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

Chapter 259 I'm worried about the Han Dynasty

The heat still lingered between heaven and earth, and at the end of late summer, the emperor moved to Ganquan Palace.

It was normal for the Emperor of the Han Dynasty to go to Ganquan Palace to escape the summer heat, and there was nothing surprising about it, but this year was a little different.

Less than half a month after the emperor moved into Ganquan Palace, a Ganoderma lucidum with nine stems grew in the main hall!

As soon as the news came out, someone immediately submitted a petition:

“This is a good omen!”

"It must be that after the Huns surrendered and the emperor performed the Fengshan ceremony, the world was in a prosperous state, so the heavens sent down nine Lingzhi mushrooms to show their recognition of your majesty's achievements!"

The emperor was overjoyed when he heard this, and immediately issued an edict to grant amnesty to the entire nation...

In this strange story, whether "God" performed a miracle or not is a matter of opinion. Anyway, being able to grant amnesty to the world is always a good result.

Following this incident.

The next thing that was widely reported in the official newspaper and talked about by the people of Chang'an was the tribute of the princess from the Huns.

Perhaps it was because the Huns did not have such a complicated bureaucratic system and were very efficient, or perhaps it was because Ju Lihu was very anxious.

all in all.

At the turn of summer and autumn, the Xiongnu princess entered Chang'an, and two ministers of the court, the Grand Herald and the Grand Minister of Agriculture, came out in person to greet her.

The Grand Herald welcomed the princess, and the Grand Minister of Agriculture welcomed the princess's dowry...

Sang Hongyang ordered his people to move away all the gold, gems, horses, cattle, sheep, and even ordinary cheap leather. He had earned all of these by his own ability.

Not a penny less.

The dowry... that is, the tribute from the Huns, went to the national treasury, while the princess herself entered the Weiyang Palace.

She was the daughter of Yizhixie and the younger sister of Julihu.

It doesn’t matter what her name is, and it doesn’t matter whether she is beautiful or not. The only thing that matters is that her identity is noble!
After the marriage between the Han and Xiongnu was decided, before the princess was sent, the people of Chang'an had a fantasy: "We must ask the Xiongnu to send the most beautiful flowers from the grassland to the marriage!"

It’s okay to imagine.

However, what if this most beautiful flower was not a member of the Xiongnu royal family, but only had a pretty face and an ordinary, even humble identity?

As soon as the Huns send it, the emperor will immediately turn hostile!
The emperor has no shortage of beauties.

What he wanted was never a Xiongnu beauty, what he wanted was someone who could bow down and submit on behalf of the Xiongnu!
Princesses have this function, but ordinary flowers do not.

Just like the marriages between the Han and Xiongnu in the past, after the Liu clan daughters were sent to the grassland, there would be a process of verifying their identities. In the past, the Xiongnu people wanted noble daughters, and now, the Han people also want noble daughters...

……

night.

Prince's Palace, Soft Light Hall.

Two figures were leaning on the bed, talking quietly.

"My father randomly gave that person the rank of 'good man' and asked my mother to find a vacant palace in Weiyang Palace to house him. Look at the situation..."

Liu Ju shook his head. "The royal bloodline that many old scholars in the court are worried about being tainted is unlikely to happen."

Shi Liangdi, who was sitting next to him, pursed her lips. She knew that His Highness was still being euphemistic. In fact, the princess from the north was confined to the cold palace when she first entered the palace.

“They are all miserable women.”

"Yes." Liu Ju took over the girl's words and said calmly: "For princesses who marry into other countries, all of them have a miserable life."

It is not up to them whether to marry or not, and who to marry. This was true for the Han princesses in the past, and it is also true for the grassland princesses today.

"All we can do is to make the people we care about suffer less. As for others..."

"There's nothing I can do to help."

Hearing the prince's words, the girl beside him did not feel indifferent, but a warmth rose in her heart. Wasn't she the person who was less sad than the prince mentioned?
Shi Liangdi leaned closer to the side, and her tender feet soaked in warm water stepped on Liu Ju's instep, which was soft and smooth.

"Ugh."

The girl sighed softly, raised her eyes to look at Liu Ju's profile, and then mentioned another matter, "I received a letter from home a few days ago. In addition to greetings, it also said..."

