The prince is more stable

Chapter 769 Alliance and Establishment of Virtue
Prince Chu's Palace, Yin'an Hall.

Many palace lanterns were lit inside the hall and hung high on the roof beams. Only the father and son sat facing each other in the brightly lit hall, and the atmosphere was a little awkward.

Zhao Hao was dressed neatly and looked normal, but there was a bruise on his chubby cheek, from when he fell after jumping out of the window.

Zhao Xiaoqian was speechless, his expression showing a hint of guilt, and he occasionally glanced at Zhao Hao with sympathy.

The atmosphere was so dry that he had to say something, so Zhao Xiaoqian cleared his throat and first expressed his admiration to Zhao Hao.

“Father is still the same father, as decisive and ruthless as ever…” Zhao Xiaoqian gave him a thumbs up and praised, “You jumped out of the window so cleanly and efficiently, without wasting a single moment. No wonder you have seduced so many married women in Bianjing over the years, yet rarely failed.”

"When traveling the world, safety comes first. I will always remember my father's teachings."

Zhao Hao's chubby cheek twitched, aggravating the injury on his face. He gasped in pain and looked at Zhao Xiaoqian with resentment.

"I never expected that you, at over twenty years old, would be so mischievous..."

Zhao Hao's face was still somewhat pale. Zhao Xiaoqian's loud shout had startled him so much that he was still in shock.

"Qian'er, don't do that again. It's really scary. If I die, it won't do you any good. A family has a treasure, just like an old person. I can't die. You still need me," Zhao Hao said in a hoarse voice.

Zhao Xiaoqian said apologetically, "I was naughty today, I promise I won't do it again."

"No, I don't believe you. Make a solemn oath," Zhao Hao insisted.

"Your son swears that if he ever misbehaves like this again, and if he scares his father so much that he jumps out the window naked, he will punish his ancestors for eighteen generations..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Hao's eyelids twitched suddenly, and he decisively stopped him: "Fine! That's enough! The oath is off, it doesn't count. You can do whatever you want from now on."

Sighing, what could Zhao Hao do when he looked at his disappointing son?

Of course, the only option is to forgive.

He's the only son, so even if he causes a huge mess, we'll cover for him. It's no big deal if he casually scares his own father.

"You did a good job with the assassination of Zhang Dun. You really stirred up the pot of wine in the court. The Emperor's attention has also been focused on the two brothers. In this way, my son and I are out of everyone's sight and can go all out."

Zhao Xiaoqian shook his head: "If you want to win legitimately, defeating the two princes won't be considered a success. I am, after all, a member of the imperial clan, and my status is not high enough. In the end, I will have to rely on force."

Zhao Hao nodded: "My son, there is no need to be too pessimistic. In terms of titles, Zhao Ji, Zhao Si, and those other princes are actually not qualified. The so-called succession by the younger brother is just a helpless statement. If Your Majesty has even one prince alive, the throne will not be passed to them."

"None of us are qualified, so we all start from the same point. Now it depends on each person's ability. In this respect, you have a huge advantage, so your chances of winning are very high. At least in my opinion, they are higher than those of Zhao Ji and Zhao Si."

Zhao Hao sneered a few times and said, "Those two young punks only know how to play and have fun. When it comes to governing the country, they can only talk about it on paper. They know nothing about politics and national affairs. How can they compare to you?"

"You are the commander-in-chief of an army who has guarded the border for many years. Not to mention the many merits you have made, the current situation of the Song Dynasty can be said to be entirely due to your efforts. Only you are qualified to sit on this throne. Those who have experienced hardship are different from those who haven't. This kind of difference cannot be bridged by birth or distance."

"Two good-for-nothing kids dare to dream of a windfall of wealth falling from the sky. Ha! Even if it did fall from the sky, could they catch it? Could they hold onto it securely?"

Zhao Hao was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "What we need to do now is to secretly win the support of the court officials. The infighting between the New Party and the Old Party is an excellent opportunity for us."

“Zhang Dun was the leader of the New Party. He openly said that Prince Duan was frivolous. This not only made Zhang Dun an enemy of Zhao Ji, but also, in a broader sense, made the entire New Party an enemy of Prince Duan.”

"Zhang Dun must be very clear now that if Prince Duan ascends the throne, he will most likely target the New Party and repeat the old events of the Yuan You era, abolishing the New Party and restoring the old one."

“Zhang Dun’s hard work in implementing the new policies over the past few years will be in vain. Given Zhang Dun’s personality, he will absolutely not allow it. What he will do is to do everything in his power to prevent Zhao Ji from ascending the throne.”

Zhao Hao's eyes gleamed as he slowly said, "Zhang Dun was assassinated and is now recuperating in his residence. Qian'er is under imperial orders to investigate this case. Why not take this opportunity to visit Zhang Dun, under the guise of discussing the case, and then present your political views?"

"Qian'er, Zhang Dun is the current prime minister. If he stands on your side, he will be a great help to you. After the Emperor's death, your path will be much easier. Zhang Dun must be anxious right now, after all, there are many calls for Prince Duan to ascend the throne, and he also needs allies to bring Prince Duan down."

"If you can form an alliance with Zhang Dun and gain the support of the Empress Dowager and the old faction, your status as a member of the imperial clan will become secondary..."

"After all, you are special. Your achievements and prestige in the court and among the people over the years are evident. In addition, you still hold military power in Yanyun. Your chances of winning are very high. At least in my opinion, your chances of winning are much higher than those of Zhao Ji and Zhao Si."

