The prince is more stable

Chapter 104 Big Brother in the Market
There was a loud crack of thunder, which made Zhao Xiaoqian's ears buzz and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back.

After a quick thought, Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly calmed down and began to reflect.

What on earth am I so shocked about?

Isn’t it normal for Zhao Xu to know about the death of Cao’s father and daughter?
The Imperial City Administration is an organization directly under the command of Zhao Xu. What could be hidden from him?

Fortunately, Zhao Xiaoqian had never done anything wrong and had nothing to fear.

Looking directly at Zhao Xu, Zhao Xiaoqian said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I did intend to kill the Cao family father and daughter. As for the reason, you must know it. But I swear, the death of the Cao family father and daughter was not caused by me, nor by the Imperial City Bureau."

"I did intend to take action, but before the Imperial City Division could act, the Cao family father and daughter died inexplicably. Their deaths were so complete that there was no way to investigate."

Zhao Xu's eyes were still fixed on the chessboard, as if the chess pieces on the board were more attractive than Zhao Xiaoqian.

"I know it wasn't you. I know the Imperial City Division's every move better than you do. That's why I'm speaking frankly to you."

Finally taking his eyes off the chessboard, Zhao Xu looked at him and smiled, "The Imperial City Division has always been secretive about its work, and what it does is truly not something that can be revealed to outsiders. Zi'an is handling official business, and if there are some personal grudges, I will turn a blind eye to it as long as it's not too extreme."

"Please forgive me, my lord. I will distinguish between public and private affairs from now on."

Zhao Xu shook his head. "I didn't mean anything else, Zi'an. Today, we're the only brothers in the palace. Since I've spoken out, it means I don't take it to heart. Don't make wild assumptions."

After a pause, Zhao Xu continued, "I'm telling you this because it's a bit strange. The Cao family father and daughter were supposed to die at the hands of the Imperial City Bureau. Who on earth could have orchestrated this accident, causing them to die in such an unclear manner?"

"Zi'an, I don't know why, but I always feel that there is a force inside and outside Bianjing City that I am unaware of, secretly spying on me and the court..."

"Last time, Zi'an was assassinated, and the assassin has not been found yet. Could it be related to this force? I once secretly ordered Wei Jie to investigate secretly, but there was no result for many days. I am really a little worried."

Zhao Xiaoqian was taken aback. "Does the emperor mean... that this force is plotting rebellion?"

Zhao Xu sneered, "They're sneaking around like crazy, who knows what they're up to? Maybe they're plotting treason, or maybe it's related to the struggle between the old and new parties. Haha, it's quite interesting."

Zhao Xiaoqian pursed his lips and remained speechless.

As if the Song Dynasty, plagued by internal and external troubles, wasn't in enough chaos, a dark and shameful force suddenly emerged...

Moreover, this force is indeed quite capable. They do things without leaving any traces, making it impossible for people to investigate. The Imperial City Bureau is in a passive position.

Zhao Xiaoqian pondered for a long time and sighed, "There's no better way right now. We can only wait for them to strike again. The more times they strike, the easier it will be for them to leave loopholes. Then the Imperial City Bureau can follow the clues and dig them out."

Zhao Xu nodded. "That's all we can do. ...Hmm? Zi'an, that's too much! Two more pieces are missing from the board. Can you really play anymore?"

Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly felt embarrassed and shyly slipped two chess pieces from between his fingers.

Zhao Xu calmly placed a black piece down: "Five in a row, I win again."

Looking at Zhao Xiaoqian with disdain, Zhao Xu snorted coldly, "You can't even beat me by cheating. You were the one who taught me how to play Gobang. Haha, Zi'an, there are also areas where you are inferior to me."

"The emperor is a man of extraordinary talent, the best of all time. It is quite reasonable that my ministers are not as good at chess as the emperor."

Zhao Xiaoqian flattered him.

Whether playing cards or chess with your boss, don't you know when to win and when to lose? If you don't understand this kind of social etiquette, you can't even survive in the workplace, let alone the officialdom.

Clear the chessboard and play another game.

Zhao Xu was in high spirits and kept tapping the chess pieces in his hand.

"By the way, there will be an envoy from Liao coming to the court in a few days. Zi'an, can you receive him on my behalf, and the Minister of the Ministry of Rites will assist him." Zhao Xu said calmly while holding Zi'an.

Zhao Xiaoqian was stunned: "I am receiving foreign envoys? This... I have no experience."

"The Liao envoys have always been arrogant when they come to the court. In the past, the Song Dynasty could only swallow their anger. But now that the Song Dynasty's imperial guards have flintlock rifles, I would like to be tougher with the Liao envoys and test whether I can break the current situation between the Song and Liao dynasties."

