The prince is more stable

Chapter 1045 Palace Banquet for Military Generals
Upon hearing the emperor say that the child was actually his eldest son, the generals were immediately filled with respect and were deeply moved. They all stood up and bowed.

The fact that the Emperor brought his only son to meet the generals shows that he doesn't consider them outsiders. Moreover, the Emperor mentioned that his eldest son might join the army in the future, which is an immense honor for the generals.

Moreover, this was also a strong signal from the emperor to the outside world. He was using this action to tell the world that the emperor of the Song Dynasty did not have a prejudice against civil officials and treated all officials equally. Bringing his eldest son to the banquet was already a very grand reception.

The military officers were deeply moved, and after rising to pay their respects, hundreds of them remained bowed for a long time, unwilling to stand up.

Seeing the generals bowing with emotion, Zhao Xiaoqian's smile grew even warmer, and he affectionately rubbed Zhao Hao's head in his arms.

Bringing this lad along tonight to host the palace banquet was clearly the right decision.

The effect of his young age was more effective than countless official platitudes. The fact that he was the eldest son of an official had an immeasurable boost on the military officers.

Zhao Xiaoqian put Zhao Hao down from his arms and let Zhao Hao take his short legs and walk unsteadily toward the generals. Wherever he went, the generals bowed with smiles, their eyes filled with affection, as if they were looking at their own nephews and nieces.

Despite his young age, Zhao Hao was not intimidated at all. He walked up to a military officer, looked up at his bright armor, and curiously poked him with his chubby little finger.

The general felt extremely honored and hurriedly knelt down in front of Zhao Hao, letting Zhao Hao's little finger poke at his hard armor.

After examining the armor, Zhao Hao glanced at the general's waist and was somewhat disappointed to find it empty and without a sword.

Then Zhao Hao pulled a chubby wooden sword from behind his waist and brandished it a few times in front of the general with a hint of showing off.

The surrounding generals burst into laughter, their expressions growing even more affectionate and indulgent.

Zhao Hao, that kid, was quite the show-off. Hearing the generals laugh, he became even more carried away and started practicing with his small wooden sword in front of them.

To Zhao Xiaoqian's surprise, he had once taken Zhao Hao to the military camp, where Zhao Hao had watched the soldiers drill.

Even today, Zhao Hao still remembers those training moves and can still perform them with some skill. Although his movements are still a bit clumsy and out of shape, the general moves are still quite accurate.

Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes widened in surprise, while the generals around Zhao Hao were already in tears.

"It's a technique from the Sun-Praising Camp! The young prince actually knows the Sun-Praising Camp's techniques!" a military officer shouted excitedly.

The surrounding generals also clapped and cheered excitedly. Everyone watched Zhao Hao practice his moves with emotion. Although his movements were far from perfect, they were still greatly encouraged.

In an environment that values ​​civil officials over military ones, it is truly commendable that the Emperor and the young prince demonstrate their respect and favor for military officers and soldiers through concrete actions.

As Zhao Hao was applauded and cheered by the generals, he gradually lost himself. His small wooden sword became increasingly unrecognizable, and in the end, even the generals could not recognize the moves he made. But this did not stop the generals from continuing to cheer and applaud excitedly.

Zhao Xiaoqian watched his son's flamboyant antics with a smile, muttering to himself, "Could this kid really be made for a general?"

Amidst enthusiastic cheers, Zhao Hao finally grew tired. He lost his balance during his final move, fell backward onto the ground, his buttocks sticking up high in the air, while the small wooden sword in his hand still stubbornly pointed forward.

His posture was awkward and clumsy, but his attitude was upright and professional.

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed and turned his head away reluctantly.

As long as this kid isn't embarrassed, I won't be embarrassed either.

"Clap—!" The applause, cheers, and whistles of the military officers echoed throughout the palace for a long time.

The Song emperor hosted a banquet for military generals, and the atmosphere of the banquet was unexpectedly enlivened by a two-year-old child, a result that even Zhao Xiaoqian found somewhat surprising.

Most of the military officers were rather rough, and when they got excited, they didn't care about court etiquette and rules. They shouted and cheered, and the sound of applause was endless.

As for Zhao Hao, this kid not only lost himself in the cheers, but also seemed to have his soul sublimated. For a long time, he stubbornly maintained the posture of finishing his move, lying on the ground with his butt sticking out without moving.

The applause never stopped, and his butt kept sticking out.

After a long time, Zhao Hao still didn't move. Zhao Xiaoqian finally couldn't stand it anymore and stepped forward to gently kick his butt with his toe.

"That's enough. Are you trying to steal all the limelight from me?"

Zhao Hao finally stood up, still feeling unsatisfied, and even made a roundabout bow to the surroundings in a very bold manner.

The generals' jeering grew increasingly enthusiastic.

Zheng Chunhe, who was behind him, suddenly stepped forward and handed him a cup of warm goat milk. Zhao Hao, who had exhausted himself from the exercise, was panting heavily. He drank the goat milk in one gulp and showed the bottom of the cup to the generals.

This action drew another round of cheers and applause.

Zhao Xiaoqian rubbed his forehead, now he didn't know whether his son had stolen the show or made a fool of himself tonight.

"Take him to the side and make him sit still," Zhao Xiaoqian instructed Zheng Chunhe. Zhao Hao, who had been the center of attention, finally left the scene, and Zhao Xiaoqian inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.

