The prince is more stable

Chapter 751 Each Offering Favors
The closer it got to the crucial moment, the more Zhao Ji feared that something unexpected might happen.

The throne was far too important to him. All the meticulous planning he had done over the years, even risking great danger to poison the young prince, was all for the sake of ensuring the throne would be passed down smoothly from brother to brother.

After all, he had memorized the imperial family's genealogy by heart when he was young. He knew that the founding emperor and the second emperor had set a precedent for succession by younger brother, and he also knew that if the current emperor had no sons, then if the throne was inherited in order of seniority, it would be his turn.

The imperial family's genealogy, with its order of seniority, was the source that led him to commit these heinous crimes.

Now that victory is within his grasp, Zhao Ji absolutely cannot allow any mishaps. If he loses the throne, he will be doomed.

Both Zhao Ji and Zhao Xiaoqian were well aware of one fact: although they were enemies, their fates were the same—either they would become extremely wealthy and powerful, or they would be beheaded.

Emperor Huizong understood Zhao Xiaoqian. He knew that if he didn't become emperor, Zhao Xiaoqian would definitely kill him. Conversely, if he became emperor, he would also definitely kill Zhao Xiaoqian, as well as that despicable father.

Neither side has any way out; only the victor is king and the loser is villain.

"Select a few precious and meaningful gifts from the storeroom. I will now go to the palace to see the Empress Dowager," Zhao Ji said decisively.

Zhou Xingzhe said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, when you enter the palace, you should first pay your respects to the Emperor, inquire about his health, take the initiative to chat with him about everyday matters, tell him what books he has been reading recently and how much he has benefited from them. I do not expect the Emperor to dispel his suspicions about you, but you must put on an honest and dutiful attitude."

"Only after you have an audience with the Emperor can you 'incidentally' go to the Hall of Longevity to pay your respects to the Empress Dowager. The order must not be reversed, so as not to arouse the Emperor's suspicion again, otherwise all your efforts will be in vain."

Zhao Ji nodded: "That's right, that's how it should be. Thank you for your advice, Chief Secretary Zhou. If I ascend the throne, you will be a meritorious official who helped me rise to power, and I will certainly reward you handsomely."

Zhou Xingzhe smiled and bowed deeply, saying, "This humble official would like to offer my congratulations in advance to Your Highness."

…………

Two hours later, Zhao Ji emerged from Yanfu Palace with a complex expression on his face, a mixture of joy and worry.

Today's visit to the palace yielded a mixed result, with both joy and sorrow.

The worry was that the emperor still didn't seem to like him much, and only chatted with him for a few words in a lukewarm manner. Zhao Ji tried several times to subtly explain that the nursery rhyme had nothing to do with him, but he was afraid that the more he explained, the worse it would get.

Zhao Xu's expression was indifferent. Zhao Ji studied him for a long time but still couldn't figure out what he was thinking. Now, facing Zhao Xu, Zhao Ji felt a tremor from the bottom of his heart. He felt that this once kind and friendly elder brother was becoming more and more unfamiliar. Zhao Ji almost didn't recognize him anymore.

Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; Zhao Xu truly gave him that feeling.

Following Zhou Xingzhe's suggestion, Zhao Ji honestly took the initiative to report to Zhao Xu. He told Zhao Xu what books he had recently read, what he had gained, what shortcomings his calligraphy still had, and what he realized he didn't understand when he debated with a certain great Confucian scholar.

Zhao Ji explained in great detail, but Zhao Xu listened with a blank expression until he finished speaking. Only then did Zhao Xu offer a few words of encouragement in a lukewarm manner.

The two brothers seemed to have nothing more to say after that. After sitting awkwardly in the Funing Palace for a while, Zhao Ji had no choice but to get up and take his leave.

As Zhao Ji left the Funing Palace, he felt heavy-hearted. He knew that Zhao Xu's suspicion of him had not been dispelled. The nursery rhyme that was widely circulated in Suining City had ultimately become a thorn in Zhao Xu's heart that he could not remove no matter what.

