La vie des gens de la campagne en ville sous la dynastie Song

Chapitre 21

After changing out of his sweat-soaked jersey and washing his face with the help of Qin Zhen and Qing Lan, Zhao Gou was summoned by Emperor Huizong. When Zhao Gou arrived at Huizong's place, the officials of the Song Dynasty and the envoys from various countries had already moved to the main hall and were preparing to enjoy a luncheon.

Emperor Huizong was naturally overjoyed with the result of today's competition. When he saw Zhao Gou enter, before he could even kowtow, he called out, "My son, you may rise and have a seat."

Zhao Gou was stunned on the spot, because the seat Zhao Ji pointed to was actually the first seat to his right! Because the envoys were guests from afar, they sat in the left row, while the right row was for the royal family and important officials.

The first seat on the right...that's where the Crown Prince should sit! Zhao Gou hesitated, looking at Zhao Huan with a mixture of embarrassment and apology in his eyes. Zhao Huan smiled kindly at him and nodded slightly, reassuring him to sit down. Only then did Zhao Gou feel at ease and take the seat.

Seeing this scene, the Prince of Yun recalled the monk's prophecy, unconsciously tightened his grip on his wine cup, and his gaze toward Zhao Gou became increasingly vicious.

After Zhao Gou sat down, Zhao Ji said a few words to everyone, roughly expressing his views on the friendly Cuju match, and very "hypocritically" apologized to the Goryeo envoy for winning the game.

Everyone began to enjoy the lunch in a "harmonious" atmosphere. Zhao Ji leaned slightly forward and asked Zhao Gou, "My son, you play football so well. Who taught you?"

"Your Majesty, I was just playful as a child, kicking things around randomly with the people in the palace."

"No need for such modesty. You have brought glory to our dynasty this time, and I will reward you handsomely. What reward do you want?" Zhao Ji asked.

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Note 1: Indirect football with a single goal was the main form of Cuju (ancient Chinese football) during the Tang (618-907 AD) and Song (960-1279 AD) periods. It was primarily used for court banquets and diplomatic ceremonies. In indirect football, a goal separated the players, with a "wind-flowing eye" (a small opening about two feet wide) in the center. Each player was positioned on one side, and the team that could get the ball through the "wind-flowing eye" the most times without it touching the ground won.

Note 2: The free-kick style without a goal is called "Bai Da". Bai Da mainly focuses on the skills and techniques of the game, also known as the "skills" of the game. Each set of skills has a variety of kicking movements. The ancients also gave names to some of these movements, such as Turning the Universe, Swallow Returning to its Nest, Slanting Flower Insertion, Wind Swaying Lotus, Buddha's Top Pearl, Picking Fish on Dry Land, Golden Buddha Pushing the Millstone, Carrying the Moon on Both Shoulders, and Shooting Star with a Claw.

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Volume 1: Fate Determined 042 - Fortune or Misfortune?

Emperor Huizong suddenly wanted to reward Zhao Gou, which forced Zhao Gou to think carefully. The opportunity was rare... but it was not appropriate to reward him too much or too little.

He lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then decided not to accept the reward. Instead, he said, "As a prince, I should serve the court. How dare I accept a reward for such a trivial matter?"

Such a sensible reply made Zhao Ji think that his son was very sensible, and he sighed, "Unbeknownst to me, my son has grown up..."

He thought for a moment, then said to Cai Jing, who was sitting down, "Grand Tutor, have the Ministry of Personnel draft a title of Prince of the County in the near future. I want to bestow this title upon Gou'er."

Upon hearing this, many people's expressions subtly changed. It was only a matter of time before a prince was granted the title of king. Many princes, such as Zhao Kai, had already been granted the title of prince of the county at a very young age, but that was because their mothers were favored. Zhao Gou and his mother, on the other hand, had always been neglected.

Zhao Kai had already sensed the impending storm. His sharp, hawk-like eyes fixed on Zhao Gou's retreating figure, and he had made up his mind.

Within five days, Zhao Gou issued an edict bestowing upon Qin Zhen the title of "Prince of Guangping," much to Qin Zhen's delight. Seeing that she was even happier than he was, Zhao Gou couldn't help but smile.

"Is such a nominal title something to be so happy about?" Zhao Gou asked the excited Qin Zhen. Qin Zhen quickly nodded and said, "Important, of course it's important! Now that you've become a prince, once the emperor feels you're capable of handling affairs, he'll definitely give you some tasks to do, and we won't have to stay in the palace all day. True eagles aren't raised in cages!"

Zhao Gou was stunned by Qin Zhen's sudden last sentence and gradually fell into deep thought. In recent days, some thoughts had been swirling in his mind. The assassination attempt at Xiangguo Temple made him fully aware of his own weakness. Whenever he thought about how he was ultimately saved by Qin Zhen and how he had caused her to be injured, he felt extremely guilty.

He wanted to become stronger! This desire was growing stronger and stronger, but when he saw the high walls and red tiles of the palace, he became very upset. If he wanted to fly over these high walls, he had to grow up quickly!

