SWDnovel Chapter 101 Zhao Da's Weakness
Chapter 101 Zhao Da's Weakness
Chapter 101 Zhao Da's Weakness
"Zeping, I've heard that Zhao'er has been granted the title of prince?"
Empress Dowager Du asked another question slowly, and Zhao Pu dared not hide it. He immediately replied, "Your Highness has rendered meritorious service in the campaign, and His Majesty has rewarded you according to your merits, and has conferred upon Your Highness the title of Prince of Wugong."
"What do you think of this matter?" Empress Dowager Du asked tentatively.
"Those who have rendered meritorious service deserve to be rewarded," Zhao Pu said expressionlessly.
"What a fine way to say that someone who has rendered meritorious service deserves a reward!" Empress Dowager Du was not angry but pleased, and asked directly, "Zeping, then I have a question for you."
"Now that Zhao'er has been granted the title of King, why do the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince, who are both His Majesty's younger brothers and have devoted themselves to assisting the country, still not have any titles?"
"To consolidate the foundation of the country, we should value our relatives. I would like to grant Xiang Hai'er a title of king as well. Do you think this is feasible?"
'
This was her real purpose in summoning Zhao Pu. After all, Zhao Pu was a trusted minister of Zhao Kuangyin and was also the de facto head of the court. If she could get his approval, there would be less resistance.
Moreover, she knew that if only Zhao Guangyi was granted the title, His Majesty would have reservations, so she also mentioned Zhao Guangmei in her remarks.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Pu sighed inwardly, having already guessed most of the situation.
He paused, then said vaguely, "Your Majesty, the conferment of titles upon princes is a matter of great importance to the nation and must be carried out in accordance with established rules. How dare an outsider speak out against these rules? This matter still requires Your Majesty's wise decision; this old minister dares not speak presumptuously."
He neither agreed nor disagreed, but simply pushed Zhao Kuangyin to the forefront.
In this way, Empress Dowager Du could not say anything more and waved her hand to let him leave.
Zhao Pu felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He bowed and took his leave, and as soon as he left Qingshou Palace, he hurried straight to Chongyuan Hall.
At this moment, Zhao Kuangyin was reviewing memorials in the Chongyuan Hall. Seeing Zhao Pu rushing over, he put down his vermilion pen and said with a smile, "Zeping, the Empress Dowager summoned you. Why have you come to see me?"
"I have just come out of Qingshou Palace when the Empress Dowager asked about the matter of bestowing titles of kings upon Zhao Guangyi and Zhao Guangmei."
""
Zhao Pu bowed respectfully and reported without hesitation to Zhao Kuangyin what had just happened: "Your Majesty, I dare not speak presumptuously. I only said that Your Majesty's decision is required. I see that the Empress Dowager has made up her mind and will soon summon Your Majesty, which is why I have come to report this."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin frowned slightly, then said, "Speak frankly, what is your opinion on this matter?"
"In my opinion, this is not feasible!"
Zhao Pu spoke firmly, raising his head to look directly at Zhao Kuangyin, "The Song Dynasty has just been established, and its foundation is not yet stable. Now is the time to rectify the court and appease the people."
"If we lavishly bestow titles of kingship upon relatives who have not rendered meritorious service, it will inevitably discourage meritorious officials in the court, cause unrest among the people, and may even lead to imitation, which will cause chaos in the court and the country, with endless troubles in the future."
He paused, then said in an extremely serious tone, "Your Majesty, I implore you to follow the example of Emperor Taizong of Tang, block the path for imperial relatives to seek power, and appoint meritorious officials and capable generals to important positions, so as to stabilize the Song Dynasty."
Zhao Kuangyin remained silent, his fingers tapping lightly on the imperial desk.
He wholeheartedly agreed with Zhao Pu's words.
At the beginning of the Song Dynasty, everything was in need of rebuilding. If the emperor were to grant titles to princes indiscriminately, it would surely sow the seeds of future disaster.
But he couldn't ignore Empress Dowager Du's side.
Just as he was pondering this, a palace maid from Qingshou Palace rushed over again, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager requests that you come to Qingshou Palace immediately, as she has important matters to discuss with you."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Pu exchanged a glance, and immediately understood.
Zhao Kuangyin sighed softly, stood up, and said, "I understand."
He waved his hand at Zhao Pu, "You may leave now. I will think about this matter some more."
Upon arriving at the courtyard of Qingshou Palace, Zhao Kuangyin heard a series of suppressed coughs, which immediately made his heart leap into his throat.
"Summon the imperial physician immediately!"
"My dear child, I have taken my medicine—"
Inside the Qingshou Palace, Empress Dowager Du, her face slightly pale, sat on a couch, the room filled with the bitter smell of herbs.
The weather has turned cooler these days, and she had already caught a cold a while ago. Today, her anxiety and worry have made things even worse.
"Mother! You still need to take better care of yourself!" After Zhao Kuangyin pushed open the palace door, he was even more distressed to see his mother, whose face had become somewhat haggard.
"It's alright. I'm getting old, so it's normal for my health to be poor." Empress Dowager Du forced a smile and beckoned Zhao Kuangyin to come to her bedside.
Zhao Kuangyin rushed to the edge of the bed, took his mother's hand, and looked worried.
"Mother—"
He was about to say something when Empress Dowager Du shook her head and interrupted him: "I heard that Zhao'er has been granted the title of prince?"
"Yes." Speaking of his son, Zhao Kuangyin couldn't stop smiling: "Zhao'er has made great contributions in suppressing the rebellion in Yangzhou. It is only right that he be granted a title of king based on his merits."
