Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

Huo Shan was naturally touched by Liu Che's care and concern.

Huo Xian was naturally clear about what kind of person the emperor in front of him was. He was even more clear about the military laws of the Han Dynasty.

This is not an exaggeration at all. In some previous wars, when generals failed to complete their combat missions, they would be demoted or stripped of their titles at the very least, or directly executed at the worst. This was the emperor's attitude and the military law of the Han Dynasty.

Sometimes there is nothing to discuss at all. The generals of the Han Dynasty should win, and if they gain military merit, they can be awarded titles and appointed as generals.

But once a failure occurs, they will naturally have to take responsibility. This is the biggest warning to the generals and the greatest motivation for them.

But now it seems that things are not necessarily absolute. Liu Che is stricter with other generals, but he can be a little lenient with Huo Shan.

It is true that the military law of the Han Dynasty is ruthless, but the emperor's will can obviously change a lot. There is indeed room for flexibility in some matters, which even seem to be consistent with military law.

Although he was touched and felt like a man willing to die for his friend, Huo Xian was obviously under pressure.

In the final analysis, things are different now than in the past, because he really can't afford to lose.

Liu Che's feelings towards him were different, and he was much more tolerant than other ministers. This was true, and Huo Shan would never deny it.

It is precisely because he understands these principles that he seems to be arrogant and can speak and act so freely because the emperor will not suspect him at all.

But all of this is based on the premise that Huo Xian is "promising" enough, able to fight and win battles. As long as he has this advantage, many shortcomings will be selectively ignored.

This was not just Liu Che's opinion, it was also the same for Wei Zifu, Liu Ju and others. As long as Huo Shan could win the battle, his minor problems would not be a problem at all.

Even those small problems actually reflect Huo Xian's simplicity and honesty, and show that this child is not scheming and so on.

In fact, it is almost the same for some civil and military ministers. As long as the Marquis of Champion can achieve a great victory, he will be the Marquis of Champion.

Expecting a young man in his early twenties to be steady is too much, right?

Past battle records, everyone's eager expectations, etc., these are naturally the reasons why Huo Xian cannot afford to lose. Once he loses the battle, all the halo will quickly dissipate.

Even if you can win the battle again in the future, it may not have much effect, because once there is a defeat and once the golden body is broken, the most special point will be gone.

Moreover, besides being unable to afford to lose, the Han Dynasty’s current financial problems are not enough to support another decisive battle.

But Liu Che obviously did not think so. If Huo Shan failed to achieve the final victory this time, as long as the power of the Huns was weakened, he might have to prepare intensively for the next decisive battle again.

Now they are already complaining bitterly and some are unable to hold on any longer. If there is another decisive battle, won’t there really be some major turmoil?

Although Huo Xian likes fighting and he also regards defeating the Huns as his ultimate goal, this does not mean that he ignores the reality of the problem.

The country is in trouble and the people are in poverty. This is the current situation of the Han Dynasty, and Huo Xian feels this deeply.

Worried, Huo Xian returned to the Marquis of Guanjun's Mansion and studied the sand table carefully, constantly deducing some issues about the direction of the war. He really couldn't afford to lose this time.

To be more precise, you can't lose at all, not even a small win. Even if you win a big victory, it depends on how big the victory is, otherwise it is almost equivalent to a defeat.

With all his strength preparing for war, Huo Xian now seems to be a focused and hard-working general, and he seems to be doing some of his job.

There are just some unexpected things that catch people off guard.

Gongsun He suddenly appeared, "Xian'er, what have you been busy with these days? Not only did you not go to the palace, but I also didn't hear that you went horseback riding or hunting. You didn't leave the house, did you?"

Huo Xian was stunned for a moment, then he laughed, "I've been busy with important matters these days. I'm busy with the war all day long, so I don't have time to think about other things."

This is really Huo Xian's style. It is basically impossible to expect him to be humble. If he makes an effort, he will definitely boast about his efforts outside.

But there is no need for everyone to say anything about this. This is Huo Xian's characteristic. Everyone is used to his bragging about some things.

