The prince is more stable

Chapter 668 The Emperor’s Thoughts

Zheng Chunhe stood cautiously outside the Funing Palace. Since the death of the young prince, Zhao Xu's temperament had changed drastically, and Zheng Chunhe had gradually come to understand what it meant to "serve the emperor as if serving a tiger."

This young emperor is no longer the sunny and cheerful boy he once was. It must be said that Zhao Xu today is more in line with the temperament of an emperor.

He possessed all the qualities of an emperor: reserved, discreet, scheming, and ruthless.

Zheng Chunhe, who was Zhao Xu's most trusted personal attendant, is now treated with increasing severity by Zhao Xu, who is no longer as kind to him as before. Even the slightest mistake Zheng Chunhe makes while serving him will result in a harsh reprimand from Zhao Xu.

Zheng Chunhe, who had been with Zhao Xu for many years and had followed him since his time as a prince, had now clearly realized that Zhao Xu no longer regarded him as a family member, but as a servant girl, nothing more.

Zheng Chunhe, standing outside the hall, gave a few bitter laughs.

Well, he was indeed a servant, and perhaps it was normal for the Emperor to treat him this way.

A young palace servant rushed to the outside of Funing Palace, first bowed to Zheng Chunhe, and then excitedly said: "Eunuch Zheng, the Prince of Hejian has sent a report of victory. The royal army has captured Hejian Prefecture and killed 20,000 Liao enemies."

Zheng Chunhe was taken aback, then overjoyed.

The imperial army has recovered the first city in the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, which is absolutely great news.

If this good news can cheer up the gloomy emperor for a while, it might even restore him to the bright and cheerful young man he once was.

Zheng Chunhe then dismissed the palace servants, straightened his clothes, and entered the hall with silent, small steps, bowing before Zhao Xu.

Zhao Xu was frowning as he reviewed memorials, feeling increasingly annoyed. He didn't even look up, but he knew Zheng Chunhe had entered, so he said indifferently, "What is it?"

Zheng Chunhe lowered his head and said, "Yes, Your Majesty. His Highness the Prince of Hejian has sent a report of victory. The royal army has captured Hejian Prefecture and beheaded 20,000 enemy soldiers."

Zhao Xu paused in his review of the memorials, abruptly raising his head, his eyes finally showing a hint of joy.

Zheng Chunhe kept a close eye on Zhao Xu's expression and eyes. When he saw joy in Zhao Xu's eyes, Zheng Chunhe breathed a sigh of relief, but Zhao Xu quickly returned to his indifferent demeanor.

"Hmm, Zian is not bad. My royal army has also lived up to expectations and has not disappointed me."

"Zheng Chunhe, issue an imperial edict to the Privy Council that the court shall allocate funds and provisions to be sent to the front lines in Hejian Prefecture to reward the soldiers of the three armies."

Zheng Chunhe bowed and accepted the order.

Zhao Xu was silent for a while, then said, "Send a secret edict to General Xu, asking him how the morale of the royal army is now, and how much prestige Zhao Zian enjoys in the army. Also, tell him that from now on, no matter how big or small the matter is, he must report it truthfully."

Zheng Chunhe was startled, and his heart sank suddenly.

The signal sent by the Emperor's words was so strong that Zheng Chunhe was momentarily stunned and somewhat incredulous.

Zhao Xu picked out a memorial from the mountain of memorials piled on his desk and opened it.

"Xu's recent memorials are all praising how brave the royal army and Zhao Zi'an are, how they swept through Yan and Yun... Ha, there are so many people who can sing praises, why do I need him? Xu is very incompetent in this job."

"Zheng Chunhe, in the secret edict to General Xu, also tell him my attitude."

Zheng Chunhe respectfully responded, then thought for a moment and cautiously said, "Your Majesty, the imperial army has captured Hejian Prefecture, and His Highness the Prince's memorial requesting credit for his generals will likely arrive in the capital soon. At that time..."

