The prince is more stable

Chapter 864 Love rivals meet
The secret to a successful angler is to bait the fishing spot endlessly.

This is a truth that Zhao Xiaoqian has always firmly believed in, even more so than Confucius's Analects.

Casting a fishing rod without baiting the area is absolutely dishonest; even if you catch something, it's just luck, it's heresy, and it's considered deviant practice.

Zhao Xiaoqian had used this set of truths in his previous life. Although he still didn't have many successes, his posture was absolutely cool and professional. The owner of the fishing spot was dumbfounded and gave him a 20% discount on the venue fee without saying a word. It is said that he was secretly given a nickname behind his back, something like "Immortal".

In this life, if he wants to catch fish, Zhao Xiaoqian decides to use the same method he used in his previous life.

Preparing bait is an essential step, and the more bait the better.

Now that Zhao Xiaoqian is the emperor, his words are imperial edicts.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Chunhe dared not delay and hurriedly turned around to order the palace servants to prepare two thousand catties of bait to be poured into the Bian River.

Seeing that Zhao Xiaoqian was actually serious, Li Qingzhao became anxious.

"Oh, alright, alright! I'm not angry with you anymore. I was just lucky and managed to catch one. Don't hold a grudge against me. It's such a waste of two thousand pounds of bait."

Zhao Xiaoqian said coldly, "You beg me."

"Okay, I beg you, Brother Zian, please?" Li Qingzhao, who was originally generous and bold, suddenly revealed a girlish attitude.

Zhao Xiaoqian persisted, saying, "You admit your fishing skills aren't as good as mine; you were just lucky just now."

Li Qingzhao rolled her eyes at him and said, "Yes, I admit that my fishing skills are not as good as yours. I was just very lucky to catch one just now."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded: "I forgive you. Never mind, I won't go fishing anymore."

Zheng Chunhe behind him also breathed a sigh of relief.

Two thousand catties of bait is a small matter. The emperor has given the order, and the people below will certainly do it. But when the matter reaches the ears of those petty and sharp-tongued censors, it will surely lead to another memorial impeaching the emperor for being unrighteous and wasting national funds for his own amusement. It will be another big or small uproar.

Li Qingzhao laughed and said, "In that case, let's go drink. I'll invite Brother Zian to visit a brothel."

Zhao Xiaoqian's expression changed drastically at the mention of drinking.

The woman in front of me is a true heroine among drinkers; I've tried her a few times before, and she always knocked me out.

"The green hills remain unchanged, the clear waters flow on forever, farewell!" Zhao Xiaoqian decisively clasped his hands and turned around.

Li Qingzhao grabbed his sleeve tightly. Zhao Xiaoqian turned around and saw her looking at him with a wronged expression.

“Can’t we just not drink alcohol? How about we go to the First Floor Restaurant for soup dumplings?” Li Qingzhao said.

Zhao Xiaoqian finally turned his anger into joy: "Woman, you finally know how to please me. Let's go!"

The soup dumplings were good; Zhao Xiaoqian hadn't had them in a long time, and he hadn't seen that salty-fish shopkeeper get beaten up in a long time either. He really missed them.

Li Qingzhao was overjoyed to see that Zhao Xiaoqian had agreed. Just as the two were about to leave the Bian River, they heard a call from afar.

"Miss Li! Miss Li!"

The sound was far away, but it seemed to grow closer.

Upon hearing this voice, Li Qingzhao's bright and cheerful smile immediately vanished, replaced by a look of helplessness and a hint of annoyance.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked up and saw a young man of about seventeen or eighteen years old standing outside the Imperial Guard's protective circle, looking at Zhao Xiaoqian and Li Qingzhao with a look of surprise and doubt.

Zhao Xiaoqian raised an eyebrow: "An acquaintance?"

Li Qingzhao nodded and said, "His name is Zhao Mingcheng. He is a student at the Imperial Academy. His father, Zhao Tingzhi, was a secretary in the Secretariat at the time, so he was my father's colleague."

