Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

Chapter 112: Coming of Age
Huo Xian was actively giving advice to Liu Ju, and it could be said that he was trying to enhance Liu Ju's prestige and strength.

To be optimistic, with the presence of Grand Marshal and General Wei Qing and Grand Marshal and General Huo Shan, no one dared to frame Liu Ju.

Even the emperor's other children did not dare to express any hope for the position of crown prince.

But think about the witchcraft disaster in history. The foolish emperors in their later years believed almost no one.

He forced the crown prince, who was known for his virtue, to death, which led to the turmoil of the country. His wife, who had been with him for decades, was also forced to death. His two biological daughters were executed, as was Prime Minister Gongsun He, Changping Marquis Wei Kang, and his grandson Cao Zong.

Chang'an was flooded with blood and tens of thousands of people were killed because of this incident.

Huo Xian knew that he was now the emperor's confidant, and the emperor would not blame him even if he acted foolishly.

But no one knows when the emperor will lose trust in him, and no one can guarantee that the suspicious emperor in his later years will not kill a confidant first in order to achieve immortality.
It is obviously not enough to simply rely on the emperor's trust for some things. One must still have enough strength to protect oneself.

Huo Xian, who left the palace again, returned to the Guanjun Marquis's Mansion and prepared to study the new technological invention carefully. He was serious about papermaking and felt that he could spend some time and research to improve it.

There was paper in the Han Dynasty, but it was "hemp paper". The output of this kind of paper was not large, the producing areas were not wide, and the quality was poor, so it was not enough to replace bamboo slips and silk.

"Papermaking?" Huo Xian was lying lazily on the bed, shaking his feet and thinking, "Am I going to be the first person to pollute the environment?"

This is very likely to happen. Papermaking will inevitably damage water sources. Soaking plants in the pool will be a form of pollution.

"Straw and bamboo seem to work." Huo Xian thought carefully, "We need to peel the skin first to get the plant fibers, and then soak them. But I don't know how long to soak them, so I have to figure it out."

Let's do the research regardless of the cost. Huo Xian is rich and can afford such an investment.

In fact, whether it is an iron pot, horseshoes, or even the "Tianhan Plow" that is now being vigorously promoted near Chang'an City, Huo Xian is indeed an "invention".

However, the continuous improvement of these things is done by craftsmen and others.

This is normal. Huo Xian, the inventor, provided some ideas and thoughts to solve the problem of creating something from scratch. Subsequent improvements and so on do not necessarily require him to do it himself.

Huo Xian was still busy with something when Huo Guang came over and asked, "Xian'er, is it you who is accompanying His Majesty on his tour this time?"

"They want me to arrange it, but it's a tough job." Huo Xian couldn't help but complain, "Leading troops is the easiest, but accompanying guards is not difficult for me either."

He said this with great confidence, in large part because Huo Xian had accompanied the emperor on many tours, so some things could be learned from others.

Huo Guang naturally understood this, but he still worriedly said, "Then you still need to be more diligent. I heard that many people nowadays don't recognize you as a Weiwei."

This is hard to explain. It’s not that those people don’t know Huo Xian, but that Huo Xian doesn’t know those people.

Huo Guang naturally disapproved of some of Huo Xian's work styles. He was an extremely cautious person, and had never made a mistake in the palace for more than 20 years. This was his style.

Huo Guang didn't even dare to think about Huo Shan's ostentatious style and reminded him several times, but Huo Shan refused to change, so there was nothing he could do.

Huo Guang reminded him, "You are the Grand Marshal and General of the Cavalry, and you are familiar with the Western Regions. You should pay more attention to the affairs of Wusun. You should be aware of this matter."

It seems that Huo Xian was late to mention this. At the beginning, he also entered the capital with Wusun envoys. After all, they were foreign envoys, so sometimes they would be given some preferential treatment, especially Wusun, whom the Han Dynasty needed to win over.

Huo Xian asked, "What is the court saying about this matter now?"

Huo Guang said, "There must be some clues. Although the incident with Princess Xijun is regrettable, the Wusun are now wavering between the court and the Xiongnu, and all the civil and military officials in the court think that they should be won over."

Huo Xian could naturally understand this matter, as Wusun was really too important.

This is a powerful country in the Western Regions. Previously, it joined forces with the Xiongnu to destroy the Dayuezhi and avenge the destruction of their country. Now it is a nomadic country from the southern bank of Lake Issyk-Kul north of the Tianshan Mountains to the Ili River basin.

This country borders Xiongnu in the north, Kangju in the northwest, Dayuan in the west, and the city states in the south, and is very worth winning over. If you want to control the Western Regions, the role of Wusun, the local tyrant, is reflected.

Huo Guang looked at Huo Shan and said, "Shan'er, before you go on tour, please ask His Majesty to show mercy and perform the ceremony of crowning for you."

Huo Xian was stunned for a moment. He now holds an official position, but he has not yet reached adulthood!

Wearing a cap is the beginning of etiquette!
This is the coming-of-age ceremony, which is naturally extremely important. After the coming-of-age ceremony, one becomes an adult and can participate in some social activities as a formal adult.

The Han people attached great importance to the ceremony of coming of age, but the age requirement was not particularly strict.

The emperor and the crown prince were quite special. Some emperors could be crowned at the age of 20, such as Emperor Hui, or at the age of 16, such as Emperor Liu Che. It all depended on the specific circumstances. For example, if the crown prince was about to ascend the throne, he would definitely be crowned in advance.

