Tang Dynasty Mingyue Song Dynasty Pass

Chapter 831: One stone stirs up a thousand waves
Zhao Kuangyin was furious and vowed to wipe out the Wu army in one fell swoop. After a secret discussion with his court officials, he immediately dispatched troops to lay a tight net in the territory of the Song Dynasty.

He entrusted the first Eastern Route Army to Wang Shenqi and Yang Guangyi, commanding 50,000 elite imperial guards, recruiting local troops along the way and attacking Jianghuai. Their primary task was to keep a close eye on the Taizhou area and intercept the Wu army led by Lin Renzhao, not giving them any chance to breathe.

The second western army, led by two brave generals, Wang Renzhan and Han Chongyun, also led 50,000 imperial guards and rushed to the southwest with great momentum. Their strategic goal was clear and firm, which was to strike head-on at the western army of the Wu army and completely nip it in the bud.

As for the third route, the central route, Zhao Kuangyin was even more cautious. He personally appointed Cao Bin as the commander-in-chief, and ordered him to lead 100,000 elite imperial guards as the vanguard, and Han Lingkun and Liu Shouzhong as deputy commanders, and they marched south together. Their task was heavy and arduous, that is, to do their best to stop the troops led by Su Chen, and never let them have the slightest chance to break through.

However, this was not the end. Zhao Kuangyin knew that although these three armies were strong, he had to go out in person to completely destroy the Wu army. So he resolutely decided to lead the army in person, leading 200,000 troops as backup, and when the time was right, he would win by surprise and launch a devastating blow to Su Chen's main force like a thunderbolt.

It must be said that the Song Dynasty was indeed strong in military power and had many generals. In addition to the illustrious generals who had been sent to various places, there were still many brave generals in Bianjing who had not yet been used, such as Dang Jin, Wang Zhengzhong, Gao Huaide, Tian Chongjin, Mi Xin, etc., all of whom were good at fighting. Seeing that Zhao Kuangyin had made up his mind, they all volunteered to follow the emperor to fight and face the national crisis together.

"We are willing to follow Your Majesty to destroy the Wu army and never retreat!" The generals' voices were sonorous and powerful, full of firmness and determination.

Zhao Kuangyin looked at these loyal generals, and his heart was filled with pride and confidence. "Great! With such loyal and brave generals, there is no need to worry about the Wu army not being defeated! Let us work together and create glory! We will win this battle!"

His voice was loud and clear, and every word was sonorous, echoing in the Golden Palace.

At this time, Zhao Pu slowly stood up and said earnestly: "Your Majesty wants to lead the army in person, and I think this is feasible. However, there are still many complicated political affairs to be handled in the court. If everything needs to be written into a memorial and sent to the front line, it may delay the opportunity to fight. Therefore, I dare to suggest that the prince Zhao Dezhao is talented and has the ability to handle state affairs. After the emperor goes to the war, he can be entrusted with the important task of managing state affairs to ensure that the court runs normally."

Zhao Pu's words actually had a hidden meaning, which was to gain power for the prince Zhao Dezhao. Zhao Dezhao was already 20 years old, but he had not yet been crowned king, and the position of crown prince was still undecided. This caused undercurrents in the court about the selection of the crown prince, with one faction supporting Zhao Dezhao and the other leaning towards Zhao Guangyi.

As a Confucian scholar, Zhao Pu attached great importance to the order of inheritance and orthodoxy, and he stood firmly on Zhao Dezhao's side. Moreover, Zhao Pu had always assisted Zhao Kuangyin, and naturally hoped to continue to assist the prince to succeed to the throne in the future, so as to preserve his own power and interests. After all, he and Zhao Guangyi had always disagreed, and they had been arguing for many years over the issue of the crown prince, and it had already reached the point of drawing swords. This proposal was not only for the overall situation of the country, but also implied his expectations and support for Zhao Dezhao.