Zhao Xiaoqian was startled when he heard Zhao Mingcheng's name and looked him over carefully.

This Zhao Mingcheng is also quite famous in history; he was Li Qingzhao's first husband in real history.

Some unofficial histories claim that Zhao Mingcheng was a member of the Song Dynasty imperial family, but this is actually a rumor. At least Zhao Xiaoqian never knew that there was such a branch of the imperial family.

They just happen to have the surname Zhao.

Zhao Mingcheng was only seventeen or eighteen years old at the time, still a child who had just come of age. Li Qingzhao said that he was a student at the Imperial Academy, so he probably planned to take the imperial examinations.

What puzzled Zhao Xiaoqian was that Zhao Mingcheng was clearly Li Qingzhao's destined husband, so why did Li Qingzhao show a sense of helplessness and annoyance when she met him?

Not far away, Zhao Mingcheng was staring longingly at Li Qingzhao, clearly indicating that he was pursuing her.

At this moment, Zhao Mingcheng was stopped outside the protection circle of the Imperial Guards. Seeing that the men dressed as commoners around him all had stern faces and burly figures, he immediately knew that the man standing with Li Qingzhao was no ordinary person.

What pained him even more was that when Li Qingzhao stood with that man, the scene was surprisingly harmonious and pleasant, as if they were a match made in heaven.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and asked, "How did you two meet?"

Li Qingzhao lowered her head and said sullenly, "Last month, the situation in Bianjing was very chaotic. My father did not allow me to go out. With nothing to do at home, I wrote two poems in response to Mr. Wanqiu's 'Reading the Stele of the Restoration'."

"After I wrote those two poems, I casually left them in my study. My father saw them and praised them highly. So he showed off my poems when he was drinking with the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy."

"So my two poems spread to the Imperial Academy and everyone knew about them. This Zhao Mingcheng, for some reason, really liked my poems and asked his father Zhao Tingzhi for help to get to know me. As a result... it turned out like this."

Li Qingzhao gave a helpless, bitter smile. Zhao Xiaoqian nodded thoughtfully; having lived in this world for many years, he had naturally heard of some of these people.

The "Mr. Wanqiu" mentioned by Li Qingzhao refers to Zhang Lei, one of the famous "Four Scholars of the Su School".

Li Qingzhao's father, Li Gefei, was also a student of the Su School and was later known as one of the "Four Later Scholars of the Su School".

In short, this whole bunch are old-timers.

Zhao Mingcheng's father, Zhao Tingzhi, was said to have been a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) in the second year of the Zhiping era. He served as a professor in the school built by Wang Anshi and was a staunch supporter of the New Party.

Zhao Mingcheng and Li Qingzhao's fathers had completely different political stances, and it's unclear how these two came to have any connection.

At this moment, Zhao Mingcheng's eyes were filled with resentment and unwillingness as he stared at Zhao Xiaoqian.

Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but chuckle. Was this guy treating him like a love rival?
You're overthinking it. This woman hasn't even confessed her feelings to me yet.

He turned his head and gestured to Chen Shou, and the Imperial Guards protecting Zhao Xiaoqian immediately made way for Zhao Mingcheng to walk over.

Zhao Mingcheng solemnly surveyed the surrounding Imperial Guards, then approached and carefully examined Zhao Xiaoqian. He saw that Zhao Xiaoqian was dressed as a wealthy young master, with a smile on his lips and a calm expression. Just by standing there, he exuded an aura of nobility and majesty.

Zhao Mingcheng paused for a moment. Although he did not know Zhao Xiaoqian, he could tell that this man was of extraordinary background. He was at least the son of a powerful family. Not to mention his status, even his father, Zhao Tingzhi, was only a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat. In terms of family background, he was probably no match for him.

His father would become the prime minister of the Song Dynasty in a few years, but Zhao Tingzhi was only a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat at present. Judging from Zhao Xiaoqian's pomp and demeanor, he clearly couldn't compete with him in terms of family background.

