"I can't see what's going on over there in Song. It's killing me."
Zhang Fei hurriedly scribbled a note and tossed it into the light screen, clearly trying to echo Emperor Erfeng's mood.
Watching his third brother pace in circles while staring at the light screen, Liu Bei started to feel dizzy himself. He finally spoke up to persuade him.
"Third Brother, if you want to know what's happening in the Song royal house, you can just wait until later and ask by writing a note like you did earlier."
Zhang Fei smacked his lips in regret.
"Big Brother, you don't get it. How can listening to Zhao Da's retelling compare to seeing it with my own eyes?"
Ma Chao, kneeling to the side and just as full of anticipation, nodded along in full agreement.
As he talked, Zhang Fei suddenly felt a bit wistful. A strange idea popped into his head. He clasped his hands toward the glowing screen in a serious manner.
"Light screen, light screen. Future generations, future generations."
"I want to use that crossing-through method and go help Zhao Da out in person. Can you make an exception?"
Zhang Fei looked completely serious. The light screen, however, stood firm, showing not the slightest reaction.
Left with no choice, Zhang Fei helplessly rubbed his beard and continued pacing in circles.
Kongming immediately laughed.
"Yide is truly quick-witted. To think you'd even get the idea of helping the Song emperor shoulder his worries."
"This isn't about shouldering worries."
Liu Bei understood his third brother all too well and exposed him in one sentence.
"With Zhao Da's military background, how could he not handle Zhao Er? Yide just wants to watch the excitement. And who knows, maybe he even wants to sneak in a kick or two at Song Taizong while he's at it."
Kongming was left speechless for a moment. Zhang Fei grinned and did not deny it. Instead, he slid over and started massaging Liu Bei's shoulders while speaking sweetly.
"Looking at it this way, Ah Dou really does make Big Brother worry less."
The words sounded a little strange, but Liu Bei still nodded in agreement.
Taking advantage of the moment, Zhang Fei pressed on.
"If that's the case, why not summon Feng'er to Chang'an, so he and Ah Dou can build some brotherly bonds?"
For Liu Bei, saying he wasn't tempted would be a lie. What parent doesn't want to enjoy the warmth of children gathered around them?
Right now, he only had Liu Feng and Ah Dou as sons. But when he thought about the letter Liu Feng had sent him during the New Year, he ultimately shook his head.
"Feng'er has his own great ambitions. I… should not stand in his way."
After the Jing and Xiang campaigns, when merits were discussed, Ma Su was reassigned to Chang'an as an aide in the General's Office. As long as he wasn't put in charge of troops, he was diligent in offering ideas and running errands, and could be considered a capable official.
Mi Fang's situation was simpler. Mi Zhu personally kept this bargain-bin little brother by his side and made sure he stayed away from military and political affairs, strictly ordering him to study arithmetic and business matters.
Liu Feng's situation was a bit more complicated. Liu Bei had initially summoned him to stay with the army, but Liu Feng refused. A month ago, Lady Gan, Lady Sun, and Madam Wu came to Chang'an with Ah Dou. Liu Bei, hoping for a family reunion, summoned him again, and Liu Feng still refused.
Not only did he refuse, he also sent back a long, earnest letter, saying that although he was the son of the Left General, he could neither pacify the people below nor strike down bandits above. He requested to join the army and open the frontiers, and said he would only report his merits to his father after earning a marquisate.
So although Liu Bei was tempted, he ultimately shook his head and lightly patted his third brother's arm to show appreciation.
Zhang Fei felt a bit disappointed. Though he was advising his elder brother, in his heart he was actually thinking of his second brother.
To restore the Han, must brothers truly never be reunited?
…
Ganlu Hall.
Since they couldn't watch brothers fighting, and Zhao Da wasn't saying a word, the entire hall started to feel drowsy.
Li Shimin forced himself to curse.
"This can't be spoken, that can't be written, nothing can be recorded with the brush. Then what use is history even for?"
This was already a shared sentiment among the Zhenguan ministers, but Du Ruhui still sighed along.
"There really are far too many bizarre deaths among the meritorious nobles and imperial clan in early Song."
