The prince is more stable

Chapter 810: The Hongmen Banquet
Zhao Hao was not an incompetent person, but from the day Zhao Xiaoqian met him, he felt that there was a sinister aura about Zhao Hao.

He embodies evil in his words and deeds, never caring about justice or morality. As long as he achieves his goal, he is unscrupulous in both process and outcome, and is never bound by morality.

If this were a martial arts novel, someone like Zhao Hao would definitely be besieged by the six major sects.

Today, Zhao Hao went to the palace and upon returning, told Zhao Xiaoqian that he had slept with the Empress Dowager.

Very good, that's very Zhao Hao.

Zhao Xiaoqian didn't want to ask about the process of sleeping with the Empress Dowager, as it must have been very sordid. What Zhao Xiaoqian didn't expect was that the Empress Dowager had actually been seduced and subdued.

So, are widows really that vulnerable? She slept with an ugly, fat old man and actually developed feelings for him?

Even someone as noble as the Empress Dowager had never tasted or seen such a thing before.

"Father, has the Empress Dowager truly switched sides to our side?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked.

Zhao Hao nodded smugly again: "That's right, she has already submitted to me."

Zhao Xiaoqian rubbed his face and sighed, "Father, don't use such despicable things as your badge of honor. This is nothing to be proud of... Are you sure the Empress Dowager's submission is not temporary and that she won't turn against you when things come to a head?"

Zhao Hao sneered: "Of course I'm sure. Even if I don't sleep with her, she can see the situation clearly. This woman is very smart and pragmatic. With the situation pressing down on her, she's willing to do anything to save her life."

"If we are weak and about to be defeated, she will definitely be the first to attack me and cut me into a thousand pieces."

Zhao Xiaoqian stared blankly for a long time, then shook his head: "You middle-aged people's love is really... so simple!"

Zhao Hao chuckled and said, "Let's not talk about that. I'd rather tell you about how I seduced the Empress Dowager. It was an epic and unforgettable experience..."

"Alright, Father, let's not talk about this anymore. I'm afraid of getting a sty, and even more afraid of a perforated eardrum," Zhao Xiaoqian said, stopping him as expected.

Looking back at the sky outside the Yin'an Palace, it was already dark. The servants of the Prince's Mansion were hanging lanterns in an orderly manner throughout the mansion. Since it was still the period of national mourning, the lanterns were all white, and the white banners in the courtyard had not been taken down.

The atmosphere of the entire palace looked rather gloomy, like the Hall of Hell.

Of course, it's not just the Chu Prince's Mansion; in Bianjing and even throughout the entire Song Dynasty, all the wealthy and powerful families are now adopting this style.

The land is covered in a vast expanse of white.

"Father, we should get ready." Zhao Xiaoqian took a deep breath and said.

Tomorrow Zhao Ji will ascend the throne, and tonight the father and son have an important matter to attend to.

Zhao Hao also became serious at this moment, and nodded steadily: "We agreed on Hai Shi (9-11 PM), it's not too late to start preparing now."

Then Zhao Hao said in a deep voice, "Guards! Relay my orders: all servants, laborers, and officials of the Prince's mansion must gather in the backyard. No one is allowed to remain in the front courtyard or side courtyard."

Soon, the servants were gathered together by the steward and obediently entered the backyard of the Prince's mansion.

Outside the archway in the backyard, two imperial guards stood watch with swords, preventing anyone from entering or leaving.

Then Zhao Hao instructed, "Summon Jia Da and his men in."

"Jia Da" is a person's name. Judging from his ranking, he should be the leader of the shady faction under Zhao Hao.

Zhao Xiaoqian stared at the outside of the hall with great interest. He had never seen this Jia Da before and was very curious about what this person looked like. The previous Jia Jiu and Jia Shi were all top-notch experts, one in ten thousand. This Jia Da must be incredibly powerful.

A moment later, Zhao Xiaoqian stared wide-eyed at the person who slowly walked in from outside the hall, his face full of surprise.