However, seeing Li Qingzhao act so shy and charming in front of this man, Zhao Mingcheng's heart was bleeding.

He liked Li Qingzhao; he liked her even before she wrote those two poems.

Last year, Li Gefei was transferred to Bianjing as a compiler. When Li Qingzhao first arrived in Bianjing with her father, she wrote the famous poem "Like a Dream: Last Night the Rain Was Sparse and the Wind Was Strong," which became famous in the capital and was widely praised by literati.

At that time, Zhao Mingcheng paid close attention to Li Qingzhao. He even secretly hid outside Li Qingzhao's residence and caught a glimpse of her several times.

He admired Li Qingzhao's spirit, her bold and unrestrained nature, and especially her poignant and moving poems.

Zhao Mingcheng fell in love with her at first sight and secretly vowed to marry no one but her.

Despite Li Qingzhao's indifference and coldness, he still chased after her like a moth drawn to a flame.

Even now, at this moment, as Zhao Mingcheng looks at this completely different Li Qingzhao before him, he knows he has met a formidable opponent.

At this moment, Li Qingzhao had a smile on her face, a gentleness he had never seen before. But her smile and gentleness were not for him, but for the unfamiliar young man beside her.

The young man possessed a noble and dignified air, his expression radiating authority without anger, and his eyes gleamed with a sharp light that seemed to pierce through one's heart.

For some reason, under his gaze, Zhao Mingcheng couldn't help but feel an urge to kneel down.

Gritting his teeth, Zhao Mingcheng tried to suppress the momentary fear and inexplicable awe that had just crossed his mind. He raised his head and bravely stared at Zhao Xiaoqian.

His fighting spirit began to ignite, and flames rose in his eyes.

He wouldn't give up this woman. No matter who this young man was, he wouldn't let him have her; she was the one he was determined to marry in this lifetime.

Zhao Xiaoqian silently looked at Zhao Mingcheng. He clearly saw the hostility and fighting spirit that Zhao Mingcheng revealed, and for a moment he was speechless.

He certainly understood the feeling of "rivals meeting in love, their eyes are especially red."

But to look like he's about to devour someone is a bit too much.

In the animal kingdom, the strong prey on the weak. Males have a strong sense of territory, and in order to compete for mating rights, males often have to go through a brutal life-or-death battle to gain the right to mate with female animals.

Men in the world probably have this gene in their bones: when they see a rival in love, they completely lose their rationality and have to kill the rival in order to protect their territory and win the woman's heart.

This is the current state of Zhao Mingcheng.

Yeah, it's exciting, thrilling, and a little bit cringey.

Approaching Li Qingzhao, Zhao Mingcheng forced a smile and said, "Miss Li, I've been looking for you for ages..."

Li Qingzhao frowned: "Why are you looking for me?"

"My classmates at the Imperial Academy greatly admire Miss Li's talent, especially her poetry, which they find astounding. I have been asked by my classmates to invite Miss Li to the Imperial Academy to teach us the art of poetry. Would Miss Li be willing to do us this honor?"

Li Qingzhao resolutely shook her head: "No, no, I only write poems on the spur of the moment. I can't teach you the way of poetry, and there's no way to teach you this."

Zhao Mingcheng smiled awkwardly, and seeing Zhao Xiaoqian smiling at him, Zhao Mingcheng's anger flared up again.

Forcing a smile, Zhao Mingcheng pretended that he had just noticed Zhao Xiaoqian and said with a stiff smile, "May I ask who this gentleman is...?"

Li Qingzhao immediately looked at Zhao Xiaoqian to see if he would reveal her true identity.

Seeing that he had been arguing for a long time and finally managed to bring the battle to his own hands, Zhao Xiaoqian nodded in satisfaction.

Then Zhao Xiaoqian's expression turned solemn, and he clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "This is 'Qianqian Doesn't Eat Cilantro Upgraded Version,' please!"

Zhao Mingcheng was startled and subconsciously returned the greeting with clasped hands: "Uh, brother, please! ...Wait, what's this name?"

(End of this chapter)