110 Chapter 110
◎Frightened.◎
Although he didn't deny it immediately, Liu Ju could now make amends. He immediately said, "No! Grandfather, I've never seen a fairy. I don't know what a fairy is! These are all my own thoughts! I was born smart. Grandfather and mother gave birth to me. It had nothing to do with the fairy!"
Liu Che: “…”
For a moment, he didn't know whether he should refute his son. Otherwise, wouldn't he think that he was no good?
"Auntie, I understand," Liu Ju continued. "My grandmother dreamed of the sun entering her womb, and that's how the Han Dynasty gained such an unprecedentedly wise and sage emperor. Could it be that my mother also had a dream back then, which is why you think I'm a gift from heaven?"
...No.
Liu Ju's birth was quite ordinary. If he had not been the son that the emperor had been waiting for for many years, he would not have attracted much attention.
Moreover, as a feudal emperor, although Liu Che was very superstitious, he also knew how to use superstition to deceive people.
——Therefore, he often suspected that his mother's so-called dream of falling into her arms was a made-up gimmick.
——It was too disrespectful and it was also undermining his own plans. Liu Che only thought about it secretly in his heart occasionally.
Liu Che rubbed the bridge of his nose and said, "...Your wise and sage emperor, unprecedented in history, is forbidden to speak such words in the future."
His Majesty the Emperor was indeed very confident in himself, but... this confidence was a bit excessive, and Liu Che could hardly bear it.
Liu Ju couldn't help laughing and said, "As you wish."
After a while, Li Shaojun came to see the emperor.
Li Shaojun is no longer young, but because of the emperor's courtesy, he lives a wealthy life and looks very energetic.
Liu Ju followed his father and stood up to greet this very successful liar. After all, in his previous life, he had survived until his death without his father exposing his scam.
Li Shaojun returned the greeting respectfully. After taking his seat, he said to Liu Che, "Yesterday I refined gold with cinnabar and was about to present it to Your Majesty."
After successfully making the emperor believe that he was hundreds of years old, Li Shaojun proposed his little trick to prolong his life: refine cinnabar into gold, and then eat and drink from utensils made of this gold, so that one can live a long life.
Liu Ju couldn't help but sneer. This was because Li Shaojun died early. If he had lived a few more years, his father would have eaten more mercury, which would have probably shortened his lifespan.
But then again, bronze utensils are still used these days, and they aren't necessarily that safe, so... this little bit of cinnabar may not be that harmful.
Liu Ju thought to himself, my father is in great health.
This laugh attracted the attention of Liu Che and Li Shaojun to Liu Ju. The smile on Liu Che's face froze. He pursed his lips, looking puzzled, but did not speak.
Since he dared to lie to the emperor, he must have no psychological endurance at all. Li Shaojun saw that the situation was not good, but he remained unmoved. He smiled at Liu Ju and said, "What did I say to make Your Highness laugh?"
Liu Ju couldn't help laughing twice, then said, "I'm happy. My father-in-law is able to live a hundred years. As a son, I'm naturally happy. Isn't that right?"
Li Shaojun smiled and complimented, "Your Highness is kind and filial."
"No wonder Grandfather said you have supernatural powers. You can really read my mind." Liu Ju nodded in agreement. "I am filial to Grandfather, so I can't bear to see him deceived."
Li Shaojun said calmly: "Your Highness is overthinking. Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven. Who would dare to deceive Your Majesty?"
Liu Ju said, "Sir, this is not true. Of course, there have been people who have deceived Your Majesty. Although those people are dead, they were still human beings when they were alive."
Li Shaojun touched his white beard. He was already quite old and didn't know how many years he could live, but... he obviously didn't take life and death lightly. Listening to Liu Ju's suggestive words, his heart couldn't help but tighten.
Since the death of Marquis Wu'an, he has only been using cinnabar to refine gold for the emperor and rarely displayed his so-called magical powers. He should not have revealed any flaws, so why was he suddenly targeted?
Of course Li Shaojun couldn't figure it out, because this time... he really suffered an unexpected disaster.
"Ju'er." Liu Che said in a deep voice, "Let's talk about serious matters."
Don’t mention the fact that he was cheated. Your Majesty still has some dignity!
Liu Ju smiled and said, "Aunt, I don't have much to say. I just have one thing to ask, and I'm afraid I'll have to trouble Mr. Li."
Li Shaojun stole a glance at His Majesty, who showed no reaction, and said cautiously, "I dare not. Please give your orders, Your Highness."
"I dare not give the order." Liu Ju said with a smile, "In two days, I would like to invite you to the palace again, old man, is that possible?"
Although he didn't know what his son was up to, Liu Che certainly trusted his son more than the alchemist.
Even though his son kept mentioning that he had been cheated, which was really infuriating, His Majesty the Emperor could still distinguish between relatives and strangers.
Moreover, Liu Ju has always been filial and sensible, and Liu Che loves this eldest son very much.
What Liu Ju said was tantamount to disobeying His Majesty the Emperor. If it were someone else, how could he sit here peacefully?
Liu Che thought to himself, you little bastard, you are just taking advantage of my love for you and that’s why you dare to be so presumptuous and ignorant.
In front of outsiders, Liu Che gave his son face: "Well, I will summon you another day."
