122 Chapter 122
◎Request.◎
With Guanjun Hou taking the lead, the rest of the people also told Liu Ju about their personal experiences in the war.
Liu Ju listened attentively, occasionally expressing his gratitude for their hard work and praising their bravery and fearlessness. He was a very qualified listener.
Adding to Liu Ju's identity as the crown prince, everyone became more and more passionate and excited as they spoke. After all, if the crown prince listened, maybe what His Majesty said would reach his ears.
Who doesn’t want to be looked at differently by His Majesty?
Seeing that the time was almost up, Huo Qubing coughed lightly, and everyone immediately stopped talking.
Liu Ju gave a thumbs-up and said with a smile, "The Champion Marquis has a good command of the army."
Huo Qubing asked in confusion, "What does this mean?"
"My cousin, you're amazing!" Liu Ju explained. "You're unbeatable!"
On the side, Huo Guang was looking at his brother with bright eyes. After all, he only knew about his brother's great victory and how many Huns were captured, but he had never heard the detailed process. This time, after listening to others' story and understanding his brother's bravery and wisdom, he admired his brother even more.
Huo Qubing clasped Liu Ju's hands together and said, "Thank you, Your Highness. I will take you to His Majesty."
Liu Ju said, "I don't need to see you off... I'll be fine if you do. I have something small to discuss with my cousin."
Huo Qubing stood up, asked Huo Guang to wait for him, and held out his hand again: "Do you need me to lead Your Highness?"
Liu Ju stepped forward and said with a smile, "Cousin, I don't seem to be three years old anymore."
Huo Qubing withdrew his hand and slowly followed: "When you were three years old, you usually wanted to be held."
"Eh." Liu Ju said with disdain, "Why am I so delicate?"
Huo Qubing looked down at him and asked, "Do you despise yourself?"
Liu Ju shrugged: "We must have the courage to criticize ourselves."
Huo Qubing nodded and asked, "What kind of...small matter do you have?"
"Cousin, it's really a small matter, please believe me." Liu Ju stopped and said seriously.
Huo Qubing said, "Then you have to speak first."
Liu Ju smiled and said, "Cousin, when you go to the army again, can you take me with you?"
"No." Without any hesitation, Huo Qubing refused immediately.
Liu Ju argued, "Cousin, I'm not going there to play. I just want to go and take a look. I'll follow your arrangements and definitely not run around."
"No," Huo Qubing said, "I will not take you out of the palace unless His Majesty orders it, Your Highness."
"I know, I know." Liu Ju nodded repeatedly, "Cousin, I must ask Grandfather for permission. This also depends on your willingness!"
Huo Qubing was stunned. This meant that he agreed and the prince went to ask for permission again.
The prince really has... ...quite a clear mind.
As long as Your Majesty approves, why would he disagree?
But since Liu Ju was able to ask himself this question in advance, it must be said that Huo Qubing felt relieved.
"I can take you there," Huo Qubing said seriously, "Your Highness, you can go and ask for permission."
Liu Ju smiled and said, "I'll go right away!"
As he spoke, he quickened his pace. Huo Qubing followed beside him, glancing down at his feet from time to time to prevent the prince from falling.
"Aunt!" Liu Ju jumped up to his father and asked, "Can I go with my cousin next time he goes to the army?"
"Hmm?" Liu Che held his shoulders. "Why are you going? I'll scare you again. Go again in a few years."
Liu Ju said seriously, "Ah, I am the crown prince of the Han Dynasty. How can I only read the victory reports and not dare to see how the soldiers are training every day?"
These words did indeed move His Majesty the Emperor somewhat, but he was a little worried, so he said, "I will take you there."
Liu Ju shook his head: "It's up to the grandfather to go, and it's up to me to go."
Liu Che naturally understood what he meant. He paused and looked at Huo Qubing behind him.
Huo Qubing stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured."
Liu Che nodded and said to Liu Ju, "Then go ahead and follow your cousin well."
Liu Ju bowed and said, "Thank you, old man!"
Liu Che smiled and said to Wei Qing, "Zhongqing, find a day and accompany me on this trip."
Wei Qing replied, "As you command."
…
After returning from Shanglin Garden, Liu Ju first went to the Jiaofang Palace to pay his respects to his mother. Liu Qi and Liu Xiang had already changed their clothes and were talking to their mother.
As soon as Liu Xiang saw him, he said, "Ju'er, you are so slow."
Liu Ju said: "You are going back to the Pepper Palace, and I am going back to the Crown Prince's Palace, so naturally you are faster."
Liu Xiang leaned against his mother's arm and smiled, "I love living here with you, mom. Even when I grow up in a few years, I won't move out."
There is indeed a precedent in the palace. When a princess reaches about thirteen years old, she can live in a palace by herself, as long as His Majesty agrees. Therefore, only the favored princess can enjoy this treatment.
Liu Yuan had this opportunity back then, but she politely declined her father and chose to stay with her mother and sisters.
Liu Ju smiled and said, "Okay, you can stick with your mother. When she gets tired of it, she will kick you out."
"No way!" Liu Xiang snorted, "Mother won't dislike me!"
Wei Zifu chuckled: "Yeah."
Liu Qi covered her lips and smiled: "Little sister..."
Liu Xiang finally came to his senses: "I'm not annoying! Ju'er, you... you're so annoying!"
"Yeah." Liu Ju smiled, "Sister is the most likable."
Liu Xiang pulled his mother's sleeve and said, "Mom, look at him, look at him!"
