A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 51: Being a Country
The first snow of winter has quietly arrived.

Moreover, the arrival of the visitors was accompanied by a heavy snowfall. The swirling snow and howling winds hindered the movement of pedestrians, and it was already past midnight when the visitors from Chang'an arrived at the Northern Army camp.

Liu Ju's old eunuch Jiang Bo told the Prime Minister's household elders Fu Bo, Dong Zhongshu, and Zhang Tang that the Crown Prince had gone to sleep and that any matters should be discussed tomorrow morning.

Under the watchful eyes of Fu Bo, Dong Zhongshu, and Zhang Tang, the people from Jiaofang Palace did not even disembark from their carriages and headed towards the main tent where the Crown Prince was located.

The three remained silent and followed the soldier's directions to settle down temporarily.

"Son."

"Hua Gu".

Liu Ju met Yi Hua, the head lady-in-waiting of his mother, and they addressed each other in a way that was different from others, showing a very close relationship.

“Miss Hua.” Wei Qing lifted the curtain.

He personally carried in a tray and basket, placing the food and wine on the large wooden table. The dishes were simple yet affordable, with a large earthenware bowl in the center containing a whole stewed, fatty lamb leg steaming hot and glistening with broth.

There were four large bowls of vegetarian dishes on the side, namely mallow, patchouli, fresh chives, and a pot of unnamed wild vegetables.

There were also two small copper bowls, filled with bright red rice vinegar and bright yellow minced garlic.

Beside it was a large wooden platter with a stack of steaming white bread cakes, and the wine vessel was a large earthenware bowl.

"Soldiers are unpretentious, they eat from large bowls and basins, Miss Hua, please don't find it too simple," Wei Qing said with a friendly smile.

They were acquaintances of the Marquis of Pingyang's household.

Back then, he and his sister Wei Zifu were slaves in the Pingyang Marquis's mansion. Yihua was a close attendant of Princess Pingyang. After many interactions, Yihua took good care of her. When his sister was favored and entered the palace, Yihua became a lady-in-waiting. At that time, the empress was still Chen Ajiao. Yihua resolved many of the difficulties her sister faced due to jealousy.

Seeing the simple tableware and fresh green vegetables in front of her, Yi Hua felt refreshed and smiled, "The true nature of a soldier puts all the delicacies in the world to shame. This servant greets the Grand Marshal."

Wei Qing nodded and sat down.

The strange atmosphere between the two surprised and intrigued Liu Ju.

My aunt died after giving birth to my cousin Weiden. My uncle has been a widower for three or four years. It would be good to want to get married, but it's not that simple.

As the first person in China and North Korea to remarry, the right to remarry was often not in the hands of the maternal uncle. Besides, Hua Gu's status was not quite right.

"The wind and snow are cold on this night, so let's warm ourselves up first."

Liu Ju gestured to his uncle and said, "Uncle, please offer a toast to Aunt Hua on my behalf to wash away the dust of the journey."

Wei Qing picked up the simple-looking ceramic cup and said with a smile, "Miss Hua, please."

"Grand Marshal, please."

The two clinked glasses and drank it all in one gulp. The strong Qin-di Fengjiu was far more potent than the finest tribute wine, and a blush rose on their pretty faces.

As the saying goes, a beautiful woman looks more radiant under the lamplight. Her delicate rosy cheeks reveal her true beauty. Just as Liu Ju was about to ask when, Wei Qing pointed to the large earthenware basin and said, "Miss Hua, bring me a piece of stewed mutton. Mix rice vinegar with minced garlic and egg, dip it in the sauce, and enjoy. It's incredibly delicious. Give it a try!"

"Chopsticks won't do the job, come on, use your hands!"

Under the stunned gazes of Liu Ju and Yi Hua, Wei Qing tore off a large piece of fatty meat with his hands and swallowed it whole while it was still piping hot. It was clear that the mutton was truly tender and flavorful. Yi Hua, who hadn't eaten all day, felt a surge of appetite and was somewhat hungry, but ultimately didn't take a bite. Liu Ju used a knife to cut some mutton for him and put it in a copper bowl.

