I am Emperor Shizu of Song

Chapter 7: A Frank Showdown
Zhao Zi said that it was his first visit and it was impossible for the two sides to have a deep conversation.

After Duan Yuyan expressed her gratitude and showed her goodwill, she didn't say anything else. She just asked the maid to prepare a banquet and arrange guest rooms.

Out of courtesy, elders and female relatives would of course not sit at the same table, so only Murong Yan accompanied him to drink.

The banquet was exquisite, with dishes like Taihu whitebait and shrimp soup and Kunshan crab stuffed with oranges. Zhao Zi, who hadn't had hot food for three days, said he could finally feast and relieve the fatigue of his time traveling.

Kunshan Lake is the Yangcheng Lake of later times. Spring is not the season for plump crabs, so these crab-stuffed oranges are made with butter simmered last winter, served with fresh frosted oranges and steamed in the shell. Zhao Zicheng took a few bites and quickly appreciated its deliciousness.

Crabs are usually dipped in vinegar to remove the fishy smell. Vinegar is aged, and has a flavor that has been preserved over time. The crabs must be fresh, and the fresh and the old complement each other to achieve the best effect.

The bald yellow crab is made from aged crab paste and roe, and vinegar is used to remove the fishy smell. The stale taste is too strong. The refreshing frosted orange is used instead, which creates a wonderful twist.

Before his time travel, Zhao Zi claimed to have visited Hangzhou Weizhuang and tasted a Song Dynasty crab stuffed with orange juice, recreated by a chef from later times. However, with technology now allowing for year-round access to fresh crabs, the use of fresh ingredients and accompaniments has diminished the need for the juxtaposition of old and new, adding a touch of whimpering, "forcing sadness for the sake of new poetry."

"Frosty oranges outshine fragrant tangerines, and camel hoof soup is served to guests. My dear brother, your family's food and daily life are indeed very particular." After eating and drinking to his heart's content, Zhao Zicheng commented casually.

Murong Yan was young, so he didn't think too much about it and replied directly: "The rich have wine and meat, while the poor on the road freeze to death - Brother Zhao, do you think my family is extravagant?"

Zhao Zicheng was stunned, then he remembered that these four lines of Du Fu's poem were connected. No wonder Murong Yan misunderstood.

"I just said it casually. I didn't mean it that way." Zhao Zicheng denied it lightly, then changed the subject. "Although I'm from a poor royal family, I've met some wealthy uncles and relatives over the years. But even the families of dukes and marquises are not as elegant as yours."

Faced with Zhao Zicheng's probing, Murong Yan was indeed slightly flustered. "We don't usually act like this. Brother Zhao is my family's benefactor, so I'm being so serious. These soups were personally prepared by Aunt Bi and my sister."

Zhao Zicheng saw that there was no one around and the other party still did not respond. He thought about it carefully and felt that it would be better to be direct and make things clear.

So he put down his wine cup and asked a question directly: "My dear brother, I am from Xiuzhou and am not unfamiliar with Gusu. I have heard some rumors about the Murong family. In addition, after interacting with them for the past few days, I have also noticed some clues, but I have no ill intentions.

Your mother and I have just met, so it's normal for some things to be off-topic. Right now, it's just you and me. Whatever you say, it's yours, mine, and no one else will know. So I'll just ask directly—brother, are you actually a girl?

Zhao Zi said that asking this question was a risky move, as this was someone else's territory after all.

But he felt that Murong Yan was kind-hearted and quite chivalrous. They had built up mutual trust and had a good relationship over the past few days. It might be easier to communicate if some things were made clear. It was also related to the subsequent cooperation between the two sides and whether they could regard each other as allies or helpers.

When Murong Yan heard this question, he couldn't help but shudder: "Zhao...Brother Zhao, how did you know that?"

Zhao Zicheng did not hide it: "That day, when you were impulsive and wanted to fight Zhu Jie to the death, I held you back and felt that your skin was not like a man's, but I was not sure. Just now, I saw your mother and your sister. Although your sister was wearing a veil, her appearance and behavior were very similar to yours. Only her figure was different.

If they were twins, they wouldn't be this similar. They could only be twin sisters. By then I was 70% certain, and I just had to wait for my sister to tell me herself.

Zhao Zi claimed that his biology grades in his previous life were quite good, and he had a good grasp of physiology. He knew that if the twins were a boy and a girl, they would definitely be fraternal twins, and it would be difficult for them to be so similar in appearance.

