Movie: Get Alpha Dog at the start

Chapter 1136 Even a tiger won’t eat its own cubs?
Zhuangzi's outer courtyard.

When Song Mo saw Qin Hao and Dou Zhao coming together, he hurried forward to salute.

"Greetings to His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin, Miss Dou."

Qin Hao smiled and said, "Prince Song, there is no need to be polite."

Dou Zhao snorted coldly and did not look at Song Mo well, which made Song Mo wonder how he had offended the future Princess Qin.

"Song Shizi, I have already done what you asked me to do. My father has granted the Duke of Dingguo's family a thousand miles away. As for the little prince, my father has also tacitly allowed you to bring him up with you."

Song Mo couldn't help but feel grief and indignation when he heard this. His uncle had devoted himself to the country and the people, but in the end he was demoted and his property was confiscated because of a trumped-up crime. Exile thousands of miles away actually became a grace.

"Song Mo, I know you are dissatisfied in your heart, but you have to understand that thunder and rain are all grace from the emperor. Before you have enough strength, you must learn to hide your wildness."

Qin Hao's words hit Song Mo's heart like a heavy hammer, and he bowed hurriedly: "Song Mo dare not, thank the emperor for his grace."

"That's right. There is a difference between the king and his subjects. You must always remember your position. In this regard, there is actually no difference between me and you."

Song Mo was stunned for a moment, then he realized that Qin Hao was trying to win him over, but he didn't care. As long as they could help him rescue his uncle, it didn't matter who he joined.

"Your Highness, Prince Qin, Song Mo has another request."

Qin Hao looked at Song Mo with a determined look and sighed, "You still don't give up."

"Song Mo knows that Your Highness is in a difficult situation, and only asks for Your Highness's advice. As long as it can save my uncle's life, Song Mo will do whatever you ask of him."

Qin Hao shook his head: "Forget it, forget it. In view of your sincere heart, I will help you once more. However, whether he can save Duke Dingguo depends on his luck."

"My father and Duke Dingguo were childhood playmates and have a deep friendship. When Duke Dingguo left the capital to suppress bandits, my father gave him half a ruler and promised to punish the tyrant emperor and the slanderous ministers. If you can use this half ruler to plead with my father, you might be able to save Duke Dingguo's life."

Song Mo's heart was shocked. He remembered that his uncle often stared at the half ruler, but he didn't know that the half ruler had such a history.

"Your Majesty the Prince of Qin has shown great kindness and generosity, Song Mo will never forget it."

"What is Prince Song doing? I didn't say anything."

After returning from the outer courtyard, Dou Zhao asked Qin Hao with some doubt, "Your Majesty, will you really spare someone's life just because of half a ruler?"

"It took Jiang Meisun twenty years to pacify the sea, which made father doubt whether he was nurturing the pirates for his own benefit. If Jiang Meisun had kept dragging his feet and leaving a group of pirates unannihilated, father might not have dared to touch him easily. But it happened that the Dingguo Army wiped out the pirates when father was ill. Whether it was to pave the way for the prince or to prevent the Dingguo Army from becoming too powerful, Jiang Meisun must be brought down."

"According to my father's character, if Jiang Meisun had handed over his military power obediently and no one in the court had fought for him, he might have been able to save his life. But if Jiang Meisun showed any signs of forming a clique, he would have been doomed."

"Then why did you let Song Mo..."

Qin Hao spread his hands and said, "If I tell Song Mo the truth, what do you think he will do? Giving him some hope is better than letting him commit suicide."

"But giving hope and then having it shattered is more torturous."

"That's none of my business. As long as he remembers to return the favor, that's all."

Dou Zhao remained silent. If it were someone else, she might think that Qin Hao's behavior was a bit cruel, but for Song Mo, the one who offended her, he deserved it!
……

On the other side, after Qin Hao and Dou Zhao left, Song Mo immediately sent people to the Futing military camp to look for the half ruler. At the same time, he also began to move around, wanting to meet his uncle and ask where the half ruler was.

Unfortunately, Jiang Meisun was taken away by the Jiying Guards, and Lord Wu was helpless, and even the Crown Prince did not dare to intervene.

Song Mo had no choice but to ask Lord Wu to continue mediating in the court, while he himself tried his best to find out the whereabouts of Jiang Meisun.

Finally, Song Mo's good friend Yunyangbo found out through Empress Wan's relationship that Zhu Jianshen had ordered the Jiying Guard to bring Jiang Meisun to the palace for questioning. As a result, when Song Mo was full of hope that he would see his uncle soon, he found that the sedan chair going to the palace was empty.

Song Mo immediately had a bad premonition. He arrived at the dock and saw the Jiying Guards guarding it. With the help of Yunyang Bo, Song Mo rushed into the hold, only to find that his uncle had been killed, with the half ruler still tightly grasped in his hand before he died.

Song Mo was exposed on the spot and went crazy, wanting to go to the palace to seek an explanation.

