The prince is more stable

Chapter 1006 Street Celebration
Zhao Xiaoqian is a man, a man among men. He understands men, and he understands himself even better.

Whether in ancient or modern times, it is a world that values ​​appearance. If the other person is stunningly beautiful, no matter what her personality is like, one can tolerate it before sleeping with her and will even actively adjust one's own personality to match hers.

After falling asleep, the man calms down, returns to a state of enlightenment, and begins to consider more issues.

So when Zhao Xiaoqian says he's "versatile," he's not just being polite; it's because he hasn't slept with her yet.

Of course, there are also couples who can still be deeply in love and make vows of eternal devotion after sleeping together, but that's because they haven't slept together enough.

The reason why love is praised and longed for in this world is because love is so precious and rare; for most people, love can only be described as "makeshift".

What are the odds of finding someone whose body and soul are perfectly compatible with yours among millions of men and women?

In ancient times, women aspired to handsome looks, talent, power, and status; in modern times, women aspire to handsome looks, money, cars, and houses.

Talent, good looks, and wealth have absolutely nothing to do with "love." Having these doesn't guarantee a perfect match between body and soul. So what outsiders see as a perfect couple, a match made in heaven, may only be known to them as a "makeshift" arrangement.

Zhao Xiaoqian had always held a pessimistic view of love, so after transmigrating to the Song Dynasty, he felt no psychological pressure about being a scumbag, nor did he feel morally condemned.

When Xue Meiyun, who was standing in front of him at this moment, revealed her true colors, Zhao Xiaoqian found himself somewhat less wary of her, even though her arrogant and domineering demeanor as a daughter of an official was not exactly endearing.

What he was wary of was never her personality, but the disguise she never took off.

It's really hard to get along with someone who's pretending, which is probably why Zhao Xiaoqian was reluctant to talk to her before.

Or rather, he doesn't care how bad the other person's character is; what he cares about is not knowing how bad the other person is. Because of the unknown, he is wary and avoids them.

Now that Xue Meiyun's true colors have been revealed, Zhao Xiaoqian quickly made a judgment in his mind.

The person she presented to him was not necessarily the real her, but she was at least much better than her previous obedient and weak self. Even if it wasn't real, it was a step closer to the truth. Since that was the case, Zhao Xiaoqian was willing to take a step closer to her.

The Imperial Street was bustling with people, a stream of merchants, commoners, and officials flowing like waves, surging in different directions.

Firecrackers could be heard from time to time in the street, and almost every restaurant and tavern along the roadside was packed with people laughing loudly and drinking heartily.

Everyone was discussing something enthusiastically and excitedly; if you got closer, you could vaguely hear the conversations of the people on the street.

Everyone was celebrating the victory, celebrating Zhong Jianzhong leading the Song army to capture Dingzhou City of Western Xia.

The news has been circulating for several days, but the atmosphere of celebration among the people is clearly still very enthusiastic.

Just as Zhao Xiaoqian had guessed, this great victory greatly stimulated consumption in the Song Dynasty, with restaurants, taverns, brothels and entertainment venues making a fortune.

Merchants were more generous with their money; they had the funds, and they understood better than ordinary people what it would mean for them if Western Xia were incorporated into the Song Dynasty's territory.

The future Song Dynasty will completely control the Silk Road, and ordinary people may not pay much attention to this route.

But merchants are different. Many merchants in Bianjing City make money through this Silk Road. Who controls this road and whether the risks on the road increase or decrease are crucial to them.

Therefore, when they heard that the Song Dynasty's imperial army had won its first victory in the western campaign against the Western Xia, the merchants were even more excited than the common people. They naturally wanted the Silk Road to be under the control of the Song Dynasty, so that these merchants who traveled all over the country could feel more secure.
Listening to the discussions on the street, Zhao Xiaoqian simply smiled, quite satisfied with everyone's reaction. This celebration stimulated consumption, and the national treasury could also collect more taxes, a win-win situation for everyone.

Xue Meiyun also heard the whispers and looked up to gaze intently at Zhao Xiaoqian.

"Your Majesty, can our Great Song Dynasty really destroy the Western Xia?" Xue Meiyun asked with great interest.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "It's not a big problem. Before the war, I discussed it with my senior ministers. If we can end the war within six months, Western Xia will most likely be destroyed and incorporated into the territory of our Great Song."

Xue Meiyun then asked, "I heard that this time it's an alliance with the Liao Kingdom, and the Western Xia will be incorporated into the Song Dynasty's territory. Is the Liao Kingdom willing to agree?"

Zhao Xiaoqian said indifferently, "The relations between the two countries are based on interests and strength. My Great Song has gained the most benefits. If the Liao Kingdom is not happy, it can start a war with my Great Song. If they dare not, or if they lose the war, then they can only swallow their anger. This is the cruel reality."

A burning light rose in Xue Meiyun's eyes: "Will the Great Song Dynasty destroy the Liao Dynasty in the future?"

“If the circumstances allow, and the timing, location, and popular support are all in place, then it is only natural to destroy it. I do not want to be a ruler who only maintains the status quo. I want to conquer more territory in this lifetime, so that even if my descendants become incompetent rulers or spendthrift sons, at least they can squander the wealth for several generations.”

