Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

Chapter 220 Borrowing People
Huo Xian's shamelessness has refreshed some people's cognition time and time again, but many people are somewhat accustomed to it.

Seeing the emperor pretending to be angry and impatient, Huo Xian immediately said, "Your Majesty, in all these years, I have rarely taken the initiative to entertain all the dignitaries and old friends. I must not lose face."

Liu Che nodded slightly, then asked, "Who are the people you are inviting to the banquet? Marquis Yiqu and Marquis Haixi haven't returned to Chang'an yet, so why don't you invite them?"

"Let's talk about it after we go on tour." Huo Xian said with a smile, "I'll host a banquet then. Most of these people are always fighting with me. If it doesn't work, I'll have a drink with them in my tent next time I go on an expedition."

Liu Che glared at Huo Shan. This child was becoming more and more unruly. Fortunately, Liu Che also knew that it was just a joke and there was no need to take it seriously.

However, Liu Che still asked, "Old brothers, which old brothers do you plan to host this time?"

Huo Xian said immediately, "An Guo is not in Chang'an, so I will let his brothers go over. As for Yi Guan Hou, he is a bit older, so I plan to let his descendants come over to help."

Liu Che glared at Huo Xian and stressed, "Marquis Yi Guan? Gao Bushi was stripped of his title ten years ago, so how can he be called Marquis Yi Guan?"

Gao Buzhi was a Xiongnu, but he had fought against the Xiongnu ten years before and suffered more losses than gains. According to the Han army's military system, this was a death sentence, so he could only pay to atone for his crime and avoid the death penalty, but he lost his title.

"I'm used to it, can I still call him by his name?" Huo Xian said, "I'm planning to take him with me next time I go to war, otherwise I won't be able to explain to Grandfather later."

Huo Shan's words made Liu Che smile a little. His preference for Huo Qubing was obvious to all.

It has long been said that Huo Qubing's official position and title were carefully set up by Emperor Liu Che, and Zhao Po Nu, the first "Cong Pi Hou", and Gao Bu Shi, the "Yi Guan Hou", can explain the problem.

From Zhao Po Nu, Marquis of Piao, Gao Bushi, Marquis of Yi Guan, and Pu Peng, Marquis of Hui Qu, these were the first batch of marquises who followed Huo Qubing to be granted the title of marquis. They were both Xiongnu people, and Zhao Po Nu was also a Han Chinese who escaped from the Xiongnu.

Liu Che looked at Huo Xian and said, "Whether Gao Buzhi can be reinstated depends on his ability. But he is not close to you, and you did not take him with you on several expeditions."

Huo Xian looked at Liu Che and asked, "Your Majesty, if I really want to appoint a general, can I allow him to follow me? If we go to war now, he and Lu Bode will lead their own armies, right?"

Liu Che laughed and patted Huo Xian on the head, "You are quite clever, kid! Okay, this is not your fault!"

It was not Huo Shan's problem that he did not take Gao Buzhi with him to fight. It was just that the emperor did not make any arrangements. How come it seemed as if Huo Shan did not care about Huo Qubing's subordinates!

Huo Xian did not care about that and continued, "Marquis Du and Marquis Zhongli should also be called. Marquis Du's family was not close to me in the past few years, but if Marquis Zhongli is called, he will follow me to the battle next time."

Continuing to select the soldiers and generals, Huo Xian said, "I am also going to call on Xingshan, the Marquis of Yiyang. Although I don't like him very much, he is still an old friend of mine."

Liu Che laughed and criticized, "Xingshan, Xingshan, this man is now called Weishan!"

"Although the Marquis of Changwu is gone, his descendants are still here." Huo Xian continued, "So, if we count all the troops of my father-in-law who are in Chang'an, plus the captains, that will be enough."

Liu Che was very pleased and said, "Not bad, at least I haven't forgotten the old people your grandfather left behind. These people may have been neglected in recent years because of his status in his early years, but you can't forget them either."

Huo Xian was naturally aware of this, "Of course I know. When I was young, the Duhou family didn't interact much. Otherwise, how could I be close to An Guo? He has always been close to my family."

Liu Che said with relief, "It's good that you know this. Some people seem to be close to you just because they think you are useful to them."

The world is bustling with people all seeking profit, and Huo Xian certainly understands this truth. Even the so-called Guanjun Hou’s old followers may not be united.

In history, Xingshan falsely accused Zhonglihouyi. At that time, it was an 'uncle' who falsely accused his 'nephew', so how could he still remember the friendship they had in the past?

Huo Xian brought the topic back and said, "There are only a few people in my house who are good at fighting, and the one who manages things is Chen Sanlang. Normally, the housekeeper is fine, but now he can't handle such a big occasion."