Wei Zifu said with a stern face, "Zi'er, stop bullying your sister all the time."
"I know." Liu Ju knew when to stop. He didn't want to make trouble with his third sister. That would be a real mess.
Wei Zifu smiled and said, "Alright, you two sisters, stop playing around as soon as you meet. I have something else to do."
Liu Ju then asked, "What's the matter, mother?"
Liu Xiang wanted to speak, but now he had to shut up.
Wei Zifu said, "Yuan'er told them that Cao Xiang was going to the army. Zi'er, did you know about this?"
Liu Ju said, "I know, mother, that cousin Cao Xiang will follow his uncle. You can rest assured."
"I know he has ambitions, and that's a good thing, but it just happened to be at this time..." Wei Zifu sighed. She knew the difficulties of a woman getting pregnant, and since it involved her own daughter, she couldn't help but feel even more distressed for Liu Yuan.
"Mother," Liu Ju consoled her, "the army won't be marching this year. By the time cousin Cao Xiang leaves Chang'an, my sister will surely have given birth safely."
Wei Zifu felt better at this point: "Really? Your sister only said Cao Xiang was going, and I thought they were leaving right away. This child, she can't even explain herself clearly!"
Liu Ju laughed and said, "How could my sister know about such a thing? My mother would just listen and forget about it. Don't spread it outside."
Wei Zifu nodded: "Of course, you two too."
Liu Qi and Liu Xiang both said, "I know, don't worry, Mother."
Liu Xiang added, "I don't talk nonsense."
Although Liu Xiang was a bit carefree and unconcerned about details, he was taught by his mother and always knew what to do.
Liu Ju asked with a smile, "Really never?"
Wei Zifu interrupted them: "Okay, okay, that's it for today. Mother needs to rest."
Liu Ju and Liu Xiang shut up at the same time. Liu Qi smiled and said, "Mother, take a rest. We will withdraw first."
The three siblings walked out of the bedroom together. Liu Xiang took the second sister's hand and asked Liu Ju, "Will you come with us?"
Liu Ju said, "I still have to go to Aung's place."
"Oh, the sacrifice will be held in these few days. Grandpa hasn't looked for a Taoist priest in the past two years, and he has worshipped gods less often, but there are still many sacrifices." Liu Xiang said casually.
"It's not that Old Man doesn't want to look for an alchemist, it's that the alchemists don't come to Old Man to tell him about their magical skills." Liu Ju said with a smile.
Liu Xiang said, "They don't have any in the first place. If there really were supernatural beings, why wouldn't they go to heaven to enjoy happiness instead of trying to curry favor with the old man?"
Liu Ju said solemnly: "Sister, you are the smartest."
Liu Xiang raised his chin: "Of course I'm smart!"
Liu Qi smiled softly and said, "Ju'er, aren't you going to Grandpa's place? Don't delay any longer."
Liu Ju said, "Then I'll leave."
They walked all the way to the Xuanshi Hall, sat with Liu Che for a while, and talked about the August 15th sacrificial ceremony. Then Liu Ju returned to the Prince's Palace to rest.
The Weiyang Palace was not as comfortable as the Ganquan Palace, and it took Liu Ju several days to adapt.
After the fifteenth day of the lunar month, the day for Liu Ju and Huo Qubing to join the army was set.
"I will pick you up early in the morning on the 19th and will be back on the same day," said Huo Qubing.
Liu Ju nodded and said, "Cousin, call Huo Guang as well. He shouldn't have anything important to do."
"If Your Highness wants Huo Guang to go, he can go, of course. But..." Huo Qubing asked curiously, "Why does Your Highness want to take him with you? Do you like Huo Guang very much?"
Liu Ju said, "We've been running together for so long, and it's hard to get used to not seeing anyone all of a sudden. Besides, cousin, he's your brother. I'm sure I won't dislike him."
"Although Huo Guang hasn't said anything, I can see he's not used to getting up so early in the morning," Huo Qubing said. "Otherwise, Your Highness, please ask His Majesty to let Huo Guang come to your place. That way, besides his days off, he can still run with you."
Liu Ju shook his head: "No, cousin, Huo Guang should stay with my father-in-law, that way he will have a better future."
Huo Qubing said, "If he has the ability, he can get it no matter who he follows."
Liu Ju said: "He is indeed capable, so he should follow Aweng. Aweng knows how to use a capable person."
Huo Qubing agreed that His Majesty was better at employing people, so he had no objection. However, after thinking for a moment, he added, "You can still go running together in the evening."
Liu Ju couldn't help laughing. "Cousin, a habit is just a habit. You can adapt to it. But when you put it that way... it's as if Huo Guang and I can't live without each other, making us look like a pair of star-crossed mandarin ducks."
Huo Qubing laughed a rare laugh: "Don't talk about it, don't talk about it. Huo Guang is not a child anymore, I don't need to worry about him."
Liu Ju supported his chin and said, "But cousin, I'm still a child. I need you to worry about me."
Huo Qubing said helplessly: "Your Highness will be ten years old after the New Year. Is he still a child?"
Liu Ju nodded shamelessly: "Okay."
Huo Qubing raised his eyebrows and said, "Okay, then on the day you leave the palace, I'll take Your Highness on a ride..."
"No, no, no..." Liu Ju said immediately, "I'm grown up!"
Being led on horseback is too embarrassing! Even if you are a champion, you can't do that!
Huo Qubing tilted his head.
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