The prince is more stable

Chapter 554 Integration and Ice Breaking
Zhong Jianzhong was really shocked.

No one would have thought that Zhao Xiaoqian would actually bring his father-in-law into the army.

Looking at Di Zi in astonishment, Zhong Jianzhong suppressed the churning emotions in his heart.

"Uh, Your Highness's father-in-law... I've heard a lot about you." Zhong Jianzhong subconsciously bowed.

Before he bent down, Di Zi held his arms with both hands.

"General Zhong, there are no fathers and sons in the army. I am now just a commander-in-chief, taking orders from Your Highness and General Zhong. I have no other identity." Di Zi said in a deep voice.

Zhong Jianzhong smiled bitterly and said, "That's... that's what I said, but..."

The two of them talked, but there was silence all around them.

Zhong Jianzhong just shouted out Di Zi's identity, and all the generals in the hall heard it and looked at them in astonishment.

The scene was a bit awkward. His Royal Highness the Prince's father-in-law was now just an ordinary commander in the army. The generals didn't know how to get along with this father-in-law for a moment.

Di Zi's heart sank. He turned around and clasped his fists towards the generals, saying, "General Di Zi, before I joined the army, His Royal Highness the Prince of the County had already told me that there are no fathers and sons in the army. His Royal Highness treats everyone equally and will not show favoritism."

"Everyone, please see clearly. From now on in the army, if Your Highness does anything unfair to me, Di Zi, or if I, Di Zi, use Your Highness's connections to do anything for personal gain, my Di family ancestors will not bless me!"

All the generals were suddenly awed.

He even swore an oath on his ancestors, especially since everyone knew that Di Zi's father was the famous general Di Qing, but he still swore on him. This oath was considered very serious.

Upon hearing this, the generals all looked relieved and no longer looked at Di Zi with fear or awe.

Zhao Xiaoqian, who was sitting at the head of the group, looked at them silently. Then he slowly said, "That's right. I won't hide it from you all. Di Zi is indeed my father-in-law, but in the army, he is only the commander-in-chief. You have been with me for so long, you should know me well."

"If I take credit for Di Zi's work in the future, even if you point your fingers at me and curse me, I won't say a word. Whether it's the benefits or the military achievements, you have risked your lives for them. My fellow soldiers will never allow any injustice to happen."

"I'm putting this here today. If Di Zi and I can't do it in the future, you're welcome to slap me in the face."

Zhong Jianzhong hurriedly said, "Your Highness, you are too kind. We have been with you for so long, and we don't know your character. We were just a little surprised just now, and we didn't mean any other harm."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "Our army has defeated the Liao army several times, and our border defenses have deterred the bandits from advancing south. This is because I am strict and fair in my military management. This is my golden signboard, Zhao Xiaoqian, and the foundation for rallying the morale of the army..."

"If I destroy my reputation and my foundation for my father-in-law, who would dare to follow me in the future?"

"From now on, Di Zi is just Di Zi. He has no other identity in the army. In this father-in-law-son-in-law relationship, he's the one who suffers..."

Seeing that everyone was puzzled, Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and pointed at Di Zi and said, "Di Zi, listen to my orders."

Di Zi was startled and clasped his fists, saying, "I am here!"

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "As for you, since you've just arrived, you should pay your respects. I won't make it difficult for you. You can buy some wine and meat at the nearby market and treat all the generals in this hall to a feast tonight. Is that okay?"

Di Zi grinned, patted his chest vigorously and said, "I obey your order! I will treat you all to a good meal tonight. Eat and drink well!"

The generals were delighted and cheered.

Zhao Xiaoqian spread his hands and smiled at everyone, "Now you should understand why he is at a disadvantage in the military because of his father-in-law-in-law-son-in-law relationship, right?"

The generals laughed, and the doubts and fears they had just had disappeared in an instant.

In the main hall, the generals resumed their laughter and joy. Some enthusiastic generals even took the initiative to pull Di Zi over and chatted with each other.

Zhong Jianzhong quietly bowed to Zhao Xiaoqian with a look of admiration on his face.

It has to be said that this young prince is not only extremely capable and good at commanding the army, but he also has a good grasp of the ways of the world.

The words just now were both defensive and disarming, and in the end Di Zi paid for the meal out of his own pocket. This not only dispelled the concerns of the generals, but also allowed Di Zi to smoothly integrate into the group and no longer be excluded.

With such high emotional intelligence and IQ, he has become a role model for other people's children.

No wonder the emperor favors him so much. Judging from the way His Royal Highness the Prince conducts himself and does things, he deserves to have military power at such a young age.

As soon as he returned to the camp, Zhao Xiaoqian sat in the main hall and did not talk about business, but let the generals greet and chat.

This was not his deliberate connivance, but a necessary process.

He now has a total of 60,000 troops under his command, 30,000 of whom are from the Dragon Guard Battalion and 30,000 are newly brought from Bian Jing. In order for the soldiers of both sides to integrate into a whole, they need to understand each other and develop closer ties.

The first step was naturally to start with the generals on both sides. Regardless of whether they were acquaintances before, letting them get to know each other and chat was a way to break the ice. Zhao Xiaoqian deliberately left enough time for the generals on both sides to chat to their heart's content.

After chatting for an hour, all the assassins in the main hall had exhausted all the topics they needed to talk about and were almost out of words. The relationship between their comrades became closer, so Zhao Xiaoqian slowly spoke.

