The prince is more stable

Chapter 599 War Dance That Terrifies the Soul
Faced with the tough nut of the Chai family, one certainly cannot simply start biting at it.

First tap it, then slowly grind it to soften it before breaking its shell, and finally you can bite into it.

The so-called halo of the Chai family is something that others cannot touch, but in Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes, the halo is always illusory. All he needs is a method to kill this seemingly invincible entity.

Halfway through the banquet, the atmosphere had become rather awkward and tense.

If it were someone else in this situation, they would either tactfully take their leave or swallow their anger and try to smooth things over to restore harmony.

But Chai Ruona seemed to be a stubborn person. He neither said goodbye nor swallowed his anger. He just sat there alone, gathering his strength, as if he was competing with himself. Whoever left first would lose.

Despite being fifty years old, Chai Ruona seems to have a somewhat naive personality.

This is probably something the imperial court has been accustomed to.

Zhao Xiaoqian had wanted to end the banquet for a long time, but Chai Ruona showed no intention of leaving, so Zhao Xiaoqian naturally felt embarrassed to ask his guest to leave.

When the wine was half-finished, Zhao Xiaoqian blinked and suddenly clapped his hands.

Chen Shou, who stood outside the hall with his hand on his sword, entered the hall with a proud air.

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed and said, "Drinking is boring. Commander Chen, summon your generals to come in and entertain the guests with drumming and dancing."

Chen Shou was taken aback, then gave Chai Ruona, who was seated, a deep look, clasped his hands in apology, and withdrew.

Before long, the sound of armor plates colliding came from afar.

More than twenty tall and burly imperial guards entered. They were wearing armor, some carrying swords, some carrying shields, and some carrying a small cowhide drum.

Chai Ruona, Lü Huiqing, and other guests were puzzled and looked at the imperial guards who entered the hall with surprise.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled at the three men and said, "I do not keep any singers or dancers in my household, and I have been living in the army for a long time, so I inevitably have some military habits. Today, in order to entertain Lord Chongyi, I have specially ordered my subordinates to perform a dance to make Lord Chongyi smile."

Chai Ruona gave a stiff smile.

Zhao Xiaoqian waved his sleeve at the Imperial Guards and said, "Dance!"

The Imperial Guards responded with a thunderous roar, then quickly formed ranks in the hall. As a rapid and stirring drumbeat sounded, the small front hall was instantly filled with an aura of metal and killing intent. The sound waves were like swords, not only stimulating the eardrums of the guests, but also giving them goosebumps.

This is a dance performed by men, but calling it a "dance" is less accurate than describing it as some kind of mysterious sacrificial ritual performed before a major battle.

The dance, called "Pan Guwu," has been performed since the Qin and Han dynasties by emperors, nobles, and soldiers during drinking occasions. It must be performed by men to highlight the dance's masculine and aggressive nature.

This dance was performed by Xiang Yu when he entertained Liu Bang at the Feast at Hongmen.

Before the Battle of Red Cliffs, Zhou Yu also performed this dance when entertaining Liu Bei.

At the Single-Sword Meeting, when Lu Su entertained Guan Yu, he still used this dance.

Can you spot the similarities?
If this dance is performed at a banquet, the host usually harbors ill intentions towards the guests and may even have murderous intent.

Since Chai Ruona hasn't fully grasped the seriousness of the situation yet, Zhao Xiaoqian doesn't mind giving him a little more provocation.

Although it's called a dance, it's actually more like a combined attack drill when an army is arrayed to fight the enemy.

With the rapid drumbeats, the clanging of swords against shields, and the suffocating pressure of the Imperial Guards approaching the guests with murderous intent, this dance at the banquet was not something ordinary people could endure.

Soon, Chai Ruona's face grew paler and paler, his breathing became rapid, then stopped. Seeing the Imperial Guards approaching step by step with swords and shields, he stopped and retreated, then approached again...

