The prince is more stable

Chapter 709 Top Secret Trip
Di Ying's voice was like a demonic whisper, instantly terrifying Niao Niao.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at her in confusion. She looked flustered, with grease still on the corner of her mouth, and her eyes began to dart around as if she wanted to hide in a closet. She looked just like a mistress caught cheating.

"What are you panicking about? You're a legitimate mistress!" Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but remind him.

Niao Niao was at a loss and was still looking for a place to hide in the room. Hearing this, she waved her hand and said, "You don't understand. If my sister finds out that I'm stealing food, I'm doomed. I have to walk for at least two hours today to digest. I hate walking slowly after meals. It's torture."

Zhao Xiaoqian frowned as he looked at her, not quite understanding why Niao Niao was so afraid of Di Ying.

No, it wasn't just Niao Niao; it seemed that the other women in the mansion were also very afraid of Di Ying, treating her almost like a female demon.

Is my wife really that scary?

Not understanding how the sisters usually got along, Zhao Xiaoqian kindly reminded her.

"You can't hide a person, but you can hide a hoof. If you hide the hoof, everything will be fine, right?"

As if waking from a dream, Niao Niao said, "That's right, if we just hide the pork hock, everything will be fine..."

As she spoke, she picked up the pork hock and hid it in a mahogany box inside the house. Then she sat down as if nothing had happened, her demeanor very elegant and dignified. She even raised her hand to tidy her hair with a charming gesture.

Zhao Xiaoqian was speechless. This woman was really...

Eating a pork hock, is that a crime?

A moment later, Di Ying pushed open the door and entered. As she walked into the room, she sniffed hard, like a drug-sniffing police dog, her eyes full of intelligence.

“That’s right, the aroma of meat is coming from here, right here!” Di Ying said with certainty.

Niao Niao looked at Zhao Xiaoqian with a panicked expression.

Di Ying stared at Niao Niao and said, "Tell me honestly, what did you steal to eat?"

"No, no, sister must have misunderstood." Niao Niao nervously twisted the corner of her clothes.

Di Ying glanced at the empty table, then fixed her gaze on Niao Niao's lips and sneered, "It's fine if you don't admit it, but tonight after dinner, I'll double the time for your leisurely walk. Two hours of walking will help you burn off the fat in your belly."

Niao Niao cried with a mournful face: "I really didn't steal any food..."

Di Ying said calmly, "Wipe the grease off your mouth before you lie."

Startled, Niao Niao quickly raised her hand to wipe it, and sure enough, her hand was covered in oil stains.

Her round little face immediately fell, and she tugged at Zhao Xiaoqian's sleeve, pleading, "My lord, look at my sister..."

Di Ying glared at her and said, "How important is your husband's first child? Do you think I'm trying to harm you?"

"The doctor said that the baby in your belly is a bit big, and there may be complications during childbirth. He told you to eat less oil and more bland food. You don't care now, but you'll know how serious it is when you're in excruciating pain during childbirth."

Niao Niao's pretty face immediately turned pale: "Will it... hurt a lot?"

Di Ying sighed and gestured with her hands: "The baby was only this big originally, so the delivery wasn't too painful. I just had to bear it a little longer..."

"If you don't watch your diet and crave greasy food, the mother will gain weight, and the baby will also gain weight. The baby will be much bigger during childbirth, and you'll have to force the baby to be born. Do you think it will hurt?"

Niao Niao turned even paler with fright and looked at Zhao Xiaoqian, saying, "My lord, I shouldn't have been so greedy. I won't eat anymore. I'll eat after the baby is born."

Zhao Xiaoqian shrugged: "I don't care. I can't help you with this. At most, I can only cheer you on outside the delivery room. If it's really creepy, I can set up a protective array for you..."

Di Ying glared at him resentfully and said, "My husband, you spoil her in everything. Now you're not letting her watch what she eats, which is like pushing her to the gates of hell. Do you love her or are you trying to harm her?"

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled wryly and raised his hand: "Okay, I was wrong. Next time I'll make her a vegetable and fruit salad. I guarantee it will fill her stomach, but without any oil."

As he spoke, he got up, took out a large pork hock that he had hidden in the box, placed it on the table, and winked at Di Ying.

"Since Niao Niao can't finish it, why don't my wife and I enjoy it together? Let her watch from the side; it'll make her drool."

Seeing the steaming, tender braised pork hock, Di Ying couldn't help but be tempted. She glanced at Xiaoxiao with her eyebrows and wrinkled her nose as she smiled and said, "Great idea! Let's eat it in front of her, so she can only look but not touch it."

Niao Niao cried out in alarm, "You...you've gone too far!"

She then pounced on Di Ying, wrapping her arms around her slender waist and pleading, "Good sister, I don't want to eat it. Just smelling it will satisfy my craving, okay?"

Di Ying picked up a piece of tender pork skin and put it into her mouth, making a soft "mmm" sound: "My lord's cooking skills are getting more and more exquisite. This pork hock is even more flavorful than before."

"Having talked with Scholar Su so many times, I have gained some insights. After returning to Bianjing, I will conduct further research with Scholar Su to strive for excellence."

The couple ate and chatted, while Niao Niao stood beside them, exasperated yet trying to swallow her anger. Surprisingly, the scene was quite harmonious and peaceful.

Light footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by a maid's voice informing Zhao Xiaoqian that the guard Jia Jiu requested his presence. Zhao Xiaoqian took a large bite of pork skin, straightened his clothes, and calmly stepped out of the room.

Upon arriving at the front courtyard, Jia Jiu stood upright under the tree. Seeing Zhao Xiaoqian approach, he first bowed respectfully, then whispered, "I have completed the instructions given to me by the young master last time."

