The prince is more stable

Chapter 766 Breaking Through the Window Paper
People who shout and act hostile from the moment they meet are usually not difficult to deal with.

For example, Zhong Cheng and others—was it difficult for Zhao Xiaoqian to deal with them? He easily drove them out of the camp and sent them to Xijin Prefecture to help the Xiang Army defend the city.

The real challenge is dealing with people like Nadia Chan.

He greeted everyone with a friendly and amicable manner, as if he were reuniting with a close brother. He flattered everyone in his words and actions, adopting an extremely humble attitude, as if he wasn't targeting anyone but rather implying that he was the only one present who was trash.

He has both high emotional intelligence and high IQ, and speaks in a steady and flawless manner. You can't help but want to be friends with him. However, after he flatters everyone, no one can see through his true thoughts.

This kind of person is much more capable than Zhong Cheng and his group. Even Zhong Jianzhong can't help but frown now.

Zhong Jianzhong was no longer confident that he could hold onto military power for long. He knew that once Chen Songling took office, with his intelligence and ability, he would be able to quickly seize military power. At that time, if Zhao Xiaoqian wanted to mobilize a large army, Zhong Jianzhong and Zong Ze would probably be powerless to stop him.

Watching Chen Songling and Xu Jiang walk intimately toward the commander's tent, Zhong Jianzhong's pace slowed down. He then turned to Di Zi behind him and said, "General Di, please send a trusted confidant immediately on horseback to Bianjing to inform His Highness of the situation here."

"Your Highness, please act quickly, or you may lose control of the Yan Yun military." Zhong Jianzhong said with a gloomy expression.

Di Zi also saw Chen Songling's performance and knew that this person was a ruthless character. He did not dare to be careless and hurriedly nodded in agreement. With a glance, he changed direction and went to look for the person.

When everyone arrived at the commander's tent, after several rounds of polite refusals, Chen Songling was pressed down by General Xu to sit in the commander's seat.

Chen Songling looked ashamed and said, "I shouldn't be sitting in this position. It should belong to His Highness Prince Cheng. The Song Dynasty is in its current state thanks to His Highness Prince Cheng and all the generals under his command..."

"I am merely a scholar with no military experience whatsoever, nor have I rendered any service to the officials and the court. At this moment, I am truly on tenterhooks, as if I have been usurped. Generals, I am truly sorry."

Xu Jiang smiled and said, "Brother Zhongzhe is the commander-in-chief personally appointed by the Emperor. He must have extraordinary abilities. Moreover, if the title is not correct, the words will not be proper. The commander-in-chief of an army should sit here. Brother Zhongzhe, there is no need to decline."

Chen Songling rose and humbly bowed to the assembled generals before finally sitting down.

The generals present looked at each other, and Zhong Jianzhong's mood grew increasingly heavy.

The more amiable a person appears, the harder they are to deal with. If he maintains this attitude, the hearts of the soldiers in the army will eventually be won over by him, and then military power will naturally fall into his hands.

Chen Songling was completely unaware of the inner turmoil Zhong Jianzhong was experiencing at that moment; his smile remained warm and friendly.

"Although His Majesty has appointed me as commander, I am quite unfamiliar with military affairs. I will need everyone's assistance in the future. If I raise any ridiculous questions, please forgive and understand. Military matters are best discussed and decided by everyone. I am not very experienced and will not joke about military affairs, much less act arbitrarily."

Chen Songling's expression gradually turned serious. He said, "Although the Song and Liao countries have stopped fighting, the Emperor and the court have not recalled these 100,000 troops. Instead, they have ordered us to continue to be stationed on the Song-Liao border. You all probably know the reason."

"Our Great Song Dynasty has recovered the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, which is certainly a cause for celebration, but... it is not enough!"

"His Majesty is a man of great talent and ambition. He desires the unification of the country, the submission of all under heaven, and the submission of all foreign barbarians to the rule of our Chinese civilization. Therefore, although the two countries have now ceased hostilities, our soldiers must remain vigilant and prepared for battle, and must not slacken their efforts in the slightest."

"The soldiers must continue to train and practice martial arts every day to strengthen their physique. The fighting skills of these veteran soldiers must not be neglected. Therefore, starting tomorrow, I, Chen, will personally supervise the training and live and eat with the soldiers."

"Gentlemen, please do not think that I am just putting on an act. To be honest, unifying the country is not only the Emperor's long-cherished wish, but also my dream for many years. From today onwards, I am getting closer and closer to realizing my dream. I hope that you will not abandon me and help the Emperor and me realize this dream. I entrust this to you generals."

After speaking, Chen Songling stood up and bowed deeply.

The words were beautifully spoken, and under the guise of righteousness, the first military order was issued without making a sound, and the entire army began to drill and practice.

Regardless of what the generals present thought, they had no choice but to stand up, clasp their hands in return, and salute in return.

"As Commander Chen commands!" the crowd shouted in unison.

…………

Bianjing (Kaifeng)

The Imperial City Guard launched a nationwide search, with scouts dispatched in all directions to apprehend the assassin who attempted to kill Prime Minister Zhang Dun.

Suddenly, all the former party officials and their relatives who had been demoted by Zhang Dun became suspects.

Many officials were demoted to places thousands of miles away, while others remained in Bianjing (Kaifeng), where they were reduced from high-ranking to low-ranking positions. They became the focus of investigation.

The assassination of the prime minister was a major event, unprecedented since the founding of the Song Dynasty, and the incident was extremely serious and heinous.

Zhao Xiaoqian has been so busy these past two days that he's practically living in the Imperial City Guard's office.

One after another, officials were brought in, shouting and protesting their innocence.

