The prince is more stable

Chapter 245 Bribing the Eunuch
A long absence is better than a new marriage.

Zhao Xiaoqian's first night back in Bian Jing was more tiring than his wedding day.

When he first got married, he only had to deal with one woman, Di Ying. This night, he had to deal with two and a half. Yuan'er was half of them, and her main role was to play a supporting role.

Yuan'er is very good at playing as a support.

The next day, Zhao Xiaoqian slept until noon, which shows how hard he worked last night.

(A river crab's claws hit the author's head hard. The author has been honest and has revised it. Please forgive me...)
Yuan'er trembled all over, looked around panicly, bit her lower lip and rolled her eyes at him cautiously.

In this society with strict class distinctions, a maid is just a maid. Not to mention what she is like at night, but if she has unclear contact with the male master in broad daylight, she will be thrown into the well. No wonder Yuan'er was so panicked.

"What are you afraid of? I have the final say in our family..." Zhao Xiaoqian leaned close to Yuan'er's ear and whispered softly, "I will try my best to get you pregnant soon, and then you can become my concubine."

Yuan'er felt warm in her heart and smiled sweetly. She lowered her head and hummed inaudibly, then turned around and ran away shyly.

Zhao Xiaoqian narrowed his eyes and looked at Yuan'er's back as she ran away, revealing a lewd smile.

"It's really getting better and better, it makes me excited!"

He walked into the yard and stretched his waist and legs. He didn't know how to do the Five Animal Frolics or Eight Section Brocade, so he did a set of radio gymnastics.

Spring is here, flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, and the air is filled with a comfortable and peaceful scent.

Compared with marching thousands of miles and sleeping in the open air during battles, life in Bianliang was simply a paradise on earth.

It is said that only those who have personally experienced war can understand the value of peace. In the past, Zhao Xiaoqian always thought that this was just the hypocritical groaning of literati. However, after experiencing it himself, he found that this was really the truth, without any falsehood.

Charging into battle and getting hit in the chest by an arrow from nowhere, or being calm and relaxed while the sun shines and you slap a stray dog ​​on the roadside, which life is more comfortable?

Crossing the front courtyard of the Yin'an Palace, Chen Shou came to meet him.

"Sir, the five thieves captured in Hejian Valley were handed over to Liu Dan of Bingjingwu after returning to the capital yesterday. Liu Dan patted his chest and promised that he would make them confess within three days."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded and said, "Send someone to tell Liu Shan that I don't care how he tortures people, but don't kill them. A living person is more important than a dead person."

Chen Shou accepted the order: "Yes."

Zhao Xiaoqian hummed and walked out: "Call the guards, I want to go into the palace."

Yanfu Palace, Funing Hall.

The smell of yesterday's palace banquet seemed to have not yet dissipated, and the air was still filled with the festive atmosphere after the great victory.

Zhao Xiaoqian came to the front of Funing Palace and stood there obediently waiting for a while.

Before Zhao Xu summoned him, he saw his personal eunuch Zheng Chunhe come out with an apologetic smile on his face.

"I'm really sorry, Lord. The emperor was in high spirits last night and drank a few more cups. He's still sleeping soundly. If you have any urgent matters, may I ask the emperor to come and ask him to come?"

Although he urged Zhao Xu to come back, Zheng Chunhe looked embarrassed. It was obvious that he was not willing to wake him up. Ordinary people would be in a bad mood if they were woken up from their sleep, let alone the emperor.

Zhao Xiaoqian's emotional intelligence was certainly not that low. He smiled and said, "That's fine. Your Majesty is toiling away on state affairs, and it's rare for him to get some sleep. Eunuch Zheng, there's no need to disturb you. I'll wait outside the palace."

Zheng Chunhe smiled gratefully and immediately ordered the palace servants to bring a high-backed chair and a coffee table filled with fruits and snacks. The hospitality was very attentive.

The standard of this reception was so high that even Prime Minister Zhang Dun and others outside the palace did not have such a high standard.

It's clear that even the eunuch Zheng Chunhe knew the emperor's likes and dislikes. Not only was there an exceptional reception, but Zheng Chunhe, seeing Zhao Xiaoqian waiting alone outside the palace, perhaps fearing he might be bored, offered to chat with him.

Half-bowed, Zheng Chunhe smiled and made small talk: "The Duke is my brother. It's not that I'm being nosy. You've done me a great honor this time. Since the day I received the news of Xixia's victory, I haven't been able to stop talking."

"I have served you since you ascended the throne, and I've never seen you so happy. When the news of the victory over the Western Xia capital reached the capital, you were overjoyed. Everyone in our palace has received your kindness, and you've rewarded us with a coin each. It's all thanks to the Duke of Xian."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled politely: "It is a reward and grace from the government. It has nothing to do with me. I just did my duty."

Zheng Chunhe's smile became even more kind and friendly. "Among all the nobles, you are the most capable, Lord. Not only that, you are capable but not ostentatious, and you don't put on airs even when dealing with us poor people. I have served you for many years. In the future, if you have any instructions, I will do my best to help you."

Zhao Xiaoqian raised his eyebrows, immediately understanding the meaning of the music: "What you said... Well, thank you, Eunuch Zheng, for this small token of your appreciation..."

As he spoke, several golden leaves weighing two or three taels slipped out from Zhao Xiaoqian's sleeves and fell into Zheng Chunhe's hands without a trace.

Zheng Chunhe's eyebrows did not move, and as if by magic, the gold leaf in his hand magically disappeared and was quickly put into his sleeve.

The two men's movements were so fast that they were completed in the blink of an eye. Even if someone noticed it, they would suspect it was an illusion.

The smooth flow of receiving and accepting has now become an art.

China's five thousand years of cultural heritage is fully reflected in this set of movements.

Zheng Chunhe's eyes became more friendly, and his eyes narrowed into slits as he smiled.

I have been wandering for half my life, and although I have met a wise master, I still regret not having met a true friend. Today, I finally met him.

His attitude towards his confidant and the county lord are completely different.

At this moment, Zheng Chunhe really wanted to pour out his heart to Zhao Xiaoqian.

"The emperor has been in a much better mood recently, especially since the ceasefire agreement between Song and Xia reached Bianjing. The Song Dynasty has gained a great advantage, and the emperor is extremely happy and feels more confident than before."

"In the past few days before the Duke returned to the capital, the Emperor spent every day in Funing Palace, staring blankly at a map. Sometimes he would stare at it until midnight without moving. I secretly took a look at it. It was a map of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun..."

"This servant does not understand military and national affairs, nor dares to guess the emperor's mind. I will just tell you the truth, you can judge for yourself."

Zhao Xiaoqian's eyelids twitched.

Those few ounces of gold leaves I just spent were totally worth it!

The smile on his lips grew deeper and deeper. It seemed that the victory in the Song-Xia War had further fueled Zhao Xu's ambition. Now Zhao Xu's target was set on the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun.

I have to say, this is what an emperor should look like.

How could an emperor who only knew how to swallow his anger and obey orders in everything rule a powerful empire?

An emperor should have the domineering power that makes the people of the world fear him.

If you don't accept it, just beat them. If you have accepted it, beat them intermittently. No matter if you accept it or not, beat them first and then talk about it, or just don't talk about it at all, just beat them to death...

Zhao Xiaoqian narrowed his eyes slightly and murmured, "Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun..."

Zheng Chunhe was about to say something when a young eunuch came out of the hall. Zheng Chunhe immediately shut up, glanced at the young eunuch, and then smiled and said, "My Lord, the emperor has awakened. Please come into the hall."

(End of this chapter)