The prince is more stable

Chapter 754 Evil Forces
Having lived in this world for so long and met so many people, Zhao Xiaoqian has to say that among all his friends, he is most relaxed when he is with Zhang Xiaoyi.

When a person reaches a certain position, he is surrounded by all sorts of people. They have many relationships with Zhao Xiaoqian, such as colleagues, comrades-in-arms, and subordinates.

But ironically, true, close friends are becoming increasingly rare.

In fact, a man's life is all about addition and subtraction. When he is young and naive, he makes friends all over the world, and anyone can be called a "friend".

As one gets older, one comes to understand the true nature of life and gradually becomes less inclined to socialize with those who call each other brothers. As the years go by, many old friends are gradually erased from one's mind and eventually disappear from memory forever.

Zhao Xiaoqian is still young, but he has already unconsciously begun to simplify his life.

There aren't many people in this world who are qualified to call him brother anymore. What he cares about are friends who have gone through thick and thin together, such as Zhang Xiaoyi.

Perhaps because of his impoverished background in his previous life, Zhao Xiaoqian found himself particularly compatible with Zhang Xiaoyi, and Zhang Xiaoyi truly regarded him as a brother.

Even though Zhao Xiaoqian's status is now very noble and illustrious, Zhang Xiaoyi never calls him "Your Highness" and always refers to him as "Zian".

Zhang Xiaoyi didn't live a wealthy life; his family was small and he barely made ends meet. Zhao Xiaoqian saw this and rarely offered him any material assistance, knowing that Zhang Xiaoyi wouldn't accept it.

Zhang Xiaoyi understood this as well, so he never made any demands of Zhao Xiaoqian, even though he knew very well that if he were willing to ask, Zhao Xiaoqian could make him incredibly wealthy.

If that were the case, the word "friend" would lose its meaning. Zhang Xiaoyi didn't like this kind of distorted friendship. Like Zhao Xiaoqian, he enjoyed the present moment because it was pure and clean.

It must be said that Zhang Xiaoyi's wife is a very good cook.

When Zhao Xiaoqian arrived at Zhang Xiaoyi's house that evening, he was stuffed.

Zhao Xiaoqian devoured almost the entire steamed fish dish, not even wasting a drop of the broth, which he soaked in rice and ate two extra bowls of.

"Sister-in-law, you've worked so hard. It's my fault for making you run around so much while you're pregnant."

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Zhao Xiaoqian apologized sheepishly.

Zhang Xiaoyi's wife is very introverted. She blushes when she makes eye contact with strangers, let alone chats with them.

Zhao Xiaoqian said a few polite words, but she quickly shook her head and hid behind Zhang Xiaoyi.

Zhang Xiaoyi chuckled and said, "Don't be offended, Zian. We're just a poor family and haven't seen much of the world."

Zhao Xiaoqian rummaged in his pocket for a while, then took out a solid gold longevity lock of considerable weight and slowly placed it on the table.

"Nothing else, just a small token of my appreciation to my future nephew or niece. This is something I just asked the Imperial Guard brothers around me to buy. Xiao Yi, please keep it safe."

Seeing that Zhang Xiaoyi was about to refuse, Zhao Xiaoqian looked into his eyes and shook his head firmly: "Keep it safe. It's for the child. It has nothing to do with you two. If you ever run into financial difficulties in the future, this thing will be worth some money and can help you get through the tough times."

Zhang Xiaoyi hesitated for a moment, then picked up the longevity lock from the table.

The gold lock felt quite heavy; Zhang Xiaoyi weighed it in his hand and estimated it to be about three or four ounces.

In those days, three or four taels of gold were enough for a family of four to live comfortably for several years.

Zhang Xiaoyi gave him a strange look, but still hesitated before accepting it.

This gift was quite valuable. Zhang Xiaoyi couldn't understand why Zhao Xiaoqian would suddenly give him such an expensive gift, since their interactions had rarely involved money before.

After a moment of silence, Zhang Xiaoyi smiled and said, "Thank you, my wife. Please accept Zian's kind offer, but keep it safe and don't let anyone else know about it."

Zhang Xiaoyi's wife peeked out from behind him, took the longevity lock, shyly bowed to Zhao Xiaoqian, and then quickly hid behind Zhang Xiaoyi.

Zhao Xiaoqian patted his belly contentedly and said, "I'm full and satisfied today, hmm... I think I ate a little too much. Xiao Yi, I'm leaving now. Let's stroll around Zhouqiao again another day. I'm quite interested in the 'Boundless Romance' version of the 'Recapture of Yan and Yun' you mentioned. Take me to hear it next time."

Zhang Xiaoyi saw him to the door and watched Zhao Xiaoqian leave under the protection of the Imperial Guards before turning around and closing the door.

The blind old woman, supported by her daughter-in-law, walked shakily into the courtyard, her cloudy, lifeless old eyes opening, and asked, "Xiao Yi, has His Highness left?"

Zhang Xiaoyi smiled and said, "Just left."

The old woman smiled and said, "Although I am blind, I can still hear the gossip of the neighbors and the marketplace. This prince is a great hero, a man who will do great things. It is your blessing to befriend him. If the prince has any requests, you must not refuse. You must go through fire and water to help him get things done."

"Yes, I understand."

The woman took out the gold longevity lock from her bosom and timidly handed it to him.

Zhang Xiaoyi examined the lock, pondered for a long time, and murmured, "Zi'an suddenly gave me such a valuable gift, something's not right... it's more like a parting gift. What exactly happened in Bianjing?"

