The prince is more stable

Chapter 755 Reuniting with an Old Friend
Whether it was a problem with his values ​​or not, Zhao Xiaoqian felt a strange sense of excitement at the thought of being a member of the villainous camp.

After reflecting on his actions, Zhao Xiaoqian realized that his father had led him astray.

It's hard for an upright person not to turn bad if they are constantly brainwashed by an evil father who instills in them the idea of ​​plotting to usurp the throne and committing heinous crimes.

Zhao Xiaoqian was just an ordinary person, lacking the composure and willpower to resist being influenced by those closest to him.

Just like when Tang Sanzang passed through the Women's Kingdom, he was determined and not swayed by the Queen's beauty. He remained steadfast in his devotion to Buddhism and his journey to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures.

Have you found any problems?
Yes, the problem is time.

Tang Sanzang and his disciples were only staying in the Women's Kingdom for a short time, so he was able to stick to his principles and remain unmoved. But what if the Queen of the Women's Kingdom tried to find ways to keep him there for longer?

If they stayed for a month or a year, spending their days in close proximity, their love blossoming, and whispering in his ear every day, "Is my daughter beautiful?", could Tang Sanzang really pass this test?

Zhao Xiaoqian had been living with this "living father" for several years before he even considered plotting to usurp the throne, which shows how determined he was.

In the barren and cramped courtyard, Zhao Hao, unaware that his son's thoughts were all on Tang Sanzang, continued to introduce, "Most of these people have practiced martial arts, but in addition to martial arts, they all have other special skills."

"Some of them are good at tracking, some are good at hiding, some are good at gathering intelligence, and some are good at spreading rumors, making their mark on the streets..."

Zhao Hao turned to look at him and said slowly, "These are all talented people. Today, I will entrust them to you. With your abilities, with these people assisting you, you will be even more powerful."

"Not only that, but over the years I have also won over a group of court officials. The highest-ranking of these officials are the Censor-in-Chief, the Vice Minister of the Council of State Affairs, and the Vice Ministers of the Six Ministries. When things come to a critical point, someone will come out to help my father and me."

"Of course, there are also spies in the palace, and a few commanders of the Imperial Guards in various ranks, who are at our disposal. When the truth is revealed, we will see the truth."

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at him in shock.

Although he knew that his father's plans over the years were not simple, he never expected that his father's plans were so far-reaching, even including the military officers of the Forbidden City.

Zhao Hao's expression was calm, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.

"In the seventh year of the Yuanfeng era, Emperor Shenzong was still alive, but his health was extremely poor. At that time, there were rumors in the court and among the people that the throne would be passed down from brother to brother, which was deliberately done by the Empress Dowager."

"She... has always loved me dearly and hoped that I would inherit the throne after Emperor Shenzong's death. Unfortunately, the court officials did not agree, since Emperor Shenzong had a son, and there was no reason for his younger brother to inherit the throne."

“I was excluded, and then it was Zhao Xu’s turn. In fact, at that time, I was still not strong enough to compete for the throne, so I silently withdrew.”

"And from then on, I presented myself as a dissolute and dissolute young man, firstly to conceal my talents and secretly accumulate strength, and secondly to dispel Zhao Xu's suspicions and make him think that I was harmless..."

Zhao Hao sighed and said, "Qian'er, this throne truly belongs to the Shenzong lineage. I shouldn't have coveted it. If Zhao Xu has a son to inherit the throne, then our lives will end here. It's not because I'm kind and benevolent, but because it's only right and proper for him to pass the throne to his son, and I can't find an opportunity."

"Now that Zhao Xu has no heir, and the first in line to the throne is our mortal enemy, Qian'er, under these circumstances, I will not be polite. If we cannot sit on that throne, my son and I will only face death. We will fight for it even if we don't want to!"

After Zhao Hao finished speaking, he lowered his eyes and remained silent, his expression lost in his past memories.

