The prince is more stable

Chapter 795 Funeral Procession at the Imperial Mausoleum
Prince Duan, a studious and studious boy, has been keeping to himself and refusing visitors. This is common knowledge among the court officials, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, he is likely to become the future emperor of the Song Dynasty.

So regardless of what they thought in their hearts, they all praised Zhao Ji's performance, showing expressions of satisfaction and moved to tears by the fact that the future emperor of the Song Dynasty was so studious.

The country has a future, and the people have hope!

The future emperor needs to study, and the court officials shouldn't bother him anymore. But they can't just sit idle; isn't life all about making a fuss, making a fuss about themselves and others?

So who will be targeted next?
It's Zhao Xiaoqian, of course.

Zhao Xiaoqian brought down Prince Jian, confirming Prince Jian's evil deeds and crimes, which was true. However, he was wrong in that his methods of revenge were too ruthless. He not only severely humiliated Prince Jian, but also damaged the face and dignity of the royal family.

Zhao Xiaoqian's behavior was naturally intolerable to the court officials who always stood on the moral high ground.

As a result, a flood of impeachment memorials was sent to the Council of State Affairs.

Zhang Dun was dumbfounded when he saw these memorials. Was it really necessary to make such a fuss over such a simple matter?
After Prince Jian was paraded through the streets with both legs broken that day, Zhao Xiaoqian ordered him to be sent to the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs and handed over to the old Minister of the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, Zhao Zongsheng, for disposal.

As the patriarch of the Zhao imperial family, Zhao Zongsheng naturally took the complaint filed by Zhao Xiaoqian, the only promising member of the clan, very seriously.

Based on the witnesses and physical evidence presented by the Imperial City Guard, the Imperial Clan Court quickly took action.

Prince Jian, Zhao Si, was arrogant and domineering, setting fires and plotting to kill his own clansmen. His actions were heinous and he should be punished.

As the late emperor's own brother, Zhao Si could not be physically punished. Therefore, the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs decided to confine Zhao Si for a year and confiscate 10,000 mu of land under the name of Prince Jian's residence, transferring it to Zhao Xiaoqian's name as compensation for the loss.

Zhao Xiaoqian didn't care. He had already achieved his goal of bringing down Prince Jian, and he would let the Court of Imperial Clan punish him however they pleased.

However, this internal matter of the royal family attracted impeachment from court officials.

As a flood of memorials poured into the Hall of State Affairs, the seven-day mourning period for the late emperor also concluded in Yanfu Palace.

Zhang Dun put aside the mountain of impeachment memorials and rushed into the palace to complete the funeral rites for the late emperor on his last day.

Early that morning, all officials of the fourth rank and above in Bianjing arrived. After a series of elaborate and complicated religious ceremonies by monks and Taoists, the heavy golden coffin was lifted and slowly carried out of the palace amidst the wailing of the Empress Dowager and the court officials, heading straight for the city gate.

Led by Zhang Dun, Zeng Bu, and Zhao Xiaoqian, the officials followed the funeral procession out of the city gate in a grand procession.

The coffin was to be carried to Yongtai Mausoleum, three hundred miles west of Bianjing, which was a mausoleum exclusively for Zhao Xu.

When the coffin left the palace, the people of Bianjing were shocked and knelt on both sides of the street, wailing and bidding farewell to the late emperor.

White banners fluttered throughout Bianjing, and weeping could be heard everywhere; the national mourning ceremony was heartbreaking.

After the officials followed the coffin for dozens of miles outside the city, they stopped. The coffin was then placed in a carriage and horses and continued on its way. The officials knelt in the mud, weeping and kowtowing to bid it farewell.

Senior officials such as Zhang Dun and Zhao Xiaoqian still accompanied the coffin to Yongtai Mausoleum, as was the custom and etiquette.

Two days later, outside the Yongtai Mausoleum's underground palace, Zhang Dun, Zhao Xiaoqian, and others watched as the golden coffin entered the tomb, witnessing the heavy dragon-severing stone fall and the stone gate of the underground palace slowly close.

