My father Zhao Kuangyin

The following day, in the morning, Zhao Dezhao accompanied his brother-in-law Wang Chengyan to Yingchun Garden for a riding and archery lesson. On the way, they encountered a simple carriage with curtains half-drawn.

Amidst the stark contrast of the simple and plain surroundings, a graceful figure was faintly revealed.

Hiding a mistress in a copper house?

At this moment, he was no longer a blind man who couldn't see the world clearly; his eyesight was excellent. Through the carriage window, he saw a beautiful woman smiling for some unknown reason.

Soon, the woman seemed to notice something and looked back. Seeing a man peeking at her, she shyly pulled up the curtain, covering herself completely.

"cough."

Wang Chengyan coughed at the opportune moment.

"Brother-in-law, whose wife is this?"

"From the royal family."

The "Wang" here is not Wang Shenqi, but Wang Pu.

This was Wang Chengyan reminding him that he needed to calm down and focus.

But who is Zhao Dezhao? He's not a prince consort, so isn't it normal for him to have one wife and multiple concubines?

Furthermore, the Zhao family has a poor fertility record. If they don't spread the word and have no heirs, what should they do?

Therefore, Zhao Dezhao asked in a serious tone, "This doesn't seem to be an ordinary family. Which noble or high-ranking official's family do you belong to?"

Wang Chengyan certainly recognized the person.

To be honest, his parents had once intended to marry Zhang Mou, a beautiful woman, to him, but the emperor's hospitality was too great, and in the end, he had no choice but to marry into the family as the emperor's son-in-law.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with being a prince consort, but wouldn't it be even more prestigious to be able to compete in the imperial court and the border regions, and rise to the ranks of generals and prime ministers?

"Chen Fo's family."

"Who?"

"Chen Gong was the military governor of the Protectorate Army, the Grand Tutor, and the governor of Hezhong Prefecture (Hedong Commandery)."

For some reason, Zhao Dezhao felt a strange sense of familiarity and warmth. Upon closer reflection, he realized that she was the daughter of a meritorious general of the regional military governorship, which was quite surprising.

"Since she is Master Chen's daughter, how come she looks so shabby? Is it that Master Chen is deliberately being disrespectful?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Chengyan smiled slightly and said, "Lord Chen is too devoted to Buddhism. He gives away all his surplus wealth. Although the government has bestowed many rewards upon him, he has given them all away."

"Should the donation be given to temples or to ordinary people's homes?"

"I think so."

Zhao Dezhao felt somewhat relieved; at least his efforts hadn't been in vain.

At the same time, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

For generals like these regional commanders, winning them over is out of the question. They are over seventy years old, and at that age, they will most likely die in their towns, with no hope of returning to the capital.

It is no longer the early Song Dynasty. Even a high-ranking official like Fu Yanqing has people saying that he is unwell and therefore lives in Luoyang. On New Year's Day, he is unwilling to even travel the short distance to Kaifeng, as if he has retired into seclusion.

That's true. After fighting a lifetime of wars, shouldn't one enjoy some time to relax?

"Brother-in-law, do you think Emperor Zhou Shizong's suppression of Buddhism was right or wrong?" Not long after leaving the inner city, Zhao Dezhao suddenly asked.

"It is beneficial to the country, and your way of thinking is certainly correct."

Zhao Dezhao slowed his horse down and glanced at the Kaibao Temple, where incense smoke curled and the entrance was blocked by a line of soldiers.

"Has my brother-in-law ever been to the countryside?"

"What?"

"It's nothing."

Zhao Dezhao would never suggest that instead of offering food and clothing to ethereal immortals and Buddhas, it would be better to provide relief to the truly poor. Such was the nature of the times, and he himself was the biggest beneficiary.

In terms of civil administration, he honestly admitted that he wasn't very confident he could do better than Emperor Taizong.

As for why he strives so hard to improve, it's because he doesn't necessarily want to win; he just doesn't want to lose.

