Agente secreto Wind Boy

Capítulo 50

Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky 092: A Mix of Joy and Sorrow

As spring arrived, hundreds of flowers bloomed in the palace, but the most beautiful one belonged to the Crown Princess Zhu, a woman from the east.

The bright red silk and lanterns decorated the East Palace anew, and the deafening music awakened the entire palace. The people of Bianjing watched as the betrothal gifts and wedding procession, stretching for miles, arrived at the Duke of Fu's mansion. After receiving the Crown Princess, they returned to the palace in high spirits.

The grand wedding attracted crowds of onlookers, who, upon learning that it was the Crown Prince's wedding, offered their blessings and congratulations, making the streets bustling with activity!

In the main hall of the Eastern Palace, all the guests had arrived, including Prince Zhao Gou and his sons. Although Emperor Huizong had many sons, at this banquet, apart from the groom Zhao Huan, the most attention-grabbing was Prince Kang, Zhao Gou.

Zhao Gou made great contributions at a young age, and was not only promoted to a prince, but his unfavored mother was also ranked as one of the four concubines. It cannot be said that this was not due to his influence.

Moreover, Zhao Gou had spent half a year outside the palace gaining experience, and his long-term martial arts training made him appear much more composed than the average prince, and his demeanor had already distinguished him from the crowd.

Recently, Zhao Kai, who was feeling very down, was sitting at the same table as Zhao Gou. He raised his cup to Zhao Gou from afar and said, "It has been a long time since I have drunk with my ninth brother at the same table. Today, I, your third brother, offer you a toast, hoping that you will remember this brotherly affection in the future and leave us a place!"

Zhao Gou sensed the hidden meaning in Zhao Kai's words and coldly raised his cup in response, saying, "I owe my current success to my third brother's 'earnest guidance' in the past. I should be the one toasting you with this wine. My third brother has taught me a lot!"

The others at the table observed the subtle power struggle between the two and formed their own calculations. Most of the young princes were envious of Zhao Gou's current glory. They too had once been unknown; why was he now the center of attention and the object of everyone's affection?

The answer is actually quite simple. It's just that these young noblemen are unwilling to think about it carefully, let alone face their own shortcomings.

Slightly tipsy, Zhao Huan walked over to their table. Everyone stood up to offer him a toast, and Zhao Huan said happily, "My brothers, don't be shy. Today is my big day, so you should all eat and drink to your heart's content!"

Just as everyone was about to drink, Zhao Gou, who had just finished a drink with Zhao Kai and whose cup wasn't yet full, was startled when a maidservant quickly picked up the wine pot to refill it. In the process, the other princes bumped into the maidservant, spilling wine all over Zhao Gou, who was terrified and begged for forgiveness.

Zhao Gou naturally wouldn't lose his temper at Zhao Huan's wedding banquet. Just as he was about to say that everything was fine and dismiss the maid, Zhao Kai interrupted, scolding the maid: "The Ninth Prince is no longer the same as before, holding a high position and being pampered. Do you think he's like the rest of us, tolerating your insolence? You dared to spill wine on him. Don't you want to live?"

"Third Brother!" "Third Brother!"

Zhao Gou and Zhao Huan spoke up at the same time to stop him, but Zhao Gou wisely shut up when Zhao Huan spoke. Zhao Huan said, "Ninth Brother is a prince just like all the other brothers, so why do you speak so self-deprecatingly? This maid made a mistake because my people in the palace did not teach her well. I'm sure Ninth Brother won't mind. Today is my big day, so please don't say anything for my sake."

As Zhao Huan spoke, he handed his handkerchief to Zhao Gou to wipe away the wine. Zhao Gou hurriedly said, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Zhao Kai's farcical performance was intended to incite hostility towards Zhao Gou. However, it only drew the attention of the other courtiers at the table. Seeing them secretly shaking their heads, Zhao Kai felt as if he had shot himself in the foot!

The woman inside the bridal chamber was naturally unaware of the undercurrents surging outside. Adorned with a phoenix crown and a rosy cloak, she shone like a dazzling, multicolored flame in the flickering candlelight.