However, outside the gate of the imperial city, he met Qin Hao. Song Mo still insisted on forcing his way in. As a result, before he could pass Qin Hao, he felt a numbness on the back of his neck, his eyes went dark, and he fainted.

"Take him back, and let him come to see me when he wakes up."

Qin Hao said to Yan Chaoqing in a cold voice.

Yan Chaoqing quickly saluted Qin Hao and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, the Prince of Qin, for saving my life."

Then he carried Song Mo back.

However, this matter was still reported to the court by the ministers, and many ministers advocated severe punishment for Song Mo.

"Your Majesty, Song Mo not only drew his sword against the Jiying Guards, but also tried to force his way through the palace gates. He deserves death. If he is not executed, it will not be enough to appease the public anger!"

Zhu Jianshen was a little embarrassed for a moment, as he felt more or less guilty about Jiang Meisun's death.

"What do you think, Duke of England?"

Originally, Zhu Jianshen thought that even a tiger would not eat its own cubs. As Song Mo's biological father, Song Yichun should at least plead for his son, right?
As a result, Song Yichun looked upright and said, "Your Majesty, this wicked boy has committed such a heinous crime. I dare not protect him. Please punish him severely."

Zhu Jianshen was stunned at the time. What was going on? Was this what a father should say?
Helpless, Zhu Jianshen had to look at Qin Hao.

Qin Hao understood: "Father, I think that although Song Mo has done something wrong, he has made many outstanding contributions in the Dingguo Army. He is a rare talent. It would be a pity to kill him. It is better to punish him slightly. This will not only teach Song Mo a lesson, but also give him a chance to make up for his crime."

Zhu Jianshen nodded with satisfaction and was about to speak when he was interrupted by Song Yichun.

"Your Majesty, I want to report that His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin abused his power for personal gain. As far as I know, His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin has a close personal relationship with Song Mo..."

Song Yichun was really cruel. If Qin Hao hadn't ruined his plan and made Song Mo guilty of breaking into the palace, Song Mo would not have deserved to die even if he had nine lives.

Zhu Jianshen was displeased when he heard this. You old thief, even a tiger doesn't eat its own cubs, how dare you slander my son?
"Duke Ying, be careful with your words. The King of Qin has lived in the palace for a long time. Song Mo went to Futing to join the army when he was eight years old. He has never had any social interaction with them. How can you say that they have a close personal relationship? Why don't you leave immediately?"

Although the Duke of England was unwilling, he did not dare to anger Zhu Jianshen.

Seeing this, the other court officials naturally understood what Zhu Jianshen meant, and they all stood up to plead for Qin Hao and Song Mo.

Zhu Jianshen simply punished Song Moting with 30 strokes of the cane and confined him to his home for half a year.

After Song Mo woke up, he calmed down and realized that nothing he did now would help. In despair, he went to the palace to receive his punishment, then returned home and got drunk all day.

It was only with the persuasion of his mother Jiang Huisun that Song Mo regained his spirits.

As his mother was seriously ill, Song Mo took this opportunity to stay in the mansion to take care of his mother. However, ever since his uncle Jiang Meisun lost power, his father Song Yichun's attitude towards mother and son has become visibly bad.

At the same time, the court was not peaceful. Although Jiang Meisun was dead, the Dingguo Army was still there. Now that the pirates had been wiped out, there was naturally no need for the Dingguo Army to exist. After all, the national treasury had been emptied over the years in order to raise food and wages for the Dingguo Army.

"Your Majesty, I think that now that the Pacification of the Sea has been achieved, there is really no need to continue wasting money and food. It would be better to disband the Dingguo Army and free up military funds to deal with the Liaodong Lizhen tribe."

The reason why Prince Qing hated Jiang Meisun so much was largely because Jiang Meisun's Dingguo Army occupied a large amount of the court's money and grain quota, resulting in much less money and grain being given to him. How can rebellion not cost money?

"Your Majesty, this is absolutely impossible. The pirates are now afraid of the reputation of the Dingguo Army and dare not attack the coast of Futing. They have just taken refuge in the more distant areas of Fuso, Siam, and Zhenla. If these pirates knew that the Dingguo Army was disbanded, they would definitely come back. I hope Your Majesty will think twice."

For a moment, Zhu Jianshen was undecided. Suddenly, he glanced and found that Qin Hao was openly dozing off in the court. His face immediately frowned.

"Ahem, King Qin, what do you think?"

Qin Hao pretended to be embarrassed as if he was caught truant in class and said, "Father, I think both censors are right. Why not come up with a compromise plan and disband some of the Dingguo Army, but still keep some to deter the remaining pirates."

Zhu Jianshen's eyes lit up: "Then how many people do you think should be laid off?"

"I think that since we want to save food and money, we can't achieve the goal if we lay off too few people, but laying off too many people will affect the combat effectiveness of the Dingguo Army. It would be better to select 70,000 young and strong men from the Dingguo Army and lay off the rest. What do you think, father?"

