The prince is more stable

Chapter 724 Awakening from the Darkness

The garrison in Yanyun was Zhao Xiaoqian's base of operations.

Zhao Hao sent letters time and again, emphasizing the need to hold tight to military power, even if it meant disobeying the imperial decree and facing charges of treason. He stressed that military power should never be relinquished.

Zhao Xiaoqian understood Zhao Hao's meaning. With these 100,000 troops at his disposal, Zhao Hao's grand plan would be much more successful.

Zhao Xiaoqian had too many concerns before, looking back and forth. Just as Yelü Nanxian said, he wanted to value both feelings and benefits. How could there be such a good deal in the world?
If Zhao Xu wakes up, his actions against Zhao Xiaoqian and the Yanyun garrison will not stop, but will intensify.

Sooner or later, the court's sword will indeed be held to the necks of the King of Chu and his son, not only the father and son, but also his mother, as well as the wives, concubines, and sons in the mansion.

The family is waiting for their decision; if they are still hesitant and indecisive at this point, it would be a sign of womanly compassion.

Therefore, Zhao Xiaoqian decided to go to the Xijin Prefecture camp.

He wanted to completely control this army of 100,000.

He couldn't bear to watch the court's sword fall, especially since his newborn son was still so small, not even a month old. Zhao Xiaoqian was already a father; how could he bear to see an innocent child be implicated and lose his life?

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Zhao Xiaoqian donned his armor and strode out the door, surrounded by Chen Shou and the imperial guards.

Di Ying and her concubines saw him off at the gate. The wives and concubines looked resentful, wondering how long their husband would be away from home this time.

Di Ying kept adjusting Zhao Xiaoqian's armor and helmet, her eyes reddening and choking with emotion, saying, "My lord, please take care of yourself on your journey. You must not ride at high speed. Your injuries haven't healed yet. If something happens to you again, how will our family survive?"

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "Don't worry, I cherish my life more than anyone else. I want to live with you all until we're old and gray, surrounded by children and grandchildren."

Di Ying choked back a sob and said, "I know the political climate at court has been unfavorable lately, and the Emperor has become suspicious of you. I've seen how preoccupied you've been these past few days, but I wish I could do anything to help you..."

"My lord, you must be going to Xijin Prefecture to do something important. Please take good care of yourself on the journey. My sisters and I will be waiting for you to return home in Zhending City."

Zhao Xiaoqian gave her a deep look, then turned and strode onto his horse. With a shout, he led Chen Shou and the other imperial guards straight to the city gate.

…………

Bian Jing, Yanfu Palace.

Zhao Xu woke up.

The imperial physicians of the Imperial Medical Bureau used all their skills this time, and after three days and three nights of continuous rescue efforts, they finally managed to revive Zhao Xu.

Zhao Xu's sudden coma caused an uproar throughout Bianjing.

From the palace to the imperial court, and even to the common people in the marketplace, everyone was talking about it, and many people spontaneously went to Yuqing Palace outside the city to pray for Zhao Xu.

Although Zhao Xu had only been in power for a few years, it must be said that he had a positive impact on the development of the Song Dynasty. During his reign, the struggle between the old and new factions intensified, but miraculously, the internal strife in the court did not cause the country to regress, and the national treasury still maintained an annual income of nearly 100 million strings of cash.

Despite the many unreasonable aspects of the new law, many people still benefited from it, so Zhao Xu's reputation among the people was relatively positive. When news of his coma spread, many people rushed to Yuqing Palace and prayed for Zhao Xu in front of the statue of Laozi.

Whether it was the pious will of the people that moved Heaven, or the extraordinary skills of the imperial physicians, Zhao Xu finally woke up after being in a coma for three days.

Inside the Funing Palace, Zhao Xu had just opened his eyes when the news spread rapidly.

Meanwhile, Empress Dowager Xiang and other high-ranking officials, including Zhang Dun, who had been waiting for three days and three nights at the Hall of State Affairs and the Hall of Longevity, were overjoyed and immediately rushed to the Hall of Funing.

During the time Zhao Xu was in a coma, under the leadership of Empress Dowager Xiang, the bigwigs of the Council of State Affairs and the Privy Council had actually activated the court's emergency mechanism, which was to begin selecting the next emperor of the Song Dynasty.

Zhao Xu had no sons, and most of his brothers died young. Among the surviving brothers, including Zhao Ji, only five remained. Among them, Prince Shen, Zhao Bi, was blind. Therefore, there were actually only four people who could be chosen as heirs.

Of course, this does not include Zhao Xiaoqian, who is not Zhao Xu's biological brother, but only his cousin, and could not even make it into the preliminary rounds.

Zhao Xu was still alive, and it was really inconvenient for the court officials to speak about such a sensitive and taboo topic.

Therefore, during the days that Zhao Xu was in a coma, Empress Dowager Xiang and the officials of the Council of State were actually in great distress. Even Empress Dowager Xiang could not bring herself to speak, and Zhang Dun, that old fox, would doze off every day in the Council of State, pretending to be asleep, as if he could not hear or see anything.

Empress Dowager Xiang stayed in the Hall of State Affairs for a few days, engaging in a battle of wits and rhetoric with Zhang Dun. Neither of them was willing to bring up the matter of choosing the next emperor, and the situation remained deadlocked for three days.

Until today, a palace servant suddenly ran over to tell everyone that the Emperor had woken up.

Empress Dowager Xiang and Zhang Dun breathed a sigh of relief. Zhang Dun, who was usually calm and composed, couldn't help but shed tears at this moment.

If possible, none of us here would want anything to happen to the government, and it would be best if this situation could continue.

After all, every new emperor brings a new court; which of these old foxes here doesn't know that?

