The prince is more stable

Chapter 703 Unresolved Grudges

Zhao Hao was far away in Bianjing, and the father and son rarely exchanged letters.

Although it's a bit inappropriate, the father and son have actually taken different paths.

Zhao Xiaoqian had no ambition, and everything he did could be described as "open and honest." Of course, he might have had some ulterior motives, but they were ultimately just thoughts.

Zhao Hao was different. He appeared honest and simple, but was cynical and had some literary talent, though not much. Yet he insisted on trying to force himself into cultural circles, making himself a laughing stock. Outsiders would talk about him behind his back and mock him.

But only Zhao Xiaoqian knew how terrifying this living father was. Over the years, he had been doing all sorts of shady things without making a sound, and had secretly recruited countless terrifying talents and forces under his command.

To this day, Zhao Xiaoqian, as the biological son, only knows the tip of the iceberg about his living father. He has no idea how far his living father has progressed, or rather, Zhao Xiaoqian doesn't even dare to know, for fear of getting a sty...

Inside the carriage, the messenger knelt before Zhao Xiaoqian, his expression respectful, barely daring to breathe.

Zhao Xiaoqian's expression remained indifferent.

The father and son were separated by a thousand miles, so for him to send a message must be something very important.

"Speak, what message did my father send?" Zhao Xiaoqian said calmly.

The man lowered his head and said, "His Highness said a few things. The first thing was that Jia Jiu should commit suicide on the spot."

Zhao Xiaoqian frowned. He knew the reason why Zhao Hao ordered Jia Jiu to commit suicide: he had been seriously injured, and Jia Jiu, as his personal bodyguard, had failed to protect him, which was a dereliction of duty.

Zhao Hao was ruthless in his use of people; if someone failed in their duty once, they would be out of service for life, and not only that, they would not be allowed to live.

“There’s no need for self-reproach. I’ve already punished Jia Jiu, so let’s let this matter drop,” Zhao Xiaoqian said calmly.

The man paused, looking somewhat troubled: "But Your Highness gave the order, and I really..."

Snapped!
A heavy slap landed on his face, and Zhao Xiaoqian withdrew his hand expressionlessly.

"Do I stand by my word?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked calmly.

The calm tone of the sentence sent a cold sweat down the back of the man in front of him, who hurriedly lowered his head and said respectfully, "Since Your Highness has spoken, this matter will naturally be dropped."

Outside the carriage, Jia Jiu, who was closest to the carriage, suddenly had tears welling up in his eyes and turned to look elsewhere.

"Alright, let's talk about the second thing," Zhao Xiaoqian continued inside the carriage.

"Yes, the second thing His Highness mentioned is that since the Crown Prince left Bianjing several months ago, according to the imperial physicians he bribed, His Majesty has vomited blood four times and his health is deteriorating. Moreover, in order to prolong his life, His Majesty has started taking elixirs made by sorcerers, but His Majesty's health is getting worse and worse."

The man paused, then continued, "According to His Highness's assessment, the Emperor may not have much time left. At the latest, before the end of this year, I'm afraid..."

"Therefore, Your Highness told the Crown Prince to be prepared for any major changes that may not be known, especially before such changes occur. He must hold onto military power tightly and never weaken his own power."

Zhao Xiaoqian's heart sank, and his brows furrowed: "His Majesty has vomited blood four times in the past few months?"

"Yes, the imperial physician said that since the young prince's death, His Majesty's health has visibly deteriorated. His Majesty has always been in poor health since childhood, and he has never stopped taking herbal tonics."

"After the young prince died, the emperor was devastated. His heart and blood vessels were damaged, his temperament changed drastically, and his internal organs were all disordered and out of balance, beyond the cure of medicine."

Zhao Xiaoqian lowered his head in silence.

The death of the young prince was indeed a heavy blow, but Zhao Xiaoqian did not expect it to be this heavy.

The imperial physicians have essentially handed down a death sentence to Zhao Xu, which shows just how dire his health condition is.

In that brief moment, countless memories flooded my mind.

Zhao Xiaoqian recalled how much Zhao Xu had valued him over the years, how he had cared for and doted on him like an older brother, and how he was now wary and suspicious of him.

Both gratitude and resentment are present, and love and hate are hard to overcome.

Ultimately, however, gratitude outweighed resentment, and love outweighed hate.

Objectively speaking, Zhao Xu has been very good to him over the years.

Historical records mostly speak positively of Zhao Xu, praising him for his resemblance to Emperor Renzong and his diligent governance over many years, without any record of cruelty or incompetence. Had he not died so young, Zhao Xu might have been a restorer of the Song Dynasty.

As for the period when Zhao Xu was in office, the struggle between the old and new parties became increasingly fierce. From an objective standpoint, Zhao Xiaoqian did not think that he was incompetent.

Methodology and values ​​are two completely different things.

The intense factional strife during his tenure was a problem with Zhao Xu's methods, not with him as a person.

The thought that Zhao Xu might not survive the year filled Zhao Xiaoqian with grief. He clenched his teeth, his face growing increasingly sorrowful.

The message Zhao Hao brought was clearly cold and ruthless; Zhao Xu was still alive, and he had already begun plotting his next move.

"Military power?" Zhao Xiaoqian smiled without a hint of a smile. "Whether or not I can hold onto military power is up to me."

The man said in a low voice, "His Highness said that the Crown Prince's serious injury is a good opportunity. It would be perfect to stay in Yanyun under the pretext of recuperating. The court officials have mixed opinions about the Crown Prince. Some people think that the Crown Prince has made unparalleled contributions to the Song Dynasty, while others worry that the Crown Prince has too much military power, which is not good for the country."

