124 Chapter 124
◎New life.◎
"Your Highness, there's a smell of wine here." Huo Qubing gently stroked the table with his hand and explained sympathetically, "There are also traces of wine being poured here."
Liu Ju: “…”
Are you Detective Conan?
"I haven't drunk yet." Liu Ju whispered. He waved his hand and asked someone to take out the wine glasses and bottles and put them back on the table.
"Cousin, would you like to try it?" Liu Ju asked eagerly.
Huo Qubing said seriously, "You are not allowed to drink yet, Your Highness. Please return it to His Majesty."
Liu Ju pouted and said, "Aung will definitely take the opportunity to sign an unequal treaty with me."
"What unequal treaty?" His Majesty the Emperor strolled in leisurely. "Wow, it's so lively here! My dear, I hope I didn't interrupt your banquet."
Everyone hurriedly stood up and saluted. Liu Che said no need to be so polite, rubbed his son's head, and then sat down in the main seat.
Liu Ju said, "Why didn't the old man tell anyone? I should have gone out to greet him."
Liu Che laughed and said, "What do you want to report? Did you do something bad behind my back?"
Liu Ju said categorically: "No!"
"Really?" Liu Che looked around, then pointed at the wine on the table and asked in surprise, "What is this? Why does it look like my bottle of wine?"
Liu Ju blinked and said innocently, "Really? Uncle, I'm also confused. This bottle of wine appeared here out of nowhere. It turns out it belongs to you!"
His tone was so sincere that Huo Guang almost believed it, but the reason he didn't believe it was because he witnessed the whole thing.
Huo Guang was shocked and decided to learn from the Crown Prince's ability to lie without blinking.
Liu Che couldn't help but burst out laughing: "You little brat! You're getting bolder and bolder. Not only did you steal my wine, you even dared to lie to my face!"
Liu Ju still insisted, "It wasn't stolen, old man. It came here on its own."
Liu Che suppressed a laugh and said, "Honestly, I won't sign that treaty with you... 'Unequal Treaty', where did you come up with that term? It's a bit blunt, but the meaning is clear."
His Majesty the Emperor understood the meaning of these words, but he found it quite interesting that the Crown Prince suddenly came up with a new word.
Liu Ju laughed and said, "It would be better to be frank, old man. Do you really have to be like those Confucian scholars, embellishing everything you say to be considered good?"
Huo Qubing nodded silently.
"Confucian scholars have their uses, and are not allowed to criticize court officials without authorization." Liu Che said, "You too." This sentence was said to Huo Qubing.
Liu Ju said obediently: "Yes."
Huo Qubing: "..."
Huo Qubing said, "Your Majesty, I have nothing to say."
"You said it in your heart." His Majesty the Emperor said unreasonably.
Huo Qubing could only say, "Yes."
Liu Che looked at Huo Guang again and said with a smile, "Look at your brother. Not bad, sensible. Huo Guang, are you a palace attendant now?"
Huo Guang stood up and replied, "Your Majesty, yes."
Liu Che waved his hand and said, "Sit down. From tomorrow on, you will lead the Imperial Household."
Huo Guang expressed his gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"What about me, Grandfather?" Liu Ju pulled his father's arm.
Liu Che asked doubtfully, "You...you what?"
Liu Ju laughed and said, "My father-in-law rewarded Huo Guang, so he should reward me too!"
Liu Che couldn't help laughing: "Reward you...I give you this, is it enough?" Then he tapped Liu Ju on the forehead, "You stole my wine, and you still want me to reward you!"
Liu Ju said in disbelief, "Aunt, you clearly said you don't care!"
"I said I would not sign an unequal treaty with you," Liu Che said with a smile, "or else ask your cousin what I said."
What's the point of asking? Liu Ju touched his nose and was more cautious this time: "Ah Weng, is this over now?"
"Let me think about it..." His Majesty the Emperor looked thoughtful.
Liu Ju looked at him expectantly. Liu Che wanted to tease him for a while longer, but now he couldn't do it anymore. He couldn't help laughing and said, "It's over. Not only is it over, but I also gave you that bottle of wine."
"Thank you..."
Before Liu Ju finished speaking, the Emperor said, "But..."
"You are not allowed to drink wine."
Liu Ju paused, then said, "Thank you, Uncle. Actually, I don't really want to drink. It will make me grow taller."
"Will it?" It was Huo Qubing who asked the question.
Liu Ju said, "Yes."
"I started drinking earlier than my uncle, but I am taller than my uncle." Huo Qubing stated the facts.
This is because your two children had very different living conditions when they were little. Your uncle suffered so much when he was little, which must have affected his growth later on.
But Liu Ju shouldn't know about Wei Qing's childhood, so he said, "There must be other reasons, cousin. There are many variables."
After chatting about some trivial matters for a while, Huo Qubing took his leave and took Huo Guang with him.
Liu Che brought the bottle of wine and said with a smile, "You have good taste. You picked a good bottle."
"Since I am Grandpa's son, I must have inherited Grandpa's vision." Liu Ju said with a smile.
Liu Che tapped his forehead, put down the wine, and said, "You don't treat Huo Guang as an outsider."
Liu Ju knew that his father's words forbidding him to criticize court officials were mainly because Huo Guang was present. When he discussed officials and nobles in private, he had never avoided mentioning his uncle and cousin.
