Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

Chapter 248 Confidants
Liu Che was in a good mood because the Fengshan ceremony he had been longing for was about to officially begin, which was an absolutely big event.

Many officials were also excited. Although this was not the first time that Fengshan had been held, it was still a grand event no matter how you looked at it. No one thought that this was the emperor's vanity or self-congratulation.

Although the national treasury is now empty, and there are even some refugees in Guanzhong, as well as some small-scale riots, etc., there is no need to worry too much.

Similar situations would occur in any dynasty. Those minor situations would not only shake the rule of the Han Dynasty, but would not even threaten the order of a county.

Therefore, the country is still stable and it is still a prosperous and powerful country. The Han Dynasty has just expanded its territory by thousands of miles, conquered the Western Regions, and repelled the Right Wise King of the Xiongnu.

Such achievements are worthy of being enshrined in the Imperial Academy, and it seems only natural that the Marquis of Champion should be enshrined with him.

It's not just because he was the emperor's close minister and favorite, but also because whether it was expanding the territory by thousands of miles or becoming the nightmare of the Huns, it was all achieved with his real swords and guns.

Liu Che looked at Huo Xian with satisfaction and said, "It was because you captured Zuo Xian Wang that year that I was able to present the captives to Taizu Temple."

Liu Bang's honorific title was Gao Huangdi and his temple name was Taizu. In fact, Liu Bang's official title now should be "Han Gaodi", but sometimes there is no need to dwell on these.

Huo Xian smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I will wait until I capture the Xiongnu Chanyu next time. When the time comes, Your Majesty will lead him to the Taizu Temple, and I will carry the snake-slaying sword and let Your Majesty Taizu see the cavalry general you have trained!"

Liu Che glanced at Huo Xian and said jokingly, "Why? Wasn't it enough for me to take you there to offer captives last time? You want to go there again? By then, I'm afraid you will be even more proud and want to compete with the marquises under Taizu?"

"The achievements of Emperor Taizu are unprecedented, and your majesty's great achievements are unprecedented!" Huo Xian said solemnly and seriously, "Your majesty established the Han Dynasty, and under your majesty, the Han Dynasty has become a prosperous era!"

One thing is certain, although Liu Che also benefited from the rich family fortune left by the previous emperors of the Han Dynasty, in his hands he did leave behind a rich legacy for the entire nation.

"Han" has gradually become a synonym and a general term, and it remains the same even thousands of years later.

So even though Liu Che had many shortcomings, in Huo Shan's view, this emperor established unprecedented dignity for the country and gave a nation the confidence to stand tall for thousands of years.

It also made the name of his country the eternal name of a great nation!

These are all real. After this, the term "Han people" had a real meaning, instead of the terms "Qin people" and "Yan people" that appeared frequently before.

Liu Che smiled and said, "Okay, when you capture the Chanyu, I will bring you to Fengshan and offer sacrifices to the heaven! Then I will take you to Nanyue and we will go catch alligators!"

Huo Guang, Jin Midi, Ma Heluo and others beside him were extremely envious. Perhaps in the eyes of the emperor, Marquis Guanjun was a child who would never grow up. His Majesty was always willing to coax and tease him and would keep his words in mind.

When others said they wanted to catch a kun or a crocodile, the emperor would ignore them if he was in a good mood, or scold them if he was in a bad mood. But when it came to Guanjun Hou, the emperor took it to heart.

Huo Xian was still not satisfied and said, "Your Majesty, that year we led an army of more than 100,000 to the north to fight, and Junchen Chanyu fled far away. When I capture the Xiongnu Chanyu, Your Majesty will take me to fight in person!"

Liu Che joked, "That's true. Shan'er, you've been to the battlefield since you were a child! If we really capture the Xiongnu Chanyu, there must be some remnants. I will personally fight against them!"

Huo Xian "first went to the battlefield" when he was ten years old, which was in the first year of Yuanfeng. Unfortunately, the emperor's "personal expedition" was only symbolic, and the Xiongnu Chanyu did not engage in battle at all. This was also a regret for Liu Che.

Climbing Mount Tai is hard work. You can be lazy at ordinary times, but obviously not now because this is the Fengshan ceremony.

This does not mean that only when offering sacrifices to heaven do we need to be solemn. The entire process is very solemn. From the early preparations to the current implementation, including the subsequent acceptance of congratulations, etc., it is all part of the Fengshan process.

This means that there should be no impoliteness during the entire process, and careful preparation is required from beginning to end.

Liu Che sighed a little, "I am a bit old after all, I didn't feel this way before. Now I feel a bit tired after walking a few more steps."