………………

When the newly appointed Imperial Secretary Lu Duoxun left the palace and returned home, Guo Zhi, the clerk, had been waiting for him at his residence for quite some time.

The former had just stopped to rest when they saw the guests and welcomed them into their private quarters, treating them with appropriate warmth and comfort.

"What did the Emperor say about Sun Chengyou's gifts?"

"The Prefect is being too hasty," Lu Duoxun sighed. "The Emperor has no intention of dismissing him as Prime Minister, and this pressure will only backfire."

As a leading figure among the anti-Putin officials, Lu Duoxun has said quite a few good things about Putin since he was promoted to the position of Zhongshu Sheren.

Of course, it can be good or bad, and it can also be the truth. For example, seafood is gold, but to call seafood gold is to show signs of the treacherousness of Zhao Gao from the pre-Qin period.

Conversely, Lu Duoxun did not actually oppose Zhao Erlang's ascension to the throne; it was just that the latter was tied to Zhao Pu, and now he had no choice but to side with Prefect Zhao.

Upon learning the truth, Guo Zhi was relieved that his official rank was low and he was not among those to be eliminated. However, the two factions were now locked in a fierce struggle, and the Censor-in-Chief had only been promoted because of the Second Prince's favor. Moreover, the Emperor intended to promote the Censors to higher positions. The situation was far from optimistic.

As Lu Sheren said, haste makes waste. The more eager you are, the more flaws you will reveal. The emperor may believe it once or twice if it is a deliberate coincidence, but after a few times, he will realize the truth and it will backfire.

"Did Erlang go to the countryside to provide relief to widows, widowers, and the lonely, or perhaps he had ulterior motives?"

Guo Zhi's mention of it only made Lu Duoxun frown more.

"Don't even think about raising assassins in secret; this turban won't do them any good."

The emperor may not be adept at political maneuvering, but that doesn't mean he's easily fooled. Erlang takes care of the poor, and those skinny young men, even wearing armor, struggle to walk, let alone become death squads...

Don't try to steal a chicken and end up losing the rice instead, making the emperor completely trust Erlang in the end.

Furthermore, Zhao Dezhao lacked the means to secretly raise people, while Zhao Guangyi genuinely did.

They were merely cultivated in the public sphere, often using official positions and identities as cover.

………………

Yingchun Garden.

While the two brothers were vying for favor, Zhao Dezhao met his seven-year-old cousin, Zhao Weiji, who had been adopted by the palace.

Because of his affection for his father, the old man still showed favoritism towards his third uncle.

Furthermore, the old father's attitude was very clear: the younger brother should succeed the elder brother. Therefore, he personally named him Dechong.

"elder brother!"

During the rest, Zhao Dechong's sudden call startled Zhao Dezhao.

Judging from his hurried pace, he was probably even more affectionate than Zhao Defang, and respected him as an elder brother.

Of course, the latter was not deliberately distancing himself. After all, both brothers were candidates for the crown prince position and were vying for the throne. Moreover, they were not born of the same mother, so it was normal for them to have some estrangement.

"Slow down, Weiji!"

There were also servants calling urgently from behind.

"What is my brother doing?"

"Just like you, I've come here to practice my martial arts," Zhao Dezhao said with a complicated smile.

"Alright, how about we have an archery contest, brother?"

Zhao Dechong raised his small bow, blinked, and spoke expectantly.

Zhao Dechong was the eldest son of his third uncle. If he remembered correctly, this younger brother also resembled his father in appearance, but his temperament was completely different.

He was forced to commit suicide, his fourth brother was poisoned, his fourth uncle was also poisoned, and it's not surprising that his younger brother, who had been raised by his uncle, was driven to the brink of collapse.

Why? Because they were taken care of too much when they were young, they didn't know the dangers of the world, and they were disconnected from reality, which led to cognitive confusion.

This is similar to Emperor Hui of Han, Liu Ying, who was ruthlessly kicked off his carriage by Emperor Gaozu of Han. He was originally a benevolent and self-disciplined emperor, but he was driven mad by his mother's treatment of him as a human pig and poisoned wine...

