Chapter 24 Chapter Twenty-Four

When Zhao Kuangyin returned to Kaifeng, no matter what his mood was or what he wanted to do, he was surrounded by unprecedented national enthusiasm.Looking back at history, since the Anshi Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty in the 8th century in the last century, the Han nationality began to sink and completely lost the good days of stability and peace. Culture has begun an unprecedented decline... It has been a full two hundred and twenty-two years! Constantly changing dynasties, constantly killing and plundering, and dying, until Zhao Kuangyin was born.It took him only 17 short years to return the Central Plains and Jiangnan to the territory, and gradually kneaded the shattered prefectures and counties of the original Tang Dynasty into shape and began to recover.So what's next?The Northern Han Dynasty... and even the sixteen prefectures of Yanyun in the north, as long as they are recaptured, the country can be reunified and China will be restored!

What are you waiting for?No one can control the wheel of history, even Zhao Kuangyin, who pushed it with his own hands, couldn't stop it.In this way, the war machine of the Song Dynasty was rumbled again, and the conquest of the Northern Han Dynasty was imminent, and another war came. For Zhao Kuangyin, this is the coming of joy and joy again.Because no one has to admit that the Northern Han Dynasty is completely vulnerable, as long as they fight, they will be able to win it smoothly. The time soon came to August in 976 A.D. Zhao Kuangyin, the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty, ordered the guards and horse troops to command Dangjin to deploy as the supervisor of the horse infantry in the Hedong Road camp; Yang Guangyi was the Marquis of Yu, and Guo Jin, the general of Xiao, was in charge of the battalions of the prefectures of Hedong, Xin, and Dai. The horse infantry was all in Lin, and the troops were divided into five groups to start the third Northern Expedition, which would attack the Northern Han Dynasty:

The first road: Hao Chongxin and Wang Zhengzhong led a group out of Fenzhou (now Fenyang, Shanxi); The second route: Yan Yanjin and Qi Chao led the army out of Qinzhou (now Qinxian County, Shanxi); The third route: Sun Yanxuan and An Shouzhong led the army out of Liaozhou (now Dai County, Shanxi); The fourth route: Qi Yanchen and Mu Yanzhang led their troops out of Shizhou (now Lishi, Shanxi); Fifth Route: Guo Jin led his army out of Daizhou (now Dai County, Shanxi). The five roads went straight to Taiyuan.This time, it was the Song Dynasty who took advantage of Xinping's power in the south of the Yangtze River with its elite soldiers who had fought a hundred battles, to win the first battle, completely conquer the Northern Han Dynasty, and destroy the dynasty.Liu Jien of the Northern Han Dynasty had no other choice but to gather a pitifully small number of troops and go directly to the city for defense, so he had to ask Khitan for help immediately.

But Khitan is no longer what it used to be. It has exchanged envoys with the Song Dynasty, wished each other Zhengdan, and exchanged courtesy frequently.Liu Jien can only hope that Yeluxian, the new Khitan emperor who has not been on the throne for a few years, can understand the situation, don't be deceived by Zhao Kuangyin's false peace, and give him another hand because of his "uncle and nephew" for many years. But look at who the generals sent by the Song Dynasty were.First, almost all of them are veteran generals who have been stationed in the northwest frontier for many years. It is Guo Jin, who is brave and decisive, unstoppable, and only recognizes swords and guns but not people. ).

They will never leave Liu Jiyuan much time. In less than a month, he was killed at the foot of Taiyuan City.In the first battle, the main party advanced and killed thousands of Northern Han soldiers.This fierce man who once made Liu Jiye, the first brave general of the Northern Han Dynasty, hide in the trench has been holding back for many years. He revisited the old place, and he decided to make a quick decision and never let what happened in Zhao Kuangyin's personal conquest last time happen again. At this time, the time entered the end of September, and the Khitan people finally responded.Khitan Emperor Yelujing (historical evidence shows that he and his courtiers can be regarded as wise emperors and capable ministers, and they were the most powerful political team on the Asian continent at the same time). Northern Han Dynasty.

All signs indicate that a bloody battle of unprecedented scale is inevitable.This is the challenge of the Song Dynasty army at its peak directly facing the Khitan army that has just recovered from the fatuous rule of Liao Muzong. directly change the course of history. But at this time, an earth-shattering news suddenly came from the Song Dynasty.Back then, tens of thousands of soldiers of the Song Dynasty froze for a moment. They couldn't believe their eyes and ears. Could this news be true? ! Their emperor, the man who was wise and mighty, who never got sick, and sent them off to the expedition just over a month ago, died unexpectedly!

Zhao Kuangyin died. In the official history of the Song Dynasty, there is only one sentence about his death-"Gui Chou Xi, the emperor died in the Long Live Hall at the age of fifty." That is, on October 20, 976 AD, , His Majesty the Emperor died in the Long Live Hall in the palace at the age of fifty. So simple, there are only results, no process, and no reason. Check all the historical records of the Song Dynasty, including the notes of later generations, as well as the "Continued Zizhi Tongjian Changbian" and other documents that were drafted in the Southern Song Dynasty, and we will also find out about Zhao Kuangyin's sudden illness, and the eunuch Wang Jien in Kaifeng. There is a record that the Jianlong Temple in the city set up a Huanglujiao to pray for blessings, but this is not credible.Because in all dynasties, there have been rules for announcing "cases" after the death of royal family members or government dignitaries, not to mention that even the "Records of Taizu" that recorded Zhao Kuangyin's life can be tampered with. What is it all at once?

