The prince is more stable

Chapter 735 Settling Wife and Children
Zhao Xiaoqian rushed back to Zhengding City for one purpose only: to book an overseas tour for his wife and children.

With chaos imminent, Zhao Xiaoqian's first priority is to protect the safety of his wife and children.

Within the territory of the Great Song Dynasty, including the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun controlled by Zhao Xiaoqian's generals, none of them could be considered safe. They were always at risk of being assassinated by infiltrators. If Di Ying and the other women were taken hostage, Zhao Xiaoqian would be rendered powerless with his weakness exploited.

Therefore, before the chaos ensues, protecting one's wife and children is the primary goal.

After thinking about it for a long time, Zhao Xiaoqian felt that the most suitable place for preservation was Japan.

The chaos in the Song Dynasty didn't reach Japan. Secondly, among Zhao Xiaoqian's wives and concubines were two Japanese sisters. Although they didn't seem to have much presence among the many wives and concubines in the harem, they held considerable influence in Japan.

They are descendants of the Japanese imperial family, and the two most prominent families under the Emperor, the Taira and the Minamoto, are their maternal families.

The enmity between the two countries that would have occurred a thousand years later has not yet materialized. Japan is currently very subservient to the Song Dynasty, and trade between the two countries is arguably at its highest point in history.

Japan deeply regarded the Song Dynasty as a superior empire, and due to racial prejudices, Japanese people even held Song Dynasty men in high esteem.

Along the eastern coast, fishing boats often carried young Japanese women who, upon encountering Song Dynasty fishermen, would invite them aboard. Admiring their imposing stature, they would engage in sexual intercourse for a night, after which they would part ways. If a Japanese woman became pregnant and gave birth to a child, it was considered a momentous occasion worthy of a grand banquet to celebrate by her family.

Despite the despicable nature of the act, Japan has given it a very elegant name, referring to it as "crossing over to the other side."

That's right, in order to improve the genetic makeup of the Japanese people, they went so far as to drain the bodies of Song Dynasty men; it was utterly inhumane...

Zhao Xiaoqian chose Japan to temporarily settle his wife and children for two reasons. First, Japan generally had a friendly attitude towards the Song Dynasty. Second, if possible, he could try to establish a territory on the four main islands of Japan as an overseas enclave for his family, where he could declare himself a prince and establish his own independent state.

Otherwise, why would Zhao Xiaoqian have temporarily mobilized Zhang Rong and 5,000 soldiers? Protecting his wife and children didn't require so many people, but conquering territory did.

Five thousand soldiers, equipped with firearms, landed on Japanese soil—the spectacle… just thinking about it is exciting.

Zhao Xiaoqian has mature plans for both himself and his family.

But Di Ying and the others didn't understand at all; they didn't even know what an overseas tour group was.

Zhao Xiaoqian didn't explain at first, but instead called the two Japanese sisters into the side room.

With one arm around each of them, and the two women sitting on his laps, men without power have no idea how blissful it is to have two women at once.

The skin is soft and yielding. The advantage of Japanese women is that they are hardworking and extremely cooperative. They do whatever their husbands say and never raise any objections. In Japanese education, a wife who opposes her husband is considered to be extremely rebellious and deserves to be beaten to death.

The two Japanese sisters looked somewhat bewildered as Zhao Xiaoqian held them in his arms.

Zhao Xiaoqian gently stroked their backs, offering incense to one on each side and treating them equally.

"The whole family is packing today, and we'll set off for Mizhou tomorrow. I've already sent someone ahead to contact merchant ships in Mizhou. Once you arrive at the port of Mizhou, you'll board the ship immediately and head to Japan..."

"Once you arrive in Japan, you can send envoys to contact your family members so they can meet with my general Zhang Rong and tell your families that we can cooperate..."

The two Japanese sisters were stunned, stammering, "Cooperation...what?"

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "Your family elders know what kind of cooperation is needed; you just need to make the necessary contacts."

"This time I'm sending 5,000 troops to land in Japan. This force would be invincible on your Japanese mainland. Even if your family wants to become emperor, I can help you achieve that."

The two sisters, Taira and Genji, were increasingly shocked. Taira, being slightly older and more mature than Genji, asked, "What does my lord desire?"

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled. That's a good question. No wonder she's a daughter raised in such a prominent family.

Ping knew very well that there was no such thing as a free lunch, and that the official would not help the two families for no reason; there must be a purpose and conditions.

As a married daughter, Ping Shi naturally stands on the side of her husband's family, but she needs to know Zhao Xiaoqian's conditions before she can talk to her family.

Zhao Xiaoqian had already thought of his conditions, and upon hearing this, he immediately said, "I want autonomy for Kyushu Island in Japan. 'Autonomy' means that I am the only one who matters on this small island, and even the Emperor cannot control me."

Japan has four islands, of which Kyushu is the closest to the Chinese mainland. Merchants from the Song Dynasty often docked at Nagasaki Port on Kyushu when trading with Japan.

What Zhao Xiaoqian needed was this territory, which perfectly echoed China across the sea, while also fulfilling his purpose of protecting his wife and children. There was also a hidden function: to strangle Japan's trade.

Without asking for a reason, Lady Ping immediately replied, "Yes, I will contact my family as soon as I arrive in Japan."

Genji, who was standing nearby, didn't quite understand, but he chimed in, "I will also keep in touch with the Genji family."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded and said, "If your two families have enemies in Japan, I can have Zhang Rong send troops to help you eliminate them. After the matter is settled, the other three islands will be assigned to your two families. As for the fate of the Emperor, your families can decide for themselves whether to depose or install him. I only want Kyushu Island."

