The prince is more stable

Chapter 914 Military Enlightenment
Most fathers have a kind of inexplicable confidence, always feeling that their children are good in every way and are outstanding.

Zhao Xiaoqian was no exception; he felt that his son's farts made his intestines digest well and his body was in great shape.

He looks pleasing to the eye no matter how you look at him, especially when you see Zhao Hao's small, similar eyebrows and eyes, it feels like you are looking at yourself when you were a child.

As the only son of the emperor, he was naturally greatly favored in the palace.

Not only did the eunuchs and palace maids treat him like an ancestor, but Di Ying and several other women also treated him as their own son, each of them cherishing him dearly.

Outside the palace were Zhao Hao and his grandparents, Lady Feng, who would come into the palace every few days and hold Zhao Hao tightly, refusing to let go.

It has to be said that the love and pampering this kid received since birth made even Zhao Xiaoqian a little jealous.

At noon, Di Ying and Niaoniao stayed in Funing Palace for lunch, while Zhao Xiaoqian held Zhao Hao in one arm and personally fed him.

At just over a year old, Zhao Hao was still very young and his digestive system was not yet strong enough to eat adult food. As instructed by Zhao Xiaoqian, he ate easily digestible complementary foods, such as wild vegetable porridge, steamed eggplant, and stewed meat strips that had been shredded into small pieces.

On this rare day of relaxation, Zhao Xiaoqian personally fed his son.

Di Ying and Niaoniao watched this scene of filial piety and love between father and son, their eyes overflowing with happiness.

However, after feeding him only a few bites, Zhao Xiaoqian frowned.

He gradually realized the problem: Zhao Hao was probably spoiled by everyone in the palace.

He's very willful and picky about food, refusing to eat this or that, and he throws tantrums, knocking over bowls on the table and spilling food all over it.

Zheng Chunhe and the palace maids who were serving behind them hurriedly stepped forward to tidy up, but Zhao Xiaoqian raised his hand to stop them.

Holding Zhao Hao upright, Zhao Xiaoqian stared into his eyes and said, "You're still young and don't understand reason. Dad can forgive your temper tantrums and won't lecture you with grand principles, but there's one thing you must remember no matter how young you are..."

"Absolutely no food waste is allowed, not even a single grain!"

Zhao Xiaoqian's unusually serious expression frightened Zhao Hao, who immediately turned to look at Niao Niao for help.

Seeing Zhao Xiaoqian's face darken, Di Ying and Niaoniao wanted to offer some advice but dared not.

After a moment of silence, Di Ying tentatively said, "My lord, the child is still young. What does he know about waste? Why don't you teach him these principles when he's a little older?"

Zhao Xiaoqian shook his head: "It is the father's fault if he raises a child without teaching him. A child who is a little over one year old naturally cannot understand profound principles, but bad habits cannot be indulged."

As he spoke, Zhao Xiaoqian used his chopsticks to push the spilled food back into the bowl, then scooped it up with a small wooden spoon and fed it to Zhao Hao.

"Take responsibility for your own mistakes. Open your mouth and eat!"

Zhao Hao was intimidated by his father's imposing manner, and was immediately filled with shock and fear, his eyes quickly welling up with tears.

Zhao Xiaoqian stared at him without blinking, his face full of authority.

Seeing the young prince being wronged, Zheng Chunhe felt extremely distressed and pleaded in a low voice, "Your Majesty, the young prince is still young. I will eat the food he wasted."

Just as he was about to take the bowl from Zhao Xiaoqian's hand, Zhao Xiaoqian stopped him with a look.

"His bad habits are all due to your indulgence. If we don't educate him, won't he become lawless when he grows up? Today, I am disciplining my son, and no one is allowed to plead for him."

Zheng Chunhe had no choice but to retreat awkwardly.

Di Ying and Niaoniao dared not say a word.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at Zhao Hao seriously and said, "What your father is holding is called 'grain.' Grain is grown by farmers with their hard work and sweat. It is for people to eat, not for you to just throw away. You must eat it all, not a single grain is allowed to be left, or you will be punished by going hungry for a day."