Going back to the night of October 20, AD 976, there are simply too many documented records of what happened that night, and in what order.There are the personal notes "Sushui Jiwen" written by Sima Guang, a great historian who was born in the Song Dynasty; "Xuxiang Mountain Wild Records" written by Shi Wenying, a monk at that time; "Continued Zizhi Tongjian Changbian"; there is even "Liao History", even the Khitan people have their own views on Zhao Kuangyin's death. However, before distinguishing their credibility, we must first understand one thing, that is, whether the sources of these materials are credible or not. If there is not even the minimum credible reason, then there is still research based on them. Is it necessary to go down?

First look at "History of the Song Dynasty", which is recognized as the most official, orthodox, and authoritative research material on Song history.But it is a pity that this was written by Yuan people for Song people. It took only two and a half years to complete the 318-year history and countless historical materials. This can speak of the rigor of historiography And the spirit of research? Looking at Sima Guang again, this man's historical masterpiece is indeed extraordinary and rare in the world, but he only wrote to the fifth year of Xiande in the Later Zhou Dynasty, that is, AD 958, and stopped there completely. He did not mention a word about the history of the Song Dynasty. Be wise and protect yourself.Moreover, his "Sushui Jiwen" has long been appraised by the historian circle as "the history book of the novel world, the novel of the history book world".

As for Li Tao, a great historian of the Southern Song Dynasty, and his "Continued Zizhi Tongjian Changbian", this is really amazing.The people of the Song Dynasty traveled south, the country was destroyed and the family was destroyed. Countless historical books and classics were lost and lost under the iron hoof war of the alien race. However, he was able to reorganize the entire Northern Song Dynasty historical materials as new with his own power, and infinitely increased the details. It is longer than the most detailed diary-style historical materials such as "Ming Shilu" and "Qing Shilu", which is infinitely admirable.But his credibility, among other things, is extremely controversial in terms of the preservation of the language of the most sensitive party involved in the key event of the death of Song Taizu—he changed the original words.

"Jin Yu Lu" by Xu Dazhuo in the Southern Song Dynasty is purely the private notes of Song people, you can read it or not.When studying history, the official history is always the first, and then other historical materials. Only when there is nothing, can you read the private notes; Others, such as the "Xiangshan Wild Records" written by a monk, are not worth refuting at all.May I ask who is this disciple of the Shi family named Wenying?Unless he is someone close to Emperor Song Taizu, and he happened to experience it by chance, what right does he have to speak?What's more, what happened on the night of October 20, 976 A.D., recorded by him is completely a classic myth and legend full of Buddhist interest. If we really want to believe it, then let's take refuge collectively. The Buddha said Faith generates understanding, understanding leads to action, action leads to proof... If you don't believe it, don't mention it. Finally, let's talk about "History of Liao Dynasty". "History of Liao Dynasty" is very wonderful.In the "History of Liao Dynasty", we rarely see the Liao people fail. They always win, win, and win again...until the country is completely destroyed and the species disappears.However, "History of Liao" also has a little advantage. When it talks about the rise and fall of other countries, it can be said to be outspoken, and it hits the nail on the head, especially for its neighbor Song Dynasty. … Well, no matter what, the above are all kinds of historical materials about Zhao Kuangyin's death. No matter how complicated it is or whether it is credible, we will try our best to refine it, simplify it, and condense it into the following questions.I believe that as long as you can answer truthfully, then the truth is not far away, even if it is not there. Question one, what happened that night? Originally, in terms of the reputation of the author, we should first refer to Mr. Sima Guang's "Sushui Jiwen", but it is a pity that the record of "Candlelight and Ax Shadow" in Mr. Sima's masterpiece begins with "Gui Chou, At the beginning of "Shang Collapse in the Long Live Palace", it only wrote about what happened after Zhao Kuangyin's death, and never mentioned the secret of Taizu's death. The ones that are really rich in plot from beginning to end are Monk Wenying's "Xiangshan Wild Records" and Xu Dazhuo's "Ember Remains Records". Let me first talk about Mr. Xu's "Amber Records" in the Southern Song Dynasty. The things recorded in this book are very fragrant and classic-Zhao Kuangyin is ill, and his favorite concubine Mrs. Huarui is waiting in front of the bed in a coma. His dearest brother Zhao Guangyi Come to visit.The beauty touches the hearts