Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

With a pillar like Wei Qing around, Huo Shan really doesn't have to worry too much. Some things are indeed more suitable for this great general with outstanding military achievements and high prestige to step forward.

Whether in the court or within Weihuo, Wei Qing sometimes had a higher say.

Huo Xian naturally would not feel unbalanced about this, and he did not care about direct right to speak. It was best to have Wei Qing's protection. Some things could be accomplished easily without having to work so hard on his own.

What made Huo Xian particularly relieved was that Wei Qing was not the only reliable elder. Wei Zifu was also a very reliable elder who had a very thorough understanding of the court and imperial power.

Including Liu Ju, who was actually very reliable, even though he seemed a little troublesome occasionally and had some disagreements with Huo Shan on some things.

But overall, Liu Ju was a relatively worry-free crown prince. Most of the time he was relatively calm and not the kind of person who was reckless.

Huo Xian seemed to be at ease when he entered the palace carrying a large package. He did not need to report to Jianzhang Palace and could go straight to Weiyang Palace.

After all, everyone knew that Huo Wuyou was in the Pepper Palace now. Although Huo Xian didn't raise the child himself, he often sent toys to him. So Huo Xian was a relatively qualified father.

Holding Huo Wuyou in his arms, Huo Xian was in a good mood. "It's only been a few days since I last saw him. How come my son has gained so much weight?"

Han Yunniang said with some pride, "Wuyou is well-behaved, eats a lot, sleeps well, and is obedient now."

"Speaking of which, this child doesn't recognize people." Huo Xian felt very happy. "Children at this stage are supposed to be unwilling to be held. I held him a few times, and he didn't cry."

This is not necessarily an absolute thing. Some children are well-behaved and it’s okay for them to be hugged by someone they are not familiar with.

Huo Xian was naturally happier as his son grew fatter and more lively.

Wei Zifu and Han Yunniang, who had been taking care of the children, would naturally be very happy and expectant to see Huo Wuyou grow up healthily. Playing with the child would naturally be one of their pleasures.

Han Yunniang also smiled and said, "Wuyou wants to learn to walk now. He can already take a few steps while being carried."

It makes sense to think so. A child who is about to turn one year old must be restless, but it is still a bit early for him to stand up. After all, Huo Wuyou seems to be well protected and does not seem to develop early.

Huo Xian asked curiously, "Can it crawl now?"

This father is so bad that he doesn't even know whether his own son can crawl or not.

Han Yunniang said with some amusement, "If you can't crawl forward, you will slide backwards if you crawl."

Huo Xian was interested now, and immediately put Huo Wuyou on the floor. He clapped his hands to attract the child's attention, and Huo Wuyou did not disappoint, smiling in a childish voice, but he did step back.

"Hold him up, the ground is cold." Wei Zifu's voice came, full of complaints, "It's right not to let Wuyou in front of you. How can you raise a child like this?"

Huo Xian asked curiously, "Aunt, why doesn't Wuyou crawl forward?"

"You're wearing too much and you're not flexible." Wei Zifu smiled and touched Huo Wuyou's fat but not greasy face. "Don't worry about it. It won't be long before you can talk and walk without even noticing."

It seems to be true. Children around one year old who develop earlier may be able to call people and walk a few steps.

But there is no need to worry too much. Some children just speak and walk a little later, but it doesn’t mean that these children are not smart enough.

Wei Zifu held Huo Wuyou in her arms and said to Han Yunniang, "Go check on Wuyou's diapers and have someone pack them up carefully."

Han Yunniang bowed and left obediently, without even saying anything about taking Huo Wuyou away.

After all, Wei Zifu can take care of the child, and Huo Xian is about to go to war, so he must want to see the child more at this time.

As for whether Huo Wuyou was used as a cover to allow Huo Shan to talk to Wei Zifu about some things, that is an over-interpretation. Such a thing does not exist at all.

Huo Xian went to the Pepper Palace too many times. As the emperor's number one confidant, no one thought that Huo Xian, the Marquis of Guanjun, would betray the emperor.

And Wei Zifu has been law-abiding and has no desires over the years, so no one would think that this queen who has fallen out of favor but has a stable position would have any conspiracy or intrigue.

