Building a Harmonious Song Dynasty

Chapter 63

The rift between the two grew wider and wider, so it's no wonder that Zhao Gou wanted to take this opportunity to mend the wounds between them.

Seeing that Qin Zhen remained silent, Zhao Gou continued, "I know that we have many different ideas, but you must believe me. I also hope for peace and prosperity for the people, and I believe that we can both achieve this! Even if we cannot fully understand each other now, we share the same fundamental idea, so we will definitely be able to find a way to find common ground while reserving differences!"

Qin Zhen was somewhat unsettled. Since Zhao Gou didn't usually say anything, she assumed that he was unaware of the differences in their thinking. She never expected that he understood them so thoroughly.

Zhao Gou represented the interests of the Song Dynasty imperial family, while Qin Zhen was concerned about the well-being of all people. The conflict between them had to be taken into account.

She had considered a way to seek common ground while reserving differences, which was to make all the people of the world subjects of the Great Song Dynasty. As long as the world was unified, the conflicts would be reduced, and there was even hope of eliminating them. However, this process would require the sacrifice of too many people, which would cause Qin Zhen too much pain.

"I'll try my best," Qin Zhen said softly, but those words made Zhao Gou very happy. At least they still had hope, didn't they?

Zhao Gou's bright eyes were fixed on Qin Zhen. Finally, unable to contain the excitement in his heart, he pulled Qin Zhen into his broad embrace and whispered in her ear, "Let's try our best, let's try together..."

Qin Zhen was moved by Zhao Gou's efforts to get closer, and finally reached out to hug him back, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Fifteen-year-old Zhao Gou was tall and slender, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. The strong muscles he had honed on the battlefield made him appear even more heroic. Qin Zhen, though already fourteen, was still petite and delicate, but her figure was gradually becoming more curvaceous, with the fullness of a young woman. The two were now embracing, and the heat of the candlelight made them feel even drier and their hearts pounding wildly.

Hearing Zhao Gou's rapid heartbeat, Qin Zhen suddenly asked, "I'm hungry... Is there anything to eat?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Gou finally relaxed and said, "Of course, come with me."

Wu Shaofen, along with her bodyguards and guards, who were peeking from outside the inn, chuckled to themselves. Wu Shaofen excitedly exclaimed, "I hugged him! I hugged him!"

A guard said, as if pouring cold water on the situation, "What's so special about that? The prince has carried Miss Qin many times when he rescued her on the battlefield. It's nothing unusual."

“It’s different!” Wu Shaofen said, as if she had been hit hard.

The guard asked, "It's the same thing—carrying—so why is it different?"

Wu Shaofen said with absolute certainty, "It feels completely different, it's just not the same at all!"

"What, you have experience?"

When asked this question by the guard, Wu Shaofen blushed, and it immediately reminded her of all the little things she had shared with Yue Fei.

Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky 117 Today Is Different From Before

This was the third time Zhao Gou had returned to Bianjing after a long absence. The first time, he returned in triumph from his mission to the Liao Kingdom, with Crown Prince Zhao Huan personally welcoming him out of the city. The second time, he returned unexpectedly from his travels in Jiangnan, surprising everyone. But this third time, he returned victorious from the war against the Jin, only to be greeted by a handful of officials from the Ministry of Rites.

However, Zhao Gou wasn't too concerned. He had anticipated this situation the day he received Zhao Huan's imperial edict. Qin Zhen, standing beside Zhao Gou, coldly observed the few officials going through the motions, finding it amusing. Was this really welcoming a returning meritorious official? How had his brother Zhao Huan become so petty?

The officials from the Ministry of Rites read out the imperial edict, but Zhao Gou and Qin Zhen were far away and did not listen carefully. The superficial rewards did not attract Zhao Gou at all. He was already a king and marquis, so what else could he be rewarded with?

