The prince is more stable

Chapter 807 The Minister’s Disobedience
Bianjing, Prince Duan's Mansion.

Zhao Ji, dressed in a Taoist robe, sat cross-legged on a futon. In front of him was an altar with a golden statue of Laozi and a censer of incense burning, the fragrance of sandalwood rising gently.

Outside, the servants of the Prince's mansion were busy packing their luggage and valuables. The items that Prince Duan liked, especially his calligraphy and paintings over the years, and the rare stones he had collected from all over the world, were all packed onto carriages and sent to Yanfu Palace.

Emperor Huizong (Zhao Ji) naturally refused to stay in the Funing Palace, where the late Emperor Zhao Xu had lived, because he considered it unlucky since someone had died there.

After discussing it with the Empress Dowager, Zhao Ji decided to stay temporarily in Yanhe Hall, which was originally the place where the emperor rested after court. After being renovated in the past few days, it became Zhao Ji's temporary bedroom.

Emperor Huizong was actually dissatisfied with this palace, but he was about to ascend the throne, and he couldn't very well demand the expansion of Yanfu Palace as soon as he took the throne. The court officials would inevitably gossip, so he could only wait a few years until he was more secure in his position before discussing it.

At this moment, the servants of Prince Duan's residence were packing luggage and belongings, intending to send them to Yanhe Hall ahead of schedule.

Tomorrow is the coronation ceremony, and Zhao Ji is very excited. He wants to secretly put on the yellow robe and look at himself in the bronze mirror, but the closer he gets to the coronation, the more he needs to be careful about his words and actions. After hesitating for a long time, Zhao Ji finally decided not to wear the yellow robe today.

Tomorrow he will be able to wear the yellow robe with dignity and receive the homage of all the officials in the Daqing Hall of Yanfu Palace. There is no need to rush for today's pleasure.

With an excited heart and trembling hands, Zhao Ji felt as if each day was an eternity, unable to calm his emotions.

So Zhao Ji ordered someone to bring in a golden statue of Laozi, and sat cross-legged in front of it to meditate and calm his mind.

Chief Secretary Zhou Xingzhe quietly entered, seemingly more excited than Emperor Huizong of Tang.

Tomorrow, the wise ruler he serves will ascend the throne. As a minister who followed the emperor, Zhao Ji trusts him quite a bit. It's a sure thing that he will enter the Council of State Affairs in the future. If he waits a few more years, he might become the prime minister. After all, the merit of following the emperor from the prince's residence is unmatched by others.

Upon entering the room, Zhou Xingzhe saw Zhao Ji deep in thought with his eyes closed. However, Zhou Xingzhe noticed that Zhao Ji's eyelids were trembling slightly, indicating that he was not actually meditating but simply keeping his eyes closed.

Tomorrow he will ascend the throne; how could Zhao Ji possibly remain calm? Anyone in his position would find it impossible to stay composed.

Zhou Xingzhe then walked up to Zhao Ji and whispered, "Your Highness, all the officials in Bianjing have submitted memorials congratulating you on your ascension to the throne tomorrow, including the prime ministers of the Council of State Affairs, as well as officials from the Privy Council and the Six Ministries..."

Zhao Ji did not open his eyes, but simply said, "Have the King of Chu and his son, the King of Cheng, submitted their memorials?"

Zhou Xingzhe smiled and said, "Yes, they have. Father and son have submitted separate memorials, and the wording is very similar, also congratulating His Highness on his ascension to the throne."

"What have they been doing these past few days?" Zhao Ji asked again.

"According to the informants in the royal palace, the father and son seem to spend all their time in the palace. The King of Chu indulges in sensual pleasures, spending his days singing, dancing, and feasting with his concubines, while the King of Cheng studies food. He seems to be quite interested in this aspect and occasionally goes out for a stroll, most often visiting the brothels at Zhouqiao."

Emperor Huizong remained silent, but his brows gradually furrowed.

Seeing how much Zhao Ji cared about the father and son, Zhou Xingzhe cautiously said, "They are all perfectly normal. Tomorrow is His Highness's enthronement ceremony. What trouble could they possibly cause?"

