My father Zhao Kuangyin

On the 17th day of the fourth month of the sixth year of the Kaibao era of the Song Dynasty, in Kaifeng.

The sky is bright and clear, the sun is blazing, and the heat waves are always blown away by the wind.

The window frame swayed slightly and creaked.

Zhao Dezhao sat up from the couch, looked up at the eaves, and stared blankly into space.

It took him a quarter of an hour to recover and look around.

It was just like the life of an ordinary wealthy family.

Zhao Dezhao put on his shoes, got out of bed, pushed open the door and went outside. Ignoring the servants' surprise, he openly and casually surveyed his territory in the mansion.

180 square meters... 300 square meters... 500 square meters...

Perhaps it was the longing of the fish and birds of Jiangnan for the vastness of the sea and sky that led Zhao Dezhao to act somewhat like Granny Liu when he first entered the mansion.

Before he could even take a stroll around, he was suddenly struck by a series of sharp pains.

In an instant, memories flooded my mind like a revolving lantern.

Seeing his splitting headache, a servant immediately went to call for help.

"There is no physician on duty in the manor, so I will send someone to the palace to have the imperial physician come and take a look."

"No need... It's hot and I'll get heatstroke. I'll be fine after a rest."

Despite this, Zhao Dezhao sat listlessly in the bamboo pavilion, unable to calm down for a long time.

In my previous life, I was a senior official who accidentally entered the imperial family. The phrase "I used to sing about it, but I never thought it would actually come true in my next life" is now being sung.

After the initial excitement, Zhao Dezhao suddenly remembered his situation and felt a sense of emptiness. He couldn't help but open his arms and lean against the railing, letting his thoughts wander.

My father, Zhao Kuangyin, was the same Emperor Taizu of Song who was the founder of the Tang and Song dynasties.

If he remembered correctly, the loss of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun corresponded to the sixteen years of Emperor Taizu of Song's reign.

If you do the math, this is already the thirteenth year, and his father is forty-seven years old.

"What should we do?"

Thinking of this, Zhao Dezhao hurriedly stood up and paced back and forth in the pavilion, his brows furrowed in worry, which surprised the servants who were watching from afar.

It should be noted that Erlang was reserved from a young age, rarely showing his emotions. After the death of Empress Xiaohui (née He), he lived a secluded life and rarely made any bold moves.

Naturally, those in power are often blinded by their own perspectives, and these people were unaware of the concerns of the Guizhou Defense Commissioner of the Great Song Dynasty.

Historically, after his third uncle, Emperor Taizong of Song, completed the sorghum harvest, the northern expeditionary forces were thrown into chaos and suffered a major defeat.

At that time, the generals saw that the emperor in the donkey cart had disappeared, so they intended to recommend a member of the imperial family as the new emperor.

Zhao Guangyi held back at the time, but not afterwards.

After returning to the capital in triumph, Zhao Dezhao, fearing a change in morale among the surrendered Northern Han troops who had not yet received their rewards, offered a word of advice, only to be rebuffed by Zhao Guangyi. And then... nothing more happened—he committed suicide.

That's the gist of it. He, the eldest son in line, ended up dying a pathetic death without even causing a ripple.

Perhaps it was divine intervention, but at the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, the position was returned to the emperor.

The turning point was Emperor Gaozong of Song, Zhao Gou, after the Jingkang Incident. He was also known as Wanyan Gou and Jiu Meimei. As a veteran reader of Qidian.com, Zhao Dezhao remembers this very clearly.

After being frightened, Jiu Mei lost her fertility and had to pass on her life to her adopted son Zhao Shen, who later became Emperor Xiaozong of Song.

The Song emperor who later exonerated Yue Fei was not his descendant, but rather a descendant of his fourth brother, Zhao Defang.

The fourth brother, Defang, and his fourth uncle, Zhao Tingmei, both met the same fate, dying mysteriously at home.

When the throne passed to the Zhao family at the end of the Song Dynasty, it was already Emperor Lizong Zhao Yun.

At that time, the Song Dynasty was riddled with problems and too powerful to be controlled; it was practically on its last legs.

Of course, Zhao Dezhao didn't really care about his ninth-generation descendant whom he had never met.

He was thinking of his good third uncle, who, after committing suicide, held his own body and wept, crying out, "Why did you do this, you fool?"

Thinking back to his own fate, that of his fourth brother and fourth uncle, Zhao Dezhao couldn't help but sigh.

Ancestors have merits and ancestors have virtues; Emperor Taizong's virtues are truly beyond reproach.

After clearing his mind, Zhao Dezhao slowly sat down again, bitterly processing the turmoil in his heart.

