Big man: I am the Champion Marquis!

Chapter 2 I Want to Leave the Palace
The Weiyang Palace on Longshouyuan is magnificent. It was the political center and national symbol of the Han Dynasty.

After Huo Xian paid tribute to Huo Qubing, she was taken back to Weiyang Palace. Although there was a Guanjun Marquis Mansion in Chang'an City, Huo Xian was brought into the palace when she was three years old and grew up beside the emperor.

In the Xuanshi, Liu Che squinted his eyes and saw a graceful woman dancing.

There was a handsome man singing next to him:
There is a beauty in the north, unique and extraordinary.

One glance is enough to make you fall in love with her; another glance is enough to make you fall in love with her.

Would you rather not know the difference between beauty and infatuation?
A beautiful woman is hard to find again.

The eunuch did not report it, for fear of disturbing the emperor's interest.

Huo Xian did not delay and entered the Xuanshi Hall quietly. After looking around, he sat down on the cushion. Immediately, someone brought him a table and prepared fruits and drinks.

Also a Shizhong, Jin Midi, the prince of Xiongnu Xutu King, was placed in the Huangmen Office to raise horses after being captured by Huo Qubing. He was promoted to Shizhong by Emperor Liu Che two years ago because of his good horse breeding skills. He is only 25 years old now.

Li Guangli was able to become a palace attendant because his sister was favored by the emperor, but he was extremely cautious in every move.

As Huo Qubing's half-brother, Huo Guang was always cautious when entering and leaving the palace and never made a mistake.

But now look at Huo Xian, who is also a minister, leaning back and eating fruits. Others dare not appreciate Madam Li's dancing, but the champion marquis just watches and nods slightly.

Liu Che opened his eyes, took a date from the table and threw it gently over, "You don't know how to sit or stand properly. Is that what I taught you?"

Huo Xian quickly sat up straight and said, "Your Majesty, I will sit up straight now. But if you sit up straight for too long, your legs will get numb and your waist will get sore."

Kneeling was popular in the Western Han Dynasty, so it is natural that your legs would feel numb sometimes.

Liu Che laughed and scolded, "Children don't have waists, so why can you have a sore waist? You will be my general in the future, riding a fierce horse and pulling a hard bow, can't you bear this little hardship?"

Huo Xian said hurriedly, "Of course I can endure hardships. I have made up my mind. I will join the army at the age of 15, while my father-in-law is only a captain at the age of 18. I have to be better than him!"

"What a great ambition!" Liu Che laughed, but then said, "How can you compare to your grandfather? I have taught you for several years but you still don't understand. How can you lead troops to fight?"

"Then let me leave the palace!" Huo Xian immediately stood up and said flatteringly, "Your Majesty, I want to be a Grand Marshal and a General in the future. How can I stay in the deep palace forever? Let me go to the military camp and I will definitely make progress!"

Liu Che said directly, "No, you just stay by my side, I will let you go in a few years!"

In Liu Che's eyes, Huo Qubing was his apprentice, a general he had personally taught, and he carried many of his political expectations. It was a pity that the child died too early, so that even now I still feel sad when I think about it.

In Liu Che's eyes, if he could teach Huo Qubing well, he could also teach Huo Qubing's son well. There were still many things that had not been done, and he was also looking forward to Huo Shan completing some of his unfinished achievements after he grew up.

Huo Xian suddenly felt a headache, he really wanted to leave the palace.

Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, is controversial in history, but his great talent and strategy are beyond words. Even though the Huns problem has been basically solved, military operations have to continue, which is why many people think that Liu Che was a warmongerer.

Liu Che was only 47 years old at this time, and had not yet reached the state of being senile and suspicious in his later years.

But Huo Xian understood that this emperor was definitely not an easy person to serve.

Some emperors were obsessed with immortality when they were old, but Liu Che was very feudal and superstitious when he was young. He was superstitious about immortals and was deceived by alchemists again and again, and even married Princess Wei Chang to the alchemist Luan Da. The alchemist was named Le Tong Hou and had six seals, but Liu Che, who found out that he was deceived, beheaded Luan Da two years ago.

Although he inherited Huo Shan's memories, he was worried that some things would be exposed and arouse the emperor's suspicion.

The emperors of the Liu family have one thing in common, and that is they are mean!
Liu Che obviously had the same personality. When he needed to use a minister, he would promote talented people regardless of their background. But if he thought they were useless, he would demote them, which was the least of his punishment. He would also often just discard them.

Huo Xian said with a bitter face, "Your Majesty, I am already eleven years old, it is time for me to leave the palace."

"Eleven?" Liu Che laughed and said, "You are only ten years old, how can you be eleven? Now that you have left the palace, who can discipline you?"

Huo Xian said confidently, "The mansion that Your Majesty gave to my father-in-law is still there. If my father-in-law doesn't want it, I want it!"