"I have arranged for men to find a deserted valley in the upper reaches of the Juma River and hired dozens of blacksmiths to stay there on standby. Men have also been arranged to guard the valley to ensure that the secret will not be leaked. Ten thousand catties of pig iron and the furnace and tools needed for blacksmithing have also been prepared."

Zhao Xiaoqian patted him on the shoulder with a smile and said, "Not bad, you're good at getting things done, but you're not very good at chatting. Learn more from Chen Shou. Look at him, he does his job meticulously, and when there's nothing to do, he's a smooth talker."

"Well, this is called professionalism."

Jia Jiu forced out a smile that looked more like a grimace: "I'll learn slowly."

"...Just be able to chat, no need for fake smiles, it really looks bad, like a jerk forced to attend his girlfriend's wedding."

…………

After giving instructions to Di Ying, Zhao Xiaoqian disguised himself as a merchant and quietly left the mansion through the back door.

The matter to be handled today is highly confidential. Zhao Xiaoqian is unsure whether Zhao Xu has already infiltrated his Prince's residence with spies. Everything must be done discreetly.

After leaving the city alone, Zhao Xiaoqian waited outside the city for a while.

An hour later, Chen Shou and Jia Jiu arrived with several hundred disguised imperial guards and joined Zhao Xiaoqian.

Everything was being done in secret. Now that the situation in Bianjing had entered a critical period, Zhao Xiaoqian felt that time was running out.

After meeting outside the city, Jia Jiu led the way, and Zhao Xiaoqian rode the Ferghana horse Gou Sheng. The group traveled north and, after a day of rapid travel, arrived at a valley in the upper reaches of the Juma River.

This place is not far from the former Juma River Camp, only about a hundred miles away.

With the changing situation between the Song and Liao dynasties, the Song army's seemingly peaceful but actually relentless advance, and the Liao state's forced abandonment of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, the Juma River camp, which was once the front line between the Song and Liao dynasties, has now been abandoned by the Song army, and the front line between the Song and Liao dynasties has reached the north of Xijin Prefecture.

This valley was the most suitable place Jia Jiu had found. There were originally two villages not far away, but as the war between the Song and Liao dynasties intensified, the villagers of the two villages had dispersed, leaving only empty houses in the villages. The area within dozens of miles was indeed deserted.

Zhao Xiaoqian was very satisfied with the location chosen by Jia Jiu. This man was indeed reliable. His father had a good eye, and the assassins he selected were truly exceptional.

Now Zhao Xiaoqian has figured out the rules of Zhao Hao's faction. Their names are arranged according to the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. Jia, Yi, Bing, and Ding are the backbone of this faction. In particular, those whose names contain "Jia" are not ordinary people.

The valley was silent; not even birds could be heard. It seemed that after choosing this location, Jia Jiu had sent people to search the surrounding area. Not only were people driven away, but even the birds and beasts in the vicinity were driven away.

Looking up at the valley above, Zhao Xiaoqian could vaguely see figures moving about in the dense forest, which should be the men of his father's faction on guard.

The valley was quite large, with more than a dozen thatched huts built inside. More than thirty blacksmiths stood straight outside the huts, like soldiers being inspected, their eyes fixed intently on Zhao Xiaoqian and his group.

Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at the blacksmiths and immediately knew their origins.

Turning to look at Jia Jiu, Zhao Xiaoqian asked, "Were these blacksmiths sent by my father?"

Jia Jiu nodded and said, "Yes, Your Highness, when you heard that the young master secretly summoned blacksmiths, you knew that the young master must be making powerful firearms again. This matter is top secret, and Your Highness must not let outsiders know about it. In particular, you must be careful in choosing the blacksmiths and never let the secret be leaked."

“These blacksmiths are also the prince’s loyal followers, trained many years ago. Their loyalty to the prince and the crown prince is beyond doubt.”

Although Zhao Xiaoqian was unwilling, he now had to admit that in this critical period, only biological fathers and sons were truly trustworthy, and using his father's men reduced many concerns.

He gathered the blacksmiths together, stood before them, and said in a deep voice, "I want to make something. It's a long-range firearm, used for sieges and battle formations... Never mind, there's no point in explaining it to you. Just make it as I instruct."

The blacksmiths responded with a roar, and then, following Zhao Xiaoqian's instructions, began to smelt pig iron and cast molds.

Zhao Xiaoqian didn't have to do anything; he could just give orders verbally.

Chen Shou stood quietly beside Zhao Xiaoqian, his mood and expression both very calm.

He knew that Zhao Xiaoqian was doing something behind the backs of the emperor and the court, and he also knew that he actually belonged to the Bianjing Palace Guard Command.

But he knows even better to follow his own heart.

Having followed Zhao Xiaoqian for so many years, sharing his glory and humiliation, the brothers of the Imperial Guard under Chen Shouhe had long regarded themselves as Zhao Xiaoqian's personal guards and soldiers. They no longer cared about the emperor or the court; they only recognized Zhao Xiaoqian.

Today, Zhao Xiaoqian didn't explain anything to them, but he calmly brought them to this valley and let them see these strange and mysterious people, which already says a lot.

Zhao Xiaoqian treated them as his own people, trusting them wholeheartedly, and considered them his own people to whom he could entrust his back.

Chen Shou and the Imperial Guards understood without any hesitation. From then on, they became Zhao Xiaoqian's personal guards and private soldiers.

Even if Zhao Xiaoqian were to say now that he wanted to rebel and usurp the throne, Chen Shou and his brothers in the Imperial Guards would not hesitate to draw their swords and carve a bloody path for Zhao Xiaoqian to the throne in Bianjing, and finally drape the yellow robe over his body.

(End of this chapter)