Inheriting a Taoist temple, the story begins with Wu Zetian offering incense.

Chapter 375 The Crown Prince Must See Blood! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

As night fell, the front hall of General Wei's mansion was brightly lit.

Chen Xian sat cross-legged on the couch, carefully checking the amount of land donated by each family. Gu Yong, Shi Dan, and others were busy finding the locations on the map and marking them one by one.

Gan Yanshou brought over some freshly baked meat patties and said to his busy colleagues:
"Ladies and gentlemen, the scallion and mutton patties are ready. Eat them while they're hot, or they'll have a gamey smell when they get cold."

Liu Xiang had just returned from the construction site outside the city and came over, drawn by the aroma:
"General Wei, when will the onions you planted in your yard be ready for seed harvest?"

When Gan Yanshou returned to Chang'an, he planted a vegetable patch at home, but everyone was watching him closely, waiting to get their seeds.

He sat down, holding the meat pie, and said as he ate:
"Don't even think about it this year. It won't bear seeds until next year. When Master Zi comes back next time, I'll have him ask the immortal to get some vegetable seeds so you won't be envious."

Speaking of Chen Tang, Chen Xian wiped his hands with a towel, took a bite of the meat pie:
"I wonder if General Zigong has found the Southern Xiongnu's camp. The sheep raised by us Han people are not as delicious as those of the foreign tribes. I heard that the sheep of the foreign tribes are extremely delicious when they are boiled in plain water and dipped in salt."

Liu Xiang echoed:
"The greatest value of foreign tribes is that they herd sheep for our Han Dynasty; otherwise, they would be wasting air even if they were to breathe."

Although Shi Dan was only a son-in-law of the emperor, his father was Shi Gao, a minister entrusted with the care of the young emperor by Emperor Xuan of Han, and he knew many secrets of the court:
"Two years ago, I heard that His Majesty and Huhanye were exchanging letters and addressing each other as brothers. If Huhanye comes to Chang'an again, what kind of reception should be given to him?"

When Huhanye first came to Chang'an, Emperor Xuan of Han, Liu Xun, was in his prime. At that time, because there was no precedent for a Chanyu to surrender, the court was in an uproar over Huhanye's ranking.

The courtiers of the Gongyang faction believed that the newcomers were like stray dogs, and that giving them a marquisate as a token gesture would suffice, placing them below the vassal kings.

However, Xiao Wangzhi overruled the objections, stating that the Chanyu was on equal footing with the emperor, and that even if he fell into poverty, his status should be upheld, insisting that Huhanye be ranked above the other princes.

After finalizing the matter, Xiao Wangzhi then said to Liu Shi, who had been misled by the pedantic Confucian scholars:
"Huhanye treated your father with the respect due to a son and nephew, thus making him your brother."

Thus, Liu Shi continued to address Huhanye as his brother, which inflated Huhanye's ego to the extreme.

When Liu Xun was alive, Huhanye came to Chang'an twice to pay homage, gradually testing the court's attitude towards the Southern Xiongnu. However, after Liu Shi ascended the throne, this guy never came to Chang'an. It wasn't until Chen Tang killed Zhizhi Chanyu that he rushed to Chang'an as if his backside was on fire, fearing that his head would also be hung up in the city as a warning to the public.

Now, when discussing the issue of Huhanye's title, Gan Yanshou said:
"When Zigong left, he instructed me that our Han Dynasty is a land of etiquette. If Huhanye comes to Chang'an, I must treat him with the highest courtesy and not be negligent."

Stan was taken aback by these words:
"No, General Zigong, why did you suddenly change your mind?"

As a devoted fan of Chen Tang, Chen Xian immediately understood the meaning of the highest level of etiquette:
"Your Highness, don't be so alarmed. You make General Zigong sound like a brute. General Zigong is a Confucian scholar who became a general by chance. He comes from the land of Confucius and Mencius, so what's wrong with him advocating etiquette?"

