SWDnovel Chapter 64 Mouth Substitute
Chapter 64 Mouth Substitute
As soon as Shi Shouxin uttered the words "Your Highness has the demeanor of His Majesty in his prime," the generals in the tent subconsciously glanced at Zhao Kuangyin on the throne.
Upon seeing the upward curve of his lips, the generals immediately understood and clapped their hands in praise:
"Your Highness's bravery is no less than His Majesty's when he personally led the expedition to Zezhou!"
"To dare to put oneself in such danger at the age of ten—such courage is rare throughout history!"
Zhao Kuangyin simply nodded slightly and smiled, signaling the eunuch to continue reading.
"Your subject personally led a thousand elite cavalry in a night raid on the Han camp, luring the enemy into the valley to ambush them. Then, Jing Si gathered laborers to light fires, and Ji Long set up straw men to create the illusion of a large army."
"When the enemy is trapped, your son beats the war drum at night and orders both flanks to fire rockets, setting the enemy ablaze. The enemy is thrown into chaos and panic. Your army takes advantage of the situation to launch a counterattack, annihilating more than 4,500 enemy soldiers, capturing their commander Fan Shoutu, and destroying the entire Northern Han reinforcements."
"Having defeated the reinforcements, your son pressed straight towards Shangdang. The defending general, Li Shoujie, upon learning of the defeat of the reinforcements, beheaded Lu Zan, the military supervisor of the Northern Han, and surrendered the entire city."
"Now that Shangdang is pacified and the military and civilians are at peace, we respectfully submit this report and await Your Majesty's decision."
When the story of Zhao Dezhao using himself as bait to launch a night raid on the Han camp came to mind, many of the generals in the tent subconsciously narrowed their eyes and felt a chill run down their spines.
They asked themselves if they would have fallen for this trap if they were in Fan Shoutu's shoes.
However, the result gave them a cold sweat.
Definitely!
The enemy king's eldest son launched a night raid on the camp. With both sides' plans clear, anyone would have taken the risk in the face of such a tremendous achievement!
Fan Shoutu's defeat was not unjust!
At this moment, the generals in the tent finally began to take Zhao Dezhao seriously.
In the military, to win the hearts and minds of these arrogant and fierce soldiers and gain their genuine respect for Zhao Dezhao, one cannot rely on status or seniority.
It was war merit!
It's a record that everyone has to admire!
This time, Zhao Dezhao, at the age of ten, was able to defeat a much larger force with fewer troops, annihilating the puppet Han reinforcements and capturing the enemy general alive. This solid achievement truly solidified his position in the hearts of the generals.
The previous compliments were mostly just perfunctory words out of respect for Zhao Kuangyin. However, after hearing the battle report, these generals were shocked and impressed by Zhao Dezhao's courage and military strategy.
Keep in mind that Zhao Dezhao is only ten years old this year!
If a ten-year-old can perform like this on the battlefield, what will he be like in the future?
Thinking of this, Shi Shouxin immediately stood up, ready to carry on his role as the first stunt double to the end, but unexpectedly someone beat him to it.
"The young man was bold and courageous, brave and shrewd. He killed someone on the Liao River, and rode back to Yuyang."
Gao Huaide stroked his beard and softly recited a Tang poem, his usually rugged face now filled with undisguised admiration:
"Your Highness's wisdom and courage remind me of Wang Wei's poem 'A Young Man's Journey'."
"Your Highness is of noble birth, yet you are willing to risk your life and lead from the front. Such a young man, I truly admire you, I admire you!"
When a rugged warrior recites poetry, it means that things have become anything but simple.
Shi Shouxin pursed his lips, clearly unconvinced, and glanced at Gao Huaide.
Damn it, having studied for a couple more years really makes a difference; he can even come up with the most elaborate compliments now.
No, I can't let this scoundrel steal the limelight.
Shi Shouxin immediately stepped forward, and with his signature loud voice, shouted:
"Your Highness possesses the potential to become a future emperor; I congratulate Your Majesty!"
The moment the words "potential for a hidden dragon" were uttered, the tent fell into an instant deathly silence.
Everyone stared at Shi Shouxin in astonishment.
Isn't that a bit too blunt?
The generals subconsciously looked at Zhao Kuangyin again, only to see that he showed no displeasure whatsoever, but instead laughed even more heartily.
