The prince is more stable

Chapter 824 Breaking Through the City and Restoring Peace
One night later, upon returning to the city, the sea had turned into mulberry fields.

Zhao Xiaoqian stepped into the Golden Glory Gate of Bianjing, passed through the city gate passage, stood on the street inside the city, looked around at the slightly chaotic environment, and let out a leisurely breath.

Furthermore, it did not cause too much damage to Bianjing; neither the buildings nor the people were significantly affected.

Even the garrison of the Bianjing Palace Guard suffered minimal casualties.

The generals under his command, such as Zhong Jianzhong and Zong Ze, have already done a very good job.

Standing on the familiar street, Zhao Xiaoqian stood there for a long time, then suddenly said, "Chen Shou."

Chen Shou stepped out from behind.

"Tell Zong Ze to immediately surround the palace, rescue the Empress Dowager, and summon officials from the Council of State Affairs, the Privy Council, the Censorate, and the Six Ministries to discuss matters. Ask Zhang Dun to issue a proclamation in the name of the Council of State Affairs to reassure the people and inform all officials, citizens, and merchants in the city..."

"Last night, Zhao Ji and Zeng Bu rebelled, killing generals and seizing troops, attempting to hold the Empress Dowager and the court hostage and plot to usurp the throne. The Yan Yun Border Army, acting on the Empress Dowager's decree, sent troops to suppress Zhao Ji's rebellion. Now the situation is settled, the rebels have surrendered, and the Yan Yun Border Army is searching for the ringleaders Zhao Ji and Zeng Bu."

"The rebellion has been quelled, the capital is at peace, and the Kaifeng government can inform the entire city to resume normal life, allow merchants to open their businesses, and enable the people to make a living. The Yan-Yun border troops have taken over the defense of Bianjing, which can ensure the safety of the entire city."

General Chen secretly memorized every word Zhao Xiaoqian said, and then hurriedly left.

After Chen Shou left, Zhao Xiaoqian remained standing there, pondering for a long time, before saying, "Someone, summon Zhen Qing from the Imperial City Guard to see me."

Not long after, Zhen Qing rushed over and greeted him.

In just two days, Zhen Qing witnessed the tremendous changes in the Song Dynasty court and palace. Today, everything has been transformed. Zhen Qing was extremely excited, but he tried his best to suppress it, not daring to appear too unsteady in front of Zhao Xiaoqian.

"Greetings, Your Highness." Zhen Qing bowed.

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded and said, "There have been many changes in the past two days. Have the officials in Bianjing being monitored by the Imperial City Guard been secretly colluding with each other?"

"The Imperial City Guard has limited manpower and only monitors officials of the third rank and above in the capital. Most of the officials are behaving normally. The Council of State Affairs is led by Zhang Dun, and their private discussions revolve around wholeheartedly supporting His Highness and completely crushing Zhao Ji so that he can never recover."

After a long silence, Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly asked, "How have the old party officials performed?"

"Most of the old party officials remained silent. Some officials discussed privately the future direction of the Song Dynasty court. They were mostly pessimistic, believing that even if Zhao Ji fell and the court established a new emperor, Zhang Dun's new policies would probably still be implemented, and it was unlikely that the new policies would be abolished and the old policies restored."

After a pause, Zhen Qing continued, "...A group of old party members, led by Su Zhe, the Vice Minister of the Chancellery, gathered at Su's residence yesterday. Su Zhe and the old party officials discussed whether to jointly submit a memorial to the Empress Dowager, recommending Prince Mu, Zhao Si, as the new emperor."

Zhao Xiaoqian's lips curled into a smile: "Prince Mu, Zhao Si? Heh, not a bad candidate. However, Zhao Si is only twelve years old this year. With a young ruler and a suspicious country, a weak monarch and strong ministers, is he really suitable for the Song Dynasty?"

With the deaths of Prince Jian and Prince Duan, and Prince Shen Zhao Bi being blind, Emperor Zhezong Zhao Xu was left with only two brothers: Prince Xin Zhao Yu and Prince Mu Zhao Si.

In theory, the future emperor of the Song Dynasty should be chosen from these two candidates, but that is only in theory.