Having such a crazy son, I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse. His personality makes him too easily provoked. If he were to lead troops into battle in the future, he'd probably charge at the enemy with a gun the moment they uttered a single curse.

What can be done if someone is born with an excessive amount of adrenaline?
Only then did the palace banquet officially begin.

Standing in the center of dozens of tables of military officers, Zhao Xiaoqian raised his wine cup and said loudly, "Tonight I am hosting this banquet for you generals because I have entrusted you with matters of state. Please drink this cup to the brim to celebrate the Great Song Dynasty and the royal army."

After saying this, Zhao Xiaoqian drank it all in one gulp, and the military officers all stood up to drink with him.

After finishing his drink, Zhao Xiaoqian slowly said, "As you all know, a military academy has been built in the northern suburbs outside Bianjing City."

"The establishment of the Military Academy is to cultivate generals and commanders for the Song Dynasty. All military commanders must study military strategy and tactics. As the old saying goes, 'An incompetent general can kill the whole army.' We should all take this as a warning."

"I hope that the Great Song Dynasty will not meet such an end. I hope that all the generals of the Great Song Dynasty are both civil and military talents. The soldiers who follow you into battle are showing their trust and support for you. I sincerely beg you not to betray this trust and lead your comrades to their deaths."

The military officers unanimously agreed.

Only then did the generals realize that the Song Dynasty was no longer the same, and that the Emperor was going to promote and cultivate military generals.

The establishment of the military academy was a strong signal from the government to the people.

Its emergence gave it a status equivalent to the Imperial Academy of the Song Dynasty, and from then on, the two complemented each other, one for civil affairs and the other for military affairs.

Everyone knew exactly what this meant for the military officers.

The gloom that had hung over the heads of the Song Dynasty's military officers and soldiers for a century has gradually been dispelled by the emperor. From now on, the Song Dynasty's environment of valuing civil affairs over military affairs will be completely changed, and the generals who come out of this military academy will become the backbone of the Song Dynasty's army in the future.

The emperor's brief remarks made all the generals fully realize the value of this military academy.

Zhao Xiaoqian handed the empty wine cup to Zheng Chunhe behind him and said with a smile, "When the Military Academy is newly established and everything is in need of rebuilding, the first batch of generals to study at the Military Academy will be selected from the generals of the Imperial Guards in Bianjing. All of you can participate, and participation is mandatory."

"In the future, the scale of the Military Academy will be expanded. Not only generals in the capital, but also those generals guarding the borders will be sent to the Military Academy in batches to study. In the near future, I hope that the Song Dynasty will have a large number of fierce generals and a constant stream of wise generals."

"If we, as ruler and minister, join forces, we will accomplish an unprecedented feat, shining brightly in the ancestral temple, leaving our names in history, and being admired by future generations. Only in this way can we live a life worthy of our existence. What do you all think?"

The military officers became increasingly excited, and they all stood up, raised their wine cups, and bowed to offer a toast.

Amidst an atmosphere of excitement and jubilation, Zhao Xiaoqian stood before the military generals, laughing heartily. Unconsciously, the generals' loyalty to the dynasty and the emperor was rapidly increasing.

This is an unprecedented era, full of hope and vitality, and with a wise and intelligent leader who will lead everyone to conquer new territories, achieve countless victories, and leave a lasting legacy.

How could one not be loyal to such a dynasty full of hope and opportunity?
…………

After the palace banquet ended, the generals dispersed excitedly. Zhao Xiaoqian personally escorted them out of the palace gate, a gesture that moved the generals to tears of gratitude, making them feel fortunate to have met such a wise ruler.

China's millennia-old system and institutions have made it possible for even the smallest action by those in power to stir up loyalty among those below.

Even a thousand years later, if a leader pats a subordinate on the shoulder with a smile and says a few encouraging words, the subordinate will be as excited as if they've been injected with chicken blood, and will be excited for at least several days.

This is the allure of those in positions of power, especially in an era deeply rooted in class consciousness.

In the early morning, Zhao Xiaoqian woke up from his hangover, rubbing his forehead and sighing. He had drunk too much after drinking with his generals the night before.

Meanwhile, outside Bianjing, a middle-aged couple appeared, supporting each other as they entered the city gate. Looking at the bustling scene inside Bianjing, they appeared somewhat nervous and uneasy.

The middle-aged couple were dressed in rather shabby clothes, with only coarse cloth garments and tightly carrying a cloth bundle in their hands. Their faces were covered with the marks of time and wrinkles, clearly indicating that they lived in poverty.

The couple entered the city and walked along the road from the city gate toward the Imperial Street. However, the couple was so ordinary that they did not attract anyone's attention.

Asking for directions along the way, the couple walked to the Imperial Street, passed the Great Xiangguo Temple, and went straight to a place not far from Yanfu Palace. Seeing that the palace gate was heavily guarded and that countless imperial guards were patrolling in formation with halberds, the couple finally stopped and looked at it from afar with uneasy expressions.

After the couple stopped, they eventually attracted the attention of the Imperial Guards.

After all, this place is not far from the palace gate, and it is rather suspicious that the couple stared at the palace gate without saying a word.

A captain of the Imperial Guard observed the couple for a while, then stepped forward and unceremoniously attempted to drive them away.

However, the couple bowed obsequiously to the head constable, and the woman cautiously asked, "Sir, do you know of a woman in the palace named 'Niao Niao'?"

(End of this chapter)