The prince is more stable

Chapter 741 Stay safe
Prince Duan, Zhao Ji, remains the primary enemy that both father and son have always focused on.

The enmity between them is no longer something that can be resolved by either side taking the initiative to compromise and make concessions. Over the past few years, the two sides have been going back and forth, targeting and assassinating each other. Everyone knows that they are now at a point of no return.

The reason why they paid so much attention to Zhao Ji was that both father and son knew that once Zhao Xu passed away, Zhao Ji would be the first heir to the throne and the top choice of the court officials.

Zhao Xiaoqian was lucky to be born into a good family, but Zhao Ji was even better, born at the peak of his career, with the throne waiting for him.

Once Zhao Ji ascends the throne, he will definitely take action against the King of Chu and his son first. The political environment in the Song Dynasty is relatively relaxed, and under normal circumstances, officials and scholars will not be killed without authorization.

But Emperor Huizong of Song was different. Regardless of what others said, he would definitely cancel the household registration of Zhao Xiaoqian's entire family, even if it was an enemy like Zhao Hao or Zhao Xiaoqian.

In any case, this guy was an absolute tyrant in real history, otherwise the Northern Song Dynasty wouldn't have fallen under his rule.

This is why Zhao Xiaoqian sent his wife and children to Japan ahead of time; he was not wary of Zhao Xu, but of Zhao Ji.

Given Zhao Xu's character, he would never bring himself to kill his wife and children.

But if the worst-case scenario occurs and Zhao Ji does ascend the throne, at least his wife and children can save their lives.

"Zhao Ji...is he really going to stay obediently in the palace? Doesn't he know that the Emperor's health is failing? Shouldn't he be running around trying to network with the court officials at this time?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked.

Zhao Hao chuckled coldly: "Does he need to make connections?"

Zhao Xiaoqian thought about it and agreed. According to etiquette, Zhao Ji was the first in line to the throne. Regardless of seniority or whether he was legitimate or illegitimate, he was the undisputed first choice. The old guys in the court valued etiquette, so Zhao Ji didn't need to do anything. People would naturally come out to support him when the time came.

Looking back at myself, if I were to ascend to that position through normal procedures, it would undoubtedly be much more difficult than for Emperor Huizong of Song.

"Father, what do you think we should do to deal with Zhao Ji?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked.

Zhao Hao said coldly, "The simplest way is to assassinate him."

Zhao Xiaoqian was startled: "This... isn't that a bit too rough?"

Zhao Hao sneered: "At a time like this, no amount of clever schemes or wits can compare to the simplicity and speed of a single blow. Schemes? Ha, planning, plotting, deception... all sorts of messy tricks, but in the end, isn't it all about taking his life?"

"The more tricks you use, the more flaws you have, and in the end, you will inevitably be devoured. If you look at the founding emperors throughout history, who among them rose to power through scheming? Didn't they all actually besiege the city with their armies, use military might to control the country, and climb to the throne over blood and corpses?"

"Only cowards hide behind the scenes, carefully manipulating power and thinking they can outmaneuver everyone. Such people won't last long even if they rule the country; they're inherently cowardly."

“A truly brilliant and ambitious monarch will never hesitate to take action when necessary. Playing games of power is a low-class approach. This was true of Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, and even our own Emperor Taizu.”

Zhao Hao patted him on the shoulder and said, "You're too thoughtful. You make a simple thing complicated and make things difficult for yourself."

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed and said, "I feel like there's something wrong with what Father said, but I can't refute it... Alright, I agree with Father."

Zhao Hao nodded and said, "Yes, now it all depends on His Majesty's health. Once His Majesty passes away, my son and I should make our move. The one who strikes first is king, the one who strikes last is a bandit!"

Zhao Xiaoqian said with a wry smile, "Even if Zhao Ji is killed, the court officials probably won't turn to support me..."

Zhao Hao narrowed his eyes, looking somewhat sinister, and said, "My son, I'll say it again: you're overcomplicating things. The ministers also have their own stances and needs. To gain their support, you simply need to cater to their preferences and exchange benefits."