The selection of a new emperor for the Song Dynasty today will be based on merit.

Perhaps most of the court officials failed to see the reality clearly.

The reality is that the Song Dynasty today has adopted the Xuanwu Gate succession system.

At this very moment, the Yan-Yun border army broke through the Jin Yao Gate of Bianjing, and tens of thousands of troops entered the city, surrounded the palace, and took over the defense of Bianjing. Its significance was actually similar to that of Li Shimin, who successfully seized Xuanwu Gate.

The future new emperor of the Song Dynasty cannot be Prince Xin or Prince Mu.

Even if Zhao Xiaoqian were to voluntarily step down and hand over the throne to them, they would most likely not have the courage to sit on it. They had no foundation in the court, were too young, and yet they wanted to be emperor. They should look at the fate of Zhao Ji instead.

After pondering for a while, Zhao Xiaoqian slowly said, "The Imperial City Guard will continue to monitor the court officials, especially those of the old party, but there is no need to take any action. The old party can no longer cause much trouble in the court."

This is the truth. Thanks to the particularly petty prime minister of the Song Dynasty, after becoming prime minister, he treated the old party as if they were his father's killers and wiped them out without mercy. Within a few years, the old party in the court was suppressed so much that they had no chance to catch their breath, and the old party camp in the court had become very weak.

With a wave of his hand, Zhao Xiaoqian ordered Zhen Qing to step down.

Immediately afterwards, a man dressed in black and masked walked to the outer perimeter of the Imperial Guard's protective circle. Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at him indifferently and knew his identity, and ordered the Imperial Guard to let him pass.

The man in black greeted them and spoke succinctly: "Your Highness, the Prince was aware of the disturbance at the Palace Guard this morning. He secretly entered the palace this morning to take the Empress Dowager away. The two are currently taking refuge in a private residence not far from the palace. The Prince has sent word that Your Highness can rest assured."

Zhao Xiaoqian breathed a slight sigh of relief. Although he knew that his living father would not be so stupid as to be captured alive by Zhao Ji and Zeng Bu, he still felt at ease upon hearing that he was safe and sound.

To his slight surprise, his father, who was not only able to easily escape and save himself, also had the leisure to rescue the Empress Dowager.

No one knows a father better than his son. After guessing for a while, Zhao Xiaoqian felt that apart from the reasons for profit, the biggest motivation for his cowardly father to bravely break into the palace to save people was... that he hadn't had enough sleep.

Knowing his father's tastes well, especially his fondness for widows, and Empress Dowager Xiang was clearly the best among widows, Zhao Hao certainly couldn't bear to let her die in the midst of war.

Very good, that's very Zhao Hao.

In a chaotic world of war, a plump man and a beautiful woman run through the smoke of battle, then meet, embrace, and spin around and around, three and a half times in total, before the scene freezes, a bittersweet moment of laughter and tears—a beautiful, mutually devoted affair… The scene is beautiful, though the male lead is a little unattractive, but that's alright, a widow's aesthetic standards aren't that high.

With a soft sigh, Zhao Xiaoqian said, "Go back and tell my father to hide them well. After I have taken control of Bianjing and the palace, and captured Zhao Ji and Zeng Bu, I will bring them out."

I'm so worried. Does this mean I'll really have to call the Empress Dowager "stepmother" from now on?
I can accept, and even like, stepmother dresses, but stepmothers... I'm a little resistant to them.

"Order Zong Ze to lead his troops to surround the Palace Guard Office. Capture Zeng Bu first. My soldiers will surround the palace and not allow a single person to escape. Zhao Ji must be captured alive."

…………

The Palace Guard Office was already in chaos, even more so than in Bianjing (Kaifeng).

Just an hour before the incense stick had burned, Zong Ze's 5,000 Yan Yun soldiers had completely surrounded the government office, preventing even a fly from getting out.

The border troops' combat effectiveness is beyond doubt; they possess abundant physical strength, rich combat experience, and a brave and fierce military character.

Inside the Palace Guard Office, officials, military officers, and servants were in complete chaos, their faces pale, helplessly blocking the tightly closed doors, turning their heads to look resentfully at Zeng Bu, who sat upright in the main hall.