Wei Zheng and Fang Xuanling nodded together. Fang Xuanling gave a short judgment.
"This Zhao Er, compared to his elder brother, is lacking in virtue."
Wei Zheng also sighed. The excitement he once felt upon learning that Song honored Confucianism had long since disappeared. He spoke again.
"When virtue does not match position, disaster will be severe. When ability does not match responsibility, calamity will be widespread."
"Those thin in virtue have shallow resolve. Sitting in high office, knowing little yet planning great things, with little strength yet bearing heavy burdens, few ever avoid failure."
After criticizing Zhao Er, Wei Zheng instead felt a bit lost. From what later generations said, there was still recitation of the classics, but it was also clear that scholars had already declined.
Could it be that the great harmonious world hoped for by the sages was ultimately nothing more than an unattainable dream?
The ministers all chatted lazily in low voices, quietly discussing how the Song situation would develop.
Off to the side, Chu Suiliang, diligently recording everything, was secretly alert in his heart. A historian establishes the legacy of a state. If the brush is straight, the state is upright. If the state is upright, it can serve as a model for the world and a mirror for later generations. This must be taken as a warning.
The light screen continued.
[Lightscreen]
From the Golden Casket Alliance alone, it is already clear that even after Zhao Tingmei's death, the aftershocks of Zhao Kuangyin's passing never truly faded.
On the contrary, those ripples continued to spread, and they pushed one key figure back into the center of the stage in the latter half of Song Taizong's reign.
That man was Zhao Pu.
Judging from the scattered records that remain, Zhao Pu played a decisive role in the Zhao Tingmei case. From Zhao Tingmei's relegation to Luoyang to his later transfer to Fangzhou, Zhao Pu was the one applying pressure behind the scenes.
For example, the memorial submitted by Li Fu, Prefect of Kaifeng, claiming that Zhao Tingmei showed no repentance at all, was widely believed to have been prompted by Zhao Pu.
Another person who suffered badly in the Zhao Tingmei affair was the former chancellor Lu Duoxun.
He was stripped of his office and exiled to Yazhou. Coincidentally or not, Lu Duoxun happened to be Zhao Pu's former political enemy, and the one who had once forced Zhao Pu out of power.
No matter how one looks at it, the exchange of interests between Song Taizong and Zhao Pu before and after the Golden Casket Alliance is hard to miss. One side needed political enemies removed.
The other needed imperial relatives framed. The cooperation was, from their point of view, extremely smooth.
The Song History summed it up in one blunt line. Zhao Tingmei was deposed, Lu Duoxun was sent south, and Zhao Pu was the driving force behind both.
However, the chancellorship Zhao Pu gained through the Golden Casket Alliance did not even have time to warm his seat. He was driven out of Bianliang for the second time, and this time the reason was surprisingly simple.
Zhao Yuanzuo did not like him.
Zhao Yuanzuo was Song Taizong's eldest legitimate son. The sparse historical records describe him as brave, decisive, and strikingly similar in appearance to his father. Because of this, he was deeply favored.
After coming of age, he was kept close at court, and his residence was even moved directly into the Eastern Palace. In almost every respect, he was being trained according to crown prince standards. All that was missing was the formal edict of investiture.
Unfortunately, although Zhao Yuanzuo resembled his father in appearance, he was far different in temperament.
From a young age, he had been very close to his uncle Zhao Tingmei. After Song Taizong began moving against Zhao Tingmei, Zhao Yuanzuo repeatedly pleaded on his uncle's behalf, which greatly displeased his father.
At that stage, some father and son affection still remained. Zhao Yuanzuo could not save his uncle, but he could at least drive out Zhao Pu, one of the main accomplices.
This was the real reason Zhao Pu's second term as chancellor lasted only two years before he was sent away again.
Three years after Zhao Pu was transferred out, the Yongxi Northern Campaign broke out on a massive scale. While serving in the Wusheng Army, Zhao Pu continued to follow the progress of the war.
Seeing that the fighting dragged on with no clear results, he submitted the Memorial on Returning the Army, urging Song Taizong to withdraw.
Song Taizong, of course, did not listen.
