150 Chapter 150
◎Hard to choose. ◎
The Crown Princess needs to be carefully selected, but the Crown Prince Gong Tian does not need to be carefully selected. Therefore, when the Emperor agreed with the Crown Prince that he would make all the decisions, he never expected that one month before the wedding of Wei Qing and Princess Pingyang, the Crown Prince would not be able to pick a suitable candidate.
From family members to unmarried girls in officials' families, from common women to singers in the Yuefu, everything that the emperor could think of was seen by the prince, but none of them made him nod his head.
This went on from March to July, more than four months, and not a single woman was able to stay in the Prince's Palace!
This made the Emperor very angry, but fortunately Princess Pingyang chose the second day of August in early autumn as the date for the wedding with the general.
Liu Ju was afraid he'd really upset his father, so he seized the opportunity to persuade him, "Aunt, my business isn't urgent. You should first attend to my aunt and uncle's wedding ceremony. There can't be any mistakes. One is your sister, and the other is your brother-in-law. If anything goes wrong, it'll be disgraceful to you."
Liu Che snorted and said, "I'm already embarrassed enough, mobilizing such a large army. Well, the Crown Prince doesn't even look down on any of them, and you're just watching me work so hard for nothing, happy? huh?"
"No, no!" Liu Ju waved his hands hurriedly. "Ah, feelings are unpredictable. Look, there are many people in the harem, but how many of them are to your liking?"
"No matter how many people there are, I always have one. What about you?" Liu Che said unhappily, "Why are you so picky? You don't even look down on anyone!"
Liu Ju explained, "Aunt, I've said this many times. I'm not picky. The people you've chosen are all good, but they just don't suit my taste."
Seeing that the words were coming back, Liu Che rubbed his forehead and said, "I won't talk to you anymore, otherwise I will be mad at you to death."
"Don't be angry, don't be angry!" Liu Ju hurriedly stroked his father's chest, "It's not a big deal, Uncle, it's not necessary. If you are angry, just scold me and hit me, don't hold it in. If you get sick because of me, I will never be able to redeem you even if I die..."
"What are you talking about!" His Majesty the Emperor slapped his son's hand and glared at him, "You little brat, you're not a kid anymore, but how come you still talk without any sense?"
"I was wrong, old man, I know I was wrong." Liu Ju blew on the back of his hand, then patted his father's chest.
Liu Che glanced down, rubbed the back of his son's hand, and said, "Alright, sit still. I have a question for you."
Liu Ju quickly sat down and said politely, "Aunt, please speak."
"Tell my father the truth about what kind of thing you want," said Liu Che.
Liu Ju opened his mouth and said only one word: "I..." Then he immediately closed his mouth and refused to say anything else.
Liu Che said anxiously, "Speak! Is there anything you can't tell me?"
"I'm afraid you'll be angry because I..." Liu Ju scratched his nose. "Aunt, how about we make another agreement?"
His Majesty the Emperor looked at him expressionlessly.
Liu Ju wanted to raise his hand and swear, but he was afraid of his father's anger, so he could only continue dryly, "That is... please give me another two years. After two years, if the Crown Prince's Palace is still empty, you can choose someone for me. I will never refuse again. What do you think, Aung?"
Liu Che thought for a moment and repeated, "In two years, I will choose you. You cannot refuse..."
Liu Ju corrected him, "Only when there's no one around me, Aung, will you make the choice."
Liu Che continued, "It is now the 18th day of the seventh month of the second year of the Yuan Ding reign, and it will last until the 18th day of the seventh month of the fourth year of the Yuan Ding reign. There must not be a single day added to these two years."
Liu Ju nodded heavily: "Aunt, we can... find a witness."
Therefore, Marquis Changping and Marquis Guanjun were invited to serve as witnesses for His Majesty the Emperor and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, but the expressions in both of their eyes were indescribable.
Afterwards, the Marquis of Changping was kept by the Emperor to complain, while the Crown Prince and the Marquis of Guanjun left first.
They were at the Shanglin Garden at the time, and Liu Ju invited Huo Qubing to go for a boat ride: "It's cool on the water, cousin, and you can also go fishing."
"I don't like fishing." Huo Qubing said.
But Guanjun Hou still liked the cool place, so they went on a boat ride.
Liu Ju sat in the shade, propping up his chin and speaking slowly, "It's good that Grandpa can complain to Uncle. Otherwise, I'm really worried that he'll get himself sick."
Huo Qubing was looking at his reflection in the water. Upon hearing this, he looked at the Crown Prince and saw his brow furrowed. He said, "Your Highness, since you are worried about His Majesty, she is just a woman. Why don't you obey His Majesty's wishes first? When you find someone you like later, will His Majesty still not allow you to choose again?"
"Cousin, it's true that I'm worried about Grandpa, but I also don't want to put myself in a difficult position," Liu Ju said. "It sounds a bit of a dilemma, but I want to have the best of both worlds."
Huo Qubing couldn't understand Liu Ju, but he nodded and said, "This two-year agreement can temporarily reassure Your Majesty. However... if you don't want to be wronged, can you guarantee that within two years, someone who meets your needs will appear?"
