The prince is more stable

Chapter 733 Seeded Players
The letters between the emperor and his subjects contained no commanding tone, but rather the casual tone of brothers chatting about everyday life.

Zhao Xu said that the soup dumplings at the First Floor of Zhouqiao were delicious. Later, he went there several times incognito, but for some reason, he could never taste the same flavor as before. Perhaps his sense of taste was off.

Zhao Xu said that during the Mid-Autumn Festival, he summoned members of the Zhao clan to the palace for a banquet. Your father, the King of Chu, was also there. During the banquet, he got drunk and talked a lot of nonsense. He even composed a poem, which was also a mess and unbearable to listen to. I don't know if he was embarrassed, but I was quite embarrassed at the time.

If you have time, you can try to persuade him. He's getting on in years, and not only is his drinking bad, but he also doesn't watch his diet. If he can control himself a little, lose a few pounds, and live a few more years, wouldn't that be better?

Zhao Xu also said, "I have never seen you live in the Bianjing Prince's Mansion that I bestowed upon you, but I have been sending people to repair and maintain it. Two months ago, I heard that a palace servant from the Palace Secretariat dared to embezzle the special funds for the repair and maintenance of the Prince's Mansion. In a fit of rage, I immediately had that palace servant executed..."

They talked about everyday things, in a plain and simple way, without any emotion in their words, as if they were just calmly recounting ordinary events.

At the end of the letter, Zhao Xu finally said that his health was gradually deteriorating. Although the imperial physicians and the court officials and palace servants around him tried to comfort him, he was aware of his physical condition and regretted that he had listened to the sorcerer's bewitching words and indiscriminately took elixirs.

He was originally expected to live for several more years, but now it seems his days are numbered, and he only has a few months left.

Zian, I miss you so much. Will I ever see you again in this life?
Zhao Xiaoqian read the letter over and over again, and by the end, he couldn't help but tear up.

Does pure brotherhood truly exist in this world?

Zhao Xiaoqian didn't know that the answer might disappoint him.

They are all individuals, each with their own independent thoughts and pursuits, and their own difficult choices regarding good and evil and selfishness. Even if they are brothers, how can there be pure kinship?

Human nature cannot withstand the test, and neither can brotherhood.

However, after reading Zhao Xu's letter again and again, Zhao Xiaoqian, despite his efforts to restrain himself, was overcome by an irresistible urge.

He has achieved great success in his life, and is admired by all.

Was such a great achievement truly entirely created by himself?
If Zhao Xu hadn't given him a strong push from behind, and hadn't trusted him wholeheartedly, given him important responsibilities, and even violated ancestral rules for him, what would Zhao Xiaoqian be today?
For the sake of so-called military power, he refused to even see Zhao Xu one last time. What kind of character does Zhao Xiaoqian have?
A person who lives selfishly and disregards even their closest relatives has no meaning in life. What good is absolute power if they can't even control the sky? Let alone whether others respect them, do they even respect themselves?
Perhaps his relationship with Zhao Xu has soured now, but the fact remains that despite Zhao Xu's suspicion and fear of him, as an emperor, he has never taken any real action to harm him.

Zhao Xiaoqian knew very well that Zhao Xu had truly shown leniency. He could have been more drastic and used various means to strip him of his military power, but Zhao Xu did not do so; his actions were always gentle and subtle.

Putting everything else aside, Zhao Xiaoqian's parents are still in Bianjing. If Zhao Xu really intends to turn against him, as long as he holds two knives to his parents' necks, would Zhao Xiaoqian dare not return to the capital?
The emperor had matured, but in the end, he still retained some kindness and affection for him, which was perhaps the last bit of light left in his life.

Not all emperors are heartless. Emperors are also human beings, with emotions and desires, and their actions are a mixture of good and evil.

At least Emperor Zhao Xu was still a flesh-and-blood human being.

Inside the command tent, Zhao Xiaoqian's gaze kept shifting between the imperial edict and Zhao Xu's letter, his expression showing a struggle.

Seeing his expression, the generals were filled with anxiety.

Zhong Jianzhong cautiously said, "Your Highness, you wouldn't really be planning to return to the capital, would you? Please think it over!"

The generals inside the tent echoed, "Your Highness, please reconsider!"

Zong Ze said in a low voice, "Once Your Highness returns to the capital, I'm afraid you'll never be able to return to the army again in this lifetime."

Zhao Xiaoqian's lips curled into a smile: "You all think I can't return to the capital?"

The generals nodded and said in unison, "That's right."

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at Xu Jiang, who quickly turned his head away and said coldly, "I am blind and deaf. I can't see or hear anything. Zi'an, you can make the decision yourself."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled. He understood Xu Jiang's position. As the deputy envoy, it was his duty to incite Zhao Xiaoqian to oppose the emperor and the court. Maintaining a neutral stance was already the biggest compromise he could make.

Inside the tent, Zhang Rong suddenly chuckled and said, "Vice Envoy Xu probably doesn't want His Highness to return to the capital either. If His Highness returns, Vice Envoy Xu might also be recalled by the Privy Council, which wouldn't do... Vice Envoy Xu has a beautiful concubine in Xijin City, and the novelty hasn't worn off yet."

The crowd inside the tent burst into laughter. Zhao Xiaoqian looked at Xu Jiang in disbelief: "Is that really true? Mr. Chongyuan, you're old but not at all, and you're even more adept at these things than I am..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xu Jiang, already losing face, stood up in a fit of rage and pointed at the generals in the tent, shouting, "Shut up! All of you shut up! Don't mention my private affairs, or don't blame me for turning my back on you!"

