The prince is more stable

Chapter 1042 The Prodigal Son's Tribulation
Cai Jing's world has collapsed.

Anyone in his situation would become somewhat mentally unstable.

Cai Jing is currently enjoying the height of his career. He is trusted and valued by the Emperor, who is gradually entrusting him with many matters. Zhang Dun has already requested sick leave. According to the rules of officialdom, it will not be long before Zhang Dun will take the initiative to submit a memorial to resign.

As for Cai Jing, it was practically a foregone conclusion that he would succeed Zhang Dun as the prime minister of the Song Dynasty.

Now Cai Jing only needs to keep a low profile and behave himself properly. The official position and power he wants will all come naturally and effortlessly.

Life is like this, as easy as turning one's hand.

Who would have thought that at such a crucial juncture, the unfilial son would actually beat up the official's father-in-law.

Unexpectedly, the biggest surprise in his career came from his own rebellious son.

Cai You said that the Emperor had forgiven them and that the fault lay with his two fathers-in-law. Cai Jing believed that the Emperor had said such a thing, but he did not believe that the Emperor had truly forgiven them.

How deep are the waters of the imperial court and palace? What do these spoiled brats know?

You believe everything the officials say, but do you even believe the vows you made after sleeping with courtesans?
Cai Jing now feels as if his life has suddenly plunged into an abyss, with no hope of redemption.

Having finally climbed to this position, and just as he was about to reach the summit and stand at the pinnacle of power, his rebellious son gave him a hard push, causing him to fall off the cliff.

Cai Jing felt that his career was over. The emperor was a man of great loyalty and affection. Cai You had beaten his family, and the emperor's impression of him and his son would probably take a sharp turn for the worse.

It seems there's no hope for him to become prime minister anymore; all that's left is for the emperor to find an opportunity to remove Cai Jing from his post.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Cai Jing grabbed the rattan cane in his hand and began to strike Cai You's head repeatedly. This time, he really meant it, as if he were dealing with a murderer of his father, showing no mercy whatsoever.

Cai You screamed and cried as his father whipped him. He had originally intended to take a few more blows to quell his father's anger, but he found that his father was getting more and more skilled at hitting him, and the rattan cane was landing harder and harder on him. Cai You immediately realized that his father was really planning to kill his own son for the greater good this time.

Therefore, Cai You made a decisive decision to survive.

I can't really let my own father beat me to death.

Cai You fled across the courtyard with his head in his hands, and Cai Jing chased after him with a rattan cane. The entire Cai household was thrown into chaos, and no one dared to stop him.

After being hit countless times, Cai Jing could no longer run, and Cai You also stopped. The father and son faced each other at a distance.

"Father, believe me, it's not that serious!" Cai You pleaded earnestly.

Cai Jing gritted his teeth, his face ashen: "You beat up the Emperor's father-in-law, and you think that's not serious? Do you really think the Emperor has a good temper and can tolerate everything? Do you know how many people the Emperor has killed since he ascended the throne?"

Cai You said with a mournful face, "At least His Majesty can distinguish right from wrong. He said he wouldn't pursue the matter and even apologized to us on behalf of his father-in-law."

Cai Jing looked bewildered and uncertain. After a long while, he suddenly threw down his rattan cane and said in a daze, "The wrath of Heaven is unpredictable. Whether His Majesty will punish me or not, we will know tomorrow how he treats me."

Cai You pursed his lips and said, "Actually, there's something else I wanted to say..."

Cai Jing, who was probably suffering from a phobia of rebellious sons, shuddered at the words and his expression turned terrified again: "Which of the Emperor's relatives did you beat up this time?"

“No! Absolutely not!” Cai You said in a low voice, “The Emperor said that Japan has almost been destroyed by our royal army, but the people need to establish a new order belonging to the Great Song Dynasty. The government cannot do this, nor can the garrison. Only we, the young and promising men of Bianjing, can do it.”

Cai Jing asked, puzzled, "Who is this 'promising young man'?"

Cai You pointed to his nose: "Isn't it obvious?"

Cai Jing blurted out a chilling sneer: "You? A failed imperial examination candidate whose official rank and position depend on the emperor's reward. You're just a worthless beast who barely qualifies as a human being because of my influence?"

"The officials call someone like you 'young and promising'? Are you still drunk from last night?"

Cai You's face turned green. These words weren't just hurtful; they felt like he had been dissected with a knife.

A father can be incredibly blunt with his son, every word piercing his heart.

“Father, His Majesty means that those neglected second and third sons or illegitimate sons in the mansions of powerful officials in Bianjing are causing trouble all day long and are not on the right path. Instead of fighting amongst themselves, they should go and cause more trouble... instead of going and dealing with Japan, they should help His Majesty.”

Cai Jing suddenly realized that he finally understood.

"So-called young and promising people are just packing up the spoiled rich kids of Bianjing and sending them to Japan to harm others and make the last bit of use out of this useless bunch."

Cai You: “…………”

The logic is roughly the same, but... the way it was said was too harsh!
Cai Jing closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then quickly understood the Emperor's intention.

Indeed, it was necessary. As a high-ranking official in the court, Cai Jing certainly understood that the most troublesome thing after conquering a country was the post-war digestion and the problem of governing the common people.

