My father Zhao Kuangyin

The first day of the fifth lunar month, at noon.

At this moment, the Guizhou Defense Commissioner of the Great Song Dynasty was enjoying a meal, unaware that Li Diantou had already delivered the imperial edict to his subordinates.

Upon not seeing Zhao Dezhao, Li Shenyou smiled slightly and began to read the announcement.

"The imperial edict states that Dezhao, the Guizhou Defense Commissioner, is hereby appointed as a Vice Chancellor."

As expected, the garrison commander hadn't even wiped the grease from his mouth when he strode out from the inner courtyard.

The moment Zhao Dezhao received the imperial edict, he was filled with mixed emotions.

For the past five days, he has neither received the title of king nor the wedding invitation from his father-in-law; all he has felt is emptiness, the emptiness of unfulfilled ambitions.

Leaving aside the promise his father made to Chun Yuan that day, Zhao Kuangyin seemed to have entered a period of calm after the incident, and did not mention the matter of the crown prince or even the enfeoffment of a king to him.

These are not the main points. The main point is the title of Vice Chancellor, which elevates one from a remote defense commissioner to a vice chancellor. Even if he is a vice chancellor who is not allowed to enter the capital to report on matters, he is still a prime minister!

This is almost as good as being made a king.

Zhao Dezhao pondered, guessing that his father wanted to test him further, especially his ability to govern.

How could officials personally lead military campaigns generation after generation? Once the world was truly at peace, the archery skills would only serve as a deterrent.

"Is the Empress Dowager in the palace today?"

Just as Li Shenyou was turning to leave, he paused upon hearing this and turned back.

"What does 'Erlang' mean?"

"Your Highness, as Prime Minister Zhao said that day, filial piety is the foundation of the country. Although my mother is not my biological mother, she is my father's empress. My father often goes to Yingchun Garden, so it is not difficult for me to pay my respects. However, my mother does not go out often, so I want to pay my respects and show my filial piety... but I am powerless to do so."

In reality, Li Shenyou is not as trusted by the Song family as Wang Ji'en. The former often has to travel on official business and accompany the emperor, while Wang Ji'en is the head of the empress's eunuchs and has to handle most matters, big and small.

Feelings and trust are things that require time to cultivate; without them, they inevitably become bland.

"Although Alang has already married, no one has ever stopped him from entering the palace. However, Alang is older, so if he goes to Funing Palace, he must first ask permission outside and wait a while."

Kaifeng Palace was built according to the old system of Luoyang Palace, and it is roughly divided into two parts, north and south, with one half being the main hall and the other half being the sleeping quarters.

The main hall, which is the government office, such as the Secretariat-Chancellery, was where officials were required to conduct their business. The inner palace, on the other hand, was not a place that just anyone could enter.

The original intention behind the princes' marriage was to avoid the emergence of dramas based on traditional ethical and moral codes.

Li Shenyou could easily understand Zhao Dezhao's intentions. He had become too powerful and wanted to replace the fourth prince and establish a connection with the future empress dowager.

Honestly, it's just that Zhao Dezhao is older, only four or five years younger, so the gap between mother and son is smaller, but the chances are still high.

Furthermore, Zhao Dezhao was married at the age of thirteen and a half. At this time, Zhao Defang was recommended by the Song family and was almost fifteen years old but still not married. There had to be a limit to further delay, at most sixteen or seventeen. Any more than that would have a bad impact.

However, these are all uncertain matters, and it's hard to say for sure.

For example, the government has changed its mind, and it has only been half a month since mid-April.

"Don't leave, Your Highness. Please hear me out one more time."

Li Shenyou paused again, looking around and seeing spies everywhere, his expression troubled.

"If you have anything to say, it's not too late to bring it up when Ah Lang takes office."

"it is good."

He had subtly revealed his intentions, and as for whether Li Shenyou was willing to speak on his behalf, Zhao Dezhao had no choice but to comply and could not force him.