"The unification of the country by the Song Dynasty was also a good thing for the people. With a unified dynasty, the army could show its strength and expand its territory abroad, and there would be no more war at home. The people could live in peace and have enough to eat and wear."

"Throughout history, most prosperous eras have been won through war; they are built on the foundation of victory."

Xue Meiyun's gaze grew increasingly intense. She felt inexplicably excited, a kind of physiological thrill. Before her stood the most powerful man in the world, a man whose power even the once-mighty neighboring country had to bow down to.

This is the kind of man who deserves her heart; her life can only be conquered by this kind of man.

"Your Majesty, you are amazing!" Xue Meiyun exclaimed involuntarily. Zhao Xiaoqian was taken aback: "You haven't even tried it, yet you know how amazing I am?"

After a moment's hesitation, he asked again, "Did the Empress or one of the other concubines tell you?"

Xue Meiyun didn't understand what he meant. As the daughter of an official, no one had ever dared to make lewd jokes in front of her since she was a child. She was very naive in this regard and didn't understand the meaning behind his words at all.

"It was my own observation that Your Majesty is truly remarkable," Xue Meiyun nodded vigorously, seemingly affirming her conclusion. "I am also well-versed in history, and I see the shadows of Emperors Han and Tang in Your Majesty, and even the shadow of Emperor Qin Shi Huang."

"Your Majesty is very similar to them. You are all equally talented and wise, and equally sagacious and powerful. You never hide your ambition for territory, and you have a clear understanding of the future of the Song Dynasty and make rational plans. You also have a loyal and invincible elite army under your command."

"In a few years, the prosperous era that the emperor hopes for will surely come, and the prosperous era will not let down any wise and great emperor."

Zhao Xiaoqian felt a sense of relief.

Although it's unclear whether Xue Meiyun's words were sincere or not, at least they sounded comforting.

As long as you feel comfortable, you don't need to worry too much about whether it's real or fake.

The root of human suffering is being too serious, too demanding of oneself and others. A little bit of "ignorance" can make life happier.

"If you're good at chatting, then talk more. I enjoy listening to you," Zhao Xiaoqian laughed.

Xue Meiyun became somewhat anxious: "Every word I have said comes from the bottom of my heart, and there is absolutely no falsehood in it."

"Haha, let's go. Aren't we going to the Daxiangguo Temple to burn incense and pray for blessings? Since you're beautiful and have a nice voice, I'll pay for your incense money today."

The Great Xiangguo Temple is located on Imperial Street. It was the most famous temple in the Song Dynasty. Strictly speaking, it was no longer a temple but a tourist attraction. A sizable market even formed around it.

As you can imagine, the crowds here were so dense that Zhao Xiaoqian and his party were completely blocked from entering the Daxiangguo Temple.

The air was filled with a variety of smells: human scents, animal scents, the perfume of women, the sweat of men, and the aromas of pastries and meat wafting from street vendors…

The sensation of various smells entering the nose at the same time is truly indescribable.

The crowd was too dense, and the Imperial Guards tried their best to part the crowd to clear a path for Zhao Xiaoqian, but ultimately it was not very effective.

After struggling to take a few steps, Xue Meiyun cried out in surprise and was involuntarily pushed and shoved into Zhao Xiaoqian's arms.

Zhao Xiaoqian certainly wouldn't let go of the opportunity to embrace such a beautiful woman. Since she had taken such initiative, it would be unmanly of him to pretend to be polite and act like a moral gentleman.

So Zhao Xiaoqian took the opportunity to reach out and pull Xue Meiyun into his arms.

Xue Meiyun's cheeks flushed red, and she lowered her head shyly and helplessly. He held her tightly, but she did not struggle.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked down at her shy face and sighed regretfully, "What a pity, you didn't follow the script..."

Xue Meiyun: "???"

Zhao Xiaoqian said seriously, "According to the typical plot of male and female idols, when you rush into my arms, besides screaming in surprise, you should also stagger a bit."

"That way, when I hug you, I can spin around three and a half times on the spot. Remember, it has to be three and a half times, and the whole thing must be in slow motion. Finally, our eyes meet, the scene freezes, and the moment becomes eternal. It's like an idol drama coming to life. Good!"

Xue Meiyun's eyes gradually went blank.

This man is indeed not so easy to understand; at least, she didn't understand a word he said just now.

To truly enter his world, she definitely needs to put in more effort; beauty alone is not enough.

Xue Meiyun secretly made a decision: she would make more contact with the Empress and the concubines in the future, whether by flattering them or by deliberately befriending them, all in order to find out the Emperor's personality and likes and dislikes, especially in terms of the Emperor's likes and dislikes, so that she would not make any foolish mistakes.

A captain from the Imperial Guard, drenched in sweat, approached to request permission. He noted that there were an unusually large number of people offering incense at the Great Xiangguo Temple today and asked if someone should be sent to inform the abbot of the temple of their identity before sending troops to clear the area.

Zhao Xiaoqian shook his head and refused without hesitation.

"The people have waited so long and patiently, why should they wait in vain with just a word from me?"

"Do everything according to the rules. You just need to protect me in secret."

(End of this chapter)