"A three-year period... is it still not enough time?"

Soon after, Zhao Dezhao stopped thinking about it and ordered his servants to prepare a carriage and horses, ready to go out for a stroll.

………………

Tokyo was the Kaifeng of Bian.

This capital city in the Central Plains, which suffered greatly during the Five Dynasties period, should have been like Luoyang of the Jin Dynasty or Chang'an of the Tang Dynasty. But now it is bustling with traffic and crowds, showing a picture of peace and prosperity.

In front of the mansion gate, the carriage rumbled along and sped into the Imperial Street.

The Imperial Street is about two hundred paces wide, with corridors on its left and right.

Today, the streets and alleys are full of vendors and peddlers, with shops lined up one after another, displaying a lively atmosphere.

The carriage moved slowly, and the Guizhou Defense Commissioner of the Great Song Dynasty, while sitting upright, was also secretly listening to the shouts and bargaining sounds of vendors speaking in various accents.

After walking several hundred steps, the noise gradually subsided, and what followed was a refreshing sight: brothels, pavilions, embroidered doors, and beaded curtains.

The curtain was lifted slightly, like a painting scroll.

A moment later, a face appeared through the gap.

This immediately drew the attention of young men and women strolling in the street, who all turned to look at the carriage.

Soon, everyone was stunned for a moment, then turned their heads away, not daring to look around.

Although the face that was revealed was not that of a celestial being, but rather a sallow and honest one, most of the people in the capital had seen the Emperor in person, and after imagining it, it was understandable that they dared not look directly at the "dragon's face".

It looks similar, but unfortunately, it doesn't capture the essence of the subject.

Zhao Dezhao glanced at the brothel where beautiful women were gathered, gave a bitter smile, then lowered the curtain, retreated to his bed, and pondered deeply.

Although the Song Dynasty has not yet reached the level of "long-lasting peace and prosperity with a large population" described in the Dream of Splendor, it is already showing initial signs of this.

Zhao Dezhao was not yet used to his new identity. Even though the Imperial Street was bustling, a sense of alienation remained. He could only keep to himself and try his best to integrate into the Song Dynasty.

There are many famous stories about Zhao Kuangyin, so he is not unfamiliar with him.

Coincidentally, both father and son were the second sons, and both had their eldest brothers die young.

Now, he can be considered "Big Zhao".

Let's not even go into the details of how the dynasty rose to power. Just when Guo Rong found the small wooden plaque that read "Inspector-in-Chief to Be Emperor" during his Northern Expedition, the gears of the Song Dynasty's horse-drawn carriage had already been turning for quite some time.

Emperor Taizu needs no introduction, but Emperor Taizong's achievements are worth mentioning.

When it comes to being petty or even sabotaging others, even three Taizu (Emperors of the Ming Dynasty) combined couldn't compare to one Taizong (Emperor of the Ming Dynasty).

Let's talk about the political situation and the overall trend of the world.

In the thirteenth year of Zhao Kuangyin's reign, although his old brothers had relinquished their military power, they had succeeded in continuing the legacy of the Five Dynasties, and their fierce generals and powerful soldiers remained.

In the imperial court, both the emperor and his ministers unanimously advocated starting with the south and then the north, and tackling the easier issues before moving on to the more difficult ones.

After establishing the Song dynasty, he pacified Jinghu, destroyed Later Shu, and pacified Southern Han.

In the south at present, apart from Qian Wu, who served the Song Dynasty like a father, there is only Jiangnan, the ancient poet emperor.

If historical records are not available, the troops would probably be dispatched next year, and the entire pacification would be completed the year after.

This is undoubtedly a great thing for the government and for the country as a whole.

However, for the Guizhou Defense Commissioner, it was a mixed bag.

The reason is that his father doesn't have many years left to live, and he himself is powerless and has accomplished nothing, leaving him at the mercy of his third uncle.

It should be noted that before Emperor Shizong of Zhou, Guo Rong, ascended the throne, he was also the Prefect of Kaifeng.

Although Zhao Guangyi did not have the title of Crown Prince, he was almost the same.

In addition, he also held important positions such as Grand Secretary and Chancellor, making him practically the Crown Prince at the peak of his power, just short of being granted the title of King and establishing his own government.

Thinking of this, Zhao Dezhao felt a sense of urgency arise.

He was panicked, but for some reason, he felt that there was something special about the number three, as if it were a divine arrangement.

Not to mention that he will inevitably cause a landslide and tsunami, or a butterfly flapping its wings, changing the tragedy of Prince Wugong, or even the tragedy of the Emperor, it is not impossible.

