The prince is more stable

Chapter 818 Reunion with Old Servants

Twenty li outside Bianjing city.

From the moment the 100,000-strong Yan-Yun army arrived, it formed a three-sided encirclement of Bianjing, with the north, southwest, and north sides gradually closing in, leaving only an opening in the east.

Superficially, the hostility of the Yan-Yun army can be discerned from their military formations, which are typical of those preparing to attack the city.

Fortunately, at today's enthronement ceremony, the Empress Dowager and Zhang Dun joined forces to suppress the matter, and the Yan Yun army was transformed into a loyalist army, which makes sense.

Zhao Xiaoqian led Chen Shou and other imperial guards out of the city and headed straight for the Yanyun Central Army in the northern suburbs.

An hour later, Zhao Xiaoqian arrived outside the Yanyun camp. When the imperial guards on duty at the gate saw the banner bearing the words "King Cheng of the Great Song Dynasty" raised by Chen Shou and other imperial guards, they immediately knew who the newcomer was. They hurriedly put down their weapons, knelt on one knee, and ordered their soldiers to go to the commander's tent to report.

Zhao Xiaoqian dismounted and walked to the gate with a smile.

The soldiers on duty were overjoyed, their spines straightening unconsciously as they looked at Zhao Xiaoqian with admiration.

Not long after, Zhong Jianzhong led the generals out of the camp in a hurry, and dozens of generals bowed down to Zhao Xiaoqian.

"Greetings, Your Highness Prince Cheng!" the generals exclaimed in unison.

Zhao Xiaoqian was overjoyed and laughed heartily, "Get up, everyone! It's been a long time, you're all still the same as before, no changes at all, that's great, haha!"

Upon arriving at the camp, Zhao Xiaoqian felt as if he had returned home, his mind and body completely relaxed.

The generals felt as if their parents had returned home, and suddenly had a pillar of support. They all laughed together outside the gate.

Zhong Jianzhong said in a deep voice, "By order of Your Highness, this humble general will lead the Yan Yun army of 100,000 to reach the outskirts of Bianjing within four days and form an encirclement of the city. All soldiers are ready to fight at any time. Your Highness, just give the order!"

Zhao Xiaoqian clicked his tongue and said, "Why are you shouting for war as soon as we meet? Remember, you're here to protect the emperor, and we're here to kill bad guys."

Zhe Keshi, standing to the side, chuckled and said, "Your Highness said you were loyal to the king. I've heard that phrase many times, but I still don't understand which king we're actually loyal to."

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed, pointed at Zhe Keshi, and said to Zhong Jianzhong, "After this matter is over, let this guy study at the Imperial Academy in Bianjing for two years. I'll pay for his tuition."

Zhong Jianzhong smiled and said, "Your Highness, rest assured, after this matter is over, every soldier in our army will contribute an egg to send him to school. If he doesn't come back as the top scholar, he will be punished with a hundred lashes."

Zhe Keshi's face immediately showed a look of horror: "What are you doing! What are you doing? What wrong have I done? Just accept being beaten with military rods, why bother going to school? This is too vicious!"

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed and said, "Come on, stand up straight. Let me explain to you. 'Loyal to the Emperor' refers to the only son of the late Emperor Zhezong, Crown Prince Chongxian. He was poisoned by Zhao Ji and died at the young age of three months. As a result, Emperor Zhezong had no heir, and the throne was usurped by Zhao Ji. At today's enthronement ceremony, Zhao Ji has already been deposed."

The generals suddenly realized, and regardless of whether they understood or not, they all nodded to indicate that they understood.

Zhao Xiaoqian muttered a few curses.

This group of murderers only cares about seizing the throne. They don't care about any respectable reasons. Their logic is simply that the winner takes all and the loser is condemned. There's no need to find reasons; just do it.

Fortunately, there were still some sensible people in the military, such as Zhong Jianzhong and Zong Ze.

After a moment of surprise, Zhong Jianzhong said with a worried expression, "Zhao Ji has been deposed today? What will become of our army that came to the aid of the emperor? Is there any reason for us to remain outside Bianjing?"

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "Don't worry, the Empress Dowager has spoken. The Yan Yun army can stay outside Bianjing for two months. After two months, the entire army will break camp and head north to Youzhou to continue guarding the border."

The generals breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

Two months is enough time to get a lot done.

If they can't control the situation in Bianjing within two months, they might as well find a block of tofu and smash their head against it.

“Your Highness, since the Empress Dowager and the court officials agree that the Yan-Yun army should return to the capital, why not take this opportunity to let our army take over the defense of Bianjing and replace the Palace Guard and the three upper armies, including the Imperial Palace Guards?” Zhong Jianzhong suggested.

The generals all agreed that this was the best solution. As long as Bianjing was controlled by the Yan Yun army, Zhao Xiaoqian would be the de facto ruler of the Song capital.

To use a rather sinister analogy, Dong Zhuo and Cao Cao at the end of the Han Dynasty were able to wield immense power and influence, and could depose or install Han emperors with a single word, precisely because they controlled the capital and the imperial court.

Zhong Jianzhong's suggestion was clearly intended to encourage Zhao Xiaoqian to emulate Dong Zhuo and Cao Cao.

Zhao Xiaoqian refused without hesitation: "It would be too unseemly and would easily provoke a backlash from the court officials and the Palace Guards. Besides, doing this would ruin my personal reputation. It is a last resort and should not be taken unless absolutely necessary."

While force and arrogance might achieve one's goals temporarily, the long-term consequences are too great. Zhao Xiaoqian did not want the chaos within the Song Dynasty to last too long; his eyes were always on the territories beyond the Song Dynasty.

According to Zhao Xiaoqian's plan, based on his status as a member of the Zhao clan, it was possible to achieve his goal peacefully without resorting to violence.

