The prince is more stable

Chapter 750 The Wind Is Turning Wrong
Zhao Xiaoqian always knew that his mother, Madam Feng, was not a simple person.

Putting everything else aside, the fact that she dared to divorce her husband in this day and age, even at the cost of becoming a nun, shows that this woman is mentally strong and clear-headed.

She knows very well what she wants and what she doesn't want, and what she's willing to give up to get what she wants.

In the past, Zhao Xiaoqian devoted himself to filial piety and did not talk much about serious matters. In his eyes, his mother was always gentle, kind, and dignified, just like all mothers in the world. She liked to nag and wanted her son to spend more time with her.

Of course, she also had a touch of bourgeois sentimentality. In her secluded mansion, she personally planted flowers and took meticulous care of them every day. She preferred to carve out a space among the flowers, set up a low table, cushions, and tea set, and brew tea and read books with a serene expression while enjoying the fragrance of the flowers.

If no major storms occur, this will probably be how Feng's remaining years will go.

Only now has Zhao Xiaoqian come to realize another side of his mother.

He was calm and wise, decisive and ruthless, and even more ruthless than Zhao Hao.

Zhao Xiaoqian then realized that his parents were not exactly kind people.

Madam Feng was a very decisive person, one could say she was swift and efficient. When Zhao Xiaoqian said he would send her away, she immediately instructed her maid to pack her luggage.

Zhao Xiaoqian also ordered Chen Shou to carry boxes of silver into the mansion. Madam Feng was stunned when she saw the room filled with golden light.

"You, you are..."

"How can Mother not have travel expenses on her journey? I'm just offering a small token of my filial piety," Zhao Xiaoqian said with a smile.

“No, that’s too much. You’re at the age where you need money to do important things, and I can’t hold you back. Just give me a few dozen ingots of silver; that’ll be enough for your journey,” Madam Feng said firmly.

Zhao Xiaoqian didn't try to persuade her, he just gave one reason.

"This money was stolen from the royal treasury of my bastard father."

After a moment of silence, Madam Feng immediately changed her mind: "Take them all away! Not a single copper coin is allowed left!"

Turning her head to look at the dumbfounded Zhao Xiaoqian, Madam Feng explained earnestly, "Since it's your scoundrel father's money, I won't be polite. I'm happy to let that scoundrel lose money."

"...Whatever makes you happy."

That evening, Zhao Xiaoqian stayed at Fanglin Garden. Mother and son sat in the front hall and chatted for a long time, talking about everything from politics and state affairs to family matters.

She especially missed her grandson whom she had never met. Thinking that she would be able to hold her lovely grandson in her arms in a few days after her departure the next day, she became happy again.

The next day, before dawn, several carriages were already prepared at the back gate of the mansion, fully loaded with money and luggage.

Zhao Xiaoqian specifically ordered Chen Shou to allocate two hundred imperial guards to escort Lady Feng to Mizhou Port.

When it was time to part, Madam Feng did not show any sentimentality, but instead acted very generously and decisively, and vigorously rubbed Zhao Xiaoqian's face.

"I'm leaving now so you won't have to worry about anything. After I'm gone, you can go ahead and do whatever you want. No matter if you succeed or fail, you must make sure you stay safe and sound. If anything happens to you, your wife and children and I won't be able to live. Without a pillar of support, we women can't hold the family together."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded and said with a smile, "Mother, don't worry. My other skills are mediocre, but I am quite good at escaping. If things don't go well, I will run away immediately and flee to Japan. That way, I can become a local lord and my descendants can enjoy the good life for generations to come."

Mrs. Feng smiled with relief: "It's good that you think this way. It's good to have a backup plan in advance so that you don't gamble everything and take unnecessary risks."

After gazing at him intently for a long time, Feng's eyes gradually reddened, and just as tears were about to fall, she decisively turned around, got into the carriage, and lowered the curtain.

Two hundred imperial guards escorted several carriages, slowly making their way out of the city in the early morning light.

Zhao Xiaoqian stood there, staring blankly as the carriage procession drove away until it disappeared from sight, before finally letting out a soft breath.

With increasing expectations, worries, and responsibilities from his family, he was forced to admit that he had no choice but to win, whereas he had never cared much about winning or losing before.

Standing beside Zhao Xiaoqian, Chen Shou whispered, "Your Highness, the Emperor must know that the Old Madam has been sent out of Bianjing. Could he possibly..."

Zhao Xiaoqian's gaze remained fixed ahead, and he said calmly, "It's alright. As long as I stay in Bianjing, the Emperor will be at ease. As for whether my parents, wife, and children stay or not, it's not important to the Emperor, so he won't care even if he finds out."

…………

Prince Duan's Mansion.

Several months ago, Zhao Ji was granted the title of "Prince Duan," which should have been a joyous occasion for the whole family. However, on the day of the conferment, Zhao Ji flew into a rage, smashing porcelain bowls, plates, calligraphy, and paintings all over the floor. He then locked himself in his room, his body trembling uncontrollably.

He knew very well why the Emperor had suddenly bestowed upon him the title of "Prince Duan".

It wasn't a favor, nor was it brotherly affection; it was all because of that nursery rhyme from Suining City in Shu. The rhyme was a veiled attack on his conscience, and Zhao Ji had no way to explain it. Sure enough, the emperor also became suspicious and immediately changed Zhao Ji's title.

This matter remained a thorn in the side of the Emperor and Emperor Huizong. Even though Emperor Huizong visited the palace many times afterward and acted as a brother in front of the Emperor, he always felt that the relationship between the brothers was not quite the same as before.

