The prince is more stable

Chapter 828 Real Dream
Everyone has different initial motivations for pursuing power and interests.

Some people regard power and profit as their lifelong ideals. I want to be rich, I want to be powerful, and I want to enjoy the material peak that comes with being rich and powerful, as well as the feeling of being sought after and flattered after becoming a superior person.

Some people treat power and interests merely as tools, not really enjoying the benefits they bring. Instead, they use power and money as catalysts to realize their other ideals and beliefs.

Money makes things easier, and power makes things even easier, but the key is "getting things done".

Zhao Xiaoqian probably belongs to the latter category. Having lived two lives, he didn't actually have much ambition for power. If he really had ambition, he wouldn't have been a corporate slave in his previous life, and would only have been a small team leader before he transmigrated.

Having come to the Song Dynasty, Zhao Xiaoqian originally didn't plan to do anything. His status as the heir apparent of the Prince of Chu was enough for him to live a life of wealth and comfort and die peacefully in his old age.

Unfortunately, when he counted the days on his fingers, he discovered that he was still alive when the Jingkang Incident, one of the greatest humiliations in Chinese history, occurred.

If he did nothing, he would likely be captured by the Jurchens in his middle or old age, and forced to perform the sheep-leading ceremony naked in front of the Jurchen barbarians.

And the fate of his wife, children, and family is self-evident.

Any normal man who, upon learning in advance the course of history and foreseeing the unfortunate fate of himself and his family, could still swallow his anger would have lost all his backbone, as if he had been castrated.

Zhao Xiaoqian was forced to work hard and change the history of the Song Dynasty by his own efforts because he could not accept his future fate.

His original intention was always to be a lazy and dissolute good-for-nothing, doing nothing but sponging off his parents and enjoying life. It was only reality that forced him to work hard.

But in the end, he realized that some things, once done, were getting further and further away from his original intentions, and there was no turning back.

As more and more people gathered around him, more and more people took responsibility for him, and more and more people longed to follow him in order to gain wealth and honor.

Even if he wanted to turn back and quit, the people around him wouldn't allow it. They would keep him in the highest position and force him to keep going. He couldn't quit; how could he face the people who risked their lives to follow him if he quit?
"When you're in the world of martial arts, you're not in control of your own destiny"—that's probably what this situation is all about.

And so, things have finally developed to this point, and inexplicably, the throne of the Song Dynasty is now within his grasp.

When he first set out, he never coveted the throne. His original intention was simply to resolve all future troubles and then enjoy a lifetime of happiness with his wife and children.

Those who desperately try to obtain something will ultimately fail miserably and end up with nothing.

Those who don't care about love are often the ones who can easily get what they want.

It can only be said that "fate plays tricks on people." God is fair; He will not show mercy to a madman who is blinded by lust for power and goes astray.

He only favors those who are pragmatic and have a tranquil mind, even if that person originally only wanted to be a good-for-nothing.

In the Daqing Hall, the main hall of the imperial palace where the emperor and his ministers held court, victors and vanquished were seen together in a rare scene.

Zhao Xiaoqian stood while Zhao Ji sat, Zhao Xiaoqian looking down at him with the air of a victor. Around them lay a chaotic palace, and the overturned and destroyed imperial throne.

If an artist were to paint this scene, it would surely become a masterpiece that has been passed down through the ages.

"Zhao Xiaoqian, I lost, I regret it so much..." Zhao Ji sighed with his head down, his face ashen.

"Do you regret fighting for the throne?" Zhao Xiaoqian asked curiously.

"No, I regret not being ruthless to you back then. If I had known this would happen, I would have killed you at any cost, even if it meant being hated and rejected by my brother. I would have used any means necessary."

“If I can’t become emperor, I can still continue to be the Prince of Duan. At the very least, I can live. But without getting rid of you, even living has become a luxury. In the end, I was too young and did not realize the consequences of not eliminating the trouble.”

"And you, you were also remarkable. The late emperor suspected that you held too much military power and cautiously asked you to return to the capital by letter. But you relinquished your military power without saying a word and returned to Bianjing alone."

"I must admit, you played this move brilliantly. With this one action alone, you have deceived the world and made everyone lower their guard against you. The world praises you as a loyal minister, and even the late emperor continues to favor and rely on you as always."

Zhao Ji laughed twice and said, "Who would have thought that your control over the Yan Yun border army has reached this level? You don't need the commander's seal or troop mobilization documents to still mobilize the Yan Yun border army to risk their lives for you. My defeat today is because I underestimated your true strength."

Zhao Xiaoqian was speechless.

Well, the loser's final summary was indeed very insightful. If he had realized this sooner, perhaps Zhao Ji wouldn't have lost so miserably.

“Zhao Xiaoqian, you are a member of the imperial clan, and you should not be vying for the throne in the first place. Tell me, when did you begin to covet the throne? Is it because I want it that you want to compete with me for it?” Zhao Ji asked calmly.

Zhao Xiaoqian said slowly, "Many years ago, I had a dream... In the dream, you were indeed the emperor of the Song Dynasty, but you were a complete tyrant. You were extravagant and licentious, wasting the people's resources and burdening the country with exorbitant taxes, creating all sorts of pretexts like the birthday tribute and the flower and stone tribute..."