Zhao Xiaoqian remained silent, knelt on the ground, faced the underground palace of the mausoleum, and bowed three times.

Thus, Zhao Xu, one of the emperors of the Song Dynasty, took his final bow in this world.

Memories flashed through Zhao Xiaoqian's mind as he recalled the moments he had shared with Zhao Xu, and his eyes welled up with tears again.

He had thought that the person was gone and that he had no more tears left to shed after the grief, but after seeing Zhao Xu's coffin being placed in the tomb, he could not help but feel sadness welling up in his heart.

He must be very lonely, sleeping alone in this cold tomb.

This sleep was forever. The only trace left behind is the imperial annals in history books, which briefly describe his life. Then, the teachers in the classroom underline a few lines, saying that the knowledge points will definitely be on the test.

That's it.

After bowing three times, Zhao Xiaoqian silently got up.

Zhang Dun walked to his side, looked sadly at the tomb, and sighed, "Zi'an, we should return to the capital to report to the Empress Dowager."

Zhao Xiaoqian also sighed, "Yes, it's all over. Those who are alive must continue to live."

Zhang Dun smiled wryly and said, "When we get back, we still need to discuss the temple name of the late emperor, and... the selection of the new emperor."

As he was speaking, Zhang Dun suddenly stopped talking and looked at him with a questioning expression.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled faintly: "The choice of the new emperor is already a foregone conclusion, is there any need for discussion?"

"Zian still thinks Prince Duan is more suitable?" Zhang Dun asked, somewhat disappointed and uneasy.

He knew very well what fate awaited him after Zhao Ji ascended the throne.

"Whether it's suitable or not, Prince Duan is the only choice. What else can be done? The Emperor's other two brothers are neither the eldest nor the legitimate son, which is against the rules. The court officials will not agree to it."

Zhang Dun glanced around, pulled Zhao Xiaoqian aside to a secluded spot, and said seriously, "Zian, do you really have no other plans?"

"What does Minister Zhang mean by that? I don't understand," Zhao Xiaoqian said, looking bewildered.

Zhang Dun gritted his teeth and glared at him: "Zi'an, if you don't express your opinion, Prince Duan will really ascend the throne. After we return to the capital, the Empress Dowager will definitely summon us to discuss the candidates. If you have nothing to say, then I will have nothing to say in front of the Empress Dowager!" Zhao Xiaoqian looked at Zhang Dun coldly.

The old man was clearly disoriented and losing his composure. He had been frantically testing and hinting at things to him lately. The former prime minister had lost all his composure and demeanor. As the day of choosing a new emperor drew closer, Zhang Dun became increasingly anxious and restless, like a caged beast.

Both public and private motives were at play. Publicly, Zhang Dun was very worried that after Zhao Ji ascended the throne, he would abolish the new policies, reinstate the old party, and suppress the new party.

In this respect, Zhang Dun's thoughts were very pure. Promoting the new policies was his political ideal, and he did not want to see the new policies abolished by the emperor and the country revert to the old ways.

Privately speaking, Zhang Dun had been prime minister for the past few years, holding the reins of power in the country. He was second only to the emperor and above all others. He had already enjoyed the happiness and satisfaction that power brought him. If Zhao Ji were to dismiss him as prime minister after ascending the throne, not only would he lose his power, but the personal safety of him and his entire family would also be at risk.

After all, in recent years Zhang Dun had been suppressing the old party, and with his tacit approval and instigation, the court had even fabricated many unjust cases against officials of the old party.

Therefore, Zhang Dun had enemies all over the world. If he lost power, those old party officials who had been wronged and demoted would surely kill him.

If we were to discuss who in the world would least like to see Zhao Ji ascend the throne, Zhang Dun would likely rank first, even ahead of Zhao Hao and his son Zhao Xiaoqian.

Meeting Zhang Dun's expectant gaze, Zhao Xiaoqian said with a wry smile, "What's wrong with Prime Minister Zhang lately? He's been jumping around like this, not at all like a prime minister. What a lack of composure, Prime Minister Zhang! The composure of a prime minister!"