The small wooden spoon was brought to Zhao Hao's lips. Zhao Hao finally had some sense. Seeing his father's uncompromising attitude, he realized that if he didn't finish the food today, the consequences would be severe. So, reluctantly, he opened his mouth and ate it bite by bite.

Zhao Xiaoqian patiently fed him all the food in the bowl before finally smiling.

After eating, the child was a little sleepy, yawning and rubbing his eyes in Zhao Xiaoqian's arms, and was also whimpering, clearly wanting to sleep.

Niao Niao carefully took Zhao Hao, and the child quickly fell asleep in his mother's arms, looking very sweet.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at the two women and sighed, "From now on, you need to be stricter with Zhao Hao. You can't spoil him like you used to without any principles."

“If a child from an ordinary family is spoiled, he will at most become a spendthrift or a scoundrel when he grows up. But if a child from an imperial family is spoiled, he will become a scourge to the people when he grows up, and the consequences will be terrible.”

Seeing that Zhao Xiaoqian spoke seriously, Di Ying and Niaoniao did not dare to refute him and obediently agreed.

Looking at the sleeping Zhao Hao, Zhao Xiaoqian said, "This harem is full of concubines and palace maids. Boys are surrounded by these women all day long, and they will inevitably get tainted by the smell of cosmetics. That won't do."

"After he wakes up this afternoon, I will personally take him out of the palace."

Niao Niao asked worriedly, "Where is my husband taking Hao'er?"

Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at her and said, "He's my own son, I can't just take him out and sell him, can I?"

…………

In the afternoon, Zhao Hao woke up, and Zhao Xiaoqian immediately put down the memorials he was reviewing, picked him up, and instructed Zheng Chunhe to prepare the imperial carriage to leave the palace.

Once inside the imperial carriage, Zhao Hao looked around curiously, occasionally lifting the curtain to observe the imperial guards standing watch outside the carriage and the bustling crowds of people on the street.

"Dad, then...eat!" Zhao Hao mumbled, pointing at the street vendors. The child, just over a year old, couldn't speak fluently and could only utter a few simple words.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled, beckoned Zheng Chunhe over, and instructed him to buy a piece of hazelnut cake from a street vendor.

Zhao Hao held the hazelnut cake in both hands, took a bite, and nodded with a "hmm" sound, indicating that this stuff suited his taste quite well.

The father and son sat in the imperial carriage, escorted by the imperial guards, and left the city on their own.

They traveled westward for more than ten miles and arrived at a military camp.

This is the Pengri Camp, one of the three armies under the jurisdiction of the Palace Guard in Bianjing.

Originally, Bianjing had four armies, but during the Song-Xia War, Zhao Xu transferred the Dragon Guard Battalion to Zhao Xiaoqian for command.

From then on, the Dragon Guard Battalion became an elite border army that followed Zhao Xiaoqian in his campaigns across the land, and was removed from the four armies of Bianjing.

When the imperial carriage arrived at the gate of the Sun-Praying Camp, the commander-in-chief and a group of military officers who were in charge of the training inside had already been informed by the palace servants. The officers were waiting outside the gate, and when they saw the imperial carriage arrive, they all bowed and clasped their hands in greeting.

Zhao Xiaoqian carried Zhao Hao down from the imperial carriage and gestured for the generals to rise.

Approaching a military general, Zhao Xiaoqian took Zhao Hao's small hand and let him touch the general's cold, hard armor.

Then he gestured for the general to unfasten the sword from his waist and hand the hilt to Zhao Hao, helping him to grip the hilt with his chubby little hands so that he could feel the charm of the weapon.

"Hao'er, do you see clearly? This is what a real man should be interested in: wielding a sharp weapon, conquering the world, serving his country, and expanding his territory!"

"How can a boy who grows up surrounded by his mother, aunts, and a bunch of palace maids, listening to their gossip all day long and smelling the scent of cosmetics, possibly amount to anything?"

The military officers standing respectfully outside the gate were deeply moved as they listened to the emperor instructing his son.

Regardless of the Emperor's purpose in bringing the prince to the camp today, his words just now were very much to the liking of the military officers.

Since the founding of the Song Dynasty, it has valued literature over military affairs. No Song emperor has ever educated his son in this way. He did not look down on warriors at all. On the contrary, he educated and encouraged his son to take up a weapon and conquer the world when he grew up.

