I, the prince, only want to be deposed.

Chapter 382 Why does this development seem familiar?

"Second brother..."

Liu Ju's familiar address made Han Zeng feel uneasy.

There is a difference in status between the royal family and court officials. Not to mention that Liu Ju and Han Ling have not yet officially married, even if they have been married for a long time, Liu Ju does not need to call him second brother, and he cannot call Liu Ju brother-in-law. He still has to address him respectfully as Your Highness.

But now Han Zeng is more curious about the so-called "achievements" mentioned by Liu Ju.

This was the first time in his life that he had seen someone give "achievements" as a gift to others.

After all, most of the time, the so-called merits and demerits are judged by the emperor, and recorded in history books by future generations. How could Liu Ju give away gifts whenever he wanted?
Could it be that he was planning to lie about the battle record before the war even started, so as to claim military merit for himself?

How could this be done? If even a little news leaked out, both Liu Ju and him would be doomed...

With these in mind.

Han Zeng's heartbeat quickened, and he quickly declined:

"Your Highness, you are too kind. As the saying goes, no merit, no reward. I have neither merit nor achievement. How dare I claim credit for any achievement?"

"I wonder if my second brother has any official position in the court now?"

Liu Ju smiled indifferently and asked again.

"In reply to your Highness, I have not yet been admitted as an official, and Renzi's petition has just been submitted. It is still awaiting the approval of your Majesty and the Guanglu Xun."

Han Zeng bowed and replied.

This was exactly why Han Shuo ordered him to escort Han Ling. A marquis like Han Shuo, who had not yet completely resigned from his military post, naturally could not leave Beijing without Liu Che's permission.

And his elder brother Han Xing was a palace guard in the Weiyang Palace, so naturally he could not leave the capital without permission.

In this way, only Han Zeng, who had not yet entered the palace, was left to escort Han Ling and go to the more sensitive border area.

"I see."

After hearing this, Liu Ju became even more convinced of Han Zeng.

According to historical records, Han Zeng was actually one of the Nine Ministers during the reign of Emperor Liu Che, working his way up from Langguan, Zhucao, and Shizhong to Guanglu Dafu, and he also took back Han Shuo's title of Marquis Longyi that had been abolished not long ago.

Unfortunately, there is no detailed record of what achievements led to his high promotion.

But there is one thing that is worth pondering. His father Han Shuo died in the Witchcraft and Poisoning Incident. After Han Shuo's death, his eldest brother Han Xing inherited the current "Andao Hou" in accordance with the rules of the Han Dynasty, but was soon implicated in the subsequent turmoil of the Witchcraft and Poisoning Incident. There are only three words about it in the history books - innocent execution.

As a result, the second brother Han Zeng was not affected at all. Not only did he live until the death of Emperor Zhao and Emperor Xuan, he continued to hold important positions in the court, until he was promoted to Grand Marshal and General of Chariots and Cavalry, and was in charge of the Secretariat, and was named one of the meritorious officials of the Qilin Pavilion.

In addition, if Liu Ju remembers correctly.

After Emperor Zhao's death, Huo Guang deposed Liu He, Marquis of Haihun, and established Liu Xun, Emperor Xuan of Han.

Han Zeng was also an important political ally of Huo Guang and provided considerable support.

From all aspects, Han Zeng should be a very politically wise person, and may also have the saintly qualities of Huo Guang. He is definitely a useful person.

It’s just that I heard now that Han Zeng is preparing to become a Lang.

Liu Ju actually felt like he was cutting off Liu Che's territory...

"I'm afraid you have some misunderstandings. If you don't have any merit, you can't receive the reward. I just said I would give you some merit, but that's actually a bit biased. In essence, I should provide you with some opportunities to build your merit."

Then Liu Ju smiled and said,
"Second brother, you should know that since my father issued an edict to allow the entry of Yang into the imperial court, the number of Guanglu Xun's imperial court officials has reached 5,000, and there are all kinds of people among the imperial court officials, many of whom are profit-seeking and clinging to power, which has formed the drawback of mountain officials. Talented and capable people are often buried because of this, and it is difficult for them to stand out, and they end up wasting their lives." "Second brother is the son of a general, so it is natural for him to become an imperial court official, and his starting point is also higher than many imperial court officials."

"But becoming a Lang is just the beginning. If my second brother never gets a chance to make achievements, I'm afraid he won't be able to display his talents and abilities, and it will be difficult for him to be valued."

"In that case, why not take this opportunity to build some achievements before entering the imperial court? My father will see this, and when my second brother enters the imperial court in the future, he won't have to start as a palace guard. He can raise his starting point higher."

While talking.

Liu Ju walked up to Han Zeng and looked at the armor on him:

"As the saying goes, like father, like son. Since you came here wearing General Han's armor, just like I brought the armor given by General Wei, this is probably God's will. If you go back like this, wouldn't it damage the glory of this armor?"

Although Han Zeng will achieve great success in the future, he is only 20 years old now. If he were in later generations, he would be the age of a clear-headed, stupid, pretentious and passionate college student.

The biggest difference is that Han Zeng is definitely not crispy.

In this era, families with the means would not only teach their children to read and write, but also teach them the six arts of a gentleman, including riding, archery and swordsmanship. Any playboy would have a foundation in both civil and military skills.

"The disadvantages of Shanlang... This brother-in-law really dares to say anything..."

These words indeed stirred the blood in Han Zeng's heart, and there was a hint of respect in his slightly raised eyes.

His elder brother is now a palace official. Sometimes when he comes back, he will tell him privately about what he sees and hears in the palace. Among them, the thing he complains about the most is the "evil of mountain officials" that money makes the world go round.

But seeing that Liu Ju said this so bluntly, one has to admire him.

After all, not everyone dares to publicly comment on the emperor's actions, especially for Prince Liu Ju, as there is a hint of challenging his father's authority.

Fine.

My brother-in-law and sister are really a perfect match, they deserve to be together...

However, Han Zeng still had reservations about Liu Ju's invitation. He hesitated for a moment and asked again:

"I naturally do not want to disgrace my father's armor, but I wonder how Your Highness plans to provide me with opportunities to make achievements and establish a career?"

"Since you have nothing to do if you go back now, how about you stay in my tent and take charge of Sima's affairs for a while? I believe this opportunity will come soon."

Seeing that Han Zeng had somewhat relented, Liu Ju immediately turned back and ordered Guo Zhen:
"Guo Zhen, invite my second brother to stay in the camp temporarily, and take good care of him. Don't neglect him!"

"promise!"

Guo Zhen also led his personal soldiers forward and quickly took over the accompanying carriages and horses. Regardless of Han Zeng's opinion, he led the servants and personal soldiers who came with him into the military camp.

"..."

Han Zeng suddenly felt like he was being held hostage, but he couldn't refuse such a kind invitation and didn't know how to decline.

Looking back at his sister Han Ling, he saw that her face was full of joy. She was looking at Liu Ju lovingly all the time, and her obsidian eyes were almost melting.

Although Liu Ju's call of "Second Brother" was meant for Han Zeng, it touched her heart.

Alas, you are such a loser who forgets his loyalty for the sake of beauty. You have to sacrifice yourself to send your sister off for a thousand miles. You are such a jerk...

But why does this development feel familiar?

Where exactly is this familiar place?

(End of this chapter)