Zhao Song: My father was Emperor Taizu of Song

Chapter 37 A Good Deed

After a moment of reflection, Zhao Kuangyin gazed at his son with a complex and profound look in his eyes. He remained silent for a long time before finally speaking slowly: "Your father can grant you permission to accompany the army on this expedition and will personally teach you military strategy."

"I will even teach you my Long Fist and Panlong Staff techniques."

"But there's something I must say first..."

As they spoke, Zhao Kuangyin did not rise to help Zhao Dezhao up. Instead, just as his father Zhao Hongyin had done to him years before, his tone suddenly became solemn and stern, carrying an unquestionable authority:

"The military is not like the imperial court; there are swords flashing and life and death hanging in the balance. Once on the battlefield, even your father may not be able to protect you at all times."

"More importantly, military law is as firm as a mountain, and there is no room for favoritism. If you violate military law, your father will not make an exception for you; you will be dealt with according to the law."

"Furthermore, after this battle, if I discover that you are not suited for martial arts and military command, you must obey my arrangements and obediently study the ways of governance under Zhao Pu. As for the matter of accompanying the army on expeditions, do not mention it again!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Kuangyin's gaze sharpened, and he asked in a deep voice, "Prince Dezhao, can you fulfill these requirements?"

"Your Majesty's teachings will be firmly remembered, and I will certainly not disappoint Your Majesty's expectations!"

Listening to his father's teachings, Zhao Dezhao looked solemn and kept his father's words in mind.

"Get up."

Zhao Kuangyin's tone softened, and after a moment's thought, he slowly gave his instructions:

"Li Jun will surely rebel within a month."

"From this day forward, come to the Martial Arts Hall to find me every day at 1-3 PM. I will personally teach you military strategy, and I will also pass on to you the basic routines of my Zhao Family Long Fist and Panlong Staff Technique."

"In this way, you will have more ability to protect yourself when you go to the battlefield, and your father will feel more at ease."

Zhao Kuangyin's words made Zhao Dezhao's eyes light up instantly, and he was overjoyed.

In this way, Zhao Kuangyin at this moment was an inexhaustible treasure trove of human military strategies for him.

Military strategy and tactics, as well as timeless martial arts, are all contained within.

As for how much he can ultimately learn, that depends entirely on his own comprehension and effort.

"Your Majesty, I thank you!"

"Go, go." Zhao Kuangyin waved his hand, indicating that Zhao Dezhao could leave.

Zhao Dezhao bowed respectfully, then turned and walked steadily towards the palace gate. But as soon as he stepped out, his father's call came from behind him:

"Zhao'er..."

Zhao Dezhao was surprised and immediately turned around to look back.

On the throne, Zhao Kuangyin sat upright like a tiger, his figure majestic, his gaze piercing through the depths of the hall, fixed firmly on him.

The next moment, Zhao Kuangyin's deep and steady voice slowly echoed in the empty hall, carrying a heavy expectation:

"It's good to do it, it's good to do it!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Dezhao's still-childish face became solemn, and he bowed deeply once again.

……

Zhang Dejun, head bowed, hurried ahead to lead the way, while Zhao Dezhao followed absentmindedly behind, his brows furrowed as he pondered what to do next.

Now that the matter of learning military strategy and martial arts with the army has been settled, as long as he performs well in the future, it should not be a problem for him to get married and establish his own household ahead of schedule.

Once he leaves the cabinet, he will not only be able to legitimately build his own staff, but he may even... have the opportunity to build his own personal army!

For anyone else, privately accumulating soldiers would be nothing short of a pipe dream, but he was Zhao Kuangyin's eldest son. As long as he could demonstrate his worth to his father, there might be a chance to obtain his father's permission.

Making money then becomes an urgent matter.

If one fails to accumulate enough gold and silver before leaving the palace, let alone recruiting soldiers and supporting staff, even attracting talented individuals will be a struggle.

"The matter of the Three Kingdoms still requires the initial capital, where can I find it..." Zhao Dezhao muttered to himself. "How about asking the Empress Dowager for some money? But the expenses of the harem are all regulated, and I'm afraid the Empress Dowager doesn't have much spare money..."