None of the people who were familiar with Zhao Gou came to welcome him back to the capital. Qin Zhen and Zhao Gou had received news from Liang Shicheng beforehand. Zhao Huan simply wanted to take this opportunity to see who was close to Zhao Gou. Liang Shicheng, Qin Hui, and Gao Qiu naturally wouldn't come. The other generals were fighting on the border. Looking at the officials who came, apart from the officials from the Ministry of Rites, the only one Qin Zhen was somewhat familiar with was Li Gang.

Li Gang was an upright man who would do anything he thought was worthwhile, regardless of the consequences, even if it offended powerful figures. This was why Zhao Huan and Zhao Gou appreciated him. But now, he had probably offended the imperial power. Could he really not care? Qin Zhen couldn't help but start to worry about him.

As for Li Gang's feelings towards Zhao Gou, he had always admired the young and accomplished Zhao Gou, and believed that Zhao Gou's long absence from the capital was a way of proving he wouldn't rebel. Now, he was sincerely welcoming the victorious Prince Kang home, regardless of party affiliation.

Zhao Gou received the imperial edict from the Ministry of Rites official and turned to Qin Zhen and Liu Qi and Liang Hongyu, who later joined him, saying, "I will go to the palace first on imperial orders. Captain Liu will come with me. Zhenzhen, you should go back to your residence first. Lord Qin's letter has been urging me several times on the way. Also, I would like to trouble Miss Liang to go to the Prince's residence to meet with Qingmei. She will make proper arrangements for you and the soldiers who are going to the capital."

Everyone nodded, but Qin Zhen felt uneasy. Zhao Huan wouldn't let Zhao Gou rest. Summoning him to the palace immediately upon entering the capital seemed far too hasty.

Be careful.

Upon hearing Qin Zhen's instructions, Zhao Gou smiled brightly and replied, "Don't worry, I have my own plans."

After they parted ways, Qin Zhen immediately returned to the Qin residence. She knew why Qin Hui was in such a hurry to find her; she also had something to discuss with him.

She had seen her mother, who was bedridden. Qin Zhen was taken to the study by Qin Hui, and the atmosphere between the father and daughter was rather strange.

Qin Hui looked at his daughter. The innocence that Qin Zhen used to wear was gone. Her beauty remained, but now it carried a more imposing and intimidating air. When Qin Zhen's gaze fell upon Qin Hui's face, Qin Hui almost dared not breathe!

"Zhen'er must have suffered a lot these past two years, right?"

To break the tension in his heart, Qin Hui spoke first, and as he spoke, he genuinely felt a pang of heartache. Qin Zhen had a tiny scar on her forehead, which was particularly noticeable because she was wearing a military uniform and her hair was tied up.

Seeing his father fix his gaze on the wound on his forehead, Qin Zhen casually turned his head away and said, "Sharing joys and sorrows with the soldiers, I don't find it too bitter. Father, you don't need to worry."

Qin Hui nodded and said, "It's good that you're back safe and sound." He paused slightly, then added, "I didn't allow you to go back to the Prince's mansion with the Prince, and there's a reason why I urgently called you back. Zhen'er, are you willing to listen to what your father has to say?"

“Father has his reasons for doing things. Zhen’er believes you. You don’t need to explain the reasons. I believe you are doing it for my own good.”

Qin Zhen spoke with a smile, but her heart was ice-cold. She already knew the reason. It was simply that Zhao Huan worried that Qin Hui's growing closeness with Qin Zhen and Zhao Gou would affect his attitude towards him.

Because of his sincerity, he wanted to marry Qin Zhen himself.

But how could this possibly happen?

Looking at his daughter's vaguely familiar smile, Qin Hui said with some worry, "You and the Prince have been inseparable since childhood, and I have never hindered you, waiting for you to reach the appropriate age to decide your relationship. However, I did not expect that the Emperor's will could not be defied. Last night, the Emperor and I had a talk, and he wanted to take you into the palace..."

Seeing Qin Zhen's obvious disappointment, Qin Hui continued, "I know this is unfair to you, but... I really have no other choice... You should give up your thoughts about the Prince!"

If Qin Zhen hadn't learned the truth from Li Yan, she would have truly believed her "heartbroken" father's words. However, with each word he spoke, her heart grew colder. Yet, her face betrayed her pain, helplessness, and the urge to weep.