Zhao Ji slowly said, "I have a lingering unease in my heart, and it's growing stronger and stronger..."

"It's precisely because they're so normal that they give me the feeling of being plotted against."

As he spoke, Zhao Ji murmured, "Has Zhao Xiaoqian truly resigned himself to his fate? He knows very well that if I ascend the throne, I will deal with him sooner or later. I never even considered giving him military power in Yan and Yun. He has no support now, so why is he still so calm? This is very abnormal..."

Zhou Xingzhe pondered deeply but could not find a solution. He smiled bitterly and said, "But the father and son are really normal. Zhao Xiaoqian only has a few hundred guards from the Prince's Palace. What kind of trouble can such a small force cause in Bianjing?"

Faced with the flawless father and son Zhao Hao and Zhao Xiaoqian, Zhao Ji did not know what was suspicious about them. He only had a vague premonition, but one cannot act based on premonitions, so he had no choice but to put it aside for the time being.

"And what about the other court officials? Did they truly congratulate me on my ascension to the throne, as their memorials claimed?"

Zhou Xingzhe laughed: "Whether they are sincere or not, they are certainly not as sincere as I am. Looking around the court, only I truly and sincerely hope that Your Highness will ascend the throne..."

Zhao Ji glanced at him, knowing that he was taking the opportunity to show his loyalty and also subtly reminding him not to forget him as a meritorious official who helped him rise to power after he became emperor.

So Zhao Ji smiled and said, "After I ascend the throne, you can enter the Hall of State Affairs. I will definitely dismiss Chancellor Zhang Dun, but you do not yet have prestige in the court, so it is impossible to make you chancell become chancellor immediately. Wait a few more years and accumulate enough seniority, and perhaps I can let you go up, as long as your loyalty can be guaranteed."

Zhou Xingzhe was overjoyed and hurriedly knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness."

Emperor Huizong was delighted, but humbly waved his hand, saying, "You're too early. You can only address me like that tomorrow. A gentleman should be cautious even when alone and should not deceive himself in secret."

Zhou Xingzhe also laughed: "Yes, yes, Your Majesty, I will remember. I spoke too quickly. I will address Your Majesty in that way again tomorrow."

Emperor Huizong laughed out loud, feeling extremely pleased.

He will ascend the throne tomorrow, and from then on his life will be one of supreme honor. At this moment, apart from a faint sense of unease in his heart, everything is wonderful.

…………

Meanwhile, King Zhao Hao of Chu was chatting and laughing with Empress Dowager Xiang in the Qingshou Palace.

With the support of the father and son, Prince Duan's ascension to the throne was so smooth. Empress Dowager Xiang no longer had any suspicions about Zhao Hao. Even when she received Zhao Hao, she dismissed the palace servants and removed the beaded curtain to meet him in person. In the Empress Dowager's view, Prince Duan's position was still inseparable from the support of Zhao Hao and his son, especially Zhao Xiaoqian. The Empress Dowager had long seen that Zhao Xiaoqian was a man of great talent, and such a person must be given important responsibilities, at least in the first few years after Zhao Ji ascended the throne.

It wasn't that the Empress Dowager had much political foresight; in fact, she didn't pay much attention to politics and military affairs, nor was she qualified to participate. Her wish was very simple: stability.

The court was stable, the borders were stable, and the palace was stable.

She lived a peaceful and contented life as Empress Dowager in the palace until her death, which made her life worthwhile.

Therefore, for someone as capable as Zhao Xiaoqian, one must both appease him and be wary of him, while also giving him important responsibilities. This is the way of a ruler.

The Empress Dowager planned to teach Zhao Ji these imperial arts slowly after he ascended the throne.

Suppressing or killing capable officials who have grudges against the emperor is not what an emperor should do. If an emperor cannot even tolerate such people, he is undoubtedly incompetent.

At this moment, the Empress Dowager dismissed the palace servants and put away the beaded curtain. Her intention in receiving King Zhao Hao of Chu in this manner was to appease the important ministers and show the sincerity of the imperial family.

"I see that the King of Chu looks a bit more rosy than usual, and he seems... a little thinner. Is that just my imagination?" The Empress Dowager said with a smile, even joking with Zhao Hao.

