The prince is more stable

Chapter 149: Conversation Test
世上没有无缘无故的爱，也没有无缘无故的恨，但一定有无缘无故的挨揍。

Zhao Ji was very confused at this moment. Zhao Xiaoqian beat him for no reason today.

Fortunately, Zhao Xiaoqian was a clan member, and everyone was related. If Zhao Xiaoqian was an ordinary person and dared to beat Zhao Ji like that, he would probably have been executed on the same day.

But now, Zhao Xiaoqian's beating of Zhao Ji was just a fight between brothers and it was not a big deal at all.

Sure enough, the identity of a clan member is always useful.

Zhao Ji was in a state of confusion. He didn't know why Zhao Xiaoqian attacked him for no reason, nor did he know why this cousin wanted to steal his jade pendant.

But Zhao Ji did not dare to express his emotions. Now Zhao Xiaoqian gave him the impression of being a little moody. After beating and scolding him, he immediately put on a smiling look and hooked his shoulder intimately.

Zhao Ji was very scared, thinking that this man seemed to have some serious brain disease.

After kicking Zhao Ji a few times, Zhao Xiaoqian felt refreshed and then kindly invited Zhao Ji to have a drink.

I have to go, otherwise Zhao Xiaoqian will be very angry, and when he is angry he will not be able to help but hit people.

Zhao Ji had no choice but to agree. He hooked his arm around his shoulder and staggered out of the palace and into the carriage.

There were many places to drink in Bianjing City, including formal restaurants, informal brothels, the official Jiaofangsi, and even brothels where people could drink while listening to music.

It has been so long since he traveled through time, but to be honest, the only indecent place Zhao Xiaoqian knows about is Zuihuayin. He lacks social experience.

Since we are entertaining a future tyrant, we must show the proper manners.

In the end, Zhao Xiaoqian chose Zuihuayin.

As soon as he entered the door, the owner of Zuihuayin came to greet him. After seeing Zhao Xiaoqian, the owner's face changed. He subconsciously turned his head and opened his mouth to shout, but he stopped the impulse and put on a smile to greet the guest.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at him with a sneer.

He knew what the shopkeeper wanted to say, which was simply to hide the beautiful girl in the building.

Redeeming Jiang Miaoxian would undoubtedly be a huge loss for the brothel, and the owner was really worried that the Prince of Chu would fall in love with another one.

"Don't worry, boss. If I don't get you for free, I won't redeem you again." Zhao Xiaoqian consoled him, "There are so many brothels in Bianjing City. I can't just pick on yours and plunder them all."

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up, and he quickly came forward to make a slanderous statement: "Your Highness, what you said makes sense. In fact, less than half a mile east of Zuihuayin, there is another brothel called 'Miaoyinfang'."

"That brothel also has a courtesan who is as beautiful as a fairy and is skilled in poetry, lyrics, and music. She is truly a beauty on earth. If the prince doesn't want to abandon her, he can redeem her..."

Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at him.

Is this what they call a plain and simple business war?

You guys are using me as a pawn in your business war? Ha!

He kicked the shopkeeper hard on the butt, and the shopkeeper staggered. Then he suddenly woke up, his face pale, and he bowed repeatedly to apologize.

Zhao Xiaoqian pointed at him and said, "If this happens again, you won't be able to open this brothel anymore."

"Yes, yes, I deserve to die, I deserve to die! Please forgive me, Prince!"

With Zhao Xiaoqian's kick, Zhao Ji, who was originally upset, instantly calmed down and became much more relaxed.

It turns out that it is his habit to kick everyone he sees, just like the catchphrase that some people always say, it is not directed at him personally, but at everyone.

Zhao Ji felt that he understood Zhao Xiaoqian, and even his expression softened.

The shopkeeper arranged an elegant room for them. Zhao Xiaoqian and Zhao Ji entered and sat cross-legged on the cushions.

Zhao Ji was still feeling a little uncomfortable. Although he was only thirteen or fourteen, he had been to brothels more than once or twice. He had the artist in his blood, and how could an artist survive without women?
Not only did he visit brothels, he also kept several concubines in his own mansion. It was unknown what he had eaten since childhood to develop so maturely.