of the people, Guangyi is momentarily uncertain, and wants to do something wrong, but the stamen struggles, and suddenly wakes up the emperor Taizu, furious, so Zhao Guangyi kills... what else needs to be analyzed?Change Guangyi to Yang Guang, Taizu to Wenhuang, and everything is in place.If there are any comments, I can only say that this is really a folk novel full of strong Chinese characteristics, and it has a market in the fields. Looking at the records of Monk Wenying again, "Continued Xiangshan Wild Records" writes that when the two emperors Song Taizu and Taizong were still commoners, they met a Taoist priest in Guanhe. ", one is called "true nothing".As we all know, Zhao Kuangyin's brothers were extremely poor at that time, but this Taoist priest could bring out gold at any time as long as he stretched out his hand.He once accurately predicted the date of Zhao Kuangyin's Chenqiao mutiny and the addition of the yellow robe, so Zhao Kuangyin was very superstitious about him.It's a pity that Zhao Kuangyin disappeared when he became emperor.It wasn't until the year before his death that this person suddenly appeared. Zhao Kuangyin was overjoyed and asked him directly - I've been looking for you and wanted to ask one thing.How long can I live? The Taoist replied - on the night of October 20 this year, if the weather is fine, you can live for another twelve years.If it is cloudy, "then deal with it immediately."In other words, if the sky is cloudy, Zhao Kuangyin will die.After speaking, the person disappeared again. Zhao Kuangyin kept these words firmly in mind. On this night, he climbed up to the Taiqing Pavilion in the palace alone and looked around. He saw that the sky was clear and the stars were shining brightly. In just a moment, heavy snow and hail fell from the sky... Zhao Kuangyin moved to the cabinet, hurriedly passed the palace key to open the door, and summoned his younger brother Zhao Guangyi, governor of Kaifeng.The two entered the bedroom, repelled all the eunuchs, maids and guards, and started drinking. The people outside could only see from afar, in the shadow of candles on the window lattice, Zhao Guangyi stood up from the seat from time to time, shrank back, as if he was trying to avoid something, he couldn't hear or see anything else. clear.By the time they finished drinking, it was already the most standard late night, the third watch.At this time, the snow outside the hall was already several inches thick, Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Guangyi came out, everyone saw Zhao Kuangyin poking the snow with a pole axe, looked back at Zhao Guangyi and said - easy to do!easy to do! Then he went back to the palace alone, undressed and went to bed, breathing like thunder.By the time of the five drums, that is, when the sky was almost bright, the guards outside the hall could no longer hear any sound, and Song Taizu had already died in his sleep.And that night, Zhao Guangyi had been in the palace all the time, and he immediately accepted his brother's edict, ascended the throne in front of Zhao Kuangyin's coffin, and became the second emperor of the Song Dynasty. The above is the original source of the famous "candle light and ax shadow" incident.That's right, it was said by a monk, and there is no evidence to show that there is any basis for what the monk said.Next, Mr. Sima Guang will come on stage, and he will tell us what happened after "Shadow of the Ax by Candlelight".Note, however, that there is one most fundamental difference between the respective records of monks and laymen. Wen Ying said that on the night Song Taizu died, his second younger brother Zhao Guangyi was in the palace and drank at the same table with his older brother, only the two of them were present, and there was no third party; There is one biggest premise for all Sima Guang's records - Zhao Guangyi never appeared in the palace that night, and King Jin has always stayed in his palace honestly.Until... a eunuch named Wang Jien came to him. That night, after Zhao Kuangyin's death, at the fourth watch, his empress Song ordered Wang Jien, the chief eunuch in the palace, to leave the palace and summoned Zhao Defang, the second prince at that time.Obviously, this is calling Defang to come to the throne before his death.But according to Sima Guang's records, the eunuch surnamed Wang thought about it, and remembered that Zhao Kuangyin had lived for so many years and had always wanted Zhao Guangyi to be his successor, so he made his own decision, put Zhao Defang aside, and went directly to The Kaifeng government summoned Jin Wang Zhao Guangyi. It should be noted here that everything is Wang Jien's fault. Zhao Guangyi is just like Zhao Kuangyin in the night of Chenqiao, he was deceived and has no responsibility. When Wang Jien came to the gate of Kaifeng mansion, he suddenly found someone in front of the mansion.At first glance, it was Cheng Dexuan, the left governor of Kaifeng Mansion.Wang Jien had something on his mind, so he immediately asked what are you doing here? Cheng Dexuan replied - I was sleeping in Xinlingfang when I suddenly heard someone calling me outside, saying that