To be honest, in terms of merit, his third uncle was indeed comparable to Empress Lü.

Seeing Zhao Dechong laughing and talking to Lao Si again, Zhao Dezhao couldn't help but let out a dry laugh.

It is often said that a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent, but what is the standard of virtue for someone born into an imperial family and who becomes the emperor?

For the people, or for one's relatives?

Because Zhao Dechong was pleasing to people, this problem did not bother Zhao Dezhao for long. He was also willing to hold that small soft bow and play shooting games with it, and he was very happy with this exquisite little bow and arrow toy.

………………

In the distance, Zhao Guangyi walked side by side with Fu Shi. When he saw his nephew and eldest son playing archery, his expression changed slightly.

Perhaps Lady Fu had noticed something amiss, for she immediately asked, "Husband, are you worried or happy to see this?"

"It's a mixed bag," Zhao Guangyi murmured with a smile. "Now that I think about it, it's all because my elder brother dotes on me. Although we're quite close, at least I haven't been implicated in any trouble. That's a good thing."

Nowadays, even the government knows that Zhao Dezhao is practically going to confront him directly in the competition for the position of vice-chairman.

Honestly, I don't think I harbor much resentment towards my nephew.

What man with even a little ambition wouldn't covet, or even fantasize, about, the throne?

Let alone Zhao Dezhao, back when the Chenqiao Mutiny took place, did those imperial guards generals ever think of following in the emperor's footsteps and doing the same thing?

The reason is that the government has cut off this path, making it impossible to do, but to say that they hadn't thought of it would be laughable.

There are no tigers in the mountains, and the monkeys are kings.

Even if the emperor had died young like Guo Rong, and Zhao Guangyi had become emperor as he wished, how could he have been able to awe the world?

In terms of merit, who can compare to the Emperor's thirteen years of civil and military administration overseeing the nation?

From this perspective, he himself is insatiable and desires too much.

Seeing that Zhao Guangyi had not responded for a long time, Fu said worriedly.

"My lord, I'm afraid..."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Guangyi glanced indifferently at his nephew and son.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. Regardless of whether we advance or retreat, things are no longer the same as they were before."

………………

At dusk, after playing games with his elder brother, Zhao Dechong returned to the palace and seemed rather listless.

During dinner, he finally couldn't hold back and tearfully complained to Mrs. Song about Zhao Dezhao.

When Zhao Kuangyin returned and asked about the reason, he couldn't help but laugh.

"Weiji said that Rixin had broken her husband's bow and was heartbroken... He couldn't eat and I had to force him to eat."

"What's there to be upset about? Just have the workshop make another one."

Upon hearing this, Madam Song was both amused and exasperated, and said:

"Weiji said it was the first bow his uncle had given him, and he couldn't bear to part with it."

Zhao Kuangyin paused for a moment, then asked.

"Where is the bow? How was it broken?"

"You know how strong Rixin is. A few days ago, he even tested drawing a three-stone bow... How could that weak bow withstand it?" After a moment, Song seemed to understand and added, "Weiji has just fallen asleep. The bow is in the room. Husband, please be gentle and don't wake him."

"I know."

When Zhao Kuangyin saw that only the bowstring was broken, he was slightly pleased. He sent someone to fetch a cowhide string, lit a night lamp, and the Song emperor began to sew and mend the bow like a woman...

Afterwards, Song found it difficult to speak.

"The emperor is busy with countless affairs of state and is already exhausted. He doesn't know how to rest, yet he still has the leisure to tinker with toys."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin laughed.

"If you can't even sweep your own house, how can you sweep the world? If you can't even mend your own bow, how can you mend the world? If I don't even know how to cherish my own sons, how can I be the Song Emperor who loves his people like his own children?"

Song was stunned and immediately fell silent.

These words likely alluded to Erlang's act of giving alms.

The reason Song was stunned was because Zhao Dezhao already knew how to retreat in order to advance, and he had also undergone gender reassignment surgery.