Liu Ju smiled and said, "Don't worry, cousin. I want to have the best of both worlds, but I can't really make Grandfather angry. If I don't meet someone I like within two years, I'll naturally have to satisfy Grandfather's wishes first. One of us, father and son, must be happy."
The Crown Prince seemed to be forcing a smile, so Huo Qubing advised him, "Your Highness, don't be discouraged. Even if you don't meet someone in a year or two, there's still a long time to go. Just keep looking. There will always be someone who meets your heart."
"Thank you for your kind words, cousin!" Liu Ju said with a smile, "Things like fate are really hard to predict."
Liu Ju then ordered someone to bring him a fishing rod: "I have to catch some fish to appease my grandfather. Cousin, please join us for dinner. I'll have someone make you a crucian carp and tofu soup. It's good for your skin and can also boost your immunity."
Huo Qubing said helplessly: "Your Highness, I am not a woman, I don't need to maintain my beauty."
"Guanjun Hou is a handsome man, so he still needs it, so that people can throw more flowers and handkerchiefs at him when he goes out." Liu Ju said with a smile, "When you reach Aong's age, it will be too late to maintain your face."
"It's late, I don't mind." The Champion Marquis crossed his arms, his expression full of refusal. "Besides, Your Highness, you've already said it. What if you can't catch a single fish?"
Liu Ju laughed and said, "This has nothing to do with me. I didn't make the crucian carp soup myself."
Huo Qubing couldn't help laughing and said, "If you want to cheat, why don't you just give someone else the job instead of fishing?"
"Hey, cousin, this is not right. If I don't fish, how can I appease my grandfather?" Liu Ju shook his head and smiled.
Huo Qubing understood: "It doesn't matter whether you can catch fish or not. The important thing is to let His Majesty know that you fished for him, and he will be happy."
Liu Ju pointed to the sky and added, "It's still under the bright sun at noon."
Huo Qubing was speechless for a moment, then said earnestly, "Your Highness, these are all women's tricks. You are the Crown Prince of the Han Dynasty, so you should set your sights on higher ground."
Liu Ju smiled and said, "It is the Crown Prince's duty to appease His Majesty the Emperor."
"Cousin..." Liu Ju turned around, "I know what you mean. Don't worry, I know what I should do."
Huo Qubing looked at him and said, "I believe in Your Highness."
Liu Ju continued, "No one is perfect, cousin. If I do anything inappropriate in the future, please be sure to point it out to me directly, no matter when."
Huo Qubing leaned forward slightly and said, "Please rest assured, Your Highness. I will do it."
…
Liu Che waved his hand to let them go, then turned to Wei Qing and said with a smile: "Ju'er is a child who would rather suffer injustice and always thinks of me in his heart. How can I not love him?"
Wei Qing smiled and said, "Your Majesty is your Highness's father and ruler, so naturally, Your Highness puts His Majesty first in his heart."
Liu Che relaxed on the couch, a smile still on his face. "Zhongqing, it's not that I'm forcing the Crown Prince to choose someone by his side right now. Look at my age, I can still wait for him for a few more years. When I was sick last time, my son told me that my father-in-law could live to seventy. I looked at him and took it seriously, thinking that I could wait for him for another ten or twenty years without being in a hurry to have a grandson."
Wei Qing said, "Your Majesty, have you ever considered that perhaps it is because he saw this intention that His Highness is unwilling to choose someone right away. Seeing you like this, he is afraid that..." It was difficult to say the next words, so Wei Qing stopped in time, "Your Majesty, please forgive me, I..."
"That's all right." Liu Che sat up. "Zhongqing, I understand what you mean. Zi'er wants me to have more thoughts in my mind. He's afraid that if I get what I want, then..."
Thinking about how the prince has always been more concerned about the health of the people around him since he fell seriously ill in Shanglin Garden last time, and his grandfather is of course the prince's top priority.
A tender look appeared in the Emperor's eyes: "This silly boy..."
How can a person's life span be determined by one or two things? Liu Che would not feel that he has no regrets just because he has a grandson. Your Majesty the Emperor...but he still has ambitions that have not been realized.
But the Crown Prince is worried and confused, and His Majesty the Emperor can certainly understand his intentions.
Wei Qing said softly, "Your Highness is worried that Your Majesty will keep dwelling on this matter, and doesn't want you to feel resentful, so he made this two-year agreement. I believe that by then, Your Highness will have come up with a new idea..." He paused, then chose a light-hearted excuse, "I've angered Your Majesty."
Liu Che laughed twice: "Stinky boy."
"Forget it." Liu Che lay back down. "Let him be clever. He doesn't want me to feel at ease. I am a magnanimous person and won't bother with him."
"I will let the prince rest assured."
Wei Qing nodded and smiled: "Your Majesty has always loved the Crown Prince the most."
"By the way..." His Majesty the Emperor continued, "Zhongqing, if the Crown Prince fails to catch any fish later, I will expose him. You rascal, how dare you treat me like this? You cannot speak for the Crown Prince."
Wei Qing said helplessly: "Yes, I will help Your Majesty."
Liu Che nodded with satisfaction: "Well, say a few more words to insult him."
Wei Qing thought to himself, if I really do this, then it will be Your Majesty who will feel distressed.
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