The prince is more stable

Chapter 792 Testing and Pulling
People with different official ranks naturally have different perspectives on issues.

A mere censor can only see the surface of a problem.

On the surface, it appears that Zhao Xiaoqian abused his power, bullied members of the imperial family, and brought shame upon the royal clan.

What Zhang Dun saw, however, was the complex web of entanglements behind the incident, including the schemes and reactions of the Empress Dowager, Prince Duan, Zhao Xiaoqian, and other parties.

As for abusing members of the imperial family, ha, is that even a big deal for Zhao Xiaoqian?

Since Zhao Xiaoqian dared to attack Prince Jian in public, it means he was absolutely confident that he could make the matter seem legitimate and legal, and at least not harm himself.

After all, it was Prince Jian who made the first move. He would be in the right no matter how far the lawsuit went. What was there to be afraid of?

The phrase "clueless" perfectly describes someone like Li Sheng. Why can't he spend his time worrying about important national affairs? These censors are just busy nitpicking over trivial matters concerning the entire court.

Zhang Dun felt contempt in his heart, but on the surface he remained very friendly and politely dismissed Li Sheng.

The moment Li Sheng turned around with an air of honor, Zhang Dun's smile vanished instantly.

After boarding the carriage, Zhang Dun hurriedly arrived at the Funing Palace.

The funeral has been going on for five days. It will end in two more days, but the monks' and Taoist priests' ceremonies will continue.

After a seven-day funeral, Zhao Xu's coffin will be sent out of Bianjing and buried in Yongtai Mausoleum, more than 300 li away from Bianjing.

Thus, Emperor Zhao Xu completely exited the world, with only historical records preserving a few traces of him.

When Zhang Dun arrived at Funing Hall, he followed the instructions of Zhang Yi, the Minister of Rites, and made him kneel and cry as he was told.

A casual glance revealed that not far from Zhang Dun, Zhao Xiaoqian was also dressed in mourning clothes, kneeling respectfully like a puppet being manipulated by the Minister of Rites.

Zhang Dun wanted to say something to Zhao Xiaoqian, but the occasion was not suitable for discussing serious matters, so he had to suppress his many questions.

The funeral ceremony lasted for two hours, and an afternoon passed just like that. Only then did Zhang Dun and his ministers get up and leave the hall.

Just as Zhang Dun was about to speak to Zhao Xiaoqian, Zhao Xiaoqian unexpectedly came over on his own initiative.

"Lord Zhang, I have something important to discuss. I urge you to take the time to hear it," Zhao Xiaoqian said solemnly.

Zhang Dun smiled and said, "Zi'an, please speak freely."

The two walked to a secluded spot outside the hall, where Zhao Xiaoqian said, "I have something to report to the Council of State Affairs. Please consult and handle it, Minister Zhang."

"What's so serious?"

Zhao Xiaoqian looked directly into Zhang Dun's eyes and slowly said, word by word, "The Imperial City Guard has confirmed that Prince Jian, Zhao Si, set fire to my Chu Prince's residence the night before last. This case involves more than just Prince Jian; it is actually a conspiracy between Prince Jian's officials and a group of courtiers who have pledged allegiance to Prince Jian."

As he spoke, Zhao Xiaoqian leisurely took out a list from his pocket and handed it to Zhang Dun.

Zhang Dun looked shocked and gasped, instantly realizing what Zhao Xiaoqian was up to.

This young man is ruthless. With this case, he not only brought down Prince Jian, but also plans to deal with his cronies, leaving no future troubles.

As for Zhao Xiaoqian's earlier statement about "a group of court officials conspiring together," Zhang Dun didn't believe a single word of it.

Please, everyone, be reasonable. It's just a simple case of arson, a matter of throwing a torch. Did Prince Jian really need to discuss and conspire with his cronies in such a serious manner?
This is an insult to the intelligence of the current prime minister.

Taking the list from Zhao Xiaoqian, Zhang Dun didn't even bother to look at it, simply asking, "How many people are involved in the case on the list?"

"There are a total of twelve court officials, the highest-ranking being the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and the lowest-ranking being the Director of the Department of Revenue," Zhao Xiaoqian said with a smile.

