The prince is more stable

Chapter 1002 A Feast to Celebrate Victory
The unexpected surprise came so suddenly.

Zhao Xiaoqian never expected that someone would send him bear paws. What big favor did they want him to do? Did they want to be made a king?

"Who sent the bear paw?"

Zheng Chunhe carefully said, "It was sent by Cai Jing, the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. It was half a month ago, on the day of His Majesty's birthday. All the court officials who came to the palace to offer their congratulations brought lavish gifts. Among them, Cai Jing's gift was the most lavish, containing not only gold, silver, pearls, and jade, but also precious medicinal herbs and a dried bear paw."

Zhao Xiaoqian was so happy that he rubbed his hands together like a fly in a latrine.

How many surprises does this Cai Jing have that I don't know about?

In terms of interpersonal relationships and worldly wisdom, treacherous officials are far superior to loyal ones. Look at what Cai Jing did; he handled everything perfectly to Zhao Xiaoqian's liking.

No wonder so many emperors throughout history, even knowing that the other party was a treacherous official, couldn't help but appoint him to important positions. He was good at getting things done, giving gifts, and reading people's expressions.

At this moment, Zhao Xiaoqian felt an urge to get rid of Zhang Dun as soon as possible and let Cai Jing take that position.

Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't even imagine how happy he must have been back then...

"Let's go check on that bear paw. Did the imperial chef secretly eat it?" Zhao Xiaoqian said excitedly.

Inside the Imperial Kitchen, the imperial chefs knelt in a row in fear, anxiously wondering why the Emperor had come in person. The kitchen was a place where the hardest laborers worked.

Zhao Xiaoqian ignored the reactions of the imperial chefs and instead held a dried bear paw, examining it carefully. After a long while, Zhao Xiaoqian nodded.

That's right, it's the forefoot, and specifically the right palm.

Cai Jing is a savvy guy; that old fellow has some skills.

Holding the bear paw, Zhao Xiaoqian stepped out the door and stood in the sunlight. He looked up at the not-too-intense sun and said, "Old Zheng, call a painter from the Hanlin Painting Academy and bring him brushes and ink."

Zhao Xiaoqian actually knew someone at the Hanlin Painting Academy, Zhang Zeduan, the painter of "Along the River During the Qingming Festival," who had already joined the academy, but he didn't want to bother him.

Firstly, she didn't want to reveal her identity to him, and secondly, Zhang Zeduan was currently focused on creating "Along the River During the Qingming Festival," so there was no need to trouble him with such a small matter.

After a long while, Zheng Chunhe arrived in a hurry with a painter, who immediately paid his respects.

"Your subject, Su Youfang, a painter at the Hanlin Academy, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

Zhao Xiaoqian was taken aback: "This name... what's your relationship with Su Dingfang, the famous general of the Tang Dynasty?"

Su Youfang was taken aback and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I have absolutely no relation to Su Dingfang of the Tang Dynasty. We are completely unrelated."

Zhao Xiaoqian's face twitched: "Your names differ by only one character, I thought you were brothers."

Su Youfang: "…………"

That's the end of the conversation.

He ordered two tables to be moved to the courtyard. Zhao Xiaoqian placed the dried bear paw on the table and carefully observed the angle of the sunlight and the shadows to find the most suitable spot.

Pointing to the bear paw on the table, Zhao Xiaoqian said, "Draw this bear paw. I want realism, not abstraction. Never mind, you probably don't understand... Draw it as realistic as possible. Can you do that?"

Su Youfang then nodded: "It can be done."

Lay out the paper, grind the ink, and pick up the brush.

After staring at the bear paw for a long time, Su Youfang finally put pen to paper. With a few quick strokes, a lifelike bear paw appeared on the paper.

Zhao Xiaoqian held the corner of the paper, the ink still wet, and the bear paw drawn was exceptionally lifelike, as if it had just been chopped off the bear, very fresh.

"Excellent! Your painting skills are superb. No wonder you were admitted to the Imperial Painting Academy," Zhao Xiaoqian praised.

Su Youfang breathed a sigh of relief and quickly became modest.

After seeing Su Youfang off, Zhao Xiaoqian handed the painting to Zheng Chunhe and said, "Clench the painting carefully and send someone to deliver it to Su Shi, the acting governor of Jiangnan Circuit."

Zheng Chunhe was stunned: "Just this painting? No other instructions?"

"No, I just wanted to tempt him, that's all. I sent a messenger to tell Su Shi that I got a bear paw, but unfortunately he is thousands of miles away, so I can only enjoy it by myself. Also, tell Su Shi that I thought of him while eating the bear paw, and I couldn't stop crying while eating it. It was very sentimental."

Zheng Chunhe: "…………"

Is this something humans do?
Zhao Xiaoqian's lips curled up as he thought of Su Shi, who was thousands of miles away, receiving this painting. He wondered what Su Shi's feelings would be. It was said that Su Shi was currently living in Hangzhou, a famous food desert. Receiving such a picture of bear paws out of the blue must have made his feelings even more complicated.

Historical records show that Su Shi spent half his life in exile, but he was optimistic by nature. No matter where he was exiled, he could find joy in life, especially in discovering various local delicacies, and he would write letters to his younger brother Su Zhe to boast about them.

Only when he arrived in Hangzhou did Su Shi fall silent and begin cooking for himself...

If Su Shi had seen this picture of bear paws, he would probably have been moved to tears.
Just thinking about it makes me happy. "Where's the cook? Prepare the bear paw for me. First, sear it over a fire, then peel it and soak it in rice wine and ginger slices to remove the fishy smell..."

As Zhao Xiaoqian spoke, he ordered Zheng Chunhe to move a chair and sit in the middle of the courtyard, watching the imperial chefs busily working on the bear paw.