"Father, how could this be? When the Prince of Yun spread rumors back then, the Emperor also had this thought, but wasn't it resolved in the end? Why is it happening again now?"

"Alas, it's all my fault," Qin Hui said. "The Emperor said that I have served him faithfully for many years, and this is a reward for me. The Emperor is willing to promote me, a commoner, to a member of the imperial family. How could I refuse such a favor from my husband?"

What a realistic performance!

Qin Zhen lowered her head as if to cry, but in reality, she was concealing the coldness in her eyes. She knew her father all too well; being a member of the royal family couldn't satisfy his desires; he wanted to be the emperor's father-in-law. If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't possibly covet the throne, Qin Zhen even thought he would overestimate his abilities and "strive" for it. Humans, indeed, are greedy.

Wasn't all his efforts over the years aimed at making Qin Zhen the empress? Of course, he wouldn't let Qin Zhen become Zhao Huan's concubine, but Qin Zhen was happy to play along with him and continue this charade.

Sure enough, the real show began at the banquet the next day!

Status and power were no longer important to Zhao Gou. He was now second only to the emperor, and he simply did not want to take that top position because he knew Qin Zhen would not allow him to do so.

However, if this defensive stance puts him at risk of losing Qin Zhen, why would he do nothing? But some people misjudged Zhao Gou and misjudged the position of the throne and Qin Zhen in Zhao Gou's heart.

Sure enough, after Zhao Huan announced the marriage between Zhao Gou and the princess of Western Xia, Zhao Gou began to be on guard and realized that things were not so simple.

After he defied the imperial decree, the banquet ended unhappily. Upon returning to the palace, he learned from Qingmei that Zhao Huan was going to bring Qin Zhen into the palace again. For the first time, Zhao Gou flew into a rage in front of Qingmei.

In the middle of the night, he sat quietly in his study without lighting a lamp, pondering how to protect Qin Zhen. Suddenly, he shouted, "Who is it? Show yourself!"

As the soft, yellowish light gradually came on, Qin Zhen sat calmly in another corner of the study, lighting an oil lamp.

Zhao Gou relaxed first, then asked somewhat nervously, "Were you in the study from the beginning?"

Qin Zhen nodded. If it weren't for her seemingly casual sigh just now, Zhao Gou probably still wouldn't have noticed her. In the past two years, her martial arts skills had improved remarkably, all after she came to understand the importance of strength.

"You've been sitting here for three hours straight. Dawn is almost here. Have you figured out the answer to your question yet?"

Qin Zhen asked, seemingly knowing exactly what Zhao Gou was thinking.

Zhao Gou took a breath and said, "I never thought he would force me to this point. How could he not know that the one thing I can't bear to part with is you?"

Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky 118 The Empress's Majesty Remains

That evening, Zhao Gou's act of defying the imperial decree and leaving the banquet clearly demonstrated his attitude. Everyone vaguely guessed that his public defiance was for Qin Zhen's sake. The next day, his act of immediately preparing lavish gifts and going to Qin's residence to plead for mercy further confirmed everyone's guesses.

However, unexpectedly, Qin Hui did not grant Zhao Gou's request, because at the same time Zhao Gou made the request, the imperial edict to recruit Qin Zhen into the palace was also sent to Qin's residence, and everything seemed so strange.

Suddenly, rumors spread like wildfire in the court, and the relationship between Zhao Gou and Zhao Huan was demonized as political rivals and love rivals. At this time, Qin Zhen, who was at the center of the storm, was summoned to the Phoenix Palace by an imperial edict from the Empress, which was the palace of Empress Zhu.

Zhu and Qin Zhen were quite familiar with each other. Zhu had always regarded Qin Zhen as her brother's wife, so when she heard that Zhao Huan wanted to take Qin Zhen as his concubine, she found it particularly difficult to accept.

