Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

Chapter 218 Style
There will always be some big events happening in Chang'an City. After all, it is the capital of the Han Dynasty and the center of power.

Now the gossip spread that the emperor would start his tour as usual, and everyone was used to it. Since the emperor took power, he liked to go on tours more and more.

Although we don’t go on parade every year, we do go out quite frequently.

It is said that Qin Shi Huang went on five tours and died on the way. Liu Che was better than his master. His first official tour was in the second year of Yuanguang, which was right after Dou Ying was executed.

Up to now, there have been nearly thirty patrols of varying sizes, but sometimes we only go out two or three times a year, but that is only for nearby areas.

Not all of them were about seeking immortals or performing sacrifices. Sometimes they were indeed busy investigating people's livelihood or inspecting the border.

It's fine once you get used to it, but many officials are also very concerned about whether they can go on the tour together. After all, it is said that they will go to Mount Tai to offer sacrifices to the gods this time, because the court has almost taken over the Western Regions.

This was a great achievement. Given the emperor's ambitious character, he naturally needed to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth and demonstrate his great achievements after expanding his territory by thousands of miles.

The Marquis of Guanjun will be in charge of the arrangements for this tour, which is a very obvious signal. Although the Marquis of Guanjun is the minister who accompanies the emperor the most in recent years, he used to just accompany him and not arrange anything.

But now it is different. He has officially begun to be responsible for arranging matters big and small, including defense along the way, summoning officials, etc. He is truly in power.

In addition to the emperor's tour that has attracted much attention, there is also a new piece of news that Marquis Guanjun will host a banquet for guests in his mansion after going to Bowang Garden.

It was not surprising that Huo Xian went to Bowang Garden, but many people were very surprised that he hosted a banquet for guests. After all, Huo Xian used to care almost nothing about these "social conventions".

Not to mention inviting guests to a banquet on his own initiative, even if many dignitaries who thought they had some face and status had sent invitations, this Marquis Guanjun still ignored them and did not attend at all.

The last time that Marquis Guanjun attended a banquet was nearly ten years ago, and it was the previous Prime Minister Shi Qing who had the honor to do so. At that time, Marquis Guanjun was only eleven years old!
Liu Ju was in a good mood. Seeing the smoke and dust in the distance, he said to the people around him, "Follow me to welcome the Champion Marquis."

The people around Liu Ju had no objection. Huo Xian's status was worthy of the crown prince to go out to greet him. This was a proof of respect for the wise and humble. The emperor would greet and see off important officials on formal occasions.

Looking at the fluttering flags of "Grand Marshal and General of the Cavalry", "Marquis of Guanjun" and "Huo", Liu Ju was very happy.

Huo Xian still knew how to hold up the occasion. He wore armor and a mask and led his four generals directly to Bowang Garden.

Huo Xian dismounted and bowed, "Your Highness, I am Huo Xian, here to greet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"You don't need to be so polite, Marquis Guanjun!" Liu Ju helped Huo Xian up affectionately, holding Huo Xian's wrist and saying, "Only after seeing Marquis Guanjun so heroic can you understand why you have made so many great military achievements."

Huo Xian also knew that the sedan chair was carried by many people. "Thanks to the horseshoes and saddles made by His Highness, our Han cavalry can gallop better!"

Liu Ju patted the back of Huo Shan's hand. He always remembered these favors. The saddle and horseshoes were originally made by Huo Shan, but most of the credit was given to Liu Ju.

Even though some people may know what happened, not everyone in the world knows the truth. What is circulating now is that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is kind and generous, but he also has a lot of experience in military affairs.

Of course Huo Xian likes credit, but he doesn't necessarily need to take all the credit. That would not do him any good.

As the Marquis of Guanjun, Huo Xian was of course the emperor's only minister. However, this did not affect his status as the crown prince's most staunch supporter, and he should also think of the crown prince when there were benefits.

He might not be able to help much in matters of civil administration and internal affairs, but in military matters, Huo Shan could help Liu Ju establish some prestige, provided that he would not arouse the emperor's suspicion.

There is a sense of propriety here, and Huo Xian has lost a lot of brain cells because of these things.

Holding the hilt of the sword, Huo Xian followed Liu Ju to Bowang Garden and indeed saw quite a few people. The prince still had some appeal and prestige.

