“Your Majesty is right. It was my oversight that I failed to consider this. It is not right not to write down some important matters that everyone knows. However, in my opinion, who among the sages of the past has been without fault? Some minor flaws are insignificant and do not overshadow the merits. Furthermore, as the ruler of a country, how can Your Majesty only know leniency and not punishment? I will certainly write down the reasons clearly so that Your Majesty has a legitimate reason for taking action,” Lu Jia said, bowing.
Liu Ji nodded repeatedly, "That's excellent. Those who rebelled must be clearly identified, so that it's not a case of 'the rabbit is killed and the hound is discarded'."
"Yes," Lu Jia replied, bowing his head.
"As for the fact that the world submits to me and that I am brave and skilled in battle, that is truly a reflection of my character. If the world did not submit, how could they have chosen me as emperor? My bravery and skill in battle are also a given; I have personally led troops to quell rebellions several times, even against Xiang Yu..."
"Well, Old Lu, if I am truly brave and skilled in battle, then what is Xiang Yu? The key point is that I suffered a crushing defeat at Pengcheng, losing 560,000 troops to Xiang Yu's mere 30,000. It was a truly humiliating and disgraceful defeat."
Liu Ji suddenly realized that if he were to write a history book, he would have to write about his rival Xiang Yu as well. That hateful Xiang Yu, even in death he still made things difficult for me.
"Your Majesty, do not worry. Xiang Yu is universally recognized as the God of War. Even though Your Majesty is brave and skilled in battle, it is normal that you cannot defeat the God of War of our time. Besides, victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. Your Majesty's defeat at Pengcheng is nothing. Didn't you turn the tide at the Battle of Gaixia? Your Majesty is using strategy, not brute force," Lu Jia said with a smile.
Liu Ji thought to himself, "I didn't fight the Battle of Gaixia, but Han Xin, Peng Yue, and others were my subordinates. I ordered them to attack Xiang Yu, so it's not unreasonable to say that I fought the battle."
"Hehe, Xiang Yu, you little brat, think you can outsmart me? You're far from it, too green! Let's do it this way for now. In military matters, I'll just have to settle for a draw with Xiang Yu, but in other areas, I can say I've completely defeated him, right?"
"That's for sure. Your Majesty's civil administration and military prowess surpass those of Xiang Yu," Lu Jia said solemnly.
Liu Ji curled his lip. "Hmm... Hmm? That's not right. I've heard that Xiang Yu's 'Song of Gaixia' is widely known, but I don't even have one myself. No, I must surpass Xiang Yu! If he has one, I must have two!"
Lu Jia's lips twitched violently. "Your Majesty, poetry is a minor art. Why bother arguing with Xiang Yu?"
"No! I must have two. Didn't you say this is a minor art? Fine, then play me two now." Liu Ji chuckled.
Lu Jia's expression kept changing. "Your Majesty, although poetry is a minor art, it still requires genuine feeling. Please allow me to go back and think about it carefully."
"Hmph! It's just a spontaneous thought, I can do that too! Old Lu, don't disappoint me, bring it to me when you're done, let's have a contest." Liu Ji said meaningfully.
"Uh, Your Majesty understands. If there is nothing else, Your Majesty, I will take my leave now," Lu Jia said, bowing.
Liu Ji stopped Lu Jia, "Ah~ Don't rush off, there really is something. I originally intended to return to Chang'an immediately, but unfortunately, there are still remnants of Ying Bu's army that have not been wiped out, so I will have to wait for some time. However, I am currently seriously injured and cannot enjoy the company of beauties, so I am extremely bored. Do you have any good ideas to help me relieve my boredom?"
Lu Jia pondered for a moment, then said, “Your Majesty, the rebellion of Ying Bu has been basically quelled, and those who have rendered meritorious service should be rewarded. Many cities in Chu have not surrendered to Ying Bu, including Your Majesty’s hometown of Fengpei. According to the law, they should be rewarded. This place is only about two hundred li away from Fengpei. Why doesn’t Your Majesty go back to your hometown for a visit?”