The result was a disastrous defeat in the Yongxi campaign, leaving the Song court facing serious internal and external crises.
Under such circumstances, Song Taizong urgently needed someone to shoulder the blame. Or, more politely, he needed a highly respected senior minister to stabilize the situation.
Zhao Pu, who had gained a reputation for foresight because of his Memorial on Returning the Army, now enjoyed considerable praise at court. At the same time, the heir apparent Zhao Yuanxi also urged Song Taizong to recall Zhao Pu.
Thus, at the age of sixty four, Zhao Pu became chancellor for the third time, returning to Bianliang to take the blows for Zhao Guangyi.
At this point, some viewers may feel confused. Earlier, was not the heir Zhao Yuanzuo. Why has it now become Zhao Yuanxi.
The explanation is actually simple.
After the news of Zhao Tingmei's death reached the capital, a heavy stone fell from Song Taizong's heart. For Zhao Yuanzuo, however, something inside him finally snapped.
The historical record says it plainly. After Zhao Tingmei's death, Zhao Yuanzuo went mad.
In addition, the year before the Yongxi Northern Campaign, Song Taizong summoned his sons to celebrate the Double Ninth Festival.
During this event, the already unstable Zhao Yuanzuo, claiming that he had been neglected, set fire to the palace. The flames burned through the night and were still not extinguished by dawn.
Such a matter could not possibly be hidden from the emperor.
As a result, Zhao Yuanzuo was deposed and reduced to commoner status.
Later generations have speculated that Zhao Yuanzuo may not have truly gone mad, but instead pretended madness after witnessing too many of his father's dark dealings and developing a deep fear of the throne.
However, this theory lacks solid evidence and can only be set aside as speculation.
With Zhao Yuanzuo removed, the position of heir passed to Zhao Yuanxi.
Unfortunately, Zhao Yuanxi did not enjoy many years of peace either.
Seven years after the Yongxi Northern Campaign, and five years before Song Taizong's own death, the twenty seven year old Zhao Yuanxi died suddenly.
Unsurprisingly, Zhao Yuanxi's death also became one of the many unresolved mysteries of the early Song.
What made it especially suspicious was not only the suddenness of his death, but also Song Taizong's strange change in attitude afterward.
He had once greatly favored this son and even intended to posthumously honor him as crown prince.
Yet before the posthumous ceremony could be carried out, Zhao Yuanxi's favored concubine, Lady Zhang, was executed by strangulation on charges of overstepping ritual boundaries.
Her parents' graves were destroyed, and her entire clan was exiled.
The planned posthumous investiture of Zhao Yuanxi as crown prince was immediately canceled. He was instead buried with first rank funeral rites.
A long list of officials in Kaifeng were also punished and dismissed in connection with the affair.
These are the official historical records, and they clearly leave many points vague and clouded in suspicion.
Li Tao, in the Continuation of the Comprehensive Mirror, added a brief note based on circulating unofficial accounts. He wrote that Zhao Yuanxi may have fallen ill after mistakenly ingesting something, and that there were also private matters within his palace.
This single line shifts the story from sudden death to possible poisoning. When placed alongside the similarly unclear deaths of Li Yu, Qian Chu, and even Zhao Kuangyin himself, it is hard not to see why later scholars allowed their imaginations to run.
As for why Song Taizong's attitude toward this son changed so dramatically after his death, Li Tao again left a brief but telling clue.
After Zhao Yuanxi's death, Song Taizong flew into a rage and had officials in the prince's household arrested and interrogated.
The Left Remonstrance Officer Wei Yu attempted to remonstrate, saying that when the Han Crown Prince Liu Ju secretly used his father's troops, contemporaries only argued that he deserved a beating.
The fault of Prince Xu was not more serious than that.
When officials in antiquity chose their examples to advise an emperor, they were always extremely careful.
For Wei Yu to invoke the case of Liu Ju was highly suggestive.
It strongly implies that Zhao Yuanxi's death was likely connected to some form of rebellion, or at least to a suspected plot. Zhao Yuanxi himself may have been used as a pawn, while the true suspect could well have been the favored concubine, Lady Zhang.