Liu Ju's current situation is rather complicated. His position as crown prince is stable, none of his brothers dare to compete with him, and no civil or military officials in the court dare to frame him. His abilities and so on are also recognized.

Even when the emperor was on tour, the prince was responsible for regent duties. He handled things well and generally won the emperor's approval.

However, it would be an exaggeration to say how much real power Liu Ju had. The prince had no real power at all now, and the emperor was reluctant to give up power to the prince.

This is probably a regret in history. Liu Ju did have a good reputation, but he had no real power, so he had no resistance when facing the emperor and was even criticized by ministers.

As soon as Huo Shan sat down, a maid brought wine and snacks. Liu Ju and others knew Huo Shan's preferences too well.

"Uncle, I took a quick look and found a few who are quite strong." Huo Xian looked at Liu Ju and said with a smile, "If there are really capable people, I will take them away directly and not keep them for you."

Liu Ju said casually, "What you said is wrong. They are all the imperial court's men. How can you say that you took them away or left them for me? They are all your Majesty's subjects."

There are times when polite words are needed, and Huo Xian is well aware of this. Liu Ju is naturally even more aware of this, as he has a stronger sense of propriety. After all, everyone knows what kind of temper the emperor has.

After all, the emperor is too powerful, so naturally other people need to be very disciplined and dare not covet the power that belongs to the emperor, no one can do that.

Huo Xian continued to ask, "Uncle, most of the people who came here this time are young men. Could it be that only young men come to surrender?"

Liu Ju explained with a smile, "Some young men would like to come, but everyone in Chang'an knows that you, Marquis Guanjun, like young men the most. I think that's a good idea. Young men are brave and sharp, and it's pleasing to see them."

There seems to be nothing wrong with this statement. Young boys always make people feel the vitality of life.

Huo Xian didn't waste any more words and said to Chen Ju, "Uncle Chen, go and make the arrangements. Since these people are here, they must have some martial arts skills."

Liu Ju also made arrangements and said, "Zhao Zhong, you go with me and make arrangements. Everything should be arranged by Guanjun Hou first. You and I don't understand military affairs. Guanjun Hou's troops are all veteran soldiers with more experience than you and I." Chen Ju clasped his fists and said, "Your Highness is too kind. I am just a warrior. I don't understand anything else except killing people."

"Okay, why are you being so polite in front of my uncle!" Huo Xian said jokingly, "Now that you've said that, my uncle should be praising you. Go and arrange things quickly, and bring Feng Wu with him, he doesn't know how to choose people."

Feng Wu immediately followed Chen Ju. It was not that Chen Ju was incapable of doing anything other than killing people. He had a sharp eye for selecting soldiers, etc. However, he did not have the ability to lead troops.

Liu Ju looked at Feng Xu and said, "Feng Dan is going to be made a marquis this time. I remember that year when you came back, you wanted to commit suicide, but your cousin persuaded you to stop. Look how good it is now, your youngest son has also made great progress."

Feng Xu, who had lost his legs, sat behind Huo Xian and said with some shame, "I am sorry to have embarrassed you, Your Highness! I am a warrior, and I feel that if I am disabled and cannot follow the general to kill the enemy, there is no point in living."

"Now that you see how successful Xian'er is and your sons have made great contributions, can you still say that life is not good?" Liu Ju said with a smile, "I heard that Zhao Congxiao has also made great progress. Maybe he will be granted a title of nobility next time."

It is true that Liu Ju was respectful to the wise and humble to others, but it is obvious that he would not really be respectful to everyone, or that he would remember them all in his heart.

But Huo Shan’s four generals were different. They were Huo Shan’s confidants, and they were the ones who followed Huo Qubing in the past. Even the emperor had some impression of them.

So there is nothing wrong with chatting for a few minutes now. For people like Liu Ju, winning people's hearts is not just about interests and status, sometimes it is about these details.

Huo Xian said casually, "Uncle, I will be traveling with His Majesty this time. The affairs in and outside Chang'an should be left to my aunt and uncle. Don't ask about the military affairs. The general will take care of it."

Liu Ju knew what was going on. "Don't worry. I have never said anything about military affairs in all these years. It's just Tan Jie. He is still a confused guy with too many thoughts on his mind."

Liu Ju really loved and was angry with Tan Jie. After all, that man was his disciple and had made great achievements in the army. He was a banner figure who could help Liu Ju recruit more people to his fold.

