The prince is more stable

Chapter 294 Gradually Surfaces
The most amazing list in Chinese history is undoubtedly the imperial examination in the second year of Jiayou in the Song Dynasty.

That list can be said to be unprecedented and will never be surpassed.

The successful candidates were all well-known scholars of the time, most of whom were great men who left their names in history, including Su Shi, Zhang Dun, Zhang Zai, etc.

Zhao Xiaoqian had dealt with both Zhang Dun and Su Shi, but deep down, Zhao Xiaoqian liked to associate with Su Shi and didn't like Zhang Dun very much.

In the past, Zhao Xiaoqian always wondered if he had a prejudice against Zhang Dun, but today he finally figured it out.

It's not a prejudice, but Zhang Dun and Su Shi are indeed different.

Su Shi experienced darkness and still believed in light. He was a pure literati without a trace of impurities.

Zhang Dun also experienced darkness, but he chose to merge with the darkness. He became evil and became more and more unscrupulous in doing things.

Of these two people who are so different, who is more suitable to be a friend and who is more suitable to be an enemy?
The family dinner at the Su Mansion was over, and Zhao Xiaoqian stood up to say goodbye.

Su Shi yawned, waved his hand casually, and without saying goodbye, stood up and went back to the backyard to rest.

Su Che was helpless about his brother's behavior and smiled bitterly at Zhao Xiaoqian. His brother's character was too arrogant and unruly. Even the usual etiquette was sloppy and casual, which often offended people.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled indifferently.

That's Su Shi. This unruly and unruly look is reasonable, okay?

If he was a person who abided by secular etiquette, how could he do such a wicked thing as "not even sleeping while thinking about the people"?
Imagine the scene at that time: Su Shi, a lively night owl, dragged Zhang Huaimin, who looked like he wanted to die, for a forced walk in the courtyard, chatting about everything from poetry and songs to the philosophy of life...

Zhang Huaimin also had a good temper. If it were Zhao Xiaoqian's words, he would definitely beat the shit out of Su Shi. Even the title of literary leader could not save him.

Su Che personally escorted Zhao Xiaoqian out of the mansion. When Zhao Xiaoqian was about to get on the carriage, Su Che's expression was hesitant and he seemed to want to say something but stopped himself several times.

Zhao Xiaoqian saw it and couldn't help laughing.

"I'm telling you this meal isn't in vain, Mr. Ziyou. Your brother isn't here right now, so if you have anything to say, just say it and don't be so pretentious."

Su Che smiled bitterly and sighed, "After all, I have endless worries for my brother."

"What happened, Mr. Zizhan?"

Su Che hesitated for a moment and said, "I am not a partial person. It is really... My brother has been repeatedly exiled over the years. Now he has been recalled to Bian Jing. It is said that he will be exiled again. My brother is already around sixty years old and can't stand the constant wandering. What I mean is..."

Before he finished speaking, Su Zhe's old face had already turned red. Perhaps he seldom asked others to do personal things for him, so at this moment he really couldn't open his mouth.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "If you want my help, it would be best if you could keep Mr. Zizhan in Bianjing as an official?"

Su Che nodded hurriedly: "Even if I am a lowly official with no power, at my age, what else do I want? I just want to die peacefully and live a long life."

Zhao Xiaoqian thought for a moment and said, "I can't guarantee anything, but I'll do my best..."

After a pause, Zhao Xiaoqian continued, "I am several decades younger than you two. There are some things I shouldn't say..."

Su Zhe said, "Zi'an, feel free to speak frankly. I have yet to repay your life-saving grace. What is there between you and me that cannot be said?"

Zhao Xiaoqian quickly glanced inside the mansion gate and said, "Mr. Zizhan is admired and respected by the world. He has been socializing a lot since returning to the capital. This is understandable, but... he should be more restrained. There are many people in Bianjing who are watching him. Being too high-profile may not be a bad omen."

Su Zhe was silent for a while, then sighed, "Actually, I have tried to persuade you, but I have no choice but to accept your temper... Also, many old friends have come to invite us to dinner, and the friendship they held back then remains, so you can't refuse."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "Perhaps I am worrying too much. I was just giving you a friendly reminder. Please don't blame me, Mr. Ziyou."

After saying this, Zhao Xiaoqian bowed and said goodbye, then turned around and got on the carriage.

