The prince is more stable

Chapter 270 The world is awake
Regardless of ancient or modern times, most colors in the world are gray.

The essence of the world is not so black and white. It is more of a gray formed by the mixture, interweaving and fusion of black and white.

There is white in black, evil in good, and friends in enemies.

This is the original state of the world.

Especially for those in the court, the boundaries between black and white, good and evil, and friends and enemies are even more blurred.

Sometimes you make friends for a lifetime, but suddenly they stab you in the back.

Sometimes, the enemy you have been fighting for your entire life suddenly helps you for no apparent reason.

Don’t ask the reason, the answer is interest. The transformation of enemies and friends is all due to interests.

The same was true for Zhao Xiaoqian and Zhang Dun.

Looking back at the interactions between the two from the time they met until now, the boundary between enemies and friends is very blurred.

Zhang Dun was once the matchmaker between Zhao Xiaoqian and Di Ying. When Zhao Hao went to Di's house to propose marriage, he brought Zhang Dun with him to show off. Can you believe it?
The subsequent deterioration of relations was nothing more than a conflict between the two sides in their positions and interests, which gradually turned the relationship into hostility.

But in the final analysis, the consequences of the conflict between Zhao Xiaoqian and Zhang Dun were nothing more than friction, sabotage, and annoyance, and in the end, Zhao Xiaoqian basically got the upper hand.

There is really no deep-rooted hatred between them. If the two are colleagues in the company, it is just that Zhang Dun, the small leader, is self-willed, a bit annoying, and too mean to his subordinates.

This little grudge was not to the point of life and death, so Zhao Xiaoqian and Zhang Dun still smiled at each other and pretended that their relationship was still good.

It was a rare occasion for the Prime Minister and the two big men of the Privy Council to come to visit, so Zhao Hao waved his fat hand and held a banquet.

The three guests' eyes suddenly lit up and their throats moved a few times.

The fame of Chuwangfu cuisine, like that of Zhao Banque, was also well-known in Bianliang.

The fact that so many chefs have been poached by the powerful, either openly or secretly, is clear proof of this.

Zhang Dun and Zeng Bu were still maintaining their composure, but General Xu rubbed his hands and laughed, "Fa Fa! I've long heard of the delicious cuisine of King Hu of Chu. Today, I'm here to pay my respects to His Highness Fei and the Crown Prince. Forgive my frankness, but I'm most likely here for King Hu's delicious food. I'm going to feast on it today."

Zhao Xiaoqian endured for a long time, but finally couldn't bear it anymore.

"Come, my Lord, and chant with me. May the Buddha have no blessings, but the mouth has blessings."

General Xu was stunned and subconsciously followed: "Bullshit..."

"blessing!"

"Hu!"

"...Okay, Minister Xu is indeed talking nonsense."

Although it was his first meeting with General Xu, Zhao Xiaoqian had a good impression of this top scholar, much better than Zhang Dun and Zeng Bu.

Xu Jiang's greatest strength is his straightforwardness, his honesty, and his willingness to speak his mind.

Zhao Xiaoqian naturally would not pretend to be nice to this treasured top scholar.

"Prime Minister Xu, please feel free to eat as much as you want. If you find it delicious, you may send your chef to my house to learn for a few months. Then you can have delicious meals every day." Zhao Xiaoqian promised.

General Xu blinked and said, "Why go through so much trouble? Wouldn't it be more convenient for Lao Hu to just hire two chefs from Wang Hu?"

Zhao Xiaoqian's face immediately darkened. "Prime Minister Xu, you... are a bit presumptuous."

Xu Jiang laughed heartily, and there was another burst of magical "Fa Fa Fa Fa"...

Although Zhang Dun and Zeng Bu acted like prime ministers and envoys, they couldn't help but smile.

Soon, the servants from the palace brought wine and food, and the guests and hosts started talking nonsense.

Looking at the three distinguished guests who were eating without caring about their manners, Zhao Xiaoqian was sure that they came here for the delicious food in the palace, because they didn't even touch the wine jug on the table, but just focused on eating, with a very clear purpose.

The meal was very enjoyable, and the three distinguished guests praised the food in the palace endlessly. Even Zhang Dun's eyes began to flicker. Zhao Xiaoqian's heart sank. Could it be that this old man was also starting to set his sights on the chef in the palace?

After the meal, Zhao Hao treated the three distinguished guests to another cup of tea in Yin'an Hall and chatted for a long time. Zeng Bu and General Xu said goodbye with satisfaction.

Zhao Xiaoqian was shocked and blurted out, "No... are you really just here for a meal?"

General Xu was also stunned: "What else? Didn't I just say that I've heard a lot about Wang Hu's delicious food..."

"I thought it was just polite words from the two of you, but actually you have something serious to say."

General Xu waved his hand and said, "Let's go to the Privy Council to discuss the serious business. Today we are just here to get the ring. After we get it, we are leaving. No need to see you off!" After saying that, the two of them turned around and left.

Zhao Xiaoqian was stunned for a long moment before he turned to look at Zhang Dun. He almost blurted out, "Why don't you leave?"

