harleyscars Chapter 72 Morning Morning
Chapter 72 Morning Morning
"Rest assured, Your Majesty!"
Qiu Qianren assured him, "My Iron Palm Clan's elite members are all highly skilled in martial arts and extremely loyal. They have all changed into their uniforms and are ready to be at Your Majesty's command at any time. They will not let anything go wrong."
"I naturally trust Mr. Qiu to handle things."
Zhao Yu nodded, then said in a low voice, "Mr. Qiu saw those heads, didn't he?"
Qiu Qianren looked in that direction and saw several swordsmen from the Eastern Depot raise their swords and cut off the head of a golden statue, then casually toss it into a wooden box filled with quicklime.
His pupils contracted slightly, and a chill ran through him.
Qiu Qianren was a notorious ruthless figure in the martial arts world, and he had killed many people.
He had never seen such a ruthless method before: killing someone, beheading them, and then preserving their head in lime.
The young Prince Yongjia before them looked gentle and refined, but when he got into a fight, he was far more ruthless than these roughnecks from the martial world.
But then I thought, those who achieve great things don't concern themselves with trifles.
How can one secure this empire without being ruthless? Only such ruthless individuals are worthy of one's service.
"I saw it." Qiu Qianren composed himself and nodded in response.
Zhao Yu turned to look at him, his expression turning serious: "I summoned Mr. Qiu here because I have another matter to entrust to you. Tomorrow morning, you will bring these heads..."
His voice gradually lowered as he leaned close to Qiu Qianren's ear and whispered a few instructions.
Qiu Qianren's expression grew increasingly serious. He then nodded heavily, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, this matter will certainly be accomplished."
"Alright." Zhao Yu smiled. "Then I'll trouble you, Mr. Qiu. It's getting late, and I should go to court. You can leave things here to Huai'an."
"Respectfully seeing off Your Majesty." Qiu Qianren bowed.
Zhao Yu nodded, said no more, and turned to leave Duting Post Station.
Watching Zhao Yu's figure disappear into the night, Qiu Qianren slowly straightened up.
He glanced back at the blood-soaked courtyard and took a deep breath: "This Prince Yongjia is shrewd and ruthless. He's definitely someone who can achieve great things. It seems I didn't bet on the wrong horse this time."
Thinking of the future merit of supporting the emperor, a burning desire flashed in Qiu Qianren's eyes as he turned and strode away.
A pale light appeared on the horizon, and the dawn's rays finally pierced the darkness of Lin'an City.
Outside the Hening Gate on the north side of the Imperial City, crowds of people and vehicles were already bustling about.
Although it was still dark, civil and military officials had already arrived at the palace gates early, waiting for the morning court session.
The officials gathered in twos and threes, talking in hushed tones, forming small cliques.
On the nearby street, many vendors pushed carts, hawking breakfast. The aroma of soup noodles, steamed cakes, and roasted chestnuts mingled with the morning mist, filling the air.
Officials were already used to this, chatting with their close colleagues while eating breakfast.
"Have you heard? This morning at court, Minister Shi will be presenting the peace treaty to His Majesty."
"Sigh, so what? Minister Shi has already reached an agreement with the Jurchens, and the Emperor will most likely agree as well. What can we say?"
"Shh! Watch your mouth! If Master Shi's men hear this, we'll both be in deep trouble!"
Such dialogues continued to unfold in various corners outside Hening Gate.
Some were filled with grief and indignation, some felt helpless, some were numb, and some secretly rejoiced.
Just then, a voice suddenly broke the somewhat dull atmosphere.
"Roasted chestnuts? There's such a treat to eat before the morning court session? Boss, give me a pound."
The crowd looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young man dressed in royal robes standing in front of a roasted chestnut stall, holding a few copper coins in his hand, smiling as he spoke to the old man selling chestnuts.
The old man selling chestnuts chuckled as he took the coins and wrapped a large bag of piping hot chestnuts in oiled paper: "Sir, please take these. They're fresh out of the pan and still hot. Be careful, they'll burn you."
"Thank you very much, sir."
Zhao Yu took the chestnut, casually broke one open, blew on it, and put it in his mouth.
The sweet and soft flavor spread across his tongue, and he couldn't help but squint his eyes: "It tastes good."
The old man curiously examined Zhao Yu's court robes: "Sir, this is the first time I've seen court robes like these. Is this your first time attending court?"
"Yes, it's my first time." Zhao Yu nodded with a smile. "It's not surprising that you haven't seen this before, sir."
"Oh dear, that's incredible." The old man quickly waved his hand. "I'm not worthy of being called 'elder brother-in-law' by you. You are a distinguished person and will surely become a high-ranking official in the future."
Their conversation attracted the attention of the surrounding officials.
After seeing Zhao Yu's face clearly, a murmur immediately broke out in the crowd.
"Isn't that Prince Yongjia? What brings him here?"
"Yes, Your Highness is not practicing Taoism today?"
The murmurs gradually spread, reaching the group of people at the very front of the palace gate.
In front of the palace gate, the curtain of a sedan chair was gently lifted.
The man inside had a lean face and three long tufts of beard; he was none other than Shi Miyuan, the Grand Councilor and Vice Chancellor of the Song Dynasty.
He looked back in the direction of the sound and immediately saw Zhao Yu standing in the crowd, leisurely peeling chestnuts.
His brow furrowed slightly, then relaxed, and he lowered the sedan curtain.
Qian Xiangzu, standing to the side, asked curiously, "Why is the Prince of Yongjia here?"
Shi Miyuan casually replied, "Don't worry about him."
"But he is, after all, the Emperor's younger brother..." Xia Zhen hesitated, "Wouldn't it be inappropriate if we didn't go and pay him a visit?"
Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Xia Zhen with some surprise.
Qian Xiangzu frowned: "Grand Commandant Xia, what's wrong with you today? You're just a prince neglected by the emperor, with no real power. What are we doing getting involved?"
Shi Miyuan waved his hand: "He is, after all, the Emperor's younger brother, so there's no need to say that. However, there is indeed no need to make a special trip to pay him a visit."
He paused, then continued, "The morning court session is about to begin. Today, we will present the terms of the peace agreement to the Emperor. After His approval, we will announce it to the world. In this way, the Song and Jin dynasties can be united again, the war will end, and the people of Lianghuai can live in peace and prosperity."
"Your insight is brilliant, Master Shi."
"Lord Shi's dedication to the country and its people is truly a blessing for our Great Song Dynasty."
The surrounding officials echoed their sentiments, their tone full of flattery.
Only Xia Zhen managed a weak smile before falling silent.
He subconsciously turned his head and looked in Zhao Yu's direction again, only to meet Zhao Yu's gaze.
Zhao Yu held a chestnut in his hand, nodded at him with a half-smile.
Xia Zhen's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly lowered his head, not daring to look any further, but his palms were already sweating.
Zhao Yu remained standing in the same spot, leisurely peeling chestnuts, as if the whispers and strange looks around him had nothing to do with him.
He stood alone in the corner, and no official came up to talk to him. He seemed a little out of place, but he was also calm and composed.