She felt slightly dizzy under her bright red veil, and as she recalled her acquaintance, friendship, and promise to Zhao Huan, she felt like the happiest person in the world! Zhao Huan was of noble status but treated her very gently. His humility, politeness, and extensive knowledge made her even more infatuated. He was truly a good husband!

A burst of laughter came from inside. Several maids carrying fruits and other groceries pushed open the door and entered. Zhu Yiran sat upright on the edge of the bed, her head covered with a veil, not daring to move. A soft voice called out, "Sister, do you still remember Xuan'er?"

Zhu's heart skipped a beat; wasn't that the voice of his cousin, Zhu Xuan?

In her haste, she almost lifted the veil, but Zhu Xuan quickly stopped her. Zhu Xuan said, "I heard that the Crown Prince is going to marry you, sister. I've been happy for days. You are so lucky... After today, I will call you Crown Princess, and I will serve you from now on."

Zhu couldn't see Zhu Xuan, so she could only hold her sister's hand and say, "Silly girl, you'll always be my sister. Aren't you happy that we can see each other every day?"

"Yes, I'm very happy... Sister, I have to go out and do my work now. We'll see each other again tomorrow after our wedding night..."

Zhu Xuan withdrew her hand and left the room, a drop of water falling onto her hand.

Huh? Are those tears? Why is Xuan'er crying? Zhu thought to himself, what a silly girl, crying over something so trivial.

Zhu Xuan covered her mouth and fled the bridal chamber, tears streaming down her face. The overwhelming red hue pierced her heart. She had followed Zhao Huan for three years, falling hopelessly in love with him as if trapped in a swamp. She believed that her family had sent her to the palace so that she would become the crown prince's woman, so she loved him without any restraint.

When she was so deeply in love that she could hardly breathe, Zhao Huan suddenly told everyone that he was going to marry the Crown Princess, who was none other than his childhood friend, Zhu.

For days, she was distraught. The more happiness Zhao Gou showed, the more devastated she became. Now, their wedding day had finally arrived, and she didn't know where she could find a way out.

Hearing the commotion in the front yard, she collapsed to her knees in the dark corner, sobbing uncontrollably...

"Sister, why are you crying?"

A small hand suddenly nudged Zhu Xuan. She was slightly startled and looked up to see a lovely face. She recognized the girl; she was Prince Kang's personal maid. She often accompanied Prince Kang to the East Palace, which was why Zhu Xuan knew her.

She quickly wiped away her tears, stood up, and said, "I'm fine. Why did you come to the backyard?"

Qin Zhen said, "My lord had drunk a bit too much, so I came looking for some hangover soup. I heard crying as I was passing by, so I came to check it out."

Zhu Xuan downplayed the issue, saying, "So you were looking for a hangover soup. Let me take you to marry him."

"Yes, thank you, sister."

Qin Zhen followed Zhu Xuan to the kitchen, already having guessed what was going on. Zhu Xuan and Zhu Ben were sisters; the elder sister had become the Crown Princess, while she was crying in a corner. What could be the reason? It could always be related to "love" and "power."

After taking the hangover soup, Qin Zhen went straight to the front hall, where Zhao Gou was completely drunk and anxiously awaiting her medicine!

As the banquet drew to a close, the guests gradually dispersed. Some princes and nobles wanted to stay and make a ruckus in the bridal chamber, but Zhao Gou was so drunk that Qin Zhen went home with him very early.

Walking along the vast palace road, the full moon overhead was particularly striking, reminding Qin Zhen of the poem, "May we all live long and share the beauty of the moon, though separated by a thousand miles." Tonight was a night of happiness for some, but a night of joy and sorrow for others. Alas, how much joy and sorrow there was!

Qin Zhen was deep in thought when he heard Zhao Gou muttering in his sleep on the carriage next to him.

"Hmm...really..."

Really what?

Qin Zhen leaned closer to listen, and to her surprise, Zhao Gou was calling out "Qin Zhen." A subtle smile crept onto her face.

Volume Two: Soaring Eagles 093 - Moving to a New Beginning

Beneath the glazed eaves and above the vermilion gate with its tiger-head rings, hangs a large gilded plaque with the three characters "Kang Wang Mansion" written in a flamboyant style. This magnificent courtyard is Zhao Gou's new residence outside the palace.

