The prince is more stable

Chapter 855 A Beauty in the Deep Palace
If a salted fish becomes emperor, for the sake of that damned sense of responsibility, it will eventually take the initiative to turn over occasionally, otherwise its conscience will be a little guilty.

But this salted fish shouldn't be turned over too often; it's just hanging on the roof beam, not being fried in a pan until golden brown on both sides.

Zhao Xiaoqian, who was used to a moderate approach to life, decided to compromise.

He had to personally handle major affairs of the court and personally control the strategic direction, while minor matters were left to the Council of State Affairs.

Eating the emperor's salary is a matter of loyalty to the emperor.

Otherwise, what's the point of paying you a salary for nothing?
That's why Zhao Xiaoqian now has the leisure to appear in the back garden, um... just to admire the flowers.

Zheng Chunhe, dressed in a crimson official robe, followed behind him with his body slightly bowed, maintaining this posture the whole time. Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but feel sorry for him, thinking that if he always hunched over, he would probably become a hunchback when he got old and would have difficulty taking care of himself.

“Old Zheng, you don’t need to bow down in front of me all the time. Stand up straight and walk normally, otherwise you’ll suffer when you get old,” Zhao Xiaoqian said.

A warm feeling welled up in Zheng Chunhe's heart, and she smiled, "Your Majesty, this servant is already used to this posture, really. Besides, this servant's spine is probably already fully formed, and I'll probably be a hunchback when I'm old..."

"Those who have no children or descendants hope to save up more money before retiring, so that after they die they can hire a clever person to serve them as servants, so that they will not be a lonely ghost after death."

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed and said, "If you have nowhere to go after you retire, you may continue to live in the palace. You will not need to perform any duties or serve me. I will have palace servants take care of you and provide for you in your old age."

Zheng Chunhe's eyes reddened, and she bowed even deeper: "The Emperor treats me like family; it is a blessing I have accumulated over nine lifetimes."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and patted his shoulder, saying, "Let's chat as we walk. Let's not create such a sentimental scene. It's disgusting. With you by my side, I've saved myself a lot of trouble. You've done a great job. In the future, when you're old, I will of course take care of you."

This was no mere politeness. After Zhao Xiaoqian ascended the throne, Zheng Chunhe served him closely, taking care of him in every aspect. He hardly had to ask for anything regarding food, clothing, or shelter; Zheng Chunhe had already taken care of everything perfectly.

To him, Zheng Chunhe was more like an excellent personal secretary, taking care of all the trivial matters in his life so that he didn't have to worry about anything.

Only those who have been bosses know how precious and rare it is to have such an excellent secretary by your side.

Walking past a patch of chrysanthemums, Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at them casually and nodded, saying, "The flowers are nice. We'll pick them in the fall and steep them in water to drink; they're good for the heart, brighten the eyes, and clear away internal heat."

Zheng Chunhe immediately replied, "Yes, I've got it. I'll have the palace maids pick the chrysanthemums, wash and dry them, and then make tea for His Majesty to drink after autumn."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded, then suddenly stopped and bowed respectfully to the chrysanthemum bushes.

Zheng Chunhe, who was behind him, was shocked, and the group of eunuchs and palace maids following behind him also hurriedly knelt down on both knees.

"May God bless us with mountains of gold and silver..." Zhao Xiaoqian murmured with his eyes closed, his expression extremely devout.

Zheng Chunhe asked in surprise, "Why is Your Majesty worshipping chrysanthemums?"

Zhao Xiaoqian opened his eyes and said, "Seeing the chrysanthemums, I was reminded of the poem, 'The whole city is covered in golden armor,' and then I thought of Huang Chao at the end of the Tang Dynasty. Thinking of this person, I couldn't help but feel grateful and bowed involuntarily."

Zheng Chunhe stared at him in astonishment. The official's words were so disjointed that he not only couldn't keep up, but he was completely baffled.

Zheng Chunhe was immediately struck by a strong sense of professional crisis. If he couldn't even understand the meaning behind the official's words in the future, he probably wouldn't be able to keep this job for long.

Zheng Chunhe asked nervously, "This servant dares to ask, but His Majesty seems to highly regard... Huang Chao?"

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled: "It's not that I admire him, but I'm grateful to him for helping me solve a lot of trouble. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't be on the throne today, or rather, I might still ascend the throne, but it would cost many lives. I would have ascended the throne by stepping on mountains of corpses and seas of blood."

Zheng Chunhe was a eunuch, but he was not illiterate. His mind worked quickly, and he immediately understood what was going on.

The topic was too sensitive, and Zheng Chunhe could only offer an awkward smile, unable to express his opinion.

Indeed, Huang Chao did help Zhao Xiaoqian solve a major problem. If he hadn't almost wiped out all the powerful clans in the country, the current emperor of the Song Dynasty would probably still have to be mindful of their influence, and the fate of the throne would be decided by them.

If Zhao Xiaoqian wanted to seize the throne, the price he would have to pay would be many times greater than it is today. Given Zhao Xiaoqian's lazy nature, if things were that difficult, he would definitely be too lazy to do them and would take his family and children to Japan to register a new account and start practicing from scratch.

Therefore, Huang Chao should rightfully accept this courtesy from Zhao Xiaoqian.

Zheng Chunhe stood silently behind him, watching Zhao Xiaoqian bow to a cluster of chrysanthemums in a daze. He inexplicably felt that this was a mysterious, high-class, and slightly chuunibyou-esque ritual, and his expression involuntarily became solemn.

No wonder he could become emperor; his mind is so erratic, like a clever monkey in a tree, impossible to catch.

Zheng Chunhe realized that he needed to learn new knowledge, otherwise he would really fall behind the emperor.

