Zhao Song: My father was Emperor Taizu of Song

Chapter 73 Sharing the World

"Governing a country through culture is the only way to ensure its long-term stability..."

Zhao Kuangyin pondered these eight words repeatedly, his fingers unconsciously tapping the chessboard, making soft "tap, tap" sounds. His originally peaceful gaze gradually became deep and unfathomable.

Chen Tuan's words reminded him of the reason he was able to ascend to the throne.

This is because "the ruler is not a ruler, and the minister is not a minister."

He knew very well that if he wanted the Zhao family's rule to be stable for generations and to eliminate the hidden danger of military generals causing trouble, then Chen Tuan's eight words were indeed a good method.

Looking at the rise and fall of dynasties throughout history, the reasons for the collapse of dynasties and the chaos of the world seem numerous, but fundamentally, there is only one:

There's no other reason than that the ruler was weak and the ministers were strong.

When the power of the local authorities far exceeds that of the central government, that is the day the imperial family will be overthrown!

The Zhou dynasty shared the empire with the feudal lords; when the feudal lords became powerful, the Zhou dynasty perished. The Han dynasty shared the empire with powerful clans; when the powerful clans became powerful, the Han dynasty perished. The Tang dynasty shared the empire with warlords; when the warlords became powerful, the Tang dynasty perished…

Lessons from the past, the teacher behind the car.

With whom should my Great Song Dynasty share the world in order to avoid a recurrence of such chaotic times?

At first, Zhao Kuangyin had no idea what to do, but after listening to Chen Tuan's words, his mind suddenly became clear, as if he had grasped the key to everything!

Throughout history, all dynasties fell to military men, demonstrating the devastating impact they had on the nation!

Since that's the case, why doesn't our Great Song Dynasty share the world with the scholar-officials?

They are just a group of literati. No matter how ambitious they are, they are powerless and can't stir up much trouble.

As the thought flashed through his mind, Zhao Kuangyin's eyes brightened even more. He immediately put down the chess piece, stood up, and bowed solemnly to Chen Tuan with his hands clasped in front of him.

"I have learned a great deal from your words, Master Dao."

Chen Tuan smiled and nodded, accepting the bow with composure.

Having achieved his goal, he raised his hand again, inviting, "Your Majesty, the game is not over yet, why not continue?"

"Haha, okay."

Zhao Kuangyin sat down with pleasure, casually picked up a black piece, and when his eyes swept across the chessboard, he suddenly paused.

Without realizing it, he had already lost the battle on the chessboard...

……

The next morning, Zhao Dezhao walked out of the Imperial Guard camp.

These past few days, he has been eating and sleeping in the military camp, without ever leaving it. If it weren't for his father's decree yesterday summoning all officials to court to discuss the rebellion of Li Chongjin in Yangzhou, he still wouldn't have stepped out of the camp gate.

However, its effects are also quite remarkable.

Those two thousand fierce warriors looked at him with the fanaticism and faith of believers, and the eight hundred men who were finally selected were the most powerful fighters in the army!

Even if he didn't reach the level of "killing someone from a hundred paces away, or being worth ten men," he was not far off.

After removing his heavy armor and changing into proper official robes, Zhao Dezhao boarded the carriage and headed towards the palace.

Even before the morning court session, a number of officials had already gathered outside the palace gates, waiting to be received. They huddled together in twos and threes, discussing state affairs in hushed tones.

The carriage came to a steady stop in front of the palace gate. Zhao Dezhao composed himself and slowly stepped down from the carriage.

As soon as he appeared, the officials who were gathered in small groups outside the palace gates all turned to look at him.

The Emperor's three imperial edicts within a few days clearly demonstrate his favor towards the eldest son.

If it were before, Zhao Dezhao would have been confined to the deep palace, but now that he has established his own government and is involved in politics, this is also an opportunity for the officials.

"Marquis of Wugong! I am Zhang Huai, a Principal Clerk of the Ministry of Personnel. Greetings, Marquis!"

Immediately, officials stepped forward, bowed, and spoke in a fawning tone, hoping to become acquainted with the person.

However, most of those who came forward to greet him were low-ranking officials, while the powerful ministers stood still, watching indifferently from the sidelines.

