The prince is more stable

Chapter 995 Late Night Incident
Upon exiting the brothel, Zhao Xiaoqian was shocked to find that it was already late at night.

It's unbelievable; he doesn't even remember how long the drinking session with Li Qingzhao lasted.

Alcohol is indeed a good thing.

It allows people to unleash their true nature, reveals their true selves, and emboldens them.

Under the influence of alcohol, everything that was previously unspeakable and undoable became much bolder in speech and action.

Zhao Xiaoqian's achievement today was confirming Li Qingzhao's true feelings.

In fact, Zhao Xiaoqian had long been aware of Li Qingzhao's feelings.

Even if you understand it clearly, you still need to confirm it. Women are such complex creatures. Unless they express their feelings themselves, even at the last moment of confession, you can't be sure if their feelings will change.

Zhao Xiaoqian was indeed a little drunk at this moment, and this time he wasn't faking it.

The wine served in brothels is probably rice wine. It has a mild and mellow taste, but it's like a handsome and eloquent scoundrel—very easy to get hooked on, and you can easily fall for it without even realizing it.

Seeing that Zhao Xiaoqian was lying motionless on the ground, clearly very drunk, Li Qingzhao had no choice but to get up, open the door of the elegant room, and call in Chen Shou, who was standing guard outside.

After entering, Chen Shou politely bowed to Li Qingzhao, and then without saying a word, he lifted the drunken Zhao Xiaoqian up. The man, who weighed over 100 pounds, was carried by Chen Shou as if he were a chick, and he easily helped him out of the elegant room.

Watching Zhao Xiaoqian being helped away, Li Qingzhao was left alone in the elegant pavilion.

The flutter in my heart when we were alone, the shyness when our lips met, the burning passion in my heart as I watched him sweep across the land with his triumphant spirit, and the sudden loneliness and melancholy that washed over me after he left...

A mix of emotions lingered in her heart. Li Qingzhao raised her cup and drank alone, but in the end, the wine only deepened her sorrow.

Li Qingzhao was not drunk; her alcohol tolerance was too high, and at that moment she was more sober than anyone else.

But she really wanted to get drunk today.

Her beloved was a peerless hero, but she sensed that this peerless hero was intentionally or unintentionally avoiding her feelings.

Whether he was truly drunk or feigning it, Li Qingzhao did not know.

She'd rather not know.

Li Qingzhao poured herself another cup of wine, drank it all, and suddenly recited softly: "I fear the small boat on the Shuangxi River cannot bear the weight of so much sorrow..."

"Waiter, bring me another pot of wine!"

…………

Supported by Chen Shou, Zhao Xiaoqian staggered out of the brothel and arrived at the carriage. Suddenly, he broke free from Chen Shou's arm and rubbed his aching ribs.

"You're as stiff as a rock, stiffer than a dead man. You've got a lot of muscles, don't you know how to be gentle? I'm very delicate!" Zhao Xiaoqian said with dissatisfaction.

Chen Shou was taken aback: "Your Majesty isn't drunk? You were just pretending to be drunk?"

"Nonsense! What kind of status do I have? I can never be truly drunk. What if someone plots against me and writes an abdication edict, demanding that I hand over the throne to them?"

Chen Shou grinned: "How could that be? What use is an abdication edict? Even if the Emperor wrote it, who would dare to accept it? This humble general would tear him to pieces!"

Turning his head to glance at the brothel, Chen Shou said in bewilderment, "The Emperor and that Miss Li are clearly in love. Tonight is such a beautiful night, and they are alone together. It should be a time for them to be deeply in love. Why is the Emperor pretending to be drunk? This... is such a waste!"

Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes widened in surprise: "You actually know how to use fancy words now? You used three idioms in one sentence, Chen Shou, are you trying to turn the world upside down or pass the imperial examination?"

Chen Shou was also taken aback: "Was this humble general... acting so elegantly just now?"

Then Chen Shou fell into deep self-doubt. He began to reflect on himself, wondering if he had chosen the wrong path back then? Perhaps studying and becoming a top scholar would have been more suitable for him...

Zhao Xiaoqian ignored him, thus avoiding Chen Shouti's question.

The question he asked was difficult to answer, and even Zhao Xiaoqian felt confused at that moment.

Aside from age, it's probably mainly because there's a mental hurdle I haven't overcome yet.

Other women might be one thing, but she was Li Qingzhao.

Zhao Xiaoqian stood in front of the carriage, stunned for a moment, and then let out a long sigh.

"Let's go back to the palace."

The carriage was a very ordinary single-horse carriage. Zhao Xiaoqian had gone out of the palace incognito today, originally intending only to fish by the Bian River, but he didn't expect to cause so much trouble and even get a bellyful of wine.

The carriage moved slowly across the Zhou Bridge. Even late at night, Bianjing City was still bustling with activity. The Song Dynasty was a prosperous commercial center, especially the capital city of Bianjing, which was a city that never slept. Even though it was late at night, the area around the Zhou Bridge was still crowded with people, and countless vendors on the street were shouting their wares at the top of their lungs.

The aroma of various delicacies wafted through the carriage and into Zhao Xiaoqian's nose.

For a discerning gourmet like Zhao Xiaoqian, the aroma of this food was simply irresistible.

Looking down at my figure, well, although I'm lazy and don't like exercising, I'm still in my early twenties, and I don't have a greasy belly yet. My face is also quite thin.

After a moment, Zhao Xiaoqian concluded that he had enough to eat to his heart's content.

"Chen Shou, stop. I'm hungry. I need to find something to eat," Zhao Xiaoqian said.