The chilling killing intent in the eyes of the Imperial Guards, and the terrifying rhythm of blades striking shields, suddenly made Chai Ruona feel as if her breathing had stopped; she could no longer catch her breath, and her face was paler than a dead man's.

Not only Chai Ruona, but even Li Qingchen and Lü Huiqing, who had no connection with the matter, were terrified and trembling, deeply shocked by the Imperial Guards' murderous dance.

Faced with this dance, the three felt a sense of powerlessness and being slaughtered. The combination of sword and shield, drum and dance perfectly revealed the murderous aura, which was performed to the fullest extent in front of the guests.

Chai Ruone clenched his fists tightly, his body trembling slightly as he gritted his teeth and tried to remain calm and composed.

After the Chai family abdicated, they went from being emperors to wealthy gentry. Despite their considerable wealth and numerous martial arts masters in their household, they were considered local heroes in Daming Prefecture, and no one in the martial arts world dared to disobey them.

After serving as the Duke of Chongyi for so many years, Chai Ruona not only commanded respect from the government, but also garnered countless praises from the common people and the martial arts world. With his long-standing reputation and prestige, he inevitably became somewhat complacent.

However, at this very moment, Zhao Xiaoqian merely summoned the Imperial Guards to perform a dance before him, and that shattered all of Chai Ruona's pride and confidence.

Yes, the arrogance of those who are immersed in their prestige and the satisfaction of thinking they have the advantage of numbers are laughable and pathetic in the face of a real army.

The imperial guards before them numbered only twenty or so, yet, with the rhythm of the war drums urging them forward, they already presented a scene of fierce battle, like a tidal wave of thousands of troops.

Such awe-inspiring power is something that even the so-called martial arts masters of the Chai family cannot match.

At this moment, Chai Ruona finally understood the difference between a regular army and a rabble.

Chai Ruona felt as if countless sharp arrows were aimed at his heart amidst the resounding war drums. If he made the slightest movement, he would be pierced by a thousand arrows. Throughout the entire dance, Chai Ruona remained completely still, not even daring to blink too frequently, for fear of arousing misunderstanding among the imperial guards dancing.

Finally, after an unknown amount of time, the drumbeats in the hall abruptly stopped. The last movement of the twenty-odd imperial guards was perfectly completed. They quickly lined up, drew their swords, bowed to the guests and hosts, and quietly withdrew from the front hall.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly relaxed. Chai Ruona could no longer hide her thoughts. She slumped her shoulders, let out a long breath, and wiped the cold sweat from her forehead with her sleeve. Her face was still as pale as paper.

As the Imperial Guards left, the invisible killing intent and oppressive atmosphere in the hall finally eased, and Li Qingchen and Lü Huiqing gratefully forced a smile at Zhao Xiaoqian.

If this dance continues, even if the two are outsiders, they might be innocently intimidated by the murderous aura in the hall, causing them lifelong psychological trauma.

Among the guests and hosts in the hall, only Zhao Xiaoqian seemed completely unaffected, and even winked mischievously at Li Qingchen: "Old Li, was the dance good? This is a triumphant dance performed by the army; the girls in the city's brothels can't dance it with this flair."

Li Qingchen wiped away his cold sweat with his sleeve and said with a wry smile, "Your Highness, if there is such a dance next time, please give me a heads-up in advance. I would rather die than come."

"It's just dancing to liven things up, it's not that serious. You don't look well, are you drunk?" Zhao Xiaoqian said with a smile.

Before he could finish speaking, Chai Ruona, who was sitting in the chair, suddenly stood up and bowed deeply to Zhao Xiaoqian, her face ashen.

"Your Highness, I...forgive me for being unable to hold my liquor and fearing I might lose control. I shall take my leave."

Zhao Xiaoqian also stood up, looking surprised, and said, "Lord Chongyi got drunk so easily? Your alcohol tolerance is only..."