Zhao Xu said coldly, "We have only conquered one of the sixteen prefectures of Yanyun. There is no rush to bestow rewards. I will reward you handsomely once the royal army has taken all the cities and lands of Yanyun."

"Keep the official ranks and honors of the generals under Zi'an's command as before."

Zheng Chunhe dared not offer any further advice and continued to bow and accept the imperial decree.

But a chill suddenly ran through him.

Suspicion and ingratitude remain characteristics of emperors.

After Zheng Chunhe left, another person entered the Funing Palace.

This person was Zeng Bu, the Privy Councilor.

Zeng Bu entered the hall and bowed. Zhao Xu finally showed a slight smile and, as usual, stood up and supported Zeng Bu's arm.

"Sir, there is no need for such formality. I treat you first as an elder, and only secondly as a subject."

Zeng Bu was deeply moved by the heartfelt words.

Zhao Xu personally helped Zeng Bu to sit down, and then sat down beside Zeng Bu. After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Zhao Xu slowly got down to business.

"How is the matter that I secretly instructed you to handle last month progressing?" Zhao Xu asked.

Zeng Bu's old face flashed with a complicated expression, but he quickly adjusted his emotions and said in a low voice, "As Your Majesty has instructed, I have selected thirty commanders from the three armies and local imperial guards in Bianjing and the surrounding prefectures and counties. They have been secretly stationed at the northern suburban camp for closed training."

“These thirty generals used the training manuals left by the Prince of Hejian as models, and trained day and night in various skills such as battle formations, spear techniques, and troop deployment.”

"More importantly, they are absolutely loyal to Your Majesty and directly under Your Majesty's control. Their ability to command battles may be somewhat lacking, but I can guarantee that their loyalty to Your Majesty is flawless."

Zhao Xu nodded in satisfaction, his smile deepening. "Zhao Zi'an has already captured Hejian Prefecture. The Liao Emperor is probably getting restless. Next, he will either send envoys to negotiate peace and cede the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, or he will fight to the death to defend the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun. No matter which way the Liao Emperor chooses, there is no doubt that Zhao Zi'an and his royal army will recover Yan and Yun."

Zhao Xu's speech slowed down, his eyes lowered, revealing no clue as he said in a low voice, "After Zhao Zi'an recovers the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, I will issue an edict to place all thirty generals from Bianjing under his command. This elite force must be entirely under my control."

Zeng Bu was silent for a moment, then sighed and said, “I understand Your Majesty’s concerns. I just feel that after recovering Yanyun, why doesn’t Your Majesty directly dismiss the Prince of Hejian and send him back to Bianjing to be a carefree prince? In this way, his elite troops will still be in Your Majesty’s hands.”

Zhao Xu shook his head: "After recovering Yan and Yun, the fate of the Liao Kingdom in the north is not yet over. I still need Zhao Zian to lead the army to continue the northern expedition until the Liao Kingdom is destroyed and I unify the world."

"I need to use people, but I also need to be wary of them. Don't say I'm ungrateful. If you were me, you would probably do even worse. I have already tried my best to consider the feelings of my relatives and brothers."

Zeng Bu had no rebuttal. Zhao Xu was right. No matter how much an emperor trusted and valued a minister, when he held the power of 100,000 troops, which emperor would not be suspicious and wary?
What Zhao Xiaoqian held was not military power, but a ticking time bomb. If he did not decisively throw it out, he would only be blown to pieces.

But the emperor still needed Zhao Xiaoqian to continue the northern expedition, so even if he wanted to get rid of this threat, he couldn't.

Only the emperor can decide when the thunderbolt in Zhao Xiaoqian's hands should explode.

This is Zhao Xiaoqian's biggest problem.

Zeng Bu was well aware that, from the Emperor's perspective, his decision was actually correct. As a civil official, Zeng Bu also opposed the excessive power of military generals, as it posed many hidden dangers.

But for some reason, when Zeng Bu thought of that young man who commanded his soldiers to conquer cities and seize territories on the front lines, that prince who washed away the century-old humiliation of the Song Dynasty and made the Song emperor, ministers and people proud, he couldn't help but feel a tightness in his chest and a sense of unease.