"My dear child, do you still remember what I told you before? In the early days of the new dynasty, we should make good use of our relatives to consolidate the foundation of the country." Empress Dowager Du's tone was somewhat weary.
"Your subject remembers," Zhao Kuangyin nodded.
"Now that Zhao'er has been granted the title of king, and the Third and Fourth Princes have devoted themselves wholeheartedly to the cause of our Song Dynasty, their contributions are truly invaluable. Yet you do not grant them even the slightest title, which inevitably chills the hearts of our clan!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin sighed heavily: "Your Majesty, you may not know this, but I did not intend to favor Zhao'er. It is only because the Song Dynasty has just been established that hastily bestowing titles of kings upon members of the imperial clan would violate ancient customs and could easily lead to chaos."
"In the past, after Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, established the country, he enfeoffed eight kings of different surnames. As a result, rebellions broke out everywhere within a few years. Liu Bang had to personally lead a large army to quell the rebellions, which was exhausting for the people and costly for the country."
"Learning from past mistakes is a lesson for the future, which is why I dare not casually bestow titles of kings."
"Xiang Hai'er, you are mistaken." Empress Dowager Du was not angry after hearing this. She simply held Zhao Kuangyin's hand and said gently, "Relatives are not different from those of different surnames."
"That being said, the Rebellion of the Seven States during the reign of Emperor Jing of Han and the War of the Eight Princes in the Western Jin Dynasty are still vivid in our minds!"
Zhao Kuangyin shook his head again, even with an unquestionable tone: "Mother, the matter of bestowing titles of kings must be handled with caution. It is not too late to discuss it after the Song Dynasty has unified the world and its foundation is stable."
Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Du knew that reasoning with Zhao Kuangyin would be futile. She sighed, her voice gradually lowering, and said with a bitter expression, "My dear child, I've been having recurring dreams lately, dreams that your father comes to take me away—I fear my days are numbered."
"Mother!"
Upon hearing this, the filial son Zhao Kuangyin felt a pang of sadness, and all his previous displeasure vanished instantly. He quickly interrupted her, saying, "Mother, don't talk nonsense—there are so many famous doctors in the world. Mother has only caught a cold and will surely get better."
"I know my own body well." Empress Dowager Du shook her head and smiled bitterly. "I've lived for sixty years, and I'm content. My only worry is for you three brothers and my Zhao family clan—"
She paused, then continued, "Xiang'er, I know you intend to make Zhao'er your heir. It's not that I don't like the child, but as the saying goes, you can't put all your eggs in one basket."
"The world is still in chaos, and arrogant and fierce generals are eyeing us covetously. Zhao'er is still young. If something were to happen to him one day, how could a mere child be fit to rule the country?"
"The nation is on the verge of collapse, and there won't even be a single member of the imperial clan who can assist in managing the situation. How can I face your father in the afterlife?"
These words struck Zhao Kuangyin like a heavy hammer, plunging him into a long silence.
No one understands better than him just how chaotic the world has been since the Later Tang Dynasty!
Starving people were everywhere, and corpses littered the ground.
Many talented individuals who aspired to unify the world perished along the way. Even Zhao Kuangyin dared not confidently guarantee that he would end this chaotic era.
Moreover, he knew perfectly well that his body was not as robust as it appeared.
If something were to happen to her, Zhao'er was still young and worried. Even if she was more talented than ordinary people, she might not be able to hold onto the throne if she had no one by her side.
Foreign ministers are indeed not as helpful as relatives.
Few of the martial artists would be willing to prop up a collapsing building if they saw it crumbling.
Not to mention the civil officials, even if they had the will, without troops at their disposal, who could turn the tide?
Among the imperial relatives, only Zhao Guangyi could be considered truly capable. Although he was not good at military affairs, he was quite adept at handling domestic matters.
Now that his eldest son, Zhao Dezhao, has taken command of the army, it is clear that he intends to follow the path of Emperor Taizong of Tang and will surely conquer all directions in the future. In addition, Zhao'er does need a reliable assistant to stabilize the court.
With one being a scholar and the other a warrior, Zhao'er, holding military power, could both check and balance her third brother and ensure the stability of the Zhao family's foundation.
Once Zhao'er grows up, he can be rightfully made crown prince, and the system of "princes and prefects of the capital" can be abolished.
Even if something were to happen to him, Zhao'er would have military power and the assistance of his third brother. As long as the uncle and nephew were on good terms, the country would be secure.
Considering Zhao Guangyi's usual character, Zhao Kuangyin was already somewhat swayed. However, he remembered Zhao Pu's words: it was indeed inappropriate to confer a title of king without merit, as it could easily cause unrest among the people.
After much deliberation, Zhao Kuangyin finally made a compromise, saying, "Mother, I understand your intentions. However, it is indeed inappropriate to bestow titles upon so many princes."
"How about this? I will first enfeoff my third brother as the Marquis of Taiyuan and my fourth brother as the Marquis of Tianshui. If they truly demonstrate talent and virtue and make meritorious contributions in the future, I will reward them accordingly without hesitation. What do you say?"
Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Du smiled slightly.
She knew that Zhao Kuangyin's concession was already a sign that he had considered her feelings.
"Very well, I will do as you say. You are the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty, and you have your own considerations. I will not interfere any further. I only hope that you brothers will live in harmony and that the Great Song Dynasty will be stable."
"This way, even in the afterlife, I can face your father with a clear conscience."
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