"The struggle between the New Party and the Old Party was an excellent opportunity. Zhang Dun of the New Party was always dissatisfied with the Emperor's intentional or unintentional giving the Old Party a chance to breathe. He wanted to wipe out the Old Party. People like Su Zhe and Su Shi of the Old Party were even more dissatisfied with the Emperor's suppression of the Old Party, the abolition of old laws, and the dismissal of Yuan You officials."

“Since both sides are dissatisfied, why not take advantage of it? What new law or old law? It’s nothing more than a conflict of interests between the groups behind them. The new powerful, wealthy, and landlord families want to replace the old ones and take away their money, land, and power.”

"Wang Anshi's original intention for reform was good, and it did have some success. Unfortunately, he himself did not expect that the so-called reform would now become a tool for the old and new powerful nobles, merchants and landlords to fight for their interests. Ha! Reform? What a load of crap! They use reform as a tool, and we use reform as a bargaining chip."

"Qian'er, do you understand what I mean?"

Zhao Xiaoqian remained silent. He basically agreed with Zhao Hao's views, but he was somewhat surprised at this moment because Yelü Nanxian had said the same thing as Zhao Hao when they parted, which was to make good use of the struggle between the old and new parties to gain the support of the court officials.

This woman is really something.

Of course, what surprised Zhao Xiaoqian even more was that this living father seemed to have even more...

Unexpectedly, the seemingly carefree and irreverent prince had such profound insights into the political situation.

Life truly is like a play. If we're talking about who's the best actor, the father in front of me is definitely the number one contender. His acting is so good that even his own son almost believed it.

“Father, you’ve been exposed…” Zhao Xiaoqian said abruptly.

Zhao Hao was startled, and the fat man's face immediately turned pale: "What did I reveal?"

“You’ve revealed your true nature, Father. You’ve been hiding it so well.”

Zhao Hao breathed a sigh of relief, then angrily grabbed the chopsticks on the table and threw them at him: "You scared me to death! I thought I had made a mistake and failed at the last minute."

Then Zhao Hao glared at him fiercely and said, "I'm safer by hiding my talents. Outsiders think I'm just a good-for-nothing old wastrel who only knows how to eat, drink, and have fun. You wouldn't think so too, would you? If I were a hopeless case, how could I have raised such a capable son?" "Father, actually, most of my abilities come from my own hard work..."

"Shut up! It's getting late. Let's pack up and prepare to go to the palace to see the Emperor."

Zhao Hao looked worried and said in a low voice, "Meeting the emperor is like seeing a tiger. Today's emperor is not the same as the emperor of the past. Be careful what you say."

"I understand, I'll go change into my official robes now."

As he spoke, Zhao Xiaoqian stood up, but after taking a step, he suddenly turned back and said, "By the way, before I entered the city today, the Emperor sent an imperial decree to bestow titles upon me. I am no longer the Prince of Hejian, but have been promoted to 'Prince Cheng'. Father, from now on we are equals."

Zhao Hao was startled, his expression changing several times, and he murmured, "A Prince of the First Rank? Your Majesty..."

Then Zhao Hao shook his head and smiled wryly: "The Emperor has really gone to great lengths to get you back to the capital."

…………

In the afternoon.

Dressed in his official robes and wearing a double-winged official hat, Zhao Xiaoqian went out, boarded a carriage, and headed straight for Yanfu Palace.

Sitting in the swaying carriage, Zhao Xiaoqian felt extremely heavy-hearted, and images of his close and intimate conversations with Zhao Xu kept flashing through his mind.

Is drifting apart the inevitable price of growing up?
The carriage arrived at the palace gates not long after it had traveled.

Like the Vermilion Bird Avenue in Chang'an, the Imperial Street in Bianjing also ends at the Imperial Palace. Zhao Hao's Chu Prince's Mansion was right next to the Imperial Street, which was actually very close to the Imperial Palace. If one didn't care about pomp and circumstance, it would be a quick walk to the Imperial Palace.