Zhao Pu's words were like a stone that caused a thousand waves, and immediately attracted the support of many ministers. The ministers, deputy ministers, and imperial censors all stood up, and they either spoke passionately or whispered in agreement, all expressing their support for the emperor's canonization of the prince Zhao Dezhao. Some even directly proposed that it would be a great blessing for the country if the final decision could be made to make Zhao Dezhao the crown prince.

"Your Majesty, I also think that what Prime Minister Zhao said is very true. His Highness Zhao is very intelligent and has both moral integrity and talent. He is indeed the best candidate for the crown prince!" A minister spoke in a loud and sincere voice. "I also support the canonization of His Highness Zhao as a prince to highlight his noble status, and at the same time, it will also allow the court to unite and work together on state affairs!" Another deputy minister followed closely and expressed his opinion.

As these ministers echoed the idea, the scene became lively in an instant. Some of them discussed in low voices in groups of three or five, while others expressed their opinions loudly. The whole court seemed to be enveloped by a warm atmosphere.

Zhao Guangyi couldn't help but secretly exclaim "not good" when he heard this. He knew that Zhao Pu was a shrewd man who knew how to choose the right time. Now that his brother Zhao Kuangyin wanted to lead the army in person, there was no one in charge of the government, so Zhao Pu took the opportunity to propose the appointment of Zhao Dezhao. Zhao Dezhao was already over 20 years old and indeed had the ability to manage government affairs, which was very different from the situation three or four years ago, making Zhao Guangyi feel very difficult.

However, although Zhao Guangyi was anxious, he did not dare to show it easily. He knew that if he directly blocked it, his ambition would be exposed like a scar. Although he had accumulated some power over the years, he was still as small as an ant in front of his brother, and could be taken away at any time.

Therefore, Zhao Guangyi could only pretend to be calm and remained calm on the surface. He secretly pondered how to find his own foothold in this complicated situation, and how to cleverly safeguard his own interests without affecting his brother's decision-making.

However, Zhao Pu was now in great momentum. He was promoted to the position of Minister of the Imperial Court, Prime Minister, and Grand Secretary of the Jixian Hall in the second year of Qiande (964) and served as the sole prime minister for ten years. During this period, Zhao Pu assisted Zhao Kuangyin in depriving the feudal lords of their military power, dismissing the military officers of the imperial army, implementing the garrison rotation system, reforming the official system, and formulating major measures such as guarding the border against Liao. He made great contributions and had a high reputation. When he started the movement, many people responded.

After hearing Zhao Pu's proposal, Zhao Kuangyin was slightly stunned at first, but then he understood Zhao Pu's intention. He couldn't help but feel a little moved. His son Zhao Dezhao had indeed grown up, and it seemed that it was time to consider the issue of succession to the throne.

From an emotional point of view, the relationship between brothers is indeed deep, but it is not as close as that between biological sons. Zhao Kuangyin naturally prefers his son in private. However, over the years, he has always been accompanied by his brother Zhao Guangyi in his battles. The relationship between the two has been like brothers since childhood. If the throne is passed to Zhao Guangyi, it can be regarded as the inheritance of the family business by the Zhao family, which is reasonable from the family perspective.

Because of this, Zhao Kuangyin had been quite conflicted before and did not appoint a crown prince when the prince was young. He had many considerations in his mind. He was worried that if he suddenly died of illness during the war, like Chai Rong, his young son would not be able to control the government at all; but he was fortunate to have his brother Zhao Guangyi as an insurance to ensure that the Song Dynasty would not fall into the hands of others.

However, as the situation in the Song Dynasty became increasingly stable, Zhao Kuangyin himself was still strong before the age of fifty, and his son Zhao Dezhao had gradually grown into a responsible young man. Those initial concerns had gradually dissipated, and therefore, Zhao Guangyi's importance as a brother's successor gradually diminished in Zhao Kuangyin's mind.

He also had to start thinking more seriously about who the throne should be passed on to in order to ensure the stability and prosperity of the Song Dynasty.