"So who else but Zi An is the best person to receive the Liao envoy?"

Zhao Xiaoqian was originally very unhappy. After all, a weak country has no diplomacy, and he didn't want to suffer for no reason.

However, Zhao Xu suggested that we should be tougher on the Liao envoy. Speaking of this, Zhao Xiaoqian was no longer sleepy. "I wonder how tough we should be on the Liao envoy. Your Majesty, please give us your instructions so that I can strike a balance."

Zhao Xu rolled his eyes. "How should I know? Anyway, let's just test it out. Don't let anything catastrophic happen. Zi'an will handle this himself."

"Yes, I will teach them how to behave."

…………

When Zhao Xiaoqian walked out of the palace, it was already dark and it was time to light the lamps.

The city of Bianjing experienced a flood. Although the silt in the city had been cleared, the streets were still filled with a fishy smell that lingered for a long time.

After the flood, some traces can never be erased.

The lives of officials, civilians and merchants in the city seemed to have returned to normal, but the situation was not as optimistic as imagined.

Outside the city of Bianjing, countless victims whose homes were destroyed by the flood huddled in the wild with no one to rely on, relying on the two meals of porridge provided daily by Kaifeng Prefecture to survive.

A large number of people were drowned in this flood. The Ministry of Revenue roughly estimated that thousands of people had drowned. What was even more terrible was that the people in the affected areas of the capital were left homeless and were gathering in groups towards the city of Bianjing.

Zhao Xiaoqian could do nothing but order the Imperial City Administration to patrol the areas where the disaster victims gathered day and night to investigate and punish illegal activities such as looting and bullying.

One increasingly serious fact is that as more and more disaster victims gathered, the food pressure in Bianjing City became greater and greater.

At the same time, a series of problems such as public security and epidemics will gradually emerge. When the imperial court can no longer bear the pressure of food, riots and civil unrest will arise.

Sometimes the fall of a dynasty often happens overnight. When the right time and people are in place, the whole world will be in chaos with just one sentence: "Are kings, princes, generals, and ministers born into a certain family?"

Zhao Xiaoqian had a premonition that if these disaster victims were not properly resettled, something might happen to the city of Bianjing.

Fortunately, the situation has not developed too badly at the moment. Zhao Xiaoqian decided that the next time he saw Zhao Xu, he must talk about the victims outside the city.

After leaving the palace, Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly felt a little greedy.

Ever since the chef of the palace received personal instruction from the crown prince, the dishes he prepared every day were quite exquisite and tasted pretty good. However, the chef's comprehension was too poor, and he kept making the same dishes over and over again. Zhao Xiaoqian was really fed up with it these days.

When I get tired of the food at home, I can’t help but want to go out and hunt for food.

This isn't just about food, it's also about other things.

There are also good men who would rather not eat wild food no matter how bad the food at home is. Well, don't get me wrong, it's because they are poor.

After leaving the palace, Zhao Xiaoqian got on a carriage and ordered the driver to drive directly to Panlou Street.

Half an hour later, in the first floor of Panlou Street, Zhao Xiaoqian and Zhang Xiaoyi sat opposite each other, eating soup dumplings in big mouthfuls.

After experiencing hardships, Zhao Xiaoqian and Zhang Xiaoyi became friends without knowing when.

Zhao Xiaoqian was a humble person. He could get along well with anyone, whether they were kings, ministers, or common people, as long as they had the same temper.

Zhang Xiaoyi is Zhao Xiaoqian’s new friend.

"Have a better look on your table when eating. You look like a starving ghost. I just picked up the cup and was about to take a sip, but you swallowed the whole basket of buns. How many meals have you been hungry for that you're waiting for me to treat you?" Zhao Xiaoqian said dissatisfiedly.

Zhang Xiaoyi's cheeks puffed up as he smiled sheepishly and said vaguely, "Please forgive me, Your Highness. I've never seen the world and couldn't afford such expensive delicacies before. I'm sorry for losing my composure, haha."

As they were talking, several idle men suddenly approached, bowed to Zhang Xiaoyi and greeted him, calling him "Brother Xiaoyi", which sounded like something from the Water Margin.

After saying hello, Zhang Xiaoyi sat down and continued eating and drinking. Then another group of idle men came over to greet him, continuing to call him "Brother Xiaoyi".

Then, wave after wave of idle men came to greet him, among whom were some old prostitutes with aging looks and sad faces who saluted Zhang Xiaoyi.

The more Zhao Xiaoqian looked, the more surprised he was. He didn't expect that Zhang Xiaoyi had such a wide network of contacts in the Bianjing market.

The only thing this guy needs to earn the nickname “Timely Rain” is an anti-poem written on the wall.

(End of this chapter)