She looked worried and whispered, "They said the local government was collecting too much money, and there was some commotion. Let me remind you of this."

Hear this.

Liu Ju's pleasure from the touch on his feet was swept away. He sighed heavily at first, then stroked the cheek of the girl in his arms and teased:

"Didn't your good sister teach you that it's taboo to talk about serious topics during a night of love? It can easily ruin your mood."

Shi Liangdi's eyes were filled with shame and annoyance. "It's an important matter for the court, and we can't delay it."

See this.

Liu Ju shook his head and laughed, but as he laughed, he fell into silence.

The locals were making a fuss, and as the crown prince, how could he not know that the county officials would try their best to conceal the reports even if there were problems in the localities because of the four words "prosperous scene".

If there are no problems, wouldn't it be a peaceful and prosperous world?
But if the local officials did not report it, Jiawei would report it to Liu Ju, not to mention that there were people like Shi Shi from Lu who came from thousands of miles away to send the "reminder".

There was a lot of commotion among the people, and Liu Ju knew where it came from, and he also knew...

The next day.

The sky was slightly bright and hazy.

There was already a lot of noise outside the Zhangcheng Gate. Laborers from various counties were carrying soil and chiseling stones under the orders of the foremen and supervisors.

Looking around, this large construction site, which is adjacent to the Weiyang Palace and only separated by a wall, is crowded with people.

"How much corvée was imposed?"

"There are already 80,000 of them, and civilians and prisoners from the Kanto counties are arriving one after another. It is estimated that the total number will reach its peak during the off-season, nearly 200,000."

On the city wall, Liu Ju walked slowly, holding a sword, followed by the Chief of Staff Cai Cheng. When Cai Cheng responded to this sentence, his already dark face seemed to become even darker.

The tone of voice was also a little vague.

Liu Ju stopped and looked outside the city with a frown, "Why are so many conscripts being recruited?"

Cai Cheng lowered his head and said in a muffled voice: "Your Majesty requires that the project be completed within one year. The deadline is too tight, and the area of ​​Jianzhang Palace is similar to that of Weiyang Palace."

"The scale of the palace and the landscape of the pond and forest are comparable to the Weiyang Palace, or even more magnificent. The Feige Chariot Road spans the Chang'an city wall..."

Cai Cheng, who has never been good at speaking, talked a lot today, and Liu Ju's brows furrowed deeper as he listened.

Jianzhang Palace.

This is the palace complex that the emperor wanted to build. It would not be appropriate to place it in the city because it is really large in terms of the area it covers.

The planning of Jianzhang Palace is several times larger than that of Weiyang Palace!

So how big is the Weiyang Palace?

To put it more intuitively, if you rise to a high altitude and look down, more than one-third of the entire Chang'an city is occupied by Weiyang and Changle.

Of this one third, the two palaces each occupy half, that is to say, the Jianzhang Palace, which is larger than the Weiyang Palace, is to be completed within a year.

Nearly one-sixth of Chang'an City!

Such a large area cannot be placed in the city. However, there is only one way to build such a large palace complex in a short time.

Imposing additional corvee labor.

"Although the imperial court rested its troops for two years, it still built fortresses in the Hexi Corridor and built city barriers at the northern border, so labor service and military service have never stopped."

Liu Ju looked out of the city and said quietly, "We had a large-scale conscription not long ago, and it's not been long since we had another one..."

He didn't say anything else, but his seriousness was already written all over his face.

Saw this scene.

Cai Cheng's expression changed, and he clasped his hands and said, "The stones needed for Jianzhang Palace must be mined from the North Mountain, and the huge trees needed must be transported from Bashu and Jingxiang."

"All the counties in the south are required to offer rare and precious animals, and the counties along the coast are required to offer turtles and fish, all of which are to be raised in the Taiye Lake."

"According to the plan, we need to build a platform in the pond, which is 28 meters high. We also need to build Penglai, Fangzhang, Yingzhou, and Huliang sacred mountains, each one is as high as..."

"enough!"

Liu Ju, who was holding the hilt of the sword, shouted in a low voice, with a stern look on his face, "If you have any dissatisfaction, just say it directly. I am the orphan, not your father!"

