Great Zhou Empire: Kill Zhao Kuangyin at the beginning

Chapter 538 Successors (Special thanks to book friend 2022…6725 for the monthly ticket!)

After reading the memorial, Chai Zongxun approved of the tactics adopted by Crown Prince Chai Jiyu. Seeing that Crown Prince Chai Jiyu was in the army in the rear, he immediately felt relieved.

He issued an order to all provincial governments in the northwest to ensure the logistical supply of the army that was conquering Kievan Rus.

The Crown Prince Chai Jiyu was ordered to lead the army to advance steadily and ensure that they would be absolutely safe.

After drafting the imperial edict, Chai Zongxun said with a smile:
"Yuer really has my style!

Except for the young women and children under three years old who were taken back to Russia as slaves, all the rest were slaughtered, which is exactly what I want!"

Tang Qi, the chief eunuch standing behind Chai Zongxun, said hurriedly:

“Everyone in the palace says that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is most like Your Majesty, wise, brave, noble and righteous.

This Russian devil is so greedy that he forgets his life and dares to provoke my Great Zhou Empire. He is really courting death! "

At si-hour on August 14, the 43rd year of Kaixi, Prince of Song Guo Jizhou, accompanied by his wife Song Chun and his eldest grandson Guo Meitai, came to Bian Jing to visit his father, the emperor and his mother, the empress, under the escort of a thousand followers, taking advantage of the "paying respects leave" that was granted once every three years.

Chai Zongxun was overjoyed when he received the news, and sent the chief eunuch Tang Qi to lead 10,000 Longxiang Guards to go out of the Jinyao Gate, the west gate of Bianjing City, ten miles away, to welcome Prince of Song Guo Jizhuo and his entourage to stay in the former Prince of Song's Palace in Bianjing.

After the court was dismissed, Chai Zongxun hosted a banquet in Huangyi Hall to entertain Prince Song and his family. Empress Dowager Fu, Empress Fu, and the Fifth Empress all attended the banquet.

After a while, Prince Song and his family, accompanied by the chief eunuch Tang Qi, walked into the Huangyi Palace.

After the greetings, Chai Zongxun saw that Guo Jizhou's family was in high spirits. The eldest grandson, Guo Meitai, had grown to be nearly five feet tall, with an elegant temperament. He could not help but like him very much and said with a smile:

"Tai'er, come to Grandpa Huang quickly."

Guo Meitai followed instructions and approached Chai Zongxun who was sitting at the main seat. As soon as she arrived, Chai Zongxun hugged her in his arms.

Chai Zongxun laughed so hard that he couldn't close his mouth.
"The last time I saw Tai'er was before the expedition to Maya in the 37th year of Kaixi, when Tai'er was still a six-year-old child.

I didn’t expect that after not seeing you for 6 years, Tai’er has grown to be almost as tall as my lips! And he looks so handsome! "

Guo Meitai said:

"The emperor grandfather often has to work hard for the country, but the emperor's grandson is pampered in the palace, which makes me feel anxious."

Chai Zongxun smiled and said:
“Taier has such a sweet mouth!
Tai'er, have you studied hard in Prince Song's mansion?"

Guo Meitai said:

"My grandson is in the palace. He has two lessons a day, each lasting one hour. He studies classics with Master Wang and Master Lu, studies the art of war with Commander Wei, and studies business and engineering with Doctor Liu and Doctor Xu.

My grandchildren are all studying hard.”

Chai Zongxun immediately asked Guo Meitai a few simple questions, and Guo Meitai answered them fluently, especially when it came to business.

Chai Zongxun was overjoyed and said:
"The lineage of King Song has a successor!"

He immediately announced that many rare treasures would be rewarded to the Song King and his family.

Fu Zhenzhen smiled and said:
"Your Majesty, stop chatting with Tai'er. The food is getting cold."

Chai Zongxun nodded repeatedly and immediately invited everyone to start eating.

During the banquet, Empress Dowager Fu, Queen Fu and others asked the King of Song many questions. They were delighted to learn that under the careful management of ministers such as Wang Zhuo and Lu Mengzheng, the State of Song had clear government affairs and prosperous people.

Guo Jizhou said:

"Father, Grand Tutor Wang has asked me to report this to you. He feels that he is old and lacks energy, so he begs you to appoint a minister to take over Grand Tutor Wang's position as prime minister.