"Now you all know each other, right? From now on, we're all comrades-in-arms, sharing the same fate. Our lives, deaths, honors, and disgraces are all tied together, so you'd better not quarrel or fight with each other every other day. If I find out, no matter who's right or wrong, we'll all be punished with military clubs. If you don't believe me, feel free to try."

The generals burst into laughter.

Then Zhao Xiaoqian's expression became serious and he said, "Now let's talk business."

All the generals stood up straight with solemn expressions.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at Zhong Jianzhong and said, "Old Zhong, do the scouts have any latest news?"

Zhong Jianzhong said in a deep voice, "An hour before Your Highness led his troops back to camp, scouts brought back a report. As Your Highness had predicted, 40,000 Liao troops had already been assembled in Xijin Prefecture. Furthermore, the Liao armies on the east and west routes were quite far apart, and the scouts were still investigating."

Zhao Xiaoqian waved his hand and said, "I didn't expect the 40,000 troops in Xijin Prefecture, but I have solid intelligence. As for the east and west routes..."

Glancing around, Zhao Xiaoqian said, "Where's Zhao Xin from the Imperial City Division? Get out!"

The hall was silent. Zhao Xin was not there. After all, the meeting was held among the generals in the army. Zhao Xin was in a different system and was not qualified to attend.

A moment later, Zhao Xin hurried in from outside the hall and bowed as soon as he entered.

Zhao Xiaoqian didn't waste any words and asked directly, "The Liao army has started the battle. Has the Imperial City Department sent out all its troops? Is there any news from the Liao army in the east and west?"

Zhao Xin reported, "Your Highness, the Imperial City Office received news half an hour ago that 30,000 Liao troops from the east have assembled in Hejian Prefecture, led by Liao general Yelu Otera, and are heading straight for Daming Prefecture."

"Thirty thousand Liao troops in the west, led by Liao general Xiao Wuna, are assembled in Datong Prefecture, heading straight for Taiyuan Prefecture. Forty thousand Liao troops in the middle, led by the Liao garrison commander of Nanjing, Yelu Chun, are stationed in Xijin Prefecture, heading straight for Zhending Prefecture. As of today, most of the 100,000 Liao troops have been assembled, and war could break out at any time."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded with a smile: "Zhao Xin, not bad. The Imperial City Division did not disappoint me this time. The intelligence was quite timely."

Zhao Xin said happily, "Since Your Highness returned to the capital, I have been reorganizing the Imperial City Department and striving for excellence..."

"Okay, okay, stop talking nonsense. I'm not interested in how you reorganize your subordinates. Just do your best in the future." Zhao Xiaoqian waved his hand to stop Zhao Xin's shameless boasting.

Then Zhao Xiaoqian smacked his lips, frowning as he muttered, "Xijin Prefecture, Datong Prefecture, Hejian Prefecture, they're all cities in the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun... Tsk!"

Sighing, Zhao Xiaoqian's expression grew increasingly displeased. "Especially in Hejian Prefecture. I'm the Prince of Hejian, yet my title is in the hands of the Liao people. This is truly intolerable!"

Looking around at the generals, Zhao Xiaoqian gritted his teeth and said, "One day, we will march north and take the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. If any of you have the ability, take Hejian Prefecture for me. It belongs to me! Whoever takes it, I will treat them to a drink. All you can eat!"

The generals were immediately excited when they heard this, like a drop of water poured into a boiling oil pan, and the main hall exploded in an instant.

The generals shouted and stood up, patting their chests and asking for battle.

Zhong Jianzhong, standing nearby, caught the key point and said excitedly, "When Your Highness returned to the capital this time, did the Emperor say... that he planned to recapture Yanyun?"

The generals who were shouting in the hall immediately quieted down, and everyone looked at Zhao Xiaoqian with wide eyes.

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded and said with a smile, "The emperor has made up his mind. If the result of this battle with the Liao Kingdom is satisfactory, we might as well go directly north and recapture Yanyun!"

"I only brought 30,000 soldiers this time because time is short. From the remaining three armies in Bianjing, another 50,000 soldiers will be selected and sent here soon. Together with our current 60,000, we will have a total of 110,000 troops, all equipped with firearms. With this force, we can try to recapture Yanyun."

The generals were overjoyed and roared loudly to express their excitement.

Who among my family members understands? Who understands the value of regaining the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun?

If you achieved the first merit in this battle, not to mention being promoted, you would be worthy of being enshrined in the Taimiao, and your own page would be opened in the history books.

Of course, if nothing unexpected happens, the honor of having a separate page in the history books will first belong to His Royal Highness the Prince, but the generals under his command also have places. For such a glorious event, they would fight for it even at the risk of their lives.

Looking at the excited generals in the hall, Zhao Xiaoqian sneered several times: "Don't be too happy, but take care of the things at hand first."

"Right now, the Liao army, numbering 100,000, is invading from three directions. If you are badly defeated in this battle, don't even think about reclaiming Yanyun, getting promoted, or receiving a title. The history books will write about you. Find a quiet place, tie a rope, and hang yourself."

These words poured cold water on the heated minds of the generals, and everyone calmed down.

Looking at everyone's expressions, Zhao Xiaoqian said with satisfaction, "That's right. Since ancient times, arrogant soldiers have always been defeated. You look much more pleasant now than that arrogant and domineering look just now. ... Especially Zhe Keshi, you have no idea how much you deserved a beating for your arrogance just now."

Zhao Xiaoqian paused and said loudly, "Our army has 60,000 soldiers, while the Liao army has 100,000 soldiers. In this battle... the advantage is on my side!"

(End of this chapter)