Chapter 47 7. The sound of the ax and the shadow of the candle, the fall of the emperor star

When the conflict with Zhao Guangyi became more and more intense, Zhao Kuangyin's thinking about the future of Song Dynasty also became more difficult.He didn't know how far the dynasty he had worked so hard to build could go. Would it be like those kings in the Five Dynasties, who would perish in a few decades?Can descendants not even exceed three generations?Whose hands will such a foundation fall into?These problems kept him up at night, and even though he was only fifty, his hair was rapidly starting to turn gray. Everyone saw this change in the emperor.The close servant Wang Jien, who was bought by Zhao Guangyi, reported every slight change in him to King Jin in time, and Queen Song, who had been worried about her son Dezhao, also noticed it.She said to Zhao Kuangyin: "Instead of torturing yourself like this, Your Majesty, it is better to establish a prince as soon as possible. This can also curb the constant speculation and secret fighting in the court, and let everyone get a moment of peace."

Zhao Kuangyin shook his head and said, "But who shall I appoint as the crown prince? I have always regarded Guangyi as a crown prince and cultivated him for the Queen Mother's will, but now he is less and less able to reassure me. I know you have always wanted me to make Dezhao the crown prince, but although he is already twenty-six years old, he has no experience in these political struggles. If you give him such a big seat, will he be able to sit securely? Will you really support him?" Empress Song didn't even think about these problems, she just thought that as long as her son became the prince, everything would calm down.Now that Zhao Kuangyin raised such a question, she could only sigh.

Zhao Kuangyin went on to say: "Now I just hope that I can live a few more years, so that the world will be clearer for a while, maybe everyone will calm down after a while, Dezhao can be more mature, and King Jin will recognize his status , and then pass on the throne, no matter who it is for, I will die in peace." Empress Song seemed to suddenly think of something, and said to Zhao Kuangyin: "I recently visited a Taoist priest who can predict the future, why don't you ask him, Your Majesty?" When people are deeply confused about the future, they are often particularly willing to believe in some divine power, hoping to use the divine power to point them in some direction.When Zhao Kuangyin was young, he didn't know where he should go, so he asked the eminent monks in the ancient temple for advice.The eminent monk told him that there were frequent wars in the north, and it was the time when heroes came forth in large numbers, so he should go there.Therefore, Zhao Kuangyin defected all the way north to Guo Wei's army, and finally achieved some hegemony.Now Queen Song's proposal just catered to Zhao Kuangyin's confused mood at this time, so she asked her to invite this expert into the palace.

This time, a Taoist priest named Xiyi was invited.Zhao Kuangyin looked at his white beard fluttering down, looking like a fairy, and asked respectfully: "The state affairs are complicated now, and there are still many things that have not been done well, so I want to know how long I can live, so that I can spare time These wishes come true one by one.” Daoist Xi Yi caressed his white beard and said, "If your majesty wants to know the birthday, you can watch the sky at night on October 19. If the sky is clear, then your majesty can extend your life by ten years; if the clouds are cloudy, you should have made plans earlier. "

After sending off the Taoist leader, Zhao Kuangyin felt uneasy.In a few days it was the 19th, and he went up to the Taiqing Pavilion to see what the weather was like. On this day, the city of Kaifeng was extremely lively, with people everywhere.Zhao Kuangyin stood on the Taiqing Pavilion, listening to the hustle and bustle of people outside the palace, thinking that these are the people of the country he founded, he couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion.As night fell, he looked up at the sky, only to see a bright moon hanging in the sky above the blue sky, which was very bright, and the bright stars embellished the sky even deeper.Zhao Kuangyin was secretly happy: It seems that I can extend my life for ten years. In ten years, I will definitely be able to defeat the Liao Kingdom and regain the lost land; I can also make the people of the Song Dynasty more prosperous, and I can also give Dezhao more experience. , if I succeed in the future, I will definitely be able to continue the glory I created...

The emotionally charged Zhao Kuangyin has set up countless plans for the future, and his emotions, which were originally depressed due to internal strife, gradually eased up, and he is full of confidence in the future of Song Dynasty.But as soon as Zishi arrived, a dark cloud suddenly floated from the northwest direction, covering the sky tightly, and the wind blew up instantly, the fallen leaves on the ground were rolled up and down, and after a while, it actually snowed. Zhao Kuangyin's mood was suddenly blown cold by the strong wind. He looked at the cloudy sky and asked himself: "Is the country of my Song Dynasty really going to be dilapidated to the point of precariousness?"

Zhao Kuangyin dragged his heavy steps back to the bedroom, his heart was full of struggles.If he couldn't live for a long time, what he couldn't let go of the most was who would inherit this career.He knew that even if he made De Zhao the crown prince, Guangyi would become his biggest threat.If this is the case, it is not certain whether Dezhao's throne will be stable or not, maybe it will be another bloodbath, repeating the mistakes of the previous generation, such a scene is beyond his imagination.Guangyi's coveting of the throne and his coveting of Mrs. Huarui are like a knife piercing Zhao Kuangyin's heart, and the words of Empress Song crying about the difficulty of protecting herself in the future come to mind again.