Liu Che found it even more amusing, "Then I can't give it to you. Wait until you have made achievements before moving there. Besides, there will be no one to take care of you if you move out." "Why is there no one?" Huo Xian said unconvinced, "Your Majesty, I am the Marquis of Guanjun and the Marquis of Wanhu! Aong's troops are still here, so they can naturally take care of you."

"The soldiers will take care of you?" Liu Che was immediately furious. "Your father and mother are not here, how can I trust someone to take care of you! Those soldiers are all from the military, how can they take care of people? There are dandies and powerful people everywhere in Chang'an City, what if they bully you?"

Huo Xian asked in confusion, "Your Majesty, I am the Marquis of Guanjun. Who dares to mess with me? It's a good thing that I don't bully others! What's more, there is Your Majesty to take care of them. Of course, there is also my uncle who can take care of them, right?"

Huo Guang's eyes lit up; his chance to repay his gratitude had come.

Before the age of ten, Huo Guang grew up in Pingyang and was just the son of a Pingyang county official.

He would never forget that eleven years ago, a heroic young general came to Pingyang County and bought a lot of land, houses and slaves for his family before leaving. When the army returned victoriously, Huo Guang learned that the young general was his half-brother, the champion marquis of the Han Dynasty!

Huo Guang did not dare to comment on his father's actions, but his half-brother, regardless of past grudges, brought him to Chang'an and carefully trained him, first making him a palace official, then moving him to various Cao officials and a palace attendant.

It’s a pity that before I had the chance to repay my brother, he passed away suddenly, leaving behind only a little nephew.

Liu Che glanced at Huo Guang and said, "He can't. His wife has passed away and he has no time to take care of you."

Huo Guang had just been widowed, and he made his first wife, Donglu's maid who came with the dowry, his first wife. His second wife was also very good at flattering him and called herself "Huo Xian".

The light in Huo Guang's eyes disappeared instantly. He did not dare to disobey Liu Che's order. Many times he wanted to remind his nephew to obey the emperor's orders and not to be arrogant, but the effect was almost useless.

The Fengshan Ceremony was such a solemn and grand event. During the most important enthronement ceremony, the emperor only trusted Huo Shan. Such trust was beyond measure.

Sima Tan, the Grand Historian, fell ill on the way to the Fengshan ceremony and had to stay in Luoyang. On his deathbed, he still regretted not being able to participate in the Fengshan ceremony. Even if he was just an accompanying official, he would be satisfied and would be a part of and a participant in this grand event.

As for Huo Xian, he was the most important supporting role in this Fengshan Ceremony. Countless people were jealous of him to the point of going crazy, but unfortunately, they could only be jealous.

"Your Majesty, if jade is not buried in a tomb, it will not become a useful tool; if people do not learn, they will not know." Huo Xian was still bargaining, "If I don't leave the palace and don't know military affairs, how can I become a general in the future?"

"You are an ungrateful bastard!" Liu Che scolded immediately, "You have been by my side since you were three years old. I have raised you for seven years! What's wrong? Are you in a hurry to leave the palace now?"

It can be said that even his own grandson did not receive such treatment. Crown Prince Liu Ju's son Liu Jin was already three years old, but Emperor Liu Che rarely even looked at him, let alone taking care of him.

However, Liu Che took his adopted grandson Huo Shan with him wherever he went.

Huo Xian had a sad face; he really wanted to leave the palace.

Serving the emperor is like serving a tiger. Even though he is now deeply favored by the emperor, who knows when this moody and mean emperor will turn against him?
Besides, living in the deep palace for a long time makes it difficult for me to do something even if I want to.

Liu Che was in a bad mood and said, "Retreat!"

Madam Li stopped dancing and went to appease the emperor. Li Yannian, who had just been playing music and singing, kowtowed in fear and left with the musicians.

Huo Guang, Jin Midi and others also became more cautious.

Huo Xian sat down crookedly, "Your Majesty, you don't have to let me leave the palace. Arrange a few people to teach me. I want to learn the Six Strategies."

Liu Che immediately became happy and said, "Okay, I will teach you the Six Strategies myself."

"There are also The Art of War by Sun Tzu, The Art of War by Wu Zi, The Art of War by Sima, Wei Liao Zi, and The Three Strategies." Huo Xian raised the price and continued to talk. "It's not enough to just talk about war on paper. How about I learn how to use troops from the general?"

Liu Che laughed and scolded, "When I taught your grandfather the art of war, he always refused on the grounds that 'he only cared about the strategy and didn't want to learn the ancient art of war'. In this respect, you are better than him. I will personally teach you the art of war of Sun Tzu and Wu Zi. Once you have learned it, you will definitely become the Grand Marshal and the General of Cavalry!"

The others were so jealous that they were about to become deformed, but Huo Xian felt like he had shot himself in the foot.

Liu Che was an extremely confident emperor who wanted to train another Huo Qubing. The young general he personally trained chased the enemy north and conquered the Wolf's Lair, which naturally satisfied Liu Che's regret that he could not lead the army in person.

We taught a Huo Qubing before, and now there is no problem in teaching another Huo Shan!
(End of this chapter)