Traveling through Tianlong: Starting from the Zhenlong chess game

Chapter 613: The Emperor

Zhao Mu and Zhezong came to the harem and enjoyed singing and dancing while feasting.

During this time, Zhezong asked, "Uncle, why did you reject the alliance proposed by the Liao envoy in court? Could it be that uncle thinks it is time to go north to pacify Liao?"

Zhao Mu nodded and said, "That's right. Although the Liao army didn't pay a high price in this battle against Qi, it also hurt their vitality. I think there is no need to negotiate with them now."

Zhezong asked at this time: "Yes, judging from the previous reports, the Liao army has indeed been hurt this time. Although it is not the loss of soldiers and horses, it is more of a blow to food, weapons, and morale. However, the soldiers under the command of the emperor's uncle also suffered heavy losses this time. Don't we need to recover our strength?"

Zhao Mu nodded and said, "Of course we need it. It's just that we don't need as long as Liao. Liao's undeclared war on Qi is a good excuse. I've thought about it. Our army will rest for half a year until the autumn harvest next year. That's when we will destroy Liao! If we agree to the contract, I'm afraid I won't be able to do it alone."

Zhezong nodded and said, "Yes! What the emperor's uncle said makes sense." Then Zhezong drank the wine in the glass happily. He said happily, "Haha, I didn't expect that I could see this day! When I was seriously ill before, I thought I would never see the recovery of Yanyun and the unification of China. This is all thanks to the emperor's uncle's miraculous healing."

Zhao Mu smiled and said, "Your Majesty is blessed with great fortune. I am just relying on your Majesty's great fortune. Your Majesty is the true dragon emperor, and you deserve to live forever."

Upon hearing this, Zhezong waved his hands and said, "Alas! Uncle, you are trying to fool me with these words again. For people in this world, it is rare to live for more than a hundred years, let alone a thousand or ten thousand years. By the way, uncle, I have something to tell you."

Zhao Mu said, "Your Majesty, please speak frankly."

Zhezong said, "It's a happy event. Since I recovered from my illness, my body has become healthier. In the past few months, the queen and several concubines, talented women, and imperial concubines have all become pregnant."

Zhao Mu stood up and saluted, saying, "Haha, then I would like to congratulate Your Majesty on the birth of your son! Our Song Dynasty will finally have a successor."

Zhezong waved his hand to signal Zhao Mu to sit down, and then Zhezong said: "It's just that the best heir in my mind is you, my uncle."

Zhao Mu also understood what Zhezong meant, and then he said, "Your Majesty really thinks highly of me. I still remember when I first met Your Majesty, I told you frankly that what I wanted was nothing more than beauty and wealth. And I helped Your Majesty to pacify Liao and destroy Xia because I wanted to enjoy a lifetime of wealth and honor. This country has its own owner, and I have no interest in it. Moreover, I am older than Your Majesty, and even if I die one day, I will die before Your Majesty. How can I inherit Your Majesty's throne?"

Zhao Mu then spread out his court robes and said, "But haven't I inherited your majesty's throne for a few days? Your majesty has also passed on the throne."

Seeing that Zhao Mu understood what he meant, Zhezong smiled and said, "Haha, that's true."

Zhezong said this in advance today, not because he was afraid that Zhao Mu would have any rebellious intentions, but because he was afraid that his son would compete with Zhao Mu, his uncle, for the throne in the future.

By then there will be chaos again.

Therefore, Zhezong wanted to speak out the ugly truth in advance and eliminate the hidden dangers of this matter in the bud.

Either Zhezong should take off his title of "Second Emperor" and directly appoint him as the Crown Prince. Then Zhao Mu would directly take over Zhezong's position. Then he could pass the throne to his son or grandson, or give it back to Zhezong's son as in the Golden Casket Alliance.

If Zhao Mu did not want to take over, then Zhezong should also prepare to clear the way for his son to take over, so as to avoid future conflicts.

Of course, Zhao Mu's final choice was "not to take the throne". He had finally gotten rid of this burden, so how could he take it back? During the banquet, Zhao Mu and Zhezong agreed that Zhao Mu could be the second emperor of the Song Dynasty. In the future, he would be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple as the legitimate emperor of the Song Dynasty together with Zhezong and be worshipped by future generations.

However, Zhao Mu's descendants could only be crowned kings in the future. The throne of emperor could not be passed down.

Zhao Mu and Zhezong also planned to keep the fiefdom of Qi alive for another generation. After a few decades, when Zhao Mu's three dukes and nine ministers had retired, Qi would be completely abolished and ruled by the prefecture and county system. However, Lingzhou City would be reserved for Zhao Mu.

After the two emperors discussed it, they were both very happy. They both got what they wanted.

In the following days, all the generals who participated in the war against Liao returned one after another, and Zhezong and Zhao Mu were busy comforting and rewarding them.

Naturally, the people Zhao Mu wanted to appease were his subordinates. Everyone expressed their incomprehension of Zhao Mu's decision to return power to Zhezong.

The throne was already in their hands, and they just had to wait until they defeated the Liao army and came back to consolidate Zhao Mu's throne. Although Zhao Mu was still the emperor of the Song Dynasty, this "Second Emperor" obviously did not meet everyone's expectations.

But now everyone is not making trouble.

After all, Zhezong retained the titles that they had been promoted or granted by Zhao Mu, and also bestowed generous rewards on every meritorious soldier.

Now that the benefits have been given enough, although everyone is not very happy about it, they can barely accept it.

After everyone received their rewards, it was time for Zhao Mu to prepare to set off back to Lingzhou.

But before Zhao Mu left, he went to look for his old lover, his cousin Liu Ying. Liu Ying was very surprised by Zhao Mu's sudden arrival. She thought Zhao Mu had become rich and had forgotten her.

She lived there in seclusion, often with her daughter by her side, and she was able to calm down.

Zhao Mu said, "Sister, now that your mourning period is over, we can be together openly. This time I have also petitioned His Majesty to let you marry me instead. I believe Princess Shoukang and the King of Shang will have nothing to say."

Liu Ying smiled and said, "Haha, sister, your good brother has not forgotten you, and I am very happy. But now you are the emperor of Song Dynasty, why do you want me, an unclean woman? Besides, my parents-in-law don't stop my son from visiting me. If I go to Qi State with you, what will happen to my son?"

Zhao Mu smiled and said, "Of course I will go with you. After my sister remarried me, Yan'er will naturally be my daughter as well. She is the princess of my Qi country. If my sister doesn't abandon me, Yan'er can also take my surname Zhao in the future."

Liu Ying was overjoyed when she heard this. She said, "That's great! Great! Although Yan'er is the princess of the Shang Palace, she is not as noble as the princess of His Majesty Zhongdi. It is Yan'er's good fortune that His Majesty is willing to take Yan'er into his lap. Not to mention giving her a surname. I believe my parents-in-law will be very happy. And if I can find a good future for Yan'er, I don't think my parents-in-law will object to my remarrying you."

Zhao Mu nodded and said, "Well! There is no time to lose. We will set off back to Lingzhou in three days. Sister can discuss it with King Shang and Princess Shoukang as soon as possible."

Zhao Mu then stood up and said, "Sister, I have a lot of things to do on my way back home. I can't stay here for long. Someone will come to pick you up when we leave."

(End of this chapter)