Zhao Xiaoqian remained silent for a long time before whispering, "Father, we are not bad people. We are just trying to survive. Father, you don't need to feel guilty towards the late Emperor Shenzong. We must live."

After a pause, Zhao Xiaoqian looked at the men in black filling the courtyard and suddenly raised his voice: "Those who are good at spreading rumors, step forward."

The three men in black took a few steps forward, walked up to Zhao Xiaoqian, and bowed with clasped hands without saying a word.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "I won't ask your names, because there are too many of you and I can't remember them all. Besides, there's no point in remembering these fake names like A, B, C, D. I don't know which brainless person came up with them. They really don't want to waste any effort at all."

Zhao Hao's thick cheeks twitched, and he glared at him with hostility.

"I'm giving you three a task. Starting tomorrow, spread a message throughout the streets of Bianjing that the Emperor is critically ill, the Empress Dowager and the court officials are discussing the selection of a new emperor, but Prime Minister Zhang Dun is dissatisfied with Prince Duan, Zhao Ji, and firmly opposes Zhao Ji's ascension to the throne."

"Yes, make sure this news spreads throughout the city within a few days."

The three men in black clasped their hands in apology and silently withdrew.

Zhao Hao frowned, then gave him a deep look and said, "Trying to shift the blame and muddy the waters of the court?"

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed and said, "As long as my son and I don't get involved, the more chaotic the court becomes, the better it will be for us. After the rumors start flying, I'll have a next step."

Zhao Hao nodded with relief: "Knowing you're a bad seed too, I'm relieved."

Zhao Xiaoqian: “…………”

…………

It's a matter of life and death; nothing is too much to do.

Zhao Xiaoqian was a man of both good and evil at heart. He was righteous when he should be righteous and evil when he should be evil, unlike those so-called moral gentlemen who would insist on their so-called "justice" even when they were about to die.

Okay, I don't understand, but I respect it. Anyway, Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't do that. He's just an ordinary person who never deliberately suppresses the "good" and "evil" in his heart.

That's simply part of human nature; everyone is like that.

After giving their instructions, the men in black quickly dispersed, completely blending into the darkness of the night and scattering throughout Bianjing City.

Now Zhao Xiaoqian finally understands why it's necessary to wear black when doing shady things; it's really necessary.

Try wearing a flashy white outfit in the middle of the night; even a dog would chase you for miles.

The father and son returned to the palace and fell asleep, exhausted.

The next day, Zhao Xiaoqian still woke up very late, not getting out of bed until almost noon, yawning as he left the front courtyard. Today was another day he had to be woken up by his maid; since returning to Bianjing, it seemed he had never slept until he naturally woke up.

Guests have arrived at the Prince's residence, and he has no choice but to see them this time.

Su Shi also had a little girl.

The little girl's surname was Li, and her given name was Qingzhao.

In Zhao Xiaoqian's heart, these two are not only friends but also idols, and he can't bear to be apart from them.

Upon reaching the front courtyard, Su Shi and Li Qingzhao were standing there, seemingly arguing, their faces flushed with rage.

Zhao Xiaoqian quietly approached, listened for a while, and figured out what was going on.

The two were arguing about ginkgo leaves scattered on the ground in the front courtyard. Su Shi said that ginkgo leaves could be used in cooking and were also a traditional Chinese medicine that could be steeped in water and drunk.

Li Qingzhao said that you are a hopeless glutton, thinking that everything you see is edible. If you could eat tree leaves, there would have been no famines or starvation throughout history.

Zhao Xiaoqian's cheek twitched. "Scholars, they're all just bored and have nothing better to do. It would be best to send them to the countryside as educated youth for a few years, then they probably wouldn't be so idle."

I quietly approached them from behind; they were still arguing, completely unaware of my presence.

