I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 158 The mysterious old man
King Xuan and his wife:
Although these words were a bit harsh, honest advice is hard to swallow, and King Xuan began to seriously consider Tang Zhao's suggestion.

"Consort Han is the Empress Dowager's niece, she should go," so as not to stay in Wuwei and disturb the Second Prince's peace. "Xuan'er is the legitimate daughter and has been raised in the Northwest since childhood. The Empress Dowager often thinks of her, so she should go back to fulfill her filial duties."

"As for Consort Qin and her daughter, they have never been favored by the Empress Dowager," King Xuan pondered.

"Hehe," Tang Zhao interjected, "It's precisely because Consort Qin is disliked by the Empress Dowager that she has to put on a good show."

Prince Xuan glanced furtively to his side and saw that Princess Xuan's face remained expressionless, showing no intention of speaking up to help him out. He had no choice but to accept his fate, "Zhao Zhao is right, then Consort Qin and her daughter should go as well."

Princess Xuan put down her teacup and stood up. "Then I will go and prepare a birthday gift to present to the Empress Dowager."

King Xuan opened his mouth as if to speak, but hesitated because of the presence of the younger generation, and awkwardly touched his nose, "Well, go ahead."

Princess Xuan turned and left.

Tang Zhao gave a wink, then excused himself and left to follow Princess Xuan.

“Father is biased. He’s willing to send his own daughter to Luoyang as a hostage, but he can’t bear to see his concubine suffer,” Tang Zhao clicked her tongue. “Thanks to Mother’s magnanimity, if it were Zhao Zhao, the whole household would have been in turmoil long ago.”

The main message is: if I'm not having a good time, nobody else should either.

"What does a child know?" King Xuan was troubled. Consort Qin came from a commoner background and knew nothing about rules and etiquette. She had caused quite a few laughs when she was in Luoyang. The Empress Dowager felt that she had disgraced the royal family and disliked her extremely. She would punish her whenever she saw her.

Consort Qin was a parasitic creature; she would cry and make a fuss whenever she was wronged, and King Xuan had to patiently coax her. Over time, King Xuan developed a stress response and tried every means to prevent Consort Qin from meeting the Empress Dowager, so as not to put himself in an awkward position.

Tang Zhao looked at King Xuan with sympathy: Serves him right!

The king, ever perceptive, remarked, "Why do I sense that there are other emotions besides pity in the way you look at me?"

"Ahem!" Tang Zhao smiled ingratiatingly, "Besides sympathy, there's also admiration for Father."

"After all, not all men can be like my father, jumping back and forth between his wife, cousin, and beloved woman without ever crashing or burning."

King Xuan, enraged and humiliated, laughed and shouted, "Get out of here!"

I thought it was a thoughtful gesture, but it turned out to be such a terrible experience!
Tang Zhao obediently rolled over and walked down Wuwei Street. Smelling the aroma wafting from the steamers on the street, Tang Zhao's stomach rumbled loudly.

How much are these steamed buns?

"Meat filling is three coins each, vegetarian filling is one coin each," the shopkeeper asked with a smile. "How many would you like, young lady?"

Tang Zhao swallowed hard. "Give me five meat fillings."

"The buns at this shop are big; the little girl can't eat that many. And with the hot weather, they'll spoil overnight," the owner said as he wrapped the buns in large leaves. "Take only a few."

"Thank you, but no need," Tang Zhao shook her head. She was so hungry she could eat a whole cow. "Three more vegetarian ones, please."

The shopkeeper stopped trying to persuade him and simply packed eight large buns into the buns. Tang Zhao took out his money pouch, counted out eighteen copper coins, and handed them over, saying, "Thanks."

The shopkeeper took the coin, beaming from ear to ear, "If you like it, please come again."

"it is good!"

Tang Zhao took a bite of the steamed bun and gasped from the heat, but the bun was so delicious that she didn't care about her image and kept eating it as she walked.

