Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

Chapter 231 Taking the blame
Everyone knew about the emperor's tour, and they had a rough time and plan before. Now, it was just a formal finalization.

Wei Zifu looked at Huo Xian and asked with concern, "Xian'er, is it okay for you to tell me some things?"

"We are about to leave, what's the big deal?" Huo Xian said with a smile, "It doesn't matter what route we take, just tell me what needs to be told. I won't tell anyone how many people are in front of His Majesty."

Wei Zifu smiled and nodded, "That's how it should be. After all, you are His Majesty's subject. No matter how close you are to me, you should not say things that His Majesty shouldn't say. It's good for everyone."

"This time we will go to Mount Chonggao and Mount Tai, then look for the Immortal Mountain in the East China Sea, and then go ashore in Hejian and return." Huo Xian started to complain, "You said I made the plan, but in fact, Your Majesty has arranged everything."

Wei Zifu became serious, "Xian'er, these matters should be decided by His Majesty, how can you do whatever you want!"

These were naturally what Wei Zifu was thinking. After all, the matter of touring was the emperor's business, so the emperor's opinion should be the standard. Naturally, other people should not express their opinions.

Moreover, the emperor is now letting Huo Shan take the blame. Now that he is of the right age and has military merits, it is appropriate for him to take the blame sometimes. It is natural that he is often impeached.

Just like this tour, what was told to the public was that Guan Jun Hou arranged many things, so it was natural for him to take some blame.

Looking at the emperor's tour routes and so on, it is actually not surprising. He still has his usual style, still has some "ambition", and is busy looking for immortals and longevity.

Liu Che naturally knew that some of his pursuits had caused discussions among civil and military officials as well as the people of the world, so now he let Huo Shan take the blame for these things.

Huo Xian also understood this and said sarcastically, "That's great. Now everyone in the world should blame me. I arranged this route, so the impeachment should be directed at me."

"Be careful with your words!" Wei Zifu said sternly, "Xian'er, don't take advantage of your majesty's favor and trust to speak without restraint. If you keep doing this, you will be punished by your majesty sooner or later."

This was indeed what Wei Zifu was worried about. Huo Xian seemed to be sensible in his actions, but sometimes he seemed to have no scheming or awe at all. He always said whatever he thought.

Huo Xian just smiled awkwardly at this. He was aware of these things and this matter did require a little attention.

Wei Zifu smiled and said to Huo Xian, "It is most appropriate for you to go with us to Mount Chonggao and Mount Tai this time. It would be unreasonable if I don't take you with me to the Fengshan ceremony this time."

When the emperor performed the Fengshan ceremony for the first time, Huo Shan played the most important supporting role, following as the emperor's close minister and the only son of Huo Qubing.

This naturally made many people envious, jealous, and even made a lot of sarcastic remarks. After all, it was a bit difficult to convince the public to bring a ten-year-old child to such a grand event as Fengshan.

But Huo Xian was still present at the Fengshan ceremony, which made it seem legitimate, because he was the Grand Marshal and General of the Cavalry, and his military exploits in capturing Zuo Xian Wang, destroying Dayuan, and pacifying the Western Regions were beyond elaboration.

Liu Che had performed the Fengshan ritual not once or twice, he had performed it five times before. Including this time, it makes it six times, which is very normal.

Liu Che was indeed ambitious and ambitious. He thought he had made great achievements, so he needed to go to Fengshan. Whenever he encountered a major event or auspicious sign, he would go to Fengshan.

Although the number of Fengshan ceremonies is increasing now, the one in the first year of Yuanfeng that everyone remembers as the real Fengshan was that. It was also the first Fengshan ceremony of the Han Dynasty, and its significance is naturally different.

Huo Xian thought about it and felt that it made sense. He smiled and said, "I think so too. If I hadn't followed this time, I wouldn't have thought that others would be qualified to follow."

Wei Zifu looked at Huo Xian and asked with concern, "Xian'er, do you have some concerns in your heart?"

"Chang'an, I was young and ignorant before, so I didn't need to think so much." Huo Xian lowered his voice and said to Wei Zifu, "Now that I'm older and have seen more things, I can't help but think too much."