This is a woman, a woman in her early twenties, with a graceful figure, stunning beauty, and a pair of captivating eyes.

The woman entered the hall and knelt before the father and son, speaking in a sweet, melodious voice: "Jia Da greets Your Highness and the Crown Prince."

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at Zhao Hao in surprise: "She's from Jia University? The one ranked first?"

Zhao Hao nodded: "That's right. It's inconvenient for me to manage and command them while I'm in Bianjing. Jia Da is the one who helps me handle some of the shady things."

Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes widened: "Such a beauty, it's such a waste of her talent..."

Zhao Hao glanced at him and smirked: "Don't underestimate her. This woman is ruthless and extremely bloodthirsty. She takes lives at the drop of a hat, and the deaths of those she kills are extremely gruesome. In recent years, I haven't let her personally carry out her killings. The scene is so bloody that even someone with my temperament would feel like vomiting."

Zhao Xiaoqian was increasingly shocked, looking her up and down repeatedly, muttering to himself, "Such a beautiful woman, so bloodthirsty?... Is this for real?"

"Let her kill you and see? I guarantee you'll watch your own arms and legs leave you, and you won't even be able to scream."

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at the woman, who was as beautiful as a peach blossom, and sighed and shook his head.

Can't be bothered, can't be bothered.

The fleeting, romantic thoughts that had just crossed his mind vanished instantly. Even if a woman like that were willing to offer herself to him, he wouldn't dare sleep with her. He was afraid that if he closed his eyes, he wouldn't open them again, and his life would be over. Ugh!
Jia Da knelt inside the Yin'an Hall. Outside the hall, in the front courtyard, dozens of other people were also kneeling, still dressed in their dark, unsightly attire.

Zhao Hao stared at Jia Da and said, "Something big is going to happen tonight. You can take charge yourself."

Jia Da, who had been expressionless, suddenly had a glint of excitement in his eyes. His red lips parted slightly, and his pink tongue couldn't help but lick his lips, creating a scene with a wicked allure.

"Yes!" Jia replied crisply.

"We have deployed men both inside and outside the Prince's residence, and hidden stakes have been planted in the nearby streets and alleys. No one is allowed to escape, or the plan will fail," Zhao Hao said solemnly.

"Yes!" Jia Da replied succinctly as always. Zhao Xiaoqian then shouted loudly, "Chen Shou!"

Chen Shou, clad in armor, strode in, ignoring the dozens of men in black kneeling in the front courtyard and Yin'an Hall. He knew that the prince and the heir apparent had a powerful faction, and these men were probably it. Although they were all loyal to the father and son, they belonged to different systems.

Zhao Xiaoqian said in a deep voice: "We are going to do something big tonight. You lead your brothers to surround the Prince's Mansion. If you hear any unusual noises inside the Yin'an Hall, you don't need to pay attention to them. The important thing is that no one is allowed to escape from the Prince's Mansion. Anyone who escapes will be intercepted and killed immediately, leaving no survivors."

Chen Shou clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes!"

"Find a dozen or so clever and quick-witted men, dress them in the clothes of servants in the Prince's mansion, and have them stay in the Yin'an Hall to serve the guests," Zhao Xiaoqian added.

"Yes!"

With everything arranged, Zhao Hao ordered Jia Da and Chen Shou to leave.

A big event was about to happen, but the father and son were unusually relaxed at the moment. Zhao Hao squinted his eyes, hummed a little tune, and unconsciously tapped the table with his fingers to keep time.

Zhao Xiaoqian sat slumped in his chair with his legs crossed, looking like a lazy bum who had given up on life.

After a while, Zhao Hao opened his eyes and looked at his son, who was even more relaxed than him, a look of gratified smile flashed in his eyes.

Maintain composure in the face of great events.

Those who panic and lose their composure when something goes wrong don't need to be observed to handle the situation; just by looking at their demeanor and expression, you can tell they're bound to mess it up.

On the contrary, when something goes wrong, they remain calm and composed, without even a change in expression, as if handling a trivial matter in their daily life. You don't need to watch how they handle things to know that they will definitely not handle this matter too badly.