Under the Emperor's watchful gaze, the imperial chefs felt immense pressure. One chef cautiously said, "I know a little about cooking bear paws. Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will present the bear paws in two or three hours."

Zhao Xiaoqian shook his head: "I'm not at ease with you, so I'll watch you work on it from here. This thing is rare. If you ruin it, I'll chop off your forelegs and braise them."

The chefs were sweating profusely. We're just cooks, why do we have to bear the pressure of work?
The cooking process of bear paws is very complicated, and the most troublesome thing is that its gamey smell is difficult to remove. Fortunately, Zhao Xiaoqian has accumulated enough experience in this area, and the whole process is carried out in an orderly manner.

Three hours later, the bear paw was cooked. Zheng Chunhe put it in a food box and walked quickly toward the Funing Palace.

Inside the Funing Palace, Di Ying and her concubines were all present. Their son, Zhao Hao, was jumping around in the palace, scattering various precious ancient books and rare manuscripts from the bookshelves all over the floor. The palace maids behind him looked terrified. Zhao Hao threw the books in front, and the palace maids picked them up behind him. The two worked together very well.

As soon as Zhao Xiaoqian entered the hall, his eyelids twitched, and he grabbed Zhao Hao and slapped his buttocks several times.

"You idiot, are you trying to turn the world upside down? Don't you know how valuable these books are?... Okay, you really don't know."

Zhao Hao burst into tears, but Zhao Xiaoqian quickly stuffed a piece of candy into his mouth. Zhao Hao immediately began to eat it with relish, completely forgetting that he had just been beaten.

This thing seems to have a shorter memory than a fish.

Di Ying, heavily pregnant, walked with a limp, while Niao Niao and Yelü Nanxian carefully supported her.

Zhao Xiaoqian gently stroked her swollen belly, bent down, and said seriously to her stomach, "Your father!"

There was no sign of her belly moving, but Di Ying glared at him fiercely.

This has become the couple's recent greeting ritual. Zhao Xiaoqian calls it "prenatal education," but Di Ying doesn't understand it at all. Does this so-called prenatal education mean repeatedly hypnotizing the baby in her belly to emphasize that he is his father?

Are they afraid that the child will be born and mistaken for the wrong father?
Zheng Chunhe brought out the food boxes, one of which was still bubbling in a clay pot. When the lid was lifted, a whole, well-cooked bear paw was revealed to everyone.

Di Ying and the other women were taken aback: "Bear paws? My lord has gotten his hands on bear paws again?"

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled smugly: "It was sent by Cai Jing. That old fellow has a good eye; he sent a gift that perfectly suits my taste."

Di Ying smiled gently: "I know that my lord loves bear paw the most. Today, my wish has come true. The meal is so lavish. Is there some great joy on your mind today?"

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed heartily: "Good news has come from the Northwest! Zhong Jianzhong's troops have captured Dingzhou City of Western Xia. The Great Song has won its first battle. Today we should drink a toast! Come, everyone, sit down and try this bear paw. I personally supervised the imperial chefs to make it, and not a single bit was wasted."

Di Ying smiled and said, "I dare not share what my husband likes the most. Besides, this bear paw is whole and looks scary. It doesn't taste like anything special. Why don't you enjoy it all by yourself? I'll pour you some wine."

His wives and concubines surrounded him. Some served him food, while others massaged his shoulders. They were all well-behaved and sensible. Zhao Hao, with candy in his mouth, had not learned a thing from the beating he had just received and was still ruining the ancient books and rare manuscripts on the bookshelf.

Forget it, I'm in a good mood today, I won't beat him up, I'll deal with it another day.

Zhao Xiaoqian ate a piece of bear paw meat, took a sip of wine, smacked his lips, and let out a satisfied sigh.

Today's news of victory in the Northwest is not the most outstanding among the victories of the Song Dynasty over the years, and the number of more than 20,000 enemy soldiers killed is not particularly impressive.

But the significance of this good news is extremely important.

It was the first major battle after Zhao Xiaoqian ascended the throne, and also the first battle in the process of the Song Dynasty unifying the country.

Future history books will record that the unification of China began with this war.

First, they destroyed the Western Xia, then pacified the Liao Dynasty, quelled the Tibetan and Uyghur rebellions in the west, and finally took over Dali in the south.

This is the strategic sequence set by Zhao Xiaoqian. Now the war to destroy Western Xia has begun, and the first stroke has been made on the blueprint for unifying the world.

The shape of the begonia leaves on the map of China must be complete, and perhaps even more could be included.

Zhao Xiaoqian narrowed his eyes. He remembered that there were very rich oil reserves on the Siberian ice field in the far north. If he could occupy Siberia a few years in advance, he would not be dependent on others for energy after the industrial era began. It could be considered as laying the groundwork for future generations.

Zhao Xiaoqian found himself getting a little arrogant. Like a rich man, he became greedy after becoming rich and wanted to be even richer, so he became bolder in seizing and plundering.

It turns out that emperors are the same. When a country gains strength, their vision is no longer limited to this territory. They become more greedy, bolder, and more ambitious, just like that art student who failed his college entrance exam during World War II.

Picking up the mischievous Zhao Hao and placing him on his lap, Zhao Xiaoqian picked up a piece of bear paw meat with his chopsticks and fed it to him.

Zhao Hao smacked his lips, and then his face relaxed like springtime, revealing an expression of enjoyment. He pointed at the bear paw on the table and made babbling noises, as if he were eagerly waiting to be fed.

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed: "You'll be a foodie in the future, kid. When I bring Su Shi back to the capital, you can hang out with him and I guarantee you'll eat all the delicacies in the world."

(End of this chapter)