Liu Ji's eyes lit up. "Then I shall return home in glory, haha!"
Chapter 181 Sharing Joy with the People
There are many interesting records in the historical books of the Han Dynasty. For example, Liu Ji and Ying Bu fought a decisive battle at Huihu, and then the Records of the Grand Historian says that Ying Bu was tricked into going to Fanyang by the King of Changsha and killed.
However, the Book of Han states that Ying Bu was pursued and killed by a Han general at Fanyang, but it does not specify who made this great contribution.
Then it is recorded that after defeating Ying Bu, Liu Ji, on his way back to the capital of Guanzhong, stopped by Pei County. Liu Ji selected 120 local elders and young men, taught them to sing, and shared the joy with the people.
At this point, Liu Ji's famous three-line poem "The Song of the Great Wind" made its appearance, seemingly echoing the saying, "A rogue is not scary, what's scary is a rogue with culture."
However, there is a small problem here. The return journey from Huilu to Guanzhong does not pass through Pei County at all, and Ying Bu fled south after his defeat. Even if Liu Ji pursued him, it would be impossible for him to reach Pei County in the north.
It should be noted that to the north of Huilu is Pengcheng, and further north is Peixian, a straight-line distance of more than 250 li, let alone taking a detour.
Therefore, it is highly unlikely that Liu Ji passed through Pei County on his way to defeat Ying Bu. The purpose of this account in historical records is simply to introduce the "Song of the Great Wind" and highlight Liu Ji's joy in sharing with the people, which is somewhat suspicious of being staged.
Don't forget that historical records show Liu Ji was wounded during the battle against Ying Bu, and he eventually died from this wound. It's hard to say how serious the wound was, but it certainly wasn't minor.
In fact, according to historical records, Ying Bu was still alive when Liu Ji left Huilu. The fact that Liu Ji returned to Guanzhong before the battle was over also reflects that he was truly injured.
Ignoring his injuries, Emperor Gaozu of Han went to great lengths to share the joy with his people. He traveled hundreds of miles to Pei County despite his injuries, selected 120 extras, taught them to sing, and got them drunk. Finally, he made a decision on the spot: Pei County is my hometown, and all taxes will be waived from now on!
Listen to that, how generous he is! He really treats his hometown folks well. But in reality, this was the last year of Liu Ji's reign. Liu Ji reigned for eight years, and only on his deathbed did he realize that he was from Pei County and should treat his hometown better.
Some say that Liu Ji was not a petty person, but there are quite a few anecdotes that prove that Liu Ji was petty, such as the story of Geng Jiehou. Liu Ji always disliked Pei County, mainly because when he first raised his army, Yong Chi rebelled and occupied Fengyi in Pei County. Liu Ji attacked it three times but failed to take it back. Liu Ji felt that the local people were helping Yong Chi, so he held a grudge.
If Yong Chi rebelled, why wouldn't the people of Fengpei follow him? They knew each other well and were aware of Liu Ji's scoundrel nature. Who would risk their life to resist Yong Chi for Liu Ji's sake?
After Liu Ji became emperor, in order to stabilize the hearts of the various lords, Liu Ji followed Zhang Liang's advice and first enfeoffed Yong Chi, the person he hated the most, as a marquis. However, he still harbored resentment towards the people of Fengyi, which was really unreasonable.
When Hao Jiu saw Liu Ji's army heading north, he guessed that they were going to Pei County. From Xiang Yu's fragmented memories and Shou Jun's words, he already knew that the sword wound was imbued with Shou Jun's curse power and would not be easy to heal unless the Black Dragon was willing to buy Liu Ji a divine pill similar to the healing medicine from the God's Shop.