King Jin had summoned me.I hurried out to look, but there was no one.When I fell asleep, I shouted again outside, so there were three times in total.So I got scared and wondered if King Jin was sick, that's why I came here. It should be pointed out here that according to the "Song History Cheng Dexuan Biography", this person is good at medicine and has a deep understanding of the properties of medicine. Wang Jien stopped talking, he knocked on the door directly to ask for an interview.It was late at night after the fourth watch, and Zhao Guangyi met him immediately. When he heard that his brother had died and he was asked to enter the palace immediately to ascend the throne, he was "shocked" and "can't hesitate", and finally said——I have to discuss it with my family .Then enter the inner room and stay out for a long time. At this time, Wang Ji'en was in a hurry, and he called out inside——If you delay, you will give it to others for nothing! Zhao Guangyi came out immediately, when it was snowing heavily, he, Wang Jien, and Cheng Dexuan, a total of three people (note, Sima Guang said, there were only these three people that night), entered the palace on foot through the snow.After entering, Wang Jien wanted Zhao Guangyi to follow the usual rules and wait in front of Zhilu.He said——Please wait here, King Jin, and I, Wang Jien, will go in and inform you first. In the heavy snow, Zhao Guangyi was speechless, and Cheng Dexuan beside him said eight words - "You should go forward, why not wait!" So the three of them directly entered the Long Live Hall.Empress Song, who was guarding Zhao Kuangyin's body in the palace, heard that Wang Jien had returned, and she asked—"Defang is here?" Wang Jien replied - "The king of Jin is here." Then Queen Song saw Jin Wang Zhao Guangyi.Her reaction was "shocked", and then she immediately called (suddenly) the official, saying - "The fate of my mother and child is entrusted to the official." Please note here that "guanjia", in people's minds, is a special name for the emperor in the Song Dynasty, a bit like "Lafayette" in the Qing Dynasty, and it seems to be very colloquial.But in fact, "official family" is taken from "three emperors' official world, five emperors' family under heaven", which is a common name for emperors from the Five Dynasties to the Song Dynasty.After Song Empress saw Zhao Guangyi, she immediately changed her words, called Zhao Guangyi the emperor, and begged for mercy clearly, and handed over the lives of her and all Zhao Kuangyin's descendants. Zhao Guangyi's reaction at this time matched his usual benevolent description very well. He cried, and said while crying-"To protect wealth and honor together, don't worry about it." He ascended the throne before the coffin and became the second emperor of the Song Dynasty. The above is the description of Sima Guang's "Race to seize power on the night of October 20, 976 A.D., first-come-first-served event".Here, Sima Guang did not mention any traces of "candle light and ax shadow". In his writing, the reason why Zhao Guangyi was able to take over the throne of his elder brother before his second nephew Zhao Defang was entirely due to the eunuch Wang Jien's self-assertion, and Zhao Kuangyin's Queen Song's initiative to give way.Even when he entered the Long Live Hall where his brother's body was kept, it was because of Cheng Dexuan's compulsion.From the beginning to the end, he didn't take the initiative at all, and absolutely never talked about any unruly plans. Below that is the first tome in the historical materials of the Song Dynasty, "Continued Zizhi Tongjian Changbian".In this magnificent work that integrates thousands of things into one, Mr. Li Tao of the Southern Song Dynasty combined all the above versions into one.There are not only the legend of the "candle light and ax shadow" of the monk Wenying, but also the Sima Guang version of Wang Jien's documentary that night when he was ordered to go out of the palace, and what's more, he poked Zhao Kuangyin into the snow with an ax and looked back at Zhao Guangyi What I said at the time was changed from "It's easy to do! It's easy to do!" to "It's easy to do it! It's easy to do it!" I don't know what his purpose is. It is said that at that time, the Southern Song Dynasty was worried about foreign aggression, and the kings and ministers were restless day and night. At first, no one wanted to pay attention to his personal hobby of taking pictures of himself and writing books (but the strange thing is that the Southern Song Dynasty officials did not find Li. Tao's troubles were actually understood in later generations as the official of the Southern Song Dynasty had recognized Li Tao's claim on Song history); secondly, "Continued Zizhi Tongjian Changbian" was written in 1183 AD, when Zhao Guangyi was the last emperor Zhao Gou, the descendant of Zhao Guangyi, has been the Supreme Emperor for 21 years, and he is about to die of old age. Everyone in the world has long known that Zhao Guangyi is destined to end his son and grandson. Is it necessary to flatter him again? But Li Tao, a veritable historian who is worthy of the name, changed the last