After saying this, Xu angrily turned and left the command tent.

The laughter inside the tent ceased, and the generals' expressions returned to solemnity.

Everyone knew that what had just happened was merely a pretext; Xu knew he should no longer remain in the commander's tent, as the audience was about to utter these treasonous words, which was truly a test of his loyalty.

After a moment of silence, Zhao Xiaoqian looked again at the imperial edict and Zhao Xu's letter, and slowly said, "I... still want to go back to Bianjing."

The tent remained completely silent, as if the generals had already known Zhao Xiaoqian's choice.

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed sadly, "His Majesty's health is probably... I want to go back to Bianjing to see him one last time."

"Don't blame me for being indecisive, don't blame me for not making a decision. I always believe that in a person's life, besides power and interests, there should always be other things worth pursuing and protecting. If a person's life is only about seeking power and interests, it is too pathetic." The generals were silent, but they all nodded.

Zhong Jianzhong said deeply, “Your Highness’s temperament and character are precisely the reason why we followed you without regret. I am very fortunate that Your Highness has remained unchanged after so many years.”

"In order to see His Majesty one last time, His Highness risked his life to return to the capital. I also believe that, given His Highness's loyal and righteous nature, he will not abandon any of us if any of us encounter danger or hardship in the future."

After Zhong Jianzhong finished speaking, all the generals in the tent stood up, clasped their fists, and said in unison, "We are honored and swear to follow Your Highness to the death!"

Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes were filled with tears, and he nodded repeatedly, deeply moved.

"Good, good! It is a great blessing to have met you all in this life."

After a moment of silence, Di Zi, seemingly unintentionally, murmured to himself inside the tent: "If the Emperor passes away without an heir, the throne will pass from brother to brother. But... must it be chosen from among the Emperor's own brothers? His brothers also bear the surname Zhao..."

"Those so-called brothers of the emperor are not born of the same mother..."

One sentence was like a wake-up call. The generals in the tent all opened their eyes wide, gasped, and turned to look at Di Zi with shocked expressions.

Di Zi seemed to come to his senses and smiled apologetically: "Uh, I misspoke. I misspoke just now. Please pretend I didn't say anything."

Inside the command tent, all was silent, so quiet that one could almost hear the rapid heartbeats of everyone present.

Zhao Xiaoqian also looked at Di Zi with a surprised expression.

This old bastard...when did he learn those green tea tricks? Damn, is all you care about is Giaogiao?
The tent remained silent. The generals, having recovered from their shock, looked at each other, their eyes conveying the same message.

Is there any potential in this?

Old Di is right. In any case, even the emperor's own brothers aren't that close. So why can't the imperial relatives compete for power?
The Song Dynasty is in its current state entirely thanks to Your Highness's achievements, your prestige in the court and among the people, your shared surname of Zhao, and the fact that your father, the Prince of Chu, is the current emperor's uncle...

If succession by a younger brother is not allowed, is it possible for succession by a nephew to be passed down to an uncle?

Di Zi’s seemingly unintentional remark instantly broadened everyone’s thinking and perspective.

Then, all the generals turned their gazes toward Zhao Xiaoqian, their eyes filled with fervor and intensity.

Today the court questions us, tomorrow the emperor suspects us. We risk our lives for the country, yet we must guard against criticism and suspicion from Bianjing, and even betrayal.

Why not just put His Highness on the throne as emperor?

To put it more bluntly, the generals now support and follow Zhao Xiaoqian, and are determined to hold onto military power. In the eyes of the emperor and the court, they are all traitors, just like Zhao Xiaoqian.

If the Emperor were to pass away and His Highness were to become a contender for the throne, would the nature of the generals be different?

If former rebels who commanded armies and held considerable power become supporters of the succession struggle, and they ultimately succeed, wouldn't everyone's actions be considered legitimate?

After Emperor Taizong of Tang launched the Xuanwu Gate Incident, who would still hold Li Shimin accountable for his unauthorized mobilization of troops? Who would care about his crimes of fratricide and murder? Who would impeach Changsun Wuji, Yuchi Gong, Qin Qiong, and others for their rebellion?
They are not criminals; they are all meritorious officials of the Lingyan Pavilion.

If Emperor Taizong of Tang could do it, why couldn't Zhao Xiaoqian and the others?

The victor is king, the loser is villain; that's all there is to it.

The more the generals thought about it, the more passionate they became, as if their whole being was ablaze with energy.

Zhe Keshi, the most impulsive man in the tent, suddenly stood up and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Your Highness, this humble general is willing to die for you..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Xiaoqian's expression suddenly changed: "Shut up! Sit down!"

Looking around at his generals, Zhao Xiaoqian said coldly, "Don't say anything. Some words, once spoken, can lead to disaster. You're all adults; don't make trouble for yourselves."

The generals nodded silently.

Several people, however, had their eyes flickering as they began to analyze His Highness's words in depth.

So, some things can be done silently, but not said aloud, is that what it means?

At this moment, the generals no longer looked at Zhao Xiaoqian as the Prince of Hejian or the Pacification Commissioner of Hebei West Circuit, but as a member of the imperial family and a hot candidate for the next emperor of the Song Dynasty.

Ah, thinking about it this way, the generals suddenly felt that they were legal, and that whatever they did was legal.

(End of this chapter)