However, judging from the observations over the past few days, Liu Ji's injuries are definitely not healed, so it seems that Heilong has no intention of healing Liu Ji. Whether he has given up on Liu Ji or has other plans, it is unknown.
Given this situation, Hao Jiu and Xiang Yu dared not leave Liu Ji easily. If Liu Ji suddenly died and the Black Dragon flew away, then all their efforts in raising the pig would have been in vain.
With nothing else to do, Hao Jiu paid more attention to Lu Jia, who was quite talented and truly worthy of being the author of works such as "The Spring and Autumn Annals of Chu and Han" and "New Discourses".
Of course, Lu Jia's true talent was not limited to academics. It was also Lu Jia who corrected Liu Ji's contempt for scholars and his aversion to Confucian scholars.
Later generations have also held Lu Jia in high regard, praising him as a thinker, politician, and diplomat, with exceptional wisdom and eloquence.
In this era of outstanding individuals, they are truly exceptional.
"Phew, finally finished." Lu Jia put down his pen with a look of relief, picked up the silk scroll he had just written, read it aloud to make sure it was correct, carefully folded it, and put it into a brocade pouch. "It's getting late today, so I'll present it to His Majesty tomorrow."
After saying this, Lu Jia stretched, turned off the light, and left the study to go to his bedroom to sleep.
As night deepened, a figure quietly slipped into Lu Jia's study, then took out a silk book from a brocade pouch and examined it carefully.
"Lu Jia's calligraphy is quite good." Hao Jiu was slightly surprised, not expecting the content to deviate from his expectations, which made him doubt the authenticity of this Chu-Han Contention world.
"So what? Did Dionysus send me here just to admire Lu Jia's calligraphy?" Xiang Yu said dismissively.
"Of course not. I just remembered a poem. Don't worry about the content or the reason, just write it down and replace this silk scroll." Hao Jiu chuckled.
"What's the point of this? What if Lu Jia checks it tomorrow? Wouldn't it have been all for nothing?" Xiang Yu asked, puzzled.
"Well, it's not like I wrote it for nothing. At least Lu Jia saw it, and it's quite fun to tease Lu Jia, isn't it?" Hao Jiu was in a playful mood, since he didn't have anything important to do anyway.
Since unlocking the secret of the Emperor's Sword at Huizhu, Hao Jiu and Xiang Yu have been bored out of their minds and want to go somewhere else. However, they are afraid that Liu Ji will die suddenly. In fact, Hao Jiu speculates that Liu Ji is not so easy to kill, at least not before returning to Guanzhong.
Logically speaking, Heilong wouldn't let Liu Ji die so young. He would at least have reaped a huge wave of benefits from Guanzhong before he would let Liu Ji die.
However, there are always unexpected events. Hao Jiu didn't want to take any chances, so he ultimately decided to stay and guard near Liu Ji.
Compared to Hao Jiu, Xiang Yu was not so free. Every day, he had to send his divided soul into the sixth-dimensional Emperor's Sword to cultivate. Of course, he would not return to the altar through the thunderclouds, but instead use lightning to temper his soul near the spatial exit.
After cultivating for a certain period of time, he left the Emperor's Sword space with the remaining electricity and merged his soul with Xiang Yu again, thereby tempering Xiang Yu's original soul.
This is also to lay the foundation for going to the middle and higher planes in the future. With a strong soul, no matter what you cultivate in the future, you will achieve twice the result with half the effort. Naturally, I will not miss such a good opportunity.
Soon, Xiang Yu, with a dark face, finished writing according to Hao Jiu's instructions, folded it up and stuffed it into the brocade pouch, and then left the study to find a place to temper his soul.
The next day, Lu Jia came to the study again, picked up the brocade pouch, and then opened it to glance at the silk scroll inside...
A moment later, Lu Jia strode towards Liu Ji's bedroom.
"Your Majesty, the banquet is ready. One hundred and twenty people, including the elders, sons, and daughters of Pei County, are waiting outside the palace for your decree. This banquet is a good opportunity for Your Majesty to share the joy with the people and show your imperial grace. We hope Your Majesty will make preparations in advance," Lu Jia said, bowing.