Zhao Xiaoqian was no longer surprised by Zhao Hao's cunning and accepted the fact calmly.

"After the Emperor passes away, I will spread the word in Bianjing that 'the virtuous should be chosen, not the eldest son.' Once public opinion is strong enough, the idea of ​​'choosing the virtuous' will be questionable." "Brothers can be 'virtuous,' and so can relatives. If the new emperor is incompetent and his past misdeeds are exposed, losing the support of his ministers and the people, the calls for 'choosing the virtuous' will be even louder. If, by chance, the Yan-Yun army suddenly returns to the capital, then... hehe."

When the throne was mentioned, Zhao Hao's eyes lit up, and he looked extremely excited.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at him silently. He had coveted that position in Yanfu Palace for many years, yet now he had so readily given it to him, and was so actively helping him plan and strategize, treating it as if it were his own career, a gamble and a fight.

Palace affairs and world affairs are never about right and wrong, good and evil, but Zhao Xiaoqian truly felt this deep and profound fatherly love.

Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly said with deep emotion, "Father, if I am able to ascend the throne, I will definitely find all the widows in the world for you. As the saying goes, 'How can the heart of a blade of grass repay the warmth of spring?'"

Zhao Hao waved his hand and said, "Shut up. The joy of a widow lies in finding it herself and seducing it. That's when you find it. The real joy comes from the constant anxiety of seducing a married woman, always worried that her husband will come home. The ride is both pleasurable and exciting. What's the point of finding me a woman? Do you think I'm that lacking in women?"

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed.

He truly didn't understand this kind of pleasure.

Perhaps it's because I'm not old enough or have enough experience.

…………

Kyushu Island, Japan.

After several days of boating, Feng, Di Ying, and the other women were vomiting so badly that they were pale and swaying precariously.

Entrusted by Zhao Xiaoqian, Zhang Rong hired a fleet of ships and led 5,000 soldiers to escort Di Ying and other female relatives. After a voyage of more than half a month, they finally arrived at Kyushu Island, Japan.

From the swaying deck of the ship, a lush green expanse of land and a bustling port can be seen in the distance.

At that moment, Zhang Rong was on another ship, squinting at the distant land and port, and was overjoyed, shouting out loud.

"We've arrived in Japan! This port is likely Nagasaki. Order the entire army to be on high alert, check ammunition, and prepare to land on the island!"

A soldier rushed over and said, "Reporting to the general, there are ships approaching ahead. It must be people from the Nagasaki government who are inquiring about something."

Zhang Rong smiled coldly and said, "Tell the messenger that the daughters of the Taira and Minamoto families are on my fleet, and ask the Nagasaki government to greet them with proper courtesy."

"Furthermore, tell them that I, the general, am acting on the orders of His Highness the Prince of Hejian of the Great Song Dynasty, and at the request of the daughters of the Pingyuan family, leading five thousand imperial troops to assist the Pingyuan family in upholding the Japanese nation. Anyone who dares to obstruct us will be considered an enemy, and my imperial troops will surely strike them down."

The soldiers hurriedly withdrew to relay orders, while a deputy general whispered, "General, how should our army treat the local government during this landing in Japan—with courtesy or with force?"

Zhang Rong coldly said, "Let's try diplomacy first, then force. If it weren't for the fact that the daughters of the Pingyuan family are His Highness's concubines, our Celestial Empire would not have given them this honor."

The lieutenant added, "If the local government is hostile to our army..."

Zhang Rong sneered: "That suits me just as well. Don't forget His Highness's instructions. We must occupy an island for His Highness and his family. His Highness must think about his descendants. No matter what the local government's attitude is towards us, this Kyushu Island has already belonged to the Zhao family the moment we discovered it."

"After landing, if the local government dares to resort to arms, we will not hesitate to take action immediately. First, we will wipe out the government and the army. Then, we will issue proclamations to the governments of various places in Kyushu, condemning their rudeness and disloyalty, and finally ordering them to quickly submit to our Heavenly Dynasty's royal army!"

"The reactions of the Pingyuan family..."

Zhang Rong shook his head: "It's alright. His Highness said that Japan is a country that knows small manners but lacks righteousness, and fears power but does not cherish virtue. We must first beat them until they are hurt, subdued, and afraid before they will be willing to talk to us calmly. Moreover, they will kneel down to talk decisively. That process is extremely pleasant."

The lieutenant hesitated and said, "This humble general has never met any Japanese, but Your Highness's statement... isn't Japan being a bit too despicable?"

Zhang Rong hesitated for a moment, then his gaze hardened again: "His Highness is always right, he has never been wrong, although his assessment of the Japanese is a bit... But since His Highness has said so, he must be right. We need not doubt him, we will do as His Highness says!"

By this time, the fleet was getting closer and closer to the port. A small fishing boat quickly sailed in from the port, carrying three or five people. They looked up at the huge Song Dynasty ships with surprise and envy. The leader had a strange half-bald hairstyle and shouted a few words to the Song army ships.

The two sides could not communicate verbally, and the Song soldiers on the ship looked down on the short Dongyi people from the bottom of their hearts. They jeered and cursed at the small fishing boat, and some even spat at it.

Zhang Rong watched from afar, smiling but not stopping them.

His arrival was ill-intentioned, and provoking war was naturally part of his plan; all he needed to do now was ignite the fuse.

(End of this chapter)