Zhao Kuangyin has many titles in history: he is the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty, a benevolent emperor who knows how to "release the power of the army with a cup of wine", a benevolent elder who can tolerate other kings of the fallen country, a friendly elder brother who personally tested medicine for his younger brother, an invincible warrior from the end of the five dynasties to the beginning of the Song Dynasty, or a generation of masters who are proficient in sticks and boxing... In fact, he is also a good father. In his later years, he also wanted his son to succeed him, and he also prepared for this. Unfortunately, someone failed to live up to his affection and usurped the Great Song Dynasty through a conspiracy of a snowy night. Who is this man? That was the second emperor of the Song Dynasty: Zhao Guangyi, Emperor Taizong of Song.
Chen Qiao's Mutiny Makes Political Resources "Divide the World into Three Parts"
Everything starts with the Chen Qiao Mutiny on January 31, 960 AD. Three days before that day, news came from the court of The Great Zhou: the Khitan cavalry had invaded the territory and was in urgent need of support. So after a day of preparation, Zhao Kuangyin led his troops out on the expedition. When they walked to Chen Qiaoyi again, the team stopped to rest, and Zhao Kuangyin drank some small wine himself and fell into a deep sleep. After that, suddenly someone said that there were two suns in the sky, and when the army was neutral, it was restless, and all the generals shouted, "Support the point inspection to be the son of heaven!" The so-called inspector refers to Zhao Kuangyin's official position of "counting inspections in front of the palace." After that, Zhao Kuangyin's younger brother Zhao Guangyi and staff officer Zhao Pu carried out a night of tandem and operation. The next morning, someone took out a yellow robe and draped it on Zhao Kuangyin's body, and he, the emperor, stepped forward from then on.
Due to the limited space, we will not expand on the details of the Chen Qiao Mutiny. However, judging from the records in the history books, zhao Guangyi and Zhao Pu were the two core figures in the whole incident, and they did a lot of work for Zhao Kuangyin's usurpation. Therefore, after the situation stabilized, Zhao Kuangyin sealed Zhao Pu as a phase and let him work in the position of sole phase for ten years. Zhao Guangyi, on the other hand, was made the King of Jin, led the Kaifeng Fu Yin, and became the de facto number two figure in the imperial court.
At the beginning, the troika of Zhao Kuangyin, Zhao Guangyi, and Zhao Pu cooperated seamlessly, creating a good unified situation in the early Song Dynasty. But slowly, between the three people, a clear and distinct "political territory" began to appear. Zhao Kuangyin commanded the national army and was in charge of conquest; Zhao Pu was in charge of political economy and the country's transactional work; Zhao Guangyi cultivated his own forces in the Kaifeng area and ruled the overall situation in the absence of his brother. For a time, the edict, the phase order, and the king's order had almost the same effect, and the Great Song Dynasty under the heavens made three doors! Zhao Kuangyin was indeed an emperor with real power, but in some areas, he also had to compromise with Zhao Pu and Zhao Guangyi in exchange for political stability.
The power struggle between the two Zhao
The situation of three doors out of politics is naturally something that everyone does not want to see. Zhao Kuangyin sat alone in the Chinese army, and his position was unshakable. Then, what can be seized is the position of "the second in the world". So for this position, a war was ignited between Zhao Pu and Zhao Guangyi. First, in the second year of Qiande, zhao pu, in order to abandon Zhao Guangyi's restraint, asked Zhao Kuangyin for the right to sign the edict; after that, the two constantly attacked each other's subordinates, and the scene was very unbearable: Zhao Guangyi's friend Feng Zhan was exiled to Shamen Island by Zhao Pu; Zhao Pu's friend Song Qi often had to face Zhao Guangyi's cold words. The two sides have their own means, and it is difficult to distinguish between victory and defeat for a while.
In the fourth year of kaibao in the Song Dynasty, the general Pan Mei pacified the Southern Han Dynasty; in the fifth year of Kaibao, the southern Tang general Lin Renzhao was wrongfully killed by the later lord Li Yu; and Qian Li, the king of Wuyue, also sent people to Pay Tribute to Kaifeng. The complete pacification of the South is already a matter of certainty. With the stabilization of the political situation, Zhao Kuangyin, the grandfather of the Song Dynasty, began to consider the long-term peace and stability of the future. The first thing he wanted to take away was Zhao Pu. Therefore, under the constant small report of the new noble lu Dosun, Zhao Pu resigned and changed to the three cities of Heyang. Zhao Guangyi sat firmly in the second chair of the Song Dynasty.