sentence Zhao Kuangyin left in the world in this way.The change of one character can change thousands of times. Later, we will analyze the inner mystery of changing four characters into six characters. What we need to do now is to demonstrate the following two key issues based on all the official, unofficial, and private notes about Zhao Kuangyin's death listed above.I believe that all doubts are included in these two questions. First, did Zhao Guangyi kill his brother? Second, even if Zhao Guangyi didn't kill his brother, can he be right? First, subdivide the first question.That is, one, did not kill, is there evidence?Second, kill, what method to use? Answer 1: Zhao Guangyi's suspected crimes still exist in the world, and we can only search for them from the two personal notes of Monk Wenying and Sima Guang.Among them, the records in Wenying's "Xuxiang Mountain Field Records" are more explicit, because according to his records, the last person present before the deceased was Zhao Guangyi.Zhao Guangyi had the time, opportunity and motivation to commit the crime (who made him the final beneficiary).But no matter how carefully he scrutinized, he couldn't find any real evidence of what Zhao Guangyi had done to his brother. At least they stopped the banquet at the third drum of the night and went to sleep separately. Zhao Kuangyin still appeared alive in front of the world, and said to his brother in the heavy snow-good job!easy to do!Afterwards, he returned to the hall "breathing like thunder", and died "quietly" at five drums. When people analyze "Shadow of Candlelight and Axe", they always think of why Zhao Guangyi would leave the seat to hide from time to time under the background of candlelight on the window lattice, as if he was refusing something.So, in other words, his brother was forcing something on him.What are you forcing him to do?This was answered in what Zhao Kuangyin sent him out of the palace after the wine party was over, and publicly said to him in the heavy snow-"It's easy to do! It's easy to do!". Coherently, there can only be one conclusion, that is, his elder brother wanted him to be emperor, but he refused, but his elder brother forced him more than once, so he "abstained from time to time, and seemed invincible", even until When the two separated, Zhao Kuangyin continued to insist, and repeatedly exhorted-"Do it well! Do it well!" It's completely instructing his younger brother to take over the important task of governing the empire. Of course, there are also historians who interpret "good job!" No, I have to get rid of Zhao Guangyi myself.They even said that in the flickering candlelight, people outside couldn't tell whether it was Zhao Guangyi hiding or Zhao Kuangyin staggering forward.So this directly proves that Zhao Guangyi personally murdered his brother. But what about what happened next?According to Monk Wenying's records, at least Zhao Kuangyin once came outside the hall after the wine game was over, and poked the snow with a pole ax before saying "It's easy to do!".At that time, there were many guards, eunuchs, and maids in front of everyone, so he could order Zhao Guangyi to be taken down immediately. Even if he died, his enemies would die before him. But why not? Therefore, the coherent understanding of the whole article only interprets "do it well!" What was given to him made him exhausted for the rest of his life. He was injured and sick, and finally died of hatred. Looking at Sima Guang's records again, as I said earlier, based on the "Sushui Jiwen" as evidence, then on the night of October 20, 976 AD, Zhao Guangyi was sitting behind closed doors at home, and all his actions They were all passive, coerced and forced, and before his brother died, he had never been to the scene, so there was no suspicion of murder at all. So to sum up, if it is said that Zhao Guangyi is innocent, then it is absolutely reasonable and the evidence is conclusive. Then look at the second question, kill, what method to use? To talk about this issue, we must first ask Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty to forgive him. We can only assume that he was the murderer who killed Zhao Kuangyin that night.Then Zhao Guangyi will definitely ask back—how did I kill him, can you give me a trick first? There are two methods: One, an axe; two, poisoned wine. Let me talk about the ax first.Mentioning this will make people laugh, and anyone with a little bit of historical knowledge will say, what is the "Shadow Ax"? The tomahawk that Zhao Kuangyin often carried in his hand was not the battle ax used to kill people on the battlefield. It was a very popular at that time. The "jade axe" played by stationery products is a handicraft, a toy, and it can't kill people at all! But I have doubts.One, if you can't kill people, how can you knock out other people's front teeth casually?Is it because Zhao Kuangyin is born with martial arts and has a different technique?Or are the front teeth of those ministers particularly fragile and vulnerable?According to my understanding, something that can knock out someone's front teeth is enough to kill a person.Do you believe that a needle