The prince is more stable

Chapter 866 Entrusted with the Privy Council
Zhao Xiaoqian trusted Xu Jiang quite a bit, all because of their past experience guarding the border together.

Xu Jiang was a top scholar in the imperial examination and had also served as the deputy commander of the border army. He was undoubtedly talented in literature and had accumulated ample experience in military strategy. He could be described as a person who was accomplished in both literature and military affairs.

What pleased Zhao Xiaoqian even more was the sacrifice Xu made for him.

When Zhong Jianzhong led his army south, Xu Jiang did not participate, but he did not stop him either. Instead, he took the initiative to request to be imprisoned, allowing Zhong Jianzhong to lead his army back to Beijing.

Even though he wasn't involved, the fact that he voluntarily requested to be imprisoned is already a great favor.

Having served as deputy commander for quite some time, General Xu held considerable prestige among the border troops.

If he insisted on obstructing them, using his prestige and influence in the army to prevent the soldiers from heading south, then Zhong Jianzhong would definitely not be able to lead more than 100,000 troops.

It can be said that if Xu Jiang had interfered, Zhao Xiaoqian's usurpation of the throne would not have been so smooth.

Based on this alone, Zhao Xiaoqian owed Xu a tremendous favor.

This is why Zhao Xiaoqian personally greeted Xu Jianggang and treated him to food and wine as soon as he returned to the capital.

The future Xu will be his trusted advisor, someone he can entrust with important responsibilities.

Today, the two sat in the familiar Funing Palace, but Zhao Xiaoqian and Xu Jiang's identities had changed.

Zhao Xiaoqian became the emperor, a man of immense power, yet Xu Jiang had to bow down and submit to him.

But at this moment, the two sat in the hall drinking together, just like old friends.

Zhao Xiaoqian maintained a friendly and approachable attitude, just like he had back in the border army camp. Xu was initially a little reserved, but seeing that Zhao Xiaoqian seemed unchanged and even more intimate, and having drunk a few cups of wine and feeling a bit tipsy, Xu simply relaxed a lot.

"I was wronged, Mr. Chongyuan. I heard that you voluntarily requested to be imprisoned and spent two months in the Youzhou prison. I really feel sorry for you," Zhao Xiaoqian said with a smile as he poured him wine.

Xu held the wine cup with both hands and said with a wry smile, "I had no choice at the time. Zhong Jianzhong's mobilization of the Yanyun troops was ultimately against the rules. I knew what Your Majesty wanted to do, but I could not take sides. I could only lock myself up and not see it. I just hope Your Majesty will not blame me."

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed and said, "It's not your fault. Everyone has a different perspective. Back then, you were receiving a salary from the court, not from me, the Prince of Cheng. If I were in your shoes, I would have done the same."

As he spoke, Zhao Xiaoqian picked up his cup and said, "I should thank you for not stopping Zhong Jianzhong's actions, otherwise I would have been in even greater trouble."

Xu Jiang lowered his eyes and sighed, "Your Majesty need not do this. I was unable to help Your Majesty at the time, and Your Majesty should have punished me after ascending the throne. I did not expect that Your Majesty would still not hold a grudge and summon me back to the capital. Your Majesty's grace is boundless, and I am ashamed."

"I said I don't blame you; you have your own position. I am willing to hand over the Privy Council to you. You and An Tao should manage it well for me and live up to my expectations, that will be enough."

Xu Jiang silently drank the cup to the bottom and said, "Your Majesty, I will live up to your expectations and assist you in your lifetime. I will witness Your Majesty unify the world and shine in the ancestral temple with your unparalleled achievements."

After a pause, Xu asked with concern, "Does His Majesty already have the intention of launching a northern expedition?"

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and nodded, then shook his head: "Indeed, the Song Dynasty is currently at the height of its military power, while the Liao and Western Xia in the north are declining. With the Liao and Western Xia rising and falling, this is the perfect opportunity to destroy Liao and Western Xia and unify the world."

