The prince is more stable

Chapter 765 The New Commander Takes Office
Emperor Huizong of Song (Zhao Ji) rarely did anything foolish. His status and the education he received from childhood strictly restrained his irrational behavior.

Even as a teenager, he had already learned to weigh the pros and cons in various struggles for interests and power, and to choose the most correct course of action.

Emperor Huizong of Song would never have attempted to assassinate Zhang Dun; the consequences would have been far too severe for him.

But now that this has happened, Zhao Ji can no longer explain himself. He is certain that he would not do such a thing, but will others believe him?

Even his trusted advisor Zhou Xingzhe only reluctantly believed him after he repeatedly explained and even swore a solemn oath; how much more so would outsiders?

“Even if it wasn’t His Highness who did it, it’s hard to say…” Zhou Xingzhe was not relieved by Zhao Ji’s innocence; on the contrary, he became even more worried.

"Today, the court and the public are in an uproar. I'm afraid many people suspect that it was Your Highness who did it. Even without evidence, the power of public opinion is immense, and Your Highness will find it difficult to clear your name."

"In particular, the Emperor has assigned this case to Zhao Xiaoqian and the Imperial City Guard. Given Zhao Xiaoqian's relationship with His Highness, it's hard to say whether he might take personal revenge and pin the case on His Highness."

Zhao Ji's heart sank suddenly.

He had thought of what Zhou Xingzhe said, but he had no other choice but to passively defend himself.

"In Zhou Changshi's opinion, how should I save myself?" Zhao Ji asked with a solemn expression.

Zhou Xingzhe sighed and said, "The best course of action now is for Your Highness to go to the palace as soon as possible and request an audience with the Empress Dowager. Looking across the court, only the Empress Dowager truly favors Your Highness. If the Empress Dowager were to intervene and explain the situation to the Emperor and Zhao Xiaoqian, clearly stating the pros and cons and proving that she would never do such a thing, the Emperor and Zhao Xiaoqian might believe her."

Zhao Ji frowned and remained silent.

He could ask the Empress Dowager for help, or he could explain to the Emperor, but he really didn't want to prove his innocence to Zhao Xiaoqian in person. He and Zhao Xiaoqian were already mortal enemies, and to explain to him now would be to demean himself.
The proud Emperor Huizong could not lower his head.

Zhou Xingzhe seemed to have read his thoughts and slowly said, "This humble official has heard that the Prince of Chu once told the Empress Dowager in person that he and Zhao Xiaoqian were willing to support Your Highness's ascension to the throne..."

Zhao Ji gave a cold laugh: "Do you believe that?"

Zhou Xingzhe sighed, "This humble official naturally does not believe it either. It is merely that the King of Chu is temporarily appeasing the Empress Dowager, or simply trying to please her, thus deceiving her. Or it may be a feint by the King of Chu and his son. In any case, they would never support Your Highness's ascension to the throne."

"However, given what the King of Chu said today, it could be a reason for Your Highness to meet with Zhao Xiaoqian. We can ask the Empress Dowager to intervene so that Your Highness and Zhao Xiaoqian can have a proper talk."

"Regardless of the future outcome, Your Highness should at least ease tensions with Zhao Xiaoqian for now. He carries considerable weight in the court. For whatever reason, Your Highness should not antagonize him before ascending the throne, let alone compound the enmity. Otherwise, the future will be far too uncertain."

"Your Highness, please consider whether you want to act impulsively or temporarily suppress your anger and take the opportunity of Zhang Dun's assassination to contact Zhao Xiaoqian and ease the tension between you."

After a long silence, Zhao Ji finally gritted his teeth and slowly said, "Fine, what can't I tolerate? I can take the initiative to contact Zhao Xiaoqian, as long as they, father and son, can give me some face..."

He paused, a chill suddenly running down Zhao Ji's spine. He opened his eyes wide in alarm and exclaimed, "Do you think Zhao Xiaoqian was behind last night's assassination attempt on Zhang Dun?"