Zhao Hao touched his fat belly and said with a wry smile, "My rebellious son insists that I lose weight, saying that fat people are prone to illness and will not live long. If I want to live a few more years, I must give up my appetite."

"I didn't want to agree, but that rebellious son insisted. He personally supervised my three meals a day, and I ate vegetarian food with little oil, salt, and meat. I had no choice but to do so. I've inexplicably lost some weight these days, probably from starvation..."

The Empress Dowager covered her mouth and laughed, "Zian'an's filial piety has been labeled as 'rebellious son' by the King of Chu. He was only thinking of your health and hoping for your long life, and it has indeed worked. Look at the King of Chu now, isn't he much more energetic than before?"

"If this is also a rebellious son, then countless parents in the world would long for such a 'rebellious son'."

Seeing the Empress Dowager laugh, Zhao Hao's eyes lit up. That bright and mature smile really captivated his heart, and Zhao Hao found it hard to control himself.

When the Empress Dowager laughed, she saw Zhao Hao's sly expression and was suddenly startled to realize that her behavior was inappropriate and impolite, especially in front of this notorious old playboy. She wondered what filthy thoughts were swirling in his mind.

The Empress Dowager immediately stopped smiling and became dignified, majestic, and inviolable.

Zhao Hao's breathing became even more rapid.

What a contrast! The widow is so alluring! He loves her no matter what she looks like.

"King of Chu, King of Chu!" The Empress Dowager's call brought Zhao Hao back to his senses.

"Why is the King of Chu in a daze? Is there something you need to do? There's no need for you to chat with me here. Official business is more important," the Empress Dowager said with concern, but the implied meaning in her words was that she was actually asking him to leave.

Zhao Hao hurriedly said, "I am fine. It is just that I suddenly thought of a very confidential matter. This matter concerns the ascension of Prince Duan to the throne, so I wish to present it to the Empress Dowager in person."

The Empress Dowager was startled, and her expression immediately became serious. She glanced around and saw that the palace servants had already been dismissed, leaving only her and the Prince of Chu in the hall.

"It's just the two of us in the hall, so please speak freely, Prince Chu," the Empress Dowager said, sitting up straight.

Zhao Hao hesitated and said, "This matter is extremely confidential. Please forgive my offense, Your Majesty. I wish to get closer to Your Majesty, otherwise I fear that the walls may have ears and the matter may be leaked."

At this moment, the distance between the two was in accordance with palace etiquette; they were at least several feet apart, and had to unconsciously raise their voices so that the other could hear them.

If Zhao Hao really wanted to present confidential matters in person, this distance was undoubtedly inappropriate. It was almost no different from shouting everywhere with a megaphone. How could that be considered confidential?

The Empress Dowager frowned, somewhat hesitant. After all, she had been a widow for many years and always valued her reputation. If she were to get too close to a man, especially her brother-in-law, what if word got out…

However, the secret that Zhao Hao mentioned was too tempting. He said it concerned the ascension of Prince Duan to the throne, which was in the Empress Dowager's interest, and she could not ignore it.

After hesitating for a long time, the Empress Dowager gritted her teeth and said in a low voice, "You, you... you can come closer to me."

Zhao Hao propped up his fat body and shuffled forward, a gentle and honest smile on his face, looking completely harmless.

When he arrived before the Empress Dowager, according to the rules, Zhao Hao only needed to sit at the table opposite her to speak. However, Zhao Hao rudely walked around the low table and plopped down next to the Empress Dowager, shoulder to shoulder and back to back.

The Empress Dowager was taken aback, her face flushed red, and she exclaimed in shock and anger, "You, you... this is too rude! How could the King of Chu do such a thing..."

Zhao Hao replied solemnly, "Confidential matters should naturally be reported in person. Your Majesty, please don't misunderstand. I am a well-regarded and upright gentleman."

The Empress Dowager, filled with shame and indignation, leaned back forcefully, trying to distance herself from him, but Zhao Hao pressed closer, his buttocks inching closer inch by inch as the Empress Dowager leaned back.

The Empress Dowager finally flew into a rage: "Zhao Hao, how dare you!"

(End of this chapter)