The prince is more stable

Chapter 227: Promotion to Duke of the County
The good news, which was completely unexpected by the emperor and his ministers, shocked the court.

This is simply unimaginable victory news.

To be honest, Zhao Xu had never dreamed of such a bold dream, he didn't deserve it.

"Zheng Chunhe, you...say it again!" Zhao Xu's face flushed and his voice trembled.

Zheng Chunhe was so excited that his tone became manly. "Your Majesty, the victory report is correct. I have confirmed it again and again. Zhao Xiaoqian, the Deputy Envoy of Huanqing Road, led his 5,000 musketeers to capture the Western Xia capital of Xingqing Prefecture!"

"In this battle, Zhao Xiaoqian's troops captured the capital, destroyed the imperial palace, burned members of the imperial clan, and beheaded 6,000 people. All officials and generals in the capital were either killed or captured. The entire city was set on fire and burned all night. They took money from the imperial treasury. After daybreak, Zhao Xiaoqian's troops withdrew from Xingqing Prefecture and headed east to join Zhang Qie's troops."

Zhao Xu stared at Zheng Chunhe in a daze, muttering, "He...actually conquered the Xixia capital?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, Zhao Xiaoqian conquered the Xixia capital! Absolutely true!"

The news was so explosive that Zhao Xu had forgotten his joy. His head was buzzing and his thoughts were a mess.

How could our Great Song Dynasty's army be so powerful?

It's like a dream.

What does it mean to capture the enemy's capital? It's almost like destroying the country!
Was this done by Zhao Xiaoqian?
He hoped that Zhao Xiaoqian's expedition would bring him honor, but he didn't expect that the honor was too great. Without a second's notice, he threw a pair of trump bombs to the people of the world.

Zhao Xu came back to his senses from his shock and looked at the expressions of the civil and military officials in the court. Each one was even more shocked than him. At this moment, their expressions were numb, and they were still digesting this explosive news.

Zhao Xu took a deep breath.

I must remain calm, I must not show my emotions, I must be cunning and cunning, so that others cannot guess what I am thinking...

It’s no big deal, it’s just the destruction of the enemy’s capital...that’s all!

"I had long expected that Zi'an would achieve such a great feat. Isn't it normal for the Song Dynasty's royal army to conquer the barbarians in the West and destroy the enemy's capital? Haha." Zhao Xu said calmly.

Inside the hall, all the civil and military officials looked at him speechlessly.

Great acting!

You said it so calmly, as if you were doing nothing serious. Could you at least hide your excitement?

You're so happy you're almost singing and dancing!

Zhang Dun was the first to react. He immediately stepped out of the formation, bowed, and said, "I congratulate the king's army on their great victory. I congratulate the emperor for his unrivaled power and his virtue. I congratulate the young hero, the Marquis of Anle, for his extraordinary achievements!"

At this time, all the ministers echoed in unison.

Among the crowd, only the two censors Zhou Zhi and Zhai Si had the ugliest expressions.

As this victory report reached the capital, the topics they had just impeached, such as Zhao Xiaoqian allowing his troops to plunder and the Song Dynasty's need to recognize the current situation and negotiate peace with the Western Xia, had now become a huge joke.

The peace faction has always been ruthless in its attacks on the war faction. The original plan to impeach Zhao Xiaoqian for allowing his troops to plunder was just an appetizer. Later, the charges will be gradually directed to more serious ones. This is also a common tactic used in court struggles.

Unexpectedly, the matter was interrupted by this good news just as it was getting started.

The emperor and his ministers in the palace were all in jubilation at this moment. Who would dare to continue to impeach Zhao Xiaoqian? Wouldn't this be forcing the emperor to slap them in the happiest place?

In the Golden Palace, everyone was ecstatic, and joyful laughter could be heard from the crowd from time to time. Many court officials who were close friends were whispering to each other that after the court was dismissed, they would find a place to have a few drinks to celebrate this great victory.

The significance of capturing the enemy's capital is the highest in all forms of war throughout history, and it is undoubtedly a great victory.

Negotiate peace? Negotiate f*cking peace!

I want to destroy the country!
Now, whether they are the pro-war faction or the pro-peace faction, most of them are smiling and excited.

The war faction's joy is understandable, but so are the peace factions, which is equally justified. Ultimately, the difference between the peace factions and the war factions is that the war factions will fight even if they can't win, even at the risk of their lives, while the peace factions will just crouch down with their heads in their hands, protecting their vital organs first, and prioritizing survival when being beaten.