Zhou Xingzhe was also startled. After a long while, he calmed down and said, "Your Highness, don't think about things where there's no way to verify the truth. Even if Zhao Xiaoqian did it, you should pretend you know nothing at this time."

"Plan before you act, consider the overall situation, and settle all grudges after His Majesty passes away and Your Highness ascends the throne."

Zhao Ji gritted his teeth, nodded, and remained silent.

…………

The capital of Bianjing was in turmoil, with frequent changes and upheavals.

Meanwhile, Chen Songling, the newly appointed Pacification Commissioner of Hebei West Road, was standing outside the gate of the garrison camp outside the city of Yanyun Xijin Prefecture.

Chen Songling is in his fifties, which is the prime age for hard work and making a living.

Upon receiving the orders from the Emperor and the Privy Council, Chen Songling dared not delay. The next day, he led the Imperial Guards out of Bianjing and traveled day and night to Yanyun. He arrived at the camp five days later.

At this moment, he was wearing a purple official robe and a double-winged official hat, and his face looked tired and weary from his journey.

Behind him were nearly a hundred imperial guards, who stood on their horses, their deep gazes fixed on the two rows of soldiers guarding the gate. They listened to the shouts of battle coming from the distant training ground and the yellow dust flying everywhere, and felt a sense of solemnity in the air.

Chen Songling exhaled, dismounted, and walked forward calmly.

The soldiers guarding the gate, seeing that this man was wearing official robes, did not dare to be too rude. They simply reached out and stopped him from entering.

Chen Songling seemed quite satisfied with the attitude of the soldiers on duty. This observation reveals the whole picture, showing that Prince Cheng Zhao Xiaoqian had indeed managed this army very well over the past few years.

So Chen Songling took out the imperial edict, the Privy Council's transfer order, and his personal seal and token from his bag and handed them to the soldiers outside the gate.

A military officer who looked like a captain took the odds and ends, glanced at Chen Songling curiously, clasped his hands in a polite gesture and asked him to wait a moment. Then the captain turned and ran into the camp, heading straight for the commander's tent.

An hour after an incense stick's time had passed, General Xu, fully clad in armor, led a group of military officers from the camp out of the gate in a hurry.

Having served as an official in Bianjing for many years, Xu Jiang naturally knew Chen Songling. Their relationship wasn't particularly good; at least they were nodding acquaintances, as bland as plain water. Upon seeing Chen Songling standing smiling outside the gate, Xu Jiang smiled back, cupped his hands in greeting, and walked forward with a smile.

"It's been a long time since I've seen you in person, Lord Chen!" Xu Jiang said with a smile, bowing respectfully.

Chen Songling's official position in Bianjing was Vice Chancellor, which was equivalent to a deputy prime minister. Therefore, it was reasonable for Xu to address him as "Prime Minister Chen".

Of course, if the relationship is a little more distant, or if your emotional intelligence is a little lower, calling him "Vice Minister Chen" won't bother him with formalities. However, you'll be surprised to find that every time you buy shoes, they're inexplicably a size too small...

Chen Songling smiled and returned the greeting, then feigned displeasure, saying, "The title 'Master Chongyuan' is simply a slap in the face to this foolish younger brother. This foolish younger brother would not dare to be presumptuous in front of the top scholar. Please just call me by my courtesy name 'Zhongzhe,' and don't call me 'Master' anymore."

In the imperial court, seniority was also a system. Xu Jiang was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the eighth year of the Jiayou era, and he was the top scholar. Chen Songling, on the other hand, was a Jinshi in the second year of the Zhiping era, making him Xu Jiang's junior. This system of seniority could not be confused, otherwise Chen Songling would be looked down upon by his colleagues.

The rank of an official is a matter of personal fate and ability, but the way one addresses others based on seniority in officialdom is a matter of politeness and manners, and they are two completely different things.

Therefore, when Chen Songling met Xu Jiang, he felt that he should be inferior, even though Xu Jiang was the current vice prime minister, he was not worthy of such a title.

At this moment, Xu Jiang greeted Chen Songling with a warm smile and chatted with him about old times. Although they were just nodding acquaintances in Bianjing, one should never doubt the ability of officials to talk nonsense.