can kill? Second, the "jade pillar ax" seems to be very small, so how did Zhao Kuangyin stand in the heavy snow and "poke the snow with an ax"?What was his posture at that time, so that he could chop the small ax in his hand to the ground?Of course, if Zhao Kuangyin's arms were longer than those of the armpit Liu Bei, that would be a different matter. Assuming that Zhao Kuangyin was used by his brother with an ax (whether it is a Yuzhu ax or any other axe), then the corpse must be bloody and bloody, and the traces are obvious.This can explain why Empress Song immediately begged for mercy when she saw Zhao Guangyi's face - she would immediately understand that if she didn't express her position sincerely immediately, she would die uglier than Zhao Kuangyin! But this cannot be proved after all, so let's bypass it for the time being, and treat it as a pure hypothesis. Look at poisoned wine below. Countless people are asserting that Zhao Kuangyin was poisoned to death, and the problem arose when he and his younger brother Zhao Guangyi were drinking alone.Combined with Zhao Guangyi's performance in later life (how Li Yu and Qian Chu died), it would be strange if he didn't dispense medicine to his brother.What's more, there are countless clues that can be traced in the notebooks of Monk Wenying and Sima Guang. Look at "Continued Xiangshan Wild Records", which mentions that after Zhao Kuangyin sent Zhao Guangyi away, he went back to the hall to untie his belt and went to bed, and then "breathed like thunder", and the color of his body after death was "jade-colored like a soup". Changes in body color and abnormal voice are all manifestations of poisoning, and this kind of poison is not ordinary. Looking at "Sushui Jiwen", Mr. Sima Guang, a loyal official of the Song Dynasty, even if he "keeps taboo for the venerable and hides for the sage", he also revealed an extremely important clue to "poison", and its authenticity and reliability The textual research is far beyond the Wenying monk who has a story. Let's talk about Cheng Dexuan who was guarding outside Zhao Guangyi's house beforehand.This thing is really weird. The strange thing is not that the medical expert surnamed Cheng was sleeping soundly. Someone outside the door called him to see King Jin, but there was no one when he got up. He took the initiative to run outside the gate of his master's house in a snowy day, just waiting for King Jin to get sick so that he could go in and treat it... These are all pure inferior lies, and the people who believe them are pure pigs. Hamlet said that no bird in the sky falls for no reason.Everything starts with Cheng Dexuan's peculiar sideline job. This ordinary official in the Kaifeng mansion has special skills that no one else can match. He is proficient in medicine, and thus became Zhao Guangyi's confidant.Combined with his specific performance that night, it can be concluded that the appearance of this person on the night of October 20, 976 AD was definitely not an accidental event—everything was premeditated. Just imagine, how dare a petty official say such tough and even vicious words in the palace if he hadn't prepared beforehand—"You should go straight ahead, why not!" This is completely an accomplice, and even the person in charge would say something.But when I say weird, I mean such an important person, why would he guard Zhao Guangyi's door so blatantly?Why didn't he wait in Zhao Guangyi's mansion until something happened? Then maybe it was really a coincidence, no matter what the reason was, Cheng Dexuan really happened to meet Wang Jien who came to give the crown outside the gate of Zhao Guangyi's house that night, so he had to participate in it.As for his later activeness, it can also be understood as seeking wealth and wealth, and fighting on the spot.Everyone wants to make a contribution. But it is a pity that there is still an inside story here, which is deeply hidden, in Song Shi's "Biography of Ma Shao".Ma Shao, from Pingji, Zhaozhou, was very superior at that time, because he was able to do what others couldn't - he was proficient in astronomy and divination.He and Cheng Dexuan were good friends, but at that time the Song Dynasty strictly prohibited "private study of astronomy", so Cheng Dexuan generally did not associate with him, let alone allow him to approach Kaifeng Mansion.But in the middle of the night on October 19, 976 AD, Ma Shao came to Cheng Dexuan suddenly and said, "Tomorrow is the auspicious day for the King of Jin, and I am here to inform you." In a secret room, and hurriedly reported to Zhao Guangyi.Zhao Guangyi asked Cheng Dexuan to keep Ma Shao in check, saying that he would report to the emperor tomorrow for self-examination. But "Ma Shao Biography" said that when Zhao Guangyi came to the palace the next day, he was enthroned by Zhao Kuangyin's will. It was really "auspicious day"!So Ma Shao was released and worshiped as the head of Sitianjian. Are things unrelated?This can at least lead to an obvious conclusion—before the night of the incident, the people in the Jin Palace had premeditated Zhao Kuangyin's death.Like Cheng Dexuan, as soon as he heard Ma Shao's "prophecy", he immediately thought that the rebellion had been leaked. All he could do was to lock Ma Shao up first, and then immediately report to Zhao Guangyi. Zhao Guangyi was even more panicked. Report Ma Shao to his brother to prove his innocence. As for where Ma Shao got the news from, it was impossible to investigate in detail for a while. Back to the topic, so it can be confirmed that Zhao Guangyi did kill his brother?And with poison?It is a pity that Zhao Guangyi would give us a contemptuous glance at such evidence, whether it is in modern times or in ancient times, and then sneer and say three words - "unnecessary." Is not it?Please note that if we only analyze what happened that night, what Zhao Kuangyin did and did not do, then under the general premise, he has already fallen into a quagmire with no end in sight.Because let alone a thousand years ago, even at that time, this was the highest and most sensitive state secret.So there can be no correct solution at all. Even if Zhao Guangyi is dug out and given a severe punishment, he may not tell the truth, and we will not believe what he says. In other words, this matter has really been going on for a long time, buried in obscurity, and completely unknown?No, history will prove that no one can truly cover the sky with one hand. The truth of history is like the annual rings of a towering tree. As long as you know how to read, you will find out which year is too big among the imprints of thousands of years. Water, which year was particularly drought, or which year was hit by wildfires and insects, everything is recorded in the tree rings, as long as you can read... The truth, although secret, is always there. If you want the truth, you have to go back in time to when Zhao Kuangyin was in Luoyang.At that time, when faced with his younger brother's empty words that "being in Germany is not in danger", why didn't he refute it face to face, and why did Jin Er insist on going his own way and force the capital to move? Is he really that "cowardly"? Of course not, things have to be seen coherently, and what he has done after returning to Kaifeng, the answer will naturally appear.According to historical records, after Zhao Kuangyin returned to Kaifeng, while he was busy with official duties, in the month of July, "Sanxing Guangmei's Mansion". Zhao Kuangyin went to the home of his third brother Zhao Guangmei three times in a row in one month. This is extremely abnormal.Here, I want to emphasize the royal system in ancient China.It is impossible for the emperor to go to the mansion of a certain minister casually. It is a great special honor, which represents "the richness of the holy family, the nobleness and the favor". Don't think that Zhao Kuangyin will go to Zhao Pu's house to eat meat and drink casually , I thought it was normal.In the "Song History" records, the number of times Zhao Kuangyin went to the home of his second brother Guangyi can be counted with the fingers of one hand-"Wang Xingren is filial, Yin Jing is fifteen years old, and the general affairs are repaired. The emperor is lucky Mansion, the kindness is very generous." In the past fifteen years, Zhao Kuangyin has only "lucky in his house".But Zhao Kuangyin went to the house of his third brother Zhao Guangmei three times in one month.This is an extremely sensitive political symbol. I believe that all Song Dynasty officials with normal eyesight will understand what it means-the Great Song Emperor Zhao Kuangyin has actively and obviously shown his favor to his third brother. What is the purpose of doing this?Could it be that Zhao Kuangyin came back from worshiping his ancestors, and suddenly felt that the elder brother was like a father, and wanted to give the third brother who lacked fatherly love since childhood a deep, passionate, and unrequited fatherly love? The joke was a bit too big, and anyone with a little bit of political savvy will immediately understand that this is Zhao Kuangyin's intention to train the third younger brother, so that Guangmei can enter the political stage.Its role is only one, use him to contain the second brother Guangyi. The benefits of doing so are incredible.Think about the dispute between Zhao Pu and Zhao Guangyi four or five years ago. Zhao Kuangyin broke the balance in the political arena, drove Zhao Pu away, and left Zhao Guangyi alone. It was not until later that his second brother dared to publicly challenge him and tear him down.This is a bad result, and he was publicly ashamed in Luoyang, and there was nothing he could do about it, so how about letting Guangmei become the second Guangyi? I supported Guangmei, who had never had a position of power, and used it to suppress Guangyi.What?Some people say that Guangmei can't fight against Guangyi?why not?Guangmei has no credit, so does Guangyi have any credit?Guangmei has no foundation, so that's no problem. If I cultivate it carefully, I will pay more attention than when I cultivated Guangyi. Why can't things succeed! And once it succeeds, Guangyi will be divided into powers, and he will be honest and peaceful from now on. After all, Guangmei's foundation is superficial, and I will learn the lesson that made Guangyi's tail end up at the beginning, and be careful.He wouldn't even be like the powerful Zhao Pu. Imagine if Zhao Pu was supported to suppress Guangyi and Zhao Pu took over the power all by himself. Wouldn't life be easy like that? If things can develop according to this idea, then how beautiful everything is... Dividing Guangyi's authority is tantamount to taking away his ambition. Still my good brother.In addition, I sent Dezhao to welcome Qian Chu and Defang to host the welcome banquet that day, and my sons will also go to the front desk smoothly.As a result, the clouds of the day will disperse... 