If Zhao Xiaoqian were the kind of impetuous young man who lacked experience, strength, and composure in the face of adversity, Zhao Hao would never have chosen this moment to launch his attack, because defeat would have been certain.

"Qian'er, tell me... what if we fail tomorrow?" Zhao Hao asked with great interest.

Zhao Xiaoqian didn't even lift his eyelids: "Hasn't your son already arranged a way out? After the failure, we will sacrifice many people to ensure that we break out of Bianjing City, head east, cross the sea to Japan, establish our own country, and plan for the future."

"Are you willing?"

"This isn't a matter of whether I'm willing to accept it or not; it's a matter of ability. If you can't do it, you can't do it. You have to accept the consequences."

"He fled to Japan, intending to recruit soldiers and lie low for many years before fighting back against the Song Dynasty?"

Zhao Xiaoqian shook his head decisively: "If I escape to Japan, I will never again plot to conquer the Central Plains and lead a group of Japanese to fight back to the Song Dynasty. I cannot do that."

"Not only that, in order to maintain my rule in Japan, I will massacre the local people, abolish literature and burn history in Japan, attract Song people to cross the sea to Japan, slowly erode and occupy the territory, and eventually eliminate the local people."

Zhao Hao laughed and said, "My son has a far-sighted mind; I never expected you to have made such a meticulous plan."

"In dealing with matters, one should not strive for victory, but rather anticipate defeat. Always keep the worst possible outcome in mind, so that when things come to a head, one will not be pessimistic or desperate, and there will always be hope in life."

Zhao Hao exclaimed in praise, "Excellent! With such a mindset in my son, I can die in peace! Our family can't get too bad off if we leave it in your hands."

Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at him and said, "It's so late at night, what am I talking about with an old man like you... By the way, when are those assassins coming?"

"The second quarter of Hai hour."

"It'll be soon. Cheer up. We've been planning this for so long, all we've been waiting for is this moment."

Zhao Xiaoqian then asked, "Is it certain that Liu Mao, the Commander of the Palace Guard, is impossible to win over?"

Zhao Hao shook his head: "This old fox, he eats and drinks without restraint, and takes money without hesitation, but he won't give a single promise. He clearly thinks I'm a scapegoat, ha!"

Zhao Xiaoqian grunted, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes, and said calmly, "Since they can't be used by me, then kill them. Let's find someone else to support."

"Has Father chosen his target?"

Zhao Hao nodded: "Han Song, the deputy commander of the Palace Guard, is a weak-willed man who is easily swayed. This afternoon, I sent men to take control of his wife, children, and elderly relatives."

"That's him. As long as you find his weakness, there won't be much of a problem with him."

As he spoke, Zhao Xiaoqian stood up and stretched.

Haishi.

A group of military officers arrived at the door, and the one in the lead was none other than Liu Mao, the commander of the Palace Guard.

Liu Mao, along with two deputy commanders of the Palace Guard and the commanders of the three armies, all came to the door.

These military officers came entirely out of respect for Zhao Xiaoqian. Moreover, Zhao Xiaoqian had invited them under the pretext of discussing the enthronement ceremony the next day, so the officers had no doubts and were happy to establish a good relationship with Zhao Xiaoqian. Therefore, they all readily agreed.

When Liu Mao visited the Prince's Mansion, he knew the basic etiquette and rules. The two princes sitting in the Yin'an Hall were people that these military generals could not afford to offend.

In particular, rumors have spread in the palace that the new emperor will continue to rely on Zhao Xiaoqian after his ascension to the throne, and may even appoint him as the commander of the Hebei army to carry on the late emperor's legacy and continue the northern expedition against the Liao Kingdom.

The rumors are not unfounded. If they are true, then Zhao Xiaoqian was highly regarded by two emperors and would surely rise to the highest position in the court in the future.

Such a person is someone you absolutely must not offend.

Of course, these military generals could never have imagined that tonight they would step into not the Chu King's mansion, but the gates of hell.

(End of this chapter)