Love Lock

Chapter 48 The Ugly Bird
On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhao Zun, along with Han Lei and dozens of loyal guards, braved the bitter cold and after a grueling 20-day journey, finally returned to the capital of the Great Jing Dynasty.

Standing outside the city, gazing at the towering city gates before him, Zhao Zun felt a complex mix of emotions.

Since his father, the former Duke of Zhenguo, died a heroic death on the battlefield, he had been stationed at the North Gate. Four or five years had passed since then, and every blade of grass, every brick and tile in the capital seemed both familiar and strange.

His heart was filled with both the joy of returning home and endless感慨 (gǎnkǎi, deep feelings) about the past years.

When the meritorious officials who defended the border returned to the capital, the emperor did not personally visit the ten-mile pavilion, nor did he go out of the city to welcome them.

Han Lei had already sensed the turmoil in Zhao Zun's heart and was afraid that such a sudden cold reception would make Zhao Zun feel even more disheartened.

She stepped forward gently and took Zhao Zun's arm, as if she wanted to use her warmth to dispel the chill in his heart.

Han Lei's eyes were full of understanding and comfort. "Brother Zun, your achievements are evident to heaven and earth. You don't need others' insincere affirmation."

"Yes! I know. I don't care about worldly fame and vanity. As long as you are by my side, I have no other desires in this life."

Zhao Zun smiled and patted her soft little hand, giving her a grateful look. A warm feeling welled up in his heart—a deep gratitude and appreciation for his confidante.

After entering the city, Zhao Zun instructed Pingchuan and his personal guards to accompany Han Lei back to the palace to rest, while he himself went first to the palace to meet the emperor.

Han Lei thought for a moment, then took out a birdcage from her spatial storage and handed it to Zhao Zun.

"Take this with you and present it to His Majesty when you enter the palace. You can't go to see His Majesty empty-handed, can you?"

"No need, is there? It's just a bird; there are plenty in the palace."

The palace was filled with countless rare treasures, and Zhao Zun couldn't understand why Han Lei wanted him to present a bird to His Majesty. Moreover, the bird was black and rather ugly.

"Hehe, this is a myna bird. It's not an ordinary bird; it can talk." A sly glint flashed in Han Lei's eyes. "Just say that you obtained it by chance in Beiguan. This bird has been with you for many years, and you've always liked it, so you wanted to present it to His Majesty."

"okay!"

Zhao Zun frowned slightly in disdain, but didn't ask any more questions. After taking the birdcage, he rode into the palace with Xiao Zhengfei.

Inside the palace, ministers were holding the morning court session.

Just as Emperor Jing was about to signal the chief eunuch to announce the end of the court session, a junior eunuch entered the hall with his head bowed and knelt down to report.

"Your Majesty, the Prince of Xiaoyao is requesting an audience outside the palace."

Emperor Jing was taken aback, then forced a laugh, his hand, hidden behind the dragon desk, nervously gripping the hem of his dragon robe.

"Haha, I didn't expect the Carefree Prince to return so quickly. Quickly, summon him!"

Emperor Jing was actually quite uneasy.

He knew that Zhao Zun had played a crucial role in the peace and tranquility of the Great Jing Dynasty over the years. However, in order to firmly grasp imperial power in his own hands, he had to replace the key figures with his own trusted confidants.

Otherwise, he would not be able to sleep or eat.

The replacement of the old officials under the late emperor caused them to complain and feel dissatisfied. However, most of those old officials were old after all, so they were offered the option of retiring to their hometowns or receiving high-ranking positions with little real power, and the matter was eventually resolved.

Zhao Zun was young and impetuous, and a soldier who had fought on the battlefield for many years and made great achievements. Just thinking about his murderous aura was enough to make one shudder.

Although Zhao Zun had returned to the capital safely, he was still subconsciously afraid of seeing Zhao Zun in person, fearing that if he wasn't careful, the matter of reclaiming the military seal would become complicated again.

Soon, Zhao Zun strode in, holding a birdcage in his hand, head held high and chest out.

"Your subject, Zhao Zun, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

Zhao Zun placed the birdcage on the ground, then knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a salute, and spoke in a booming voice.

"Rise!" Emperor Jing gestured in the air to help him up, and said politely, "Minister Zhao, you have traveled a long and tiring journey. Why don't you go home and rest before coming to the palace?"