...They can only sit at the children's table, chew on straws, drink coconut milk, and eat baby food.

Before he could say it, Zhao Xiaoqian suppressed the urge to speak rudely, as it would be impolite.

Chai Ruona said nothing, bowed, and hurriedly left. Her back was a little unsteady. It was unclear whether she was really drunk or afraid of something else. Her walking posture was like she was running for her life. When she reached the front yard, she started to run faster. In the blink of an eye, she escaped the Prince's Mansion, a den of dragons and tigers.

After Chai Ruona left, Zhao Xiaoqian's warm smile gradually turned into a cold laugh, and he remained silent in thought.

Lu Huiqing cupped his hands and forced a smile, saying, "Today's banquet at Your Highness's residence has taught Chongyi Gongyue a lesson. He will surely not dare to act recklessly in Zhengding Prefecture in the future."

Zhao Xiaoqian poured himself a cup of wine and said leisurely, "On my territory, the Chai family must behave themselves. Anyone who dares to provoke me, no matter how far away, will be punished!"

After saying this, Zhao Xiaoqian drank it all in one gulp and let out a long sigh, but the sigh sounded like a tiger roaring in the mountains, causing all the beasts to tremble in fear.

Li Qingchen and Lü Huiqing looked surprised. Zhao Xiaoqian's murderous intent, which he had been hiding so well, was finally released without any restraint.

The two men felt a chill run down their spines. They suddenly realized that the Chai family was probably doomed in front of this ruthless and decisive prince who held military power.

…………

In Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes, the Chai family was indeed an insurmountable obstacle.

For Zhao Xiaoqian, any person or family that wreaks havoc in a region is a malignant tumor that must be eradicated. No matter what kind of imperial edict or certificate you have, if you harm the people, you should be killed.

Even with a certificate of merit, the outcome won't change; it's just that the process will be a bit more troublesome.

After the banquet held to entertain Chai Ruona, Chai Ruona felt unwell and left Zhen Ding City that same day, rushing back to Daming Prefecture.

Two days later, Zhao Xin from the Imperial City Guard came to see Zhao Xiaoqian and presented the evidence that the Imperial City Guard had recently used to investigate the Chai family.

There is so much evidence that even the phrase "too numerous to list" wouldn't be enough to describe it.

The illegal acts committed by the Chai family can be traced back several decades, starting from when Chai Ruona's father, Chai Yong, and his branch of the clan migrated and settled in Daming Prefecture.

A thick stack of papers, filled with details of the Chai family's misdeeds.

Having obtained the imperial edict and tested the bottom line of the Song Dynasty government, the Chai family has not been so cautious in their actions over the past few decades. After all, the court officials would not punish them, and as long as they did not rebel, they could do whatever they wanted without any restrictions.

Therefore, the Imperial City Guard found it easy to investigate the Chai family, and the evidence was readily available.

Of all the evidence, the most prominent is the encroachment on farmers' fertile land, forcing local farmers to sell their land at low prices through various means, and then seizing the land under the Chai family's name.

Secondly, they engaged in bullying and monopolistic practices. Almost two streets in Daming Prefecture were owned by the Chai family. Of course, the process of acquiring these two streets was certainly not aboveboard, and the victims are still suffering from broken homes and have nowhere to turn for help.

Other crimes include embezzlement and profiteering, defrauding the people, kidnapping women, and even murder and robbery.

The Chai family was like the criminal gangs of later generations, half in the dark and half in the light, straddling both sides of the law. Within the Daming Prefecture, they were practically like ancestral figures, and for many years no one dared to provoke them.

Zhao Xiaoqian calmly looked at the numerous pieces of evidence against the Chai family, his gaze lingering on a particular page.

"Is it true that the government allowed criminals, bandits, and thieves to be taken in and that officials dared not enter to investigate?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked.

Zhao Xin bowed his head respectfully and said, "It is true."

(End of this chapter)