The leading military officer bowed and said, "Your subject, Xia Jingchu, Commander of the Sun-Piercing Camp, pays respects to Your Majesty and His Highness the Young Prince."

Xia Jingchu and the other generals bowed again, but everyone was extremely nervous at this moment.

When Zhao Xiaoqian seized the throne, 100,000 border troops from Yan and Yun besieged the city. Zeng Bu seized the military power of the Palace Guard and ordered the three armies of Bianjing to attack the border troops from Yan and Yun.

Now that Zhao Xiaoqian has ascended the throne, he has not really dealt with the generals of the three armies under the Palace Guard Command. However, the generals all remember this matter and are worried that the emperor might remember it and deal with them all at once.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled warmly and said, "Gentlemen, there's no need for such formalities. Today, I've brought the prince to see the soldiers of the Pengri Camp training, so that the prince can broaden his horizons and learn what 'masculine spirit' truly means."

"This boy has been spoiled by the women in the palace. I hope he will be interested in the military camp, armor, and weapons. When he grows up, we'll see if he has the makings to lead an army."

Xia Jingchu said with emotion, "The young prince is exceptionally talented and intelligent. He will certainly live up to Your Majesty's high expectations. The Song Dynasty has a worthy successor. We congratulate Your Majesty!"

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed and said, "Alright, enough talk, let's go to the drill ground and watch the soldiers train."

Just as he was about to take a step, Zhao Xiaoqian turned to Zheng Chunhe and said, "Since you're here, summon Zhen Qing of the Imperial City Guard, Zhong Jianzhong, the Commander of the Palace Guard, Xu Jiang, the Privy Councilor, and An Tao, the Deputy Privy Councilor. I have something to discuss with them."

Zheng Chunhe hurriedly ordered a palace maid to convey the imperial decree.

On the training ground of Pengri Camp, 20,000 soldiers stood in formation, each holding a long spear, sword, and shield.

Zhao Xiaoqian carried Zhao Hao onto the command platform, and 20,000 soldiers knelt on one knee to pay their respects, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

Zhao Xiaoqian's expression shifted slightly as he looked at the well-disciplined soldiers on the drill ground. He immediately recalled how he had led his Dragon Guard Battalion to fight against the Western Xia, captured the Xia capital, marched north to resist the Liao army, and led his elite Tiger Warriors to victory time and time again.

Those were truly passionate years. Indeed, once a man has served in the military, he will never forget it and will cherish it for the rest of his life.

Xia Jingchu nodded to Chao Xia, who understood and personally raised a command flag, waving it fiercely.

The soldiers on the drill ground immediately sprang into action. Following the command flags and the military officers' directions, the soldiers brandished their spears, swords, and shields, shouting and yelling with each step, their battle cries shaking the heavens.

Suddenly, yellow dust rose up on the training ground, enveloping the soldiers in a cloud of dust, making only their silhouettes faintly visible. A sharp and murderous aura instantly filled the air.

Zhao Hao's clear eyes were fixed on the soldiers training on the drill ground. Unconsciously, the boy's expression became excited. He was held in Zhao Xiaoqian's arms, but his little hands and feet were waving and kicking wildly, and he made meaningless cooing sounds.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at his son in his arms with loving eyes and smiled, "Isn't it fun?"

"That's fun!" Zhao Hao exclaimed crisply.

"Later, Dad will make you a small wooden sword. You can swing it around a few times when you have time. This is the kind of thing a boy should play with."

"I want the little sword!" Zhao Hao shouted excitedly.

Xia Jingchu and the group of generals behind him listened to the conversation between the father and son, their expressions becoming increasingly moved.

They discovered that the Emperor was not putting on a show; he genuinely wanted to cultivate the young prince's military talent. Today, he brought the young prince to watch the soldiers' drills for the first time, which was of great significance and served as an enlightenment for the young prince in military affairs.

Thinking of this, Xia Jingchu felt honored, but also felt a great responsibility, so he sternly gave orders to his generals.

"Tell the soldiers to be alert! Every move must be performed strictly according to the training manual, without the slightest deviation. Anyone who violates this rule will be severely punished!"

(End of this chapter)