Wei Zifu held Huo Wuyou's hand and said, "Ask your cousin to come over later. What's the matter that makes you feel uneasy?"

"Prime Minister." Huo Xian said directly, "I feel that he is not doing things in a stable manner now. I was afraid that he would not listen to me before, so I mentioned it to the general first, and then told my aunt and uncle."

After hearing what Huo Shan said, Wei Zifu's expression became serious. It was true that Prime Minister Gongsun He really had enough weight.

Gongsun He was Wei Zifu's brother-in-law and the prince's uncle. No one would think that such a person could deny his relationship with the prince. Moreover, when Huo Qubing asked for the titles of kings, Gongsun He was the first to rush to the front line.

Wei Qing and Huo Qubing were the banners of Wei and Huo, and were recognized by everyone as the crown prince's greatest support in the court. However, Gongsun He could not be ignored either, but he was not as dazzling as Wei and Huo.

But even so, who dares to deny that Gongsun He is an absolute important official, and now he is the prime minister of the Han Dynasty?

Even if a prime minister has a bad reputation and no achievements, he is still the head of all officials. Such a status is enough to make all the marquises feel awe.

It is true that people look down on Gongsun He's performance as prime minister, but in front of him, all the civil and military officials in the court are also diligent, which shows the importance of the prime minister.

Huo Xian also said simply, "I caught a hero before. It was the Prime Minister who sent people to find him. He is now in the court prison, and the case is also being tried by the Prime Minister's people. That man is making accusations, and the Prime Minister wants to use this to bring down Madam Gou Ge."

Wei Zifu's expression became even uglier. "What does he mean? What kind of threat can a Gou Ge lady pose? She has no one to rely on. What good is there in bringing her down?"

This is Wei Zifu's point of view. She really doesn't think that Lady Gou Ge will pose any threat to her position.

She had been out of favor for nearly thirty years, and the emperor's favorite concubines had changed one after another, each of them seemed to be favored for a while and seemed to be able to replace Wei Zifu.

But the reality is that the emperor's favorite concubines will only be favored for a few years. When they grow old or lose their freshness, these concubines can only live in the cold palace. Even if these concubines have children, it doesn't matter. When they reach a certain age, they will be enfeoffed and will not pose any threat to Liu Ju's status.

Wei Zifu didn't care at all which concubine the emperor favored. What she cared about was not to anger the emperor or make him disgusted. As long as she could be the queen safely, that would be the greatest help to Liu Ju.

Wei Zifu then looked at Huo Xian and asked, "What did you say?"

"I would naturally advise the Prime Minister not to do anything about it. This would only anger His Majesty, which would be bad for the Prime Minister and my uncle," Huo Xian replied. "If that happens, I'm afraid His Majesty will also have a prejudice against me."

Wei Zifu stared at Huo Xian and asked, "Why do you still have a prejudice against you?"

"I was the one who arrested the thief, but it was the Prime Minister who caught him." Huo Xian complained, "I presented Madam Gou Ge to His Majesty when I accompanied him on his tour. People outside are saying that I presented a beauty to His Majesty."

For a moment, Wei Zifu was speechless, because some things really seemed to be inseparable from Huo Shan, and he was indeed deeply involved in many things.

Huo Xian also continued, "I had some unpleasantness with my cousin Gongsun Jingsheng before, and I always felt that His Majesty wanted to keep some distance between me and the Prime Minister."

Wei Zifu sighed and said, "Your cousin said the same thing. Your uncle is not involved in government affairs now, and you are the Grand Marshal who commands all the troops in the world. If you really have a good relationship with the Prime Minister who holds the power of the world, His Majesty will definitely be unhappy."

Isn't that the truth? Huo Xian and Gongsun He father and son kept their distance and something dirty happened between them. The happiest person was the emperor, and this was also something that many people were happy to see.

The prime minister is the head of all officials and is nominally in charge of internal affairs. Even if Huo Xian is not worthy of the title, he still holds the title of Grand Marshal and the real power.

The political and military power are now in the hands of Wei Huo, and they are both very supportive of the prince. It would be strange if the emperor had no thoughts in his mind.

Even if Liu Che favored Huo Shan and was not too dissatisfied with Liu Ju, there must still be some checks and balances.