After personally seeing Li Shenyou off, Zhao Dezhao returned home and, after finishing the leftovers, began his usual routine of traveling by car.

Instead of going to Yingchun Garden, he drove straight to the palace.

This time, the carriage did not turn around after passing Xuande Tower, but went straight into the palace through the left side gate on the east side. The imperial guards stationed at the palace gate saw this and, seeing that it was the new vice prime minister, did not ask any questions and let him pass.

However, before they had traveled far, Zhao Dezhao was stopped by a eunuch.

The reason given was that large carriages were not permitted within the palace; instead, one had to use a more comfortable carriage. Zhao Dezhao had no choice but to change vehicles.

When the carriage arrived at Changqing Gate, our Great Song Vice Chancellor realized that we had taken the wrong road.

Ahead lies the Chongwen Academy, and behind it is the Privy Council. To enter the Secretariat-Chancellery, one should enter through the Right Side Gate.

It wasn't that Zhao Dezhao couldn't distinguish left from right; his predecessor rarely entered the palace and was only twelve or thirteen years old when he left home. This momentary lapse in concentration left him in a difficult position.

Just then, Minister Shen arrived on foot, about to go to his shift. Seeing that the carriage was stopped, he became displeased.

Shen Yilun was not a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), but he was extremely famous for his mastery of the Book of Rites. In his early years, he taught in Songshan and Luoyang. Later, when Bai Wenke became an envoy, he followed him into the inner circle and began his professional career.

Initially, he was recommended by his friend Zan Ju-run. He joined the shogunate around the same time as Zhao Pu and was in charge of financial affairs.

"Master Shen."

After Zhao Dezhao got out of the car, he bowed respectfully.

Shen Yilun, who was about to give a lecture, changed his expression again upon seeing the real person. He put away his lecturing tone and asked in a calm manner.

"Why has the prince blocked the palace gates with his carriages and horses?"

"I wish to... participate in the Privy Council's affairs. I wonder if the Prime Minister would allow me to enter the academy for a visit."

The position of Vice Chancellor refers to the affairs of the Secretariat and the Chancellery, not the Privy Council.

Judging from the layout of the government offices, in order to avoid conflicts between civil and military officials, they were separated into two sections, one on the left and one on the right.

The two offices were called the government and the central government, respectively, and were also known as the secret archives.

Currently, the Privy Council does not have twelve offices, nor does it have two separate offices, North and South. It is in charge of confidential matters, especially military secrets.

It can be understood as the highest institution of the Ministry of War, which stood in opposition to the Secretariat and Chancellery.

"Participating in the Privy Council..."

Shen Yilun stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, but did not refuse. He immediately led Zhao Dezhao into Chongwen Academy.

Chongwen Academy has not changed much to this day, and is simply used as a library and history museum.

The old and young stopped here, knowing the principle that civil and military officials should not associate. They did not take Zhao Dezhao into the Privy Council, but instead strolled around the Chongwen Academy, looking through the books and answering Erlang's questions.

Shen Yilun took down a yellowed copy of the Book of Song, flipped through it a few times, and then put it back in its original place.

"The Han bandits and Liao invaders in the north have been quiet recently, and there's nothing major happening. As for the troops in various prefectures... the matter to be discussed is the conquest of Jiangnan."

"Regarding the southern expedition," Zhao Dezhao said, his mind clearing up immediately. He immediately offered his opinion, saying, "Since ancient times, to defend the Yangtze River, one must also defend the Huai River. Not to mention that the Tang Kingdom has lost all of its territory north of the Yangtze River, the King of Wuyue is loyal and unwavering. If you send General Cao south, you can send him to provide support and coordination. At that time, we can attack from both sides, and Nanjing can be captured in no time."

Li Yu, the ruler of the Southern Tang Dynasty, and Qian Chu, the ruler of the Wuyue Kingdom. The former's appearance is self-evident; he is a frequent subject in textbooks.

