108 Chapter 108
◎ Worry. ◎
Liu Che rubbed Liu Ju's hair and gladly accepted the sudden increase in his workload.
Farm tools are easy to handle, but mass production of allicin is a problem. It is a job that requires very delicate operations, is not easy to master, and must be kept strictly confidential.
Liu Che did not doubt his son's words. After handing over part of the finished product to Wei Qing, he immediately selected a few people according to Liu Ju and his own requirements, and asked them to follow Liu Ju to learn how to make allicin.
Liu Ju was about to leave when his father stopped him. "One more thing, Ju'er. The Prince of Huainan's rebellion has implicated many people. I've ordered the princes, dukes, and ministers to discuss how to deal with them. Gongsun Hong and Zhang Tang should be here to report now. You should stay and listen."
Huo Qubing showed no interest in the matter and immediately bowed and took his leave. Liu Che smiled and said, "Well, your mind is entirely on the grassland right now. Go."
As soon as Huo Qubing left, the eunuch reported to the Prime Minister and the Chief Justice that they wanted to see him.
Everyone knew that although His Majesty the Emperor said he was reluctant, he had no regard for the so-called blood ties between them in his heart. Therefore, when everyone was discussing the matter, everyone suggested severe punishment.
Especially the princes who inevitably feel the pain of being alone, in order to show their loyalty to Your Majesty, they must say one thing and another that if they want to rebel, the King of Huainan must die.
——Who knows whether the Prince of Huainan is really rebelling or just pretending to rebel? Many princes think so. After all, everyone knows that His Majesty wishes all the princes of the Han Dynasty would die and not get in his way.
Even if Liu Che saw through these little tricks, he was too lazy to pay attention. What could they do? They could do nothing. At most, they could make a fool of themselves like Liu An did.
After accepting the opinions of the ministers and princes, Liu Che sent the Zong Zheng to the fiefdom of the King of Huainan to question him.
Then, the city of Chang'an began to celebrate the New Year happily.
The Han Dynasty inherited the Qin system. The calendar used by the Han Dynasty now is still the Zhuanxu calendar of the Qin Dynasty. It was not until the Taichu period that the new calendar was adopted. Therefore, the Han Dynasty still celebrates the New Year in October.
However, there will still be a grand ceremony on the first day of the first lunar month, because Liu Che has to worship the gods on that day.
Liu Ju was not a real child and did not have much anticipation for the New Year. His father was busy relaxing and did not have much time to pay attention to him. However, Wei Zifu took advantage of the New Year to keep her son in the Pepper Room so that the mother and son could be closer.
The wedding date of Liu Yuan and Cao Xiang was set for spring, which was more than four months away, but the palace had already begun preparations for the eldest princess's wedding ceremony.
Liu Ju followed his mother through the various wedding ceremonies and sighed, "What a hassle."
Wei Zifu couldn't help but laugh and said, "This is troublesome. The etiquette and regulations for the Crown Prince's wedding are even more complicated."
Liu Ju said, "It will take another ten years, mother."
A hint of melancholy appeared in Wei Zifu's eyes. "Ten years ago, I also thought your sister was still young and marriage was a distant dream. But in the blink of an eye, she's about to marry."
Liu Ju comforted his mother: "Mother is reluctant to let my sister go, why don't we move the wedding date..."
Wei Zifu tapped his forehead and smiled helplessly, "Child, the wedding date was confirmed by His Majesty. How can you change it just like that? Besides, your sister should be married too. There's no precedent for a princess of her age staying in the palace."
Liu Ju said as a matter of course: "There is a precedent for this since I have a sister."
Wei Zifu shook her head and reached for the teacup: "If you have a daughter in the future, I'm afraid you'll dote on her even more than Your Majesty does."
Liu Ju was stunned. Of course he had a daughter. Of course he... had a daughter.
Wei Zifu exchanged a few words with the female official beside her, then turned around and saw her son in a daze. She touched Liu Ju's face and asked softly, "Ju'er, what's wrong?"
Liu Ju shook his head, brushing away the blood and corpses from the witchcraft disaster, and said softly, "I'm a little tired, mother, I want to go back and rest."
Wei Zifu said gently, "There are many sacrifices during the New Year. Your status is different this year, so you are a little busy. You have nothing to do these few days, so take a good rest."
Wei Zifu ordered people to clean up her bedroom, personally lit some calming incense, and then helped Liu Ju undress.
Liu Ju hurriedly said, "Mother, I have someone to serve me here. You must be tired these days. Don't worry about me. I'm fine."
Wei Zifu smiled and said, "Okay, mother, please go to the side hall to rest."
After watching the palace maids undress Liu Ju, Wei Zifu took her people away. The incense from the burning Boshan stove filled Liu Ju's nose. He took a deep breath and then turned to sit on his mother's couch.
Liu Ju was not sleepy at all. He was in a daze for nearly half an hour before he fell into a light sleep under the effect of the calming incense.
In the side hall, Wei Zifu looked at her face in the bronze mirror and sighed sadly, "Zi'er is always worried. Why is that?"
The female official behind her, who was carefully combing the empress's hair, spoke softly, "Please be at ease, Your Highness. The Crown Prince has been learning to govern with Your Majesty lately. He must be young and finds it difficult, and he's always worried about something, which is why he seems to be so preoccupied with it now."
