In the sixteenth year of the Southern Song Dynasty (1189), Emperor Xiaozong of Song, because Emperor Gaozong of Song died two years ago and experienced twenty-seven months of filial piety, became tired and sluggish in his heart for continuing to handle state affairs, so the sixty-three-year-old Song Xiaozong was ready to follow the example of his adoptive father Song Gaozong and abdicate the throne in order to raise his life. In that year, Emperor Xiaozong of Song ceded the throne to his third son, crown prince Zhao Huan, and retired to the harem himself, becoming the second Emperor Taishang of the Southern Song Dynasty, and Zhao Xiaozong was enthroned by Zen, that is, the third emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, Song Guangzong.
After Song Guangzong ascended the throne, because his initial title was "King Gong", the fief was in Gongzhou, and then he was promoted to crown prince and then to the emperor, which was a festive and festive thing, so he gave his fief "Gongzhou" a new name and promoted it to "Chongqing Prefecture", which is the origin of the place name of "Chongqing City" today.
Song Guangzong only had two sons, the eldest son Zhao Jue and the second son Zhao Kuo, both of whom were born to Empress Li, but Zhao Died prematurely at a young age and had no descendants. The second son, Zhao Kuo, was made the Duke of England and the Prince of Pingyang Commandery when Emperor Guangzong of Song was crown prince. After Emperor Guangzong of Song ascended the throne, Zhao Kuojin was enfeoffed as king of Jia.
Originally, Song Guangzong only had such an adult son as Zhao Kuo, so after he ascended the throne, it was natural to make Zhao Kuo the crown prince, but Emperor Xiaozong of Taishang thought that Zhao Kuo was cowardly and mediocre, and it was not possible to inherit the throne, while another grandson, Zhao Xuan, the second son of Emperor Xiaozong of Song (the second son of Zhao Kai, the second son of Emperor Xiaozong of Song), was intelligent in nature, capable and decisive, and was a suitable candidate to succeed to the throne. When Emperor Xiaozong of Song made him crown prince (the second time he was crown prince), he did not choose his second son Zhao Kai, but instead created a third son, Zhao Kai, so he felt guilty about Zhao Yu in his heart. Therefore, Emperor Xiaozong of Song wanted Song Guangzong to make his nephew Zhao Yu the crown prince in order to make up for the unfairness to Zhao.
Although Song Guangzong was "dimwitted and mediocre" and indeed not a Ming Jun, in the end he was still a normal person, and how could he have done it by abandoning his parents and setting up his nephew as heirs. Therefore, he rejected his father's Yi Chu proposal. This led to extreme suspicion and fear of Song Xiaozong, fearing that Song Xiaozong would directly depose himself as Emperor Taishang.
Empress Li of Song Guangzong was also jealous and had a strong desire for power, and she was extremely dissatisfied with Song Xiaozong's intervention in Li Chu's affairs, and in private, she constantly provoked a rift between Song Guangzong and Song Xiaozong's father and son. Over time, Song Guangzong's psychological and physical pressure became more and more intense, and he developed symptoms of unfounded suspicion and extreme paranoia, and he was afraid to visit the Chonghua Palace where Song Xiaozong lived, unwilling to go to greet him, and avoided his father Xiaozong as much as possible.
In the first month of the fifth year of the Southern Song Dynasty (1194), Emperor Xiaozong of Song fell ill and became increasingly ill, and all the ministers advised Song Guangzong to go to Chonghua Palace as soon as possible to visit Emperor Taishang. Song Guangzong's mental condition was also very bad, the condition was just as serious, and Empress Li continued to instigate, so until Song Xiaozong died in May of that year, Song Guangzong did not go to visit his father.
After the death of Song Xiaozong, according to the etiquette, Song Guangzong was required to hold ceremonies such as burial and mourning for his father as a filial son, but Song Guangzong did not come forward to preside over on the grounds that he was ill, resulting in Song Xiaozong's funeral almost impossible to complete, and finally, it was Empress Wu of Song Gaozong (Song Xiaozong's adoptive mother) who came forward to preside over the ceremony at the age of eighty, and barely completed the ceremony.
For Song Guangzong's such unfilial and rebellious behavior, the ministers really couldn't bear it, and after private consultation, decided to let this "crazy emperor" retire immediately and quickly give the throne to the crown prince. In July of the fifth year of the Southern Song Dynasty (1194), zhao Ruyu, a privy councillor of the southern song dynasty, conspired with his foreign relative Han Nongxu and others, and with the acquiescence and support of empress dowager Wu (Empress Wu of Song), launched a palace coup d'état, giving Song Guangzong the "Zen throne" to his only son, Zhao Kuo, the King of Jia, and then the courtiers ascended the throne in front of the coffin of Emperor Xiaozong of Song, and honored Song Guangzong as emperor taishang and retired to Tai'an Palace to recuperate. Zhao Kuo was the fourth emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, Emperor Ningzong of Song.