A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 127 Zhao Nu
If we were to name a woman from a particular region who profoundly influenced the Han Dynasty, the woman from Zhao would be at the top of the list.

The term "Zhao territory" often refers to the territory once governed by the State of Zhao, one of the Seven Warring States during the late Warring States period.

To the north are Xindu, Zhending, Changshan, and Zhongshan, and also Gaoyang, Mo, and Zhouxiang of Zhuojun.

To the east are Guangping, Julu, Qinghe, and Hejian, and also Dongpingshu, Zhongyi, Wen'an, Shuzhou, Chengping, and Zhangwu of Bohai Commandery, which are north of the river.

It extends south to Fushui, Fanyang, Neihuang, and Chiqiu.

To the west are Taiyuan, Dingxiang, Yunzhong, Wuyuan, and Shangjun.

The people of Zhao are known for their fierce and impulsive nature, their indulgent and extravagant lifestyle, and the large number of entertainers, which is a major characteristic of the area. Since unification, Zhao has always been a relatively difficult region to govern.

However, the Zhao state of today is one of the many vassal states of the Han Dynasty, occupying only a very small part of the Zhao territory. The other parts of the Zhao state also belonged to the Zhao state, but during the process of Emperors Xiaowen and Xiaojing dealing with the vassal states, they were either transferred to the central court or other small vassal states were established, such as the Hejian State and the Zhongshan State.

It can be said that the sun has set and the road is at its end, and all the prosperity has faded away.

However, the local characteristics have been completely preserved. The women of Zhao who were good at singing and dancing often married into the families of kings and nobles. Even the handsome men of Zhao were very popular with the kings and nobles of the Han Dynasty.

The royal family was among them.

From the time of Emperor Gaozu to the present, excluding men, sixteen women who were favored in the imperial harem came from the Zhao region, accounting for more than half. Among them, quite a few came from singing and dancing households.

A recent example is Lady Li, who gained the Emperor's favor after being presented to him by Princess Pingyang at Ganquan Palace; perhaps Li Yannian could also be included.

The figures of "Zhao women" and "Handan courtesans" stretched from Chang'an in the north to Nanyue in the south, forming a unique group. Countless women and men from the Zhao region longed to enter the homes of kings and nobles, or even the imperial harem in Chang'an. Once they gained the emperor's favor, their families would rise to prominence and achieve great success.

Royal families, feudal lords, high-ranking officials, and marquises... this trend was so prevalent that it created an entire "industrial chain" in the Zhao region.

They would buy beautiful daughters from poor families in various places, teach them singing, dancing, and speaking skills, and then sell them to princes and nobles or present them to the imperial court.

Behind this complex web of relationships, the merchant Jia Chang'er is the overt operator, known as the "Mother of Ten Thousand Flowers."

At this moment, the nearly forty-year-old, still charming and graceful Mother of Ten Thousand Flowers was naked in the Zhao King's palace, bowing down to serve King Liu Pengzu of Zhao. She would occasionally raise her head to meet the King's gaze, her eyes always conveying a delicate and alluring meaning that stirred a flutter in one's heart.

Liu Pengzu, who had been the King of Zhao for over thirty years, was no longer young. Even though he could sense the slightly sorrowful look in the beauty's eyes, he had the will but not the ability to embrace her. Yet, his heart remained as sage as ever.

"Chang'er, you have served me for more than 20 years, have you never thought about getting married?"

His large, calloused hand ran through the woman's beautiful hair, gently cradling her head. Liu Pengzu's expression revealed tenderness. "Even just once? Whoever it is, I can make him marry you."

A layer of mist rose in Jia Chang'er's beautiful eyes, yet her resolve remained firm. "I have only ever been moved by Your Highness. The day Your Highness no longer needs me, I will leave Zhao and choose to live out my days in the mountains."

This kind of conversation has happened countless times.

After almost every incident, Liu Pengzu would ask similar questions, and if she showed the slightest hesitation, any man who had been in close contact with her would vanish from the face of the earth. She had known for a long time what a treacherous and vicious heart lay beneath the seemingly honest face of this Prince Zhao.

I also learned that I should never take the saintly state of this moment for eternity.

"My beauty, how can I bear to part with you?" Liu Pengzu said, his voice trembling with sorrow.

Another tender moment ensued.

"I heard that before Dan'er led his guards out of the country, he ordered the capture and extermination of the entire Jiang family, but I've heard that the concubine's brother escaped?"

Liu Pengzu looked even more tired, completely entering a sage-like state, "That concubine of the Jiang family was offered to Dan'er by you, how could Jiang Qi have escaped?"

As the King of Zhao, Liu Pengzu could not possibly be unaware of what was happening in the palace, much less of the schemes of his sons, women, daughters, and even granddaughters.

But as he himself often said, "It's hard to be a father-in-law if you're not deaf and dumb." That was his most beloved son, who was both the legitimate son and the crown prince of Zhao. Even if he was arrogant, extravagant, and wicked, he still had to protect him.

Not long ago, Jia Chang'er presented Prince Liu Dan with a beautiful woman named Jiang, who was skilled in singing and dancing. Liu Dan was very fond of her, and even Jiang's brother, Jiang Qi, was allowed to enter and leave the Zhao court. Jiang Qi was very good at interpersonal relationships and speaking, and he won Liu Dan's favor.

As both brother-in-law and confidant, Liu Dan and Jiang Qi were inseparable, acting as if they were one person. Jiang Qi knew all about Liu Dan's dirty deeds.

After the Crown Prince issued an edict ordering the princes of all the kingdoms to lead their troops on the southern expedition, Liu Dan intended to have Jiang Qi join the army, but Jiang Qi refused.

Once a trusted confidant leaves one's side, he may become a great threat. In order to prevent his affair with his father's concubines, his sisters, and his daughters from being exposed, Liu Dan sent people to arrest the entire Jiang family before leaving the country. Except for Jiang Qi, the entire Jiang family was killed without exception.

Liu Pengzu observed everything without taking any action, only secretly helping his son capture the Jiang family members. Strangely, Jiang Qi managed to escape.

Several searches were conducted, but Jiang Qi was still nowhere to be found. It was as if he had simply vanished. Since Jiang Qi's daughter was presented to Jia Chang'er, did she know where he was hiding?
Upon hearing the name of the Crown Prince, even Jia Chang'er, with her excellent manners, almost lost her composure. This was a true beast! It was one thing to have an affair with the Prince of Zhao's harem, but he didn't even spare his own sisters and daughters. He was licentious, shameless, and utterly devoid of conscience.

Jia Chang'er embraced Liu Pengzu, lowering his eyes slightly to conceal the disgust in them. "Your Highness, Jiang Qi may be hiding, but all the roads in Handan are blocked. He can't escape. No matter how long he hides, he will eventually show his face."

"We need to hurry."

Liu Pengzu ignored the beauty's tenderness. "The Crown Prince has issued another edict, summoning all the princes of the realm to an audience. I must set off for the capital as soon as possible. If nothing unexpected happens, this 'Lord' is worried that His Majesty will collude with the princes during his southern tour and destabilize the court. We, the imperial relatives, will probably have to stay in Chang'an for a long time. Jiang Qi knows too much. We must catch him as soon as possible and not let a single word of it leak out."

"Yes, I will also look for someone."

Jia Chang'er stated his position, then asked, "Did His Majesty lose to the Crown Prince?"

"Yes, my foolish half-brother!"

(End of this chapter)