Because of a play, Zhao Dezhao was somewhat aware of the latter, and he was extremely obedient to the Song Dynasty, making them practically father and son.

After the fall of the Southern Tang Dynasty, Qian Wu surrendered his territory to the Song Dynasty, which can be considered a remarkable story.

At this moment, Shen Yilun had clearly underestimated Zhao Dezhao. He was amazed to hear the latter talk about military strategy in such a logical and eloquent manner.

"Is Ah Lang also knowledgeable in military affairs?"

"Just a dabbling."

Shen Yilun nodded.

"Knowing about military affairs is a good thing. Whenever His Majesty is nostalgic, he tells us stories of war over and over again. He really misses it." Shen Yilun said with emotion, "It's a pity that the central government cannot be without a leader for long. During the Northern Expedition, we advised His Majesty not to personally lead the expedition... but we couldn't stop him."

Zhao Dezhao has been somewhat sensitive lately, thinking that Minister Shen is giving him pointers so that he can enter the Eastern Palace as the Crown Prince to oversee the country in the future, so that his father can be free from worries about the future.

Of course, he knew these were all fantasies at the moment, but what's wrong with thinking about them when you're alive?

When Emperor Gaozu of Han was still a nobody, did he never say, "A true man should be like this"?

When Emperor Guangwu of Han was at the end of his reign, didn't he also say, "If I were to become an official, I would be the Commander of the Imperial Guards; if I were to marry, I would be like Yin Lihua"?

In terms of starting point, he was far superior.

As the two strolled leisurely, chatting idly, Shen Yilun seemed to realize something and suddenly froze.

The General Cao mentioned by Fang Qian Zhao Dezhao refers to Cao Bin.

Now, Cao Bin was originally a military officer in Chengde during the Later Han Dynasty. His aunt, Zhang, was the wife of Guo Wei, the founding emperor of the Later Zhou Dynasty.

There's not much to say about his early life; he was a relative of a powerful and influential family.

Cao Bin first showed his talent in the second year of Jianlong (961), when he defeated the enemy three times during the Northern Expedition against Liu Han.

In the first year of the Qiande era (963), the Northern Han borrowed troops from the Liao and led 60,000 cavalry to attack Pingjin. Cao Bin, along with generals such as Li Jixun, also led 60,000 troops to meet the enemy at the city and defeated the Liao-Han allied forces.

After this battle, he not only conquered Meng Shu, but also followed the emperor on a second northern expedition against Liu Han.

Zhao Dezhao's mention of Cao Bin was nothing unusual, after all, he was a rising star.

What puzzled Shen Yilun was when the Emperor had decided to order Cao Bin to lead a southern expedition against the Tang Dynasty.

How could he not have known?

Yes, in terms of military achievements, it is not wrong to say that Cao Bin is the most outstanding among the generals in recent times, so this is just speculation... Looking at Erlang's pure and innocent appearance, it doesn't seem like it.

As Shen Yilun pondered, his resolve deepened.

Is it any wonder that the loyalty of generals and commanders is so readily available in the secret chambers?

He was sixty-two years old this year, the age of sixty, and rarely lost his composure. Thinking of the Emperor's several private meetings with Zhao Dezhao, and his travels with Zhao Pu and Wang Pu, he couldn't help but let his imagination run wild.

Zhao Pu is indeed the prime minister, but with both civil and military power held by one person, is this still the Song Dynasty of the Zhao family... the Emperor?!

It's one thing for him to wield absolute power in the capital, but damn it, he's even extending his reach into his own Privy Council.

What are we supposed to do?

Yi Yin and Huo Guang?

Thinking of this, Shen Yilun puffed out his beard and glared, not even wanting to question Zhao Dezhao further. He immediately glanced at the corridor and grabbed a clerk who was passing by in a hurry and questioned him.

"Where is the Emperor?!"