Plot for the child
Getting rid of Zhao Pu first ensured that the handover of securities was carried out within Zhao Kuangyin's family. Then, when the next unification becomes just around the corner, it is necessary to push the son to the throne. In the eighth year of Kaibao, the southern Tang Dynasty, the strongest divided regime in the south, was destroyed. Since then, the world is still in a semi-independent state, leaving Wu Yue and the Northern Han. Qian Li, the king of Wuyue, had long been the "Great Marshal of Soldiers and Horses" of the Song Dynasty, and the relations between the two sides were very close, and peaceful evolution was already the trend of the times; the Northern Han Dynasty in the north had long been weak and weak under the perennial attacks and plunders of the Great Song and the Khitans, and only one Taiyuan city was left. At this time, it was time for Zhao Kuangyin to help his son appear.
At this time, Zhao Kuangyin had two sons: Zhao Dezhao and Zhao Defang. Previously, in order not to let his son enter the power field to wrap up the chaos, Zhao Kuangyin deliberately hid these two sons; the two were crown princes, but the official position was only a defensive envoy. In the sixth year of Kaibao, Zhao Kuangyin began to promote his son, and only made Zhao Dezhao an envoy of Xingyuan Yin, Shannan's Western Province, Inspector Taifu, and Tongzhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi. It seems that the official is not small, but let people live in the shadow of the second uncle.
After the fall of the Southern Tang Dynasty, Zhao Kuangyin sent people to invite Qian Li, the king of Wuyue, to come to Kaifeng to meet, and Qian Li gladly came. At this time, the person who was sent by Zhao Kuangyin to meet Qian Li was no longer Zhao Guangyi, but Became Zhao Kuangyin's eldest son Zhao Dezhao. This is the first time that Zhao Dezhao has independently undertaken a diplomatic mission, and the completion of the task is satisfactory. However, it can also be seen that at this time, Zhao Kuangyin has begun to plan for his son.
What happened after that was the return of Song Taizu to his hometown. After sending Qian Li away, Zhao Kuangyin suddenly decided to return to his hometown in Luoyang to worship his ancestors, and unlike the previous situation when he left Beijing to let Zhao Guangyi supervise the country, Song Taizu at this time suddenly asked his brother to go home with him. After arriving in Luoyang, Zhao Kuangyin suddenly announced that he wanted to move the capital to Luoyang! This hand, everyone can see that it is directed at Zhao Guangyi. Zhao Guangyi has been operating in Kaifeng for many years and has a huge influence, and Zhao Kuangyin can only ensure the smooth succession of his son if he moves the capital out of Kaifeng and then cuts off Zhao Guangyi's wings.
However, the move to move the capital was almost unanimously opposed by the courtiers. Zhao Kuangyin explained that Kaifeng is open and has no danger to defend, and cannot be used as a capital. Only Luoyang, which has a mountain and river atmosphere, or even the dangerous terrain of Chang'an, is the capital that can ensure the peace of the world. However, Zhao Guangyi knelt down and said five words, "There is no danger in Germany," and turned the situation around in one fell swoop. Zhao Kuangyin was not unaware, this was an uncompromising, but Zhao Guangyi's huge power had to make him worry about the rat trap. In the end, for the sake of brotherhood and the stability of the world, Zhao Kuangyin still did not insist on going his own way, and still left the capital in Kaifeng.
However, Zhao Kuangyin also felt the crisis at this time. Zhao Guangyi's power was already large enough to change his decision as an emperor, and if he had an accident in the future, would Zhao Dezhao be able to succeed him smoothly? The answer, of course, is no. If Zhao Kuangyin was a man who was determined to kill and had a heart like iron, he could have killed Zhao Guangyi with one sword. But he was a benevolent man, and he couldn't bear to be cruel to his brothers. Therefore, he retreated to the second place, while supporting his son, he also supported his third brother Zhao Tingmei, hoping that he could contain Zhao Guangyi. Therefore, after returning from Luoyang, Zhao Kuangyin descended on Zhao Tingmei's mansion three times in a month, and his rise momentum became very strong.