As soon as Zhao Xiaoqian stepped off the carriage, he saw Zheng Chunhe waiting outside the palace gate.

Zhao Xiaoqian was startled and hurriedly stepped forward, saying, "How could I trouble Eunuch Zheng to wait for me? It is truly a sin."

Zheng Chunhe smiled brightly: "It is my blessing, how can I say I am tired? In the past, when Your Highness came to the palace, I often waited for Your Highness here."

Zhao Xiaoqian was momentarily dazed, and a strange sense of loss, as if things had changed and people were no longer the same, filled his heart.

Yes, the people in front of us are still the same people from back then, but the things in front of us are no longer the same as they were back then.

Subconsciously reaching into his robes, Zhao Xiaoqian pulled out a thick stack of gold leaves and stuffed them into Zheng Chunhe's hand.

Zheng Chunhe was startled and hurriedly declined, "No, no, this servant was not there to greet Your Highness for this reason."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "When I entered the palace before, wasn't this the same for us? Eunuch Zheng, please don't refuse. Accept it. His Majesty's health... A new emperor brings a new court. Eunuch Zheng should also find a way out for himself and save some money for his retirement."

Zheng Chunhe understood what he meant, her eyes reddened, and she choked up as she put the gold leaf into her bosom, then whispered her thanks.

“I once gave you a residence in Bianjing. If Eunuch Zheng wants to return to his hometown to retire in the future, he can sell the residence in Bianjing and I will give you some gifts. We have met by fate, and I will guarantee that you will not have to worry about making a living for the rest of your life. It would be good if we could finish what we started,” Zhao Xiaoqian continued.

Zheng Chunhe felt a lump in her throat and suddenly wanted to cry, but with so many people and eyes in the palace, she managed to hold back. After a few sobs, she quickly wiped away her tears with her sleeve.

"Your Highness, if I may be so bold as to say a few words... His Majesty's health has been deteriorating these past few months. He often falls into a deep sleep for most of the day before waking up. He has essentially handed over all state affairs to Minister Zhang. The imperial physicians are busy running around, trying many different prescriptions, but nothing seems to work..."

"The Emperor's temperament has become quite irritable and unpredictable. Many palace servants have made minor mistakes, but the Emperor has ordered them to be punished. Several palace servants have been crippled. The Emperor's attitude towards court officials has also become increasingly hostile. Even Minister Zhang has been scolded by the Emperor several times, which has never happened before."

Zhao Xiaoqian listened silently and nodded secretly.

It's understandable. With little time left and no children, who would feel good seeing their great empire fall into someone else's hands?
The dream I once had of destroying the Liao and Western Xia dynasties and unifying the Chinese land has become a pipe dream, impossible to achieve in this lifetime. Instead, I am beset by internal and external troubles that are difficult to eliminate.

Putting myself in his shoes, if Zhao Xiaoqian were in his shoes, he would probably be very irritable too.

"Your Highness, please be careful with your words when you have an audience with the Emperor, lest you offend him. This is all I have to say," Zheng Chunhe said quickly.

The two had arrived outside the Funing Palace. Zheng Chunhe immediately stopped talking and gestured for Zhao Xiaoqian to wait outside the door, while he went into the palace to report.

A moment later, Zheng Chunhe came out and announced loudly, "His Majesty summons Prince Zhao Xiaoqian to the palace for an audience."

Zhao Xiaoqian straightened his clothes, bowed and entered the hall. Just as he was about to pay his respects, he suddenly noticed that there was someone in front of him who weakly supported his arm.

"Zi'an, how have you been?"

Zhao Xiaoqian looked up and was surprised to see Zhao Xu standing in front of him, dressed in a yellow robe, his face somewhat pale, but still smiling.

Her features remained unchanged from back then, and even her smile seemed to have never changed, still so bright and warm.

Time seems to have never passed, but rather stood still in the days when the emperor, his subjects, and his brothers were so close.

(End of this chapter)