Zhu Jianshen glanced at the many officials in the court and thought: You guys are arguing all the time, but you can't come up with a suitable solution. You are not as insightful as my son.

"I second the proposal."

"I also second my opinion."

Most officials in the court agreed with the plan proposed by Qin Hao, only Prince Qing and his party were dissatisfied with it.

However, Elder Wu's impression of Qin Hao, the idle prince who usually has little presence, has changed a lot.

"In that case, let the cabinet come up with a charter and send someone to do it as soon as possible."

When leaving court, Lord Wu walked up to Qin Hao on purpose.

"Your Highness, Prince Qin, do you have any candidates for the people who will go to Futing to disarm?"

"Maybe Lord Wu asked the wrong person? This matter should be discussed by your cabinet." Qin Hao always remained wary of this kind of old fox, and Lord Wu was a die-hard princeling. It was impossible for him to change his allegiance just because of his outstanding performance.

Elder Wu laughed and said, "Your Highness, the plan to cut down the number of employees was proposed by you, so naturally I have to ask for your opinion."

"Mr. Wu, you are joking. I don't have any suitable candidates."

Elder Wu bowed and whispered, "Your Highness, Prince Qin, how about doing me a favor?"

"Mr. Wu, you are too polite." Qin Hao pretended to ponder for a moment, then said with a smile.

"This military reduction means that 80,000 people will lose their jobs. Coupled with the death of Duke Dingguo, the entire Dingguo Army is furious. If someone else were to go, I'm afraid they wouldn't be able to suppress these arrogant soldiers. If a mutiny breaks out, the consequences will be disastrous. I think only one person can take on this important task."

Elder Wu bowed again and said, "I would like to hear the details."

"Song Mo."

"Thank you, King Qin."

"Mr. Wu, you are too polite."

The two smiled at each other, each with their own plans in mind, yet they all understood each other tacitly.

Soon, the imperial court issued an order to reduce the military. Song Mo was reluctant to do so at first, as they were his comrades-in-arms with whom he had shared life and death, and now he was asked to destroy their jobs.

Elder Wu said calmly.

"Prince Song should think it through. If he is present at this disarmament, the impact of the disarmament can be minimized. If it is someone else, and there is a mutiny, the court will send a large army to suppress it. How many people will be killed or injured? Will Prince Song bear to watch his former comrades end up like this?"

Only then did Song Mo go to Futing overnight.

……

At the same time, Zhu Jianshen suddenly thought of something while reviewing memorials that night.

"The mourning period for the second wife of the Dou family should have passed, right?"

Eunuch Wang beside him quickly replied: "Your Majesty, tomorrow will be the end of three months. According to etiquette, Dou Zhao can be engaged."

"Well, let's get it done as soon as possible. Hao'er is not a child anymore."

Early the next morning, Dou Shishu and Dou Shiying were waiting in the front hall, and finally at noon they saw Eunuch Wang, who came to announce the imperial decree.

"The Emperor, in compliance with the Will of Heaven, proclaims: I have heard that Dou Zhao, the daughter of Dou Shiying, the governor of the Metropolitan Censorate, is dignified, virtuous, gentle, and talented..."

When Dou Shishu saw that the imperial edict had been read and his brother had not yet reacted, he hurriedly urged him to accept the edict quickly.

"Mr. Dou, congratulations. Don't forget to treat me to a drink at the wedding banquet."

"It is a great honor for the whole Dou family to have Eunuch Wang here. We couldn't ask for more." Dou Shishu was all smiles. Because of Wang Yingxue's matter, Dou Zhao's wedding date was postponed, which made him nervous all day, fearing that the duck in his mouth would fly away. Now that the imperial edict has come down, he can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

The emperor granted the marriage, and the groom was the Prince of Qin, so naturally they could not be careless. Moreover, Zhu Jianshen seemed to be anxious to have Qin Hao and Dou Zhao get married, and the wedding date was set for a month later. Not only was the Ministry of Internal Affairs extremely busy, but the Ministry of Rites was also busy, and Dou Shishu, the official of the Ministry of Rites, naturally had to work hard as well.

Instead, the two protagonists, Qin Hao and Dou Zhao, became the most idle people.

A month passed in the blink of an eye. On this day, Qin Hao rode a tall horse at the front of the wedding procession and arrived at the gate of Dou Mansion in a grand manner.

After all, he was the King of Qin. The male guests from the Dou family who blocked his way were very respectful and did not make things difficult for him. They easily let Qin Hao into the inner courtyard.

All the way to the door of Dou Zhao's boudoir, Su Xin was blocking the door.

"Your Highness, Prince Qin, my cousin said that you have to write a poem to urge you to get ready. Only if you do it well can you enter."

Qin Hao pondered for a moment.

"Spring clouds skillfully embroider the apron of happiness, and the music of the celestial beings echoes through the hall.

"When I first opened the precious mirror, my eyebrows were pale, and my lover was anxiously waiting for the moon."

While everyone was cheering, Qin Hao rushed into Dou Zhao's boudoir.