Zhao Xiaoqian has only one woman, Jiang Miaoxian, so far, which is a disgrace to the playboys in Bianjing City. In comparison, he is the truly pure-hearted and unselfish man.

The wine and food were served, and Zhao Xiaoqian and Zhao Ji drank together.

Zhao Ji seemed very restrained, with a stiff smile on his face, and he was always cautious in front of Zhao Xiaoqian.

Why did Zhao Xiaoqian invite Zhao Ji to drink today?
Because he needed to understand Zhao Ji.

History cannot repeat itself and must be changed. The future incompetent emperor is the one who needs to be changed the most. Zhao Xiaoqian does not want another incompetent Huizong to appear in the world.

Whether you become friends or enemies in the future, it is always a good idea to understand the other person first.

"Brother Ji, come and drink it up." Zhao Xiaoqian urged him to drink.

Zhao Ji looked at the half-pound of rice wine in the jug and said helplessly, "Brother Zi'an, I'm not good at drinking. How about we have a drink together?"

"If you're not good at drinking, why are you coming to a brothel?"

Zhao Ji looked at him innocently: "Didn't you drag me here?"

"Since you have come here reluctantly, then drink. Don't leave until you are drunk!" Zhao Xiaoqian drank the wine in the bottle and showed him the bottom of the bottle.

Zhao Ji was about to cry, so he closed his eyes obediently, as if he was ordered to commit suicide by the government, and drank a bottle of wine in a tragic manner.

Zhao Xiaoqian looked at him with a smile.

Zhao Ji should be almost fourteen years old this year. He is a little thin, but has a delicate appearance. He is born with the personality of a weak scholar, but his appearance is too feminine. He is a bit like the pretty boys in South Korea in his previous life, who would pick up peaches with their fingers raised.

His eyes were not very clear, and there was a light in them that was hard to see through, but he always had a harmless smile on his face, and he was polite to everyone he met.

Even when he was bullied, he just accepted it submissively. He didn't have the aura of a prince at all. Instead, he looked like a cautious young man from a poor family.

Zhao Xiaoqian didn't know whether what he showed was an act or not. If it was his true nature, then he was a pure artist. According to the original trajectory of history, his throne would have fallen from the sky and landed on his head.

If this frail appearance was an act, Zhao Xiaoqian could only say that for a fourteen-year-old to be able to act like this, his skills were quite good.

After drinking a full bottle of wine, Zhao Ji's face was already flushed and his eyes were a little blurred. Rice wine has a strong aftereffect, and he drank half a pound in one breath and soon got drunk.

That’s right, Zhao Xiaoqian did it on purpose because he wanted to see what Zhao Ji looked like after drinking.

"Brother Zi'an, you've changed so much this year..."

Zhao Ji burped and said, "You used to have no contact with our clan members. That guy from Prince Pu's family, and that guy from Prince Jin's family... They all said they rarely saw Brother Zi'an in years. Every year on the first day of the lunar year, we held ancestral worship in Yanfu Palace, but you ignored us when we saw them."

"But since the beginning of spring this year, Brother Zi'an seems to have become a completely different person. It's so confusing!"

Zhao Xiaoqian blinked: "What have I become?"

Zhao Ji tried to shake his confused mind and said, "It's become...remarkable. You persuaded the uncle of Chu to change the flag and implement new laws. That memorial is still marveled at by the elders of the clan. They all praise you for saving the Chu Palace from a doomed situation with just one sentence."

"And you can write poetry and lyrics. Although you only have half a poem, it has been praised by scholars in Bianjing to this day. And then there's snow salt. I'd also like to get involved in that business, but the government won't let me."

"The most powerful one is the flintlock rifle. The emperor told me privately that the muskets made by Brother Zi'an changed the fate of the nation. It's been a hot topic in the court. I see that the court officials have straightened their backs a lot recently... Brother Zi'an, why have you suddenly become so powerful?"

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "I've been confined at home these past few years, and I've been prone to daydreaming. I've been thinking about a lot of random things, and some of these ideas just popped up out of nowhere."

Zhao Ji suddenly looked thoughtful, muttering, "Could being confined at home really be so miraculous? This is what the sages call 'the unity of man and nature.' By thinking alone and cultivating a tranquil spirit, one is bound to gain something."

(End of this chapter)