My father Zhao Kuangyin

"Kuang means to rectify chaos and bring order to a chaotic world; Yin means to succeed, meaning descendants to continue the lineage."

Zhao Kuangyin repeated it verbatim.

Upon hearing this, Wang Pu's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Were these words... spoken by Erlang and His Majesty?"

Zhao Kuangyin nodded.

Wang Pu was shocked and hurriedly got up and bowed.

"The south is not yet pacified, and the lands of Yan and Yun have not yet been recovered. Your Majesty, I implore you to prioritize the well-being of the Song Dynasty!"

"Please sit down first."

"His Majesty!"

Zhao Kuangyin was in high spirits when he saw Wang Pu feigning refusal, and he couldn't help but feel angry.

"I told you to sit down!"

"Yes..."

Wang Pu wiped the large beads of sweat from his forehead and then gently took off his turban.

Zhao Kuangyin, however, drank cup after cup, seemingly oblivious to the situation.

"Lately, I have often thought that the founding emperors bear the heaviest responsibility. I recall the tragic fates of Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, and the harsh treatment Emperor Xuanzong gave to his son..."

"Emperor Shizong still had the courage to pass on his throne to his youngest son. Rixin is twenty-two years old this year. As his father, I should give him a chance, no matter what."

Wang Pu listened carefully and actually wanted to refute the official's analogy, saying it was not quite appropriate.

Leaving aside the ancestors of the Tang Dynasty, Guo Rong was truly helpless. He only had a seven-year-old son, and he was an orphan and a widow. How could he protect his family's foundation in such a chaotic world?

Although a subject should be loyal, after the Chenqiao Mutiny, not only the generals of the Imperial Guards, but also most of the civil officials tacitly approved of it.

Even Fan Zhi and Wei Renpu, who were also ministers entrusted with the care of the young emperor, were just ordinary.

It is true that the world has always been a family-run state, but it is not limited to one family.

The environment is no longer as conducive to the opening of kindergartens as it was during the Eastern Han Dynasty.

There's nothing we can do about it; that's just how the world is. If you have to blame someone, blame the world.

"Has Your Majesty considered Prefect Zhao?"

"I will not show favoritism or be harsh. If I am going to confer titles of kings, I will treat everyone equally."

"Does Prime Minister Zhao know this?"

"I don't know."

Wang Pu sighed and said, "As a minister in the court, my words carry little weight. Your Majesty must think carefully. In my opinion, we should discuss this with Chancellor Zhao before making any decisions."

Zhao Kuangyin finally understood and stopped insisting.

"You may leave now."

"Your Majesty, bestowing a title of kingship is not feasible at this time, but the marriage... is still possible."

Just as Zhao Kuangyin turned back to his seat, Old Man Wang finally couldn't hold on any longer.

The former had been waiting for this very word. After smoothing out his pursed lips, he sat back down.

"I heard from the Empress that your daughter's nickname is Zhaoyun."

"That's right."

"They are a good match," Zhao Kuangyin said with a smile. "Why not marry Zhaojun?"

Wang Pu offered no explanation, only responding with a wry smile.

"Alright, I'm leaving you to face the dangers soon. Go back and rest."

"only."

………………

April 27th, sunny.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye. During these days, under the tutelage of his brother-in-law Wang Chengyan, Zhao Dezhao diligently practiced riding and archery, and made rapid progress.

As for the marriage he had asked his father for, he had recently given it no thought.

Good marriages are hard to come by, especially since his main purpose that day was to express his feelings, using the marriage proposal as a means to that end.

At this moment, Zhao Dezhao was galloping on his horse in the meadow when he saw a procession of ceremonial guards moving along the garden road, with palace servants and attendants on both sides.

Amidst bursts of laughter, he looked around with a strange expression.

Not to mention their arm around each other's shoulders, their swaying gait made them look nothing like a monarch or his ministers, but more like a bunch of wild geese.

"Second Brother?"

Zhao Defang, sweating profusely, rode behind Zhao Dezhao. Seeing that Zhao Dezhao had reined in his horse and was not moving, he couldn't help but ask a question.

"Is Grandpa hosting a banquet?"

Zhao Defang smiled and said, "It's not a banquet, it's an archery competition."

"What is...a banquet archery?"

"Second Brother, have you forgotten that Master always reviews archery skills at banquets?" Zhao Defang asked breathlessly. "Master wants to shoot, and the generals want to shoot too. It's a great pleasure for the emperor and his subjects to compete in archery at banquets!"

Zhao Dezhao held back for a while, but finally broke down and laughed in response.

"This is indeed great joy."

From afar, Song watched as the two brothers dismounted nimbly, their behavior more intimate than usual, and a mix of emotions welled up within her.

