The prince is more stable

Chapter 624 Dragnet
Inside the Yin'an Hall, Zhao Hao, who was munching away, looked rather adorable, like a giant panda sitting cross-legged, hugging a bamboo shoot and gnawing on it.

Sometimes Zhao Xiaoqian finds it unbelievable; his living father has countless faces: lovable and simple-minded, treacherous and cunning, silly and foolish, cold-blooded and ruthless...

Zhao Xiaoqian felt that this living father was so schizophrenic that he couldn't help but want to find a doctor to take his pulse and give him some sedatives to make him normal.

The cook dared not disobey the prince's orders and quickly served the low-fat meal.

So-called weight-loss meals are just a bunch of raw vegetables, chopped up and sprinkled with salt. They can indeed achieve the effect of weight loss, but the taste... well, let's just say it's hard to describe.

Zhao Hao, looking miserable, rummaged through the low-fat meal in his large bowl with his chopsticks, his face filled with despair.

“You unfilial son, I am not an animal. Why should I be fed these vegetable scraps and swill? This is called being unfilial!” Zhao Hao said with dissatisfaction.

Zhao Xiaoqian calmly gnawed on a lamb leg and said, "Once a person gets too fat, all sorts of problems will come knocking. In Father's current condition, every bite of meat takes away about an hour of his life. You can calculate for yourself how much life he has left."

Zhao Hao was startled and looked down at himself.

The woman's head was bowed so low that her toes were invisible; she was already an unparalleled beauty.

The man's head was so low that his toes were invisible... This means he's ridiculously overweight and needs to lose weight.

The wealthier a person is, the more afraid they are of death.

So Zhao Hao obediently ate grass like an ox or a horse, stuffing all sorts of fresh vegetables into his mouth. He chewed and chewed and then stretched his neck to swallow them down, his face turning ashen as he gagged. After a moment of pause, he started chewing again.

Zhao Xiaoqian strongly suspected that his living father had learned to ruminate...

Seeing his father's pained expression, Zhao Xiaoqian grimaced and clicked his tongue.

“Father, why don’t you eat meat? Just live a good life while you can, as long as you don’t forget to leave a will…” Zhao Xiaoqian earnestly advised.

Zhao Hao shook his head in anguish: "No, I want to live to be a hundred!"

Zhao Hao didn't know how he got through the meal. After finally managing to finish a large bowl of low-fat food, he smacked his lips and looked at the empty bowl in front of him.

"Even if it's just grass, shouldn't I at least be fed? This little bit of food isn't even enough to feed a cat. Is this unfilial son really abusing me?" Zhao Hao sighed resentfully.

"Eat small, frequent meals, eat light, low-oil foods, more vegetables and less meat. If you stick to this, in less than two months, Father will lose a lot of weight. Then you can swagger out and amaze the world."

"But I am not happy!"

"How about being a happy, short-lived ghost and eating meat to your heart's content?"

"Fine, I've fallen into your trap. I just hope I can live a few more years; I still want to hold my grandson..."

Zhao Hao suddenly slapped his thigh and said, "That's right, grandson! Your concubine named Niaoniao is pregnant. Why don't you send her to Bianjing? Why keep her in Zhending Prefecture?"

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "It's not advisable to travel during the first three months of pregnancy. Once the pregnancy is over, I will send people to take the women back to Bianjing. After all, war is about to break out again, and it's not safe for them to stay in Zhengding City."

Zhao Hao looked him over and said, "You look worse than if your father had died when you came back today. What happened?"

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed and recounted his conversation with Zhao Xu that day in its entirety.

After listening, Zhao Hao's expression remained unchanged, as if Zhao Xu's purpose was already within his expectations.

“Since ancient times, there have never been simple criminal cases in the palace. Qian’er, do you understand now?” Zhao Hao said in a deep voice.

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded and said with a wry smile, "I understood long ago, which is why I refused Your Majesty."

Zhao Hao nodded and said, "I had long suspected that His Majesty intended to depose the Empress. This time, he has chosen the perfect moment. I have to admire him."

As he spoke, Zhao Hao narrowed his eyes and sighed with a half-smile, "Our emperor has truly grown up and has learned the ways of the emperor. A few years ago, he wouldn't have been so skilled."

After a long silence, Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly said softly, "Father's future enemy... is it the Emperor?"

Zhao Hao smiled, and instead of answering, asked, "Qian'er, do you know how many years I have endured?"

"I don't know."

Zhao Hao sighed softly, "I had this idea when my father, Emperor Yingzong, was on the throne. You do the math, how many years has it been?"

Zhao Xiaoqian said in a low voice, "In other words, since then, Father has begun to secretly cultivate his power, lying low in the court and among the people, not hesitating to tarnish his reputation in order to protect himself, thus secretly accumulating strength, just waiting for the right opportunity?"

Zhao Hao nodded frankly: "That's right. I am also the son of Emperor Yingzong. Why can they all easily obtain the throne, while I can only watch helplessly? In terms of intelligence, talent, and ambition, I am no less than any of them. Why can't it be me!"

At this point, Zhao Hao suddenly became agitated, his face flushed red, his eyes bloodshot, and a chilling killing intent emanated from the main hall.

The atmosphere inside the hall was terrifying, but fortunately, Zhao Xiaoqian had commanded troops and witnessed battle formations, so he remained calm and unfazed by the killing intent emanating from Zhao Hao.

"Father, have you ever considered what would happen if the right opportunity you've been waiting for never comes?"