Hearing Huo Xian's words, Liu Che also laughed angrily, "Are you anxious now? In the mansion of the Grand Champion Marquis, there are only four fierce soldiers who can only fight and kill. I asked you to be more careful in normal times, but you are not anxious!"

Huo Xian's Guanjun Marquis Mansion was indeed a rare gem in Chang'an City. If we were to talk about housekeepers, Chen Sanlang could barely be considered one. There were indeed servants and so on.

But most people know that the four generals are usually the stewards. They are considered to be hardworking, but they are somewhat biased. They don't have to worry about fighting, so the stewards are naturally lacking in some skills.

Also because Huo Xian didn't care much about some red tape, the Guanjun Marquis's Mansion sometimes seemed to have no rules and everyone was happy and free, and he himself thought it was very good.

But now I am definitely in a hurry, and I still have to pay attention to some etiquette when entertaining guests, otherwise I might offend someone at any time.

Even though Huo Xian's identity doesn't seem to require him to worry about offending anyone, he is still an old friend after all. How can he turn a friendly relationship into a hostile one for no reason? This is really not worth it.

Huo Xian was also embarrassed and said, "I still don't like outsiders. I feel more at ease with my own family. Chen Sanlang is a good person. In a few years, he might be mature enough to be the housekeeper."

Liu Che was too lazy to say that some big families' housekeepers were good at everything. But he also understood that Huo Xian's personality would definitely not stand the style of those housekeepers.

Looking at Huo Xian, Liu Che asked, "Go to the Prime Minister's Mansion, the General's Mansion, the Queen, the Crown Prince, or if that doesn't work, go to your uncle. With so many people there, will they watch you lose your manners when hosting a banquet?"

Huo Xian shook his head decisively and said firmly, "I am hosting a banquet at the Guanjun Marquis' Mansion. Why would I invite people from the General's Mansion and the Prime Minister's Mansion to come? The Queen and the Crown Prince's people cannot go either. I won't invite them."

Liu Che smiled and said, "People can go to the General's Mansion and the Prime Minister's Mansion, so this won't be a problem."

Forget about the Empress and the Crown Prince. The Emperor still doesn't like them to be too close to some powerful people. There's nothing he can do about relatives like Wei and Huo, but he can't have too much contact with other powerful people.

"Isn't this because I want them to see how powerful I am?" Huo Xian said with reason, "I am favored by His Majesty and have made military achievements. How powerful should I be? When I am doing things in my palace, His Majesty sends people to help. That's an honor!"

Liu Che couldn't help but turn his head to look at Huo Shan. Seeing Huo Shan's calm face and pleading eyes, he really didn't know what to say.

"Forget it, I'll send someone over in a couple of days." Liu Che sighed and said, "Han'er, you really should have some rules in your house. Neither of your two concubines can manage the household?" Huo Han said with a grin, "One of them is busy taking care of Wuyou and can't leave the palace for a while. The other one has agreed to go on tour with me when the time comes."

"It's agreed?" Liu Che was really angry and laughed, "You, if I punish you one day, don't complain! I haven't arranged my tour yet, but you arranged for a beautiful concubine to accompany me!"

Huo Xian still said with reason, "Your Majesty, it's just a matter of one word. Besides, I have almost made arrangements for your Majesty's tour, and I am just waiting for your decision. It won't delay anything!"

He originally thought that he had done what he should have done. Although he had some small thoughts, he did not delay his work. Of course, he was confident and justified, and he could argue with the emperor.

What's more, if there is really a lack of reason, Huo Xian can also make unreasonable demands. If you pay a little more attention to the limits, you can get through it smoothly. There is nothing to worry about.

Since Huo Xian was so confident, the emperor had nothing to say. In his opinion, these things were indeed just trivial matters.

This was not a special favor to Huo Shan. Liu Che himself did not care much about some rules, so it was not a big problem if other ministers overstepped their boundaries in front of him.

Of course, the premise of all this is that the emperor likes his ministers, so he will not care about such details.

Huo Xian felt relieved now that the bargaining with the emperor was over. It was fine to support the prince, but he would have to go to the emperor to make his position clear.

There is nothing that can be done about it. Even if you have the emperor's trust, you still have to do what you should do. In the final analysis, the current emperor is becoming more and more suspicious, so these details need to be taken more seriously.

Wei and Huo had a conflict, at least on the surface it was Huo Shan and Gongsun He who had a falling out, and the prince's position was awkward. Huo Shan's going to Bowang Garden could at least reduce some suspicion.