Wei Zifu waved her hand to let the female officials and eunuchs leave. Huo Xian might say something frightening again, so it was not suitable for people to hear it for too long.

Even though Wei Zifu managed the Pepper Room in an orderly manner, the people here were basically her confidants. But it was undeniable that there might be some spies from other people.

Or it is very possible that the so-called confidants, when faced with threats and inducements, accidentally run out to complain, etc.

After all, in this world and in today's culture, loyalty and righteousness are the most advocated and recognized, but there is no shortage of villains, and there are indeed some people who are treacherous or betray their benefactors.

"We will definitely fight the Xiongnu next year or the year after, but the court is short of money now." Huo Xian said, "Your Majesty is definitely going to fight this war, we all know it."

Wei Zifu nodded naturally. She knew this matter well. She knew that a decisive battle with the Huns was inevitable. It seemed that Huo Xian was in the front, but this was just the knife in the emperor's hand.

It was the emperor's idea to fight the Huns, and Huo Shan was cheering for them. I guess many smart people could see the truth of this.

"Originally, I thought that His Majesty would definitely make arrangements for some things before leaving, or simply not go on tour and focus on preparing for war." Huo Xian said directly, "Now it is my cousin who is making arrangements. This is very unusual."

Wei Zifu sighed and said, "I had these concerns before. The court has no extra money now, and raising military pay, food, and so on is not an easy task."

The previous years of war had already exhausted the Han Dynasty's wealth, and now it was overdrawing its future. Naturally, many people saw this, and some people also criticized Liu Che for his warmongering.

Huo Xian followed up by saying, "That's right. Now, my cousin will handle these matters. If he does a good job, it's his duty. If he doesn't, he will definitely be punished by His Majesty."

Wei Zifu glanced at Huo Shan and felt mixed emotions. This nephew looked careless and unruly, but he knew many things clearly, some things he understood better than anyone else.

For example, now that Liu Ju is the regent, it seems that this is an opportunity for him to gain experience, but if he is not careful he may become the one to take the blame, and the price even the crown prince, who seems to have a stable position, cannot afford.

A war involving the whole country naturally requires raising a large amount of military pay, etc. Now the Han Dynasty has little wealth, and even before this, it has caused a surge in refugees in Guanzhong and uprisings in some places.

If Liu Ju raised money for the army, he might have to impose heavy taxes, and it might even turn into extortion. This would definitely not be a good reputation for Liu Ju, who was always kind and wise, but he really had no choice but to get this done.

The current situation is that Liu Ju has no choice at all. He needs to raise military expenses and other things in advance. If he fails to do this, he will betray the emperor's trust.

To put it more seriously, if these things are not handled properly, it will be difficult for people to trust you when you govern the country in the future.
Wei Zifu did not hide it and said, "I have discussed these matters with your cousin and uncle before. Your Majesty's tour this time, Chang'an must be stable inside and outside, and things must be done well."

Liu Ju was making a desperate move. As the crown prince, his position seemed to be stable, and he had a good reputation. He also had the support of the three most influential ministers in the court, so it seemed that he was safe.

But they all knew that this still depended on the emperor's wishes, and they must not think that the current situation was foolproof.

Wei Zifu smiled and comforted him, "Your cousin is the crown prince, and he has seen a lot of things over the years. Reputation is of course important, but sometimes you shouldn't be burdened by it. It's so good to be like you, without any constraints."

Huo Xian said seriously, "That's true. My cousin has always had a good reputation, so we should keep that in mind when we do things. My reputation isn't the best, so I don't need to think too much about it."

Wei Zifu just looked at Huo Shan and smiled. Some people still have no self-awareness. What does it mean that their reputation is not the best?
Huo Xian continued, "Then again, my cousin is the crown prince. If he really thinks about his reputation in everything, it will be inconvenient for him to do things in the future."

"Your Majesty just doesn't like your uncle's character. He thinks he is too kind and weak." Wei Zifu sighed and said, "Your Majesty still doesn't understand your uncle. Once your uncle is decisive, he is also very powerful!"

Of course not. Seeing that he was isolated and in a difficult situation, he dared to open the armory, release the prisoners, and mobilize the people of Chang'an and the emperor's army to kill each other and cause a river of blood. This was not a sign of weakness.

