On March 29, the third year of the reign of Emperor Taizong of Song (997 AD), Zhao Guangyi, who had ruled for 21 years, came to the end of his life and passed away with great affection, and then Zhao Heng, who had been made crown prince for two years, took the throne as Emperor Zhenzong of Song.
Just when Zhao Heng, the True Emperor of Song, sat on the dragon chair and prepared to accept the bowing of the hundred officials, a terrifying scene occurred. Only to see Lü Duan, who was then the prime minister, stride to the side of Zhao Heng, the emperor of Song Zhenzong, carefully looking at the young man who had just become an emperor, and some people said that Lü Duan even took off the shoes of the new emperor, carefully examined Song Zhenzong's left foot, and after confirming that this was Song Zhenzong himself, he retired and bowed down with the hundred officials.
Why check Song Zhenzong's left foot? "History of the Song Dynasty Zhenzong Benji": "The left foot refers to the word 'heaven' in Wencheng. ”
Lü Duan was the prime minister at that time, and Chairman Mao once said a sentence: "Zhuge Duan was only cautious in his life, and Lü Duan was not confused about major matters." "Even the new emperor's ascension to the throne must be carefully checked for authenticity, and Lü Duan is not only not confused, but very cautious."
You may have to ask, go out to buy a bottle of green tea may buy a fake, this new emperor ascended the throne, there will also be a fake? That's an exaggeration, isn't it? You may not really know that there is a huge undercurrent behind the seemingly smooth succession of the new emperor, which makes Lü Duan have to be careful and careful, or why is the title of our article called the undercurrent? And listen to me slowly.
Emperor Taizong of Song had a total of nine sons, and in his heart, the most important thing was his eldest son Zhao Yuanzuo. When Zhao Yuanzuo was 14 years old, he took him out to fight, and at the age of 19, he was not only crowned king of Chu, but also appointed as "Tongzhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi", a position almost equivalent to that of the prime minister, living in the Eastern Palace. Generally speaking, the prince lives in the Eastern Palace, right? All kinds of information were summarized, and Zhao Yuanzuo was the successor. Unfortunately, Zhao Yuanzuo was strangely crazy.
After that, Zhao Guangyi went all out to cultivate his second son, Zhao Yuanyou. During the Yongxi Northern Expedition, he was given the title of King of Xu, and at the same time appointed Zhao Yuanyou as "Kaifeng Yin" and "Shizhong". The official name "Shizhong" was another name for the prime minister, and at that time there was an unwritten saying that "Prince Yin Jing" was the successor of the empire.
Even before Zhao Guangyi took over, he was also the "King of Jin", "Kaifeng Yin", and "Tong zhongshu menxia Pingzhangshi" positions shoulder to shoulder, so everyone believes that Zhao Yuanyou's succession is only a matter of time sooner or later. But something strange happened again, and Zhao Yuanyou died.
Successive blows made Song Taizong Zhao Guangyi no longer mention the question of succession for a long time. However, a very urgent problem was placed before him. Although he cried out countless times in his heart, "I really want to work for another five hundred years", his physical condition forced him to put the issue of succession on the agenda.
This time, his candidate was his third son Zhao Heng, who was not called Zhao Heng at that time, but Zhao Yuankan, and after officially becoming the crown prince, he changed his name to Zhao Heng.
"Continued Zizhi TongJianchang Compilation": "The system was based on the opening of yin shou wang yuankan as the crown prince, and changed his name to Heng." ”
Zhao Heng was successively given the titles of "King of Han", "King of Xiang", and "King of Shou", and appointed "Kaifeng Yin". Another "Prince Yin Jing".
You may have to ask again, the left "Prince Yin Jing" and the right "Prince Yin Jing" seem to have established a successor, and it seems that he did not say anything, why did Zhao Guangyi not directly set up the prince in a pomp and circumstance?
There is a thing that Zhao Guangyi does not want to face but cannot avoid, "the alliance of the Golden Plateau".
We all know that using this "Alliance of The Golden Kuai" to solve the problem of the legitimacy of Zhao Guangyi's succession, that is to say, the eldest is dead, the second is succeeded, the brothers are dead, the eldest of the children's generation takes over, his brother Zhao Kuangyin is dead, and his succession as the younger brother is said to be good, but the "Golden Alliance" also leaves Zhao Guangyi with a big trouble, that is, the problem of succession. He died, to whom did the throne pass?
Although Zhao Guangyi had been emperor for more than ten years at this time, the throne was quite stable, although he wanted to pass the throne to his son and abandon the "Alliance of The Golden Dagger", which even the ministers knew, he was still reluctant to say it.
One thing probably explained his mind. Of course, this is all speculation, and no one knows what Zhao Guangyi really thinks. Zhao Kuangyin's last empress ------ Empress Xiaozhang Song, that is, Empress Xiaozhang Song, who was beside Zhao Kuangyin at the time of the "Axe Candle Shadow" incident, died on April 28 of the first year of the Dao Dynasty (995 AD), the funeral of Empress Xiaozhang Song had just been completed, and on August 18, Zhao Guangyi immediately established Zhao Heng as the crown prince, and also held a very solemn ceremony to appoint the crown prince.
"History of Song": "Jiachen, heavy rain, thunder and lightning." Kaibao Empress Song Clan Beng. "In August, Yuankan, the Prince of Zhaolishou, was made crown prince, changed his name to Heng, and was sentenced to Kaifeng Province."
When Zhao Heng was made crown prince, he was only 27 years old, and Zhao Guangyi needed to find a reliable person to assist the succession to the throne.
He first thought of Lü Mengzheng, negated Lü Mengzheng and then thought of Kou Zhun, thinking about it or inappropriate, and finally selected the Lü Duan we mentioned earlier.
