son, don't mess around

Chapter 792 Food
The night was chilly in late autumn.

News of the war in the north kept reaching the capital, adding another dose of cold water to the city as winter approached.

Urgent report from the front: A few days ago, a local army dispatched to quell the rebellion engaged in a major battle with the rebel forces of Prince Xu's mansion on the Central Plains. The local army, which was hailed as an elite force, suffered a crushing defeat, was routed, and was almost completely wiped out.

Then, Xu Wang's rebel army advanced rapidly. If it weren't for the imperial army holding the southward pass at a crucial moment, effectively holding back Xu Wang's rebel army, and the rebels being exhausted from days of fighting, they eventually retreated and ceased hostilities.

Once Xu Wang's rebel army enters the territory of Zhongzhou and breaks through the passes, they can advance unimpeded and head south to the capital.

In less than ten days, it will be able to threaten the safety of the imperial capital!
The news hasn't reached the capital yet, but it won't be kept secret until sooner or later. Once it does, it will surely cause an even greater uproar among the people.

The already fragile public morale may be shaken even further. And the more serious consequences will be far more than that.

Zhao Mansion, study.

Zhao Xiang's face was solemn as he looked at the intelligence report delivered to him on the table, his expression extremely gloomy.

The situation is getting worse, and the imperial army leading the pacification campaign is showing signs of weakness. Although they managed to stop the Xu Prince's rebel army from advancing south, the situation is becoming increasingly dangerous.

The imperial army, which was originally sent to quell the rebellion, has now switched from offense to defense, which means that the imperial court's previous plan to quell the rebellion has completely failed!

At present, the rebel army of Prince Xu has become a huge threat to the imperial court!
Continuing this stalemate and delay will definitely be extremely detrimental to the imperial court.

Zhao Xiang knew that Prince Xu had been planning a rebellion for many years and had made thorough preparations. The court was hastily assembled to meet the enemy, and the hastily assembled imperial army was no match for Prince Xu's rebel army.

More importantly, the imperial treasury is empty and supplies are insufficient; if this continues, the consequences will be unimaginable. If things truly reach a dead end, the imperial army may mutini even without the Xu Prince's rebel army attacking.

Not to mention that winter was approaching, and the northern climate was freezing cold, leaving the soldiers on the front lines without warm clothing. These combined factors presented the imperial court with a severe test.

At this moment, Prime Minister Zhao's hair had turned white with worry!

The new emperor has only recently ascended the throne, his power base is unstable, and rumors of his health problems have further fueled the ambitions of countless officials. In addition, the Xu Prince's rebel army, which launched its uprising under the pretext of the third prince's "purging of corrupt officials," also holds a moral high ground.

The implications of this are self-evident.

What if something really happens to the new emperor's health? What if the third prince really uses Prince Xu's army to invade the capital?

In Beijing, many people have already begun making arrangements for their escape.

As a veteran of three dynasties and the current absolute core of the Great Ning Dynasty, Zhao Xiang wields immense power. As the most influential person in the court, he naturally becomes the most crucial figure among them.

His attitude determined the life and death of many people, and even the fate of the Great Ning Dynasty!

It was late at night, inside the study.

Zhao Xiang's hair was gray and his expression was full of fatigue, but his deep eyes were extremely bright, revealing a sharp glint.

In the current situation, the imperial court alone is almost unable to resist the offensive of Prince Xu's rebel army. To quell the rebellion, it will be necessary to draw troops from various prefectures within the dynasty's territory.

However, the governors of each prefecture held considerable military power and their influence had grown significantly. With the new emperor's power base unstable, it was not easy for the court to mobilize troops.

The more crucial issue was that the imperial court was short of funds!

I'm short of money!

What's lacking in war is silver and provisions.

If there were sufficient military funds, why worry about these things? And why should the court be concerned about the inability to quell the rebellion?

Zhao Xiang's gaze was deep. The court had levied taxes on aristocratic families several times, and even borrowed grain from private merchants, but all of this was fraught with difficulties and was only a drop in the ocean.

The only place that can solve this problem right now is... Jiangnan!
The Jiangnan region is wealthy, and the aristocratic families are incredibly rich—they are like a piece of meat that's practically dripping with fat.

However, over the years, the imperial court has been unable to subdue the powerful families of Jiangnan. Moreover, the court is currently embroiled in war and preoccupied with its own problems.

Countless thoughts flashed through Prime Minister Zhao's mind, only to be rejected one by one. The situation had now reached a point of life and death for the dynasty.

How to break the game?

Silence. After a long while, a cold wind howled outside the window, making the window paper rustle.

Zhao Xiang, who had been silently pondering for a long time, slowly raised his eyes and looked out the window. After a while, a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

Then, he slowly got up, walked to the door, and pushed it open to walk out.

