My father is Emperor Wu of Han, how can I be different from him?

Chapter 247 Nothing

In the carriage returning to the Prince's Palace, Liu Ju put his hands on the small stove, looking at the red charcoal in the stove. At this moment, the Prince of Han's pupils dilated and his mind was in turmoil.

Liu Ju had experienced the emperor's anger many times, sometimes real, sometimes fake. After so many experiences, he also summed up a pattern.

The scolding in private may be true or false.

But the rage in public must be fake!

Of course.

Using the word "fake" to describe it may be too arbitrary. A more appropriate adjective or supporting word should be a sentence that the emperor taught Liu Ju many years ago:

"As a ruler, the first thing is to not show your emotions!"

It will show in color.

It means that it is not real joy or anger...

The emperor must have been angry because the prefects of Hedong and Beidi counties deliberately missed the opportunity to fight, otherwise he would not have asked them to commit suicide.

But if you really say that the emperor was so furious that he traveled thousands of miles to kill three people and then rushed back to Chang'an, more than ten days later, the emperor was still furious when he returned to the capital...

This is somewhat unreasonable.

But if we think about it from another perspective, it makes sense that the emperor did it on purpose, deliberately reserving his anger for his ministers.

As for why he did this, it might be because of the saying - I made these dumplings just for that little bit of vinegar!

Roaring and scolding are the dumpling skin, while slashing with swords and exterminating the clan are the dumpling filling.

So what is vinegar?
In the carriage, the orange flames reflected in Liu Ju's eyes, and he murmured to himself, "Maybe it's the conscription system, or maybe it's the embroidered robe envoy."

"But father, you are like this pot of charcoal fire, which used to be neither far nor close to the ministers, emitting both blazing fire and bright light, radiant and brilliant."

"Now, you are sometimes far away from me, sometimes close. Sometimes the light is too bright, the fire is too hot, and if you are not careful, you will burn people. It's really..."

'Time is unforgiving.'

The weather is getting colder and the grass is withering.

The cold air blowing from the north was dragging Chang'an into winter. Even in this scene before the snow fell, the big man managed to create a heat wave.

The waves spread from Chang'an to the border, brought by the Grand Marshal's Mansion and the newly-appointed Imperial Censors. Wherever they went, there was a bustling atmosphere.

The governors of each county took the lead, carrying axes, flags, and drums, assembled their troops, and marched to the border in a mighty force to patrol the barriers.

This process is called: Dushi, also known as Dashi.

This was an annual military exercise held in all counties of the Han Dynasty, usually in autumn. The scale, standards, and strictness of the procedures depended entirely on the personal wishes of the county magistrate.

But this time in early winter this year, and even in the future, it will be difficult for county governors to get away with it...

at the same time.

Military changes in the capital are also in full swing.

In accordance with the emperor's edict, the General of Cavalry added eight colonels in the Northern Army, namely the colonel of Zhonglei, Tunqi, Infantry, Yueqi, Changshui, Huqi, Shesheng, and Huben.

The eight colonels were all of 2,000 stone rank, and under them were chancellors and military officers, commanding 700 soldiers.

Each has its own specialties and sources of troops.

For example, the Yueqi Colonel was in charge of the Yue cavalry; the Huqi and Changshui Colonels were in charge of the Hu cavalry; the Shesheng Colonel was in charge of those who were good at archery; and the Huben Colonel was in charge of chariots.

The soldiers recruited were all the bravest in the army.

Recruit, recruit, recruit with money and food.

Recruiting soldiers is different from conscription. The former spends money to train full-time professional soldiers, such as the Wei Wuzu created by Wu Qi.

As for the latter, the conscription system, which is the current military service system of the Han Dynasty, was enacted during the reign of Emperor Jing: All men in the country were ordered to start military service at the age of 20.

That is, men began serving in the army at the age of twenty.

According to the laws of the Han Dynasty, every adult male had to serve in the military for two years. The outstanding ones would be selected to join the Northern Army in the capital. After two years, if there was no war, they could return home.

After that, if the imperial court went to war, they would be required to respond at any time.

Obviously, this situation of farming when there is no war and temporary conscription when there is war cannot meet the increasingly frequent and sudden war pattern between the Han Dynasty and the Huns.

Then the emperor followed Wu Qi's example and recruited soldiers...

In the winter of the fourth year of Yuanding, Chang'an City was busy, and all the counties of the Han Dynasty were also busy. The north, which caused all this, was naturally no exception.

The sky is covered with heavy snow and the cold wind is howling.

The strong wind swept the snow particles into flying pieces. Looking around, the grassland was covered with white.

Jin Midi squinted his eyes and didn't stare at the snow scene for too long. He tightened his fur coat and followed the several strong men who were leading the way.

"call--"

The thick door curtain was pushed open, and several people bent over to enter. Jin Midi glanced at the situation inside the tent, ignored the people around him, shook off the snow on his body, and hurried to the fire to keep warm.

"Ouch, it's really cold in the north."

"Yes, it's very cold."

"This is a sign that there will be a white disaster, right?"

"The royal court wizard has predicted it and it won't happen."

