109 Chapter 109
◎Dispute.◎
Before the New Year had passed, Liu An, King of Huainan, and Liu Ci, King of Hengshan, committed suicide one after another, but Liu Che did not think it was unlucky at all.
The Huainan Kingdom was changed to Jiujiang County, and the Hengshan Kingdom was incorporated into Jiangxia County. With these two follow-ups, Liu Che felt that the two suicides added joy to the originally good day.
Unfortunately, the princes could not empathize with Your Majesty. They were on their way back to their fiefdoms at this time. When they heard the news of these two deaths, they felt cold all over.
Liu Ju watched his father standing in front of the map of the Han Dynasty for a long time, his eyes fixed on the fiefdoms of the princes. If the princes saw this, they would probably be so scared that they would commit suicide on the spot to apologize.
Emperor Wu of Han did not need anyone's persuasion. By the time Liu Ju finished drawing the blueprint of the water mill, his father had already returned and sat down with high morale.
"What is this?" Liu Che asked curiously. But before Liu Ju could answer, he had already figured it out. "Not bad, not bad."
After giving his father the water mill plan, Liu Ju didn't intend to worry about what to do next. He was thinking about something else: "Isn't my cousin going off to war? Aung, I want to make more allicin in the next few months so he can take it with him."
The apprentices who followed Liu Ju to make allicin were already able to graduate, but because of the need for strict confidentiality, Liu Che did not allow too many people to know about it. If he wanted Huo Qubing to have more allicin when he went to war, he had to prepare in advance.
Liu Che's attention was still on the water mill. He simply nodded, "Hmm." After pondering for a moment, he added, "Although there is food and fodder, it probably won't suit Qubing's appetite. I'll have someone prepare some food for him."
The more food prepared by His Majesty the Emperor, the better. However, these foods would be discarded because Huo Qubing could not finish them or delayed his journey, and then became a negative example for Sima Qian and was recorded in "Records of the Grand Historian".
Liu Ju advised, "Aunt, my cousin is going on a long journey. Giving him delicious food and fine wine will only add to his burden."
The Emperor humbly accepted the Crown Prince's suggestion and added, "I have ordered that a good place be chosen for him to build a Marquisate of Champions. The house he now lives in is small and old, and is truly unsuitable for his status."
Liu Ju: “…”
Well, Your Majesty, just wait for the Marquis of Guanjun to reject you personally.
As for Huo Qubing's current residence, it is of course very good in terms of location and spaciousness. However, it is His Majesty who is evaluating it. Apart from the fact that it is small and old, His Majesty really cannot give any positive comments.
Liu Che also instructed his son: "My son, don't tell your cousin yet. When he returns victorious, I will personally take him to see it."
Liu Ju pursed his lips and smiled, "Can I go with you?"
I mainly want to watch the famous historical scene where Emperor Wu of Han was rejected by Marquis Guanjun. Is there any TV series that has played that out? I can watch a "pirated" version first.
Liu Che nodded generously: "Of course!"
…
Before Huo Qubing went on the expedition, there was a happy event in Chang'an City. The emperor's eldest daughter and the only son of the emperor's elder sister, Princess Pingyang, got married. It was a match made in heaven.
There are many people to take care of the royal wedding. As the younger brother of the bride and the crown prince, Liu Ju does not have to do anything at all.
The emperor gave this wedding enough face and personally visited the Pingyang Marquis' Mansion with the prince. He accepted the newlyweds' kneeling worship and promised them rewards before leaving.
According to Zhou Li, a wedding should be called "hunli" and the ceremony should be held in the evening or at night. Therefore, when Liu Che and Liu Ju, father and son, left Pingyang Hou Mansion and returned to the palace, a crescent moon was already hanging in the sky.
Liu Che looked at the silver moon in the sky, his eyes revealing longing: "Rumor has it that Chang'e obtained the elixir of immortality from the Queen Mother of the West and was able to ascend to the Moon Palace. I wonder where the Queen Mother of the West is and how I can obtain the elixir of immortality."
"But Chang'e ate the elixir of immortality and turned into a toad." Liu Ju poured a basin of cold water on his father.
Liu Che said: "The Emperor Fuxi had a human head and a snake body, and so did Nuwa, who created humans. Immortals are naturally different from mortals!"
Liu Ju said again, "I still want to be a human being." He thought for a moment and added, "Because I want to walk on my legs."
Liu Che: “…”
Just when the emperor was speechless, his son made another speech: "The first emperor also sent people to look for the immortal mountain and the elixir, but Xu Fu was just a liar."
Liu Che insisted: "Xu Fu is a liar, but the elixir of immortality does exist."
Liu Ju tilted his head. "But, Aung, apart from the immortals in legends, no one has ever seen the elixir of immortality. Perhaps... someone made up these legends to deceive people?"
Liu Che rebuked him, "Ju'er, stop talking nonsense!"
Liu Ju stopped trying to dispel his father's feudal superstitions and instead said, "When Emperor Taizu was fighting Ying Bu, he was wounded by a stray arrow. Empress Gao summoned a famous physician for him, but Emperor Taizu said, 'I conquered the world as a commoner with a three-foot sword. Isn't this destiny? Destiny is in the hands of Heaven. Even Bian Que is of no use!' Compared to Emperor Qishi's obsession with searching for the elixir of life, I think Emperor Taizu was even better."