Kyushu Island has a negligible population, since many people would die if a major upheaval were to occur anyway, but its land area is 40,000 square kilometers, which is quite a large territory, enough for them to manage themselves.

Why not protect your wife and children while also accumulating some wealth for your descendants?

After returning to Bianjing in a few days, Zhao Xiaoqian still needed to find a way to secretly send his mother, Madam Feng, away to Mizhou to reunite with his wife and children, and then send them to Japan for temporary refuge. As for his father, he didn't need to leave. The two of them would share both good and bad fortune, and Zhao Xiaoqian was eager to see just how many hidden tricks his father had accumulated over the years.

Now we've reached a critical moment; everything that needs to be done must be done.

After giving the two Japanese sisters many instructions, Zhao Xiaoqian looked at the beautiful women in front of him and suddenly felt a surge of emotion, and his hands gradually became unruly.

The two sisters hesitated, reluctantly refusing a few times. Just as they were about to close their eyes and silently accept the favor, the door was pushed open, and Di Ying stood in the doorway with an unhappy expression.

The two sisters panicked immediately, and as if they had been caught in the act, they hurriedly straightened their clothes, covered their faces, and ran out.

Di Ying glared at Zhao Xiaoqian and said, "Is my husband so impatient? The doctor said that sexual intercourse is forbidden during the recovery period. My body is already weak, and if I release my essence, the injury will be even more difficult to heal."

Zhao Xiaoqian said seriously, "Nonsense. Seeing is not necessarily believing. You think I was making fun of them just now, but actually I was playing a game with them."

"what game?"

"The game of tadpoles looking for their mother... If you don't mind, I'll explain the rules to you, and we can play together..."

Di Ying pushed away his unruly hand and said with a laugh, "What time is it? My husband, can't you be a little more proper?"

As she spoke, a look of worry appeared on Di Ying's face. She said, "My lord has suddenly returned, and I heard he brought five thousand soldiers with him. Has something big happened?"

Zhao Xiaoqian didn't hide anything from her and nodded, saying, "It is indeed a big matter. Five thousand soldiers will protect you. We will set off east tomorrow by sea to Japan for temporary refuge. In a few months, I will send someone to pick you up."

Di Ying said unhappily, "I know that you want to protect us, but you don't have to go so far. Can't my sisters and I just wait for you to return in Zhen Ding City?"

The matter was complicated and could not be explained to Di Ying. Zhao Xiaoqian shook his head, his attitude firm: "No, no city in the Great Song Dynasty is safe. Madam, you are my weakness. We must not let anyone take advantage of us, or our whole family will be doomed."

Seeing Zhao Xiaoqian speak so seriously and solemnly, Di Ying dared not object. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "My lord, what do you intend to do..."

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed and said, "I need to go back to Bianjing to handle a major matter. If it succeeds, we can enjoy generations of peace and prosperity. If it fails, at least we will have a way out."

"Madam, achievements and fame are my personal matters. I cannot let my success or failure affect my family. Therefore, I must make sure you are all settled before I start doing anything."

Di Ying came from a military family. Although she was married and spent her days managing household affairs in the Prince's mansion, she had a vague sense of the strange atmosphere that had been brewing lately.

Especially after her father, Di Zi, came over last time and subtly mentioned a few things to her, she became even more aware of her husband's current situation and the major events that might be about to happen.

At times like these, it's a time for men to fight to the death, and women can't help at all. Di Ying could only follow Zhao Xiaoqian's arrangements.

She knew that at this point, a woman's greatest contribution was simply not causing trouble for her husband.

"Yes, whatever you say, my lord, I will do. When you are not here, I will take good care of this family. No matter how hard or difficult it is, I will not let this family fall apart." Di Ying said with emphasis.

Zhao Xiaoqian gently stroked her face and said softly, "You are my strong support. I feel at ease leaving the family affairs to you. You have relieved me of many worries. I made the right choice in marrying this woman. I hope I can marry you again in the next life."

Di Ying's eyes welled up with tears, she sniffed hard, and punched him angrily: "We're an old married couple, talking about these things gives me goosebumps. Don't say that again!"

"Okay, okay, I won't say it again."

“No, we still need to bring it up occasionally in the future.” Di Ying rarely showed such a childlike side.

"Take all the money from the manor with you. It's better to be frugal on the road than poor. You'll need it when you get to Japan. If you run out of money, just tell Zhang Rong. He'll be able to raise more," Zhao Xiaoqian continued.

Di Ying asked curiously, "Isn't Zhang Rong a military officer under your command? What kind of money would he be involved in?"

"He has five thousand soldiers, each armed with a gun. With guns, why worry about money? Heh, you're overthinking it, madam."

Zhao Xiaoqian rubbed her face and said, "Kyushu Island in Japan is now our own territory. On this territory, whatever Madam takes a fancy to, whether it's a person or an object, just give Zhang Rong a look and he will deliver it to Madam with both hands."

"On our own turf, madam, please don't stand on ceremony. My dear, my dear, you all look just like me."

Hearing these outrageous words, Di Ying was stunned.

She didn't know much about her husband's affairs. As a woman, she didn't want to pry into what her husband was doing outside. But she never expected that her husband would be so domineering and tyrannical.

Those who hold military power are indeed so tyrannical.

For some reason, it sounds incredibly reassuring...

Looking at her husband, who was as handsome as ever, Di Ying rolled her eyes at him and said, "Only today do I realize that I have married a tyrannical scoundrel. Is your title of Prince bestowed by the Emperor a fake?"

(End of this chapter)