Xu said happily, "I will begin to convene my colleagues in the Privy Council tomorrow to formulate a strategy to destroy Liao and Xia."

“No rush, not so fast.” Zhao Xiaoqian sighed, “I have just ascended the throne. The first thing to do is to solve the internal problems of the Song Dynasty. The country has been weak for a century and there are too many problems. If the internal affairs are not resolved, no matter how powerful the military is, it will ultimately hurt both the country and others.”

"Furthermore, the Song Dynasty has been frequently waging war against foreign countries in recent years, and the national treasury is empty. We also need time to recover our strength and stockpile grain, fodder, warhorses, and weapons. We can't let our soldiers go to war on an empty stomach."

Xu Jiang said, "I am not in a hurry. With ample time, my colleagues in the Privy Council and I can formulate a more detailed and perfect strategy for destroying Liao and Xia."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and looked him over: "Of course you're not in a hurry. Mr. Chongyuan is only in his sixties, which is the prime of his life. Judging from your appearance, you can live to at least eighty. You still have twenty years left, enough for us to make a fuss. If I still can't destroy Liaoxia in twenty years, would I still have the nerve to be the emperor?"

Xu's face darkened, and he hesitated to speak.

Your Majesty, you can't say things like that. With the current military capabilities of the Song Dynasty, destroying Liao and Xia within twenty years is naturally a piece of cake.

But when you say that, you should at least consider the feelings of your ancestors in the afterlife.

The Song Dynasty has been established for a hundred years and still couldn't destroy the Liao and Xia dynasties. Now you suddenly show your strength. Where do you put the faces of our ancestors?
Seeing Xu Jiang's embarrassed expression, Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but burst into laughter.

He suddenly realized that being an emperor had another advantage: he didn't have to be so careful about what he said.

If the emperor said something wrong, at most he would be impeached and advised by his ministers, but no one would dare to punish him for disrespect, much less ask him, "Does Your Majesty intend to rebel?"

…………

When Zhao Mingcheng returned to the mansion, he had just passed the screen wall when he saw his father, Zhao Tingzhi, sitting in the front hall.

The Zhao residence was not very large, and the mansion was somewhat simple. It was located in a relatively remote area from the Imperial Street, after all, Zhao Tingzhi was only a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat.

In this era of seniority-based hierarchy, even the wealthy dared not afford a mansion. With so many eyes watching in the court, for a mere secretary to dare to live in a mansion was tantamount to courting disaster.

Upon reaching the front hall, Zhao Mingcheng respectfully bowed to his father. Zhao Tingzhi stroked his beard, smiled, and nodded.

He was quite satisfied with his son, after all, he was very promising. At the age of seventeen or eighteen, he was already a student at the Imperial Academy. It was practically a certainty that he would pass the imperial examinations and become an official in the future.

After several more generations of influence, the Zhao family could be considered a family of officials. If they were lucky enough to become prime ministers or something, it would be like their ancestral graves were emitting auspicious smoke. When they went to dance at the graves of their ancestors, their ancestors would be in their coffins helping to keep the party going.

After the father and son exchanged greetings, Zhao Tingzhi suddenly noticed that his son's face was ashen, filled with grief and despair, and he found it strange.

"Mingcheng, what happened?" Zhao Tingzhi asked in a deep voice.

Zhao Mingcheng lowered his head and remained silent for a long time.

After a long silence, he whispered, "Father, I'm afraid I'm not destined to be with Miss Li..."

Zhao Tingzhi frowned: "The Li family girl? Is it that Li Qingzhao? Humph! I told you long ago that although this girl has some talent, her father, Li Gefei, is a member of the Su family, a legitimate member of the Yuanyou faction. I was never too happy to agree to your relationship with her."

"If you are truly not destined to be with her, it would be a good thing for our family. What is there for a man to worry about not having a wife? Acting like this hypocritical woman is simply shameful."

Zhao Mingcheng gritted his teeth and said, "But I am not willing to accept this!"