"master?!"

Outside the door, Zhao Jing, the Zhao family steward, hurriedly draped an overcoat over the master's shoulders: "Master, it's getting cold. It's so late, are you going to rest?"

Zhao Xiang shook his head and calmly asked, "Where is Xi'er?"

Zhao Jing said, "Miss didn't go out today, she should be at home. Does Master want to see Miss? I'll send someone to fetch her."

"No need, I'll go take a look."

Zhao Xiang spoke and strode towards the inner courtyard.

The night was deep and still, but the cold wind still howled.

Outside the gate in the inner courtyard, a furtive figure stood quietly, stealthily trying to peek into the courtyard, his expression conflicted, as if he were going through some kind of mental struggle.

Until, footsteps approached from behind.

"Xiaoyue?"

A sound suddenly rang out.

Xiaoyue, who was lying by the gate, was startled and turned around in fright. She nearly jumped out of her skin from the shock.

"Master?!"

The person who came into Xiaoyue's sight was her own master.

Feeling guilty, Xiaoyue was nearly scared out of her wits, and her voice became stammering: "Master, why are you here?!"

Zhao Xiang frowned slightly as he looked at the impetuous maid in front of him, but he didn't take it to heart.

"what are you doing here?"

"I……"

Xiaoyue was about to speak when she realized something and her heart skipped a beat.

Finished!

Sir, you're not here to see the young lady, are you?
But Miss is now truly His Highness...

This... this might get us caught red-handed by the master!
Finished!

If the master finds out that the young lady and the prince are having an affair, even before they are married...

Thinking of this, Xiaoyue's face turned pale, her body stiffened, and her mind went blank.

"Is Xi'er asleep?"

Zhao Xi didn't notice Xiao Yue's lowered head. She glanced at the inner courtyard and saw that the houses not far away were dark and unlit.

At this moment, Xiaoyue was extremely nervous, and only one thought remained in her mind... What should she do?
what to do? !

Faced with the master's question, Xiaoyue struggled to remain calm and subconsciously nodded, "Sleep, sleep..."

Xiaoyue had no choice but to lie!
Of course, it can't be called lying, since the young lady did sleep... but what kind of sleep? And who she slept with, that's hard to say.

"Miss has already gone to sleep."

Zhao Xiang frowned: "Why are you stuttering?"

"I……"

Xiaoyue was almost crying inside. She was terrified by the old man. How could she not be nervous?

"Xiaoyue is scared...Master..."

Xiaoyue spoke tremulously.

Fortunately, Prime Minister Zhao was usually very authoritative in his residence, and many people in the household were indeed afraid of him, so Prime Minister Zhao did not suspect anything.

Xiaoyue tentatively asked, "Master, do you want to see Miss? Is it urgent?"

"Should I go and wake Miss up?"

"no need!"

Zhao Xiang frowned, and after a long while, a look of bewilderment appeared on his face as he shook his head inwardly.

He seems to have really gotten senile, actually thinking of that.
However, he had no answer as to whether it was right or wrong.

Xi'er has been intelligent since childhood and has been exposed to a lot of politics, so perhaps she can offer some advice in this regard. Of course, more importantly, Xi'er knows that boy better, right?
Zhao Xiang looked ahead again, his gaze still deep.

The dynasty now faces a life-or-death crisis, and to break the deadlock, it must resort to risky military measures. And currently, the only one capable of stopping the rebel army of Prince Xu in the north is the one in the south…

……

Meanwhile, it was late at night.

Inner courtyard, bathhouse.

The air was thick with mist, creating a dreamlike, ethereal atmosphere. The hot water in the bath was crystal clear, shimmering in the sunlight. The young lady, whom Xiaoyue had mentioned was already asleep, was now completely naked in the bath.

Her snow-white skin turned reddish as it was soaked in hot water, and it was extremely delicate, as if you could squeeze water out of it with a gentle pinch.

Steam rose, revealing a delicate, rosy face beneath wet, dark hair. Most of her chest was submerged, only her exquisite, sensual collarbone and the way it peeked out with each movement.

With each rapid breath, ripples spread across the water in front of Zhao Xi.

Absolutely spectacular!

"Can't you just behave yourself?!"

Zhao Xi's voice was filled with embarrassment and annoyance.

She knew that this scoundrel had no good intentions.

Faced with the constant stares from the scoundrel beside her, Zhao Xi instinctively reached out to cover her chest.

However, her actions had no effect; instead, the scoundrel stared at her even more intently.

Zhao Xi glanced down instinctively, then quickly realized what was happening. Gritting her teeth in anger, she hurriedly turned around, but as soon as she did, she realized that what was behind her was not safe...

