The prince is more stable

Chapter 533 One goes down and the other goes up
From the time he was imprisoned to the time he was released, Zhao Xiaoqian always kept to himself.

In this world, he has always felt that he is a lonely traveler, changing his destiny in his own way. Perhaps in the process of change, many people have benefited, but he has never set any noble and great goals.

At this moment, looking at the huge crowds outside the Dali Temple, Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but be stunned.

Everyone was looking at him quietly, their eyes full of respect, just like when he returned to Bian Jing a few days ago, the people on the streets silently made way for him and saluted.

Today, just like the day they were released from prison, they still welcomed their hero with great enthusiasm.

Zhao Xiaoqian felt a little uncomfortable. He couldn't bear so many unfamiliar emotions because it meant he had to take on more responsibilities at the same time.

He doesn't like others praising him too highly. He knows that he is not a good person. Maybe he will do some good things occasionally, but he will continue to do bad things. When everyone praises him to too high a position, although it is not moral kidnapping, it is undoubtedly a constraint.

You hold me in such high esteem, how can I have the nerve to bully men and women and run rampant in the village in the future?

Getting rid of the messy and uncomfortable thoughts in his mind, Zhao Xiaoqian looked ahead at the crowd.

In front of the crowd, Zhao Hao and his mother Feng immediately walked forward.

Zhao Hao's expression was very calm. He looked at him with a smile and nodded. "Not bad, you haven't changed. It seems that the officials of the Dali Temple have not wronged you. It's worth my efforts."

Feng, who was standing next to him, glanced at Zhao Hao coldly and said, "If you're blind, go find a doctor yourself. You've lost a lot of weight, and you say you haven't changed at all?"

Zhao Hao's face turned cold, and he said coldly, "What kind of occasion is this? Don't you care about your dignity at all? My son is admired by thousands of people, and you have to make trouble with me here?"

Feng opened her mouth, but felt that it was not appropriate to argue with Zhao Hao at this time, so she turned away with a frosty face.

Zhao Xiaoqian tried to smooth things over and said with a smile, "Don't argue in front of so many people. It will be our whole family who will be embarrassed later. You can stop loving me, but please don't hurt me."

With their elders in front, Di Ying's three daughters just stood behind him and looked at him timidly, but when they saw Zhao Xiaoqian waving at them, they immediately rushed up, hugged Zhao Xiaoqian and burst into tears.

"My dear, I was so scared! After you got into trouble, I went back to my parents' home to ask my father for help. My father also arranged for the officials of the Dali Temple. Later, my grandfather sent someone to tell me that you would be released soon and asked me to be patient and not to act rashly..."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "Father is right. This matter is extremely dangerous. If you act impulsively, it will be even worse. Look, I am here to help."

The three girls shed tears, but ignored the secular gazes around them and hugged Zhao Xiaoqian tightly, refusing to let go.

Zhao Hao, who was standing by, couldn't bear to watch it anymore.

It doesn't matter if you young people are immoral, but my Chu Palace still has some dignity. How can you hug and kiss in public? I always keep the door closed when I visit a widow.

"Ahem, Qian'er, the people are still watching you. So many people are welcoming you out of prison with all their sincerity. You should at least say a few words to them."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded, walked to the front of the crowd, and bowed to the thousands of people with a smile.

"Thank you all for your concern. Zhao accepts your kindness."

The crowd suddenly became agitated, and the people moved aside, apparently no one dared to accept his greeting. A large area of ​​land immediately cleared in the direction where Zhao Xiaoqian bowed.

At this moment, Zhao Xiaoqian had just come out of the prison, wearing only a white inner garment, looking like a standard prisoner. Although he had lived well in the prison these days, it was a place where he never saw the sun after all, so his face was inevitably a little haggard.

When the people saw this, they felt very sad.

He was obviously a hero who fought on the battlefield for his country, but he was framed by a villain and imprisoned. Such a dignified man ended up in such a miserable state. How unfair the world is.

Fortunately, the emperor was wise and restored order in time, clearing the name of His Royal Highness the Prince, otherwise the fortunes of the Song Dynasty would have been greatly reduced.

Suddenly, there was a soft sobbing sound in the crowd, as if they felt sorry for Zhao Xiaoqian.

A middle-aged businessman in luxurious clothes slowly took off his outer clothes, then stepped forward, draped his expensive silk shirt over Zhao Xiaoqian's shoulders, and bowed.

"Your Highness leads a hundred thousand sharp soldiers to guard the border. This is the time when you are in high spirits, dressed in fine clothes and riding horses. How can a hero be tattered and desolate, and thus undermine the might of a thousand-horse general? For the sake of the Song Dynasty and the people of the world, Your Highness should show a majestic demeanor and intimidate the world."

After saying this, the merchant bowed again and retreated respectfully.

Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes reddened and he silently saluted the people again.

At this moment, he seemed to suddenly understand.

The fate of an individual is actually the fate of his family, country, and all living beings.

It is undeniable that he changed the fate of himself and his family, and in fact, he also changed the fate of his country and the people.

The people’s hearts are turned to the east.

Throughout history, the distinction between loyalty and treachery has never been recorded in history books, and the people have their own judgment.

The people know better than anyone who is loyal and who is treacherous, who harms the country and its people, and who sacrifices their lives for the people. The people's spontaneous welcome for Zhao Xiaoqian's release from prison today demonstrates an eternally irrefutable truth.

Heaven can be deceived, the earth can be deceived, but the people’s hearts cannot be deceived.

Faced with the people's kindness, Zhao Xiaoqian felt heavy in his heart and didn't know how to respond.

After a long while, Zhao Xiaoqian bowed to the crowd, got on the carriage of the Prince of Chu's Palace and left.

…………

Liao Dynasty, Shangjing.