Wang Taifu wants to retire and return home. "

Wang Zhuo was born in the third year of Tiancheng in the Later Tang Dynasty (928). By this year, the forty-third year of Kaixi (1002), he was already 74 years old, over 70 years old.

Chai Zongxun nodded slightly and said, "Grand Tutor Wang is loyal to our Great Zhou, a close minister to my father, and my Grand Tutor. He has also assisted Zhou'er for many years and has made great contributions throughout his life!
Now that Taifu Wang is old, and has asked me to retire, I cannot bear to let him work for me any longer.

I confer the title of Duke of Lu on Wang Taifu, increase his fief to 5 households, grant him taels of gold, and allow him to retire and return home. "

Chai Zongxun paused and said:

"The position of Prime Minister of Song will be taken over by Lu Mengzheng, and the position of Prime Minister this time will be taken by Zhang Qixian."

Guo Jizhou was ignorant of state affairs and agreed immediately.

Princess Song Chun said:

"Father, Zhang Qixian is the current Grand Tutor. Would he be willing to serve as the Second Prime Minister in the Song Kingdom?"

Chai Zongxun smiled and said:
"Don't worry, my dear.

Zhang Qixian has served as the Prime Minister and has reached the peak of his official career, so he has no regrets.

I appointed him as Grand Tutor, but it was an idle position with no power. Now he is only sixty years old and often feels that he has nothing to do every day.

If he went to Song State as the deputy prime minister, he would be more happy to be busy with state affairs every day."

Zhang Qixian is just 61 years old this year. Due to the term limit set by the emperor, he retired from the position of Prime Minister in his 50s. Although he is the Grand Tutor, one of the Three Dukes, it is not much different from being idle at home.

After the banquet, everyone was talking and laughing. The emperor's eldest grandson Guo Meitai was treated like a treasure and was fought over by Chai Zongxun, Empress Dowager Fu, Queen Fu, and the Fifth Queen.

When the banquet was about to end, Chai Zongxun said:

"Zhou'er and his family are here at a great time. Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival. I will hold a Mid-Autumn Banquet in the Imperial Palace and invite all the princesses in Beijing to join Zhou'er and his family in a happy gathering."

The next morning at court, the emperor and his ministers discussed some important state affairs.

Chai Zongxun said:

"Food is the most important thing for the people. If we want to keep the vast territory of our Great Zhou stable for ten thousand years, we must vigorously develop the economy of the newly acquired lands, so that the people can have enough food and clothing, and then the people will be proud of the Great Zhou.

Now that Maya and Angkor were newly conquered, the local industries and commerce were mainly agricultural, and they needed the imperial court to invest heavily in supporting their development and construction.

For the development of industry and commerce, transportation comes first. For the construction of the "Da Zhou Straight Road" in the two places, the court invested 5 million taels of silver in each place for years in advance.

As the Prime Minister, Mr. Kou Aiqing must supervise the use of silver with the cabinet. "

Kou Zhun came out of the class and said:
“I respectfully obey His Majesty’s decree.

The cabinet will urge the Ministry of Works to send more craftsmen to Maya and Angkor within a month to speed up the construction of the straight road there.

Before leaving the court, Chai Zongxun looked at Zhang Qixian and said:
"Lord Zhang, please come to the Yangxin Palace to have a chat at 5 p.m."

Chai Zongxun had lunch with Empress Dowager Fu and the two empresses and eighteen concubines in Baoci Hall, then returned to Qingshou Hall to take a nap for an hour, and then got up and went to Yangxin Hall.

Zhang Qixian had been waiting in the hall for a long time.

After the meeting, Chai Zongxun told him that he wanted him to be the second prime minister of the State of Song.

Chai Zongxun said:

"Prince Song is my beloved son, but fate plays tricks on me and I always feel like I owe him something.

Now that Wang Taifu has retired due to old age, Zhouer needs a minister with outstanding talents to assist in state affairs, and Zhang Aiqing is just the right person."

Zhang Qixian knew that Emperor Chai Zongxun implemented the "term system" and retirement system. If an official could serve as Prime Minister for a term of ten years, it would be the pinnacle of his career, no matter how good his political achievements were or how much favor he had received from Emperor Chai Zongxun.

Wang Zhuo was like this, I am like this, Li Hang is like this, and Kou Zhun will be like this in the future.

(End of this chapter)