Seeing this, the generals could no longer remain seated. They all rose from their seats, bowed, and offered their congratulations in unison:
"Your Highness is truly a man of exceptional talent! We congratulate Your Majesty!"
The resounding congratulations gathered together, causing the solemn dragon tent to tremble slightly, and Zhao Kuangyin could no longer hide his joy.
"Haha! What you all say is absolutely right! This is not just my personal joy, but a joy for the entire Song Dynasty!"
A hearty laugh erupted from Zhao Kuangyin's mouth and lasted for a long time.
……
The Li Jun Rebellion thus came to a complete end.
A few days later, after Zhao Kuangyin had properly arranged the takeover of Luzhou and appeased the local soldiers and civilians, he ordered the army to return to the capital.
Meanwhile, in the capital, Zhao Guangyi sat in his study, his fingers holding a secret letter, his face full of surprise and uncertainty.
"Splitting rocks to clear a path...distributing rewards on behalf of the emperor...annihilating the Northern Han reinforcements and pacifying Shangdang..."
"Is this still my nephew?"
If he hadn't been absolutely certain that the source of the information was reliable, Zhao Guangyi would have even doubted that he was dreaming.
Does his nephew have such abilities?
After reading it several times, Zhao Guangyi finally placed the secret letter on the candle. The light from the burning letter illuminated his ever-changing expression.
"Your Majesty,"
Shi Zaixi, who was standing to the side, had already read the secret letter. Now, with a worried expression, he bowed again and earnestly advised:
"His Majesty's intention to groom the eldest son is now crystal clear! He may become a major threat to the Prince in the future, and we must take precautions!"
This time, Zhao Guangyi did not take it lightly as before. Instead, he frowned, tapped his fingers lightly on the table, and fell into deep thought.
After a long while, he slowly raised his eyes, turned around and instructed Yao Shu, who was standing behind him, "Brother Yao, I need you to do something for me."
"Your Majesty, please give your orders. I, Yao Shu, will gladly die for you!" Yao Shu immediately bowed and saluted, his expression extremely respectful.
With a solemn expression, Zhao Guangyi took out a yellowed Taoist talisman from his robes and carefully handed it to Yao Shu:
"Take this item and go to Mount Hua to invite someone down the mountain for a chat."
Seeing Zhao Guangyi's solemn expression, Yao Shu dared not be negligent in the slightest. He quickly hid the talisman close to his body before asking:
"Your Majesty, which master from Mount Hua would you like to invite down the mountain?"
Mount Hua has been home to many hermits and eminent figures since ancient times, especially Taoists, which Yao Shu was naturally aware of.
But precisely because there were so many people, he needed to ask detailed questions to avoid making mistakes.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Guangyi's gaze wavered for a moment before he regained his composure and looked at Yao Shu firmly, saying:
"Fuyaozi, Chen Tuan".
"Yes!" Yao Shu replied, then turned and quickly left the study.
Just then, a servant's voice came from outside the door: "Your Majesty, Inspector Chu requests an audience."
"Quickly, invite them in!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Guangyi's face lit up with joy, and the gloom that had been weighing on his heart dissipated considerably.
During the period when Zhao Kuangyin personally led the expedition, he was never idle and privately contacted many important officials of the court.
Although most people dared not associate with Zhao Dezhao too much due to his "crown prince status," a few still accepted the generous gifts he offered.
For example, Chu Zhaofu is one of them.
Although this person held a low-ranking official position, merely serving as the arsenal manager, he was highly trusted by Zhao Kuangyin. This can be seen from the fact that after Zhao Kuangyin personally led an expedition, he specifically ordered Chu Zhao to assist in managing the rear's food supplies.
That is why Zhao Guangyi valued him highly and dared not neglect him in the slightest.
"Your subject, Chu Zhaofu, pays his respects to Your Majesty."
Chu Zhaofu showed no arrogance and quickly bowed deeply to Zhao Guangyi.
Before the ceremony was finished, a pair of large, broad hands took his arms. Chu Zhaofu looked up and saw that it was Zhao Guangyi.
"With your help, I am like a tiger with wings; you need not be so formal in the future!"
After saying this, Zhao Guangyi firmly grasped Chu Zhaofu's hand, led him to a seat in the guest room, personally poured him a cup of hot tea, and looked on with anticipation.
"In today's meeting, I hope you will speak freely and without reservation!"