更何况，我还做了另外的一件事，来压制光义最有力的那部分力量，让这个计划能够顺利地实施。 出征北汉，相信很多人都在想，赵匡胤为什么要这么的急呢？按照他以往的行动规律，每次灭掉一个割据大国之后，他都会用两到三年的时间来消化它，把当地的矛盾都解决，并改善那里的国计民生，比如说用减税、免税之类的手段来把那片土地彻底大宋化。那么为什么在平灭南唐这样的超级大国之后，赵匡胤仅隔半年就决定出兵北汉呢？ 是被民众国情等热烈因素推动的吗？有，但相信赵匡胤如果决意等待，谁也没法强迫他。那么是他彻底地轻视已经残废了的北汉，觉得只要出兵就一定能获胜吗？ 可是全地球的人都知道，打北汉就是动契丹，再怎么样，赵匡胤也不会轻视那些来去如风的契丹铁骑吧？那么他到底在打着什么主意？ 诸多因素纷繁杂乱，如果一定要刨析疑团，相信下面的这个因素才是他诸多考虑中被最重视的一点。 他要借助另一场大的胜利，来继续提升自己的威望，使之达到一个辉煌的，时人不可企及的顶点，然后无论自己再做出什么事，都能压制整个官场。比如说废掉晋王，或许干脆杀了赵光义。 就算不那么暴烈，通过这次战争，也可以调动整个官场来为自己服务，把赵光义多年来当首都市长所培植起来的官场势力下降到最低点……纵观这一切，都可以得出一个结论，即赵匡胤还是在顾全着大局，他还是想着怎样既平稳过渡，又能达到削弱赵光义，扶植自己儿子登台的目的。 那么这时，把目光转向赵光义，设身处地换位思考，站在赵光义当时的立场上，想一想他已经是什么处境了——眼见得赵匡胤的声威会更加的震烁古今，如果这次的北伐成功，他的功业将直追千古一帝李世民，那时候无论赵光义曾经怎样广施恩惠、小心结交了多少的官场同仁，都不会再有人陪着他蹚浑水了；更何况三弟光美马上就会在名利场中异军突起，有赵匡胤的刻意栽培，这实在是太轻而易举了……最要命的还是德昭与德芳，他们一个二十五岁，一个十七岁，早已成年，尤其是德昭，正宗的太子，而且连皇孙都生出来了，赵匡胤既然已经开始把他们往前台推，就绝对没有突然偃旗息鼓的道理。 那么，他该怎么办呢？自古华山虽险，尚有一线之生机，而他，在这样的局势下再不使险招的话，等待他的就只有安乐死！ 而所谓的险招会是什么呢？历史证明，赵匡胤是在事业处于辉煌的顶峰时突然死亡的，这真的是巧合吗？ 我们要追究，只能从曾经发生的那些有记载的事情里来分析，事情从赵匡胤一步步地谦让，想方设法地让朝政的变化，权力的再分配变得平和些开始，所以他难免地从开封退让到了洛阳，再从洛阳迁就回到了开封，可是变化却没有停止，他一直在努力，而且事实证明，他越来越接近成功——因为他至少还真正地掌握着当时的国政大权！ 可是他唯一的漏洞，就是从来没有想过他那个和善淳朴，教育良好的弟弟会突然间对他下杀手，以终结他生命的办法，来阻止他计划的完成。 综上所述，赵光义杀兄，已可定案。千古之谜，就算没有真凭实据，就算赵光义事发当夜没有和他哥哥独处饮酒，他都脱不了最大的主使者的干系！ 至于说到他是用怎样的手法杀人的，就要根究于王继恩和程德玄了。先看王继恩，这个太监很不寻常，他是太祖的亲信，同时也被宋皇后所赏识，事发当夜，皇后把召唤皇位继承人这样的大事都交给了他独立去办。可是他却违背命令，自作主张去找了赵光义，并且亲自带着赵光义回到皇宫，逼迫皇后就范。这样的表现，如果说他事先没被赵光义所收买，成了二赵一党的话，那连鬼都不会相信。 再看程德玄，此人当夜出现在晋王府门外绝非偶然，此人深通医药，再联想到后来南唐李煜、吴越钱俶在太宗朝的死法，能让人想到些什么呢？ 如果说是程德玄配药，由王继恩下毒，是不是很合理呢？当然，这一切的猜想都没有意义，作案的细节在千年之后，甚至在当年都没人会知晓，更不会有人公之于众。我们所能做的，只能是从宋朝当时的国朝大政，以及赵匡胤本人的各种施政方针来分析理解当事人们的处境，及他们的想法，还有他们可能举取的行动。 是赵光义杀了他的哥哥，这是我再次重申的个人看法。下面，要探讨的是总问题之二——赵光义就算没杀他哥，得位可正？ 这个问题似乎不太通顺，因为既已确信是他杀了他的哥哥，那么还问什么“就算没杀，得位可正？” 是的，但就得这样问。试想，如果真是他杀的，那还谈得到得位正不正吗？他是个凶手，自然不正！所以要谈得位正或不正，就只能先假设他没杀人。 好了，我们就先假定他是个好人，来探讨他的皇位是抢来的；还是凭空而落，靠运气才砸到他头上的；又或者是他生而幸运，投胎到了一位难说是贤明，还是偏心的女人的肚子里，是靠上一代的临终遗嘱才合法得到的。 先说第二个可能——皇位凭空而落，是靠运气砸到他头上的。 理由，司马光说，赵光义当晚闭门家中坐，富贵找上门，王继恩送皇冠，程德玄推波助澜，他完全是身不由己，最后还被他那年轻的，“少不更事”的小嫂子给强迫了一下，才勉为其难地接了他哥哥的班。 似乎很牵强，但是司马光先生的字面意思就是这样的。后世人等道德伦理败坏，什么事都往歪里想，一心想在鸡蛋里挑出骨头来，就算没骨头，也要先把鸡蛋打碎再说，这样，就实在和司马先生没有关系了。 但是非常遗憾，我们就是要往歪里想。现在返回头去看第一个可能——他的皇位是抢来的。 多简单，就算一切完全像在赵光义死后二十二年才出生的司马光所说的一样，在一个最关键的地方都没法自圆其说——宋皇后当时要叫的人是“德芳”，无论如何不是“德芳”他二叔！ 赵光义可以说他什么都是被迫的，一如他哥哥在陈桥兵变时的身不由己。但是别人给你什么你就要什么吗？我给你口棺材你就躺进去？ 所以赵光义你还是不要再装了，抢的就是抢的，何况那一点都不丢人，抢，毕竟也是一种相当复杂而且高难度的劳动付出，不是谁想做就都能做的。 只不过历史证明，有些人是鼠窃，有些人是豪夺，人就是这么的奇妙，就连抢东西，都能分出来人品里的高低上下……所以该承认时要承认，无论是大丈夫还是真小人，共同的特点是“光明磊落”。 但是赵光义一定不会这么想，他会喊冤，因为他会说，以及他的臣子们都必须替他说——他的皇位是由于他亲爱的妈妈杜老太后的临终遗嘱才合法继承过来的，而且其中所包含的政治意义是无比重大神圣，对当时整个汉民族社会的安定团结以及繁荣的生活都是必不可少的，可以说所有人的个人福祉和家庭完整都彻底依赖于这个遗嘱的贯彻执行的程度！ 这个遗嘱，就是众所周知，但又真假难辨的“金匮之盟”。 讨论第三个可能性。 故事急速往回倒退，一直回到赵匡胤的生母杜老太后去世时，她临终遗言，要大儿子本着“国有长君，家国之幸”的大前提，把皇位不传子而“一传光义，再传光美，三传德昭。”并且当场要儿子签字画押并由赵普监督生效，最后放在一个小金盒里，并由宫人秘藏在皇宫内某处。 一言以蔽之，因为当时根本就没有任何人知道有这个“金匮之盟”的存在！ 那要在赵光义当了五年皇帝之后，才由急于在政治上复出的前宰相赵普突然提出来！ 还有什么疑问吗？想一想当时赵普是什么处境，他被死敌卢多逊已经压制了七八年了，这期间不仅他度日如年，连他的儿子都要成为政治迫害的牺牲品了，随时都可能家破人亡，他为什么就不早点使出这招撒手锏呢？ 而赵光义在得知“金匮之盟”之前，一直都活在“篡位”和“杀兄”等恶性传言的阴影里，并且他已经第一次征燕云失败，德昭已经自杀，他背负的恶名以及军国大事的压力无比沉重，赵普如果有这样的法宝，简直可以随时上报朝廷，让自己咸鱼翻生。 他为什么就是不做呢？ 一句话，所谓的“金匮之盟”不过是个小小的政治把戏，它不过是赵普和赵光义之间的一个小小的交易——你让我重新上台，我让你平安过渡。 其真相性，嘿嘿，不仅现在的人会不屑一顾，就算在当年，只怕也是路人皆知，对这样劣等的把戏，实在没必要评论，只需要……嗤之以鼻。 那么有人会问，怎样解释赵光义登基之后，立即对赵光美的提拔呢？他就像当年赵匡胤对他一样，封光美为齐王，任开封府尹兼中书令，位于宰相之上。这完全可以理解为他在遵守着“再传光美”的“金匮盟书”嘛。所以，“金匮之盟”还是千真万确地存在着的。 可如果是这样的话，那么就证明着赵光义已经知道了“金匮之盟”的存在，所以他才这样地遵守，对吧？那么五年之后，赵普还在搞什么呢？ 这到底是赵普是个傻子，还是赵光义是个傻子？说到底，这件事如果再往下深究，就可以确定另一件事了，那就是——我们是傻子，还在这件事上浪费精力。 分析到这里，公元976年10月20日那个夜晚里到底发生过什么事，基本上已经可以定性。那两个问题已经有了答案——一，赵光义杀了他的哥哥；二，赵光义得位不正。 这时历史上唯一的正解就出现了，《辽史》，契丹人半点都没含糊，直接说——“赵炅自立！” Clean and neat. 但是要强调，关于第二点，我没有半点对赵光义不满的情绪。因为，在这个世界上，唯一可以去偷去抢却不必有半点愧疚心理的东西就是——皇位。 甚至人类有史以来，发出的最多的欢呼声，都送给了那些不择手段，摄取皇位的人。眼前就是活生生的例子——赵匡胤。他从七岁的小孩子柴宗训的手里抢到皇位时，难道人人都心悦诚服吗？不见得吧，如果他之后不是雄才大略，给我们民族带来了统一和稳定，我们会把他当做什么呢？ 所以，纵然是赵光义杀兄夺位，这也并不能就此把他定在耻辱状上。请比较，虽然他杀兄的手段还不能确定，但是总好过李世民在光天化日之下公开杀了大哥和三弟吧？而天可汗可以永享英明，那么赵光义为什么就不能得到人们的原谅呢？ 因为这里面的一点点的小区别。 李世民不杀大哥和三弟，不仅得不到皇位，更连身家都保不住。赵光义却没有这份危机。 李建成、李元吉对李世民先下毒，再诬陷，更进一步要把秦王府诸将分散坑杀，一网打尽，手段无所不用其极，平日里根本就谈不到任何的兄弟恩义。 可赵匡胤是怎样对待二弟的呢？《宋史》记载，赵匡胤对赵光义关怀备至，不仅在官职上让二弟一人之下万人之上无比尊贵，甚至在日常生活中都爱护得无微不至。 赵光义的家地势很高，没有水源，他哥哥遣工匠做大轮，“激金水注第中”，并且“数临视，促成其役。”赵光义在皇宫里喝醉了酒，没法骑马，他哥哥亲自扶着他下殿阶，看到他的侍卫“执镫以出”，就赐那人以官职衣带及器帛，以勉励更尽职心。史书更记载，赵光义曾经重病，昏迷到连人都不认识了，赵匡胤急忙赶去，亲自为他灼艾治疗。当时赵光义在昏迷中仍然觉得疼痛，他哥哥的反应是取过点燃的艾绒在自己身上同样的部位熏灼，来感应疼痛的程度……就这样，从辰时一直治疗到酉时，直到赵光义出汗苏醒过来，赵匡胤才回宫。 恩义种种，难以尽数，至少可以说，赵匡胤对儿子都没有对光义好。史书记载，直到他死，长子德昭都没有封王，次子德芳更加仅仅是一州的防御史……光义，光义，如此恩重如山的哥哥，你竟然也能忍心下手。这不是篡位，这是忤逆，这不是在争权力，而是丧尽了天良！ 也许在光义的心里，他也是迫不得已，他有必须这样做的理由。只是在那个大雪纷飞的深夜之后，他就再也不是以前的那个人了。心灵，随着一次泯灭所有良知的叛逆而幻灭，在那一夜之后，在背叛了他最最亲爱的大哥之后，还有什么是他做不出来呢？ 杀德昭、杀德芳、杀光美……进而怀疑天下所有人，还有什么难度吗？