Zhao Zun straightened up. Although he wore a brocade robe, he still exuded a chilling aura of killing intent. His posture was upright, and his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, as if he could perceive every subtle movement around him. Zhao Zun cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, as a subject, upon returning to the capital, I should first go to the palace to pay my respects to Your Majesty, report on my duties, and hand over the military tally. No matter how tired I am, how can I go home first?"

Zhao Zun's answer was impeccable, showing no displeasure whatsoever. As he spoke, he took out half of a small golden tiger from his pocket and respectfully held it above his head with both hands.

Emperor Jing thought that there would be some twists and turns in taking back the military tally, at least Zhao Zun's resentment had not dissipated, and he might find an excuse to delay for some time! Unexpectedly, Zhao Zun was so straightforward and handed over the military tally as soon as he returned.

Emperor Jing quickly turned his head and exchanged a glance with Prime Minister Wei; both of them could not hide their excitement.

Prime Minister Wei nodded slightly to Emperor Jing, who understood.

"Oh dear! Now that Minister Zhao has returned, why the rush?" Emperor Jing said, suppressing his excitement, while giving a wink to the eunuch beside him.

The young eunuch understood, walked up to Zhao Zun, took the military tally, and then turned around and handed it to Emperor Jing.

With the military tally in hand, Emperor Jing finally felt relieved. He summoned the leader of the Imperial Guards and ordered him to lead men to escort the tally to the North Pass at top speed, where he would personally hand it over to Cao Xiong.

After settling the matter of the military tally, Emperor Jing then turned around and showered Zhao Zun with praise.

"My dear minister, you have been stationed at the border for many years, and you are brave and skillful in battle, achieving great feats. You have the same spirit as your father, which makes me very pleased! The late emperor also said that with the Duke of Zhenguo and his son stationed at the northern pass all these years, I have no worries."

Zhao Zun sneered inwardly, but his reply remained polite: "Your subject dares not accept such praise. It is the duty of my father and me to guard the border for the Great Jing."

Emperor Jing considered his words carefully before continuing, "Alas! I know that you have worked diligently all these years, but the border is a harsh place, and I cannot let you suffer there forever. Therefore, this summons to the capital to report on your duties is not only to reward and honor you, but also because it is time for you to return to a prosperous place and enjoy a peaceful life."

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. Your humble servant is grateful!" Zhao Zun prostrated himself and kowtowed.

Zhao Zun's answer clearly indicated his acceptance of the court's decision, and Emperor Jing felt that his explanation was grand and impressive.

He glanced sideways at Prime Minister Wei, and sure enough, Prime Minister Wei secretly gave him a thumbs up.

At this moment, Zhao Zun remembered the myna bird that Han Lei had asked him to present. He squatted down, picked up the birdcage, and respectfully lowered his head to hold it above his head.

“Your Majesty, when I was in the Northern Pass, I happened to catch a bird that could talk to people. I have always liked it very much and often played with it when I had nothing to do. Now that I have returned to the capital, I would like to present it to Your Majesty so that it may keep you company.”

"Oh? How strange. Are there any other talking birds in the world besides parrots? Hehehe, you are truly thoughtful, my dear minister."

Although Emperor Jing was in a good mood after receiving the military tally, he felt that Zhao Zun must still harbor resentment towards him and might do something bad, so he did not ask the eunuch to go and take it back.

Zhao Zun still held the birdcage respectfully, and the myna bird inside hopped around and chirped happily.

The civil and military officials also found it very strange, and they all looked at the dark bird and discussed it among themselves. Some even teased the myna bird inside the cage through the cage.

"Shh~ Shh~" Minister of War Cao Ge walked over, waving his finger to tease the myna bird, and asked with a curious look, "You can really talk?"

"I will, I will." The myna's voice was a little hoarse, unlike the parrot's clear and crisp voice.

"Hehe, you really know how!" Cao Ge laughed, then asked, "So, who do you say you are?"

“I’m your grandpa!” the myna bird blurted out.

"Go to hell!" Cao Ge's bright smile instantly froze.

"Go to hell!" the myna bird retorted.

"Hahaha……"

"Hahaha……"

The civil and military officials in the court couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Friends, thank you for following the story; it will only get more exciting as it unfolds.

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(End of this chapter)