Back to reality, the only thing that could make him feel fortunate was that his third uncle, Zhao Guangyi, had not yet been granted the title of Prince of Jin and appointed officials.

Once the government was established, it took the first step in cultivating its own talent pool, and it was a process that could be openly conducted, granting staff official positions and authority, and allowing for the free recruitment of talented individuals.

Famous examples include the Prince of Qin's residence and the residence of the General of Heavenly Strategy under Emperor Taizong of Tang, and the residence of the Grand Commandant Ba under Emperor Gaozu of Song (Liu Yu).

Zhao Dezhao is already twenty-two years old this year, no longer a seven-year-old child like Guo Zongxun.

He left the family early, and as the eldest son in line to the throne, he has yet to be granted the title of king.

Throughout history, this has clearly been contrary to the established rites.

He's barely twenty and still unmarried, definitely a typical older single man.

All the capital he possessed was merely the nominal position of a local defense commissioner.

It sounds absurd.

Can the terms "eldest son of the principal wife," "not granted a title of king," and "not married" be used together in a string?

Ultimately, this was his father's well-intentioned suppression.

The point is simply that you shouldn't compete with his third uncle; he simply doesn't have the ability. Conferring titles of king or crown prince would only harm you.

In fact, Zhao Dezhao followed Zhao Kuangyin's lead and lived a life of non-contention.

But the result was that honest people were bullied, and after being scolded, they took their own lives in frustration.

It is true that his third uncle deliberately coerced him, but the way he died was too pathetic.

This alone is enough to reveal the character of this Prince of Wugong.

This also resulted in Zhao Dezhao being largely unknown in history, with virtually no record of him.

Moreover, he was not as good as his fourth brother, Defang, who at least had the stage name "Eighth Prince".

Lost in thought, the carriage turned right and headed towards Kaibao Temple in the northern suburbs of the city.

Having come this far, Zhao Dezhao had no choice but to devoutly enter the temple, burn incense, and pray before turning northeast again.

He made a brief stop at Chenqiaomen, checked in, and then headed southeast towards Yingchun Garden.

………………

Yingchun Garden, which later became Yichun Garden, was the favorite back garden of Emperor Taizu of Song.

When Zhao Dezhao stepped into the garden, the weather turned against him.

After asking several of his attendants, he learned that Zhao Kuangyin was not there, and he was left empty-handed.

After glancing at the sky, Zhao Dezhao decided to stop wasting time and practice his archery skills in the afterglow of the setting sun.

At that very moment, his fourth brother, Zhao Defang, was also practicing riding and archery on the Chunyuan Grassland.

Unlike Zhao Dezhao, who was all alone, the former was surrounded by more than ten imperial guards and cavalrymen, who were protecting him.

Not only that, but outside the meadow, under the towering triple canopy, a graceful and beautiful woman was gazing into the distance, and looking towards the Eighth Prince.

This noblewoman, none other than Empress Song, the third empress of the emperor, was dressed in a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, frowning as she gazed at Zhao Defang riding his horse.

Although Song failed to notice Zhao Dezhao, Wang Ji'en, a high-ranking official in the inner court bestowed with a title by the emperor, had long been eyeing him.

"Your Highness, Erlang has arrived."

Upon hearing this, Madam Song was slightly dazed. Just as she was about to turn her head to look, Zhao Dezhao was already walking towards her step by step, which made her feel a little flustered.

In contrast, Zhao Dezhao approached respectfully and bowed without any hesitation.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

Song seemed hesitant to presume to be respectful, so she quickly stood up and nodded slightly.

"I'm safe..."

Perhaps seeing that she was somewhat embarrassed, and with the eunuch beside her keeping a watchful eye on her, Zhao Dezhao, seeing that there was a rift between master and servant, did not linger. After taking his leave, he turned and headed towards the shooting range to practice his archery skills.

Once the figure had disappeared into the distance, Madam Song breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Wang Ji'en with a strange expression.

Seeing this, Wang Ji'en bent down and said.

"Erlang used to live a secluded life and rarely went out."

"Has he undergone gender reassignment surgery?"

Wang Ji'en was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, pursed his lips, and said with considerable disapproval.

Even a caged bird or a house dog needs to go out and enjoy the outdoors from time to time to relax.

Upon hearing this, Madam Song smiled faintly.

Before long, she saw Zhao Defang shoot a rabbit and cheer with joy, completely disregarding Wang Ji'en's excessive words.

Although Zhao Dezhao had gone far away, his eyesight was excellent. He saw the two whispering to each other and then cheering for his fourth brother, and he couldn't help but feel worried.