After thinking about it, Zhao Kuangyin had a headache and decided to call Zhao Guangyi to have a deep talk with him. No matter who the future emperor is, he hopes that Guangyi can serve the country wholeheartedly and treat everyone kindly.In the past, every time he had troubles, he would ask Guangyi to drink with him, this time he asked him to drink with him again, and he had to explain all the problems clearly and open up all the knots in his heart. Zhao Kuangyin ordered his servant to summon the King of Jin to the palace for an audience. Zhao Guangyi was very surprised when he received the order.Ever since molesting Mrs. Huarui, he has been afraid to ask to see her. He did not expect the emperor to issue an edict to let him enter the palace at this time today.He didn't know whether it was a blessing or a curse waiting for him, and none of the staff in the mansion could predict what it meant to enter the palace this time.

Zhao Guangyi was anxiously preparing to go out and board the carriage to enter the palace. The adviser Cheng Dexuan suddenly caught up and presented him with a jug of wine, saying, "King Jin is leaving, and the fortune and misfortune are unknown. This is the wine prepared according to your wishes. Since Your Majesty is I told you to drink with him, why don't you take it with you!" After taking the jug, Zhao Guangyi naturally knew what was in it. Although he had made preparations earlier, he never thought that he would present the wine to his elder brother today.He didn't say anything, just silently put the wine into the carriage, and ordered people to drive into the palace.

When he came to Zhao Kuangyin's bedroom, Zhao Guangyi bowed uncomfortably.Zhao Kuangyin helped him up with a smile as if nothing had happened, and said, "Suddenly it snowed heavily today, so I call you to drink with me and enjoy the snow." Zhao Guangyi hurriedly said: "As long as Your Majesty is interested, I would like to accompany Your Majesty to get drunk before resting." Zhao Kuangyin seemed very happy when he heard it, and said loudly: "Okay! Get drunk!" Then, he asked the servants and concubines to step down: "I want to have a good drink with King Jin tonight, so please don't disturb me. gone."

It's been a long time since the two brothers had a drink at the same table. While drinking, Zhao Kuangyin talked about their childhood fun, as if they were just two urchins.Seeing that the emperor was in such a good mood, Zhao Guangyi kept pouring wine for him. After drinking for a long while, Zhao Kuangyin said: "You and my brothers have gone through wind and rain together and established such a great achievement, which is worthy of our ancestors and is enough to look down upon the world. But now that I am old, I don't know where the future of Song Dynasty is?" Zhao Guangyi said: "Your Majesty is young and powerful, and the people of Song Dynasty are still relying on His Majesty's blessing." Zhao Kuangyin shook his head and said: "I can't sit on the dragon chair forever. Sooner or later, the world will be handed over to others. What I worry about now is whether this person can make the world peaceful and make the world peaceful according to my wishes." Everyone will be happy." This sensitive issue made Zhao Kuangyin say this, and Zhao Guangyi felt a little uneasy.Seeing that he was silent, Zhao Kuangyin went on to say: "I know you have always wanted to inherit this position, and everyone has responded to it. Thousands of people enjoy the glory of Shanhu Longsui. Who doesn't want it? That's why you are so jealous of Dezhao. But you have to remember: No matter which of you two becomes emperor, it is my Zhao family's world, you must put the people first, you must add glory to your ancestors, and seek blessings for the world!" The north wind blowing in from outside through the window slits made the candlelight on the main hall sway here and there, reflecting the empty roof and the thick pillars, showing a bit of eerieness.Zhao Guangyi looked at the swaying shadows on the ground, and listened to Zhao Kuangyin's instructions to him, and a sense of foreboding rose in his heart.He felt that Zhao Kuangyin seemed to be implying that he should stop fighting for the throne and should help Dezhao with peace of mind. No matter who came to sit on the Dragon Throne, he would feel honored and should not have any delusions. Zhao Kuangyin was still talking, but Zhao Guangyi couldn't listen anymore. He said: "I followed my elder brother to fight the world since I was a child, and I know that this foundation is hard-won. No matter what, I will do my best to help, and I won't let it fail." Said Then, he took out his own jug of wine. "This is a private collection of my mansion. Today I brought some for His Majesty to taste." When Zhao Kuangyin heard what Zhao Guangyi said, he was overjoyed, and when he saw him bring out the wine, he said, "Let me taste it." Zhao Guangyi filled the wine respectfully and offered it with both hands.Zhao Kuangyin took the wine glass, but saw that Guangyi's glass was empty, so he asked, "Why don't you drink?" Zhao Guangyi waved his hands quickly and said, "My brother can't drink as much as your majesty, and he is already too strong." Zhao Kuangyin persuaded him again and again, but Zhao Guangyi insisted on not drinking, and even hid from his seat.Zhao Kuangyin said with a smile: "You are still like this. Every time you are asked to drink, you keep shirking. If this is the case, then I will drink it myself." After talking, he drank it down, thought about it carefully, and sighed: " Good wine! Good wine!" Zhao Kuangyin, who was already drunk after drinking to the point of happiness, picked up the jade ax in his hand, knocked on the table and shouted: "It's really good wine! Pour me more!" That night, the servants waiting outside the hall only heard His Majesty and King Jin pushing glasses and changing glasses, saw two figures swaying on the window paper, and heard His Majesty praising "good wine" and whenever he was happy, There was the sound of hitting the table with a jade axe.It wasn't until early morning that Zhao Kuangyin lay down on the table drunk and fell asleep.The King of Jin called his servants in to help him sleep well, and then he left the palace and returned home. Zhao Kuangyin, who was snoring like thunder, finally fell asleep, and the servants hurriedly took the time to sleep for a while.Just laying down, Zhao Kuangyin's snoring suddenly stopped. The servant thought the emperor had woken up, so he rushed in to listen, but found that a generation of kings had already passed away.