Now that our army has even captured the enemy's capital, what's the point of pursuing peace? I can't just knock someone down with a punch and then kneel down and beg for his forgiveness, right?

Seeing the delighted expressions of the entire court, Zhao Xu said with a smile, "Zi'an has accomplished such a remarkable feat, how can he not be rewarded? Do you have any objections?"

The hall suddenly became quiet, and Zhang Dun sighed secretly. The emperor really knew how to choose the time. He offered rewards at this happiest moment. Who would dare to spoil his fun?

What's more, the father of the hero next to him is still eyeing him covetously.

Seeing Zhao Hao's warning look, Zhang Dun's cheeks twitched violently.

The last time he instigated Zhao Xiaoqian to go to war, Zhao Hao really didn't care about his dignity at all. He ran to his doorstep in broad daylight to curse and even urinated on him.

For a prime minister, this was a great humiliation. Zhang Dun was disgusted, but he had to swallow his anger.

Zhang Dun couldn't afford to offend a scoundrel who dared to curse in broad daylight and even take off his pants and urinate in public.

It had nothing to do with his status or official position. In terms of courage and face alone, he had completely failed.

At this moment, in the Golden Palace, Zhao Hao glared at him fiercely again. Zhang Dun knew that he must not speak out against the reward of meritorious officials at this time, otherwise he had no doubt that Zhao Hao would fight him in public and use all kinds of shameless moves, such as spitting, gouging out eyes, and stealing peaches like a lion...

Anyway, the emperor has already engraved the word "favoritism" on his face. Even if the court officials object, the rewards he deserves will still be no less. In this case, why should he offend the emperor and the King of Chu and end up in a difficult situation?

After being warned by Zhao Xu last time, it has to be said that Zhang Dun's emotional intelligence has grown tremendously and is now frighteningly high.

Zhang Dun then stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Rewarding merit and punishing fault is the right way for a family and a country. I agree that the government should reward meritorious officials."

Seeing that the prime minister agreed, the ministers certainly did not want to make themselves unhappy, so they followed suit.

Zhao Xu laughed heartily and said, "In that case, I will promote Zhao Xiaoqian to the rank of Duke of Anle County, appoint him as the Inspector of Weizhou and the Military Governor of Wu'an Army, and grant him two thousand acres of fertile farmland in the Chu Palace, two hundred taels of gold, and five hundred bolts of tribute silk..."

He was promoted to a higher rank, awarded land and gold, and given various titles of inspector and governor. The rewards were extremely generous.

The ministers were filled with jealousy and envy when they heard this. Some of them even had distorted faces. Jealousy made people look hideous.

After the imperial decree of reward was issued, all the ministers congratulated Zhao Hao and envied him for having such a capable son.

Zhao Hao smiled happily, his smile was like the Maitreya Buddha enshrined in the temple, and he accepted congratulations from all directions with his big belly sticking out.

Even when Zhang Dun came forward to congratulate him with a forced smile, Zhao Hao rarely gave him a good look.

The Prince of Chu’s Palace made a lot of money this time!

You are so proud of me! I really want to hold my son's head and pat him hard. I don't have any other skills, but I can give birth to a proud son. You can't learn it even if you study for a hundred years.

On that night of birdsong and cicadas chirping, that magical position, that magical shiver that cannot be told to outsiders...

Nineteen years ago, after a brief shiver, Zhao Hao keenly sensed that it was something unusual...

The reward for Zhao Xiaoqian was already the highest. If it were any more, the ministers would probably jump out and spoil the fun.

But Zhao Xu was still not satisfied, which was just as what Yongzheng, the man with braids, wrote in the memorial, "I really don't know how to love you."

"Issue an order: the great victory in the northwest is celebrated throughout the country. The people of the capital may celebrate all night long with singing, dancing, and drinking!"

Zhao Xu's expression darkened as he spoke. He said slowly, "Also, send a fast horse to the northwest to announce the decree. Appoint Zhang Yu as the chief envoy and Zhao Xiaoqian as the deputy envoy. Authorize them to negotiate a truce with Queen Dowager Liang of Western Xia."

"One principle: Xixia must withdraw its troops immediately. Starting this year, the Great Song will waive its annual tribute. Xixia must serve the Great Song as a vassal. The territory occupied by the Great Song army will not be withdrawn or returned. Forts will be built on the site and garrisoned."

(End of this chapter)