I, the prince, only want to be deposed.

Chapter 507 The Dragon Didn’t Come
Liu Ju followed Liu Che all the way, always paying careful attention to every detail around him.

He himself was fine. With his current strength, not everyone could get close to him even with bare hands.

Moreover, in such an age of cold weapons, apart from poisoning, the most difficult to guard against is the hidden arrow... In this regard, Liu Che was more attentive than him. Not only had he ordered the accompanying imperial guards to close the mountain and stand guard in advance, he also equipped the three of them with soft armor (a vest-like armor) that could protect against arrows, which they wore under their court robes.

So the three of them walked and stopped all the way towards the top of the mountain.

After all, Liu Che was old and a little fat, and he didn't exercise much on weekdays. By the time he reached the mountainside, he had already sweated a lot, and his breathing became extremely heavy.

Of course, Liu Ju felt that this might also be related to his usual practice of seeking advice from gods and ghosts and eating all kinds of elixirs to maintain his health.

After all, at that time, alchemists were mostly doing random things when making elixirs. They didn't care about heavy metals or toxicity. As long as they saw something strange, they would put it into the alchemy furnace.

He even had reason to believe that Liu Che was able to live to the age of 69 despite taking all those weird elixirs. With his strong physique, it might not be impossible for him to live to 80 if he had not taken those weird elixirs.

But think again.

Liu Che, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, lived to be sixty-nine, which was already a disaster for the Han Dynasty in history.

If he could really live to 80, his Alzheimer's disease would only become more serious, and the Han Dynasty would most likely be destroyed by him.

By then, let alone whether he can leave behind the reputation of Emperor Wu of Han, or whether future generations will give him mixed reviews...

After all, history is written by the victors. Once he becomes a king who loses his country in his later years due to oppression, he will inevitably leave behind the infamy of Emperor Zhou of Han or the Fifth Emperor of Han.

And his Fengshan ceremony will naturally become a huge joke.

Maybe, like Emperor Zhenzong of Song in later generations, all emperors in later generations would feel ashamed of it, thus completely closing the door to "emperors offering sacrifices to heaven and earth at Mount Tai".

But now...

Seeing that Liu Che was gradually becoming exhausted, Liu Ju silently walked forward and supported his arm.

"?"

Liu Che glanced over, with a hint of displeasure clearly flashing across his eyes.

He didn't like Liu Ju's current self-assertion. This was his Fengshan Ceremony. He was not old yet and he still ruled the world. What's more, there were a group of ministers watching him. Why did Liu Ju need to do this?
Although his legs were already slightly sore and he was shaking slightly just standing, fortunately he still had the hem of the imperial robe to cover them...

Liu Ju just smiled and said:

"Father, Huo Xian and I are a little tired. How about we take a rest for a while before we go on?"

Hearing this, the displeasure in Liu Che's eyes quietly disappeared, and he turned around to look at Huo Shan behind him.

"Hu-hu-"

Huo Xian was quite clever. He immediately bent down, supported his knees and began to breathe heavily. He even bowed:
"Your Majesty and Your Highness are much taller than me. One step of yours is equivalent to two steps of mine. I can only barely keep up with your Majesty and Your Highness by jogging behind them."

"In that case, let's take a short break."

Although Huo Xian's performance was a bit exaggerated, Liu Che still nodded reluctantly and said sternly,
"You two are young and at your most vigorous and energetic, but your bodies are so weak. How can you shoulder important responsibilities in the future? Go back and train in Jianzhang Camp!"

"promise."

Liu Ju and Huo Shan all agreed to Liu Che's request.

While hearing these words, Liu Ju couldn't help but have some doubts in his heart.

At least from Liu Che's current words, it can be seen that he not only has expectations for himself, but also for Huo Shan. Otherwise, he would not have said anything like "shouldering important responsibilities in the future", and he would not have arranged for him and Huo Shan to go to Jianzhang Camp for training together after they returned.

That is to say, in Liu Che's current subconscious mind, Huo Shan would not die suddenly during this Fengshan ceremony.

unless……

Liu Che is acting now, and he paid special attention to this detail when he spoke!

If this is the case, then Liu Che, the cheap father, is too terrible...

It was not the first time that Liu Ju met Liu Che, and he felt that Liu Che was not that kind of person.

If Liu Che really wanted Huo Xian to die, he could easily find a high-sounding method, just like the previous "酎金夺爵" (to deprive someone of their title). He would never bother to use such despicable and lowly means.

Moreover, being so cautious in front of his son was not in line with the dignity and principles that Liu Che always insisted on as the emperor and the father.