"Having 100,000 troops here is a great help to me. Of course, we must also be prepared to enter the city at any time to eliminate traitors. There are still some people and matters in Bianjing that haven't been dealt with properly, and the possibility of resorting to force cannot be ruled out," Zhao Xiaoqian said. The generals all nodded in agreement. They came to Bianjing precisely to engage in warfare. The generals' logic was very simple: they liked to earn their reputation through fighting. If they couldn't fight, where would their reputation come from?

"You've come from afar and must be tired. Tonight, I'll treat the entire army to meat out of my own pocket, but no alcohol is allowed. The situation is still very serious, and it's not time to let our guard down yet," Zhao Xiaoqian said with a smile.

The generals burst into laughter again, then escorted Zhao Xiaoqian toward the main camp's command tent.

A group of generals surrounded a young man dressed in a purple official robe and wearing a Liang crown. This group quickly attracted the curious gazes of the soldiers in the camp. After a closer look, the soldiers immediately recognized the young man as His Highness Prince Cheng, and cheers erupted in the camp.

Zhao Xiaoqian was also in a very good mood. Being in his own camp, surrounded by the sincere support of 100,000 soldiers, the sense of security he felt was hard to describe.

Soon, Zhao Xiaoqian and his generals surrounded the soldiers who had rushed to the scene. The soldiers dared not offend him and bowed and clasped their hands in greeting from a distance of a few feet. However, the path to the commander's tent was completely blocked by the soldiers.

Zhao Xiaoqian wasn't in a hurry. Looking at these ordinary soldiers, he could even call out the names of some of them, inquire about their recent situation, and then laugh and scold them for being useless, saying that they hadn't been promoted after so long and would be a common soldier until they died.

The journey from the camp gate to the commander's tent was arduous, but Zhao Xiaoqian was genuinely happy. From the smiles and cheers of the soldiers, he knew that he was supported. In this army, regardless of whether there was an order from the imperial court, he was still the actual commander of this army.

This is something that neither Chung Cheng nor Nadia Chan could do in the past.

Because they lacked experience, the experience of fighting alongside soldiers and sharing life and death, they also lacked the courage to let soldiers fight freely, provide them with plenty of food and drink, and offer them rewards for their battles.

Orthodox court officials cannot do this, but it is precisely the core interest of the soldiers. If they cannot do this, they cannot truly integrate into the army.

Seeing the ever-growing number of soldiers surrounding him, Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't hold back any longer. He laughed and cursed, "Alright, we've seen the men. They're all in good shape. Now get back to your tents and don't block my way."

"Also, tonight I'm treating everyone to a huge feast! I'm treating the entire army of 100,000 soldiers to meat! Remember, this is all out of my own pocket, not a single penny from the court. After you've eaten and drunk, make sure you recognize who your host is, and don't cry at the wrong grave. Now get out of here!"

The surrounding soldiers laughed heartily and bowed in gratitude.

Then, the soldiers, being very respectful and disciplined, made way for Zhao Xiaoqian and his generals, allowing them to enter the command tent without any obstruction.

Upon entering the command tent, before even exchanging greetings, Zhao Xiaoqian began calculating the costs on his fingers. After finishing, he immediately looked distressed.

"This is a real bloodbath, they've bled them dry..." Zhao Xiaoqian muttered. "If each of the 100,000 soldiers only eats one jin of meat, that's 100,000 jin of meat. How much money would that cost?"

Zhong Jianzhong kindly reminded him, "Your Highness, our soldiers are all young and strong warriors. One pound of meat per person might not be enough. If some of them were allowed to eat freely, they could easily eat five pounds each..."

Zhao Xiaoqian's old face froze, and he stared at him blankly.

Zhong Jianzhong suppressed a laugh and said, "How about I talk to the soldiers and suggest we do it next time?"

“You dare to stand up 100,000 men? Aren’t you afraid your soldiers will stab you in the back?” Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at him and then sighed. “You’ve already said what you meant, so you have to keep your word. Even if you bleed to death, you have to keep smiling. It’s a matter of a man’s pride.”

Just think of that line, "Tonight, Mr. Zhao will pay the bill for the whole place." How cool, how dashing, how bold!

Both are young masters of the Zhao family, yet he himself is a prince. Why is he so embarrassed when he has to treat others to a meal of meat?

Before the 100,000 soldiers realize there's no future following such a poor prince, they'll go bankrupt to treat him to this meal. They have to save face. At worst, they can plunder their father's treasured inventory and sell it for money.

"Chen Shou!" Zhao Xiaoqian shouted.

Chen Shou entered the tent with an air of superiority.

Before speaking, Zhao Xiaoqian sighed: "Send all your men out to buy up meat in the markets of Bianjing. Buy up all kinds of meat. Let's start with 500,000 catties. We can't lose face. Let's make it up to 5 catties of meat per person."

Chen Shou was somewhat taken aback, but still politely clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute: "Yes!"

"Go back to the Prince's residence first and withdraw the money from the accounting office. Remember to be quick; the soldiers are waiting for their meal. Bring live sheep and pigs to the camp as soon as possible. Let the soldiers do the slaughtering; it'll save on processing fees..."

After saying this, Zhao Xiaoqian waved his hand sadly, ordering Chen Shou to leave.

Inside the command tent, Zhe Keshi sighed, "His Highness is a man of great taste!"

Zhao Xiaoqian, stubbornly clinging to his pride, puffed out his chest and said, "That's right."

Even if it hurts inside, you have to act cool when you treat others to a meal and pay the bill.

What's so special about Young Master Zhao paying for the entire bar? He's just a small-time tycoon. If you're so tough, why don't you pay for 100,000 people? If you don't burst into tears on the spot, then you're a real man.

(End of this chapter)