As she was thinking, Qin Zhen's sigh suddenly reached her ears. Zhao Gou snapped out of his thoughts and asked her, "You were just happy, why are you sighing now?"

Qin Zhen, looking unhappy, fiddled with the books on his desk and said, "You've been having a smooth time lately, but I keep running into obstacles. It's so frustrating!"

"What’s wrong with you?"

Qin Zhen said seriously, "I've been investigating for a month, but I still haven't found out why the Prince of Yun sent someone to kill me. He must know something, otherwise why would he make trouble for a lowly palace maid like me? Also, I don't know who attacked the Lady of Ying a while ago. I feel like my eyes and ears have been covered up. This feeling is so unsettling!"

Mentioning the Prince of Yun, Zhao Gou frowned. The facade of harmony between the two brothers had been shattered after the Xiangguo Temple incident. Zhao Kai knew that the assassin's failure would surely make Zhao Gou aware of his hostility, so he simply stopped pretending to care about him. Even when the two met, their expressions were indifferent.

Lady Yingguo was Li Shishi, who had been brought to the palace half a month ago. When Emperor Huizong saw that everyone knew about his relationship with Li Shishi, he simply gave her a title and allowed her to live openly in the palace.

"Wasn't it Wang Fu who did the thing with Lady Ying? He has already been sentenced to exile (note), and he will be exiled to the southern border next month."

Shaking her head, Qin Zhen said, "I don't think it's him... Sigh, my mind is a mess lately, I can't think straight, what am I going to do!"

Seeing her distressed expression, Zhao Gou comforted her, saying, "If you don't know, you don't know. Just live your life easily. Why do you need to think about so many things? Even if the sky falls, you don't need to hold it up."

"What if the sky really collapses and you get crushed to death if you don't hold it up?" Qin Zhen retorted casually.

"I will naturally help you bear it, why do you need to worry?"

The conversation flowed smoothly, as if Zhao Gou had subconsciously spoken his innermost thoughts, only realizing his embarrassment afterward. Qin Zhen looked at him with bright, sparkling eyes and a smile playing on her lips.

Qin Zhen chuckled for a long time, and Zhao Gou said somewhat awkwardly, "Stop laughing. Let's go see our Crown Prince. The matter with the Jurchens should have a result by now. If you don't go see Lord Qin soon, you might not see him for more than a year."

Last night, news came from Li Yan that the Goryeo envoy requested an audience in the middle of the night. When Zhao Gou and Qin Zhen heard this news, they guessed that the envoy must have brought the Jurchens to the palace to meet the emperor.

Sure enough, early this morning, Zhao Huan, Zhao Kai, Cai Jing, Liang Shicheng, and other officials of the Privy Council were summoned to the palace for a meeting. It was already afternoon, but Zhao Gou had not yet received any news about the outcome of the meeting, so he was inevitably worried. Qin Zhen was also concerned about his father, so the two of them went together to the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace.

Upon arriving at the Eastern Palace, they only met Cai Xiao, the Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat. Zhao Gou then asked, "Has the Crown Prince not returned yet?"

Cai Xiao nodded, and Zhao Gou then asked, "Where is Lord Qin?"

He replied, "Lord Qin, seeing that His Highness the Crown Prince had not returned for a long time, went to the front hall to inquire. Your Highness, please sit for a while; Lord Qin will surely return with news soon."

Zhao Gou and Qin Zhen sat down in the East Palace, exchanging a suspicious glance. According to the original plan, under Liang Shicheng's persuasion, the Prince of Yun would propose sending envoys to the Liao and Jin kingdoms, which the Crown Prince would second; then Liang Shicheng would recommend Qin Hui as an envoy to the Liao kingdom, the Crown Prince would argue with him symbolically for a few words, and in the end he would still agree.

Such a perfunctory matter should be settled quickly, so why has it dragged on for so long without a result? Could things have changed?

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Note: The punishment of tattooing and exile combined facial tattooing, caning, and banishment, making it a severe punishment that could be reduced to a level one of death. Since its emergence as a form of punishment that could exempt one from the death penalty in the early Song Dynasty, it has been used more and more frequently, with increasingly complex regulations and standardized implementation. It was relied upon by the judiciary to the point that it was abused.

Volume One: Destiny's Fate 043: Youthful Spirit

Chapter Two ~ Hey everyone, I didn't stand you up, did I?

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After sitting in the East Palace for half an hour without receiving any news, the anxious Zhao Gou and Qin Zhen decided to go to the front hall to check on things themselves.

They had only taken a few steps out of the East Palace when they saw a group of eunuchs running towards them.

"This servant greets the Prince of Guangping. Your Highness, I have been looking for you for quite some time!"

Zhao Gou recognized the young eunuch on duty at the Zichen Palace. Seeing that he was panting and had a layer of fine sweat on his forehead, he must have run very fast.

"Why are you in such a hurry to see me? Is there something important you need?"