Given his personality, even if there was a reason he had to do so.

He would probably just choose to get rid of his son, so he wouldn't have to do this.

and so.

Will Huo Shan not die suddenly this time, or does Liu Che have nothing to do with Huo Shan's sudden death at all?

Thinking about this, Liu Ju took the opportunity to rest and said to Liu Che with a smile:
"Father, I saw that Huo Xian was having a hard time following us just now. Unfortunately, I don't have the strength to spare. It would be better if you can help Huo Xian when you continue to climb the mountain, so that he won't delay the auspicious time because of his short legs."

"..."

At this moment, Huo Xian finally cast a slightly resentful look at his cousin Liu Ju.

It would have been fine if this cousin had just forced him to admit that he couldn't walk anymore, but why is he putting all the blame on himself this time?

Admittedly, he was not as tall as Liu Che, and was half a head shorter than his cousin.

But isn't it a bit too much to say "so as to avoid missing the auspicious time due to his short legs"? Believe it or not, I, who have often gone to various training grounds to observe and gain experience since I was a child, will jump up now and run back and forth to the top of the mountain twice in one breath to show you, so that you can know whether my legs are short or not?

But he just thought about it in his mind.

Under the guidance of Gou Sheng Huo Guang, he was very clear about the identities of the two people in front of him. He was even more clear that even if his deceased father came, he would have to control his temper in front of these two people.

At the same time, he could also tell who was the one who could no longer climb...

So Huo Xian immediately bowed to Liu Che with a guilty look on his face and apologized:
"I am afraid I will die. I am exhausted and I am afraid I will delay your majesty's Fengshan ceremony. How dare I ask your majesty to drag me up the mountain?"

"Ah."

Having said that, and considering Huo Shan's poor acting skills, how could Liu Che not know what Liu Ju was thinking at the moment? He sneered and pulled Huo Shan over, but he did not forget to give Liu Ju a cold look and cursed:
"Let's go. You don't have to go to Jianzhang Camp for training after we return. Let Liu Ju go alone!"

Huo Xian already had an idea in his mind when he was pulled back by Liu Che.

He immediately exerted a hidden force in his arms, quietly providing support to Liu Che.

At the same time, he noticed from the corner of his eye that when Liu Che turned around, the corner of his originally stern face quietly curled up...

Are these the father and son?
Huo Xian's heart was touched unconsciously. Everyone knew that his father, Huo Qubing, was a great general who terrified the Xiongnu, but he had never seen his father... To be precise, he had never seen him before he could remember, so he didn't have a clear memory of him at all.

After all, he was only 3 years old when Huo Qubing died.

Before he was three years old, Huo Qubing was either attacking the Huns or on his way to attack the Huns. Then he suddenly died of illness. He and his family were separated for most of the time, and he even saw his biological mother only rarely.

It’s so beautiful…

Huo Xian couldn't help but feel a little yearning in his heart. He felt that the relationship between Liu Che and Liu Ju was too harmonious. Even when he was scolding or getting angry, they showed the love between father and son, supporting and understanding each other.

He grew up with his uncle Huo Guang, who was taciturn, serious and cautious.

There has never been any similar emotion, only occasional stern warnings and serious encouragements, driven by the urge to strive to catch up with the glory of my deceased father.

Talk about it.

Isn’t this cousin a nice guy?

Why were there so many bad rumors about him before? Why was he punished by His Majesty many times, not only was he imprisoned, but he was even deposed as the Crown Prince once?
Perhaps those are just appearances that people see.

But as a father, Your Majesty gave this cousin the experience and education, so wasn’t it more of a father’s love?

That must be it!

This cousin is so capable that he was able to drive out the Xiongnu and conquer the Western Regions. This was definitely due to your Majesty's training and education. It is true that jade cannot be made into a useful tool without polishing...

"..."

Huo Xian was right, and at this moment Liu Che also felt a warm feeling in his heart.

Liu Ju has indeed grown a lot now. He has learned to read his own face and has figured out his own temper. He knows how to handle things without making himself angry.

This is the good son that Liu Che hoped for, and the good prince he could entrust the fate of the Han Dynasty to.

……

The top of Mount Tai.

The road that Liu Che took to climb Mount Tai was repaired from the road opened up by Qin Shihuang.

The ritual temple on the top of the mountain was also expanded on the basis of the ritual temple of Qin Shihuang, just like the Ganquan Palace which he used specifically to seek advice from gods and ghosts.