It should be noted that the Fu family, a prominent maternal relatives during the Five Dynasties period, had already exhausted its talent pool after his third uncle married Fu Yanqing's daughter.

In short, there was no share for him.

Zhao Kuangyin's marriage to Lady Song can also be seen as a replacement for Lady Fu.

Of course, Emperor Taizu himself didn't really care about these things. His former empress, Lady Wang, although she was from the Langya Wang clan, had been in decline for many years.

It is also said that the Song family's father, Song Wo (whose original name was Song Yanwo), was stationed in Fenzhou. Although he was not as powerful as Fu Yanqing, he was the grandson of Emperor Zhuangzong of the Later Tang Dynasty and the son-in-law of Emperor Gaozu of the Later Han Dynasty. He also held the title of Grand Tutor and was ranked among the Three Dukes.

Today, the Song family is extremely prominent and distinguished, and historians say that their wealth and status in modern times are rarely matched.

The so-called Empress Xiaozhang was actually Song, Zhao Dezhao's stepmother.

The latter is only twenty-one years old this year, a year younger than his son, hence the estrangement.

In contrast, Mrs. Song preferred her fourth son, who was still unmarried and often by her side.

As for Zhao Defang, he was not Song's biological son, but was born to Empress Wang, the second empress of Emperor Taizu.

Soong herself was childless.

It is common knowledge that being childless is unacceptable.

Therefore, an empress without children would inevitably have to choose an adopted son to live under her wing, so that she could hold the position of empress dowager after the emperor's death.

The Song family had no choice but to select one of the two.

However, the fundamental reason for having no children is that the old father is forty-seven years old and has never been interested in beautiful women, so his desire is not great.

How unlucky was he? He only had three wives, and he only remarried after each of his wives passed away.

There were not even any concubines; the vast harem was completely empty, a sight rarely seen throughout history.

In addition, many children in the Zhao family died young, so although the couple had a good relationship, it was all in vain.

Now, most of the Song family's hopes are placed on Zhao Defang, who is unmarried and the second son in line.

Therefore, in his uncle's eyes, the priority of killing him was still relatively low.

As the saying goes, "being near the water tower, one gets the moon first," and under the Empress's care and support, the fourth prince's life was much more comfortable than his.

Thinking about this, Zhao Dezhao's spirits plummeted.

My mother died young, my father doesn't love me, and my stepmother is distant. What should I do?

Are we just supposed to sit here and wait for the sorghum cart god to show his prowess?

At that time, I will recruit soldiers amidst the chaos of battle and take the opportunity to eliminate him.

If the Liao army's iron cavalry can't catch up, and neither can their own iron cavalry, how could they possibly catch up with a donkey cart?

Zhao Dezhao asked himself the question, and in the end he sighed and gave up.

But then he thought about the three-year period, the prophecies in his name, and the divine will bestowed upon him, and his state of mind changed instantly.

On the day Emperor Taizu donned the yellow robe, Chu Zhaofu, the Minister of the Three Departments, observed the celestial phenomena and discovered that there was another sun beneath the sun, shimmering with black light.

This is clearly a solar eclipse.

Of course, it can also represent the rising sun of the Song Dynasty, a time of renewal and renewal.

This is the clear light of heaven before us, and the clear light of heaven after us...

But it is a history of blood and tears for the people.

If the north and south are separated, the country will cease to exist.

As a result, the Han Chinese regime was completely overthrown, the vast land was destroyed, and countless lives were lost.

All of these things set a precedent for the Song Dynasty.

Therefore, it is said that the Song Dynasty began under Emperor Zhao and also perished under Emperor Zhao.

Zhao Dezhao lowered his head and pondered, but ultimately did not summon that impractical system.

After a moment, he looked up again and gazed at the horizon.

Looking towards the bright sun shining in the center of the azure sky, the Great Song Dynasty shines with brilliance.

This action seems to be a question to Laozi (Li Er), or perhaps a question to the Supreme God of Heaven.

………………

P.S.: Thank you all for your support, both new and old readers. Let me first talk about updates. During the new book period, I can't update too much, otherwise I'll get fewer recommendations. Usually, I update twice for every 2,000 words, and once for every 4,000 words. I'll occasionally add extra chapters, but I won't deliberately cut off chapters.

Updates are mainly based on word count. Sometimes two chapters of 6,000 words each count as an extra update. You can see this by looking at the page counts. Some are long and some are short.

Then I'm asking you to keep reading. If you decide to keep reading, I'll recommend and expose it. I humbly request that you take some time out of your busy schedules to keep reading, especially the Tuesday PK. Please, please, please!