The words were a little difficult to understand, but everyone present understood them. Eunuch Wei looked back, his cold eyes swept towards the attendants several feet away, and the eunuchs who had been following him from a distance retreated several feet in awe.

"Who instigated the emperor to build those damn sacred mountains?" Liu Ju asked coldly, "Was it someone from the General's Office?"

"No."

Cai Cheng said in a deep voice: "They are some alchemists who claim that building a sacred mountain can attract immortals to come, obtain elixirs and medicines, and achieve immortality."

Liu Ju stared at the figures outside the city that looked like ants but were definitely not ants. He stared for a while and muttered to himself, "Another alchemist?"

"Ah!"

It was this group of lingering monsters again. At this moment, Liu Ju, who always felt inexplicably irritated whenever they were mentioned, suddenly felt a surge of evil in his chest.

"Go and call Gongsun Qing. I'll be waiting for him here! Go now!"

"Yes, Your Highness."

Eunuch Wei responded quickly, walked quickly towards a eunuch and whispered a few words.

The alchemist Gongsun Qing, currently a Zhongsan doctor, has considerable wealth and has bought a house to the north of Zhicheng Gate, not far from Beidi.

He usually did not have any official duties and stayed at home, so it was not difficult for the eunuchs in the Prince's Palace to find him, and they summoned him very quickly.

"My lord, I have met His Highness!"

Gongsun Qing, who was suddenly called, looked nervous and bowed deeply. Before he could ask carefully, Liu Ju spoke with a cold face.

"It was you who led the emperor's eastern tour to search for immortals in the sea. I'm a little curious, have you found the Penglai Immortal Mountain?"

Gongsun Qing swallowed his saliva and said, "Your Highness, no."

"is it?"

Liu Ju stared outside the city with a cold tone, "You are not good at learning martial arts. I found Penglai. Not only Penglai, but also several other fairy mountains."

Gongsun Qing's face turned pale. He followed the prince's gaze and the confusion in his eyes immediately turned into shock and astonishment.

"Unjust, I am wronged!"

Gongsun Qing's eyes widened, and he quickly explained: "Your Highness, the several fairy mountains in Jianzhang Palace were definitely not my suggestion!"

"It was said by several alchemists that Your Majesty brought back from Qi when he returned from his eastern tour. I... I... I..."

thump.

The next moment, Gongsun Qing, with a pale face, knelt on his knees, panicked and earnestly said: "Your Highness, I have the support of the general, and the general is your uncle. How could I not know that you dislike alchemists? How could I do something that would embarrass the general?"

"That time when I searched for immortals in the East China Sea...that time..."

At this point, Gongsun Qing seemed to be afraid of something, and turned his head to look at Eunuch Wei and Cai Cheng standing beside him.

Seeing this, the two men retreated several feet silently.

"Get up and talk."

"Yes, yes." Gongsun Qing nodded repeatedly. After making sure that no one else could hear him, he avoided his gaze and lowered his voice:

"When I went to the East Sea to search for immortals, it was not me who instigated Your Majesty, nor was there anyone who instigated you. It was Your Majesty himself... who suddenly had the urge to submit a petition to search for immortals."

"Also, this time, although it was the Qi local scholars who made suggestions, it seems that Your Majesty also had his own thoughts."

talking.

Gongsun Qing looked at the prince carefully and said hesitantly, "According to my fellow disciples, there are more than just alchemists in Ganquan Palace. There are also several..."

"A few what?" Liu Ju turned and looked at him.

"A few sorcerers from Nanyue!" Gongsun Qing's cheeks twitched, and he tried not to look at the prince's arresting gaze, and said in a hoarse voice:
"One of them was called Yongzhi. He told Your Majesty that the King of Dong'ou was long-lived because he respected ghosts and gods. Your Majesty believed him and ordered the sorcerer to build the Yue Temple in Ganquan Palace."

"There is only a platform, no altar, to offer sacrifices to the gods and ghosts..."

When he spoke the last few words, Gongsun Qing's voice was so low that it was inaudible. It was not because he had lost his strength, but because he had lost his courage.

Because the gaze fixed on him was like a sharp blade, an icicle.

Straight to the bone marrow!