Huo Xian advised, "Your Majesty, you are worrying too much. Not only your Majesty, but I, too, feel tired. Look at these people. Even Cao Zong is sweating and panting now."

Liu Che turned his head and took a look, then immediately said with disdain, "You are about the same age as the Marquis of Guanjun, and now you are in the army. How come, after these few years in Chang'an, your skills have gone to waste?"

Cao Zong, who was caught in the crossfire, did not even bother to wipe his sweat off his face and immediately said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I was not as capable as the Marquis of Guanjun to begin with, and now I am even worse off."

Huo Xian felt that Cao Zong was a smart guy. It was okay for him to want to show off, but there was no need to drag others down, especially him, because this was the most unwise approach.

Cao Zong naturally did not care about showing some of his shortcomings. He had a good family background and military achievements, which was enough. The most important thing was that the emperor still trusted him, so there was no need to worry about his position.

There is no need to compare with Huo Shan. At least under the Emperor Liu Che, no one except the general can suppress Huo Shan. Then fight for the position of the third person, which is possible.

Among the younger generation, Cao Zong's current position is very stable. He is the left general second only to Huo Shan, a real "general with an important title".

Cao Zong does not pull down others, but Huo Xian likes to pull down others. "Your Majesty, Cao Zong is really useless now. I think he has lost his riding and archery skills. He should be allowed to follow me to fight again."

Huo Xian acted as if he was at ease when he said bad things in front of others, and Cao Zong, who was listening, didn't care. Whenever Marquis Guanjun was polite to him, it meant that they were really distant friends.

Liu Che said, "Isn't it enough for you to have so many generals? We can talk about Cao Zong later. For now, stay in Chang'an."

Huo Xian was still unwilling to give up, and continued, "Your Majesty, if the Southern Army goes to war, it would be better for Cao Zong to follow. He has been in the Southern Army for the past few years and is familiar with everyone."

"You can't command the Southern Army without Cao Zong?" Liu Che rolled his eyes at Huo Xian and warned him, "If that's the case, you shouldn't be the Grand Marshal anymore. Just stay by my side and enjoy the wealth and honor. Going to the battlefield will only cause trouble."

The others just laughed at this. His Majesty could treat whatever the Champion Marquis said as a joke, and his presence was always revealed in his intimacy.

Huo Xian continued to complain, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid it's really difficult to mobilize the Southern Army. Unless Your Majesty gives me the Tiger Tally, they will definitely ignore me and only listen to Cao Zong."

In an instant, Cao Zong and others' hair stood on end. This Champion Marquis was not just making a complaint, he was simply courting his own death.

Liu Che glanced at the stupid Huo Xian and asked, "If I don't give you the tiger seal, can you mobilize the northern army? If I don't give you the tiger seal and the imperial edict, when can you mobilize the border troops or the guards?"

Huo Xian thought about it and felt that it made sense, "It seems so. I can't seem to mobilize the Northern Army. It's just that the Jianzhang Weiwei is too unreasonable. I am a Weiwei after all, and they often don't listen to my orders." Liu Che got a headache for Huo Xian's noise, "Sooner or later, I will dismiss you from the post of Weiwei! Giving you a Grand Marshal is just to coax you. By the way, Weiyang Weiwei is still you, right?"

Huo Xian nodded. When he was three or four years old, he had a lot of official positions. Jianzhang Weiwei was only conferred in recent years, and that was to guard the Jianzhang Palace. When the emperor did not move to the Jianzhang Palace, Huo Xian still held the Weiyang Weiwei.

After seeing Huo Xian nod, Liu Che said, "That's it."

"No." Huo Xian said unhappily, "Although your majesty is often in Jianzhang Palace, he also often goes to Weiyang Palace. When we go on tour, we go from Weiyang. I have to have the position of Weiyang Guardian so that I can move around."

Liu Che thought about it and it made sense. "That's true. Without the position of Weiwei, it would be difficult for you to walk around in the palace."

Cao Zong felt sad when he heard this. He was the Marquis of Pingyang, the Left General, and the emperor's nephew. But this was the only title and position he held. The Minister of the Court had already been given to him.

Therefore, if he wanted to enter the palace, he had to ask for an audience or be summoned, otherwise he would be punished for entering the palace without permission. And even if he entered the palace, he could not walk around freely, and which palace he went to was determined by the emperor.

Huo Xian continued, "I now feel that it is good to have many officials. I can take care of everything. I want to ask about everything I see now."

Liu Che still thought Huo Xian was childish, which had not changed at all, and he had been like this since he was a child. It was fine to say that he was sensible and dutiful, but he found everything he saw new and fresh.