The conversation in the tent was harmonious and smooth. Qu Bi looked at Jin Midi on the other side of the fire, stared at him for a moment, and said seriously:

"You are a Hun. If you surrender to me, I will grant you a large tribe, slaves, cattle, sheep, and women. You can choose whatever you want."

Jin Midi, wearing a fur coat and with his hair combed back into a braid, looked just like any other Hun. He had a blank expression on his face and tried to get his frozen body as close to the fire as possible.

He didn't reply, and Qu Bi just looked at him in silence.

The other three strong men in the tent also said nothing.

After a while, Jin Midi felt his body warm up, so he moved to sit on a stool beside him and exhaled a puff of mist:
"Whoo~"

"I have been a nobleman in most places, so I am not interested in them. As for slaves, cattle and sheep on the grassland, if I want them, I can still gather a group in the south."

"As for women, oh, don't even mention them. How can a Xiongnu woman who only takes a bath once every ten days or half a month compare with a Han noblewoman?"

Upon hearing this, Qu Bi's eyes became deep, "Do you like the life of the Han people?"

"how to say?"

Jin Midi thought for a moment, as if reminiscing, "I still like the life of herding on the grasslands, and I also like the big-faced, sturdy Xiongnu women."

"Able to work and durable."

When he said the latter part, Jin Midi grinned, and Qu Bi also grinned when he saw him.

However, as he was laughing, the Xiongnu Right Wise King's face turned cold, and a fierce light flashed in his eyes, "Are you kidding me?"

"You were the one who teased me first." Jin Midi said as a matter of course.

The words fell.

For a moment, the only sounds in the quiet tent were the crackling of firewood and the faint sound of a long sword being unsheathed.

"Do you know where we are now?" Qu Bi stared at Jin Midi and asked.

"know."

Jin Midi looked around and said seriously, "To be honest, when I entered your tent just now, I was afraid that I would see a big hole in the tent as soon as I entered."

"If you let me fight with the leader of the Hu Yan clan in a pit, I would be even more afraid."

Qu Bi stared at Jin Midi's eyes for a long time, waved his hand, and then the three confidants in the tent slowly put their swords back into the sheath.

He said in a deep voice: "Hu Yanke is still alive?"

"died."

Jin Midi laughed and said, "He died after you took the throne of Right Wise King."

After hearing this, Qu Bi did not respond. He just leaned back in his chair, turned his hand holding the wine glass, and asked in a gloomy tone: "So your master is quite sincere?"

"nature!"

Jin Midi looked at him and said, "You are now the son of the Great Khan, the Right Wise King of the Xiongnu, and my master is the son of the Emperor, the Crown Prince of the Han Dynasty."

"The Crown Prince respects you and is sincere in his willingness to cooperate. I hope the Right Wise King will be sincere in return."

Qu Bi sneered, "Threatening me?" Jin Midi nodded, "Yes."

The smile on Qu Bi's face froze, and in a moment, it turned vicious. However, Jin Midi continued to speak in a businesslike tone:
"It's essentially a threat, at least that's what I think, but my master said that we have to give the Right Wise King of the Xiongnu some face and not talk about threats."

"Let's cooperate!"

"So now..." Jin Midi forced a smile, "Little guy, you didn't scare me, can we talk about cooperation?"

Choking, choking, choking!
Three sounds of swords being drawn were heard at the same time, and the next moment, the cold blades were against Jin Midi's neck, revealing their murderous intent.

"Wait!" Qu Bi looked at Jin Midi, squinted his eyes, and waved his hand, saying, "You go out first."

Soon, when there were only two people left in the king's tent, the Xiongnu Right Wise King mentioned the old matter again: "You are a brave man. Come to me and I will definitely treat you well!"

Jin Midi also said solemnly: "You are an ambitious person. The prince admires you very much. If you cooperate with the prince, you will definitely not be treated unfairly!"

Qu Bi opened his lips slightly, and was about to speak...

"I'm not kidding."

Jin Midi looked at him and said word by word: "If you want to be the Great Khan in the future, the prince will support you. Even if your father does not choose you, the prince will support you!"

Hearing this, Qu Bi's expression suddenly became very subtle and dangerous.

He didn't say anything, but Jin Midi was very frank: "Your father didn't like you before, and he pushed you to be the Right Wise King only because you were of the right age."

"Now the Great Chanyu has two more sons. I heard that he loves them very much. He also has the support of the Lan family. Are you in a bad situation?"

Qu Bi's face was gloomy and uncertain.

Jin Midi continued, "It doesn't matter. I still have some spies in the royal court. I'll keep an eye on you if you want to emulate Maodun Chanyu and kill your father to take the throne."

He patted his chest and said, "Come to me, my master will definitely help you!"

Killing his father to ascend to the throne.

Under the ethics and rules of the Han Dynasty, it would be impossible for people to accept it. But it is different on the grasslands. Not only can people accept it, but they can also speak of it openly without changing their expressions.

As the saying goes, if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beams will be crooked.