As for ordinary scholars, they generally have to wait until they are twenty to be crowned.

"Uncle is right. It's time for me to wear the crown." Huo Xian said, "It's time for me to wear the big crown of the military officer."

Wubian Daguan, this is the military cap. This kind of cap has a bird feather inserted, plus two pheasant tails, inserted vertically on both sides, which is also a military ceremonial cap. The pheasant is a brave pheasant, and they fight one against the other until they die.

If you add the tail of a sable and the feather of a cicada, it becomes the crown of Zhao Huiwen, also known as the crown of a sable cicada, which is the ceremonial crown of high-ranking military commanders. When it comes to the Sima clan, the idiom "a dog's tail is added to a sable" is derived.

Seeing that Huo Xian was serious about this matter, Huo Guang was very pleased. "Before, you were young and held a low position, so no one said that you would not be crowned. This time, you have returned victoriously, but the reward has not been given yet. It is because of your young age that you have suffered."

Since Huo Xian's reward was not given, some people naturally felt indignant, such as Huo Guang. However, they could only complain about this matter in private. Who dared to mention it in front of the emperor?

Huo Xian smiled and said, "I will go to the palace to ask in a few days. If your majesty agrees, I will ask the general to crown me."

Huo Guang just smiled. He felt that this matter was uncertain. If Xian'er was really allowed to be crowned, His Majesty would definitely not allow anyone else to preside over it.

The emperor had even given Huo Xian a courtesy name a long time ago: Zihou.

Actually, the name was given before the child was ten years old, and it should have been bestowed by the elders during the coming-of-age ceremony.

But these are obviously not important, the courtesy name can be given first, and the ceremony of coming of age should also be performed when the time comes. Especially for a marquis like Huo Xian, it would be unacceptable not to perform the ceremony of coming of age.

In fact, apart from the emperor, not many people completely treated Huo Xian as a child. Twenty years old is not young, and many people at this age have children running around.

It didn't matter if Huo Xian didn't marry, as long as he took a concubine first. But if he didn't wear the crown, it would become a joke.

Huo Xian asked uncertainly, "My father-in-law and mother are gone. Should I pay my respects to the general or the queen?"

Huo Guang suggested, "If His Majesty crowns you, you should naturally pay homage to His Majesty. If none of them come, you should pay homage to your brother's spirit tablet."

This is a big deal, and just thinking about it makes Huo Xian feel a little numb.

Because he knew how terrifying and cumbersome the rituals were in the Han Dynasty. Cowherd capping was naturally an extremely important matter, and the requirements for etiquette and so on were undoubtedly higher.

But even if it seems a bit tedious or a headache, you still have to do what you have to do.

Huo Xian, who knew what was going on, felt that after he returned to Chang'an this time, many things had happened.

Now he also thinks that he should not be a "half-grown child" like in previous years. His identity, resume and age are all suitable, and it is time to do more things.

As for the emperor, there was nothing much to say. Even if he thought Huo Xian was a child who never grew up, that was only relative. If he really wanted to start doing things, he would definitely do them.

After all, Huo Xian was allowed to go to the battlefield. Not only had he fought two battles, but now he was also fully responsible for the defense of the emperor's tours, etc.

All this also shows that in the emperor's mind, Huo Shan can already start to take on more responsibilities.

Huo Xian was going to the palace. It was about some important matters for him, and whether he could be treated as an adult in the future, so he had to be more proactive.

Huo Xian, riding on a fine horse, was heading towards Jianzhang Palace when he suddenly saw a convoy also heading towards Jianzhang Palace.

"Stop!" Huo Xian pulled the reins and asked directly, "Who are you?"

A pretty maid stepped forward and said politely, "I am the granddaughter of King Chu Yuan, and I am here to enter the palace by order."

Huo Xian was stunned for a moment. He could just report his father's name, or his grandfather's name if that didn't work. But now a "granddaughter" came and he was overwhelmed with fear for a moment.

However, Huo Xian suddenly remembered that King Yuan of Chu Liu Jiao was the half-brother of Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, and had a good reputation, but his grandson was King Wu of Chu who participated in the Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms.

If nothing unexpected happens, the person in the car is Liu Jieyou, who was born as the descendant of a criminal.

Now we cannot mention her father and grandfather, we can only mention her great-grandfather, King Chu Yuan.

"Follow me into the palace." Huo Xian nodded slightly, then asked, "Has His Majesty granted me the title of princess?"

The maid replied obediently, "I don't know."

The maidservant was cautious and prudent, and Liu Jieyou must have been cautious as well. After all, his grandfather committed suicide in rebellion, but Emperor Wen at that time did not pursue the matter too much and even preserved the State of Chu, which was a blessing.

Huo Xian led the horse and walked in front, "Do you know why you were summoned to the capital this time?"

The maid whispered, "I don't know."

Suddenly a clear voice came from the car, "I can guess a little, but doesn't Da Sima know?"

Huo Xian was immediately happy, "You know me?"

"Of course I know." Liu Jieyou said in the car, "I heard that the Grand Marshal was showing off his power in the Western Regions before, and wanted to send someone to ask about some things about Wusun, but the Grand Marshal did not meet him."

Huo Xian was stunned. He really didn't know about this. But it was normal. There were many people who wanted to see him, but basically none of them could see him.

(End of this chapter)