These old foxes won't make any bets until the situation becomes clear.

Zhao Dezhao understood the situation, but he did not show any disrespect. Even when facing lower-ranking officials, he returned their greetings with clasped hands, displaying a humble and gentle attitude.

"Your subject pays respects to the Marquis of Wugong."

A cheerful yet slightly roguish voice came from behind. Zhao Dezhao turned around and saw that it was Li Chuyun.

"Uncle Li, please don't make fun of me," Zhao Dezhao said with a smile, returning the greeting.

"Haha, how dare I do such a thing, Your Highness, please don't misunderstand me."

Seeing that Zhao Dezhao still affectionately called him "uncle" in front of the officials, Li Chuyun was very pleased and his smile deepened.

"Your Highness has misunderstood you?"

Shi Shouxin strode over, glanced at Li Chuyun sideways, and said with a hint of mockery, "What kind of person are you? Others may not know, but don't you have any self-awareness?"

"Ahem, Yide, you should be careful in front of the palace gates, don't be so rude."

Murong Yanzhao stepped out from behind Shi Shouxin with a smile, his gaze falling on Zhao Dezhao. He solemnly cupped his hands and said, "Greetings, Marquis of Wugong."

"Uncle Murong, you're too kind," Zhao Dezhao quickly returned the greeting.

Subsequently, several generals of the Imperial Guards arrived one after another, and as if by prior arrangement, they all took the initiative to greet Zhao Dezhao upon seeing him.

Even Wang Shenqi, who had previously had a falling out with Li Chuyun, was no exception.

Having followed Zhao Kuangyin for many years, they naturally understood what Zhao Kuangyin's three edicts issued in those few days truly meant.

He was already a confidant of the emperor, and now that he was siding with the eldest son whom His Majesty favored, he naturally had no psychological burden.

Many high-ranking officials watched this scene thoughtfully. Some glanced at each other, already weighing their options, and were about to step forward to speak to Zhao Dezhao when they suddenly heard a voice:

"Most scholars in the world spout benevolence and morality, but secretly harbor filthy thoughts. Those pedantic scholars who fawned over Your Highness earlier are even more so; Your Highness should be wary of them."

These words were spoken by Wang Shenqi.

His voice wasn't loud, but it was just loud enough for everyone present to hear.

"Zhongbao is right. These scholars are very cunning. Your Highness should be careful when dealing with them."

As soon as Wang Shenqi finished speaking, Shi Shouxin and many other Song generals nodded subconsciously.

They already looked down on these literati who could only spout a few vulgarities.

It wasn't just them; most generals throughout the Five Dynasties period were like this.

Upon hearing this, the officials who were about to step forward froze on the spot, their faces turning pale and then red. Even the lower-ranking civil officials who had come forward to greet them earlier lowered their heads, their faces showing anger but daring not to speak out.

In short, he had completely offended a group of civil officials, but Wang Shenqi remained calm, as if he didn't care at all.

The angry civil officials all turned their gazes to Zhao Dezhao, wanting to see what he would say.

Zhao Dezhao gave Wang Shenqi a deep look, shook his head, and was about to speak when a righteous and stern voice suddenly came from outside the palace gate:

"Commander Wang, you are mistaken!"

Zhao Guangyi, dressed in a purple official robe, slowly stepped out of his carriage. His gaze swept over the assembled officials, finally settling on Wang Shenqi, and he said in a deep voice:

"As the saying goes, military prowess can secure a nation, while civil administration can bring prosperity. Both civil and military officials are the pillars of our Great Song Dynasty. How can we slander our colleagues based on personal prejudice?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the civil officials present looked at Zhao Guangyi with varying degrees of gratitude in their eyes.

On such occasions, Zhao Guangyi was willing to offend military generals who held power to speak up for them, and this sentiment truly won the favor of the civil officials.

"Slandering a colleague is a serious crime, but I'll let it go this time," Zhao Guangyi said, seemingly oblivious, still maintaining his righteous indignation. "However, if you corrupt the Crown Prince, I will certainly impeach you in court!"

These words sent a chill down the spines of many civil officials, who then realized that the current emperor's eldest son was only ten years old.

Ten-year-old children are very likely to trust the people around them!

……