The prince is more stable

Chapter 915 The Talent of a General
Regardless of the era, parents are always very concerned about their children's education.

This is a very contradictory mentality. People always hope that their children will be better than themselves, always harbor beautiful but unrealistic fantasies, infinitely magnify their children's strengths, and then confidently believe that their son or daughter must be extraordinary and will definitely have a great future.

Of course, there are also many calm and wise parents who are happy to accept their children's ordinariness and teach them to live a down-to-earth life. They believe that children may not have great abilities, but at least they should have kind character.

People who have never been parents probably can't understand this kind of conflicted psychology in parents.

Zhao Xiaoqian didn't understand before, not in either of his two lifetimes, but now he does.

The baby boy in his arms was lively, clever, and adorable. Even if he didn't have any extraordinary talents or abilities in the future, Zhao Xiaoqian would be content as long as he lived an honest and down-to-earth life.

On the training ground of the Pengri Camp, the soldiers wielded long spears, swords, and shields, practicing each move with meticulous precision.

Xia Jingchu observed Zhao Xiaoqian's calm expression and the little prince's excited face. Xia Jingchu carefully asked, "Your Majesty, is the soldiers' training satisfactory?"

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded and said, "Indeed, the army's morale is very high."

Xia Jingchu and his generals secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

To be honest, from the moment Zhao Xiaoqian entered the camp, it felt like they were facing a rigorous test. Now that they have submitted their answers, it seems that their test results were quite good.

Xia Jingchu hesitated for a moment, then suddenly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the more than 20,000 soldiers of the Pengri Camp, from your own ranks, are willing to repay Your Majesty's grace, fight for the country, and request permission to launch a northern expedition against the Liao Kingdom next year, so that Your Majesty may unify the world!"

As soon as the words were spoken, all the generals on the command platform clasped their hands in salute and said in unison, "We are willing to fight for Your Majesty in the Northern Expedition against the Liao Kingdom and unify the world!"

The soldiers on the drill ground also heard the commotion. They stopped their drills at the same time, knelt down on one knee, and roared in unison.

"I am willing to lead the Northern Expedition against the Liao Kingdom for Your Majesty and unify the world!"

Their military might was immense, their voices resounding through the heavens.

Zhao Xiaoqian was filled with excitement. Looking at the soldiers kneeling in unison on the training ground, begging for their orders, a surge of heroic spirit welled up within him.

Zhao Hao, nestled in his arms, was also startled by the soldiers' thunderous roar. After a moment, Zhao Hao began to wave his little hands and feet restlessly in his arms, babbling excitedly as he imitated the soldiers' words.

"...Unify the world, Dad, unify the world!" Zhao Hao called out in a childish voice.

Zhao Xiaoqian laughed heartily, gave his son a big kiss on his tender cheek, and said, "Alright, when your father unifies the world in the future, we'll be a dignified emperor of a unified empire, not some emperor of a separatist force!"

Xia Jingchu and the other generals exclaimed excitedly, "The Mandate of Heaven rests on the Song Dynasty! We, your subjects, congratulate Your Majesty!"

Zhao Xiaoqian's smile gradually faded. Looking at Xia Jingchu and the other generals, he slowly said, "The Great Song Dynasty will definitely launch a northern expedition in the future, but not now..."

Xia Jingchu was taken aback, and said somewhat anxiously, "Your Majesty and your soldiers are ready for battle, why don't you launch a northern expedition immediately?"

Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at him and said, "We're about to launch a northern expedition... Will you provide the military expenses? Will you supply provisions, warhorses, weapons, and armor?"

"When your blood boils and you shout for battle, you can't just go without food, can you? I must first stockpile enough rations to feed the soldiers, otherwise, hundreds of thousands of you will be wielding swords and starving."

Xia Jingchu and his generals were taken aback for a moment, then gave an awkward smile.

"Be patient and wait. In a year or two, the national treasury will recover, and the soldiers will have a chance to participate in the Northern Expedition. I am more anxious than you are, but as anxious as I am, I must not lose my composure."

"Yes, we understand."

While chatting with Xia Jingchu and others, Zhao Hao in his arms became increasingly restless and struggled, so Zhao Xiaoqian had no choice but to put him on the ground.

Then, Zhao Hao actually staggered down from the command platform alone and walked towards the soldiers on the training ground.

Zhao Xiaoqian stared at him in astonishment. When Zheng Chunhe was about to pick him up, Zhao Xiaoqian raised his hand to stop him.

"Don't stop him, let's see what he's going to do."

So, under the watchful eyes of Zhao Xiaoqian and the soldiers, Zhao Hao walked alone to the front of the training ground, looked up at the soldiers who were much taller than him, and then chuckled.

After laughing, Zhao Hao picked up a dry branch from the open space next to the training ground, and then shouted "Ah!" and "Ha!" as he imitated the moves the soldiers had just practiced, practicing them in a very professional manner.

Zhao Xiaoqian stared intently at Zhao Hao, a hint of surprise and relief gradually appearing in his eyes.

The generals beside him were overjoyed. At this moment, more than 20,000 people on the training ground were watching the Emperor's only young prince with smiles and quiet, watching him practice his moves.

Despite his clumsy movements, which were often just random waving of small branches, Zhao Hao's expression during practice was very serious and focused.

Zhao Xiaoqian and his generals looked at him with doting eyes. If it weren't for the fear of startling Zhao Hao, who was training diligently, Zhao Xiaoqian would have burst out laughing at that moment.

"This kid seems to have a real affinity for the military. Could he really become a general leading troops in the future?" Zhao Xiaoqian murmured.

Xia Jingchu sincerely said, "Your Majesty, I observe that the young prince is exceptionally intelligent and possesses the talent of a general."