Wei Zifu lowered her eyes and said, "Zi'er's worries are not new today."
The female official continued, "Your Highness is now the heir apparent, and things are different from before. Your Highness, rest assured. His Majesty treats His Highness as always, showing great favoritism. With His Majesty's guidance, His Highness will gradually improve, and slowly... he will naturally get better."
After the female official finished speaking, she put down the comb, took the hair oil and carefully applied it on the queen's hair, massaging it gently.
Wei Zifu muttered slowly, as if to herself, "Could this child be the Crown Prince Li or the Prince of Jiaodong?"
The female official's hand slipped and the hair oil fell onto the queen's clothes. Her eyelids twitched and she immediately knelt down to apologize.
Wei Zifu raised her hand gently: "It's okay."
The female official still bowed: "Your Highness, please forgive me."
Wei Zifu shook her head. "That's all right." She looked at the official's trembling shoulders and placed her fair, delicate hand on them. "Do you think I'm worrying too much?"
The female official had followed Wei Zifu for several years and knew that the empress was kind-hearted. So she bravely glanced at her, calmed herself, and replied as calmly as possible: "Your Highness, you are the empress. Prince Li's mother is not as good as you. The prince's uncle is the general of the current dynasty, and Prince Li's uncle is not as good as a general. And your majesty's preference for your highness is the same as the late emperor's treatment of your majesty..."
Her voice slowly lowered: "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is certainly not the Li Crown Prince."
However, Wei Zifu could not be comforted by these words. When the late emperor deposed Prince Li and enthroned King Jiaodong, was it because King Jiaodong had powerful relatives?
No, it’s because the late emperor doted on Concubine Wang and loved his son, the King of Jiaodong.
From this perspective, Liu Ju really looks like the King of Jiaodong back then.
But... Wei Zifu had been in the palace for many years, and she knew one thing very well: the emperor's favor was like the clouds in the sky, unpredictable and uncontrollable.
Will the child always have his father's favor?
Wei Zifu had to worry about this. She sighed softly. Perhaps she would always feel this way until her son really took that position.
"Go get a dress."
Just as she had started the topic without warning, the Queen also ended it without warning, a topic that made the female official break out in a cold sweat.
As she turned around, the female official let out a sigh of relief.
…
Because he once again thought of the witchcraft disaster in his previous life before going to bed, Liu Ju did not sleep well. The cruel punishments of the eighteen levels of hell kept appearing in his dreams, giving him a headache.
Why would I visit the Eighteen Levels of Hell? Liu Ju held his head and thought for a while. He originally thought that such a ridiculous thing must have been proposed by Li Chengqian, but Liu Ju's memory told him that it was Fusu who invited him!
Why did Fusu want to visit the Eighteen Levels of Hell?
Liu Ju searched through his memories. Oh, he wanted to go and see Hu Hai being tortured, but he couldn't find anyone.
Even Hu Hai couldn't go to the Eighteen Levels of Hell. The trial mechanism of the underworld is indeed problematic.
After his headache got better, Liu Ju got up and put on his clothes, then asked someone to get him water to wash his face. After washing his face, Liu Ju felt like he was alive again.
Wei Zifu ordered the kitchen to prepare snacks and hot porridge. As the warm porridge slid into his stomach, Liu Ju felt warm all over.
"Mother, where are my sister and the others?" Liu Ju asked after eating and drinking.
Wei Zifu laughed and said, "They've gone out to play. How can they stay idle?"
Liu Ju laughed and said, "There's only one person who can't sit still."
As soon as the words fell, a familiar voice came: "Who can't sit still?"
Liu Ju and Wei Zifu hurriedly stood up and were about to bow when someone stopped them, saying, "No need to be so polite."
Wei Zifu apologized, "The maids in the Pepper Palace were negligent and did not announce your Majesty's arrival. This was my fault."
"I forbad them to pass on the message." Liu Che waved his hand. "I heard that Ju'er just stopped by your place. I don't want to disturb him."
Liu Ju hurriedly said, "Thank you, old man. I have been awake for a long time."
"Hmm." Liu Che glanced at the bowl of porridge on the table, "I can see that you have a good appetite after waking up."
Liu Ju raised his eyes and smiled, "This bowl of porridge in the kitchen is very good. Would you like to try it, Grandfather?"
Liu Che had come to see his son on a whim, for no important matter. Hearing his son's words, he naturally responded, "Since my son says it's good, of course I have to try it."
Wei Zifu ordered someone to serve more porridge and clean up the leftovers that Liu Ju had just finished.
Liu Che sat down casually and asked with a smile, "What were you and your son talking about just now?"
Liu Ju smiled and replied, "Mother said that my sisters couldn't sit still, so they went out to play. But except for my third sister, no one else would sit still. It seems that she was the one who pulled them out."
"This girl is a bit naughty..." Liu Che obviously knew his daughter's temperament and personality. "Among the four of you who share the same mother, she is the most mischievous. She's even more like a brat than you!"
Liu Ju thought to himself, you have a stereotype, but he laughed and said, "It's good that my sister likes to play and laugh. When she comes back, she can make my father laugh more!"
Liu Che laughed and said, "Why do I need her? You can make me laugh."
Wei Zifu just watched the father and son chatting and laughing without saying a word. Although the room was warm, when she saw her son's flawless smile, she suddenly felt a little cold.
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