It is said that even a hero can be brought down by a single penny, and even Zhao Dezhao was somewhat at a loss for words.

"Your Highness? Your Highness?"

Just as he was deep in thought, Zhang Dejun in front of him suddenly stopped and whispered twice.

Zhao Dezhao suddenly came to his senses, looked up, and realized that they were almost at the entrance of Kunning Palace.

He looked at Zhang Dejun, who was bowing respectfully, and suddenly remembered his previous promise. He quickly reached into his robes:

"Oh right, about what I promised you last time..."

"Your Highness, I have important matters to report..."

The two finished speaking almost simultaneously, colliding head-on.

Zhao Dezhao was taken aback at first, then smiled, took out a jade pendant he had obtained from his mother that morning, and handed it to Zhang Dejun:

"We'll talk about this later. This is the reward I promised you. Take it first."

Those in positions of authority should always keep their word, a principle Zhao Dezhao understood well.

Looking at the lustrous jade pendant before him, a warm glint flashed in Zhang Dejun's eyes, but he didn't immediately take it. Instead, he hesitated, raised his eyes, and cautiously asked:

"Your Highness seems...to be short of money?"

Zhao Dezhao scratched his head somewhat awkwardly, but still nodded truthfully and said, "I am indeed short of money lately, but don't worry, I will never go back on my promise to reward you."

As he spoke, he handed the jade pendant forward again.

Zhang Dejun still didn't take it. Instead, he looked around warily. Seeing that no one was paying attention, he quickly took out a neatly folded land deed from his pocket and stuffed it into Zhao Dezhao's hand.

"Purchase by contract...a five-courtyard mansion in the inner city...for 4000 guan."

Unfolding the land deed and looking at the prominent characters, Zhao Dezhao was momentarily stunned, his eyes filled with astonishment. He subconsciously looked up at Zhang Dejun.

That's 4000 strings of cash!

In later generations, that would be equivalent to a full 300 million!

This may not seem like much to some people, but for someone like Zhang Dejun from the lower class, it is an astronomical figure that he could not earn in several lifetimes.

"What...what are you doing?" Zhao Dezhao asked, puzzled.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dejun quickly stepped closer and whispered to Zhao Dezhao, "Your Highness, last night a general of the Imperial Guard named Shi Zaixi privately approached me, wanting me to keep an eye on things happening in the palace for him in the future..."

"These are the gifts that man gave to me as a token of his gratitude."

He paused, hesitated for a moment, and then added, "Besides this land deed, that person also gave me fifty taels of gold. If Your Highness needs it..."

"There's no need for that!"

Before Zhang Dejun could finish speaking, Zhao Dezhao shoved the land deed back into Zhang Dejun's hand, frowning and saying in a deep voice, "I can't accept this land deed and the gold, and you absolutely cannot accept them either!"

"Think about it carefully. You're just a palace eunuch, yet he's willing to offer nearly five thousand strings of cash to win you over. There must be a huge scheme behind this!"

"What he'll ask you to do in the future will likely all be deadly tasks!"

"Find an opportunity as soon as possible to return these things intact!"

Seeing Zhang Dejun's hesitant expression, Zhao Dezhao softened his tone, patted him on the shoulder, and earnestly advised:

"Money is ultimately just an external thing, nothing is more important than life. Now that you've followed me, I will certainly not shortchange you on money or status in the future. As for these life-threatening things, you should return them."

In fact, Zhao Dezhao remembered this person as soon as Zhang Dejun mentioned the name "Shi Zaixi".

Historically, Zhao Guangyi recruited many talented people to serve him, and Shi Zaixi was one of them. He was even honored with a place in the ancestral temple of Emperor Taizong after his death.

In other words, this person was an absolute confidant of his good uncle!

Zhao Dezhao never expected that his uncle would extend his reach into the palace so early.

Thinking of this, Zhao Dezhao couldn't help but feel a little fortunate.

Fortunately, he never revealed his relationship with Zhang Dejun in public.