The mere thought of that nursery rhyme filled Zhao Ji with a burning hatred for Zhao Hao and his son.

If it weren't for this father and son using such a despicable and malicious trick, Zhao Ji wouldn't be in such a passive position now.

If I ascend the throne in the future, even if your Chu King lineage has ten imperial edicts, I will still kill your entire family!
After leaving Funing Palace, Zhao Ji went to Qingshou Palace, the Empress Dowager's bedroom.

This visit to the Empress Dowager eased Zhao Ji's heavy heart somewhat.

Empress Dowager Xiang treated him with the same kindness as always. Especially after seeing the several precious and meaningful gifts that Zhao Ji sent, Empress Dowager Xiang was even more delighted and wished she could treat him as her own son.

What made Zhao Ji happiest today was that, before leaving, Empress Dowager Xiang very subtly revealed her choice.

If the Emperor has any unspeakable matters in the future, the Empress Dowager will support Zhao Ji's ascension to the throne.

One reason why Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) deliberately fawned over Empress Dowager Xiang over the years was that he was indeed the first in line of seniority, an unquestionable ancestral rule. As the head of the harem, Empress Dowager Xiang naturally had to follow this rule.

Upon receiving Empress Dowager Xiang's subtle answer, Zhao Ji was overjoyed and happily took his leave of the palace.

As he stepped out of the palace gates, Zhao Ji was so happy he almost hummed a tune. But after only a few steps, he suddenly stopped and his joyful expression vanished.

He saw a large, fat man being helped down from a carriage outside the palace gate by the imperial guards. After catching his breath, the man slowly walked toward the palace gate.

Zhao Ji and Zhao Hao met again at the palace gate.

Their last encounter was quite unpleasant; Zhao Hao even personally slapped him hard across the face.

This time, Zhao Ji naturally wouldn't risk trouble, so he stepped forward with a forced smile and hastily cupped his hands, saying, "Ji greets Uncle King of Chu."

Zhao Hao raised a small, beady eye, then smiled, his smile still honest and harmless. "So it's Prince Duan, coming to the palace to curry favor again?"

He spoke very rudely. As an elder, Zhao Hao was too lazy to be hypocritical and polite with Zhao Ji. Since they were destined to be enemies to the death, did he have to treat him like a god when they met?

Zhao Ji's face stiffened, then he forced a smile and said, "Isn't the Prince of Chu coming to the palace to curry favor? Forgive my impertinence, but the Empress Dowager has always been a person of integrity. You and the Empress Dowager are uncle and sister-in-law, and it's inevitable that such a situation will attract gossip. I advise the Prince of Chu to avoid suspicion as much as possible, so as not to tarnish the Empress Dowager's reputation."

Zhao Hao's smile grew even warmer: "Hehe, very good! Prince Duan has truly grown up, even knowing how to lecture his elders now. What should I say? Thank you for your guidance, Your Highness?"

His smile was kind and honest, but Zhao Hao's eyes suddenly turned sinister, like a hungry wolf staring intently at its prey.

Emperor Huizong's heart skipped a beat, and he unconsciously took a few steps back.

Having been slapped by Zhao Hao before, he had learned his lesson. He knew that Zhao Hao was in danger at this moment, and that familiar slap might land on his cheek again if they disagreed.

"Uncle King of Chu, please calm down. Hehe, if my words are unpleasant to hear, just pretend I didn't say them," Zhao Ji said with a smile, but a sinister glint flashed in his eyes as he stared at Zhao Hao's fat face. He slowly said, "The situation is still uncertain, and we will have many opportunities to clash. Uncle King of Chu, I only hope that you take good care of yourself."

Zhao Hao chuckled sheepishly, "Alright, alright! You too, Zhao Ji. There's plenty of time for us to clash in the future..."