If they are identical twins, their genes will be completely identical, but it is impossible for identical twins to be one boy and one girl.

According to his observation just now, both sisters of the Murong family inherited Duan Yuyan's unparalleled beauty, and should also have inherited their father's handsomeness. The only obvious difference is their figure.

The elder sister's figure is incredibly curvy, perhaps because she developed earlier. The younger sister, on the other hand, developed later, and even at fifteen, she still doesn't look out of place when she wears men's clothing. Perhaps this is why Duan Yuyan allowed her younger daughter to continue pretending to be a man, bluffing her way into a family.

Zhao Zicheng had made things so clear that Murong Yan had nothing to say. He silently took off his headscarf and untied his twisted bun. His long, black, silky, and clear hair, like a waterfall, immediately fell down to his waist.

After letting his hair down, Murong Yan adjusted his mood and began to talk about his family's grievances and difficulties:
"Brother Zhao, you are right. My real name is Murong Yan, and my sister is Murong Qiu. No matter what rumors you may have heard about the Murong family, my family just wants to live a peaceful and stable life now, and we have no other thoughts.

Just think about it, our family doesn't even have a male heir, so how could we possibly have any ambitions? After my father went insane, we've relied on the women to support us these past few years. Even with immense wealth and martial arts skills, we're still oppressed by the government. My mother knew that having me disguised as a man would create many hidden dangers, but she had no other choice. Ever since Zhu Jie arrived in Suzhou, any powerful and wealthy family without a male heir capable of serving in government service has long since been wiped out by Zhu Jie, finding excuses to exploit them.

After listening to Murong Yan's complaints, Zhao Zicheng finally put his worries to rest.

Before coming here, he had been worried about one issue, which was to find out whether the Murong family really had the legendary ambition.

Now that it is certain that the Murong family has no male descendants, no matter what his father thought before he went crazy, it no longer matters.

No matter what ambitions and hatreds they once had, they will all return to dust. Zhao Zicheng believes that the remaining people all sincerely want to live a stable life.

Zhao Zicheng didn't bother asking about other more private matters. His core concern had already been addressed, so he might as well give them some secrecy and dignity.

Murong Yan probably hasn't found anyone to talk to about these pressures over the years, so she couldn't help but shed tears as she spoke.

Zhao Zicheng listened to her quietly, picked up the silk on the table, soaked it in the copper basin beside her, and handed it to her to wipe her face:
"Although you're a woman, your chivalrous spirit is no less than that of a man. You've suffered so much these past few years. Now that I'm here, you don't have to worry too much about being bullied by Zhu Zhen.

I've earned his trust. If we work together to solve the Taihu Lake pirate case involving Duan Ming, and Zhu Zhen helps me secure the position of Gusu County Magistrate as promised, no one in Suzhou will be able to bully you.

The more Zhao Zicheng tried to comfort her, the harder Murong Yan cried.

This was a sudden release of emotion after feeling relieved. Zhao Zi said he didn't want to interrupt her, so he just let Murong Yan cry to her heart's content.

……

"Forget it, let everything take its course. I hope this Zhao is truly a trustworthy person."

Behind the door curtain, Duan Yuyan and Murong Qiu had already heard the noise here, so they came over quietly to check.

When Duan Yuyan heard her daughter crying like this, she knew that her daughter's secret had been seen through by Mr. Zhao.

She had originally not wanted to get too involved with Zhao Zicheng, wanting to observe and see if he was a treacherous person skilled in disguise, hoping to hide it for a while. But now that everything was exposed, there was nothing left to say.

Murong Qiu also whispered to comfort his mother, "Don't worry too much, mother. I think that although Mr. Zhao is scheming, he speaks frankly to my younger sister. With his cunning, if he really had bad intentions, he could have kept it to himself."

Duan Yuyan thought about it and felt relieved.

-

PS: I’m sorry for being late. This chapter was actually written a long time ago, but I was not satisfied with it, so I deleted it and rewrote it.

Everyone knows I'm not good at writing romances. But Murong Yan is a woman, and this had to be revealed quickly. I know many people dislike the Xianbei surname, and if their family still has male children, they'll reject them, which would conflict with the main plot of rebuilding the Song Dynasty.

So I thought about it, and finally started over completely, using the most direct and quickest way to cut the Gordian knot. I just let this matter go, and in the next chapter I can start to make achievements and become an official.

From now on, there will be two updates every day, the first in the morning and the second around 5 pm.

In the new book period, I shamelessly ask for updates, comments and votes. Thank you.

(End of this chapter)