Zhao Tingzhi glanced at him coldly and said, "Love between a man and a woman should be based on mutual consent. If she doesn't like you, are you going to force her to marry you? You might as well let it go and find a better match."

Zhao Mingcheng choked up and said, "If it weren't for that man interfering, Miss Li might not have been so heartless to me."

"Who is that man?"

"I don't know him. He's a young man, but judging from his clothes and manners, he's either rich or noble. Miss Li is very fond of him. I, an outsider, can see it clearly. It's all his fault for stealing her away!"

Zhao Tingzhi frowned even more deeply, pointing at Zhao Mingcheng and scolding, "Look at you, so useless! You'll be taking the imperial examination next year, but instead of studying and making progress, you're caught up in romance. How can you accomplish anything great like this? No wonder the Li family's daughter is so heartless."

The words were a bit harsh, but Zhao Mingcheng was still not awakened by the scolding. He cried and said, "Father, please help me find out about that person's background and see what kind of extraordinary person he is."

Zhao Tingzhi was furious: "What do you want to do? Do you want to take revenge on him? Zhao Mingcheng, I'm warning you, now that the new emperor has ascended the throne, there may be significant changes in the court. At such an important time, don't cause trouble for me and ruin your whole family!"

Zhao Mingcheng wept and said, "I fell in love with Miss Li at first sight and I can't forget her. I just want to know what kind of person could make Miss Li so infatuated? When she's with that person, she doesn't even care about the proper etiquette of a young lady. Compared to her indifference towards me all this time, I really can't accept it!"

Zhao Tingzhi grew increasingly dissatisfied: "If you don't like her, you just don't like her. How can you force someone to do something like that? Don't forget that her father is a member of the Yuanyou faction, and he has been at odds with my Yuanfeng faction for years. If you cause trouble, it will not only jeopardize your future, but also give the Yuanyou faction an excuse to attack me. You're better off without this girl!"

“Father…” Zhao Mingcheng burst into tears.

Zhao Tingzhi was upset, but in the end, he felt sorry that his son's deep affection had been wasted, and his tone softened.

"You unfilial son! You're really going to get me killed! Tell me, what's that person's name?"

Zhao Mingcheng choked up and said, "I don't know that man's background, but he was dressed like a wealthy young master and had many guards around him. I glanced around and saw that there were at least dozens or even hundreds of people protecting him."

Zhao Tingzhi's eyelids twitched. There weren't many young people in Bianjing with such a grand display. Just looking at the lineup of guards, it was clear that their family background was extraordinary.

Zhao Mingcheng sniffed and continued, "I asked him his name, and he only said that his name was 'Zhao Zi'an', and he didn't say anything else."

"Father, is there anyone named 'Zhao Zi'an' in Bianjing City?"

Zhao Ting subconsciously shook his head. He had never heard of anyone named "Zhao Zian" in Bianjing. However, since the procession was so grand and the person's surname was Zhao, he guessed that the person must be a member of the royal family. Judging from the guards, the person must be at least a prince.

“Zhao Zian, Zhao Zian… This name sounds familiar to me?” Zhao Tingzhi muttered, frowning.

Zhao Mingcheng was overjoyed: "Father, think carefully about who he really is."

Zhao Tingzhi ignored him, still frowning and muttering, "Zhao Zi'an... Zi'an? Hmm? Zi'an!"

Immediately, Zhao Tingzhi's eyes widened in shock, a look of horror suddenly appearing in them.

"Zhao Zian! It's him, it was him all along!" Zhao Tingzhi's body swayed involuntarily.

Zhao Mingcheng asked in astonishment, "Father, who exactly is he?"

Zhao Tingzhi and his ilk snapped back to reality. His eyes were still filled with terror and despair as he stared blankly at his son. For some reason, a sudden surge of anger welled up inside him, which he could no longer suppress.

To Zhao Mingcheng's astonishment, Zhao Tingzhi raised his large hand high and then slapped Zhao Mingcheng hard across the face.

"You beast! You've caused a terrible disaster!"

(End of this chapter)