An old man, covered in dust and dressed in tattered clothes, stumbled towards Tang Zhao, leaning on a broken tree branch. Tang Zhao stepped aside to let him pass, and the old man staggered to the left. Tang Zhao then stepped to the left, and the old man followed suit.

"?" Tang Zhao looked up from the steamed bun, but before he could speak, the old man suddenly performed a blunder, lunging straight at Tang Zhao. Tang Zhao instinctively tried to dodge, but the old man still bumped into his left arm. Before he could even push him away, the old man stood up and ran away like the wind.

Tang Zhao, whose left hand was empty: !

Stop right there! Give me back my purse!
Tang Zhao took off chasing after him. She believed that her running speed had greatly improved during her time with the new recruits, but after chasing for three blocks, she still couldn't catch a glimpse of the old man's tattered clothes.

Seeing the person turn into the alley, Tang Zhao immediately climbed onto the wall, ran a few steps, and jumped down, blocking the person at the bend in the alley.

"Give it to me," Tang Zhao said, reaching out his hand.

"You little girl have quite the nerve," the old man said, tossing the money pouch in his hand. "You dare to chase after me without even knowing my background. Aren't you afraid I'll sell you off?"

Tang Zhao's expression hardened, and he thought to himself, "This is bad: I've been living too comfortably since I came to the Northwest, and I've forgotten how unsafe this world is."

While keeping a wary eye on the old man, Tang Zhao subtly retreated.

"Trying to run now? Too late!" The old man flung his hand, and the money bag in his hand flew straight at Tang Zhao's face. Tang Zhao raised his hand to catch it, but the force of the money bag knocked him back several steps before he regained his balance.

Before Tang Zhao could retaliate, the old man rushed over like lightning, grabbed Tang Zhao's left hand, and twisted it gently, dislocating Tang Zhao's left arm.

Tang Zhao gasped for breath in pain.

The old man raised his hand and put the dislocated arm back in place. He said earnestly, "Today I will teach you a lesson: a wise man does not stand under a dangerous wall. You must remember to never put yourself in danger."

Tang Zhao cursed the old man's ancestors in his heart, but said bluntly, "You're the one who put me in danger now!"

What are you pretending to be, acting all high and mighty!
"I just want to teach you a lesson," the old man chuckled. "As long as you obey me, I will definitely not harm you."

Tang Zhao: Hehe.

The old man glared and raised his hand to strike again, but saw the little girl sitting on the ground, grimacing and rubbing her shoulders, and his raised hand just wouldn't come down.

Why is there only a girl left? The old man was troubled. How could a girl be as strong and resilient as a boy? But if he didn't discipline the unruly child, how could he?
The old man was sometimes distressed, sometimes indignant, sometimes gritting his teeth, sometimes clenching them, completely absorbed in his emotions.

A perfect opportunity! Taking advantage of the old man's inattention, Tang Zhao leaped up like a cheetah and ran away.

Hey! You brat! The old man picked up a pebble from the ground and flicked it away forcefully.

Tang Zhao, ten steps away, felt a sharp pain in his back, his hands and feet went numb and he couldn't move. His body fell to the ground due to inertia.

Tang Zhao mentally gave him the middle finger: You old bastard, go to hell!

The old man slowly walked over and squatted down next to Tang Zhao. He took out a very long needle from his pocket and threatened, "If you dare to disobey me again, I will prick you with this needle."

Tang Zhao:.
"If you behave well, I'll teach you how to use acupressure points," the old man said, offering a sweet treat after a beating.

The old man didn't seem to have any ill intentions towards her, and Tang Zhao's heart, which had been pounding, eased slightly. "What do you want me to do?"

The old man simply said, "Back to the capital."

"I won't go back!" Tang Zhao refused resolutely. "I must guard Wuwei."

"Even if you build Wuwei into an impregnable fortress, it won't help!" the old man said meaningfully. "If the traitors within are not eliminated, the tragedy of the Kangzhi era will be repeated."