He even made Gongsun He, an obedient and timid person, the prime minister, and never gave Huo Xian the seal of the Grand Marshal. It is very likely that Liu Che felt that these two people were easy to control, but he also did not want them to have too close a relationship.

Wei Zifu looked at Huo Xian and could only say, "You know some things, and I know them too. You can't help yourself."

No, many people thought that Huo Xian was the one who initiated Madam Gou Ge's entry into the palace, and thought that this emperor's confidant might not be as supportive of the empress and the prince as they imagined.

Otherwise, how could he do such a thing as presenting beautiful women to the emperor? This would simply weaken Wei Zifu's presence.

If Madam Gou Ge had another son, it might be the emperor's youngest son. At that time, he would very likely be favored by the emperor, and it seemed that he would have a chance to threaten the position of the crown prince.

So some people are really wondering, Wei Huo has always been a supporter of the Queen and the Prince, but it seems more accurate to say it is the first generation of Wei Huo.

When it comes to the second generation Wei Huo, at least this Huo seems to be just a lone minister of the emperor. He seems to support the queen and the prince, but it is also possible that he does so simply because he has no "better choice".

Huo Xian said, "Of course I know that my aunt and uncle won't say anything about me, but some people don't think so. Besides, the prime minister is thinking about it this time, it's nothing more than feeling that his position is unstable."

Wei Zifu knew very early on that Huo Xian was a "two-faced person", or rather, this child has always been very cunning, but he just hid it well in front of outsiders.

Being playful and reckless is an illusion.

Even the emperor knew all this. He knew that Huo Xian was actually a very meticulous person with a clear view of major issues. He always saw and remembered some things and would not easily express his opinion.

Wei Zifu thought for a moment and said, "I will let the prince talk about this matter, but if it really comes to that, you just need to protect yourself."

This doesn't mean that Wei Zifu was thinking about what Liu Ju would do, but that if Gongsun He "lost control" or caused some difficult trouble, Huo Xian should distance herself from him in time.

This also shows the decisiveness of Wei Zifu. She has not fought for anything in these years, but her position as queen is stable. From a singing girl to a queen, she cannot be a naive person. She is more resolute than anyone else in making decisions.

Huo Xian said quickly, "I don't think it will come to that. It's nothing more than a good talk between my aunt and uncle."

"Of course, you don't need to worry about it." Wei Zifu said with a smile, "You, just focus on preparing for the war. You don't need to worry about the affairs in the court prison, I will arrange someone to take care of it."

Huo Xian shook his head and said, "I will order the conscription of prisoners, and it will be justified at that time. I still feel that it is safer to keep the prisoners in my hands. I am just afraid that the prime minister will have other ideas at that time."

Wei Zifu thought about it and felt that it made sense. It was only natural for Huo Xian to recruit prisoners now because he was about to go to war.

As for how a prisoner died, no one would care so much about it at that time.

What's more, Huo Xian still has some prestige in the army and has some trusted and reliable soldiers.

Whether it is the Yulin Army or the Qimen Army, these seem to be the troops that Huo Xian started with, the soldiers he trained, and he has taken these troops with him in his battles over the years.

But everyone also knew that this army was essentially the imperial guard, managed by Huo Shan on behalf of the emperor. They were not his true confidants, but were the most convenient to use during wars.

However, one thing is certain, even in the Yulin Army and the Qimen Army, there are captains that Huo Xian can trust.

In the final analysis, it was too easy to make a prisoner disappear without a trace in the army. Even if it was a well-known lieutenant, Huo Xian could make it flawless with his status and position.

As for whether Huo Xian protected Wei Zifu and Liu Ju, that was definitely the case. After all, it was not a good idea for the Queen and the Crown Prince to interfere in the affairs of the court.

Liu Ju came with brisk steps, "Your son pays respects to the Queen Mother."

Then Liu Ju teased Huo Xian, "You are about to go to war, and I was still praising you in front of others for being too busy with military affairs to be distracted. But you are so good that you come to try to make your aunt happy again."

"To resist foreign aggression, we must first stabilize the internal situation." Huo Xian said casually, "I guess so. That's about the meaning."

Liu Ju looked at Huo Xian in surprise. What a strange word. Could it be that something happened? (End of this chapter)