Fortunately, no one knows a son better than his father. Zhao Hao was quick to cover his mouth before he opened it, thus avoiding a disaster caused by his words.

I finally got forgiven for the grudge of peeing, so there is no need for us father and son to create new hatred.

"Qian'er, the flowers in the palace garden are in full bloom. You can take Mr. Zhang to the garden to appreciate the flowers and cultivate his sentiments. Go ahead." Zhao Hao said with a kind smile.

Zhao Xiaoqian was speechless: "Two grown men admiring flowers..."

As soon as the words came out, they were covered by Zhao Hao's hand. Zhao Hao's smile was kind but contained a warning.

"Qian'er, be obedient. Watch more, listen more, and talk less!"

Zhao Xiaoqian had no choice but to smile at Zhang Dun, and his smile was brighter than the flowers in the garden.

"Mr. Zhang, let's go enjoy the flowers."

Zeng Bu and General Xu both left, but Zhang Dun did not leave. It was obvious that he had something to say. Among the three distinguished guests who came today, only Zhang Dun was more reliable, as he really had something important to say.

In the palace garden, Zhao Xiaoqian and Zhang Dun walked slowly side by side. As for the flowers blooming on both sides of the winding path, neither of them was in the mood to appreciate them.

To be honest, if we really want to talk about serious business, it would be better to invite Zhang Dun to a brothel, where each of them can hug a girl and talk slowly.

Two men admiring flowers...tsk!

Zhang Dun was clearly not in the mood to admire the flowers. After a long pause, he suddenly asked, "What does the Crown Prince think of the new government policies?"

Zhao Xiaoqian was stunned. Was the opening speech so grand and magnificent?
After thinking for a moment, Zhao Xiaoqian said, "The New Deal is good, it's particularly good. My father and I wholeheartedly support it. Only the New Deal can save the Song Dynasty."

In front of the new party leader, we must sing praises, otherwise this old man will hold a grudge against him again.

Zhang Dun sneered, "Your Highness is not telling the truth. It seems you are very wary of me. Well, let me be honest. The new policies have many drawbacks. Some of them are even more misleading to the country and the people than the old ones. It is not an exaggeration to say that they are evil policies."

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at him in surprise.

I didn't expect that the leader of the New Party, who has been advocating the implementation of the new law, would say such a thing.

This is not only destroying your own job, it is also slapping yourself in the face.

Zhang Dun also looked straight at him and said with a smile, "You think it's strange? Shouldn't I say this?"

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded.

Zhang Dun smiled bitterly and said, "Last year, I was re-employed by the emperor. After I became prime minister, I cleaned up the court, suppressed and expelled the old party, and even went so far as to imprison some of them."

"Everyone says I'm doing this to make room for the New Party, to avenge my previous demotion, to cultivate followers, and to expand the New Party's influence..."

Zhang Dun smiled and shook his head: "The new party and the old party are actually both in the hands of the emperor. How dare I cultivate my own party members under the emperor's nose?"

"If it weren't for the emperor's tacit approval, how could I dare to act so recklessly? Ultimately, the New Party and the Old Party are not important. What is important is that the court must achieve a balance. Only when the new and the old contend and the court is balanced does it accord with the emperor's wishes. I am not following the trend, but leveraging it. I am leveraging the government's power."

"During the Yuanyou era, the court was essentially controlled by the old party. When the emperor took power, the court was filled with the old party. This situation had already posed a serious threat to the imperial power. When the entire palace, civil and military officials, were in the same camp, speaking with one voice, how should the emperor deal with it?"

"If things continue like this, when the emperor's ideas conflict with those of the other ministers, he will have no choice but to unconsciously compromise with them. This will gradually become a habit. How can this country still be ruled by the Zhao family?"

"So, whether it's abolishing the old and restoring the new, or purging the old party, serving the country and the people is secondary. The main purpose of the emperor's actions is to consolidate imperial power. The more fierce the court struggles, the safer the emperor and the more stable his power. The prince is talented and intelligent, and he must understand this principle."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded silently and looked at Zhang Dun with a puzzled look: "Why did Mr. Zhang say this to me?"

Zhang Dun smiled: "I have said so much because I want to tell you, my lord, that I have no intention of being your enemy, and I am not a bad person."

"There are some things I don't like to do, but I have to do them. Moreover, even if I know I shouldn't do them, I have to continue doing them in the future."

"The court of the Song Dynasty needs villains like me, who can raise their butcher knife to eliminate the superfluous people and promote others. When the court reaches a balance, I will lose my value and this position should be given to others."

Zhao Xiaoqian was silent for a long time, then suddenly gave him a thumbs-up: "Mr. Zhang is truly the most sober person in the world. I admire you."

Now Zhao Xiaoqian finally understood the purpose of Zhang Dun's visit today.

After saying so much, he was actually telling him in a tactful way that Zhang Dun's real enemy was the old party, and he didn't want to have another enemy like Zhao Xiaoqian.

It's not a question of whether or not one can afford to provoke him. The prime minister of the time would not be afraid of a 19-year-old boy.

It's a question of whether it's worth it. Fighting with a 19-year-old boy and ending up with both sides suffering losses, let alone whether it's honorable or not, what's the point?
(End of this chapter)