…………

Outside Nanxun Gate, Yujing Garden.

Niao Niao, dressed in a plain dress, walked into the garden and into a dense forest. As soon as she entered the dense forest, she felt a chill on her back. She looked back but found nothing.

Niao Niao turned around in confusion, and her pair of delicate dark eyebrows like distant mountains frowned slightly.

Recently, she always felt that something was wrong, but after careful investigation, she found nothing. This feeling made her feel a little uneasy.

In broad daylight, the dense forest was shrouded in darkness. The palm-wide leaves piled up one after another, blocking the scorching and dazzling sunlight. One could only barely see the winding and rugged mountain path beneath one's feet.

A figure appeared in front of Niao Niao without warning. Niao Niao was startled and looked up with a frightened face.

A young man in plain clothes suddenly appeared in front of her. Although the light was dim, Niao Niao could still see his face clearly.

So Niaoniao hurriedly bowed and saluted.

The young man had an ordinary appearance, with almost no distinctive features. Even after meeting him three or five times, not many people could remember his appearance.

But Niao Niao seemed extremely frightened in front of him. There was no longer a trace of seductive charm on her pretty face, but instead a look of awe and even fear.

The young man stared at Niao Niao for a long time, then blurted out, "Have you made any progress on the matter I asked you to investigate?"

Niao Niao lowered her head and said, "No, Zhao Xiaoqian is very alert. I tried to probe him several times, but he always avoided the topic or answered irrelevant questions. I was afraid of arousing his suspicion, so I didn't dare to ask more."

The young man snorted and said, "So, you didn't do it properly, is that what you mean?"

The panic in Niao Niao's eyes deepened, and she gritted her teeth and said, "Yes."

The man snorted coldly, "You've been in Bianjing for over half a year, but you've gained nothing. The higher-ups are very dissatisfied with you. Before I came here, they ordered me to teach you a lesson..."

Niao Niao's face turned pale and she looked up in shock. Before she could react, a loud slap came at her. Niao Niao's fair and pretty face was immediately hit. With a crisp sound, a group of birds were inexplicably startled in the dense forest.

The slap was so hard that blood came out from the corner of Niao Niao's mouth, but she still didn't dare to move and just stood there obediently.

The matter is not over yet. The lessons taught by the superiors cannot be brushed off with a slap in the face.

So the man said again: "Turn around."

Niao Niao trembled slightly, but still turned around obediently with her back to the man.

The man took out a whip from somewhere and suddenly whipped Niao Niao hard on the back.

Again and again, Niao Niao was in so much pain that tears streamed down her face, but she still didn't dare to move, not even to cry out in pain.

After being whipped ten times, Niao Niao's back was covered in torn flesh, and she looked extremely miserable.

The man then withdrew his hand, casually took out a cloak from behind and threw it to her, saying, "Cover the wound on your back, Niao Niao, don't blame me. These are orders from above, and I dare not disobey."

Niao Niao was shaking with pain, but she still lowered her eyelids and said calmly: "Niao Niao did not do her job well, she deserves to be punished."

The young man hummed, his tone still cold: "We need to hurry up. The higher-ups are impatient and have no time to wait. We must get the secrets of the Song Dynasty's firearms as soon as possible."

"After the Song-Xia War, the Liao court was deeply shocked by the outcome. The court unanimously believed that the Song people's firearms were the key to victory. If we can't obtain the secrets of firearms as soon as possible, the Liao emperor will be unable to sleep or eat..."

"The only person in the world who knows so much about firearms is Zhao Xiaoqian. Niaoniao, for the sake of the Liao Kingdom's long-term peace and prosperity, you must quickly find a way to dig out the secrets from Zhao Xiaoqian."

Niao Niao lowered her eyelids and said, "Yes, I will do it as soon as possible."

The man also knew the principle of giving a sweet date after a whip, so he forced a smile and said, "If this is successful, the Emperor of the Liao Dynasty will reward you with gold and jade, pastures, tribes, cattle and sheep, and you will be free from now on, free to go anywhere in the world."

Niao Niao's expression remained calm, and the promises of gold, jade, cattle, sheep, etc. could not change her expression in the slightest.

Only when the man mentioned "freedom", a glimmer of hope flashed in Niao Niao's eyes, and then quickly dimmed.

(End of this chapter)