There's really no way to stop it!

never mind!

Zhao Xi began to give up on herself. Now that things had come to this, what was the point of whether she tried to stop it or not?
It's just self-deception!

As she was thinking this, a hot breath approached from behind. Sure enough, a pair of large hands wrapped around Zhao Xi's waist from behind and rubbed against her.

"Be honest with me!"

Zhao Xi gritted her teeth, but her tone was weak and lacked any intimidation.

My body felt weak.

"Am I being pretty honest?"

As Lin Jiangnian spoke confidently, he leaned in from behind and grinned, saying, "You're feeling weak, aren't you? Can't move? Here, I'll help you wash up!"

Zhao Xi glanced down, gritted her teeth, and asked in embarrassment and anger, "Are you sure you're washing me?"

"if not?"

"Could you go somewhere else? You've rubbed your skin raw!"

"There's no other way. After all, it's food that's meant to be eaten, so it has to be washed several times."

"..."

Zhao Xi didn't react at first, until she noticed Lin Jiangnian's teasing tone and thought about it carefully... food?
Entrance!

Zhao Xi's eyes widened, and her already rosy face visibly flushed red as she became angry.

"Lin! Jiang! Nian!"

"Don't get angry."

"Believe it or not, I'll break you in two!"

Zhao Xi suddenly reached out, furious.

"Hiss... Heroine, spare me! I was wrong!"

"..."

Water splashed in the bathtub. After a while of commotion, it gradually quieted down.

Zhao Xi's face was still flushed, and her expression seemed embarrassed and annoyed, but her eyes and brows also inadvertently revealed a seductive charm.

This daughter of Prime Minister Zhao, Miss Zhao, seemed to have undergone a complete transformation, and the allure of her womanhood was extremely bright.

Her gaze fell on Lin Jiangnian, her eyes revealing a hint of infatuation—an expression that inadvertently surfaced when she saw her beloved.

When Lin Jiangnian looked at her, the deep affection in his eyes turned into shyness. After a long while, Zhao Xi's soft voice drifted through the mist.

"If my dad finds out, he'll break your legs."

"What's there to be afraid of? The deed is done!"

Lin Jiangnian sat by the bathtub, the water reaching his chest. He took the opportunity to lift Zhao Xi onto his lap, one hand resting on her slender waist, the other hand caressing her long, white, beautiful legs in the water, slowly moving away.

"You think you're so tough, huh?!"

Zhao Xi glared at him.

"How could that be? I still have great respect for your father."

"So you used to call him Old Deng?"

"If he doesn't acknowledge me as his son-in-law, wouldn't he just be old Deng?"

Zhao Xi rolled her eyes, seemingly in a good mood, and didn't argue with him. She then stared at him and asked, "What do you plan to do if my father doesn't acknowledge you?"

What do you want me to do?

Zhao Xi retorted, dissatisfied, "I'm the one asking you!"

Lin Jiangnian thought for a moment: "Your father is, after all, the dignified Prime Minister Zhao, and also my elder. I shouldn't beat him up, should I?"

"you dare?!"

"How about we elope?"

"Can you be more practical?"

Lin Jiangnian sighed: "The key is not me, but what you think."

"I?"

Zhao Xi was taken aback.

"If you don't want to, no one can change your mind; but if you do want to, no one can change your mind either."

Lin Jiangnian looked at her and sighed softly, "Your father definitely doesn't approve of me. That's because of the relationship between the Prince Lin's Mansion and the imperial court. My position is different from your father's. However, it's not entirely without a chance."

"I'm sure your father will recognize my excellence and accept me as his future son-in-law. So, I plan to find an opportunity to have a serious talk with him, no matter what..."

Lin Jiangnian brought Zhao Xi's long, snow-white legs together, placed them flat on his lap, and rubbed them against his own.

He looked into her eyes and said softly and tenderly, "I hope that you can marry me openly and honestly when the time comes."

At this moment, Zhao Xi was in a daze, seemingly unable to hear any other sounds or noises. Lin Jiangnian's words echoed in her mind.

Should I marry him openly and honestly?
Zhao Xi felt as if some emotion was pounding violently in her heart, almost leaping out of her full breasts.

"Who, who said they wanted to marry you?!"

Zhao Xi's eyes suddenly became flustered and evasive, and her voice stammered nervously. Just as she was about to say something, she suddenly realized something and glanced down.

In an instant, her face flushed crimson with embarrassment, and she gritted her teeth, saying angrily, "You, could you please not say such affectionate things again next time..."

"Doing something like this?"

"Hey, doesn't this just make you look more charming?"

"Pah, you pervert, shameless!"

"Hiss... Don't move!"

"Move! Move!"

"..."

(End of this chapter)