It's all because of him that I'm now surrounded, and if nothing unexpected happens, all the officials and military officers in the Palace Guard will be labeled as "rebels" by the court today.

This is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family. Everyone was secretly regretting how they had been blinded by greed and blindly followed Zeng Bu in rebellion.

Why do you big shots have to use us little people as cannon fodder when you're fighting your battles? Heaven and earth bear witness, I've never thought of rebelling. I was never cut out for it from birth.

Despite the resentful stares of the officials, military officers, and constables of the Palace Guard, Zeng Bu remained calm and composed, his expression unwavering.

Zeng Bu was a typical Confucian scholar who never judged right or wrong based on success or failure. Winning or losing was one thing, but justice and evil were another.

Even now, he still insists that he did nothing wrong.

According to ancestral rules, Zhao Ji should have been the only rightful heir to the throne. The Empress Dowager and the court officials overthrowing Zhao Ji was treason and a great disrespect to the ancestral rules of the Song Dynasty.

To uphold the ancestral system of the Song Dynasty, Zeng Bu risked his life to help Zhao Ji regain the throne.

The ancestral system of the Song Dynasty was the standard of "justice" in his mind.

I just heard from the Palace Guard that the Yan-Yun border troops have broken through Jin Yaomen and taken over the defenses of Bianjing. This is certainly bad news, but Zeng Bu still maintains that success or failure has nothing to do with good or evil.

He lost, but only militarily, not morally.

"Report! Five thousand soldiers from the Yan-Yun border army have surrounded the Palace Guard. Please, Minister Zeng, make a decision!" A soldier rushed over to report.

Zeng Bu remained expressionless and said, "Even if only one soldier remains, we will fight to the death. Right is right, and evil is evil. Evil cannot prevail over good! I have the protection of the emperors and ancestors of the Song Dynasty!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zeng Bu looked up and was shocked to find that the eyes of countless people around him were filled with resentment.

With undisguised resentment, almost everyone in the Palace Guard seemed to be blaming him, blaming Zeng Bu for forcibly dragging them into this vortex they didn't want to participate in.

Zeng Bu was stunned. At this moment, he suddenly realized that the so-called "justice" was just a belief that he himself insisted on. What about others?

In the eyes of these ordinary people, is the distinction between good and evil really that important?
Fortune changes, so does it matter to ordinary people who becomes emperor? No matter who sits on that throne, they are all obedient subjects who will kneel down to show their loyalty.

As for how this emperor ascended to the throne, and whether it conformed to ancestral rules and etiquette, these were matters they could not interfere with, and they dared not ask any further questions.

In the end, strength trumps reason; whoever has the greater strength is right.

After a moment of stunned silence, Zeng Bu's shoulders suddenly slumped, and in an instant, he was completely disheartened and indifferent to right and wrong.

A loss is a loss. What's the point of talking about good and evil now?
Even if we take a step back and say that Emperor Huizong of Song was truly worthy of our support, was he really the one to back him up?
Zeng Bu, who had insisted on resisting to the last man, finally softened his heart.

He has no right to drag these innocent people down with him; his own death is enough.

After a sigh of despair, Zeng Bu waved his hand weakly: "Order... open the gates of the government office and let the thieves in. You all lay down your weapons and do not resist. When you are interrogated, just say that I forced you to do this, and the court will not investigate further."

After speaking, Zeng Bu stood up. The officials and generals of the Palace Guard in the outer courtyard of the court, with complicated expressions, bowed deeply. Zeng Bu said with tears in his eyes, "It is I who have implicated you all. This grudge can only be repaid in the next life. I am sorry."

The gates of the Palace Guard opened, and the fierce Yan-Yun border soldiers rushed into the government office. Just as they raised their swords, they were shocked to find that everyone inside had thrown down their weapons and knelt in the courtyard.

Inside the main hall not far away, Zeng Bu stood on the stone steps. He had taken off his official robes and was only wearing a white undergarment. He stroked his beard and stood proudly, looking at Zong Ze with disdain.

"You have won, but you are still traitors and usurpers!"

(End of this chapter)