Upon hearing this, the old woman's expression tightened: "What farewell? What happened to Your Highness?"

Zhang Xiaoyi smiled wryly and said, "Zian will not tell me about the affairs of important people, and I dare not inquire. However, Zian's return to the capital this time was strange and too sudden. There are many rumors in the city, saying that the emperor is suspicious of him and that Zian is using his military power to his advantage. I don't know if it's true or not."

The old woman opened her white eyes and said, "Xiao Yi, you should still inquire about it. Although we come from a poor background, we are people who know how to repay kindness. Our family has received a great favor from His Highness. Now that His Highness is in trouble, you should do your best to help him." "But I really don't know how to help him..." Zhang Xiao Yi said with a bitter smile.

The old woman said disapprovingly, "Nonsense! All those friends you usually make, all those who call you brother, have you been wasting your time? Go and find out what difficulties His Highness is facing before you try to help him."

“Xiao Yi, big shots have their ways of doing things, and we small people have ours. You may not be able to climb to the top of the court, but you are far from the crowd. The combined strength of small people can also be a force to be reckoned with.”

Zhang Xiaoyi's eyes lit up, and he said with a smile, "Yes, I understand. I will ask my friend to help me inquire tomorrow."

The old woman opened her cloudy eyes, turned around and groped her way into the house, muttering, "That's right. His Highness is a good person and a great hero. We don't understand loyalty or righteousness, but we should repay the kindness we've received. We can't pretend to be deaf and dumb. That's the duty of a person."

“His Highness has been promoted and ennobled in recent years, but he always comes to see you every time he returns to the capital. This shows that he truly considers you a friend and doesn’t look down on your background at all. How could anyone bear to harm such a good person…”

…………

In a remote and impoverished house west of Bianjing (Kaifeng).

The obese Zhao Hao sat on a dilapidated chair, his heavy weight causing the chair to creak as if it might fall apart at any moment.

Zhao Xiaoqian stood behind Zhao Hao, looking at the pitiful chair with a worried expression.

I had just left Zhang Xiaoyi's house and hadn't even returned to the Prince's Mansion when I was intercepted by men sent by Zhao Hao.

The messenger relayed to Zhao Xiaoqian that His Highness the Prince requests the Crown Prince to move to the west of the city.

So Zhao Xiaoqian followed him here, completely bewildered. Upon entering, he saw Zhao Hao sitting leisurely, while the small courtyard of the house was packed with people.

Everyone in the courtyard was dressed in black. Indeed, they all still looked like they were up to no good. Zhao Xiaoqian had always wondered why all the shady dealings had to be done in black.

Is it a rule set by God, or Zhao Hao's twisted sense of humor?

Wouldn't it be more reasonable for you to dress properly like ordinary people? This man dressed in black, walking the streets of Bianjing with the cold-blooded look of a heartless killer, does he really think the patrolling officials are blind?

There were about a dozen people in the courtyard. Zhao Xiaoqian knew that these were all assassins trained by Zhao Hao.

Although Zhao Hao didn't introduce them, Zhao Xiaoqian knew them perfectly well. As for the reason, just look at their deadpan faces...

Standing behind Zhao Hao, Zhao Xiaoqian raised an eyebrow: "Father, are they your shady faction?"

Zhao Hao said unhappily, "Can you speak like a human being? What do you mean by 'shameful'? I was just being cautious..."

As he spoke, Zhao Hao raised his hand to gesture, saying, "Come and greet the Crown Prince."

Dozens of men in black knelt down on one knee to pay their respects.

Zhao Xiaoqian breathed a sigh of relief when the men in black merely bowed and didn't shout "Greetings, Your Highness!"

Thank goodness, the Living Father and his henchmen aren't that stupid...

If he really yelled like that late at night, he, his father, and all those dim-witted assassins would have to run away before the officials arrived.

Yes, very polite, intelligent, and deeply aware of her shady identity.

Zhao Hao's eyebrows drooped slightly as he said indifferently, "Listen carefully, from now on, whatever the Crown Prince says is my word. Even if he tells you to slit your throats and die right now, you must obediently do as he says."

The men in black bowed again, indicating that they had accepted the order.

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed: "It's not that bad. I'm not that cruel. Just do your jobs properly."

Turning to look at Zhao Hao, Zhao Xiaoqian asked, "Have they been lurking in Bianjing all along?"

Zhao Hao shook his head: "It was I who urgently summoned them to Bianjing, and they only all arrived today..."

Zhao Hao sighed and said, "The winds in the palace and the court are getting more and more urgent. We should take action. Some things cannot wait until the Emperor passes away before we do them, or it will be too late."

"What does Father intend to do?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked curiously.

A fierce glint flashed in Zhao Hao's eyes as he slowly said, "The Emperor is still alive and the court is not in chaos yet, but I think it's not a good thing for the court to be too peaceful. It will be more beneficial for us to stir things up first."

Zhao Xiaoqian pursed his lips and remained silent. He didn't know exactly how Zhao Hao planned to "stir up trouble," but he knew that his father must have already made a complete plan.

After years of patiently lying low, this major villain is about to reveal his true colors.

Looking up at the sky, the night was pitch black, the moon was dim and the stars were numerous. The stars in the sky seemed to be arranged into four large characters in the firmament, shining gloomily over Bianjing City.

"Evil forces".

(End of this chapter)