The young eunuch took two steps closer and whispered, "Chief Steward Li sent me to inform Your Highness in advance that Prince Yun proposed sending you as an envoy to the Liao Kingdom during a meeting, and the Crown Prince is still arguing with him about it. The Emperor seems to agree with Prince Yun's proposal and just issued an imperial edict summoning you. I expect the messenger will arrive soon, so you should think of a plan as soon as possible!"

Having said everything he needed to say in one breath, the young eunuch stood silently to the side. He saw Zhao Gou's face first show surprise, then fall into deep thought. Sighing inwardly, he couldn't help but think, "The Liao Kingdom is in chaos right now, even the Liao emperor's head is in danger. Going on a diplomatic mission to the Liao now would be asking for trouble! One wrong move, and his head could be chopped off!"

Looking at the ten-year-old prince in front of him, he truly realized that being a prince was not an easy task!

Zhao Gou knew in his heart that Zhao Kai simply wanted to use this opportunity to get rid of him. From a safety point of view, he really shouldn't go. Who knows what kind of trap Zhao Kai might set for him outside? But... he longed for the world outside the high walls, even though he knew that a storm awaited him!

He turned back to look at Qin Zhen with concern, wondering if she would understand his choice... Just as he was worrying, he saw Qin Zhen smiling happily!

The young eunuch, worried about running into the messenger who would arrive later with the imperial edict, quickly left. Qin Zhen tilted his head and looked at Zhao Gou, asking, "Do you dare go to the Liao Kingdom?"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Zhao Gou retorted. "Since someone has gone to such lengths to arrange opportunities for me, how can I let them down?"

Qin Zhen said with a grin, "Prince Yun really knows how to do good deeds for us! Originally, he planned to send my father, but I was worried that he wouldn't be able to handle things properly. Now that's great, we have the chance to go ourselves. I'm going to put on a complete show!"

"You're going?" Zhao Gou asked, his eyes wide.

Qin Zhen countered, "Aren't you planning to take me with you?"

"The journey to the Liao Kingdom is fraught with peril, and the food, clothing, and daily necessities are far inferior to those in the palace. Why would you want to suffer such hardship?"

"You know that too, so why did you still go?" Qin Zhen asked instead of answering.

Zhao Gou straightened his chest and said, "True heroes are not made by being wrapped in gold and jade, but by fighting their way out of adversity. How could I miss such a good opportunity to train?"

Seeing his spirited demeanor, Qin Zhen looked up and said, "You're allowed to be a hero, but I'm not allowed to be a heroine? Anyway, I'm going, and I'll just go by myself!"

"you……"

Seeing Qin Zhen's fearless attitude, Zhao Gou really couldn't do anything about it. If he didn't take her with him, as she said, she might really run away on her own. It would be better to keep her by his side for peace of mind.

"Alright, alright, this isn't settled yet, why are we arguing about it? Let's go ahead and take a look."

They walked toward the front hall and soon encountered a eunuch who was delivering an imperial edict, who happened to be leading him to see Emperor Huizong.

Since Qin Zhen couldn't enter the main hall, she decided to wait for him in the tea room next to the main hall. When she arrived at the side hall, she happened to see Qin Hui pacing back and forth in the corridor, looking very anxious.

"Father."

She ran over calling out, and when Qin Hui saw her, the worry on his face became even more pronounced. He pulled Qin Zhen closer and asked, "Do you know about the Ninth Prince's mission to Liaodong?"

Nodding, Qin Zhen said, "I just found out. He just went to see the Emperor."

Qin Hui asked anxiously, "Didn't you discuss with the Crown Prince that I was to go? Why did you suddenly change it to the Ninth Prince?"

Seeing her father's anxious expression, Qin Zhen asked in confusion, "Why are you so anxious, Father? Isn't it better if you don't have to take the risk?"

Qin Hui sighed and said, "Do you think I don't know what you're thinking? If he's going to Liao, you'll definitely go with him. If it's going to be risky, I'd rather do it myself!"

"Father..." Qin Zhen felt it and grabbed Qin Hui's sleeve, looking like he was about to cry.

Qin Hui raised his hand and stroked her head, saying, "I used to think you were just a little smarter and more sensible than other children, but now it seems that's far from the truth. In these two years in the capital, your mother and I have become increasingly unable to understand you. However, we know that you have your own reasons for everything you do. If there are things you want to do, your father can't stop you from doing them, but your mother and I are so worried... how can we put our minds at ease..."

"Father, don't worry, Zhen'er will be fine. You and Mother just need to live peacefully in the capital. I will make sure you have the best life!"

"Sigh..." Qin Hui sighed again: "Your mother and I have the greatest hope that you can live a peaceful life, do you understand?"

Qin Zhen kept her lips tightly closed and nodded vigorously.

The heavy palace doors slowly opened, and Zhao Gou walked steadily inside, bathed in the sunlight streaming into the hall.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects. May I ask what Your Majesty has commanded me here?"