"It's bad enough that the people are suffering, but you're outrageously weak in dealing with foreign powers. The Liao Dynasty is declining, the Jin Dynasty is rising, yet you choose to ally with the Jin to destroy the Liao..."

"In the end, the Liao Dynasty was destroyed, but the Jin Dynasty was even more powerful than the Liao Dynasty. Your wrong decisions made the Song Dynasty vulnerable to both threats and threats. In the end, the Song Dynasty was driven into the capital Bianjing by the Jin Dynasty and perished. The court had to move to Lin'an, and the northern territories were all lost to the Jin Dynasty."

"Zhao Ji, would you like to guess what your fate will be?" Zhao Xiaoqian suddenly asked. Zhao Xiaoqian began telling a story, and Zhao Ji was momentarily stunned, unsure how to respond.

He said he had a dream, but just now, Zhao Ji had a vague feeling of being in another world, as if what Zhao Xiaoqian said was not a dream at all, but something he had personally experienced.

Seeing Zhao Ji's stunned expression, Zhao Xiaoqian continued in a calm tone: "In this dream, your final fate is that before the Jurchens are about to breach Bianjing, you hastily hand over the throne to your son and become the retired emperor. However, after the Jurchens break through the city, they still abduct you and your son to the north."

"The two emperors of the Song Dynasty became prisoners of the Jurchens, a great disgrace to the entire country. Not only that, but thousands of concubines and palace maids in the palace were also captured. They should have been protected by men, but in the end, they had to suffer the abuse and humiliation of the Jurchens day and night."

"Zhao Ji, if you become emperor, this is the fate of the Song Dynasty. So, you should understand why I have the desire to seize the throne. It doesn't matter whether I become emperor or not. The important thing is that I must not let a scourge like you become emperor."

"You only enjoy the noble status and extravagant life that the throne brings you, but you never bear the responsibilities that an emperor should have."

"You are incompetent in strategy and tactics, incompetent in governing the country and its people, incompetent in domestic affairs, incompetent in diplomacy, and incompetent in warfare. If someone like you, who is mediocre in everything, becomes emperor, you will be an absolute cancer to the Song Dynasty."

These merciless words left Zhao Ji pale and trembling.

After a long silence, Zhao Ji asked with trembling lips, "What you're talking about... is it a dream?"

Zhao Xiaoqian calmly said, "You can take it as fact, because this dream was indeed very real, so real that I was heartbroken in the dream and wished I could cut you into a thousand pieces."

Emperor Huizong lowered his eyes and remained silent. He knew that whether Zhao Xiaoqian was talking about a dream or not was no longer important.

Today, it's a matter of the victor taking all and the vanquished taking all; that's all there is to it.

"Will I... survive?" Zhao Ji asked calmly.

Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes flickered, and he patted his shoulder meaningfully, but said nothing, then turned and left Daqing Hall.

Zhao Ji stared at his retreating figure as he walked out of the main hall, his tone suddenly becoming anxious: "Zhao Xiaoqian, will I survive?"

“I am willing to submit to you and become your subject. I… I can give up my princely status and be demoted to a commoner! I… I am a descendant of the late Emperor Shenzong. The law does not apply to officials and scholars, let alone princes and princes! Zhao Xiaoqian, I cannot die. If you kill me, you will be condemned by the people of the world!”

Zhao Xiaoqian did not turn around; his steps remained firm and powerful.

Behind him came the sound of Zhao Ji's terrified cries, but Zhao Xiaoqian's lips curled into a cold smile and indifference.

As they walked out of the main hall, Chen Shou followed closely behind him.

Zhao Xiaoqian said calmly, "Order men to imprison Zhao Ji and Zeng Bu in Bingjingwu, with heavy guards around them. No one is allowed to visit them without my personal written order."

"Yes!"

After a pause, Chen Shou couldn't help but say, "Your Highness, you wouldn't really let Zhao Ji live, would you? Your Highness, this man must not be allowed to live!"

Zhao Xiaoqian gave him a meaningful look.

Chen Shou immediately understood and smiled, "This subordinate understands. After the Crown Prince ascends the throne, this subordinate will handle things properly and efficiently."

Zhao Xiaoqian was silent for a moment, then said, "Chen Shou, let Liu Dan handle these dirty jobs from now on. He's more suitable. From now on, countless eyes will be on you and me, so we both need to keep clean."

"Yes. I will convey the Crown Prince's intentions to Liu Dan."

…………

Outside the Daqing Hall, the spacious square was filled with densely packed armored soldiers, all of whom were from the Yan-Yun border army.

As Zhao Xiaoqian slowly descended the white jade steps, tens of thousands of soldiers suddenly faced him and knelt down on both knees, shouting in unison, "Greetings, Your Highness Prince Cheng!"

The crisp sound of armor plates clashing together carried a chilling aura, and the clouds above the palace seemed to surge rapidly, causing the heavens and earth to tremble and groan.

Zhao Xiaoqian stood before the stone steps, surveyed the tens of thousands of Yan-Yun border soldiers before him, nodded solemnly, and then raised his hand and waved his sleeve.

A general shouted, "His Highness has ordered the entire army to rise!"

Tens of thousands of soldiers stood up in unison.

Zhao Xiaoqian took a deep breath. At this moment, he finally understood what it meant to be "one person under heaven" and "the common ruler of the country".

The Song Dynasty had truly undergone a complete transformation.

(End of this chapter)