Although the Han Dynasty had many criticisms of the Qin Dynasty, this was naturally due to political needs.

But everyone knows that the Han Dynasty's system, laws, culture, world view, and even all aspects actually mostly followed the Qin system. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is a continuation of the Qin Dynasty. Even Liu Che recognized the title of "Ancestor Dragon" of Qin Shihuang.

Therefore, the route of Liu Che's Fengshan was exactly the same as that of Qin Shihuang's Fengshan.

That is to say, the sacrificial text and rituals of Qin Shihuang's enshrinement of Mount Tai were kept secret at that time, otherwise the sacrificial text and rituals would not have needed to be revised.

However, this did not prevent Liu Che from having a strong desire to surpass Qin Shihuang and become a greater emperor of all time.

such as.

Although Qin Shihuang was able to perform the Fengshan ceremony, he could not ride a dragon to ascend to heaven. If he could, wouldn't it prove that his achievements had already surpassed those of Qin Shihuang?
After Liu Che, Liu Ju and Huo Xian reached the top of the mountain.

Liu Che only rested for a while, and after catching his breath, he immediately led the two of them into the ritual temple which was decorated with lights but empty.

Unlike previous sacrifices, there was no host here, Liu Che himself was the host.

The sacrificial text and rituals of the Dengfeng Ceremony were kept secret just like those of Qin Shihuang. Only Liu Che knew them by heart. This time he asked Liu Ju to come along to set an example for Liu Ju, in case he really rode a dragon to ascend to heaven during the Fengshan Ceremony. At least Liu Ju knew what the sacrificial text and rituals were, so that he would have a chance to meet him in the fairyland in the future.

Liu Che felt that Liu Ju should take good care of this friendship, after all, he had never been so attentive to anyone in his life.

And Liu Ju should also be able to understand this.

After all, when he was reciting the sacrificial text, he specifically ordered Huo Xian to go outside the ritual temple to avoid it, but kept Liu Ju and allowed him to listen on the side.

However, Liu Che had no idea.

While he was reading the sacrificial text, Liu Ju was drowsy with the self-praising clichés, but he was thinking about another question in his mind:
"Since Huo Xian was not allowed to listen to the sacrificial oration, why did Liu Che take him to Mount Tai alone?"

It has been brought in history and it is brought this time as well.

Could it be that he was worried that he didn't have the strength to climb up, so he made a human walking stick to carry him?
Rather than explaining it this way, Liu Ju would rather believe that Liu Che was preparing to ride a dragon to ascend to heaven. If the dragon really came down and Liu Che wanted to take someone with him to ascend to heaven, Huo Shan would indeed be a suitable person.

Because Huo Shan's father Huo Qubing was an undisputed famous general, as the saying goes, a good father will have a good son, and Huo Qubing seemed to be born to be a general, then Huo Shan, who inherited Huo Qubing's bloodline, was most likely not a simple person either. When Liu Che went to the fairyland, he needed someone to assist him, so a general who could help him expand his territory was naturally the first choice.

As for the issue of physical strength.

In history, Liu Che's first Fengshan ceremony took place nearly ten years earlier than now. At that time, Liu Che was only in his forties. Liu Ju had seen Liu Che's physical condition at that time, so climbing Mount Tai would certainly be no problem for him, so he didn't need a human-shaped cane at all.

then.

While Liu Che and Liu Ju were each thinking about their own things, more than two quarters of an hour passed. With Liu Che inserting several two-foot-long incense sticks into the incense burner, the enthronement ceremony was finally completed.

After doing all this, Liu Che looked up at the sky, waiting quietly, his eyes full of anticipation.

Liu Ju knew what he was waiting for.

He was waiting for the dragon to come and greet him.

But today is a sunny day, and the sky is clear blue without even a cloud, let alone the sudden change in the weather that should occur before the arrival of the dragon.

Liu Ju was already certain in his heart that Liu Che was destined to be disappointed today.

After all, not to mention that he didn't believe it in the first place, even if the myths and legends about this matter were true, a dragon would not appear out of thin air. At the very least it should have come on the clouds, right?
of course.

Now he certainly would not say anything sarcastic to offend Liu Che at this time. He just stood there quietly, thinking that Huo Shan’s sudden death might have nothing to do with Liu Che.

He waited like this for another two moments.

Although Liu Che did not speak, Liu Ju could clearly feel Liu Che's emotional changes.

From expectation to silence, from silence to disappointment, and now from disappointment to impatience... Liu Che finally withdrew his gaze, turned around suddenly, and uttered a cold voice:

"go!"

(End of this chapter)