Huo Guang has not been tested by the Emperor yet and is not considered one of his own, so he has to be kept in hiding.
"Huo Guang has already passed the test here," Liu Ju said. "If you want to use him, it's up to you to decide whether he's a good fit."
"Okay." Liu Che said with a smile, "Since the Crown Prince has said it's okay, he has already taken a step forward with me. I will give you another pass."
…
After August passed, the tension in the Pepper Palace grew increasingly high because Liu Yuan was about to give birth in September.
The facilities at that time were limited, and even the best doctors could not accurately predict the due date, which could only be within a month. Wei Zifu was worried about her daughter, so she sent a female doctor from the palace to the princess's mansion in mid-August to be on standby.
Liu Ju would comfort his mother every day when he went to pay his respects to her, but it was better than nothing. After all, as long as Liu Yuan could not give birth safely, Wei Zifu could not relax.
But the baby in Liu Yuan's belly was not growing fast. There was still no movement until mid-September. After the 15th, Liu Yuan had some movement, but it was not a real birth.
Wei Zifu had experience and she knew that this meant her daughter was about to give birth, so she became even more nervous. Liu Ju wanted to ask the emperor for permission to allow his mother to go to the princess's mansion to accompany her elder sister, but Wei Zifu refused, saying that there had never been such a precedent.
Wei Zifu was not only worried about what Liu Che would think, but also afraid of what Princess Pingyang had in her mind, so she could only wait anxiously in the palace.
Liu Yuan gave birth on September 20th. She went into labor in the early morning. When the sun rose in the east, the baby was born. Both mother and child were safe.
When the palace gate opened, people from the princess's mansion came over to announce the good news, and Wei Zifu cried with joy.
Liu Che was also very happy about the arrival of his grandson. After hearing the child's birth time, he gave the child a nickname - Han.
Liu Ju would go out of the palace to visit his sister during the day, but he didn't expect that his nephew would go out when there were fewer people around. When he arrived at the princess's mansion, he only saw Princess Pingyang.
Princess Pingyang laughed and said, "Your cousin didn't even send anyone to call me for such a big thing. Your sister is tired, so I'll let her rest. Your cousin has been busy all night, so please don't cause any more trouble here. I'll take care of everything."
"How can I disturb my aunt at night?" Liu Ju said, "It's just the right time for you to come. My uncle is busy and it's difficult for my mother to leave the palace, so I have to go out and check on my sister."
Princess Pingyang has always known that the Crown Prince has a deep friendship with his sisters, especially the eldest princess. Recently, seeing how much the Crown Prince cares about his pregnant sister, she feels even more relieved.
She has a good relationship with her emperor brother in this life, and her son's wife will also have a good relationship with her emperor brother in the future. This is very good.
Princess Pingyang asked with a smile, "Ji'er, are you going to see your little nephew? I remember you loved children very much. You went to see the one at my sick home several times."
Liu Ju smiled and said, "Children are adorable, but we'd better not have one right now. Newborns are very fragile. It took me a while to get to see my cousin Qubing's children. It wouldn't be good to startle them."
"He's young, but very sensible," Princess Pingyang said with a smile. "Han'er is very beautiful, and looks like his mother. You can report this to your father-in-law and mother when you return."
Liu Ju smiled and bowed: "Thank you, aunt."
Princess Pingyang spoke a few more words about the conditions of the adults and children. Liu Ju listened carefully, thinking of going back and telling his mother in detail so that she could feel at ease.
Unexpectedly, Princess Pingyang suddenly mentioned something off topic: "I heard that Madam Wang is ill again?"
Liu Ju was stunned for a moment and said, "It seems so. Maybe it's healed. The last time... it must have been five or six days ago. When I was at Grandfather's place, I heard someone report it back to Grandfather. It's been a while now, so it should be healed."
"She's fine this time, but with her health condition, I don't know when she'll get sick again. Unfortunately, even though there are female doctors in the palace, they can't cure her illness." Princess Pingyang sighed softly.
She seemed to be very regretful, but the smile in her eyes was still there. Liu Ju had already understood what she meant.
As expected, Princess Pingyang then smiled faintly and said, "Your Majesty is indeed lacking someone to serve you attentively."
Liu Ju accepted Princess Pingyang's hint very calmly. This meant that she was going to send beauties to his father. In the Han Dynasty, it was very common for the emperor's sisters to send him a few beauties.
What is unusual is why Princess Pingyang informed herself in advance?
Aunt and niece are aunt and niece, but Princess Pingyang's support lies with the emperor, who is high above the Weiyang Palace. The crown prince? She doesn't need to curry favor with the crown prince now.
Want the Empress to take care of the people she sent to the palace? No need. As long as they can catch the Emperor's eye, not to mention that the Empress is not a jealous person, even if she is, who can make things difficult for his favorite concubine under the Emperor's nose?
Liu Ju thought for a moment and said, "My father is the emperor, my aunt, I can't say anything about this."
Princess Pingyang covered her lips and chuckled softly, "Silly child, your aunt didn't ask you to say anything. I just wanted to tell you that there was such a thing."
Liu Ju understood that Princess Pingyang wanted to send a beauty to please the Emperor and had no other purpose. She informed him in advance because she didn't want him to misunderstand.
The best of both worlds.
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