Zhu was very clever, but even clever people can think things in the wrong direction. For example, she thought she understood the reasons why Qin Hui had been sowing discord between the brothers Zhao Huan and Zhao Gou all these years, and that Qin Hui disdained his daughter becoming a princess and hoped to send Qin Zhen into the palace to become an imperial concubine or even an empress!

Thinking this way, she felt that everything made sense. However, she didn't want Qin Hui to get his way.

The Empress, who usually doesn't care about anything, suddenly summoned Qin Zhen. This matter quickly spread throughout the capital, and even Zhao Huan couldn't help but hesitate: When did Ah become so narrow-minded?

They all believed that Zhu Rong was no less capable than Qin Zhen.

In the Phoenix Palace, Zhu Yi, dressed in plain white robes without any elaborate adornments, made Qin Zhen, in her purple brocade gown, appear somewhat overdressed. Qin Zhen actually preferred simple blue robes. However, since she was entering the palace today, her attire couldn't be too casual, so she brought out her banquet dress.

"Qin Zhen has arrived. No need for formalities, please have a seat."

Qin Zhen had barely shown her face and hadn't even had a chance to greet her when Zhu excused her from the formalities, so she sat down next to her on the ground.

The palace was filled with a rich fragrance, which could make one drowsy on an autumn day. However, Qin Zhen was full of energy because she knew that Zhu would be the key to solving the problem.

"Your Majesty, what are your instructions for summoning me?"

Zhu Tingqin spoke up and laughed, "It's been years since we last met, and we've become so distant. You'll feel more comfortable calling me Sister Zhu Lian."

Qin Zhen wasn't one to stand on ceremony, so since Zhu had spoken, she greeted him like family: "It's been so long since I've seen you, sister. I just returned to the capital and haven't had a chance to visit you in the palace. I'm truly ashamed that you've come to see me first. Are you and the young prince in good health?"

When the young prince was mentioned, a genuine smile finally appeared on Zhu's face. Her son was already two years old, and although the mother and son often made some minor mistakes, they were generally safe. She always felt that there was a force protecting them in the shadows, which she assumed was a secret guard specially arranged by Zhao Huan.

"My son is doing well and is running around everywhere now. He's not in the palace right now, otherwise I would have brought him here for you to see."

Qin Zhen smiled and quickly changed the subject, saying, "Sister, of course you didn't ask me to come see the little prince. Just say what you have to say."

Zhu sighed and grabbed Qin Zhen's hand, saying, "Alas, I know you resent the Emperor. He shouldn't have caused trouble and ruined things between you and your ninth brother, but..." She paused, thought for a moment, and then said, "The crux of the matter isn't the Emperor, it's your father!"

Seeing Qin Zhen's "surprised and puzzled" expression, Zhu said, "Your status as a princess in Liao is no secret between the Emperor and your father. The suggestion to send you to the palace was also first proposed by Lord Qin, who said it would help the Emperor to accept the surrender of Liao and unify the four directions. Even if the Emperor wants to grant your and Ninth Brother's wish, it is truly difficult for him to refuse such a temptation!"

Only then did Qin Zhen nod in understanding, and said sadly, "I never imagined it was my father. He could sacrifice my happiness without hesitation. How truly tragic..."

Zhu tenderly touched Qin Zhen's hand and said, "Today I summoned you to the palace. In other people's eyes, I'm afraid they'll think I'm a petty and jealous woman. But I believe you'll understand that I just don't want to see you and Ninth Brother regret it for the rest of your lives because of this palace wall!"

Although Qin Zhen knew that Zhu's words were a mix of truth and falsehood, she was still very moved, at least she had never harbored any hostility towards her or Zhao Gou.

"Sister, you must help me this time! I... I really don't know what to do!" Qin Zhen pleaded with Zhu Lian for help.

Zhu stood up, paced back and forth a few steps, and then said to Qin Zhen, "Now that things have come to this, I'll speak frankly to you, sister. I understand the Emperor; he has no ambition to expand the territory. The reason he wants to control the Liao Kingdom is simply because my ninth brother's military achievements in recent years have increasingly overshadowed his imperial authority. He just wants to prove to the court that he is no less capable than my ninth brother."