Zhao Hao sighed deeply, his sharp aura suddenly dissipating. He smiled wryly and said, "If we can't wait, then so be it. Consider all my years of hard work as wasted. Before I die, I'll eliminate all trouble and incriminating evidence so as not to implicate my descendants. Our family will still be a clean and upright line of the King of Chu." "Half of the plan is up to Heaven, and half is up to man. I have made my plan. The rest is up to fate."

As he spoke, Zhao Hao smiled at him: "Qian'er was right to refuse the Emperor's decision. No matter what your motives are, you must not get involved in palace affairs. Whoever does will suffer. Today you are righteously sharing the Emperor's burdens, but who knows if you will be charged with a knife to your throat tomorrow?"

"When the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked. I don't need to teach you this principle. No matter how favored a minister is, he will eventually fall out of favor. When one is successful, one must remain calm and not leave trouble for the future."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded: "Yes, I have learned something."

Zhao Hao added, "Regarding the case of the young prince, the Emperor has instructed you to continue investigating. Don't take it too seriously. Investigating too deeply into some matters can also be a disaster for yourself."

Zhao Xiaoqian was inexplicably moved.

These principles and experiences can only be passed down between biological fathers and sons; outsiders would never be so open and honest with you.

Just as he was feeling touched, Zhao Hao suddenly touched his large belly and said with a resentful look, "I've only talked to you for a few minutes, and I'm hungry again... Are you sure eating grass will make me lose weight?"

Zhao Xiaoqian chuckled: "I'm sure."

"Very well, then I shall humbly ask you... Cows and horses also eat grass, are they thin?"

…………

Zhao Xu acted quickly.

Zhao Xiaoqian refused to participate in the deposition of the empress, so Zhao Xu immediately summoned Zhang Dun. The two hit it off and decided to cooperate.

Zhang Dun's inclination has always been clear: he supports the removal of Empress Meng.

Unlike Zhao Xu, Zhang Dun saw the power of the court represented by Empress Meng.

From the moment Empress Meng was carried into the palace after the Empress Dowager arranged her marriage, the label of being a member of the old party was something she could never shake off for the rest of her life.

The Empress Dowager was a staunch representative of the old party. Although Empress Meng never interfered in politics and never said a word related to politics, the court officials were so stubborn. After the Empress Dowager passed away, the old party in the court naturally regarded her as the benchmark figure of the old party.

Was Empress Meng wronged?

She was certainly wronged, but she couldn't change the facts. Because her marriage was arranged by the Empress Dowager, she was a member of the old faction, and her non-interference in politics meant she was destined to remain in the wrong camp.

After Zhang Dun became prime minister, he implemented sweeping new policies, which naturally made Empress Meng, who represented the old party, very unhappy.

Originally, subjects were absolutely forbidden from interfering in the affairs of the imperial family. No matter how much Zhang Dun disliked Empress Meng, he could only keep it to himself and dared not speak out of turn in front of his relatives and family members.

But now Zhao Xu has taken the initiative to find him and revealed his intention to depose the empress. Zhang Dun, who has a bad temper and an impulsive personality, is exactly what I want to hear. How could he not agree?

The emperor and his ministers held a secret discussion in the Funing Palace for an hour before Zhang Dun happily took his leave and left the palace.

The next day, rumors began to circulate in the imperial court.

Rumor has it that, coincidentally, during the prince's serious illness, Empress Meng set up an altar in her palace. Her own sister even brought in Taoist talisman water, and some palace servants faintly heard someone performing rituals in the empress's palace in the middle of the night...

It must be said that Zhang Dun truly lived up to his title as prime minister; his methods of dealing with people were indeed ruthless.

Their first move was aimed at taking lives, and they were after a large number of people.

Zhang Dun spared no effort in carrying out the great cause of eliminating the old party, and did not mind killing countless people.

I wonder if the old party dug up the ancestral graves of the Zhang family, otherwise it's really hard to understand how a person could have such deep hatred for a party faction.

The rumors spread like wildfire, initially circulating only within the palace, but gradually reaching outside the palace and eventually being heard by the imperial censors.

Therefore, at the court assembly a few days later, an imperial censor stepped forward and reported the matter to Zhao Xu, requesting the emperor to investigate it thoroughly.

Zhao Xu put on a convincing act. Upon hearing rumors about the Empress, he flew into a rage, slammed his fist on the table, and angrily denounced the officials for spreading rumors and sowing discord between the Emperor and Empress. He then ordered an investigation and severe punishment for those who spread the rumors.

However, it is easier to prevent rumors than to prevent a river from overflowing. No matter how angry Zhao Xu was, the rumors still spread like a plague and had already reached the common people of Bianjing.

As people on the street whispered among themselves, the matter could no longer be concealed.

Therefore, at the court meeting, the censor raised the matter again and asked Zhao Xu to investigate it thoroughly. Whether it was true or just a rumor, the court could not remain indifferent, otherwise it would damage the empress's reputation and the dignity of the royal family.

After the censor impeached him, Chancellor Zhang Dun took the lead in requesting the emperor to thoroughly investigate the matter.

Under the unanimous advice of his ministers, Zhao Xu sighed deeply and, with a grim face, issued an imperial edict. To show his seriousness, Zhao Xu ordered Zhang Dun to personally investigate the case and bring the rumor-mongers to justice.

At this point, a net of inescapable force had been formed, pressing down upon the innocent Empress Meng.

(End of this chapter)