When the birds are gone, the good bow is hidden.

Throughout history, emperors have generally met this fate. Loyal ministers throughout history have also often met the same end.

For thousands of years, dynasties in China have risen and fallen, much like a donkey pulling a millstone, simply going around in circles on the same path, experiencing the same fate over and over again.

…………

Zheng Chunhe walked out of the palace gate, carrying the draft imperial edict in his arms.

The imperial edict was not written by Zhao Xu himself, but drafted by a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat.

Zheng Chunhe was about to personally deliver the imperial edict to the Privy Council. The victory of the imperial army over Hejian Prefecture was a great event, and no matter how ungrateful the emperor was, he still had to put on a good show.

While promotions and rewards may not be necessary, at least financial and material rewards such as food, drink, and meat are essential; otherwise, the officials' intentions will be too obvious.

As soon as he stepped out of the palace gate and turned a corner onto the Imperial Street, he saw a very honest-looking, fat man smiling at him from the corner of the street.

Zheng Chunhe was taken aback for a moment, then hurriedly bowed and greeted, "This servant greets Your Highness, the Prince of Chu."

It has to be said that Zhao Hao's chubby, honest, and kind appearance was the most suitable and advantageous disguise in his life.

Anyone who sees such a simple-minded fat man can't help but lower their guard and befriend him.

Seeing Zheng Chunhe bow, Zhao Hao quickly took his arm and said with a smile, "Eunuch Zheng is the Emperor's confidant. I dare not accept such a courtesy. It is fate that we meet here today."

Zheng Chunhe quickly glanced around and then gave a wry smile.

"Fate"? "Chance encounter"?
really?
Why do I always feel like you're deliberately waiting for me outside the palace gates...?

Zhao Hao's smile grew even more amiable, his smile resembling that of Maitreya Buddha in a temple, and it was even somewhat endearing.

"Is Eunuch Zheng leaving the palace... on official business?" Zhao Hao asked casually, as if making small talk.

Zheng Chunhe had a good impression of the King of Chu and his son, which was largely due to Zhao Xiaoqian's frequent gifts of money and houses.

Even the most arrogant person has to rein in their behavior in front of their sugar daddy, especially since Zheng Chunhe has always been gentle and polite, without the many flaws of the legendary treacherous eunuch.

"The Emperor is overjoyed by the great victory of the royal army and has ordered me to go to the Privy Council to convey the imperial decree that the court intends to allocate funds and provisions to reward the three armies."

Zhao Hao nodded with a smile.

Indeed, today's encounter was not a coincidence. A little over an hour ago, after hearing the news of the royal army's great victory at the Chu Prince's residence, Zhao Hao immediately left the residence and headed straight for the Imperial Street. He then quietly waited by the Imperial Street and instructed his spies to keep an eye on the gates of Yanfu Palace.

He knew that after hearing of the great victory of the royal army, the emperor would definitely react, at least rewarding the three armies. Zhao Hao wanted to know how the emperor would reward Zhao Xiaoqian and his soldiers, in order to analyze whether the emperor's attitude towards Zhao Xiaoqian had changed.

Sure enough, not long after, Zhao Hao waited for Zheng Chunhe to leave the palace by the Imperial Street.

Zhao Hao's eyes flashed, revealing a shrewdness that was completely at odds with his honest appearance.

"Hehe, I wonder how His Majesty will reward the soldiers? This shouldn't be a secret. Could Eunuch Zheng tell me?" Zhao Hao said with a smile.

Zheng Chunhe was taken aback: "Didn't I just say that the imperial court intends to allocate funds and provisions to reward the three armies?"

Zhao Hao was also taken aback: "It's just allocating money and grain as rewards?"

Zheng Chunhe hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Your Highness, I have received many great favors from you, but there are some things that are really inconvenient to say. I can only say that after the royal army recovers Yanyun, I would like to ask you to consider relinquishing your military power and returning to Bianjing to live a carefree and leisurely life as a prince."

(End of this chapter)