This is also the consistent position of Marquis Guanjun. Marquis Guanjun is loyal to the emperor, but they only recognize one crown prince. This is the attitude of Marquis Guanjun.

After returning to the Marquis of Guanjun's mansion, Huo Xian said, "Pay attention these two days. Someone from the palace may come to prepare for the banquet."

Chen Sanlang was immediately happy. "Don't worry, my lord. I know my limits and can definitely do these things well. I've seen a lot of banquets before, so I'm sure there won't be any mistakes."

Chen Ju couldn't help but scold, "Have you ever seen a banquet among the rich and powerful? Do you know where to welcome guests and how to entertain them? How to accept gifts and how to arrange seating, do you know?"

Chen Sanlang was immediately embarrassed and said quickly, "Aren't we going to the General's Mansion to ask for advice? Her Highness the Princess said that she would borrow some servants when the time comes, and she would definitely not be impolite."

Chen Ju then looked at Huo Xian and said seriously, "Sir, we will often host banquets in our mansion in the future. Will we have too few servants in our mansion? We have only bought servants once in all these years."

Human trafficking was a very normal thing in the Western Han Dynasty, but the last time the Guanjun Marquis's Mansion bought slaves was before Huo Xian left the palace, that is, when Jiang Xiaoniang and the others were there.

But there is no need to worry about having no one available here. There are already several slaves, and there are rewards from time to time, so it is basically enough.

"Let's talk about it later. I don't need to entertain guests all the time." Huo Xian said with a smile, "See if the people in the palace will bring anyone with them. If not, we can go to the general's mansion to borrow some people."

Chen Ju also agreed and said, "Even if we buy people now, we won't be able to teach them if we don't have enough time. It's best to borrow people from the general."

Huo Xian was not the only one who had this habit. Chen Ju and others also had the same habit. When they were short of people, they would go to the general's mansion. When they were fighting, they would go to Wei Qing to ask for soldiers. When they were short of people at ordinary times, they would go to Princess Pingyang to borrow slaves.

There was no other way, Wei Qing was a first-rate soldier, and Princess Pingyang was also an excellent householder, and everyone in her family followed the rules.

Chen Sanlang suddenly asked, "Lord, do you want to invite the young lord? When I went to the general's mansion today, I ran into the young lord, and I didn't know how to respond."

"Why not?" Huo Xian said with a smile, "You don't need to worry about this matter. I will go and invite them myself when the time comes. By then, the general may come, and you guys are not qualified to invite them!"

Chen Ju, Chen Sanlang and others were not angry. If they wanted to invite Wei Qing and his son, Huo Xian would have to do it. Even if they were Huo Xian's trusted family generals, some things could be done for them, but some things were obviously not allowed.

Hosting a grand banquet for guests was something that Huo Xian needed to pay attention to, and he also needed to do his best to get these things done.

Even though he seems to not care much about some red tape, it does not mean that he really doesn't care about etiquette at all. It also has to do with his own face, the champion's family education, etc.

This is no small matter, so now everyone in the mansion is preparing for this matter seriously. Everyone thinks it is natural, and everyone has invested great enthusiasm in this matter.

The reason is very simple. The last time the Marquis of Guanjun's Mansion was so lively was twenty years ago. At that time, the Marquis of Guanjun Huo Qubing, who was in high spirits and in high spirits, hosted a banquet in his mansion. The house was filled with distinguished guests and dignitaries.

Now Huo Xian has grown up, his reputation and military achievements are constantly accumulating, and he is also being watched by countless people in the court. He is now capable of taking on important responsibilities.

To entertain guests at this time is to demonstrate one's own strength and status, and to let some powerful people know that the new generation of successors of Wei Huo has truly grown up and can come over.

Huo Xian, in a good mood, returned to the bedroom, looked at Lin Mei and asked, "Pick some clothes for me, as I will have to entertain guests when the time comes."

Lin Mei immediately smiled and said, "My Lord, why don't you change into your crown and robes?"

The crown robes are not only worn by the emperor, but also by scholars and nobles. However, this solemn dress also has strict levels. There are twelve emblems of the emperor, and each class has a corresponding emblem.

Huo Xian rejected it and said, "Forget it, that's too formal. Just wear robes, it's just an ordinary banquet."

Lin Mei felt a little regretful. She actually cared a lot about "level". It was a pity that Huo Xian only wore a "deep robe" and ordinary clothes, which were not enough to show the demeanor of a champion marquis.

But the next moment Lin Mei was in a dilemma, "Sir, what kind of crown should I wear?"

Huo Xian was also stunned. I haven’t even put on the crown yet!
(End of this chapter)