"But His Highness believes that since the Crown Prince is thousands of miles away, there are always ways to prevent him from relinquishing his military power, such as... fostering a bandit to maintain his own importance. By secretly provoking the Liao Kingdom and initiating a war, no one can touch the Crown Prince's military power, and the Emperor cannot replace him on the eve of battle."

Zhao Xiaoqian said expressionlessly, "Go back and tell my father that whether or not he relinquishes military power depends on my mood. He won't completely listen to me unless he tells me the truth about his shady dealings."

The man paused, seemingly intending to offer some advice, but remembering the resounding slap he had just received, he immediately gave up and could only nod in agreement. "The third matter is that the Emperor has become suspicious of the Prince and the Heir Apparent. Recently, several spies from the court have infiltrated the Prince of Chu's residence, closely monitoring the Prince's every move. The Prince is well aware of this but has not exposed it."

"At the same time, the prince also learned that Zeng Bu, the privy councilor, had secretly dispatched and trained a group of mid-level generals, about thirty people, who would soon be sent to the prince's command."

"These generals are only loyal to the Emperor. They came with ulterior motives and are very likely to infiltrate and win over the army, undermining the Crown Prince's military power. The Prince said that we must be wary of this. The Crown Prince should make preparations as soon as possible. In any case, if we can get through these six months, everything will take a turn for the better."

Zhao Xiaoqian's heart sank again.

Finally, Zhao Xu made his suspicions and wariness public.

Zhao Xiaoqian could even anticipate Zhao Xu's next move.

Once his injuries have healed, someone in the court will likely impeach him. As the impeachment grows louder, the Council of State Affairs and the Privy Council should take appropriate action. At this point, Zhao Xu will have no choice but to heed the advice of his ministers and recall Zhao Xiaoqian to Bianjing.

Once he returned to Bianjing, it was no longer important whether he still held military power or not.

Both Zhao Hao and his son Zhao Xiaoqian understood this point, which is why Zhao Hao sent someone to deliver this message, insisting that he hold onto military power tightly.

Zhao Xiaoqian naturally understood the meaning of "survive for half a year".

Zhao Xu's life is on a countdown; six months is the rest of his life.

Six months from now, the court and the throne will face a reshuffle, and the people and things that Zhao Hao has been planning for many years may finally come to light.

If Zhao Xiaoqian still held military power at that time, it would undoubtedly be an extremely valuable asset, enough to secure the stability of the empire.

But what will Zhao Xiaoqian do when that time comes?
At this moment, even Zhao Xiaoqian himself was unaware of the situation.

Suppressing his chaotic thoughts, Zhao Xiaoqian asked expressionlessly, "Is there anything else?"

The man continued, "Furthermore, the Bianjing Firearms Bureau is currently manufacturing firearms day and night. The prince estimates that at least 100,000 flintlock muskets and countless ammunition have already been produced. Everyone is rushing to make them, and it won't be long before the Emperor equips the three armies in Bianjing with them."

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed inwardly. He knew very well that this was another sign of Zhao Xu's wariness.

Zhao Xiaoqian didn't hide the secret formulas for firearms and gunpowder from Zhao Xu at all.

This is one of the reasons why Zhao Xu trusted and valued him so much back then.

Now that Zhao Xiaoqian commands an army of 100,000, Zhao Xu finally felt uneasy. So he mass-produced firearms to equip the Bianjing Imperial Guards, in order to prevent Zhao Xiaoqian from developing rebellious intentions and leading his army back to Bianjing.

At least after the imperial guards in Bianjing were equipped with firearms, the emperor and his officials still had the power to rival Zhao Xiaoqian.

The messages that Zhao Hao sent today are all extremely important.

From these messages, Zhao Xiaoqian had already deduced that the Bianjing court was now rife with undercurrents and the atmosphere had suddenly become tense.

Zhao Xiaoqian had no ambition, but he needed to have a trump card to protect himself.

No one can control his destiny; this was true for Zhao Xu, and it was also true for Zhao Hao.

"Have you finished speaking?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked calmly.

"Your Highness, I have finished speaking. This is all the message the Prince brought," the man said respectfully.

"You can go now." Zhao Xiaoqian waved him away.

After kneeling and bowing, the man jumped off the carriage and disappeared into the crowd.

The carriage remained in place, with Zhao Xiaoqian sitting cross-legged inside, deep in thought for a long time.

Chen Shou and Jia Jiu, along with other imperial guards outside the carriage, dared not disturb it and continued to stand motionless around the carriage.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly said, "Jia Jiu, come in."

Jia Jiu boarded the carriage and knelt on one knee before Zhao Xiaoqian.

Zhao Xiaoqian said calmly, "I'm giving you a task. You need to lead your men to find a remote and deserted place between Zhen Ding City and Xi Jin Prefecture. This place must be completely uninhabited within a radius of dozens of miles. Whether it's a mountain or a canyon, it doesn't matter. I don't care about the geographical environment."

Jia Jiu was a suicide squad member. One advantage of suicide squad members is that they only care about carrying out their orders and don't ask why.

So Jia Jiu replied very readily, "Yes."

"In addition, find me another group of blacksmiths, requiring them to have clean backgrounds, and prepare 10,000 catties of pig iron. Send them all to that remote place to be on standby at any time."

"Yes."

"I will have my wife draw all the money you need from the Prince's Mansion's accounts."

"If you don't have enough manpower, send someone to tell my father to give you a batch of his shady talents."

Zhao Xiaoqian stared into Jia Jiu's eyes and slowly said, "This matter is top secret. No one is allowed to reveal it, including my father. Can you do that?"

Jia Jiu lowered his head, his face expressionless but his tone firm: "My fate, from now on, belongs to the heir."

(End of this chapter)