What's more, what Huo Xian said now is basically correct. He is unreliable in other things, but when it comes to fighting, even if he appears to be full of confidence, he will not be too exaggerated.

Gongsun He was also very direct and said, "The hero you captured last time confessed. He said some things that frightened me."

Huo Xian immediately became serious, "What did he say?"

"Madam Gou Ge." Gongsun He lowered his voice and said, "He said that Madam Gou Ge was raised by a wealthy family in Yangling and was specially presented to Your Majesty."

Huo Xian was speechless, and then asked, "How credible do you think it is?"

Hearing Huo Xian's question, Gongsun He was a little undecided for a moment, mainly because this matter was too sensitive.

It can be said that Madam Gou Ge is now the emperor's favorite woman. The emperor now favors this new love alone. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that the status of this favorite concubine is rising rapidly.

If this trend continues, it might be the previous Madam Li, whose favor has already surpassed that of the previous Madam Xing.

Gongsun He then said, "I basically don't believe what that person says. He is willing to say anything and make accusations just to stay alive."

Huo Xian nodded. He was not surprised by this. "Is it because of the Queen that the Prime Minister wants to do something about it?"

Gongsun He nodded, "She is favored after all, I always worry that this is not a good thing. It's okay now. If she gets pregnant again, she may become Madam Li in the future."

Madam Li actually brought some pressure to Wei Huo. After all, when Madam Li was in favor, the three brothers of the Li family were also given important positions. Li Guangli also rose to prominence because of this and was once considered to be able to restrain Wei Huo.

In addition, since Lady Li gave birth to a son, it seemed that there was a certain chance that Crown Prince Liu Ju would be threatened. After all, the Han Dynasty today did not have an absolute system of appointing the eldest son as the legitimate heir, and being the crown prince was considered a high-risk job.

Huo Xian thought about it carefully and said, "I still feel that it is not appropriate. If it is just a simple tribute to His Majesty, it is nothing at all, unless there is some serious crime in the future." Gongsun He was also embarrassed, because according to Zhu Anshi, Madam Li was bought and raised by a rich family after her father was executed.

If you count it this way, these are some people with ulterior motives who are training beauties to present to His Majesty, and there won't be any conspiracy or intrigue involved for the time being.

If it was an unfavored concubine, the emperor might have taken it seriously. But Madam Gou Ge was very favored now, so these small problems were nothing in Liu Che's eyes.

Huo Xian understood this principle, and Gongsun He naturally understood it as well. After all, these important ministers basically knew the emperor's character. It was just that Huo Xian seemed to be able to guess it more accurately.

Gongsun He was still a little unwilling, "Shan'er, can we do something about this?"

Huo Xian said directly, "Prime Minister, aren't you afraid that this matter will get out of control?"

Gongsun He was stunned for a moment, and then he was very puzzled, "Out of control? Why is there such a thing as out of control?"

"Your Majesty is already somewhat dissatisfied with you and is wary of us." Huo Xian said, "Even if Your Majesty deposes Madam Gou Ge now, will there be a reckoning later?"

Gongsun He was startled, and then he said with some uncertainty, "Xian'er, isn't that too much? We just uncovered a conspiracy, how could His Majesty blame us for it?"

Huo Xian said directly, "I don't think so. His Majesty will reluctantly give it up for the sake of the overall situation. But he will definitely remember this account."

Gongsun He didn't know what to say for a moment. Although he felt that Huo Xian might be exaggerating, he thought about it carefully and realized that it was not an unfounded worry.

In the final analysis, everyone knows what kind of person the emperor is, and many people also know how mean this emperor is.

Maybe she is enjoying constant honors and favors now, but once she loses the favor and trust, it is very likely that the emperor will thoroughly put her into the liquidation stage because of some trivial matters.

Seeing that Gongsun He was silent, Huo Xian continued, "Prime Minister, do you have any evidence of treason? Or do those wealthy families want to stop Your Majesty from fighting the Xiongnu?"

