn't be swayed by demons and monsters. He had to explore slowly and make his own judgment.
"The awards have been granted, and the court meeting has concluded. The ministers have dispersed, and His Majesty has retained only the Grand General and the Marquis of Champion. However, His Majesty has instructed..."
Before the eunuch finished speaking, Liu Ju ran out like a gust of wind and chased to the front hall. He happened to meet Liu Che leading Wei Qing and Huo Qubing out. It was obviously not the direction of the Pepper Room, but it seemed that they were leaving the palace?
The four of them were stunned when they bumped into each other. A eunuch came over breathlessly, "Your Highness, His Majesty has instructed us to discuss important matters with the Grand General, Marquis Guanjun, and has sent a message to the Pepper Palace, telling you and the Queen and the others not to wait."
Liu Ju: ...You are a little late.
The eunuch also noticed the emperor and his entourage, and realized that he had failed to pass on the message, and was worried. Liu Che did not care, and asked him to leave, and beckoned Liu Ju to come over: "Since you are here, let's go together."
Wei Qing thought of the serious tone and attitude Liu Che had used when he had just said he would take them to see something, and guessed that this thing was probably very important. He hesitated and said, "Your Majesty."
Liu Che naturally understood what he meant and shook his head and said, "It doesn't matter. That thing was originally made by him. He already knew about it. There is no need to be shy about it."
Wei Qing was stunned, but Liu Ju had already run over happily. Huo Qubing squatted down and held out his hand: "I'll hold you."
"No. I'm old enough to walk on my own."
Huo Qubing blinked and said, "Ah, before I left for the war, you were pestering me to ride a big horse. You've grown up in just two or three months. You really grow up fast."
Liu Ju: ...If you say that, I won’t lose face.
"I don't want to talk to you."
He stamped his feet angrily and walked over to Wei Qing: "Uncle, he bullied me!"
Wei Qing touched his head lovingly, smiling without saying a word.
Huo Qubing raised his eyebrows: "Now that you have grown up, why do you still complain all the time?"
Liu Ju froze, and was about to retort, but he saw Huo Qubing's mouth curl up, his eyes full of cunning: "You've grown up, and you don't need me to hold you. I guess you don't need me to take you horse racing anymore, right?"
Liu Ju swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth and looked up at Wei Qing. Of course, his uncle would take him horse racing, but unfortunately, he was very slow and didn't indulge him at all. It was almost an insult to the word "racing". It wasn't as exciting as his cousin.
After a moment's thought, Liu Ju walked over proudly, opening his arms. "Since you've asked so sincerely, I'll reluctantly agree to your request. Hold me, I'll give you the honor."
Liu Che & Wei Qing: ...
Huo Qubing was dumbfounded: ...I haven't seen you for a few months. Where did you learn such shameless behavior?
He chuckled, but didn't mind, bending down to pick it up. The group moved forward, changing into their equipment after leaving the palace.
Liu Che rode in a carriage, and Wei Qing rode a horse to escort him.
Huo Qubing and Liu Ju rode together, galloping back and forth, performing some difficult tricks during the ride, which made Liu Ju laugh.
Wei Qing was worried and wanted to speak up to dissuade him several times, but he was concerned that Liu Che didn't say anything, so he stopped himself from speaking.
Liu Che was quite open-minded. He glanced at him, smiled, and waved his hand, "That's all right. Qubing is a good rider, and he has guards accompanying him, so nothing serious will happen. Young people should act like young people. Look how happy they are, why should we spoil their fun?"
What could Wei Qing say? He could only keep quiet.
The group did not go far. Soon after Huo Qubing and Liu Ju ran several laps and slowed down, the convoy slowly stopped.
Only then did Liu Ju realize that this place was on the outskirts of Chang'an, a vast open space where guards were already waiting, each holding a very familiar object in their hands.
Liu Ju: "...Kongming Lantern?"
Huo Qubing was confused: "What?"
Liu Ju pointed at the Kongming lantern and explained it to him, mentioning how he used it to pray for blessings. He smiled and said, "Not long after I released the Kongming lantern to pray, I received your victory news. It proves that my prayer was effective. I wanted to release a few more at night, but my father took them away."
He leaned close to Huo Qubing's ear and lowered his voice: "Father not only took all my things, but also forbade me to do it again. He is so overbearing and unreasonable. But..."
He tilted his head and looked at Liu Che: "The emperor father made such a big fuss, hurriedly dragging you out of the palace, not even waiting for you to rest after your tiring journey, just to let you accompany him to release Kongming lanterns?"
Liu Ju was full of questions and didn't understand. He looked at Liu Che with a very subtle look: As an emperor, are you so willful?
I silently mourned for my uncle and cousin in my heart. Because of their lower status, they had to work like slaves for others.
That's not all, but he also encountered a monarch who was willful and had no compassion for his subjects. How miserable! No wonder the comments said that emperors are all black-hearted and are top-level exploiters.
Liu Che didn't hear his son's whispers, nor did he know what he was thinking, but he received his son's strange gaze:???
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