Liu Ju rudely criticized Fusu's father, but neither of them could hear him anyway.
Of course, his words mainly referred to Liu Ju's biological father.
Liu Che's face darkened and his displeasure was obvious. He did not speak another word to Liu Qie until he returned to Weiyang Palace.
This situation continued until the next day. When Liu Ju got up in the morning to greet his father, Liu Che still did not say a word.
Liu Ju looked at his father's stiff face and knew that he was waiting for him to submit to him. The proud emperor would never bow his head first.
Did he ever give in to his father?
Of course, and more than once.
But there were times when Liu Ju was determined not to give in. That time, he and his father went to war against each other, and countless people were killed and wounded inside and outside Chang'an City. The tragic scene is still vivid in Liu Ju's eyes.
Liu Ju was silent for a moment, and in the end did not say another word, but just continued to kneel.
It's good to anger His Majesty. Liu Ju thought, it's much better to depose me when I'm still unable to resist than to depose me in the future when I can't predict whether I will rebel.
With a "bang", His Majesty the Emperor slammed the table.
Everyone serving in the palace was terrified, probably because the Emperor was a man who never showed his emotions. There were indeed people who could make him angry, but...
It shouldn't be His Royal Highness the Crown Prince who has always been favored by His Majesty.
No one in the hall dared to stand anymore and knelt down quickly.
His Majesty the Emperor, who was sitting at the top seat, remained silent. His previous gaffe made him unwilling to speak first.
Liu Ju thought about it and spoke first, but he did not give in.
"I do think that searching for the elixir of life and seeking immortality is a very foolish act," Liu Ju said bluntly.
Liu Che: “…”
The others who were kneeling felt that they might not be able to walk out of the Xuanshi Hall alive. After all, everyone around His Majesty knew that His Majesty's lifelong dream was to seek immortality. Perhaps fighting the Huns and governing the Han Dynasty would have to be put on hold.
If Liu Ju knew what they were thinking, he would definitely sneer at them. In his father's eyes, these mysterious things were certainly important, but the Han Dynasty was of course the first priority. Emperor Wu of Han would not be so stupid.
His Majesty the Emperor has been seeking immortality for so many years, but no one has ever spoken to him so directly. Liu Che was confused when he heard this.
Brat! How dare you! Is this any different from just calling your father stupid?
Liu Che waved his hand and asked everyone else to leave, to prevent the prince from saying anything more outrageous. If he was really angered by him and something happened, it would damage the prince's reputation if it got out.
Thinking of this, Liu Che couldn't help but hold his breath again. He had tried so hard to think about him, but this brat only knew how to irritate him day after day!
Liu Che asked coldly, "Are you dissatisfied with my praying to the gods?"
Liu Ju shook his head: "Praying to the gods and worshiping ancestors are both necessary."
Superstition is also a means to consolidate feudal rule and deceive ignorant people. This trick works every time.
Liu Che's expression softened a little, as the prince at least knew the importance of the matter.
"But being cheated by the alchemist is obviously not a must." Liu Ju was determined to poke his father in the lungs today.
Liu Che almost couldn't catch his breath. He knocked on the table and said, "You...you just have to mention being cheated, right? Who cheated me?"
Liu Ju looked at his father and said, "Ah Weng, do you want me to count for you?"
Liu Che: “…”
Over the years, some of the alchemists who came to curry favor with the emperor were indeed liars, but after being exposed, the emperor executed them all. Of course, those who could stay by the emperor's side were those who truly possessed supernatural powers.
Liu Che said, "You have never seen a truly supernatural person, so you have such thoughts. My son, once you see one, you will naturally believe it."
Liu Ju shrugged and said, "For example, Aung, who is the most powerful person around you right now?"
Liu Che raised his eyebrows, seeing provocation in his son's action: "There really is one person beside me, son, do you want to see him?"
Liu Ju nodded: "If Your Majesty allows me to see him."
Liu Che immediately ordered someone to summon Li Shaojun.
Li Shaojun is the liar whose father insisted that he ascend to heaven even after his death. You were so good to him, but no one came to take you to become an immortal together.
Liu Ju has always been curious. His father did discover a lot of scammers, and it didn't stop him from being deceived as usual. Does he really believe that immortals and immortality really exist?
Even in the early feudal society, not everyone could be so superstitious.
Or, because he was the emperor and enjoyed many privileges, he could be deceived again and again.
Liu Ju felt that he had grasped the truth. The fact that his father had been deceived by the alchemist was indeed a matter of mutual consent. The deceiver certainly had a great responsibility, but his father was not innocently deceived.
Liu Che ordered Liu Ju to stand up and sit down beside him. He suddenly said, "Ju'er, I have a question. Since you were crowned the crown prince last year, you have had some strange ideas from time to time. Isn't this a gift from heaven?"
Liu Che shared this idea with Liu Ju at the time. Liu Ju certainly did not admit it, but he did not deny it either. In the eyes of His Majesty the Emperor, not denying it was obviously an admission.
Liu Ju: “…”
So I'm responsible for another incident?
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