The prince is more stable

Chapter 848 The Song-Japanese War
It's a refined taste to have a fondness for widows, but ultimately there's a price to pay.

Although the biggest advantage of being a widow is that her husband won't blow up her grave or jump out of the coffin to catch her in the act, there are still some taboos about seducing a widow's sister-in-law.

Zhao Hao was an ancient person, and people in ancient times were quite superstitious about such things. At this moment, even eating grass didn't taste good to him. He chewed on raw vegetables without any flavor, like a cow ruminating.

"I, I and the Empress Dowager are deeply in love and mutually attracted..." Zhao Hao stammered, his face flushed.

Zhao Xiaoqian waved his hand with a smile and said, "Don't say that to me, go tell it to our ancestors in the afterlife."

"By the way, especially the late Emperor Shenzong, Father, you'll probably have to explain a bit more. He's probably secretly sharpening his forty-meter-long sword in the afterlife, just waiting for you to return to the underworld..."

Zhao Hao's fat face grew even paler.

Zhao Xiaoqian received nine years of compulsory education in his previous life, and he didn't really believe in ghosts and gods.

But Zhao Hao was different; he was a true ancient person who still held great reverence for ghosts and gods.

Zhao Hao was so frightened by Zhao Xiaoqian's words that he felt extremely uncomfortable and his whole body was itchy.

"Don't scare me, I'm not afraid of this. The Empress Dowager has been widowed for many years and is lonely in her secluded chambers. If I, as a kind prince, were to give her some comfort, the late Emperor Shenzong in the afterlife would only be grateful to me..." Zhao Hao said, his words sounding fierce but actually weak.

"As long as Father is happy, that's all that matters. Life is about living a carefree and happy life. Who cares what happens after death? Even if you have your tongue pulled out or are boiled in oil after death, at least you've had your fill of fun while you're alive, right?" Zhao Xiaoqian said with a hidden dagger in his filial piety.

Zhao Hao was stunned for a long time before saying, "I... I'll think about it again, I'll think about it again."

Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at him and said, "If Father really likes the Empress Dowager, why don't we conspire together to have her fake her death, then change her identity and raise her in the backyard of the Prince's mansion, where she will never see outsiders. This is something that can be done."

Zhao Hao sneered: "You're overthinking it. That woman would never give up the position of Empress Dowager."

Zhao Xiaoqian said cautiously, "If Father faked his death..."

"You unfilial son! You are truly filial!" Zhao Hao's face was ashen as he gritted his teeth and said, "I have finally waited for this day, and now I'm going to die?"

Zhao Xiaoqian said helplessly, "Then what can we do? Father and Empress Dowager must give an explanation, otherwise if this continues, it will be a huge scandal."

Zhao Hao remained silent for a long time, then stomped his foot hard: "Fine, I'll just see her less often in the future. You're right, I've just become emperor, I can't cause you any trouble."

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed, "It's not easy to find a confidante in old age. Since there's no better solution, Father should be careful when he interacts with her. It shouldn't be too frequent. Recently, the palace servants have started to gossip about why the Empress Dowager is leaving the palace so often."

"Your Majesty is permitted to freely enter and leave the Forbidden City, but it would be best if Your Majesty concealed your presence when leaving the palace, disguised, and not made a scene with a large entourage, as if you were afraid others would not know that you were out having a secret rendezvous with your lover..."

Zhao Hao's resentment turned to joy, but he said with a stern face, "What are you saying! What are you saying! Who is the adulterer? The Empress Dowager and I are in love and mutually attracted..."

“Father, to put it bluntly, the two of you are having an affair without any status or relationship. That’s called ‘illicit relations.’ I’m being very polite by calling it a ‘secret rendezvous.’”

Zhao Hao had no rebuttal, so he let out a muffled groan.

"Where are your wives? When are they coming back to the capital? I wonder what my dear grandson looks like, and if he can call me grandfather yet..." Zhao Hao sighed wistfully.

Zhao Xiaoqian also showed a look of longing and sighed, "The letter should have been delivered soon, and Mother and the others will be setting off to return soon."

Zhao Hao was silent for a moment, then said, "After they come back, treat them well. It hasn't been easy for them following you. They've traveled to various places over the years, living in fear. In order not to implicate you, they had to go to Japan. They have certainly enjoyed some good things in their lives, but they've also suffered a lot."

“I understand. When Ying’er returns, I will make her the Empress.”

…………

Kyushu Island, Japan.

In the past few months, Zhang Rong led his troops in battles against various Japanese lords, achieving considerable success.

Modern Japan is in a period of feudal lords, and the so-called emperor only enjoys a lofty status, but his power has been usurped by the feudal lords.

The same was true of Kyushu Island, where dozens of powerful vassal states, large and small, gathered.

After Zhang Rong and his 5,000 soldiers landed on the island, they immediately engaged in battle with the Japanese samurai in the port, a situation where they were enemies from the moment they met.

This move aroused the hostility of all the lords on Kyushu Island. They quickly formed an alliance, united in their hatred of the enemy, and vowed to drive Zhang Rong and other outsiders into the sea.

The Allied forces numbered quite a bit, totaling over 20,000.

However, the Japanese army at this time was really weak. They were basically led by feudal lords, and a few samurai gathered a group of farmers to form an army.

The fighting power of such an army is self-evident.

Zhang Rong and his 5,000 soldiers had fought fiercely against the Liao army, and the Liao army, which was invincible at the time, had been decimated by them, suffering heavy casualties. How much more so would the allied army of Japanese peasants be a threat?