Lamb is the most nourishing meat. After eating a few pieces, Yi Hua's forehead was covered in sweat. "It's so delicious and satisfying. But if Confucius were to encounter such a dish, he would probably be furious."

One should not eat food that is not properly prepared.

The sage's dietary rules were introduced into the palace by the Confucian scholar Shusun Tong at the beginning of the Han Dynasty, and then extended to the powerful and noble people of the Han Dynasty. Yi Hua had been in the Pingyang Marquis's mansion since childhood, and this was the first time he had eaten without any affectation when he entered the palace.

In addition, Yi Hua is very familiar with three common vegetables: sunflower, leek, and broad bean. But with just one bite of that wild vegetable, she could taste the earthy flavor, the tender and crisp fragrance, and the bitterness.

Even after chewing and swallowing slowly, the bitterness lingers for a long time.

“It can be a delicacy for a wealthy family’s meal, but if it’s used as a regular dish, it’s just wild vegetables or bitter herbs,” Yi Hua said with a slight frown.

Living in a noble household and in the palace, she had seen too much of the curiosity of high-ranking officials and nobles. After eating too much sweetness, she would want to taste bitterness. But she was clearly aware that the suffering of the rich and the suffering of the poor were two different kinds of suffering.

One type is to reminisce about past hardships and appreciate present happiness, only scratching the surface; the other type is to endure hardship, for there is no end to the hardships to endure.

“Hua Gu, ordinary people don’t have fatty meat to stew, or even sunflower, leeks, or broad beans. Being able to have this bitter vegetable to eat every meal is a blessing,” Liu Ju said, handing over a handkerchief.

Yi Hua paused for a moment before saying, "Her Majesty sent me here to ask if the young master is ready to take over the reins of the state. Now it seems there is no need to ask anymore."

From Your Majesty's sudden illness to the officials' condemnation of the Emperor, Your Majesty has no way out and must temporarily withdraw from state affairs to escape public criticism.

Whether the prince returns to the capital or not will have no impact. The one who oversees the country and holds power is a person, not a certain place.

Outside the palace, outside Chang'an, or even outside Guanzhong, it's just a matter of official documents and memorials traveling to a few more places.

However, Empress Wei Zifu was worried that placing the entire burden of the country's affairs on the young crown prince might overwhelm her son.

As the crown prince, Liu Ju had only two things to do: accumulate power and oppose the emperor.

As the regent and crown prince, Liu Ju had many things to do: balance the various forces, solve the abuses of the court, enrich the country and strengthen the people, etc. If he was not careful, the court and the country would be in uproar and the world would be in turmoil.

That gave His Majesty the excuse and opportunity to remove the crown prince.

As Empress and mother, Wei Zifu did not want Liu Ju to oversee the country and rule. She only wanted Liu Ju to be a peaceful Crown Prince under her and the protection of the Wei family until His Majesty passed away and she ascended the throne.

It's like a normal power transition between an emperor and his heir.

Unfortunately, neither Liu Che nor his son Liu Ju were content with their lot. Liu Che wanted to replicate the success of Liu Rong, the Prince of Linjiang, but Liu Ju was neither aggrieved nor polite. Through Wei Qing, Huo Qubing, and the twelve generals of the Northern Army, he firmly grasped the strongest elite forces of the empire.

They also took numerous actions, beheading Your Majesty's close ministers and obstructing Your Majesty's policies. In particular, the mysterious bloodline of their clan almost forced Your Majesty to apologize to the people.

Fathers are no longer fathers, sons are no longer sons. Wei Zifu could never have imagined that our great Han Dynasty would become like this.

The words that the Empress had entrusted to her to say, Yi Hua could not bring herself to say. There was no reason to stop a Crown Prince who wanted to uphold justice for the people from overseeing the country.

In the more than seventy years since the founding of the Han Dynasty, the crown prince has changed several times, but this is the first time that a crown prince has acted as the master of the people.

Liu Ju could not explain to Yi Hua, or to his mother in the Jiaofang Palace, why he could not wait for his father to die of old age before taking the throne, nor could he explain why the struggle between father and son could not be stopped. He pondered and smiled, "Aunt Hua, please tell my mother that ten thousand years is too long, we should seize the day."

(End of this chapter)