Emperor Gaozong of Song, the first emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, was the ninth son of Emperor Huizong of Song. Emperor Gaozong of Song lived to the age of 81, but at the age of 56 he ascended the throne and ceded the throne to Zhao Yun, the Song Emperor Xiaozong. It is generally believed that Song Xiaozong was the most effective emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, and during his reign, Yue Fei was rehabilitated, and a large number of people from the main war faction were used to regain the Central Plains; it was strengthened to centralize power, actively rectify the rule of officials, lay off redundant officials, punish corruption, pay special attention to agricultural production, and the people's well-being, which is known in history as the "rule of Qianchun".
Zhao Was the seventh grandson of Zhao Kuangyin and the adopted son of Emperor Gaozong of Song. A question is, why did Emperor Gaozong of Song choose the Zen position in his prime? Emperor Gaozong of Song himself could not have a prince, but he could also choose the descendants of Zhao Guangyi of Emperor Taizong of Song, so why did he choose the descendants of Zhao Kuangyin?
The author believes that there are two reasons for the abdication of Emperor Gaozong of Song: this throne is really not easy to sit on; it is convenient for the Jin army to come and run. The Shaoxing peace agreement was reached, Yue Fei was killed, and the relative peace between Song and Jin was indeed maintained for 20 years. However, with the ascension of King Hailing to the throne and the tearing up of the peace agreement, the Jin army once again attacked the Southern Song Dynasty in a big way.
If it were not for the defeat of the Jin army by Shusheng Yu Yunwen and others in the quarry, coupled with the coup d'état within the Jin State, Shaoxing thirty-one years would probably be the time of the destruction of the Southern Song Dynasty. After this blow, Song Gaozong realized that it was foolish for him to seek peace. After Song Xiaozong ascended the throne, he immediately rehabilitated Yue Fei, and Song Gaozong did not have any obstacles, which also showed that he may have realized that it was a stupid move to block Yue Fei's Northern Expedition.
After some reflection, Zhao Was exhausted and decided to abdicate. In history, there are almost no emperors who sincerely abdicated, for example, Li Yuan was ousted from the throne by Li Shimin, but Song Gaozong's abdication was indeed sincere. In order to make his abdication have a basis, Song Gaozong also played the "Dream of Empress Meng":
"And Yuan Yi Crown Prince Xue, Emperor Gaozong did not have a queen, and Empress Zhaoci Shengxian was still alive from Jiangxi, and after tasting a strange dream, secretly for Emperor Gaozong's words, Emperor Gaozong's great wife. The right servant fan Zongyin also made a knee to please, and Emperor Gaozong said: "Taizu has fixed the world with divine martial arts, and his descendants are not allowed to enjoy it. If you are not a lawless renzong, for the sake of the world, how can you comfort the spirit of heaven! So after the election of Taizu. ”
After Emperor Gaozong of Song chose Zhao Kuangyin, there was another important reason, that is, the Taizong clan represented by Zhao Guangyi still had a lot of power after the southern crossing. In the Nandu Sect Room, the number of uncles and uncles of Emperor Gaozong of Song in the Guangpu King's lineage was as high as double digits. With so many people, there were hundreds of people that Song Gaozong could choose as adopted sons, but he did not choose them.
Look at Song Xiaozong's biological father Zhao Ziwei, the official Xuanjiaolang, a descendant of Zhao Defang, the King of Qin. Taking a step back, if the Jin people regarded any of the sons of the Second Emperor Hui Qin as emperors, then the position of emperor on the Southern Song side would be embarrassing. Therefore, Emperor Gaozong of Song's choice of Zhao Xuan was justified, so no matter how much the Second Emperor Hui Qin and his crown prince in the north tossed and turned, they would make the puppets in the north lose their legitimacy.