Zhang Dun looked at him with a half-smile: "Zi'an, are you planning to eradicate Prince Jian's power completely?"

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "Since we've already done it, let's go all the way. We can't leave a few troublemakers lurking in the court, waiting for an opportunity to stab me in the back, can we? Such a ridiculous thing must never happen to me."

Zhang Dun unfolded the list and glanced at it casually, then sighed, "It seems that Prince Jian has been truly honest and dutiful all these years, and hasn't tried to win over many court officials at all. After all these years, he only has twelve followers. Tsk!"

Zhao Xiaoqian blinked: "Including Minister Zhang, there are thirteen."

Zhang Dun was startled and hurriedly said, "I am not one of his henchmen, Zian, please don't wrong me!"

Zhao Xiaoqian looked bewildered: "Didn't Chancellor Zhang support Prince Jian's ascension to the throne?"

Mentioning this matter, Zhang Dun was furious and said angrily, "How dare you say that! You brought down Prince Jian, but you cut off my escape route. You didn't even consult me ​​beforehand. Now Prince Duan hates me, and Prince Jian is hopeless. What am I supposed to do?"

Zhao Xiaoqian sneered: "Did Jian Wang consult with you before setting fire to my house?"

Zhang Dun was speechless for a moment.

Zhao Xiaoqian is a very easy-going person. If you reason with me, I will reason with you too.

If you keep arguing and being unreasonable, I'll just slap you hard in the back, focusing on getting in sync with you.

Prince Jian has already fallen, so Zhang Dun has no reason to plead for him. He is concerned about something else, but bringing it up now would be truly malicious.

"Let's drop the matter of Prince Jian. The seven-day mourning period for the late Emperor is almost over, and the court will soon discuss the selection of a new emperor. I wonder what your thoughts are, Zi'an?" Zhang Dun asked tactfully.

Zhao Xiaoqian blinked again: "Thoughts? I'm young, not virtuous or respected enough, so the choice of the new emperor will naturally be up to the Empress Dowager and Minister Zhang."

Zhang Dun smiled wryly and said, "Zi'an, at a time like this, why do you still have to play tricks? Can't you just tell me the truth?"

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "Why is there such a hurry, Prime Minister Zhang? You will know the answer eventually." Zhang Dun gritted his teeth and asked tentatively in a low voice, "Zian... what you said to me outside the Funing Palace last time, was it true?"

Zhao Xiaoqian asked blankly, "What did you say?"

"You said... if you intend to compete for the throne, ask me what your chances of winning are."

Zhao Xiaoqian was taken aback for a moment, then smiled wryly: "It was just a joke, nothing serious. I didn't expect that Minister Zhang would actually remember it."

Zhang Dun raised an eyebrow: "Is this really a joke?"

Zhao Xiaoqian said seriously, "Really."

Zhang Dun chuckled, said nothing, but pointed at him, shook his head, and sighed.

This little fox is too cunning; Zhang Dun felt he probably wouldn't be able to get the real answer out of him.

It was obvious that Zhang Dun had not yet gained Zhao Xiaoqian's trust, and he certainly wouldn't easily reveal his innermost thoughts on such a crucial topic.

"Since Zian doesn't admit it, it's inconvenient for me to say anything more. If Zian ever feels that he needs my help, just ask, and I'd like to have a detailed discussion with you."

After leaving those words with a profound meaning, Zhang Dun turned and walked away.

…………

Yanyun, outside Youzhou City, the Song army camp.

In a series of days, the Song army received two messages from Bianjing.

The first message was received by Chen Songling, the Pacification Commissioner of Hebei West Circuit; it was bad news from the imperial court.

The Emperor has passed away!

When the news arrived, the entire army was filled with grief, and 100,000 armored soldiers changed into white mourning clothes, turning the world into a blanket of white.

Chen Songling led the generals in bowing three times towards Bianjing. The generals wept bitterly. A memorial tablet for Zhao Xu was placed in the general's tent. Chen Songling wept bitterly every day in front of the tablet, saying that he had not repaid the emperor's grace and that the emperor had passed away.

The other generals, such as Zhong Jianzhong and Zong Ze, were naturally also very grieved, but not to the extent that Chen Songling felt.