Liu Ji glanced at Lu Jia sideways and said, "I know. What's there to prepare? Do you expect me to put on a show?"
Lu Jia added, “Since it is about sharing joy with the people, it would be wonderful if Your Majesty could sing a song. However, Your Majesty is injured, and it is already an act of great imperial grace that you are able to attend the banquet.”
Liu Ji's eyes lit up. "Oh? This banquet is perfect for me to compose a poem. I wonder if Old Lu has thought of one yet? Would you dare to compete with me?"
"How dare this humble subject contend with Your Majesty? I've even forgotten what I wrote. Here is my humble work; please take a look. If there's nothing else, this humble subject will take his leave." As Lu Jia spoke, he took out the brocade pouch from his robes.
"Alright, you may go about your business." Liu Ji took the brocade pouch and immediately opened it to take a look.
"Yes." Lu Jia slowly retreated, and just as he reached the door, he heard Liu Ji laughing loudly inside the room.
"Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful! Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!"
Lu Jia secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that His Majesty should be very satisfied.
Soon after, Liu Ji's smile vanished, and he slammed the silk scroll to the ground. "How dare you!"
Chapter 182 The Song of the Great Wind
Pei Palace was Liu Ji's temporary palace in Pei County.
Laughter and cheers filled the air, accompanied by the resounding beat of drums and music.
"Haha... Your little hands are so soft."
"Your Majesty, I will offer you another cup."
"Your Majesty is biased, I want some too!"
"Your Majesty has quite the capacity for alcohol, hehehe~"
...
The old man from Pei County stroked his beard. It seemed that his efforts to please him had not been in vain. Since His Majesty was so pleased, he would surely grant his request.
As the wine flowed freely, Liu Ji, somewhat tipsy, ordered a musical instrument called a "zhu" to be brought to him. "I am in a great mood today," he said, "so I will sing a song to share my joy with you all. It's very simple; once you've heard it, sing along with me, hiccup~"
"Yes!" everyone responded in unison.
However, everyone was somewhat incredulous. It was already impressive that His Majesty could recite other people's poems, let alone compose his own.
Lu Jia frowned. His Majesty had been drinking for so long without reciting anything. Why did he only think of this now?
The key issue is that His Majesty is clearly a bit drunk. What if he forgets a few words? Wouldn't that be embarrassing?
"It would be interesting if Liu Ji could sing the song I wrote, hehe." Hao Jiu originally thought Liu Ji had given up, but unexpectedly, he became interested despite being so drunk.
"I don't think so," Xiang Yu said, but he was still quite hopeful inside.
"Then I'll just guess." Hao Jiu chuckled.
"Big, big, big... hiccup~~" Liu Ji was about to speak when he let out a long hiccup.
Xiang Yu smiled slightly, "It seems the God of Wine guessed wrong."
Hao Jiu shrugged indifferently, "Tch, after all that rambling, the essence is in this line: 'The wind rises and the clouds fly,' which is quite fitting with 'The strength to uproot mountains and the spirit to cover the world.'"
Everyone held their breath and waited quietly.
"Listen up, everyone! Hahaha, everyone, learn from this!" Liu Ji laughed, pointing at the crowd before finally fixing his gaze on Lu Jia.
Lu Jia's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that he couldn't remember the first sentence? But how could he remind him in this situation? Only if it came from His Majesty's mouth could the world believe it was His Majesty's work.
Overwhelmed with nervousness, Lu Jia unconsciously picked up his wine glass and took a sip.
Just then, Liu Ji struck the zither heavily and slowly spoke:
"One Confucian scholar...two eggs!"
"Pfft!" Lu Jia spat out a mouthful of wine. What the hell was that?
The crowd, who were ready to applaud and cheer, were stunned. What song is this?