Stan: "..."

If I hadn't seen him kill Kuang Heng, Zhang Yu, and others with my own eyes, I would have actually believed your nonsense!

Gu Yong also understood what it meant and strongly supported Chen Tang's decision:

"His Majesty is easily swayed and indeed needs to be received with the highest honors. Zikang, you have many friends, so have the gatekeepers of each city keep an eye out. I will also write to the magistrates of Wannian, Gaoling, Xinfeng, Baling and other counties, asking them to keep an eye out and inform them in advance if they encounter any Xiongnu."

Liu Xiang echoed:
"The magistrates of Anling and Changling counties are my students. I will send someone to deliver the message first thing tomorrow morning."

Stan: ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

No, why is everyone starting to make plans? Can you explain it more clearly, or I'll feel like a complete idiot.

After finishing the meat pie, everyone wiped their hands and continued to count the land area. Shi Dan silently assisted. He was a top strategist in front of Liu Ao, but here he was almost ashamed to the point of being mentally challenged.

The next morning, just as the messenger set off, Huhanye's men arrived in Chang'an. After settling into the post station, they rushed to General Wei's residence to visit him. Upon learning that Gan Yanshou had gone to court, they waited at the residence, causing the people there to think that debt collectors had arrived. They quickly sent someone to inform Gan Yanshou.

In the imperial court, Old Gan had just finished explaining the benefits of the work-for-relief program when he saw a eunuch at the gate winking at him. He then made an excuse to go to the palace gate. When he heard that the Xiongnu had arrived at his residence, he thought he had misheard.
"Are they really Huns?"

"Yes, they said they have important matters to discuss with General Gan and hope you can go back."

Old Gan had been worried about how to deal with these people sneaking into Chang'an and kneeling before His Majesty, bursting into tears. But instead of doing that, the Xiongnu people delivered themselves right to his doorstep.

It's true that the Southern Xiongnu were quite sensible; the Northern Xiongnu would never have done something like this, sending their enemies to their deaths from afar... They've already gone this far; if we didn't kill them, we'd seem unromantic.

Gan Yanshou rewarded the eunuch with a few White Rabbit milk candies, then returned to the palace without making a sound. After discussing political affairs, he slowly walked out.

Before leaving, he thought for a moment and called out to Crown Prince Liu Ao:

"Your Highness, before General Zigong departed, he gave me something and asked me to pass it on to you. If you have time, I hope Your Highness will visit General Wei's residence. This item is of great importance and needs to be given to you in person."

Liu Ao was just worrying about how to skip class and not study when he heard this, and immediately straightened his clothes:
“I was just on my way to deliver some refreshments to the Left General’s residence, so this is convenient.” The two left the palace together, each leading their own entourage, and rode towards the Guard General’s residence.

Upon arrival, several Xiongnu people rushed forward, presenting various gifts and expressing their gratitude to Gan Yanshou for eliminating Zhizhi Chanyu and helping Huhanye achieve his revenge.

Zhizhi Chanyu and Huhanye Chanyu were brothers, but because they both wanted to become Chanyu, they split up, and suddenly there were five Chanyu in the Xiongnu, none of whom were willing to submit to the others.

Now that Zhizhi Chanyu is dead, Huhanye Chanyu no longer needs to worry about being stabbed in the back by his own brother. This time, he came to the capital under the guise of thanking Gan Yanshou.

Gan Yanshou had tea served, then asked calmly:
"Has Huhanye Chanyu arrived in Chang'an yet?"

The Xiongnu envoy nodded and said:
"We have already crossed the Yellow River. We came in a hurry and did not follow the etiquette of the Han Dynasty. Please forgive us, General."

Logically, when the Chanyu (Xiongnu ruler) were to visit Chang'an, he should have been notified at least six months in advance, and the envoys from both sides should have confirmed the visit several times. However, Huhanye could not wait that long and simply came directly.