The so-called emperor and the imperial court were, in the minds of these ordinary generals, nothing more than distant symbols. Most of them had never seen the emperor, let alone deeply felt the so-called "divine grace".

Their official positions, wealth, and honors were all earned through their own hard work and battles. If they had to talk about favors, the only one the generals could acknowledge was Zhao Xiaoqian.

After all, Zhao Xiaoqian had spent a lot of time with them, and he personally reported their promotions and advancements to the court after they made meritorious contributions. As for money, Zhao Xiaoqian tacitly allowed them to plunder and pocket the spoils themselves.

In the hearts of these straightforward military generals, this was a tangible and visible favor. Only Zhao Xiaoqian shared life and death with them, and treated his soldiers as his own brothers, thus earning their genuine support, for which they were even willing to risk their lives to follow him.

As for the high-ranking emperor in the Bianjing palace, most people didn't even know what he looked like, so when the emperor passed away, the generals' grief was more of an act.

Regardless of what the generals were thinking, the grief they displayed was genuine.

Two days after the news of the Emperor's death reached the camp, Zhong Jianzhong received another message. This message was a secret report sent by a trusted confidant of the Prince of Chu's mansion, and it was an order from Zhao Xiaoqian.

He controlled Chen Songling, seized back the military power in Yanyun, and prepared to fight for the throne.

Upon receiving the news, Zhong Jianzhong immediately showed a look of joy.

His Highness has finally decided to launch the operation!
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If we succeed, the generals of Yan and Yun will be kings and nobles for generations. If we fail, we will live and die with Your Highness.

On the very night he received Zhao Xiaoqian's secret letter, Zhong Jianzhong secretly gathered his trusted generals, including Zong Ze, Di Zi, and Zhe Keshi, in an inconspicuous, secluded tent in the main camp to discuss matters.

Inside the tent, Zhong Jianzhong handed Zhao Xiaoqian's secret letter to the generals for them to read. After the generals read it carefully, Zhong Jianzhong crumpled the letter into a ball, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed it a few times, and swallowed it.

"Your Highness is finally going to launch it! I've been waiting for this day for far too long!" Zhe Keshi said excitedly, rubbing his hands together.

Zhong Jianzhong glanced at him and said, "The Zhe family has been loyal and virtuous for generations. This is not appropriate for you."

Zhe Keshi asked in bewilderment, “Am I not a loyal and virtuous person? His Highness is also surnamed Zhao, and he is also a descendant of the Zhao family. Even if we help His Highness seize the throne, this country will still belong to the Zhao family. We are just one of the descendants of the Zhao family supporting him. What’s wrong with that?”

Di Zi, who was standing next to him, laughed and said, "That's right. My Di family has been loyal and virtuous for generations. We can support one of the descendants of the Zhao family, so it can't be considered treason."

The logic is clear once explained, and upon careful consideration, it makes perfect sense.

Zong Ze, who was also present, did not make any grand pronouncements. He simply said, "I am where I am today thanks to Your Highness. Whatever Your Highness asks me to do, I will do."

Seeing that all the generals present had expressed their opinions, Zhong Jianzhong nodded.

“You have all read His Highness’s secret letter. Now, what we need to do first is to control Chen Songling and take back military power. The 100,000 soldiers of Yanyun are His Highness’s strength, and military power cannot fall into the hands of outsiders.”

Zhe Keshi said nonchalantly, "That's easy. I'll take a hundred guards and storm into the commander's tent at midnight to take care of Chen Songling."

Zhong Jianzhong immediately shook his head: "Chen Songling cannot be killed. If we kill the commander-in-chief of an army, we will truly be guilty of treason, which is a very serious matter..."

As he spoke, Zhong Jianzhong glared at Zhe Keshi and said, "Can't you think straight with your pig brain? All you know how to do when something happens is to swing your knife and kill people. Are you the reincarnation of the God of Death?"

Zhe Keshi smiled awkwardly: "Alright, alright, this humble general will shut up and listen to you. Tell me when you've figured it out, and I'll do as you say."

Di Zi slowly said, "Since Chen Songling cannot die, then imprison him and send people to guard him day and night. Meanwhile, we must muster our troops and prepare to march south to the capital to defend the emperor."

(End of this chapter)