126 Chapter 126
◎Good news. ◎
When the good news reached Chang'an, the Emperor was dozing off. He had a nightmare the previous night and had not slept well, so he felt a little tired in the afternoon.
Liu Ju was carefully covering his father with a woolen blanket when he heard an urgent report from outside: "Your Majesty, battle reports from the front!"
Liu Che's sleepiness instantly vanished, he sat up and said, "Announce!"
Seeing that his father got up too hastily, Liu Ju reached out to help him and rubbed his temples.
His Majesty the Emperor was not paying attention to his son now. He was looking at the door, with an unknown fire burning in his eyes, which was his desire for victory.
Fortunately, the two generals did not disappoint His Majesty the Emperor, and this time they sent back two reports of victory.
Liu Che only heard the word "great victory" before he closed his eyes slightly and slowly exhaled. After calming down, he unfolded the battle report, and then...
His Majesty the Emperor found that he still couldn't calm down.
After Liu Ju read the entire battle report with his father, he also breathed a sigh of relief.
Of course, Huo Qubing's dreams of drinking from the vast sea and sealing the Wolf's Lair were impossible to fail to come true. In addition, the losses suffered by the Marquis of Guanjun this time were much less than in his previous life. In addition to the two most famous achievements in later generations, he also captured the Left and Right Wise Kings alive, and reaped a lot of rewards.
Wei Qing once again encountered the Xiongnu Chanyu, but this time, with the help of a compass, no one got lost. Unfortunately, Li Guang missed his chance to capture the Chanyu, and Yizhixie was captured alive by Wei Qing's main force. Furthermore, the general, demonstrating his penchant for plundering the land, seized a large amount of food and fodder from the city of Zhaoxin, which he burned before departing.
Seeing this, Liu Ju thought to himself that this time, General Li would probably be awarded the title of Marquis. Although it was the general who captured Yizhixie, Li Guang also played a very important role in the siege of Yizhixie and should be rewarded according to his merits.
With such a victory as capturing the Xiongnu Chanyu and the left and right wise kings alive, His Majesty the Emperor must be overjoyed, and the reward will certainly be generous.
Just as Liu Ju was thinking about it, he heard his father laughing happily and heartily.
Eighty-one years after Emperor Taizu was besieged at Baideng, the Emperor of the Han Dynasty finally avenged his previous humiliation.
Liu Che's joy was beyond words. He slammed the table and laughed loudly. The entire Xuanshi Hall was filled with the emperor's hearty laughter.
Liu Ju poured a cup of tea for his father to moisten his throat. Liu Che's eyes and eyebrows were all smiling. He touched his son's forehead and said with a smile: "Ju'er, are you happy?"
Liu Ju laughed and said, "My joy is no less than that of my grandfather, but I am so happy that I don't know why I laughed out loud."
Liu Che drank a cup of tea heroically, and suddenly raised his hand to touch Liu Ju's armpit. Now the Crown Prince could not control his laughter.
Even though Liu Ju had known about such a victory in his previous life, he was not yet able to empathize with his father's joy at that time.
The good news quickly spread from the Xuanshi Hall, throughout the entire Chang'an City, and to every corner of the Han Dynasty. Everyone knew that they, the Han Dynasty, had captured the Khan of the Xiongnu!
There was an endless stream of praises in the court. The army had not yet returned, but the Xuanshi Hall and the Weiyang Front Hall were already full of flattery for the general and the cavalry general.
The edict on rewarding people for their merits had been polished many times by His Majesty the Emperor, who even asked Liu Ju for his opinion.
Although Liu Ju was considered a cultured person in his two lives combined, in his father's eyes he was only ten years old. Wasn't this a bit too nervous?
We have won the battle, why is His Majesty the Emperor still nervous?
Liu Ju asked his father with concern, fearing he might have missed something. The Emperor, rarely shy, said, "Such a great victory must be recorded in history, and my edict will certainly do the same. The General and the General of the Cavalry have achieved an unprecedented victory, so I must write an edict worthy of it."
Oh, Liu Ju understood. His father was burdened by his idol status and was afraid that it would be embarrassing if passed on to future generations.
It turns out that Emperor Wu of Han did not have self-awareness. With your talent, there are not many emperors who can surpass you. You don't have to worry about being picked on by future generations.
Liu Ju laughed and said, "Ah Weng is praising a victory unprecedented in history. That's enough to make it unprecedented!"
His Majesty the Emperor suddenly realized and finally stopped dwelling on the trivial matter. Instead, he began to think about the prisoner presentation ceremony.
The Emperor of the Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu Chanyu had been rivals for many years, each being the king in his own territory. Although the Han Dynasty had won many victories over the years and had driven the Xiongnu further and further away, the Emperor would be unable to sleep at night when he thought about having such a neighbor who was eyeing the Han Dynasty covetously.
And now, the Xiongnu Chanyu has become a prisoner of the Han Emperor.
His Majesty the Emperor can finally rest in peace.
Liu Che thought that the ceremony of presenting captives should not only be held in the Taimiao, but he also had to offer sacrifices to Emperor Taizu, Emperor Taizong, and Emperor Xiaojing.
His Majesty the Emperor must tell every ancestor about the great victory of the Xiongnu Chanyu's surrender to the Han Dynasty.
Liu Ju had heard his father's fantasies many times, but he never interrupted him. This was what the emperor deserved.
He should have seen the day when the Xiongnu Chanyu surrendered to the Han Emperor.
Because Wei Huo had not returned to Beijing for the time being, the three Wei brothers and Huo Xian were summoned by the Emperor many times. The clever Huo Xian soon surpassed his three cousins and won the favor of the Emperor.