Liu Ju's eyes were cold and his expression was motionless. It was not until Gongsun Qing's forehead was sweating and his knees were weak, and he was about to kneel down again, that Liu Ju said calmly:
"Doctor Gongsun, you also said that you have the support of the general. The general is my uncle, so..."

He patted Gongsun Qing's shoulder and moved closer to his side, "Next time something like this happens, don't let me look for you."

"Doctor Gongsun has the support of the general!"

"Yes! Yes!" Gongsun Qing nodded hurriedly, "If it happens again, I will take the initiative to report it to Your Highness, I will take the initiative..."

There is no need to say more about the rest of the story, because Liu Ju had already left. Before he left, he left a sentence: "I will keep today's events to myself."

"Don't worry, Your Highness! I will never say anything nonsense!"

"Never will!"

The prince's back had already walked away, and Gongsun Qing, with a pale face, dared to wipe the cold sweat off his face with his sleeves. After a long time, he was still in shock.

The prince clearly had the intention to kill!
hiss--

A gust of cold wind blew, causing Gongsun Qing to shiver. He was stunned for a moment, then hurried down the city wall and went to Princess Pingyang's mansion...

Taiwong.

On the pavilion of Jiaguan Palace.

Liu Ju waited from early morning till noon, and then till nightfall. At about three quarters past midnight, footsteps were heard downstairs in the attic.

Jin Midi, who had just returned from the grassland less than a month ago, walked to the table and said solemnly: "Your Highness, I have found it."

"The Imperial Hospital moved a batch of medicinal materials a few days ago, and their whereabouts are unknown. The only people in Weiyang Palace who could do this were the Empress and His Majesty. During that time, the Empress was not ill, but His Majesty happened to be returning to the capital at that time."

Liu Ju was silent for a few breaths, his eyes slightly narrowed.

"Father was ill after a long journey. Perhaps he had some clues on the way, but he endured it. After returning to the capital, he did not allow outsiders to know even if he took medicine."

"Are you strong-willed?"

His inference coincided with Jin Midi's. After a pause, Jin Midi continued, "Your Majesty went hundreds of miles into the grassland, and achieved a level that none of the previous emperors could achieve. Afterwards, he was enthroned and worshipped, and he enjoyed the utmost glory as an emperor."

"How can I let illness affect my reputation?"

After returning to Beijing, he had to prepare for the "prosperous scene" and it was even more impossible for him to reveal his illness to others.

Liu Ju slowly stood up and paced in the pavilion, "No wonder there are sacred mountains, alchemists, and even Nanyue sorcerers appearing."

“Who in this world doesn’t want to be immortal and immune to all diseases?” Liu Ju stood behind the railing, looking at the dark night outside the building, and remained silent for a long time.

After a cup of tea.

Liu Ju raised his hand, and Jin Midi, who was following behind him, continued to report: "The four Qi local scholars are all living in Chang'an City, but the sorcerer is nowhere to be found."

"Nine out of ten, it's in Ganquan Palace."

Once it comes to Ganquan Palace, it is not something that ordinary spies can monitor. Liu Ju rubbed his fingers and said lightly:

"Everyone knows that I don't like the sorcerers' stuff. If I hadn't asked Gongsun Qing before and asked you to investigate, I wouldn't have known that there were sorcerers entering Chang'an."

"Tell me, is Father hiding those guys because he is worried about me?"

Hearing this, Jin Midi really started to think about it.

After thinking about it, he replied seriously: "I don't think so. If we really wanted to take your Highness's preferences into consideration, we wouldn't have built those dazzling sacred mountains in Jianzhang Palace."

"There must be other reasons..."

Liu Ju turned around and glanced at Jin Midi with a slightly strange expression. Before Jin Midi could ask any questions, Liu Ju waved his hand to interrupt him and sighed.

"No need to guess. I don't care about the truth. I only know that I am worried about the Han Dynasty!"

Liu Ju leaned his hands on the railing and looked at the sky. It was pitch black without a single star.

"Ugh."

"Get ready, wait for the rain and thunder to come, and then we can exorcise the demons!"

Jin Midi grinned, with fanaticism and bloodlust flashing in his eyes. The former was for Liu Ju, and the latter was for some unlucky guys...

(End of this chapter)