After all, he was facing the emperor, the emperor who was confused and suspicious in his later years but still held great power and had supreme prestige!
Although he appears kind on the surface, that is also Liu Ju's character. However, he is also very ruthless when he makes up his mind.

Huo Xian asked, "Where is the general? What does the general think? This time, my cousin will raise food and money, and the deployment of troops will naturally be done by the general."

"The general also knows that this matter is important, and he also wants to fight the Xiongnu." Wei Zifu said, "Don't worry, none of us will stop him from fighting the Xiongnu."

In order to fight the Huns, the Han Dynasty emptied out all its wealth. The capital accumulated by two generations was completely gone.

But in Wei Zifu's opinion, this was worth it. After fighting for thirty years, the Xiongnu who had bullied the Han Dynasty at that time had become weak, and the north seemed to be much more stable.

If they really want to completely wipe out the Xiongnu in one go, they will definitely have to endure hardships at present. But in the future, the Han Dynasty can rest and recuperate in peace. If everything goes well, Liu Ju will still benefit from it.

Without the hidden dangers on the border and with a good external environment, we can naturally develop with peace of mind.

At that time, Emperor Liu Che launched a strategic counterattack against the Huns despite tremendous opposition. The powerful Huns quickly began to decline from their peak under the offensive of the Han Dynasty, and their strength became increasingly insufficient to compete with the Han Dynasty.

Huo Xian felt that if he worked harder, he might be able to force the Huns to give up the north ahead of time, and maybe even give birth to some historical processes.

After all, where did the Huns go is also a historical mystery.

This nomadic people active on the Mongolian Plateau has been the sworn enemy of the Central Plains dynasty for hundreds of years, making people sleepless and uneasy. But after the Han Dynasty, the Xiongnu people became increasingly difficult to be active.

Migrating westwards, integrating into China, or simply disappearing, this was the fate of the Huns. This nomadic people who fought for supremacy with the Central Plains dynasty seemed to have disappeared.

Whether the Huns who invaded the Eastern Roman Empire and the Western Roman Empire and contributed to the demise of the Western Roman Empire and the collapse of slavery in Europe were actually Xiongnu is also a debate in the historical community.

Huo Xian was not a historian, but he knew that after defeating the Huns, the Han Dynasty's surrounding areas would basically be peaceful and it could develop with peace of mind. This was what he needed to do.

Perhaps in the future there will be Mongols on the Mongolian Plateau, or maybe Khitans, Xianbei, etc. These are all very likely new enemies.

However, judging from the current situation, it is more important to eliminate the enemy in front of us. The Huns are the real threat.

After chatting with Wei Zifu for a long time, Huo Xian actually felt relatively at ease and didn't need to worry too much about some things.

He seemed carefree and innocent, but in his heart he was always worried about the witchcraft disasters that had occurred in history, or one could say he was making some preparations.

His existence may make many people dare not target Liu Ju, but some things have to be guarded against, otherwise the losses will be too great, and even they will be implicated, which is definitely not acceptable.

Wei Zifu, Liu Ju and others were mature politicians who knew a lot about the affairs of the court.

They were not as worried about things that had not happened yet as Huo Xian was, but they would also consider the future for Liu Ju's future.

Now I can return to the Marquis of Guanjun's Mansion with peace of mind. There is no need to worry too much about some things in Chang'an City. Everyone knows what to do, and everyone is clear about his or her position and responsibilities. That's all.

All he had to do was to follow the emperor on tour, keep an eye on the emperor's attitudes, report back messages in a timely manner, or reconcile any conflicts between the emperor and the prince.

The most important thing is to prepare for war. Fighting the Huns is a real big deal. It is also Huo Xian’s biggest responsibility. It can even be said that this is the necessity of his existence.

The next period of time will definitely not be easy. This time, accompanying the emperor on a tour obviously cannot be just about sightseeing. It is not that easy and simple at all.

What's more, during this parade, many things are bound to happen, and these are things that need attention.

As a subject, especially one who has now come of age and reached adulthood, there is naturally more to do!
(End of this chapter)