Chapter Sixteen: The Western Han Dynasty Heads to a Farmhouse Retreat
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Originally, Emperor Wu of Han did not believe what his crown prince said. However, with the testimonies of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, coupled with the cavalry’s three-piece equipment, Emperor Wu’s doubts began to waver.
He turned his gaze to Crown Prince Liu Ju, who, likely emboldened by the presence of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, no longer appeared as timid as before.
“Ju’er, since that is the case, tell us everything you know.”
“Yes, Father Emperor.”
Immediately, Liu Ju poured out all the information he had to everyone present.
In fact, Liu Ju knew more than anyone else in the room.
Not only was he aware of the fifth year of Yuan Shou, the twelfth year of Jian’an, but he even knew about the Ming Dynasty, and events four hundred years after that.
As expected, upon hearing Liu Ju’s account, Emperor Wu and Wei Qing exchanged glances. Although they had prepared themselves mentally, they could not help but be utterly astonished.
The reason was that everything Liu Ju described far exceeded their comprehension.
Of course, Huo Qubing was somewhat stunned too.
The reason was simple: he had never heard of the Ming Dynasty.
Now, deep inside, Emperor Wu’s heart was unsettled.
The Han Dynasty would be usurped by a man named Wang Mang. Later, it would be restored by Liu Xiu, lasting another century before facing a perilous situation again.
Moreover, a Ming Dynasty would arise later, its territory rivaling that of the Han.
In other words, the Han Dynasty would eventually perish.
“Ju’er, you said that Liu Bei is the seventeenth-generation descendant of King Liu Sheng of Zhongshan?”
“Yes, Father Emperor. To be precise, Liu Bei is a descendant of Liu Zhen, the fifth son of King Liu Sheng’s uncle.”
Liu Zhen… Although King Liu Sheng had more than a hundred sons, Emperor Wu still remembered some of the elder sons. Liu Zhen seemed to have been enfeoffed as Marquis of Lucheng County in Zhuo Commandery.
However, from Liu Ju’s narration, the Han royal house now stood on the brink of collapse.
At once, Emperor Wu made a firm decision.
He intended to visit this so-called future world.
After twenty minutes, by the side of the walls of the Weiyang Palace, four men dressed in plain clothes stood by the entrance of a small hole.
Emperor Wu looked somewhat displeased at the hole, barely wide enough for one person to pass through, and skeptically asked Liu Ju,
“Ju’er, are you sure this is the passage to the future?”
No wonder Emperor Wu’s expression was so grim—it looked like crawling through a dog hole.
What else could Liu Ju say but nod in confirmation?
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At first, his elder brother Huo Qubing had also been reluctant to crawl through, but now he was more skilled at it than anyone.
“Father Emperor, it is indeed so.”
Hearing this, Emperor Wu entered the hole.
After a dozen breaths, they arrived at a countryside farmhouse.
Led by Liu Ju, they entered one after another.
Upon entering, they saw Zhang Bo dozing on a lounge chair.
This person was from the future?
He looked rather ordinary.
Liu Ju quickly approached Zhang Bo, beads of sweat already appearing on his forehead.
His brother behaving like this before the emperor might invite disapproval.
He gently shook Zhang Bo’s body and lowered his voice,
“Brother, brother.”
“Hm?”
Zhang Bo opened his drowsy eyes and looked at Liu Ju.
“Ju, it hasn’t even been an hour since you left. Why have you come back so soon?”
An hour? What did that mean?
Liu Ju was briefly stunned but did not ponder much, instead stating his purpose directly.
“Brother, my father has arrived.”
!
Zhang Bo now knew that Liu Ju was the crown prince of Emperor Wu of Han; his father was none other than Emperor Wu himself!
Immediately, Zhang Bo’s lingering drowsiness vanished, and he became fully alert.
He was eager to meet this eternal emperor who could secure the third place or even contend for the first.
Sitting upright on the lounge chair, Zhang Bo turned his body aside and saw, besides Huo Qubing whom he had met before, two middle-aged men of similar age pointing and discussing around his vegetable patch.
One was slender, with a straight mustache and beard. His presence alone radiated an imposing aura without anger.
That bearing and demeanor.
Zhang Bo roughly guessed this man must be Liu Ju’s father, the great Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che.
The other had sharp facial features, his eyes revealing a resolute spirit.
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At this, Zhang Bo felt somewhat bewildered.
To be honest, he could not immediately guess who this man was.
But it didn’t matter. There was still Crown Prince Liu Ju by his side; he surely knew.
“Ju, who is that person standing with your father?”
“Brother, that is Grand Marshal Wei Qing.”
Wei Qing!
Zhang Bo swallowed hard at the mention of the name.
He was well aware of Wei Qing’s significance.
Initially, Wei Qing was merely a former slave of Princess Pingyang. Later, through his connection with Wei Zifu, he entered the palace to serve Emperor Wu closely. From there, he rose steadily until becoming the Grand General of Han.
The rank of Grand General was no ordinary title; it was the highest for a general, ranked above the Three Excellencies, with all ministers below paying homage.
From a mere slave rider to the Grand General, second only to the emperor in Han, Wei Qing achieved this in just twenty years.
Of course, Zhang Bo’s familiarity with Wei Qing’s deeds came from a text he studied in school.
It was Wang Changling’s poem “Beyond the Frontier”: “The bright moon of Qin times, the passes of Han times, a long march of thousands of miles with no return. If only the flying general of Dragon City were here, the barbarian horses would not dare cross Yin Mountain.”
At first, Zhang Bo thought this poem described another Han legend, General Li Guang, but later discovered Li Guang never reached Dragon City, whereas Wei Qing led the charge there.
This battle was Wei Qing’s rise to fame. It was significant not only for him but for Han as a whole.
Not only did it trample the sacred Dragon City, revered by the Xiongnu, but it also marked Han’s first victory against the Xiongnu since its founding, reversing seventy years of decline.
From Wei Qing onward, the dynamic between Han and the Xiongnu shifted from defense to offense.
Furthermore, Wei Qing never suffered defeat against the Xiongnu, winning all seven battles—a true military deity of Han.
Correspondingly, Wei Qing did not become arrogant despite his achievements; instead, he grew more prudent and virtuous.
No wonder that after his death, Emperor Wu personally bestowed upon him the posthumous title “Lie,” meaning “established merit by military prowess, upheld virtue and honored legacy.”
Sadly, a decade after Wei Qing’s death at barely over forty, the Witchcraft Scandal erupted, implicating tens of thousands, including the Wei family.
Zhang Bo could not help but lament that had either Wei Qing or Huo Qubing been present, the Witchcraft Scandal that altered Liu Ju’s life might never have happened.
With this thought, Zhang Bo wasted no time. He rose swiftly and approached Emperor Wu and Wei Qing.
“Greetings, Your Majesty Emperor Wu, Grand General, and Cavalry General.”