After bowing, Zhao Xiaoqian continued walking forward for a while, then suddenly stopped.

Zheng Chunhe looked at him expectantly, wondering what poem the emperor would recall this time, or what flower he would bow to...

However, Zhao Xiaoqian merely frowned and asked, "Old Zheng, did you hear anything?"

Zheng Chunhe was taken aback. He immediately perked up his ears and listened intently for a while. He smiled wryly and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive this old servant. My hearing is really not as sharp as Your Majesty's. This servant really did not hear any sound."

As he spoke, Zheng Chunhe turned around and looked at the group of eunuchs and palace maids following behind him. He said in a deep voice, "Did you hear anything?" The eunuchs and palace maids all shook their heads.

Zhao Xiaoqian remained silent and continued walking forward for a while. Zheng Chunhe finally said, "Your Majesty, this servant thinks I heard something..."

"What is it?"

Zheng Chunhe hesitated and said, "It sounds like... singing? A woman's singing."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded and pointed to the northeast of the back garden, where there was a stream and a pavilion built by the stream. The singing was coming from there.

Zhao Xiaoqian walked closer to the direction of the singing and saw the pavilion in the distance. The singing became clearer and clearer.

Upon closer listening, it sounded somewhat familiar.

Zheng Chunhe heard it clearly and asked curiously, "Who is singing the Emperor's 'Green Jade Table'?"

Although Zheng Chunhe lived in the inner palace for many years, he was still aware of what was happening outside, especially the poems written by important figures like Zhao Xiaoqian. Zheng Chunhe had long been familiar with them so that he could recite them fluently when chatting with the emperor or Zhao Xiaoqian, thus making a good impression on these important figures.

At that moment, Zheng Chunhe immediately recognized that the woman in the pavilion was singing "Qing Yu An," a song once composed by Zhao Xiaoqian.

This is the well-known and widely sung song by courtesans across the land: "Suddenly I turn around, and there she is, in the dim light."

This poem, "Qing Yu An," is one of the few complete and classic poems written by Zhao Banque.

Several feet away from the pavilion, Zhao Xiaoqian stopped and stood quietly behind a large tree.

Zheng Chunhe quickly gave the palace servants behind him a stern look, forbidding them from making any noise.

Sure enough, there was a woman in the pavilion. She was too far away and had her back to Zhao Xiaoqian, so all that could be seen was her graceful figure. Although her face was not clearly visible, her singing voice was very pleasant to hear. Her voice seemed to have a kind of bewitching magic that captivated people.

If it weren't for the fact that it was broad daylight, Zhao Xiaoqian would have almost thought he had encountered a giant, monstrous snake...

The woman in the pavilion seemed unaware that someone was listening to her sing. She simply sang "Qing Yu An" over and over again, her voice sometimes melodious and sometimes soft.

Zhao Xiaoqian narrowed his eyes, stared at the woman for a long time, then turned his head and whispered, "Old Zheng, do you know her?"

Zheng Chunhe observed the woman's back for a long time, then shook his head, looking confused. "Forgive my poor eyesight, but I don't know who this woman is. Is she a concubine of the late emperor, or a maid in some palace..."

Zhao Xiaoqian stroked his chin and pondered, "If she doesn't even recognize you, she's probably not from the palace. I might as well order her to be caught like a snake, tied up with rope, and thrown into the wishing pool of the Great Xiangguo Temple to be released. That would be a good deed, may the Heavenly Venerable bestow boundless blessings..."

Zheng Chunhe opened his mouth in astonishment. The emperor's words were so full of flaws that he didn't know where to begin.

A moment later, Zheng Chunhe smiled and said, "As long as the Emperor is happy, he can do whatever he wants."

Zhao Xiaoqian hummed in agreement and deliberately made his footsteps louder.

The singing in the pavilion finally stopped, and the woman turned around to look at Zhao Xiaoqian.

Upon seeing Zhao Xiaoqian dressed in a yellow robe, followed by a group of palace servants, the woman immediately recognized him. She was so frightened that her face turned pale, her knees buckled, and she knelt in the pavilion, bowing deeply in worship.

Zhao Xiaoqian walked into the pavilion, looking at the babbling brook flowing below and the chirping of birds and cicadas all around. The environment was exceptionally serene, and he couldn't help but sigh, "The scenery here is quite nice. Hmm, it would be perfect to skewer some beef and mutton, set up a grill, and have a barbecue, with a band playing some lively music nearby..."

After saying that, Zhao Xiaoqian lowered his head and looked at the woman who was bowing her head in front of him, and said indifferently, "Raise your head."

The woman trembled and looked up nervously.

Zhao Xiaoqian was immediately amazed after just one glance.

Zhao Xiaoqian had seen the most beautiful woman, and in his memory, Yelü Nanxian seemed to be number one. Of course, perhaps it was her unique temperament, that of a young, innocent beauty, that added to her appeal.

The woman before him was no less beautiful than Yelü Nanxian. She had the same pure and flawless face, fair skin, and beautiful eyes like autumn water. Her eyes were full of affection, and she spoke silently, as if she had already expressed all the emotions of the world.

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Xiaoqian secretly reminded himself to be more composed. He was already the emperor, yet he still couldn't resist beautiful women. How shameful!

Composing himself, Zhao Xiaoqian slowly asked, "Who are you?"

The woman lowered her head and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I, Xue Meiyun, pay my respects."

Zhao Xiaoqian was taken aback, turned to look at Zheng Chunhe, and asked, "Do you know her?"

Zheng Chunhe shook his head again and said with a wry smile, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. There are thousands of concubines, eunuchs and palace maids in the palace. It is impossible for me to know everyone. I really do not recognize this woman."

(End of this chapter)