Huo Xian smiled and said, "Don't get angry about this. You will understand it after a while. Not everyone is as smart as me, and I have the guidance of His Majesty and my uncle."

Liu Ju smiled and nodded in agreement with Huo Shan's boasting. Huo Shan had a strong sense of propriety and although he seemed to be rash in doing things, he was actually very tactful and thoughtful. This was the perspective that came from growing up next to the emperor.

People like Tan Jie are indeed capable, otherwise he would not have been noticed by Liu Ju, let alone reached the threshold of a marquis in just a few years.

It's just that sometimes, due to low birth and less experience, one doesn't have a comprehensive view of some things. Now, Tan Jie's status and official position are rising, and his ambitions are growing, and he is somewhat unable to control them.

"I'm afraid that my uncle will have to make a lot of arrangements for personnel, including the transfer of officers and soldiers." Huo Xian said, "I won't ask about this matter, but you'd better talk to my uncle."

Liu Ju nodded calmly, "Is this to prepare for the battle against the Xiongnu next year or the year after?"

Huo Xian naturally would not hide it and said directly, "That must be the case. Uncle should do the things that offend people. If we go to fight the Xiongnu, everyone wants to make merit. It's a technical job to arrange the route."

Liu Ju was naturally aware of this. To put it simply, it was Li Guang who felt that he was not assigned important tasks during the decisive battle, so he complained constantly.

When a big battle really happens, many soldiers want to make contributions, but they have their own opinions on who is the main attacker and who is the feint attacker, whose task is more important, and who might be the sacrificed soldier, etc.

Arranging such things might indeed offend people, but for Wei Qing it was nothing. He was not afraid of offending people, not to mention that his prestige was now unrivalled.

The reason why Liu Che and Wei Qing did not let Huo Shan arrange these things was not only because they felt that Huo Shan was young and impulsive, but it was also a form of protection for him.

It has been said that these arrangements are likely to offend people, and if not arranged properly they may even lead to military defeat, so Huo Xian should not take these risks.

The elders arranged everything, and Huo Shan led the troops directly to fight. This was also the usual practice during the several expeditions. If it weren't for the on-the-spot deployment and so on, people would have thought that Huo Shan was just taking advantage of a ready-made situation.

Liu Ju became serious and asked with concern, "Xian'er, you are aware of some of the current things. If you go out to fight next year or the year after, the troops you lead should not be less than 100,000, right?"

Huo Xian replied, "With less than 100,000 troops, we will definitely not be able to defeat the Xiongnu. This is a decisive battle. Uncle, I know the court is in trouble now, but I dare not stop it this time."

"Of course I won't stop you, but I think if you lead the army, you must fight and win quickly." Liu Ju reminded, "If it really drags on for two years, the court will definitely not be able to bear it."

Huo Xian could understand Liu Ju's difficulties. After all, the country's current strength was limited. The imperial court could naturally send out 100,000 troops to fight a decisive battle, and they were even elite soldiers and generals.

After all, the imperial court had not suffered a major defeat or heavy casualties in the past few years, so there were still a relatively sufficient number of elite soldiers. However, the shortage of money and food was a real problem.

It doesn't matter if 100,000 people go on the expedition, but if it drags on into a war of attrition, the burden on the court will be very heavy, which it cannot afford.

Huo Xian knew what was going on. "Don't worry, cousin. I went out to fight three times, and each time I brought back some money, food, and horses."

Huo Xian might not be the best at fighting a war, but when he led the troops to fight, it definitely seemed that the court consumed the least amount of resources. He was a general who was very good at "making money".

The first time he went on an expedition with Wei Qing, he plundered some cattle, sheep and supplies. Although the second time he attacked Dayuan, it took two years to go back and forth, he almost emptied Dayuan.

The campaign in the Western Regions lasted almost half a year, during which time they plundered three Western Regions kingdoms and forced many Western Regions countries to pay tribute.

This is a real achievement. Although the court did not become more prosperous and powerful because of these expeditions, it did reduce the burden on the court. Huo Xian's local food supply was even more exaggerated than Huo Qubing's.

He really fought and plundered, and didn't care about the lives of the people in the attacked countries at all.

Even though some of the Han officials thought that Huo Xian was not benevolent in his actions, most people thought that this was a good thing, as the education was for the people of the Han Dynasty, not for other people.

(End of this chapter)