In particular, the five thousand Song soldiers possessed the world's most advanced flintlock muskets. Meanwhile, the Japanese farmers opposite them were mostly armed with hoes, wooden sticks, and rakes…

The outcome of the war was a foregone conclusion. The more than 20,000 Japanese troops were routed as soon as they engaged in battle. They didn't even get a clear look at the Song soldiers before being felled by volleys of fire from 200 paces away.

The Song soldiers' use of these unprecedented firearms terrified the Japanese troops. They couldn't fathom what force could make a strangely shaped iron rod spark, and then have someone fall to the ground two hundred paces away with a thumb-sized bloody hole in their body.

Not only were the Japanese farmers terrified, but the feudal lords and samurai were also terrified.

As expected of the Great Song Dynasty, worthy of being the mysterious country I admire. Their army is so powerful, it's practically invincible.

After their first defeat, the feudal lords gathered to discuss the matter. They realized with dismay that they were truly no match for the Song army. They simply couldn't win, just like a math problem.

Therefore, the feudal lords immediately sent representatives to negotiate and seek peace.

Zhang Rong dared not make a decision on his own regarding the Japanese lords' requests for peace, and hurriedly consulted Lady Feng and Di Ying.

Madam Feng didn't say much. She didn't want to get involved in matters of state. Her son had sent 5,000 soldiers to escort them to the island. With such a large force, his purpose was obviously not just to escort them. He must have had a deeper purpose.

Di Ying's attitude was quite firm. She quoted what Zhao Xiaoqian had once told her: Japan is a country that knows little about trivial matters but lacks righteousness, fears power but does not cherish virtue, and is a typical country of petty people.

Such countries will not behave unless they are severely punished, crippled, and frightened. Even if a ceasefire is reached on the surface, they will still engage in many underhanded tactics, causing endless trouble for the Song army.

It would be better to do things thoroughly once and for all, so as to establish a strong deterrent against the Japanese lords outside of Kyushu.

Di Ying's opinion was very reasonable, and Zhang Rong had no objections at all.

Before parting ways, Zhao Xiaoqian had said the same thing to Zhang Rong: Japan must be severely punished so that they would instinctively grovel before any Song person they saw, only then could the goal of ruling them be truly achieved.

This is only the first battle so far, and we are far from ready to fight.

Zhang Rong resolutely rejected the Japanese lords' requests for peace and ordered 5,000 soldiers to launch a proactive attack to completely annihilate the Japanese army on Kyushu Island.

However, at this time, it was difficult for the Japanese army to distinguish between them. The vast majority of them were farmers, and it was difficult to tell whether the farm tools in their hands were for farming or weapons.

This was certainly not difficult for Zhang Rong; since he couldn't figure it out, there was no need to try.

Within the Kyushu region, any able-bodied young man encountered is killed.

Following Zhang Rong's military order, a widespread and indiscriminate massacre ensued on the Japanese island of Kyushu.

When the Song soldiers carried out the order to massacre, they were reluctant to even use flintlock pistols. Nowadays, the Japanese are short in stature and not strong enough. If an adult male is 1.6 meters tall, he is considered a burly man in the local area.

Therefore, the Song army soldiers could slaughter the Japanese as easily as cutting melons and vegetables.

In just half a month, the Song soldiers were so exhausted from killing that they couldn't remember how many people they had killed. Anyway, the general said that no matter how many people they killed, it wouldn't count as military merit, and they couldn't afford to lose face. As for the Japanese people's property and women, the old rule still applied: they could take whatever they wanted.

That was enough; this single order gave the Song soldiers tremendous motivation.

Half a month later, the feudal lords of Kyushu Island, seeing the Song soldiers' excessive behavior, were furious and wrote a petition in Chinese characters. They sent men across the sea to the Song Dynasty overnight to complain to the emperor in Bianjing.

Meanwhile, the feudal lords were terrified by the inhumane killings of the Song soldiers and were forced to form an alliance once again.

This time, they certainly didn't expect to drive the Song army out of the nine provinces; they were fighting for their own survival!

The outcome of the second Song-Japanese War was also a foregone conclusion.

How could a group of untrained, short, and weak Japanese farmers possibly defeat the battle-hardened Song Dynasty border troops?

The result was overwhelming; the five thousand Song soldiers swept through the enemy lines, and the allied forces of the feudal lords were once again defeated, with countless casualties.

Finally, the feudal lords despaired.

Under Zhang Rong's pressure, all the Japanese lords withdrew from Kyushu Island, taking their families, generals, and wealth northward.

The feudal lords realized that instead of fighting the invincible Song army to the death, it would be better to head north and seize territory from other feudal lords, as this would give them a greater chance of victory.

Kyushu Island had no choice but to be ceded to the Song army.

Thus, a month and a half after landing, Zhang Rong's Song army completely occupied Kyushu Island. The Japanese lords on Kyushu were wiped out, including Nagasaki Port, the most frequent trading hub between Song and Japan, which also fell into the hands of the Song army.

Unintentionally, Zhang Rong had seized control of Japan's foreign trade, which was a truly unexpected gain.

At this point, Zhang Rong breathed a sigh of relief.

Before leaving, Zhao Xiaoqian gave him instructions, which he finally completed.

Zhao Xiaoqian's task was simple: to completely control Kyushu Island in Japan, settle his family and children, and wait for news from Bianjing.

Now that Kyushu Island is under Zhang Rong's control, news from Bianjing should be arriving soon.

(End of this chapter)