The prefectures along the way, while providing hospitality, did not report to the imperial court... This also shows that a serious conflict had already emerged between the central government and local authorities at the end of the Western Han Dynasty.

When local authorities fail to obey the imperial edicts and implement various rules and regulations, the vast territory will gradually fall apart.

Gan Yanshou was surprised that Huhanye had actually come. He offered a few words of comfort to the envoy and then chatted with him in a seemingly warm manner.

Liu Ao had thought his master had prepared a game console for him, but he didn't expect to meet a Xiongnu envoy. He thought of Wang Qiang in history, who married such a person, and his face was full of disdain. He didn't even bother to pretend.

Old Gan asked:

"I wonder what brings Huhanye Chanyu to our Han Dynasty? If I can help, I will certainly do so."

Subtly probing each other's backgrounds during conversations is a tradition ingrained in the Han Chinese for thousands of years, and Lao Gan, as an official who rose through the ranks, is adept at it.

The Xiongnu envoy was overjoyed and immediately blurted out his plan:
"With Zhizhi Chanyu dead, my Chanyu is no longer a major threat. I hope to become a son-in-law of the Han Dynasty and serve the Han Dynasty forever on the northern frontier!"

Upon hearing this, the hot-blooded young Liu Ao could no longer hold back:

"Pah! Don't you even take a piss and look at yourselves? You can't even survive on your own, yet you want to marry a princess, saying you'll stay in the northern frontier for us forever... Do you think we Han people are stupid? You bunch of idiots with hardly any guts, you think you can outsmart us Han people?"

Normally, Liu Ao is kept in check in the palace, and he always regulates his behavior as the crown prince. But today, with no elders around and no clingy concubine Xu around, he can finally indulge in his urge to curse.

The Xiongnu envoys, who were chatting and laughing like old friends, were dumbfounded. Based on their experience dealing with the Han people, the other party would never suddenly turn hostile. Even if they felt uncomfortable, they would maintain gentlemanly conduct and not lash out on the spot.

Today, they were suddenly berated by the Crown Prince of the Han Dynasty, and they didn't know how to react... Even when the relationship between the Xiongnu and the Han Dynasty was at its most tense, this situation never occurred!
The Xiongnu envoy looked at Gan Yanshou, the Imperial Guard General who had just been chatting and laughing. Now, he seemed like a different person. The smile on his face had disappeared, leaving only anger and majesty.

Old Gan asked Liu Ao:
"Want to be an iron-fisted emperor?"

"miss you!"

"Then watch closely!"

Old Gan immediately stood up, drew his sword from his waist, and severed the arm of the Xiongnu deputy envoy with a single stroke, while shouting:
"You barbarian scoundrels, how dare you attempt to assassinate the Crown Prince! Prepare to die!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a group of guards in armor, armed with spears, rushed in… While we were having tea, the guards of General Wei’s mansion had quietly gathered outside the door.

Ever since he heard that the Xiongnu had entered his home, Lao Gan had no intention of letting them go.

The Xiongnu reacted quickly, immediately huddling together for self-defense. Liu Ao drew the M9 military knife given to him by Chen Tang on the day he became an apprentice, eager to try it out... It was his first time participating in such an operation, and the Crown Prince was very excited.

Gan Yanshou kicked the wounded Xiongnu deputy envoy over and said to Liu Ao:

"Kill him your way!"

As the emperor of the Han Dynasty, one must see blood to develop sufficient courage.

Liu Ao did not disappoint. He stepped on the lower back of the Xiongnu deputy envoy, gripped his military knife in reverse with his right hand, and stabbed it viciously into the back of the Xiongnu deputy envoy's neck.

The knife severed the Xiongnu deputy envoy's carotid artery, causing blood to splatter.

Upon seeing this, the Xiongnu envoy's head buzzed:
"It's over! The Han Dynasty is about to produce an emperor even more ruthless than Emperor Wu of Han!"

(End of this chapter)