What's missing is probably called "trust".

As the male protagonist of the nursery rhyme, how could Zhao Xu be completely unconcerned and still treat Zhao Ji with the same attitude as before?

It must be said that the Chu King and his son made a truly ruthless move. The shadow that the nursery rhyme cast on Zhao Ji has not been able to be erased to this day, forcing him to stay obediently in the palace for the past few months, not daring to move an inch. He is even worried about arousing the emperor's suspicion if he goes out to meet with literati.

Of course, there has been some good news recently.

The good news was that Zhao Ji learned from the imperial physicians that Emperor Zhao Xu's health was deteriorating and his death was likely imminent. There was much discussion in the court, with most people agreeing that Zhao Ji should inherit the throne according to ancestral rules.

Zhao Ji was no longer in a hurry, nor did he need to engage in any networking activities. He only needed to stay obediently in the palace, and the throne would naturally fall from the sky. If he tried to be clever and engage in any small-scale networking with court officials at this time, it would only backfire.

So these past few days, Zhao Ji has been in a very good mood. On the surface, he spends his days reading and writing in the palace, closing himself off from guests and not interacting with outsiders, appearing aloof and arrogant. In reality, he is so excited that he can't sleep every night. The thought of the throne soon falling on his head makes Zhao Ji tremble with excitement.

Especially yesterday, when he heard that Zhao Xiaoqian had actually returned to the capital, Zhao Ji became even more excited.

Zhao Xiaoqian is in charge of troops in Yanyun, holding the power of 100,000 soldiers. Because of this, the atmosphere in the Emperor and the court has become strange recently. Many censors have submitted memorials expressing their concerns about Zhao Xiaoqian's military power, but Zhao Xu has kept them to himself, making the atmosphere even more strange.

These days, Zhao Xu's troubles are also Zhao Ji's troubles.

There was no other way; Zhao Ji had already automatically assumed the role of emperor. He had thought more than once about how he would deal with the situation if he suddenly ascended the throne and the issue of Zhao Xiaoqian's military power remained unresolved.

Aside from the court directly turning against Zhao Xiaoqian, Zhao Ji couldn't think of any other way.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Xiaoqian returned to the capital yesterday, and he did so without military power, traveling light and with a small entourage. This fact delighted Zhao Ji.

Is this a gift from nature?
How could Zhao Xiaoqian make such a foolish move? He abandoned his only support and returned to the capital alone. What difference is there between him and a lamb entering a tiger's den?

Unable to fathom Zhao Xiaoqian's purpose in returning to the capital, Zhao Ji pondered for a long time, ultimately attributing the reason to the imperial edict bestowed upon him. Zhao Ji couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

What naive people! Do they really think that relying on that tattered sign can guarantee generations of peace?

If Zhao Ji were to ascend the throne, the first thing he would do is to kill Zhao Hao and his son Zhao Xiaoqian, who are his mortal enemies and must die.

As for the imperial edict, go find whoever gave it to you; they don't acknowledge it anyway.

As his mood grew increasingly cheerful, Zhao Ji became more and more cautious in his palace. He even gave up drinking and spent his days studying diligently. His demeanor and speech exuded a composed air, and he felt quite satisfied with himself when he looked in the mirror each day, feeling that he was beginning to have the air of an emperor.

An official hurried up to Zhao Ji. The official was the chief secretary of the Prince's Palace and also his advisor. His name was Zhou Xingzhe, and Zhao Ji had always relied on him.

"Your Highness, the wind direction has been a bit off lately..." Zhou Xingzhe reported with a serious expression.

Emperor Huizong was startled. At this critical moment, what he feared most was hearing news that the wind was blowing in the wrong direction.

"What happened? Could it be Zhao Xiaoqian...?" Zhao Ji asked in a trembling voice.

Zhao Hao and his son were his number one enemies, and Zhao Ji was most worried about the father and son.

Zhou Xingzhe shook his head: "It wasn't Zhao Hao and his son, but Zhang Dun..."

"What happened to Zhang Dun?"

Zhou Xingzhe said in a low voice, "I have learned that when Zhang Dun was having a banquet with his colleagues and friends, he openly declared that he did not support His Highness's ascension to the throne and that the Emperor of the Great Song should appoint a virtuous person, not one based on seniority."

Zhao Ji's face turned pale instantly: "Zhang Dun, he, he... how could he say such a thing? I have never offended him."

Zhou Xingzhe hesitated for a moment before saying, "Zhang Dun does not think highly of Your Highness, saying that Your Highness is 'frivolous' and unfit to be emperor."

Emperor Huizong remained silent for a long while, his face gradually turning angry: "Flirtatious? When have I ever been frivolous? In the past, I only behaved somewhat inappropriately when drunk while gathering with some literati. Is that what you call 'frivolous'? Didn't Zhang Dun do the same thing when he was young?"

Zhou Xingzhe lowered his eyes and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, now is not the time to be angry. I think Your Highness should quickly make amends. Zhang Dun is the prime minister of the court. If he openly opposes Your Highness, Your Highness's ascension to the throne will surely be fraught with difficulties. This is a critical moment. Your Highness must remain calm."

Zhao Ji took a deep breath, quickly regained his composure, and calmly asked, "What should I do?"

“Your Highness, Zhang Dun is a stubborn man. Once he has made up his mind, it will be difficult to change it. I think we should not waste time on him. Instead, we should seek the help of the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager has a lot of influence in the matter of the successor to the throne.”

(End of this chapter)