Problems at the top are easy to manage; those who do not submit to the king's rule can simply be killed. But the common people cannot all be killed, so the only option is to win them over and appease them, and then establish rules for them.

Most of the former beneficiaries cannot be allowed to remain; they must be eliminated or weakened. So who will fill the vacant positions? Of course, only people from our own country can fill those positions. Officials and military personnel are not suitable to fill those positions; they have more important things to do.

Therefore, filling in the vacancies could only be left to these rich and powerful young men.

They have powerful connections, extensive networks, and abundant resources. Moreover, they are ruthless and vicious. Most of them are not stupid or incompetent. Is there anyone more suitable than them?

Thinking of this, Cai Jing couldn't help but nod in approval and said, "Your Majesty has a good mind! I never thought that even a useless person could play such a great role."

Cai You said in a low voice, "Father, I would like to try what the Emperor has said."

Cai Jing was startled: "You're going to Japan?"

"Yes, I want to make a name for myself, but I don't want to struggle for seniority in the court anymore. Going to Japan might be a shortcut."

Cai Jing frowned and stroked his beard, saying, "You are the eldest son of the family. The Emperor has chosen mostly disrespected playboys. Why do you need to join in this fun?"

Cai You smiled and said, "That's why, after I went to Japan, my status stood out among all the playboys. The Emperor's attention also fell on me. I'm favored by the Emperor, so my future is naturally bright. It's much better than being a secretary now, isn't it?"

Cai Jing said with a look of disapproval: "I will soon become prime minister. With me in the court, why do you need to wait for seniority in your career? You can rise to the top quickly, why go across the ocean to suffer this hardship?"

Cai You, however, said firmly, “My official rank and title were bestowed by the Emperor, not obtained through the imperial examination. There is already a lot of criticism in the court. If I were to rely on Father to rise through the ranks, there would be even more criticism, which would be detrimental to both Father’s and my reputation.”

"So I want to go out and try my luck. Whether I succeed or fail, at least I will have this experience. If Father promotes me in the future, I can silence the gossip."

"More importantly, I have my own life to live and do not want to live under my father's shadow for the rest of my life. Please grant my request, Father."

Cai Jing's hand, which was stroking his beard, froze. For the first time in his life, he gazed intently at his son.

It seems... he has really grown up. He has developed his own independent thoughts and has the ambitions and aspirations that belong to a young man.

He no longer wanted to be protected under his father's wing, but looked out at the sky and the wind and rain, revealing a fighting spirit to soar through the sky.

After a long while, Cai Jing suddenly smiled, a smile of satisfaction, and let out a long, contented sigh.

…………

Today is an unusual day for the playboys of Bianjing.

The beatings that Cai You experienced were also experienced by other spoiled brats.

At the same time, mournful wails and howls emanated from many wealthy and powerful households.

The next morning, as soon as Zhao Xiaoqian woke up, Zheng Chunhe walked into the palace and told him with a strange look that more than a dozen court officials, along with their sons, were requesting an audience outside the palace gates.

Zhao Xiaoqian raised an eyebrow in surprise: "What are they doing here with my son? On a blind date?"

Zheng Chunhe said with a complicated expression, "The sons of these court officials all have bruises and swelling on their faces. Some of them were even carried here by their servants. They must have suffered some misfortune."

Zhao Xiaoqian was even more surprised, and quickly remembered that it must still be about beating up his father-in-law.

Although he had personally said the day before that he would not blame him and that the fault lay with his father-in-law, people below never naively take the emperor's words literally. They often overinterpret them, make deep connections, and then all sorts of conspiracies, tricks, and schemes emerge.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled bitterly. In fact, what he said the day before yesterday was exactly what he meant. He didn't mean anything by it, and he certainly didn't hold a grudge or want to settle scores with his relatives in the future.

But these court officials wouldn't think that way. Zhao Xiaoqian could even imagine the psychological torment and fear they had endured over the past two days.

"Let them in. I'll appease them and persuade them to send these scourges to Japan, so that Bianjing can be restored to peace and prosperity."

Not long after, in the Funing Palace, a group of old ministers, along with their good-for-nothing sons, knelt before Zhao Xiaoqian, pleading guilty in fear.

Zhao Xiaoqian scrutinized the spoiled brats, his face twitching.

I have to say, that was incredibly ruthless. I seriously doubt they're even related by blood. After all, there's so much shady stuff going on in wealthy and powerful families—like the mother cooking the car and the father protecting the child…

Led by Cai You and Zhao Zhongyu, a dozen or so纨绔 (sons of wealthy and powerful families) knelt in a row, their faces bruised and swollen, looking up at Zhao Xiaoqian pitifully.

The only one present who was relatively unharmed was Cai You. He had injuries on his face, with clearly visible handprints, but the rest of his body was in relatively good condition.

Zhao Zhongyu's eyes were swollen shut, as if he had been stung by a wasp. He tried to open his eyes and focus his gaze, but each attempt only resulted in him gasping for breath in pain.

Not to mention the other spoiled brats, they were like a group of defeated soldiers, their wounds shocking to behold.

Looking back, Zhao Xiaoqian pointed to a spoiled brat lying on a stretcher, barely alive, and sighed, "This one... why bother him to come all this way? He's completely unconscious."

(End of this chapter)