Zhao Xiaoqian did not torture these people, but only ordered them to be interrogated.

He knew, of course, that these former party officials being questioned were innocent.

Those who wronged them knew better than they did how wronged they were.

Because the real murderer was Zhao Xiaoqian, who sat in the main hall of the Imperial City Guard. This major case was actually an unsolved mystery. Zhao Hao's assassins were very clean and left no trace. After the crime, they immediately fled and disappeared into the homes of ordinary people in Bianjing. In a metropolis with a population of one million, finding a few assassins was like finding a needle in a haystack.

Since it was an unsolved case, Zhao Xiaoqian had no psychological burden. Instead, he took the perspective of a detective and, in a logical manner, pretended to start with Zhang Dun's former enemy.

As a result, the former party officials who had been demoted suffered a second round of punishment. Not only were they demoted, but they were also implicated in the assassination attempt on the prime minister and were questioned by the Imperial City Guard.

In just two days, the Imperial City Guard interrogated nearly a hundred officials, all of whom were demoted from Bianjing City and the surrounding prefectures and counties. They were also investigating those from more distant areas. The Imperial City Guard's forces were on their way.

The interrogation naturally yielded no results; everyone questioned claimed to be innocent, and Zhao Xiaoqian believed they were indeed innocent.

In order to avoid being accused of harming loyal officials and to avoid provoking the old faction in the court, Zhao Xiaoqian did not order Liu Dan to use torture this time, but simply imprisoned the officials.

Two days later, the interrogation still yielded no results, but Zhao Xiaoqian was summoned to the palace by Zhao Xu.

Inside the Funing Palace, Zhao Xu stared at Zhao Xiaoqian with dissatisfaction and a hint of anger in his expression.

"Two days have passed. What's the result? Have you found the real culprit?" Zhao Xu asked.

Zhao Xiaoqian lowered his head in shame: "Your Majesty and the Imperial City Guard are still investigating..."

Zhao Xu sneered: "Are you sure you're investigating in the right direction?"

"Uh, Your Majesty, I am foolish and do not understand your meaning..."

"I've heard that you only target Yuan You Party officials who were demoted by Zhang Dun, is that right?"

Zhao Xiaoqian innocently replied, "They were demoted by Chancellor Zhang, so they are most likely to hold a grudge. I suspect the murderer is among them. What's wrong with that?"

Zhao Xu sneered, "Zian, you're getting more and more cunning. You know perfectly well that this matter has little to do with the demoted officials, and you can even rule them out as suspects, yet you still went after them. But you turn a blind eye to the people who should be suspected. What are you really up to?"

Zhao Xiaoqian fell silent; he understood what Zhao Xu meant.

Zhao Xu wasn't stupid; he probably realized long ago that the assassination attempt on Zhang Dun was related to the recent struggle for the crown prince position.

Therefore, the people who should really be suspected are Zhao Xu's brothers.

The person Zhang Dun resolutely opposes may not be the murderer, but at least they are connected. By sorting out Zhao Ji's interpersonal relationships, including those with enemies and friends, the Imperial City Guard is heading in this direction, which is ultimately the right thing to do.

But Zhao Xiaoqian did not do that. Instead, he arrested a group of demoted officials without any real action and interrogated them seriously every day. Zhao Xu was so angry that he laughed.

Zhao Xu didn't believe Zhao Xiaoqian didn't understand; he knew even better about Zhao Xiaoqian's concerns.

“Zi’an, you were once a commander-in-chief, a heroic figure who issued orders among ten thousand troops. More than 100,000 Liao soldiers were reduced to dust under your command. What could someone like you possibly have to fear?” Zhao Xu said deeply.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled bitterly and said, "I am afraid of death."

Zhao Xu laughed: "Your concern is that the person you are investigating may be the future new emperor of the Great Song Dynasty, so you dare not offend him. Therefore, the Imperial City Guard has turned a blind eye to my brothers?"

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed and said, "Your Majesty, I have always been honest and dutiful in my conduct. Whatever Your Majesty asks me to do, I will do without the slightest objection."

"But now, this case has involved the struggle for the crown prince position. To be honest, I do have concerns. Since ancient times, such matters have always been extremely sensitive for the royal family. If I get too deeply involved, I really don't know what the outcome will be..."

Zhao Xu coldly replied, "You have the imperial edict bestowed upon you by me, what are you afraid of?"

Zhao Xiaoqian lowered his head, smiled bitterly, and remained silent.

Zhao Xu paused, as if he were thinking of the Chai family's fate. The so-called iron certificate might not actually work. If he were to pass away, that thing would probably become worthless.

"Zi'an, I know your concerns, but I still hope you will investigate this matter carefully. I can only entrust this matter to you. I also want to know what kind of faces those brothers who were once so harmonious in front of me are hiding behind their backs."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled wryly and said, "I... will try my best."

Zhao Xu's tone grew serious as he said in a low voice, "Focus on investigating two people: Prince Duan, Zhao Ji, and Prince Jian, Zhao Si."

“One of them is my eldest brother, and the other is my biological brother from the same father and mother. According to ancestral rules, the succession to the throne should be chosen from the two of them. Therefore, they are the most suspicious of assassinating Zhang Dun.”

"Either Prince Duan is eliminating dissidents, or Prince Jian is framing him. The other brothers... should also be investigated."

Zhao Xu had already made his point so clear, what else could Zhao Xiaoqian say?
So Zhao Xiaoqian had no choice but to nod: "If Your Majesty does not object, I would like to invite the two princes to the Imperial City Guard for a discussion..."

Zhao Xu said coldly, "Why are you being so polite? You are an official, and they are suspects. You should summon them to court for questioning."

(End of this chapter)