The three brothers of the Wei family were taken aside by Liu Ju. Since they had come to the palace, they should not waste the opportunity and should learn what they should learn. They would certainly not be able to reach the level of a general in the future, but if they could bring less embarrassment to the general, they would not let their father down.
While busy being happy, His Majesty the Emperor had not forgotten other serious matters, such as Zhang Qian's second diplomatic mission. This time, His Majesty the Emperor not only asked him to go to the Western Regions, but also ordered him to go further, to "Daqin" to have friendly exchanges with them.
If Marquis Bowang can't communicate well with them, Marquis Changping and Marquis Guanjun are still waiting in line behind him. This is how Liu Ju understood his father's words.
In addition, when calculating the rewards, Sang Hongyang came to Your Majesty and cried poor, saying that although the salt and iron state-run enterprises earned a lot of money, the war was really too expensive. Your Majesty, do you think the national treasury is a little short of money again?
Liu Ju did some calculations himself and felt that for Sang Hongyang, the national treasury was either full or in deficit.
The profits brought by both sea and land trade routes were enormous. The Han Dynasty's silk and porcelain were priceless, and with the support of His Majesty the Emperor, they were invincible.
Therefore, the current situation of the Han Dynasty is actually quite good. At least the taxes on the people are not as exaggerated as in the previous life, although Liu Ju feels that it should be reduced further.
His Majesty the Emperor felt that Sang Hongyang was right. The national treasury was indeed empty, and he needed to fleece the princes.
Then, white deerskin coins came out.
The so-called white deerskin coins meant that when the princes and kings came to the court, the jade disks they presented had to be padded with white deerskin.
It sounds easy, it's just a deerskin. Although white is rare, the princes can still find it if they look carefully.
But what if the white deer is only found in the emperor’s Shanglin Garden?
What if the emperor set a price of 400,000 coins for each piece of white deerskin?
The princes who were celebrating the Han Dynasty's victory over the Xiongnu suddenly lost their joy, but... His Majesty the Emperor didn't care whether they were happy or not.
If you are unhappy, just rebel. The general and the cavalry general have just used their ring-handled swords to chop off the Huns, and they are just right to use them to chop you.
The princes gnashed their teeth, but they had to speak softly even when cursing the emperor behind his back, for fear that someone would hear them and report them to Chang'an.
…
On the day the army returned, the streets of Chang'an were deserted and crowded with people. They were all eager to see the triumphant soldiers and even more wanted to take a look at the ferocious Xiongnu Khan.
His Majesty the Emperor personally walked down the city wall. Seeing this, the general and the cavalry general hurriedly dismounted to greet him. The generals and captains behind him also dismounted. For a moment, the sound of armor colliding was so loud that it hurt people's ears.
Liu Ju followed behind the Emperor and looked up at the two generals. After this trip, they looked darker and thinner.
Liu Ju prepared many medicinal food recipes specifically for their health and had instructed the imperial chef to prepare them.
Liu Ju calculated that it would take at least three to five years to make up for the expenses of this trip.
Liu Che ordered someone to read out the imperial edict full of praise on the spot, and personally praised his two generals repeatedly in various ways. In the end, the subordinates behind them were naturally not left behind by the emperor.
Then came the presentation of captives to the Taimiao. The captives, led by the Xiongnu Chanyu Yizhixie, knelt three times and kowtowed nine times, performing the ritual of subjects to the Han emperor and the ancestral temple.
There was a sacrificial ceremony afterwards, and when everything was over and we returned to the Weiyang Palace, the sun had already set.
Liu Che looked at the setting sun in the west with great joy, and said with a cheerful smile: "The Xiongnu are just like the setting sun, they will never burn the Han Dynasty again."
At this time, the general and the cavalry general had changed out of their armor and put on exquisite official uniforms, with purple sashes and gold seals hanging from their waists. They looked heroic yet elegant.
His Majesty the Emperor is a very down-to-earth person. One official title is accompanied by a ribbon and a golden seal, and two titles are accompanied by another. Therefore, Wei and Huo both wore more than one ribbon.
Liu Ju curiously ran his fingers across Huo Qubing's ribbon. It was made of fine silk and felt cool to the touch.
Huo Qubing lowered his eyes and saw it, his cold face relaxed a little: "Your Highness?"
Liu Ju smiled and said, "Cousin, you have worked hard. I have asked someone to prepare medicinal food for you and your uncle. The generals will also have some. It is for nourishing the body."
A single tree cannot make a forest, but the Han Dynasty needs any general who can fight.
"Medicine?" Huo Qubing focused on the first word.
Liu Ju said, "Meal." His emphasis was on the second word.
Huo Qubing said, "I don't need to take medicine."
Liu Ju explained, "It's a meal, cousin. It tastes very good. You'll know when you try it. I've also prepared the recipe for the medicinal meal. Everyone will have a portion."
"Your Highness..." Huo Qubing hadn't felt this helpless for a long time, "You are always different."
Liu Ju tilted his head: "Thank you for the compliment?"
Liu Che stopped talking with Wei Qing, turned around and asked with a smile: "What are you two talking about?"
"Uncle, I was talking about medicinal food with my cousin!" Liu Ju replied with a smile.
Liu Che smiled and said, "This is a gift from the Crown Prince. I ate it a few days ago and it is indeed good for the body. Zhongqing, Qubing, don't forget to take this recipe home."
Wei Qing and Huo Qubing: "..."
They felt the love of His Majesty and the Crown Prince, but they didn't really want to take medicine.
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