The two stood at the gate and chatted for a long time, mostly about the weather, how tiring the journey was, and how the cherry blossoms in their hometown were in bloom—not a single word of substance.

The fake smiles on the faces of the generals behind Xu Jiang became somewhat stiff, and even Zhe Keshi, the most straightforward of them all, yawned impatiently.

Chen Songling was very composed and seemed oblivious to the various reactions of the generals. He seemed to have only eyes for General Xu. The two chatted enthusiastically for a while before General Xu stepped aside and warmly introduced the generals of Yan and Yun.

First were Zhong Jianzhong and Zong Ze, followed by generals such as Zhe Keshi, Zhang Rong, Di Zi, and Guo Cheng.

Chen Songling greeted each of the generals with a smile, his expression and attitude were very amiable, and he looked like an honest, kind-hearted person who was easily bullied.

What's even more amazing is that Chen Songling could clearly recount the military achievements of every general he met over the past few years, as if he knew them by heart.

In front of Zong Ze, Chen Songling spoke with admiration about Zong Ze's achievement of leading his troops to ambush the Liao army on the banks of the Yellow River and annihilating more than 20,000 enemy soldiers.

In front of Zhe Keshi, Chen Songling recounted the battle outside Datong Prefecture, in which Zhe Keshi led his troops to ambush Xiao Wuna's forces and annihilated 30,000 enemy soldiers.

He seemed to have the achievements of each general etched in his mind. His expression was calm yet respectful, and this attitude alone was enough to win him great favor.

Finally, when talking about Di Zi, Chen Songling inevitably mentioned Di Zi's feat of seeing through the Liao army's scheme and leading his troops from Daming Prefecture to reinforce Zhengding City, ambushing and annihilating the Liao army on the way.

After speaking, Chen Songling looked at Di Zi with a meaningful gaze and said, "I have also heard that General Di is the father-in-law of His Highness Prince Cheng?"

Di Zi's lips twitched slightly, and he bowed his head, clasping his hands in a fist salute, saying, "That's right."

Chen Songling laughed and said, "The father-in-law and son-in-law are of one mind and serve their country. Isn't that a timeless tale? Moreover, General Di is the descendant of a famous general and a loyal minister. I am very envious."

Di Zi said calmly, "This humble general is unworthy of such praise; Commander Chen is too kind."

Chen Songling turned around and looked at the generals, then laughed heartily and said, "Today I am new to this post and have nothing to offer. Moreover, my salary is meager and I cannot give you generals mountains of gold and silver. If you generals do not mind, I will treat you to some pork and mutton and some wine from the city as a gift. I wonder if you generals would be so kind as to accept my invitation?"

What can the generals do when their superiors have said that? Even those with low emotional intelligence can't bring themselves to refuse.

The generals then bowed and clasped their hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Commander Chen."

"Haha, let's not stand on ceremony. From now on, we're comrades-in-arms, sharing life and death, and should address each other as brothers," Chen Songling said with a hearty laugh.

After Chen Songling finished speaking, Xu Jiang warmly invited him into the camp and headed straight for the commander's tent.

Generals Zhong Jianzhong and Zong Ze, realizing they were lagging behind, deliberately slowed their pace. Once the two had gone some distance, Zhong Jianzhong remarked casually, "This Chen Songling is no ordinary man."

Zong Ze raised an eyebrow: "The Emperor sent him to take over the military power in Yanyun, which shows that this person is quite capable."

Zhong Jianzhong smiled and said, "His other skills are still unknown, but judging from his way of dealing with people, he is already far superior to you and me."

Zong Ze nodded and said, "He's much better than those bastards like Zhong Cheng. This guy deserves to be called an opponent."

Hearing this, Zhe Keshi stepped forward and asked, "Has he managed to obtain military power in Yanyun?"

Zhong Jianzhong looked worried; he was already feeling a lot of pressure.

"I hope His Highness Prince Cheng can launch his attack in Bianjing soon, otherwise... I won't be able to hold onto military power for long. Chen Songling is a bit of a troublesome person."

(End of this chapter)