A man was riding a fast horse. When he was about to reach the city gate, he did not slow down and dismount, but continued to ride at full speed.

The Liao soldiers guarding the gate were about to shout to stop them when they heard a mounted knight shout, "Eight hundred miles of urgent military information! Officials, soldiers, and civilians, all stand aside!"

After a loud shout, the soldiers hurriedly made way for the knight to ride through the city gate. They watched him rushing through the street and heading straight for the Liao Palace.

Inside the imperial palace, Yelu Hongji was sitting in the main hall, reading a Buddhist scripture with an expression of deep concentration and ecstasy.

In terms of cultural customs, Yelu Hongji was still quite yearning for the Central Plains. After he ascended the throne, he did indeed issue many national policies, requiring the people of Liao to learn Chinese characters, read Chinese books, and promote sinicization.

Even Buddhism, which he was very obsessed with, was originally introduced to the Liao Kingdom from the Central Plains Dynasty. After Yelu Hongji learned about it, he was immediately obsessed with it.

The Northern Di emperor, who evolved from a nomadic people, had no interest in the standard habits of drinking, eating meat, hunting and herding sheep. Instead, he was so obsessed with Buddhism, which advocates vegetarianism, chanting scriptures and practicing reincarnation, that he even spent a lot of national funds to build temples and support monks everywhere in the Liao Kingdom. This Liao emperor was quite a peculiar person.

The military report that came from the south over a distance of 800 miles quickly entered the palace and was delivered to Yelu Hongji's desk.

Yelu Hongji calmly opened the military newspaper and took a quick glance at it. Suddenly, his expression changed drastically, with surprise and joy flashing in his eyes, and his breathing became rapid.

"The rulers and ministers of the Song Dynasty...Haha! From top to bottom, they are so incompetent. My Great Liao Dynasty should not be doomed!" Yelu Hongji laughed wildly.

After laughing for a long time, Yelu Hongji's face gradually regained its composure and he said in a loud voice, "Come here, tell Yelu Wutera and Xiao Wuna to enter the palace."

Half an hour later, two important ministers hurried into the hall.

After the two men paid their respects, they quickly glanced at Yelu Hongji's face and saw that his complexion was rosy and there was a hint of joy in his eyes. It was obvious that the emperor was in a good mood today.

Yelu Hongji didn't waste any words and handed the military report to the two of them.

After the two of them took the circulated copy, their expressions were the same as Yelu Hongji's: first astonishment, then ecstasy.

"This... The Song State actually made such a stupid move. It seems like Heaven is about to destroy it, and there is really no way to stop it!" Yelu Otera laughed wildly.

Xiao Wuna's expression was no different from the other two, at least on the surface. He looked happy like them, but a sinister look quickly flashed in his eyes.

Yelu Hongji naturally didn't notice Xiao Wuna's fleeting glance, and continued to laugh: "Originally, the Song State Dragon Guard Battalion has been stationed on the south bank of the Juma River. It's like a thorn in my heart, keeping me awake at night and unable to eat or sleep..."

"I didn't expect that Zhao Xiaoqian would be dismissed from office by the Emperor of Song upon returning to Bianjing, and even be embroiled in a lawsuit. Haha! God is truly helping me!"

Xiao Wuna suppressed his complex emotions and sneered, "Nothing is more destructive than self-destruction. I thought the Song Dynasty was gaining strength and was no longer what it used to be. I didn't expect the ruler and his ministers to remain as foolish and muddleheaded as they were back then. Even if the ministers in the court are capable, they haven't met a wise ruler in their lifetime, so there's nothing they can do to turn the tide."

The three people in the hall all had joy on their faces. Every stupid move made by the Song emperor would become a blessing for the Liao, causing the situation between the Song and Liao to rise and fall.

Yelu Hongji has become increasingly uneasy over the past year. Ever since Zhao Xiaoqian led the Dragon Guard Camp to guard the border, the Liao Kingdom seemed to be possessed by a poison and was defeated repeatedly in battles with the Song Kingdom. Not only did it lose 80,000 soldiers and horses, but it also lost the Feihu Bingmasi and hundreds of miles of land on the south bank of the Juma River.

The Song army was stationed on the south bank of the Juma River and relied on their sharp firearms to harass the Liao army on the north bank from time to time. On the Song-Liao border, the Liao army had fallen into a completely passive situation of being beaten.

At this time, the Liao army could not even defend the north bank of the Juma River, let alone recover the lost territory. The Liao king and his ministers had been calculating again and again over the past few days and had come up with several plans.

These plans were all designed to deal with how the Liao Kingdom should defend itself when the Song army suddenly launched a large-scale attack on the Liao Kingdom and headed straight for the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun.

To be honest, the Liao Kingdom is now like an old, toothless tiger and no longer has the strength to maintain an offensive against the Song Kingdom.

The worst prediction Yelu Hongji had ever made was to lose the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun and pay this price to negotiate peace with the State of Song and sign an agreement similar to the Treaty of Chanyuan.

Of course, the party that suffered the loss this time was the Liao Kingdom, but at least it was able to win decades of peace for the Liao Kingdom, allowing the Liao Kingdom to bide its time and plan for the future.

The Liao rulers and ministers were actually very pessimistic about the situation. Before finding a way to restrain the Song army's firearms, the Liao might lose more and pay a more painful price. While Yelu Hongji lamented the decline of the Liao Dynasty, he was also mentally prepared to be destroyed by the Song Dynasty.

People were so pessimistic about the situation that they didn't expect that the Emperor of Song would make a stupid move and dismiss Zhao Xiaoqian, the most important figure in the Song-Liao situation.

Yelu Hongji now wanted to laugh, a hearty laugh from the bottom of his heart.

(End of this chapter)