Li Shaojun realized the change in the emperor's attitude, but he could do nothing but leave it to fate.
However, Li Shaojun was puzzled as to what he had done to offend the emperor and arouse his suspicion.
Liu Che didn't want to talk much with Li Shaojun today. Seeing that Liu Ju didn't say anything, he sent him away.
"Ju'er." Liu Che rubbed his brows, "What are you going to do?"
Liu Ju smiled and said, "Aunt, this needs to be kept secret. I need to make some preparations in the next two days. You can't let anyone spy on me."
Liu Che said with a headache: "Peeping... Who do you take me for?"
Liu Ju kindly suggested, "Aunt, you're a little tired today. Try to take less official business and rest more."
"I'm not tired." Liu Che said unhappily, "I'm just mad at you."
Liu Ju sighed: "The truth is always hard to accept."
Liu Che: “…”
"Prince," Liu Che said, "step back."
His Majesty the Emperor doesn’t want to see his son today. It’s a headache!
…
Naturally, what happened in the Xuanshi Hall would not be spread outside, and naturally, no one knew that the emperor and the prince had a little temper.
Although Liu Che was very curious, he still abided by the agreement with his son and did not send anyone to investigate the situation in the Prince's Palace.
Two days passed quickly and Li Shaojun was summoned to the palace again.
After thinking for two days, Li Shaojun only understood one thing: it was not the emperor who suspected him, but the prince.
Then the question arises, he hasn't even met the prince, how did he arouse his suspicion?
With such doubts and anxiety about his uncertain future, Li Shaojun respectfully and cautiously paid a visit to His Majesty.
Looking up, Li Shaojun suddenly discovered that the prince was not there today.
Li Shaojun did not feel at ease, on the contrary, he became even more uneasy.
Then, the Emperor said to the eunuch beside him, "Go and report to the Crown Prince that Mr. Li has arrived."
The eunuch took the order and went down, and soon returned: "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince asks Your Majesty to move over, and Mr. Li, the Crown Prince also asks you to move over."
Liu Che put down his pen and said, "Let's go."
Led by the eunuch, Liu Che and Li Shaojun entered a dim room one after another.
Liu Che frowned and asked, "Ju'er?"
Liu Ju's voice came from the darkness: "Please wait a moment, old man."
Liu Che said, "Yes."
Liu Ju had already informed Liu Che beforehand. Although he didn't know what his son was going to do, he knew it was Liu Ju's arrangement, so he was very calm.
Li Shaojun was different. Because of nervousness, beads of sweat had already appeared on his forehead. Fortunately, the environment was dim and Liu Che could not see it, otherwise his identity as a liar would be exposed.
Just when Li Shaojun was feeling anxious, a shadow suddenly appeared in front of him.
In the darkness, Liu Che clenched his fists. Several lifelike shadows appeared one after another. He stared with wide eyes. After a while, he realized that the scene of Chang'e flying to the moon was replaying before his eyes.
After the performance, the candles in the house were lit one by one. Liu Ju walked over and found that Li Shaojun had collapsed on the ground.
Liu Ju tugged at his father's sleeve and whispered, "Aunt, now this proves he's a liar, right?"
Liu Che glanced at Li Shaojun, not caring to punish him first, but asked: "Zi'er, what was that just now..."
Liu Ju smiled and said, "It's very simple, old man. You must have read the books of Mohism." As he spoke, he pulled his father's sleeve and walked to the other side of the curtain, explained the principles of shadow puppetry, and demonstrated it again.
"If we rehearse well, we will surely be able to put on a more exciting performance." Liu Ju said with a smile, "We can even add music to it, Aung..."
Liu Che waved his hand. He didn't want to watch the show for the time being. The scene looked so magical, but the principle was so common that he found it hard to accept.
Liu Ju stopped talking and let his father digest it.
It would take His Majesty the Emperor a while to digest it all, but that didn't stop him from dealing with Li Shaojun.
Of course, there is only one fate for a liar. After receiving the imperial edict, the Chief Justice Zhang Tang immediately suppressed Li Shaojun and punished him. His fate was obvious.
Liu Ju accompanied his father back to the Xuanshi Hall. As if afraid that his father had not been stimulated enough today, he performed Luan Da's deception again to open the eyes of His Majesty the Emperor again, and successfully nipped the two future scammers in the bud within one day.
In addition, he also searched for a lot of tricks used by ancient conmen and performed them all for his father, giving the frightened emperor a little stimulation.
Of course, His Majesty the Emperor did not gain nothing. Liu Ju was not only responsible for the performance, but also for deciphering the secrets. After today, Liu Che himself could already serve as a Taoist priest.
——Except for not knowing how to make elixirs, he knows more tricks than the alchemists.
The next day, Li Shaojun was executed, and his so-called life-extending instruments were discarded by His Majesty and never used again.
Liu Ju did not intend to reveal the fact that cinnabar was poisonous, not because he could not prove it, but mainly because he was afraid of scaring his father.
An emperor who seeks immortality must be afraid of death. If he knows that the tableware he uses is poisonous, he will scare himself into thinking something is wrong.
The Han Dynasty cannot do without His Majesty the Emperor, and Liu Ju thought it would be better not to scare him again.
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