However, because Song dynasty records on this matter are extremely sparse, it remains yet another unresolved case.
In the end, the crown prince position fell to Song Taizong's third son, Zhao Yuankan, who later became Emperor Zhenzong, Zhao Heng.]
"One mad, one rebellion. Not bad."
Zhao Kuangyin lounged in his chair, propping his feet up on Zhao Guangyi's former stool as a footrest. Zhao Guangyi was covering his leg and sitting on the floor, face tilted up.
The scene was extremely improper, but no one dared to provoke the emperor's displeasure, so everyone pretended not to see it.
Zhao Guangyi endured the pain and retorted.
"Madness may be feigned. Rebellion may be the scheme of women within the residence."
From Zhao Guangyi's perspective, he could not be sure whether Zhao Yuanzuo was truly mad or pretending. But in Zhao Yuanxi's case, he could more or less guess.
Thinking of the details of Liu Ju's rebellion, and recalling that Zhang was executed for overstepping status, it was easy for Zhao Guangyi to smell conspiracy.
After all, considering Zhao Yuanxi's age at death, he must have had a principal wife. With a principal wife present, for a concubine to act arrogantly and, through Zhao Yuanxi, rebuild her parents' graves beyond regulation, it was possible that this mad concubine was using Wu Zetian as precedent and harboring imperial ambitions.
Only something went wrong later, leading to Zhao Yuanxi drinking poison.
There were too many possibilities. Zhao Guangyi did not wish to think further.
Zhao Kuangyin laughed so hard he rocked back and forth.
"If it was feigned madness, then father and son were estranged."
"If it was rebellion, then your judgment was blind."
"You are not only a good younger brother, you are also a good father. Your elder brother only learned this today."
Zhao Guangyi fell silent, unable to respond.
What slightly eased the awkwardness was Zhao Pu.
In this tense atmosphere, Zhao Pu removed his hat and loosened his hair, holding his cap and bowing deeply without rising.
"This minister Zhao Pu is ashamed before Your Majesty. I firmly request to resign."
Seeing the old minister's already graying hair, Zhao Kuangyin withdrew his smile and sighed.
"Zeping, why must you be like this?"
"This was a matter of the time. To blame you now for crimes not yet committed, how could that convince the people?"
But seeing his younger brother next to him raise his head with hopeful eyes, Zhao Kuangyin directly crushed that hope.
"You are the Prince of Jin. It is different."
What is different?
If he could stand, Zhao Guangyi would have wanted to roar at his brother. But that could only remain in his imagination.
What came out instead carried a pleading tone.
"If Your Majesty does not wish to kill this minister here, I beg to have the imperial physician stop the pain."
Zhao Kuangyin became distinctly impatient and barked.
"It is only some pain. Endure it."
"If you are unwilling to endure it, I can lend His Majesty a length of hemp rope. With this low stool, you can choose a suitable spot here. No one will stop you."
Zhao Guangyi's face flushed red, but in the end he did not dare to harden his spine and ask for that rope.
After scolding his brother, Zhao Kuangyin turned back to Zhao Pu and softened his tone again.
"If Zeping trusts me, then please withdraw your words."
"If we are to reclaim Yan and Yun, how can we do without your assistance?"
He then stood, tidied the old minister's hair, and placed the cap back on his head.
Zhao Pu said nothing, only bowed deeply once more, then silently stood behind Zhao Kuangyin, faintly blocking the palace doors.
Looking at his younger brother, face red and eyes lowered, not daring to meet his gaze, Zhao Kuangyin sighed inwardly.
Thinking of past matters, he hesitated, then finally pointed to a palace eunuch.
"You are skilled with the brush. Record and paint today's scene truthfully."
The young eunuch accepted the order with trembling hands and a miserable expression. Under the various looks of the other eunuchs, he bent over to paint with the air of a man walking toward certain doom.
Zhao Pu could guess the purpose of this painting. But in his mind, he was already thinking about how to make the light screen assist in recovering Yan and Yun.
What insights had Marquis Zhuge and Emperor Taizong of Tang gained from watching the light screen of later generations?