Chen Shou hesitated. The Emperor was, after all, the most powerful man in the land, and the area around Zhouqiao was teeming with people; who knew what dangers lurked there? The Emperor's fate rested on the shoulders of the entire nation; it was truly inappropriate for him to linger here. After a moment's hesitation, Chen Shou said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, perhaps you should wait a little longer. Once we return to the palace, we can have the imperial chef prepare it for you..."

Zhao Xiaoqian scoffed, "What nonsense are you spouting? The imperial chef's lousy skills can't compare to the roadside stalls at Zhouqiao."

Chen Shou was stunned and bewildered, and his values ​​began to crumble again.

The imperial chefs in the palace... can't compare to the street vendors?
What's wrong with this world?
"I smell roasted meat, it's about twenty paces to the left. Don't try to fool me, stop the carriage, I'm coming out to have a few bites." Zhao Xiaoqian's voice came from inside the carriage again.

Chen Shou had no choice. Zhao Xiaoqian was the emperor, and he was the subject. He dared not disobey the emperor's orders.

The carriage soon came to a stop, and Zhao Xiaoqian got out and walked straight to the open-air barbecue stall.

Chen Shouhe was closely followed by dozens of plainclothes imperial guards, who intentionally or unintentionally surrounded Zhao Xiaoqian in the middle, blocking passersby from getting close.

Sure enough, there was barbecue about twenty paces to the left.

Zhao Xiaoqian arrived at the stall and pulled out a folding chair to sit down.

The vendor immediately came over, his face beaming with a fawning smile: "What would you like to eat, sir?"

Zhao Xiaoqian sniffed, his eyes shining. Just from the aroma of the meat, he knew the vendor's grilling skills were good and the quality was decent.

"Bring a pound of roasted mutton, a plate of sliced ​​mutton, and a grilled fish. No wine, please. Bring it on quickly," Zhao Xiaoqian said with practiced ease.

The vendor bowed and agreed, then turned and went to prepare.

Before long, a steaming plate of mutton was served. The mutton was chopped into small pieces and sprinkled with fennel seeds, as well as some chopped green onions and garlic.

Zhao Xiaoqian took another deep breath and couldn't help but rub his hands together.

This vendor's skills are amazing. You can tell he's good just by smelling the meat. I wish I could kidnap him and bring him to the palace so I could grill meat for him every day.

The most feasible solution is to give him some money later and have the palace send a few imperial chefs to learn cooking skills from him.

With these thoughts in mind, Zhao Xiaoqian reached out and grabbed the mutton from the plate.

Just as he reached out his hand, Chen Shou, who was standing to the side, suddenly said, "Wait!"

Zhao Xiaoqian paused, looking at Chen Shou with a puzzled expression.

Chen Shou bowed and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty is traveling incognito, and there are some things that cannot be ignored. Please forgive my rudeness."

As he spoke, Chen Shou turned to a guard of the Imperial Guard and ordered, "Go and fetch a dog."

Ban Zhi turned around and quickly brought over a dog. In this dynasty where even basic needs were difficult to meet, there were countless stray dogs in Bianjing City, and Ban Zhi easily found one nearby.

When the dog was brought in front of him, Chen Shou picked up a piece of mutton and put it to the dog's mouth.

The stray dog's eyes lit up. It never expected to strike it lucky today. It silently thanked nature for its gift, took a bite of mutton without hesitation, chewed it a few times, and swallowed it. Then it looked up at Chen Shou with longing eyes, wagging its tail happily.

Zhao Xiaoqian opened his mouth, feeling that Chen Shou's action was a bit unnecessary, but seeing Chen Shou's serious expression, which was full of unquestionable authority, Zhao Xiaoqian could only shake his head.

Well, he was just doing his job, how can we blame him?

Chen Shou's actions attracted the attention of the surrounding diners. The noisy and bustling barbecue stall gradually became quiet. People were looking at Zhao Xiaoqian with different eyes, observing his clothes and the dozens of burly men around him who looked like they were not to be trifled with.

Zhao Xiaoqian's behavior at this moment was beyond doubt. People around him guessed that he must be the son of a powerful family in Bianjing. His presence at Zhouqiao at this time for a late-night snack meant that he must have just come from a brothel.

Bianjing is a megacity with a population of one million, a thriving commercial center, and a vibrant nightlife.

It was commonplace for the people of Bianjing to see wealthy young men frequenting brothels and returning home late at night.

The surrounding diners gave him all sorts of looks, but for some reason, the barbecue stall vendor seemed a little anxious.

Chen Shou fed the dog a piece of mutton, and as soon as he reached out his hand, the vendor's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly tried to stop him.

However, the dog's mouth was faster than the vendor's hands, and it swallowed the mutton in a flash.

The vendor panicked and pointed at Chen Shoudao: "You... this is such good meat, it's for the customers, how could you feed it to the dog?"

Chen Shou glanced at him and said indifferently, "I paid for your flesh, I can give it to whomever I want, it's none of your business."

It was almost springtime, but the temperature at night was still a bit chilly. For some reason, the vendor's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his face seemed a little pale.

Others didn't notice the change in the vendor's expression, but Chen Shou, being a bodyguard, had a much sharper eye than most. He immediately noticed the vendor's odd expression and became wary. He stepped forward and moved even closer to Zhao Xiaoqian, his eyes fixed on the vendor.

Sitting on the folding chair, Zhao Xiaoqian noticed Chen Shou's deliberate approach and sensed that Chen Shou's muscles were tense and his eyes were filled with seriousness.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at the vendor again and immediately realized something was wrong.

His expression suddenly turned cold, and Zhao Xiaoqian calmly said, "I won't eat the meat, but I'll leave the money with you."

"Chen Shou, let's go."

Just as the person stood up, they heard a painful whimper at their feet. The stray dog ​​that had just eaten a piece of mutton was now foaming at the mouth, lying helplessly on the ground, its body convulsing uncontrollably, clearly not going to live.

(End of this chapter)