Not long after the Prince's Mansion was completed, Zhao Gou couldn't wait to move out of the palace and begin his new life. Such a large mansion naturally needed someone to manage it. Although such matters were trivial, they were very important and needed to be entrusted to a trusted person. Zhao Gou racked his brains over the selection of a chief steward.

The chief steward of the Prince's residence was responsible for arranging various matters within the residence, including daily expenses, receiving guests, managing servants, and the circulation of goods. Zhao Gou had lived in the palace since childhood, and it was difficult for him to find such a capable assistant. Therefore, he had to seek Qin Zhen's advice.

Qin Zhen thought for a moment, then suddenly thought of someone and said, "Sister Qingmei is suitable for this task!"

Zhao Gou's eyes lit up. How could he have forgotten Qingmei! Back when Qingmei was still in the palace, she managed various affairs of his court. Unlike Qinglan, she was very loyal to Zhao Gou and indeed complied with his requests in many ways, but...

"Qingmei's ability and loyalty are beyond question, but she is currently serving your mother. It seems inappropriate to suddenly transfer her out of your home."

Qin Zhen said, "There's no need to worry about that. Although my mother's health isn't good, a couple more clever maids will suffice. It's not necessary to have Sister Qingmei. I'll go back and discuss it with them."

Zhao Gou thought about it and realized he couldn't find a suitable person, so he said, "That's the only way."

The guards of the Prince's Palace were all imperial guards brought from the palace. According to their official ranks, Liu Qi was not supposed to accompany Zhao Gou out of the palace, but he voluntarily lowered his rank to follow Zhao Gou. This greatly moved Zhao Gou!

The Imperial Guards were under the command of Gao Qiu. Zhao Gou had some acquaintance with him, and after discussing it with him, Liu Qi, Yue Fei, and Han Shizhong were finally assigned to the Prince Kang's residence, where they became Zhao Gou's personal guards.

After everything was prepared, Zhao Gou decided to hold a banquet to celebrate his housewarming. However, unlike the grand banquet held by the Prince of Yun in the past, he decided to invite only a few people for a small gathering.

The guests invited this time naturally included Crown Prince Zhao Huan, as well as ministers who had connections with Zhao Gou, such as Qin Hui, Li Gang, Cai Xiao, and Gao Qiu. In addition, the old general Zhong Shidao, who had returned to the capital for temporary rest, also unexpectedly received an invitation!

Qin Zhen looked at the guest list and immediately sensed some of Zhao Gou's intentions. Although the number of guests was not large, it included civil and military officials from the court, including key generals from the Imperial Guard and the expeditionary force. Those who were observant could see that even at such a young age, Prince Kang's ambition far surpassed that of the Crown Prince.

Apart from General Zhong Shidao, the rest of the people were all members of the Crown Prince's faction. So there was definitely no problem getting along with them. However, Zhong Shidao was an upright and principled man. He had some reservations about Cai Xiao and Gao Qiu. As early as when he received Zhao Gou's invitation, he wrote a letter saying that he did not want to associate with treacherous officials, but he would still attend the banquet for Zhao Gou's sake.

On the day of the banquet, Zhao Huan arrived very early. He not only came in person to offer his congratulations, but also brought his newlywed wife, Crown Princess Zhu. The two were inseparable, demonstrating the depth of their affection.

Others arrived one after another. Around noon, Zhong Shidao finally appeared at the gates of the Kang Prince's residence. Zhao Gou, having received the news, personally greeted him, but instead of taking him to the garden where everyone was gathered, he went straight to the study.

A moment later, Zhong Shidao appeared in the garden with a broad smile. Although he still disliked Cai Xiao and Gao Qiu, he didn't make things difficult for them. Everyone wondered what Zhao Gou had said and how he had persuaded this stubborn old man!

Many osmanthus trees were planted along the walls of the Prince's Mansion. It was now autumn, and the sweet fragrance of osmanthus filled the air, making people feel relaxed and happy. Guests were drinking and chatting, enjoying themselves immensely.