As he spoke, Zhao Hao gave Zhao Ji a deep look, chuckled coldly a few times, and turned to enter the palace gate.

With a gloomy gaze, Zhao Ji watched Zhao Hao's figure disappear behind the palace gate, stood there for a long time, and then got into the carriage of the Prince's Mansion.

Inside the swaying carriage, Zhao Ji tried hard to suppress his unease and kept reassuring himself.

There will be no surprises. The ancestral rules of the Great Song Dynasty are here. Who would dare to openly violate them?

After the Emperor's death, he will undoubtedly be the next emperor of the Song Dynasty.

No matter how much Zhao Hao and his son acted, they would no longer receive imperial favor after the emperor's death. In particular, Zhao Xiaoqian had lost his military power, so who would care about this father and son who were related to the imperial clan?
…………

Zhao Hao, dragging his obese body, walked with considerable difficulty on the road leading to the Qingshou Hall.

He walked slowly, and after a while he was covered in sweat, and he would take out a handkerchief from time to time to wipe his forehead and cheeks.

The eunuch leading the way bowed slightly. Zhao Hao walked slowly, and the eunuch naturally had to match his pace. The two of them walked slowly, taking almost half an hour to reach the outside of the Qingshou Hall.

As was customary, the eunuch announced the arrival of the guests. Zhao Hao and the others waited outside the palace for a long time before the eunuch came out with a smile and invited Zhao Hao inside.

Empress Dowager Xiang still summoned him from behind a curtain. The jingling beaded curtain concealed Zhao Hao, who sat far away and could not see the Empress Dowager's face at all. The two of them chatted about everyday matters.

After chatting for a long time, Zhao Hao took out a string of pearls from his pocket. Each pearl was almost the size of a thumbnail, and the workmanship was very exquisite. What was rare was that more than twenty pearls were strung together in one string, and they were all the same size. It was obviously an extraordinary treasure.

Zhao Hao beckoned the eunuch over, handed him the pearl necklace, and instructed him to pass it on to Empress Dowager Xiang behind the beaded curtain.

After a while, Empress Dowager Xiang's voice, a mixture of joy and complaint, came from behind the beaded curtain.

"King of Chu, what are you doing...?"

Zhao Hao chuckled: "A few days ago, I saw this item in Bianjing from a foreign merchant. At that time, only one thought popped into my mind: how perfectly it would complement the Empress Dowager's jade neck if such a precious treasure were worn..."

"Therefore, I did not hesitate to buy this string of pearls and present it to the Empress Dowager in person, hoping to make her smile."

Behind the beaded curtain, Empress Dowager Xiang remained silent for a long time before angrily shouting, "King of Chu, don't talk nonsense! You should be careful with your words and actions!"

Zhao Hao blinked blankly, and it took him a while to realize that his words, which included "jade neck," "complementary," and "to make the Empress Dowager smile," sounded like a younger brother flirting with his sister-in-law!

Zhao Hao's eyelids twitched, and he almost slapped himself hard.

Damn it, he's gotten into the habit of flirting with widows lately, and he's been talking without thinking. He doesn't even know where to begin with his words. At such a crucial and tense moment, if he offends the Empress Dowager, it will be a big problem for him in the future.

Zhao Hao hurriedly stood up and apologized in fear: "Your Majesty, please forgive me! I had no other intention than to express my feelings. Please do not misunderstand my sincere heart."

After a long silence behind the beaded curtain, Empress Dowager Xiang said softly, "Prince Chu, you should be more careful with your words in the future. It is already inappropriate for me to see you so often. If rumors spread, how will I face the late Emperor in the afterlife?"

Zhao Hao nodded repeatedly, wiping away cold sweat: "I understand, I understand! I misspoke."

After saying this, Zhao Hao gritted his teeth inwardly. Although Empress Dowager Xiang was also a widow, which suited his tastes, but...

Anyway, I'm going to stop dating widows from now on!
(End of this chapter)