Zhang Dun grew impatient; he was never a good-tempered person to begin with.

"I don't need you to tell me! Putting aside your temper, I just want to know what you're thinking. If you still don't tell the truth, I'll submit a petition to the Empress Dowager to resign after we return to the capital. Rather than being driven away in disgrace, you'd better be sensible and resign voluntarily. That way, you can at least save some dignity for yourself."

Zhao Xiaoqian has been carefully observing Zhang Dun these days.

He was well aware of Zhang Dun's current situation, so he understood why Zhang Dun was so anxious. However, despite Zhang Dun's repeated attempts to probe and hint, Zhao Xiaoqian remained silent, determined to wear him down and keep him hanging on.

In fact, the situation has been quite clear ever since Prince Jian was overthrown.

Zhao Xiaoqian had another purpose in bringing down Prince Jian: to force Zhang Dun to have no choice but to side with him.

Sure enough, after Prince Jian lost his right to compete for the throne, Zhang Dun became anxious and showed signs of actively aligning himself with him.

This was solely because Zhao Xiaoqian had jokingly remarked at Yanfu Palace that day that he didn't know how much chance he had of winning if he were to vie for the throne.

At the time, Zhang Dun naturally took it as a joke and didn't take it to heart.

After King Jian fell, Zhang Dun lost all hope and immediately recalled what Zhao Xiaoqian had said, and took it as his lifeline.

Zhang Dun is now acting very anxious, taking the initiative to approach him, testing and hinting.

But Zhao Xiaoqian was no longer in a hurry.

The formation of any alliance requires a prerequisite: that both sides have common interests. Only when interests are aligned can everyone work together towards a common goal, and only then can things be accomplished.

Zhao Xiaoqian has been keeping Zhang Dun hanging for the past few days, hoping to gradually amplify Zhang Dun's demands until they become urgent, so that he can have an open and honest discussion with Zhang Dun.

Zhao Xiaoqian now estimates that the time is right.

If Zhang Dun were a pot of soup, then this pot of soup has been simmering for several hours, and the broth is now thick and ready to eat.

After pondering for a long time, Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "Prime Minister Zhang, how about we find a quiet place for a small gathering the night after we return to the capital?"

Zhang Dun's eyes lit up, and he immediately understood the meaning behind the words. His expression gradually changed from anxious to excited.

"Zian, you, you really do... have other intentions!" Zhang Dun said, slightly agitated.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at him with a puzzled expression: "It was just a small gathering, why is Master Zhang talking nonsense again?"

Zhang Dun stroked his beard and chuckled, his demeanor regaining its usual composure and calmness. At this moment, he was once again the familiar prime minister of the court.

"Alright, alright, a small get-together is just the right time. Let's get together on the night we return to Beijing."

Zhao Xiaoqian and he exchanged a smile.

In fact, Zhao Xiaoqian certainly needed Zhang Dun's support. With the power of the current prime minister and the status of the leader of the New Party, how could he possibly ignore such a huge boost?

However, he was more patient and waited until Zhang Dun took the initiative to seek an alliance. Only when everyone had common interests could the alliance remain strong and unbreakable.

Two days later, Zhang Dun, Zhao Xiaoqian, and other important officials returned to Bianjing.

When Zhao Xiaoqian returned to Bianjing in the afternoon, he arranged to meet Zhang Dun at the Prince of Chu's residence that evening before bidding farewell to Zhang Dun.

Zhao Xiaoqian did not return directly to his residence, but instead went to the Imperial City Guard.

While he was still on his way back to the capital yesterday, Zhao Xiaoqian received news that Zhen Qing, the official in charge of the Imperial City Guard, had returned to the capital.

Zhen Qing was acting on Zhao Xiaoqian's secret orders, and hurriedly left the capital of Liao, rushing back to Bianjing day and night.

At this critical juncture, Zhao Xiaoqian needs trustworthy helpers, not subordinates with ulterior motives.

So, Zhen Qing returned.

(End of this chapter)