Seeing this scene, Zhao Gou was delighted, but when his gaze shifted to Zhao Huan's face, he saw a hint of worry in Zhao Huan's eyes. Although it was fleeting, Zhao Gou was quite certain that he had not been seeing things and that the worry had indeed been there!

He lowered his head and finished the fruit wine in his glass, feeling a little disappointed as he thought, "Has my brother begun to doubt me?"

Inside the inner court, Qin Zhen and Wu Shaofen were serving food to Zhu. Zhu smiled kindly and said, "You two sit down and eat with me!"

Wu Shaofen was cautious and quickly refused, saying, "How can we dine at the same table as the Crown Princess?"

Zhu urged, "You are all daughters of officials, so don't worry about it. Please sit with me."

Qin Zhen smiled and pulled Wu Shaofen to sit down, saying, "Since it's the Crown Princess's kind intention, let's not be so pedantic!"

Seeing that the two women had sat down, Zhu happily began to eat. Qin Zhen keenly noticed that the maid accompanying Zhu today was not Zhao Huan's personal maid, Zhu Xuan. It seemed that Zhu's months after marriage had not been entirely happy, and there might have been some unresolved issues between her and her sister.

After the meal, Qin Zhen arranged for Zhu to take a nap, then went to find Zhao Gou. She happened to overhear them discussing the war with the Liao Kingdom, so she stood behind Zhao Gou and listened attentively.

Li Gang said, "...Although the Jin army has retreated to Zhongjing and stopped its fierce attack due to the severe drought and lack of food in the country, the Liao army and our dynasty's reinforcements have suffered heavy losses and are unable to pursue. At this time, they are locked in a stalemate north of Tanzhou, and no one dares to make any rash moves. If this stalemate continues, who knows what will happen?"

As everyone was pondering, Zhong Shidao, who had spent most of his life in the military, spoke up: "Although Tanzhou has the natural defense of the Great Wall, the Northwest Army has been led by that brat Tong Guan into a state of disarray. They suffered two major defeats and fled. Once the Jin people recover, they will surely launch a full-scale attack and will no longer be afraid of our dynasty's support for the Liao Kingdom!"

General Zhong's words struck a chord with everyone. The Song soldiers, having recuperated for many years, were even less resilient than the Liao soldiers when facing the formidable Jin army. If the Liao dynasty were truly destroyed by the Jin, the Song dynasty would likely be in grave danger as well.

Zhao Gou asked, "General Zhong, in your opinion, what should we do now?"

"Hmph," Zhong Shidao blew his white beard in dissatisfaction. He and his group of loyal and brave generals had been suppressed by treacherous officials in the court for most of their lives. Now that danger was coming, they finally knew to consult their opinions!

"Although our army is large, it is exhausted and vulnerable. Training and discipline are imperative. However, few of our million-strong army are skilled in riding and archery. We have no advantage against the Jin cavalry. Even if we train, it will not be very effective!"

Zhong Shidao spoke with deep sorrow, for he was fully aware of the army's shortcomings. He had only revealed the tip of the iceberg, yet it had already caused great concern among those present. He truly did not know whether he should continue speaking.

Zhao Huan, standing nearby, advised, "Our dynasty has too few cavalry because there are no horse farms within the Song territory. Without enough horses, how can we build any cavalry? However, our dynasty is now exchanging grain for horses with the Liao Dynasty. The next step is to purchase horses from the Western Xia. Only in this way can we resist the Jin people."

Zhong Shidao slapped his thigh and said, "That's perfect...perfect!"

Despite the wrinkles around his eyes, the old general's eyes shone with a strange light. He smiled as he looked at everyone present, recalling the words that Prince Kang had spoken to him in the study earlier. He gradually felt that perhaps this court had truly begun to change!

Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky 094 Retreat and the Sky Opens Up

After moving into the Prince Kang's residence, Qin Zhen had more contact with his family, since Zhao Gou wouldn't mind frequent visits. Qin Hui, who was now a fourth-rank official, also often visited the residence to see Zhao Gou, partly to relay messages for the Crown Prince and partly to check on Qin Zhen.