Wang Ji'en, standing nearby, also had a clear view of the scene.

"Your Highness, the Emperor is acting as matchmaker for Erlang, Grand Tutor Wang..."

Wang Pu held a position without real power, but his close association with the prince inevitably led him to commit taboos.

If Zhao Dezhao, the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince and the Chief Official of the Eastern Palace, were to marry his daughter, what would that mean?

This means that Old Man Wang's title of Grand Tutor has a chance to be realized. If everything goes smoothly, it would be possible for him to become a real Grand Tutor.

"Has Guangyi arrived?"

Upon hearing Zhao Guangyi's name, Wang Ji'en felt a slight chill and immediately pointed at him.

"The prefectural governor is located beside the emperor."

Upon hearing this, Lady Song suddenly turned around and looked at Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong, who were laughing and talking happily under the canopy.

After a while, she started sighing incoherently again.

"He just agreed to Erlang's request a few days ago, and now he wants to drink and sing again, with the emperor and his ministers drinking heartily."

"Mother!"

Zhao Defang got excited and quickly stepped forward, taking a big gulp of water.

Seeing this, Madam Song smiled, took a handkerchief, and gently wiped away the sweat from his face.

"His archery and horsemanship have improved a lot recently, but he's gotten a bit tanned."

Zhao Defang disagreed, laughing, "Doesn't Mother prefer children who resemble their fathers? Isn't it better if they're a little dark-skinned?"

"Good, that's good."

Don't be fooled by Zhao Defang's unassuming nature; having served Song for a long time, he has developed a competitive spirit.

As for who to compete with, Third Uncle is far more important than Second Brother.

After several words of advice and guidance that day, he realized that Song was paving the way for him.

Although they were not biological children, they were raised with all their might, and were no different from real children.

"Mother, which grand dukes have come today?"

"With Prime Minister Zhao (Pu) here, there is also Prime Minister Shen, Prime Minister Chu (Zhaofu), Prime Minister Shi (Shouxin), Prime Minister Wang (Shenqi)... and Grand Tutor Wang."

When Wang Pu was mentioned, Song paused almost imperceptibly.

Apart from Wang Pu, most of them were actually familiar faces.

The so-called Three Offices were in charge of salt and iron, finance and expenditure, and the Ministry of Revenue.

The Three Commissioners held supreme power over finances and were also known as the Minister of Finance.

In addition, there is Shen Yilun. In principle, the Privy Councilor is not considered a prime minister, but his power is considerable.

The Imperial Guards are now under the direct command of the Emperor, who personally leads them. The Privy Council currently has no chief envoy, only a deputy envoy, hence the alternative title of "envoy-minister".

Military affairs and sacrifices are of great importance to the state, and Shen Yilun, as a deputy prime minister, is naturally capable of handling them.

Another noteworthy figure is Lü Yuqing, who had just returned to the capital and was promoted by the emperor to the positions of Commander of Jiannan and Jingnan Circuits and Commissioner of Water and Land Transportation of the Three Departments.

Yuqing is his courtesy name, and Yin is his given name. Due to taboo, people now use his courtesy name instead of his given name.

After the fall of Meng Shu, Lü Yuqing was promoted to Prefect of Chengdu.

At that time, bandits were rampant in Shu, and the soldiers were arrogant because of their merits. In particular, General Wang Quanbin was extremely domineering, which led to a huge disaster and a complete mess.

After taking office, Lü Yuqing implemented strict reforms, which won the respect of both the military and the people. He made great contributions, and as expected, after being gilded with gold, he rose rapidly through the ranks.

The banquet hosted by the emperor was mainly to welcome Lü Yuqing and to allow the emperor and his ministers to exchange views and discuss policies for governing Sichuan.

The remaining officials could not be considered key figures, including Wei Pi, the workshop director; Ma Shi, the right advisor; Wang Dong, the secretary; Chen Congxin, the right guest master; and Gao Qiong, the deputy general.

At first glance, most of the people behind were Zhao Pu and Zhao Guangyi's cronies and advisors. Their clear distinction between left and right and their refusal to look at each other while walking revealed some clues.

As they were talking, Madam Song saw that Zhao Dezhao had changed into new clothes and was riding his horse swiftly towards the banquet hall, so she dared not delay.

After she had tidied Zhao Defang's clothes, she gave him instructions, word by word.

"Your archery skills have improved a lot. Go with your elder brother to Grandpa's side. If you have the opportunity to show your talent, don't be afraid of being intimidated."

"I understand."

"Alright, go quickly, don't always fall behind your brother."

Zhao Defang nodded, his eyes burning with determination, and mounted his horse again, whipping it as he chased after them.