Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne

Chapter 976: Chapter 74: No Shame in Losing to Great Zhou (Part 3)

These princes and princesses who came to the Swamp Prefecture for the Dragon Boat Festival and trade conference have been to the capital city before and listened to plays there. But the plays from the capital are not like the ones from Lingnan. Perhaps it is because they can’t understand the Lingnan plays that they find them to have a unique flavor.

Zhao Yao accompanied these distinguished foreign guests for a while to watch the play, then left to meet the merchants from other regions and countries at the Ministry of Rites.

By noon, Zhao Yao hosted the foreign dignitaries at the Han Prince Mansion for lunch. The inland and foreign merchants had lunch at the Ministry of Rites.

During lunch, there naturally had to be song and dance performances. The performers used to be girls on the flower boats. These girls, having no family and unwilling to return home, stayed at the Swamp Prefecture.

Zhao Yao initially planned to arrange work for these girls, thinking they should earn their own living. Later, realizing the Dragon Boat Festival and trade conference needed performances, he recalled that he forgot to bring singers and musicians from the capital. Thus, he came up with an idea to invite these girls to perform, formally making them dancers and musicians at the Han Prince Mansion.

For these girls, becoming dancers and musicians at the Han Prince Mansion was the best option. They not only received monthly earnings but also did not need to entertain guests.

They originally thought their fate would be assigned or sold, but unexpectedly, Prince Han offered them refuge. Having been sold to the Swamp Prefecture and to flower boats since young, aside from serving people, they only knew how to sing songs and dance. If Prince Han did not employ them for singing and dancing, they truly did not know how they would survive in the Swamp Prefecture.

To repay Zhao Yao for the renewal of their lives, they brought out their best skills and performed with all their might.

At the Dragon Boat Festival luncheon, the performances by these girls were outstanding, earning high praise from the foreign guests.

After the luncheon, Zhao Yao led the foreign guests to the pier.

In the afternoon, there would be a dragon boat race at the pier.

Before the dragon boat race commenced, Zhao Yao led civil and military ministers to worship Qu Yuan by the pier. After the worship, Zhao Yao personally sounded the big drum to start the dragon boat race.

Prior to the Dragon Boat Festival, a dragon boat race had already been held, with many teams participating. From that race, the top ten teams would compete for ultimate victory today.

The entire population of the Swamp Prefecture came to the pier to watch the dragon boat race.

These foreign guests had never seen a dragon boat race of Great Zhou; it was their first time, and their interest was immense.

They, like the citizens of the Swamp Prefecture, cheered wholeheartedly for the teams participating in the race. The atmosphere on-site was vibrant and fiery.

Among the ten dragon boat teams, the most outstanding were the Han Prince Mansion’s guard team, imperial guard, and the Lingnan Camp Team.

In these three teams, foreigners witnessed the power of Great Zhou’s soldiers. Clearly a dragon boat race, yet they saw an aura of murderous intent from these soldiers, as if they were unsheathed swords that had seen blood, sharp and intimidating.

The foreigners were shocked by the power emanating from the dragon boat rowing soldiers, reminding them of the past when their warriors were defeated by Great Zhou’s soldiers.

Those soldiers who luckily survived back then said that Great Zhou’s soldiers were incredibly formidable, they were no match at all. Now, those who survived still involuntarily fear Great Zhou’s soldiers.

Zhao Yao saw the expressions of dread and awe on the foreigners’ faces, feeling greatly satisfied, as the initial intimidation had been achieved. The real show would be the military parade two days later, which would strike fear from the core into these foreigners.

The final champion team was the Lingnan Camp Dragon Boat Team. This was an internally decided champion. Zhao Yao could not let his guard team or imperial guard dragon boat team win first place; otherwise, everyone would think Lingnan Camp inferior to Han Prince’s guard team or imperial guard team.

Although Lingnan Camp was already Zhao Yao’s military camp, others were unaware of this. Everyone still believed Lingnan Camp belonged to the imperial court, so Lingnan Camp could not lose to Zhao Yao’s Personal Guard Team.

After the dragon boat race, Zhao Yao continued to entertain foreign guests at the Han Prince Mansion. Merchants from inland and other countries could move freely. Soldiers from Lingnan Camp who won the dragon boat race championship were invited to attend the evening banquet at the Han Prince Mansion.

Various celebratory events would be held within Swamp Prefecture City, open to everyone.

At the evening banquet in the Han Prince Mansion, Zhao Yao suggested that Lingnan Camp’s soldiers could compete with the personal guards brought by the foreign guests.

Foreign guests also wanted to know who was better in martial prowess, their personal guards or Lingnan Camp’s soldiers. Initially, they thought their personal guards were no worse than Lingnan Camp’s soldiers, but unexpectedly, their guards were overwhelmed by Lingnan Camp’s soldiers, unable to retaliate. After losing to Lingnan Camp’s soldiers, the foreign guests proposed a contest with Zhao Yao’s personal guard team, but again were utterly defeated.

Be it the soldiers from Lingnan Camp or Prince Han’s Personal Guard Team, they could not be surpassed. A prince’s personal guard team was so formidable, they dared not imagine how strong the capital’s imperial guard would be.

No match at all, truly no match at all. Their previous defeat to Great Zhou was not unjust.

While Swamp Prefecture was bustling with the Dragon Boat Festival celebrations, the capital was not as lively as usual. Recently, smallpox emerged in the capital, leaving the citizens disinclined to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. The palace also did not celebrate the festival.

On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, the emperor did not summon ministers to celebrate together, allowing them to spend the festival at home. He went to Zhao Yang Palace and celebrated the festival simply with Empress Xie.

At noon, after having lunch in Zhao Yang Palace, the emperor returned to the Imperial Study.

"I really wish to go to the Swamp Prefecture to see what that rascal Xiao Shi is organizing for the Dragon Boat Festival activities."

Sun Kui, beside him, remarked, "It must be very lively."

"That rascal previously mentioned in a secret memo that he would hold some sort of military parade, yet I’m curious what it will turn out like." The emperor was quite intrigued, "He even boasted in front of me that the parade he orchestrates will make those foreign Annan guests quake in fear."