Li Shimin's Xuanwu Gate incident made the power transfer in the Tang Dynasty always full of "Xuanwu flavor". Maodun killed his father with a mingdi attack, and his descendants followed suit.

Killing fathers, brothers, and nephews is not uncommon...

After hearing these words conveyed by the Crown Prince of Han, Qu Bi was speechless.

It is in this situation.

Jin Midi asked, "After the heavy snow stops, I will go to the two tribes in the east. Do you have anything to teach me now?"

Hear the words.

The evil thoughts in Qu Bi's heart, which were like a huge wave, were temporarily suppressed. He looked at Jin Midi, remained silent for a moment, and shook his head.

"The forces I manage are in the west, and I don't know much about the two eastern forces, so I can't give you any hints, but..."

Jin Midi was puzzled, "But what?"

"Uwei went to the south and his reputation rose. The Great Chanyu did not want to lose out and wanted to follow suit."

"You want to attack the border too?"

"No, the Great Chanyu sent people to negotiate peace with the Qiang tribe and incite them to rebel. Some tribes have already agreed."

As soon as Qu Bi said this, Jin Midi became silent among the two people talking in the tent. He looked at Qu Bi, as if judging whether the other person's words were true or false.

"correct."

Qu Bi added, "The person who passed the message was a Han Chinese, haha!"

As he said this, a sarcastic look appeared on his face. The aura that had been suppressed repeatedly finally returned to his side, and his previously gloomy face now showed a bit more cheerfulness.

Jin Midi touched his cracked lips.

"you sure?"

"The four Hexi counties of the Han court are blocking in the middle. How do you think the royal court communicates with the Qiang people?" Qu Bi sneered again.

The Qiang people lived south of Wuwei and Jiuquan. Since the Han Dynasty completely occupied the Hexi Corridor, it forcibly separated the Xiongnu and the Qiang people.

Because the Hexi Corridor is long and narrow, and is also a major military route, there are many imperial troops stationed there, and the Han border defense is not like the grassland where anyone can come and go...

Jin Midi asked, "Who is it?"

"I don't know who it is specifically. This matter was handled by the Great Khan himself. I can only roughly sense that the other party has a high status in the Han court." Qu Bi said lightly.

"Princes?"

"I don't know."

Jin Midi was not satisfied with this answer. He turned around and looked at Qu Bi seriously, "Are we cooperating?"

Hearing these two hypocritical words, Qu Bi's mocking face suddenly darkened, and he said coldly: "Don't you have many eyes and ears? Don't you know that I, Ada, don't like me?"

"If I say it's not clear, then it's not clear!"

Jin Midi stared for a while, then asked: "Which Qiang tribes rebelled, and when?"

"I don't know the exact tribe, but the time...will be next autumn at the latest, or early spring at the earliest."

"You will send troops to assist?"

Hey!
Qu Bi smiled again, but this time it was a malicious sneer, "How do you think I knew this?"

Jin Midi only thought about it for a moment and immediately realized, "Ju Lihu asked the right wing under your command to assist the Qiang people in their rebellion?"

Qu Bi smiled without saying anything and took a sip of warm wine.

See this.

Jin Midi also smiled and said, "Cooperation requires give and take. We are not afraid of you asking for something, but we are afraid that you have no desires!"

"What do you want?"

"Han Ting's bows and crossbows, armor, and steel swords!"

"Do you think that's possible?"

"I'll take the celestial horse from Dayuan in the Western Regions in exchange! When the Qiang people rebelled, I stood by and watched!"

"...Weapons are not good, the prince will not agree."

"Then I will give you ordinary ironware, food, salt, and the tea you drink. I will exchange them for war horses and leather. I know that the Han court buys fine horses in the Western Regions, but how can you buy as much as the tribute from the Western Regions?"

"…Food is not available, iron tools are temporarily fixed, and war horses cannot be castrated."

"Okay, but Hanting can only trade with me."

"Wait for me to send a message to Chang'an, and the Crown Prince will make the decision."

"Okay! Tell the Han prince that I respect him, too. If he wants to kill his father one day, I will..."

"Stop!"

The shocking conversation in the tent was stopped. Fortunately, this place was located in Mobei, thousands of miles away from Chang'an, and all the disrespectful words were dissipated in the wind and snow.

When the snow stopped for a while, a small group of people walked out from the continuous tents of the right wing of the Xiongnu royal court, like a black line in the pure daylight.

Slowly heading south...

It was already deep winter when this letter, sent from the north in the wind and snow, arrived in Chang'an.

Jiaguan Hall, on the top of the building.

The cold wind was howling outside the pavilion, but it was warm as spring inside. Liu Ju leaned on the brocade couch and looked at the bargaining in the first part of the letter with a half-smile on his face.

"Like drinking tea? Good habit."

When he read the second half, Liu Ju's smile gradually faded, and in a moment, it was filled with indifference and frosty.

The beauty nestled in his arms noticed something was wrong and asked carefully, "Your Highness, what's wrong?"

"nothing."

Liu Ju stroked Shi Liangdi's smooth cheek, his eyes still cold, but he smiled and said, "It's just a traitor, it's nothing..."

(End of this chapter)