In 1100, Emperor Zhezong of Song died, but he did not have a son, so the palace met to discuss the next emperor. Zai Xiang Zhang Proposed King Shen, and everyone laughed loudly, Shen Died is a blind man, you let a blind man become the emperor, how does he look at The Song Zhang, do you want to cross the line? Do you help the emperor read the chapter and make a decision? When everyone said it, Zhang Qian was so frightened that he fell to his knees.
The sixth emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty, Song Shenzong, had a total of fourteen sons, the sixth son was Song Zhezong, but unfortunately Song Zhezong returned to heaven at a young age and was not able to leave a son to inherit the unification, so the throne could only be chosen from among his brothers.
The empress dowager summoned a meeting of the courtiers and asked everyone to express their views. Zai Chancellor Zhang Qian was the first to express his opinion: The mother is precious to the son, and if he wants to inherit the unification, he should choose the younger brother of the first emperor and his mother, King Jian. That is, the same mother as Zhezong, the younger brother of the Zhu clan, King Jian.
When Empress Dowager Xiang heard these words, her heart was uncomfortable. She said slightly angrily: Half-brother? Aren't Jezong and King Jian my sons? What did the Prime Minister say?
Empress Xiang had never had her own son, and Emperor Zhezong was originally a concubine, so it didn't really matter who would become emperor. It's just that she is in the middle palace, Zhezong's mother is Zhu Shi, if the two sons of Zhu Clan have become emperors, the ancient mother is precious to her son, you let the empress dowager and Zhu Clan in the harem, how to get along? Who respects and who is inferior? Empress Xiang was certainly not satisfied with what she heard, so this decision was naturally abrogated, and King Jian took the opportunity to be eliminated.
In order of age, Zhang Qian mentioned the next one, that is, the Ninth Son Shen King, and as soon as he finished speaking, a snickering laughter came from the hall. Because everyone present knew that King Shen had a problem with his eyes, and that he was blind. How do you let a blind man become an emperor and how to deal with major state affairs, he can't even read the chapter, do you want to fulfill the emperor's rights? Help him make decisions, which is a bad sign.
Zhang Qian thought about it carefully, and was also frightened, and quickly threw himself on his knees. If you wear such a hat, the next few days will be difficult, and besides, there is no precedent in history for a blind man to be an emperor.
Counting down in order, it is the eleventh prince, the duan king, which is the famous Song Huizong in later history, Zhao Tuo.
Zhang Qian knows Zhao Tuo very well, if only as a prince, Zhao Tuo is very good, his literary and artistic cells are very good, whether it is writing, painting, or playing football, etc. are first-class masters, is a rare literati in the Northern Song Dynasty, a talented person, but if you want him to be emperor, it is certainly unreasonable, because he is obsessed with art and will not do the right thing.
When Zhang Qian thought of this, he could not care about etiquette, and quickly went up to the empress dowager and said: The King of Duan is frivolous and cannot come to the world.
It was like a bomb, thrown in the hall, and all the people looked at him in amazement, this sentence was too unleveled, of course, this sentence also laid a foreshadowing for the disaster of his later life. As a prime minister, you can't evaluate a prince in this way, not to mention that it is very likely to be the future monarch, is this not digging a pit and jumping by yourself.
The empress dowager herself did not like Zhang Qian, and felt that he was always self-righteous, so she took the opportunity to retort: Who is the emperor, is it up to you to decide? Who do you like and who you don't like? All the people we mentioned have been vetoed by you, is this the world of the Zhao family or the world of your Zhang family?
At this time, Zhang Qian's colleagues also began to fall into the well, seeing that Zhang Qian had been the prime minister for many years, if the next emperor, or he Zhang Qian was elected, the emperor would definitely continue to retain him, then would others still have a head start? Therefore, everyone stood up one after another, supported Empress Xiang, and accused Zhang Ben of interfering in the struggle for the throne for his own selfish desires, with sinister intentions and bad intentions.
Zhang Qian was so frightened by this big hat that he didn't dare to speak. At this time, Empress Xiang continued: Emperor Xian once told me that King Duan was a blessed man, and among all the princes, he was also a leader, and he was very filial and respectful to me.
In the end, the decision was made by the empress dowager, and the duan king chose a day to enter the palace, bathe and change clothes, and inherit the unification, and from then on, the Northern Song Dynasty unveiled the final scene.