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded: "If he is truly interested, I can cultivate his skills in this area. The Song Dynasty will face many wars in the coming decades. While I am alive, I hope to build a peaceful and prosperous world for all people..." A eunuch hurriedly stepped onto the command platform, bowed and reported: "Your Majesty, Zhen Qing of the Imperial City Guard, Zhong Jianzhong of the Palace Guard, Xu Jiang Antao of the Privy Council, and others have arrived at the camp gate and are waiting for Your Majesty's summons."

Zhao Xiaoqian withdrew his gaze from Zhao Hao and said calmly, "Let them come to the main camp's command tent for a meeting."

As he spoke, Zhao Xiaoqian gestured to Zheng Chunhe and said, "Take the little prince for a walk around the camp. Don't stop him from touching or feeling anything that interests him."

"Yes, I obey your order."

Then Zhao Xiaoqian led the generals of the Pengri Camp down from the command platform and into the main camp's command tent.

Not long after, Zhong Jianzhong, Xu Jiang, Zhen Qing and others entered the tent to pay their respects.

Zhao Xiaoqian gestured for everyone to sit down. Xu Jiang, who was more familiar with Zhao Xiaoqian, asked curiously, "Why is Your Majesty in the mood to inspect the Pengri Camp today?"

Zhao Xiaoqian chuckled: "I brought my son to the camp to see the soldiers' training, and it turns out that coming today was the right decision."

Xu Jiang and the others' cheeks twitched.

You are the emperor, there's no need to be so humble in addressing the little prince. The imperial family has never used the term "my unworthy son."

Zhao Xiaoqian didn't care. "My son" was already a very polite way of addressing him. The fact that he wasn't called "dog son" showed that fatherly love still existed.

"I have summoned you all here today to ask..." Zhao Xiaoqian looked at General Xu and said, "Has the Privy Council finalized its strategy and tactics for the Northern Expedition against the Liao Kingdom?"

Xu and the others were taken aback, and then excitement erupted in the command tent.

Xu asked excitedly, "Has His Majesty decided to launch a northern expedition on a chosen date?"

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed, looking utterly defeated: "I would like to, but the national treasury is empty, and it will take a year or two to recover. The war with the Liao Kingdom a few years ago also depleted the Song Dynasty's treasury..."

"I, the emperor, am actually a poor emperor. If I were in an ordinary family, a man like me would be poked on the forehead by his wife and scolded every day for being incompetent and useless..."

Xu Jiang and the others' cheeks twitched slightly. Fine, you're the emperor, you're the boss, say whatever you want.

"The Privy Council colleagues discussed the Northern Expedition against the Liao Kingdom day and night, and many officials submitted summaries of their strategies for the expedition, among which many made significant contributions."

Xu Jiang paused for a moment and said, "In fact, the military strength and combat power of the Song Dynasty are now enough to crush the Liao Dynasty. We have flintlock muskets and cannons. With just these two things, the Liao Dynasty can no longer defeat the Song Dynasty. As long as the royal army launches a northern expedition, the Liao Dynasty will be destroyed sooner or later."

Zhao Xiaoqian asked, "Are there any unusual movements by the Liao army on the border?"

Xu smiled slightly: "The Liao army has indeed made some moves. I don't know whose advice the Liao emperor listened to, but he has started to build a large number of fortresses a hundred miles north of Youzhou to guard against our Song army's flintlock muskets."

"According to Guo Cheng, the garrison commander of Youzhou, the fortresses built by the Liao army are completely modeled after the construction style of the northwestern border army of the Song Dynasty."

"In order to defend against the Western Xia army, Zhang Jie, the commander of the Northwest Frontier, built a large number of fortresses and strongholds on the Northwest border. His aim was to rely on strong fortifications to defend against the Western Xia, so that the Western Xia army would suffer huge casualties with every step forward when they invaded."

"I never expected that the Liao emperor would learn Zhang Jie's methods and build a large number of fortresses and strongholds on the Song-Liao border, deploying heavy troops to guard against our Song army."

Zhao Xiaoqian immediately showed a strange expression.

Xiao Wuna and Xiao Fengxian had secretly informed the Liao emperor of his decision to build fortresses on the border. To be precise, it was these two who made the suggestion to the Liao emperor.

It must be said that this was yet another strategically disastrous suggestion that brought ruin to the country and its people. The two traitors from Liaodong led Yelü Yanxi astray, causing him considerable harm.

In the era of cold weapon warfare, it is undeniable that fortified villages did have a role, as evidenced by the Northwest Frontier Commander Zhang Jie.

However, the Liao Kingdom still viewed the Song army with outdated perspectives, which not only wasted the national treasury's resources but also led to significant military losses.

Yelü Yanxi mistakenly believed that fortified villages could protect against flintlock bullets from the Song army, but he did not expect that the Song army now had not only flintlock guns, but also cannons.

In this era before cement and concrete, even the most sturdy fortifications could not withstand a single shot of truth from the Red Coat Cannon.

If so, fire two.

“Mr. Chongyuan, in the name of the Privy Council, tell Guo Cheng, the garrison commander of Youzhou, that the Liao army is building a large number of fortresses and strongholds. Let them build them. Our Yanyun border army will remain silent and watch them court death,” Zhao Xiaoqian said with a smile.

"Yes, Your Majesty." General Xu smiled, knowing full well what Zhao Xiaoqian was thinking.

It is certainly a good thing for our side if the enemy goes further and further down the wrong path. At this time, we must not do anything to remind the enemy, but let them continue to indulge in their beautiful fantasies until the day when annihilation suddenly comes.

"Let's put the Liao Kingdom aside for now. The Song Dynasty wants to unify the country. The Liao Kingdom in the north is certainly a major enemy, but we have other enemies as well."

"I have summoned you all here today to make preparations for these enemies in advance."

(End of this chapter)