"In Mr. Zizhan's eyes, the world is full of treasures and everything is edible. Why don't you trouble Mr. Zizhan to take a look in my outhouse? Maybe you'll make a new discovery..." Zhao Xiaoqian said with a malicious smile.

The two were taken aback and turned their heads at the same time. Upon seeing Zhao Xiaoqian, Su Shi immediately looked furious, while Li Qingzhao laughed heartily without any ladylike manners, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, which was very unpretentious.

"You rude brat! After half a year apart, you start making fun of me the moment we meet!" Su Shi said angrily.

Li Qingzhao, however, laughed so hard she swayed from ear to ear, clucking like a hen that had just laid an egg.

"But I think Brother Zian is right. Why don't you go look in the outhouse, Mr. Zizhan? Haha!"

Su Shi glared angrily: "Disgusting! Filthy! An insult to literature!"

After the three of them stood in the front courtyard laughing and joking for a while, Zhao Xiaoqian invited the two of them to sit down in the Yin'an Hall.

I was an old friend of Su Shi, and it is a great joy to reunite with an old friend.

Although he was still somewhat unfamiliar with Li Qingzhao, she was the greatest female talent of all time, and given her idol status, Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't treat her too formally.

They had known about Zhao Xiaoqian's return to the capital for two days. Su Shi's interactions with Zhao Xiaoqian were never driven by any ulterior motives. Upon hearing of Zhao Xiaoqian's return, Su Shi was overjoyed and only wanted to visit his old friend.

Li Qingzhao was brought along by Su Shi. Since her father was transferred to Bianjing last year, Li Qingzhao began to frequent the cultural circles of Bianjing.

Judging from her familiarity with Su Shi, she has clearly succeeded in entering the cultural circle.

This young girl is indeed worthy of the title "First Talented Woman." At only fifteen or sixteen years old, she has already shown her talent.

“Last night at the banquet, the young girl challenged me to a drinking contest. If I didn’t get drunk, she would stay home and study today, copying the Tao Te Ching for me ten times.”

"If she gets me drunk, I'll bring her to see Zi'an today..."

Su Shi finished speaking with a blush on his face, the outcome of which was obvious.

Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at him and said, "I remember the first time I met Miss Qingzhao, she got you drunk. After all this time, why don't you remember?"

Su Shi stroked his beard and sighed, "Perhaps this old man thinks he's capable again..."

Li Qingzhao laughed heartily, her expression revealing undisguised smugness, showing no respect for the older generation.

"Mr. Zizhan, you may not know, but when it comes to drinking, I have yet to meet my match," Li Qingzhao said, wrinkling her delicate nose with pride.

Su Shi shook his head and sighed, "I've seen it all, and I believe it now. I'll never gamble with you on drinking again. I fell for your trick last night!"

As he spoke, Su Shi rubbed his temples in pain, clearly suffering from a hangover.

Li Qingzhao looked at Zhao Xiaoqian with bright eyes and asked, "Brother Zian, you've just returned to the capital. Will you be going to guard the border in Yanyun again?"

Zhao Xiaoqian said with a wry smile, "I guess I won't go for now."

Li Qingzhao exclaimed happily, "That's wonderful! Now I'll have someone to play with in Bianjing again!"

Zhao Xiaoqian resolutely replied, "I won't gamble with you on drinking."

"There's no need to gamble with alcohol. There are plenty of other things to do. Brother Zian, do you like gambling? You can gamble with dice, leaf games, or six-ball... anything is fine."

When the topic of gambling came up, Li Qingzhao's eyes lit up and her expression became excited.

Zhao Xiaoqian was stunned for a moment before recalling the later generations' evaluation of Li Qingzhao's character: this woman was simply utterly wicked.

She drinks, goes to bars, and gambles... but she's a good girl.

Ironically, she excelled at everything she loved, to the point of being a professional. Whether it was drinking, gambling, or writing poetry and lyrics, she was an expert in all of them.

What an amazing little girl, a cultured and spirited young woman.

(End of this chapter)