After Zhao Kuangyin's death, Zhao Guangyi immediately declared himself emperor, which was obviously extraordinary.
According to the general situation, there must be some die-hard ministers who want to support Zhao Kuangyin's sons as emperors. For example, after the death of Emperor Taiji, Emperor Taiji's younger brother Dorgon wanted to become emperor. However, the ministers represented by Ao bai, Soni and others resolutely opposed Dolgun becoming emperors, and must support emperor Taiji's son as emperor. In the end, with the insistence of Ao bai, Sonny and others, Dorgon had no choice but to make Fu Lin, the ninth son of Emperor Taiji, emperor.
(Zhao Kuangyin)
So, after Zhao Kuangyin died, why did no one do this?
First, the minister of the early Song Dynasty had no military power in his hands.
The reason for this situation is that the power structure in the early years of the Song Dynasty was different from that in the early years of the Qing Dynasty.
In the early years of the Qing Dynasty, the army was the Eight Banner Army, and the military power was in the hands of the members of the various clans, and there was no unification. At the same time, the system of government at that time was still the system of the Council of Ministers. The so-called "parliamentary kings" include both the princes in the clan and the ministers who hold military power. In other words, whoever has a soldier in his hand has the right to break the wrist with others. At that time, the Eight Banners Army was not only controlled by Wang Ye, but also in the hands of the Eight Banners General. Ao Bai, who was an important general with a yellow flag, and Sonny, who was the elder of the Red Banner, naturally had a say in the imperial court. Dorgon and his brothers, who controlled the two white flags, were not strong in strength, so if Dorgon forcibly ascended the throne, he would inevitably fight with the other Eight Banners, and Dorgon did not have absolute certainty of victory.
Moreover, Ao Bai, Soni and others are ostensibly the sons of Emperor Taiji, but in fact they are also for their own interests. Because when Nurhaci was in power, the Eight Banner Army did not have a distinction between upper and lower levels. However, in order to strengthen the centralization of power, Huang Taiji divided the eight banners into "upper three banners" and "lower five banners". The nature of Aobai, Sonny and others is "on the three flags". If Dorgon became emperor, he was bound to turn the two white flags he controlled into the "Upper Three Banners" and the armies of Aobai, Soni and others into the "Lower Five Banners" (in fact, after he became the regent, he did the same). In order to protect their own interests, Aobai, Sony and others must do so.
However, the situation in the early years of the Song Dynasty was completely different, and the power structure was fundamentally different from that in the early years of the Qing Dynasty.
After Zhao Kuangyin became emperor, he was afraid that the generals would support the army and respect themselves, so on the one hand, he split the forbidden army into several large pieces, on the other hand, he used a glass of wine to release the military power, relieved the founding generals of the military power, and re-promoted some "recruit eggs" generals. These generals did not have any authoritarian power in the army, and at the same time, Zhao Kuangyin did not let them lead troops. Thus a situation has been formed in which the soldiers do not know the generals and will not know the soldiers. Therefore, the entire Korean and Chinese ministers, basically no one controls the military power.
Without military power, how could they confront Zhao Guangyi, who controlled the entire state apparatus?
(Zhao Guangyi)
Second, Zhao Kuangyin has the meaning of passing on the throne to Zhao Guangyi.
In addition to power, there is also a point that ministers are not good at interfering. This is the relationship between Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Guangyi.
Because the relationship between Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Guangyi's two brothers had always been very good, so good that the ministers at that time had a feeling that Zhao Kuangyin was going to pass on his throne to Zhao Guangyi. And Zhao Kuangyin himself did not make his own son the crown prince, but instead made Zhao Guangyi the King of Jin and the Governor of Kaifeng. All this seems to imply that Zhao Kuangyin has the intention of ceding power to Zhao Guangyi.
Since Zhao Kuangyin had the intention of ceding power to Zhao Guangyi, if the minister stood up at that time and said that it was inappropriate for Zhao Guangyi to obtain the throne, and Zhao Guangyi came up with some "evidence" at that time to prove that it was appropriate for him to obtain the throne. These ministers have no power in their hands, aren't they looking for death?
(Glass of wine to release military power)
Third, the ministers of the DPRK and the Central Committee basically became Zhao Guangyi's people.
Zhao Kuangyin's "release of military power through a glass of wine" solved the problem of the ministers of the DPRK and the Chinese people respecting themselves, but it also offended the ministers. Because those people who Zhao Kuangyin relieved of his military power were his righteous brothers. The ministers must have thought at that time, you Zhao Kuangyin did not even let go of your own righteous brothers, who else could you be good to? I think back then, Tang Taizong put all the heroes into the Ling Yan Pavilion, but you were so ruthless!
It was at this time that Zhao Guangyi took advantage of the void and made a very good relationship with the ministers. So much so that when Zhao Guangyi traveled, he was hugging back and forth. Even Zhao Kuangyin could see this.
Since the ministers of the DPRK and the CPC had long been enveloped by Zhao Guangyi, who had seized the throne, and the ministers were all eager, who would still stand up against Zhao Guangyi?
Of course, from the traditional point of view, the ministers must have wanted Zhao Kuangyin to pass the throne to his son. Later, Zhao Guangyi led everyone in the Northern Expedition, and due to the defeat of the Northern Expedition, Zhao Guangyi fled south in a panic, and for a time everyone could not find him. So they discussed and made Zhao Kuangyin's son Zhao Dezhao emperor. Later, it was because Zhao Guangyi was found that this matter was stopped. This is the traditional consciousness in the minds of the ministers. They still felt that Zhao Kuangyin's son should be made emperor to make such a choice. Otherwise, Zhao Guangyi's sons should be set up as the throne, how could Zhao Kuangyin's sons be established?
(References: History of the Song Dynasty, Records of the Song Dynasty, etc.)