This time, Gongsun He shook his head even more. The "evidence" in his hands basically did not stand up to scrutiny, and he was naturally aware of this.

As a general, Gongsun He was relatively mediocre, and as prime minister, he was mocked by some as a yes-man for the emperor.

But this definitely does not mean that Gongsun He is an incompetent person. There are some things that he knows clearly, and there are some things that he can definitely handle well.

Gongsun He thought about it carefully, then said with a smile, "In that case, it is better to be safe."

Huo Xian thought the same thing. "Prime Minister, that person is just making random accusations. If Your Majesty investigates thoroughly, he might be able to find out more. You should be aware of the current situation."

Gongsun He was shocked, and he quickly understood some of Huo Xian's meaning.

Even if some of the things Zhu Anshi said were true, once they were investigated, it was very likely that the situation would get out of control, and Gongsun He, who initiated the case, might not be able to control it.

If he wants to use this to attack his political opponents, etc., it is very likely to backfire and become a means for his political opponents to attack him.

This is obviously not alarmist, but once the emperor becomes suspicious, things will not be easy to resolve.

If the situation really develops to that extent, Gongsun He will most likely shoot himself in the foot. After all, he as the prime minister is not irreplaceable.

If you think carefully about the fate of the previous prime ministers, it was basically difficult for them to escape unscathed. As long as the emperor caught them, the prime minister would basically die.

And now they are taking the initiative to hand over some evidence to the emperor. This obviously shows that they are tired of living. This seems to be the most stupid thing to do.

Gongsun He wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and said immediately, "I will arrange for someone to execute him later. We cannot let such a person live."

"He can be brought to justice for his crimes." Huo Xian said expressionlessly, "I originally thought that even if no new evidence could be found, he could be allowed to accompany us on the expedition based on the existing evidence."

Using criminals to transport baggage was a common practice of the Han army. And once Huo Xian was "recruited", Zhu Anshi would definitely die on the march without any clear reason, and there was no doubt about that.

Huo Xian has never been a soft-hearted person, and Gongsun He must be aware of this. And now looking at it again, Huo Xian's mind is extremely meticulous and he is more sensitive to some things.

"There is no need to investigate Madam Gou Ge's affairs any further. Nothing can be found out even if you do." Huo Xian said, "It is nothing more than some wealthy families trying to gain the favor of His Majesty. What impact can it have on us?"

Gongsun He also nodded in agreement and said, "I'm overthinking this. We should not be too aggressive."

It's not that Gongsun He is being reckless, it's simply that Gongsun He now thinks he has caught some big card and wants to use it to achieve some of his own goals.

For this reason, he even wanted to drag Huo Shan along, because he understood that once Huo Shan got involved in such a matter, it would be more convincing to the emperor, and it would naturally be easier to accomplish.

Watching Gongsun He leave, Huo Xian suddenly felt really tired. Not only did he have to think about the decisive battle with the Huns, but he also had to worry about so many unexpected disasters.

He originally thought that by getting rid of the unstable factor like Zhu Anshi, he had solved a huge hidden danger. He was even a little complacent here, thinking that he was "a good warrior without great military exploits."

But the reality was a ruthless slap in the face, and he almost handed over some vital points to his stupid teammates.

Gongsun He wanted to use this to attack his political enemies and further consolidate his position in front of Wei Zifu and Liu Ju.

This seems to be no problem. He wants to keep his wealth and glory, and to restore the impression of the stupid things Gongsun Jingsheng did before.

But the result, if they really did so, would only make the emperor suspicious and would only reduce the impression of Wei Zifu and Liu Ju in the emperor's mind.

What's even more terrible is that Gongsun He has become a politician, and now only cares about political struggles. Even at such a critical moment, he came here and wanted to drag Huo Shan into the meeting.

Perhaps the so-called Wei Huo also needs to consider doing some cleaning at the appropriate time.

Otherwise, he might be implicated by his bad teammates, or he might cause the emperor and the prince to continue to be wary of him, which is definitely not a good thing. (End of this chapter)