With a new emperor, it's not just a matter of personal honor and disgrace for the officials; it also signifies the end of the regime with the death of the leader. Everything Zhang Dun has done over the years could very well be completely overturned by the new emperor.

Inside the Funing Palace, Zhao Xu opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was Zheng Chunhe, who was weeping, and the trembling imperial physicians beside him.

"Your Majesty...you are blessed by the heavens! You have finally woken up!" Zheng Chunhe cried, kneeling before the bed. Zhao Xu's face was pale, and his lips were bluish-purple. Although he had woken up, his body had not necessarily recovered. The indulgence of the past six months and the consumption of the sorcerer's pills had ruined his body beyond repair.

Zhao Xu lifted his listless eyes and looked at Zheng Chunhe in front of the bed, a warm feeling flowing through his heart.

"Chunhe, thank you for your hard work..." Zhao Xu opened his mouth to speak, his voice hoarse and unpleasant, like tearing silk.

"Your Majesty, I was so worried! Fortunately, Your Majesty is blessed by the heavens. You escaped unharmed, and the Song Dynasty is fortunate indeed!"

Zhao Xu gave a wry smile. He knew his own body best, and looking at the bitter expressions of the imperial physicians beside him, he felt even more certain.

Waking up doesn't mean he's recovered. In fact, his condition was very serious, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he didn't have much time left.

"Chunhe, how many days have I been unconscious?" Zhao Xu asked in a hoarse voice.

Zheng Chunhe said cautiously, "The Emperor has been unconscious for three days, and the court is in an uproar..."

Zhao Xu revealed a cold smile: "Is the court... busy choosing the next new emperor?"

Zheng Chunhe shuddered and dared not utter a word.

The topic was too sensitive; it was not something a mere eunuch like him could get involved in.

Zhao Xu, however, had no taboos. The emperor was in a coma and his days were numbered. It was reasonable for the court officials to choose a new emperor. He was not a foolish ruler and was ultimately reasonable.

However, Zhao Xu was not thinking about choosing a new emperor at the moment; he had more important things to do.

Regardless of how much time he has left to live, this matter must be resolved, otherwise he will die with regrets.

After closing his eyes and pondering for a moment, Zhao Xu suddenly opened them and asked weakly, "Is Zhao Zi'an... still recuperating in Zhen Ding City?"

Zheng Chunhe carefully replied, "Yes, His Highness the Prince is seriously injured. According to Li Qingchen of the Zhen Ding Prefecture, the doctor said that His Highness's internal injuries will take at least several months to half a year to heal."

Zhao Xu closed his eyes and asked again, "Does he really not care about the military affairs of the Yan Yun garrison at all?"

"Yes, His Highness has entrusted all military affairs to General Xu, along with his subordinates Zhong Jianzhong and Zong Ze. These three are in charge of the overall situation in the army."

Many things should be judged by both intention and action. Zhao Xiaoqian could have stayed in Xijin Prefecture to recuperate. It was formerly Youzhou and also the former Nanjing of the Liao Kingdom. The city was much more prosperous than Zhengding City. Staying in Xijin Prefecture to recuperate would have provided him with access to renowned doctors and medicines, and he could have also taken control of the Yanyun garrison nearby.

Despite his serious injuries, Zhao Xiaoqian abandoned his military duties and returned to Zhen Ding City, hundreds of miles away, to recuperate. This action was actually a way of showing his loyalty to Zhao Xu, proving that he was honest and upright and had no ulterior motives towards the court.

Zhao Xu understood Zhao Xiaoqian's actions. He had mixed feelings about this cousin, feeling both wary and guilty.

Throughout history, emperors have always been lonely figures, because sitting in that position inevitably means letting down many people.

Zhao Xu sighed and said, "Zi'an... actually has no ambition, I've always known that. But I am the emperor, and whether he has ambition or not, I cannot allow a subject to hold too much military power. I hope... Zi'an will not hate me."

Zheng Chunhe was startled, wondering why Zhao Xu had suddenly said those words. Judging from his words, it seemed that he was going to take action against His Highness the Prince.
Before he could decide, a palace servant hurriedly entered the hall and reported, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager, Minister Zhang, Minister Zeng, and other court officials are requesting an audience outside the hall."

Zhao Xu snorted and said, "Have they come to see if I'm dead?... Let them in."

Empress Dowager Xiang led the way into the hall and saw Zhao Xu lying weakly on the bed. Tears streamed down her face.

"Your Majesty..." Empress Dowager Xiang choked up, tears welling up before she could speak.

Zhang Dun and the others also bowed deeply in greeting.

Zhao Xu lay on the bed, turned his head to look at them, and smiled: "You're all here, please have a seat."

The officials all said they dared not, only Empress Dowager Xiang sat by the bedside, bowing her head and wiping away tears with a silk handkerchief, while Zhang Dun and the others stood respectfully to the side.

"I have caused the Empress Dowager and all the officials to worry. It is my fault..."

Empress Dowager Xiang shook her head repeatedly. Although she and Zhao Xu were not biological mother and son, their relationship had been harmonious and amicable over the years. To outsiders, they were no different from biological mother and son.

"During the days I was unconscious, has the administration of state been neglected?" Zhao Xu asked again.

Zhang Dun rose to report on state affairs, but Empress Dowager Xiang shook her head to stop him.

"Your Majesty should take good care of your health and not waste your energy on state affairs. It would be better to rest for a few days. With Mr. Zihou and the others in charge, all matters of state will not be neglected."

Zhao Xu squinted at Zhang Dun and said calmly, "Mr. Zihou, please present your report."

Empress Dowager Xiang's expression froze. These words were very disrespectful to her, leaving her momentarily embarrassed.

(End of this chapter)