"Continuation of the Zhizhi Tongjian Long Edition": "Xia April, the official Shangshu and Pingzhangshi Lü Mengzheng were deposed as right servants, and the governor Lü Duan was the Hubu Waiter and Pingzhangshi. First of all, the fishing poem written on it, broken chapter cloud: "If you want to bait the gold storm deep, you must ask the angler." Meaning genus end also. A few days later, the strike was reversed. ”
There are many things in this, the length of the relationship is not much to say, there is a chance to tell this story alone, you just need to know that the final selection of Lü Duan as the prime minister is to assist his successor Zhao Heng.
It turns out that Zhao Guangyi chose the right person.
Although Zhao Heng was made crown prince, opposition remained.
The first force came from Empress Li of Zhao Guangyi. Empress Li once had a child, Zhao Yuanyi (also known as Zhao Yuanyi), the ninth son of Zhao Guangyi, but unfortunately died early.
"Song Hui Zhi Manuscript": "Empress Mingde Li Shi, the daughter of Zizhou Assassin Shi Yun, entered the palace in July of the second year of the Taiping Xingguo, and yongxi was made empress in December of the first year of the first year." Born a prince, early life. "Chongwang Yuanyi, Young Xue, Seventeen Taibao."
In that era, the emperor's woman did not have a son of her own, and once the old emperor died, the new emperor took over, although you were an empress, you had to stand aside. The new emperor wants to honor people's mothers, right?
Therefore, at the time when Zhao Guangyi's eldest son Zhao Yuanzuo was likely to become the successor, Empress Li cared for Zhao Yuanzuo very much, although in terms of age, she was only five years older than Zhao Yuanzuo, but she was also a mother, (Zhao Yuanzuo's biological mother died when he was 12 years old.) Not only that, but he also raised Zhao Yuanzuo's eldest son, Zhao Yunsheng, by his side.
"History of Song": "At first, he was exempted from breastfeeding, and was raised in the Palace of empress dowager Mingde, and the empress dowager personally caressed it." ”
All that Empress Li did was for the happiness of the second half of her life once Zhao Yuanzuo became emperor. But unfortunately, Zhao Yuanzuo went crazy, and her initial plan fell through.
But there are still opportunities, first, although Zhao Yuanzuo is crazy, but still alive, maybe the madness can be cured? Second, although Zhao Yuanzuo is crazy, Zhao Yuanzuo's son Zhao Yunsheng can be well, how can Zhao Yunsheng say that he is also the eldest son and grandson of Zhao Guangyi, and the conditions for succession are enough!
Another force came from the eunuch Wang Ji'en. Wang Ji'en we mentioned him many times in the previous article, before Zhao Kuangyin's death, Empress Song ordered Wang Ji'en to quickly call Zhao Kuangyin's son Zhao Defang to come, Wang Ji'en ran out, but only called Zhao Guangyi to come, so Zhao Guangyi has always been very trusting and important to Wang Ji'en after coming to power.
Old Nick I estimated that Wang Ji'en thought that Zhao Guangyi had made a great contribution to the throne, if I could support the new monarch again, wouldn't I still be able to make a great contribution? Therefore, he has always wanted to make Zhao Yuanzuo emperor.
There is also a force from the ministers of the DPRK, led by Li Changling, the governor of the government, and Hu Dan, who have always wanted to support Zhao Yuanzuo, for many reasons, and what can be said is nothing more than what is standing up for the elder and not standing young, and obeying the ancestral system, but privately, old Nick believes that everyone has their own careful thoughts.
"Continued Zizhi Tong Jianchang Editor": "Emperor Taizong did not hesitate, and the xuanzheng envoy Wang Ji'en was jealous of Shangming, and conspired with Li Changling, the governor of the government, and Hu Dan, the governor of Chu, to establish King Yuanzuo of Chu. ”
Just when these opposing forces twisted into a rope to overthrow Zhao Heng and support Zhao Yuanzuo to take the throne, Lü Duan, carefully selected by Zhao Guangyi, came into play.
In March of the third year of Emperor Taizong of Song (997 AD), a few days before Zhao Guangyi's death, Lü Duan was almost every day away from Zhao Guangyi.
"History of Song": "Emperor Taizong did not hesitate, Zhenzong was the crown prince, and Duan Ri asked the prince to live." ”
As soon as Zhao Guangyi died, Wang Ji'en immediately consulted with Lü Duan to support the establishment of a new king, and Lü Duan said that the emperor had a will, and it was done according to what the emperor said, Wang Ji'en did not believe it, saying that I did not know that there was a will? Lü Duan said you come with me to see the will.
Wang Ji'en foolishly followed him to Lü Duan's office, and as soon as he entered the house, he was locked in the room by Lü Duan, and he also ordered someone to guard the gate, and Wang Ji'en was absolutely not allowed to come out.
Then Lü Duan went to meet Empress Li, and Empress Li said, We should have the eldest sons in order, right? Lü Duan gave Empress Li a word and went back, saying: The emperor made a prince before, wasn't it just for today? It's not negotiable! Empress Li was speechless.
"Continuation of the Zizhi Tongjian Long Edition": "The latter is said: "The palace car feasts, the heir is long, Shunye, what will be now?" Duan Yue: "The first emperor set up the prince's government for today, and it is even more dissenting!" After silence. ”
After assisting Emperor Zhenzong of Song to successfully succeed to the throne, Lü Duan eliminated all the opposition forces in the dprk one by one, and the situation in the dprk was stable, and Lü Duan returned to his hometown in the second year of Emperor Zhenzong of Song (999 AD) and died a year later at the age of 66.
References: "Continuation of the Zhizhi Tongjian Long Edition", "History of the Song Dynasty", "Song Hui To Be Compiled", etc