Axe candle shadow
Everything came to an abrupt end on the snowy night of October in the ninth year of Kaibao. On that day, Zhao Kuangyin withdrew and drank with his second brother Zhao Guangyi. The people who were waiting outside the palace saw that under the candlelight, Zhao Guangyi seemed to frequently get up and give gifts, as if he was rejecting something. Before I knew it, it was getting late, and the snow on the ground was already several inches thick. At this time, the two brothers opened the door, and Zhao Kuangyin sent Zhao Guangyi out of the door, poked the ground with the pillar axe in his hand, and said: "Easy to do, easy to do!" After that, Zhao Guangyi went home, zhao Kuangyin went back to lie down, and after a while he snored like thunder. After a while, some palace people entered the palace to see if Zhao Kuangyin needed anything. But at first glance, the crowd was stunned. The emperor who swept the world had stopped breathing at some point. This is the famous unsolved case in history, "Axe Candle Shadow".
Someone quickly told Empress Song about the incident, and Empress Song hurriedly asked her trusted eunuch Wang Ji'en to find Zhao Defang, the King of Qin, to come over. Needless to say, this must have been for Zhao Defang to succeed to the throne. At that delicate time, whoever advanced into the palace to control the situation was the emperor. Soon after, Wang Ji'en returned and told Empress Song that "the King of Jin has come." Empress Song was astonished, but seeing that the wood had become a boat and could not be reversed, she could only beg zhao Guangyi: "The fate of my mother and son is entrusted to the official family." Although Zhao Guangyi was crying, he replied unashamedly: "To protect the rich and noble together, don't worry!" ”。 As a result, Zhao Guangyi succeeded to the throne and became the second emperor of the Song Dynasty. The imperial lineage of Zhao Kuangyin, the grandfather of the Song Dynasty, was not continued again until the Southern Song Dynasty.
Regarding the interpretation of this matter, some people believe that Zhao Kuangyin died naturally. And his world had long been fixed on that strange wine table. Zhao Kuangyin entrusted the country to Zhao Guangyi, and Zhao Guangyi did not dare to accept it, and constantly stood up to give thanks, but Zhao Kuangyin insisted on entrusting, and Zhao Guangyi could only agree. So the two brothers went out, and Zhao Kuangyin blessed his brother: "Do a good job in the future!" "The Great Song Dynasty was so entrusted. However, this statement is full of doubts. First of all, judging from Zhao Kuangyin's various actions before his death, he was supporting his son and third brother to restrain the second brother, how could he suddenly change his original intention? Moreover, this kind of national policy change is only an agreement between the two brothers, and even the queen does not know, is this possible?
The other way of saying it is a lot darker. On the night of the axe candle shadow, with the help of wine, Zhao Kuangyin criticized his brother's arbitrary behavior, so Zhao Guangyi frequently got up to make reparations and secretly poisoned his brother. After drinking, Zhao Kuangyin sent his brother out, and suddenly the power of the poison came up, and Song Taizu, who was a martial arts master of a generation, was unable to support it, and could only maintain balance with the pillar axe in his hand. He understood that he had taken his brother's tao, but he also knew that Zhao Guangyi's wings had become a wing, and his son could no longer fight his brother, so he could only say fiercely: "You have done a good job!" Then he chose to compromise and returned to the house calmly waiting for his own death.
Logically, this statement makes more sense. Zhao Kuangyin's previous measures have clearly explained his dissatisfaction with his brother, and it is normal to knock on it again by drinking at this time. And Zhao Guangyi had already arranged eyeliner in the palace (at least Wang Ji'en was one), and it was very likely that the poison brought in was possible. And the most important thing is that once Zhao Kuangyin died, Zhao Guangyi gained the most and directly became the emperor, and the handover was smooth, and Zhao Guangyi sat in the palace without going through the standard "three words and three concessions", and the emperor's system was swept into his arms. Is this what a friendly brother should do? As for the so-called "Alliance of the Golden Plateau", it was first proposed in the sixth year of Zhao Guangyi's succession. If there was such a thing, I'm afraid no one would have waited so long. Therefore, it is almost possible to determine without examination that the "Alliance of the Golden Dagger" is just a farce concocted by Zhao Guangyi. So it is almost certain that on the night of the axe candle shadow, Zhao Guangyi is a suspect in a murder case!
From the above story line, it can be seen that Zhao Kuangyin did not want to pass on the position to his son, in fact, even his own throne was taken away by Zhao Guangyi. He had already done a lot of work beforehand, and if things hadn't been so dramatic, Zhao Dezhao or Zhao Defang's succession would have been a foregone conclusion. However, he did not expect that his good brother, who cared for and supported him wholeheartedly, would finally give himself such a hand for the sake of power.