When I was a child, I would just watch and not say anything, and remember it in my heart. Then I would talk and ask about it in private. When I grew up, I not only watch and listen, but also often talk about it.

It’s just that the current situation is a little special. Although some people will cater to Huo Xian, most of them only respect this immediate superior on the surface.

Whether it was the Commandant of the Imperial Chariot or the Commandant of the Imperial Guard, Huo Xian was only the nominal chief officer, and the decisions were now made by the lieutenants.

Huo Xian helped the emperor walk for a while, then said, "I'm tired and need to rest. Hurry up and bring the mat up. Are you waiting to see me make a fool of myself?"

Liu Che smiled and said, "You said that Cao Zong is not as good as before, I don't think you are much better. You have only walked for less than half an hour and you have to rest again. How long will it take to reach the top of the mountain?"

Huo Xian replied, "The sacrifice to heaven will be tomorrow, so I will definitely not miss the time. I have rested well now, so I can accompany the sacrifice tomorrow. Your Majesty, I know it clearly in my heart, and I can't get tired."

Liu Che was not particularly tired, but he was willing to listen to advice. This was also Huo Xian's cleverness. He could naturally see that the emperor was not too tired, but he couldn't wait until the emperor was exhausted before taking the initiative to speak, right?

It doesn't matter that Huo Xian is lazy and hates work, it doesn't matter that he is arrogant and greedy for pleasure, at most people will say a few words about this champion marquis being so arrogant and willful.

If the emperor made a fool of himself, that would be a real big deal. No one would be able to end up well, including Huo Shan.

Seeing Huo Xian lying on the mat in a big shape as usual, Liu Che shook his head and said, "I have taught you for so many years, when will you learn the manners and demeanor of a noble marquis?"

"I'll just rest when I'm tired, why would I care so much?" Huo Xian said lazily, "I care about formal occasions, but not these times. Your Majesty, when I was fighting, I slept in my clothes on the grass!"

This is not Huo Xian's self-boasting. Although he lived in a military tent most of the time, there were times when he had to travel day and night and be on the alert at all times.

The Fengshan ceremony is about to begin, and many people are very excited about it. This is an absolutely big event.

For example, historians like Sima Qian were even more excited. Although he was unable to participate in the first Fengshan ceremony of the Han Dynasty, he could now follow along and record the entire process.

Even though he still didn't know a lot of things, he still knew the general process, etc. This made up for Sima Tan's regret back then, and also saved him from having to continue to question Huo Xian.

Some things just need to be recorded by oneself, and this is what he, as the Grand Historian, should do.

After a short rest, the large group of people continued to march forward. Although they did not want to really tire the emperor out, they also could not waste time.

Although we stopped and walked many times along the way, there were no accidents and we climbed Mount Tai smoothly.

"Uncle, take some more people to check." Huo Xian said, "I'll give you a list, go and take a look. These people are all from good families. They must be sent outside to guard during the Fengshan ceremony tomorrow."

Huo Guang nodded, but was still a little worried, "Xian'er, it should be the Yulin and Qimen who are guarding His Majesty outside, and the Langwei should be beside them."

Huo Xian smiled and said, "These good family boys are protecting Langwei and Qimen."

Smart people understand things quickly, and Huo Guang also realized it instantly. Your Majesty would not completely trust people like Qimen and Lang Wei.

It's not that I doubt the loyalty of these people, etc., but some things will continue to be kept secret. At that time, it won't hurt to have more protection to avoid some people's excessive curiosity.

It is estimated that Sima Qian will continue to have a headache at that time. What exactly the Fengshan Book looks like and what is written in the buried jade edict? It is estimated that only the emperor and Marquis Guanjun know.

Even if they wanted to get closer, it was impossible, not to mention that he was of low rank. Even some marquises and nine ministers could only watch from afar and could not hear clearly some of the emperor's words.

Even the guards and others have to keep a certain distance and go through layers of inspection.

A eunuch came over in small steps, "My Lord, His Majesty has summoned you."

When Liu Che saw Huo Xian, he said, "I will give you the Fengshan Book and the Jade Book."

Huo Xian knelt down, took it respectfully, and then wrapped it up and hung it on his chest, "Your Majesty, I will go out right away. My troops are waiting, and there are also imperial guards outside."

Liu Che smiled and said, "Is there anyone who dares to harass you, Marquis Guanjun?"

"Your Majesty trusts me, I can't let you down!" Huo Xian said, "Your Majesty, I'll come back tomorrow to get the tray."

(End of this chapter)