Tang Dynasty Mingyue Song Dynasty Pass

Chapter 883 Bianjing Storm

Zhao Guangyi came out of the palace after visiting his brother, with a heavy heart and a hint of worry in his eyes. He went directly to the inner hall of Kaifeng Mansion in the Southern Court and summoned some trusted advisers to discuss things.

In the inner hall, the atmosphere was solemn, and all the counselors' eyes were focused on Zhao Guangyi.

The civil servants and staff included Cheng Yu, Fan Min, Zhao Rui, Shi Xizai, Dou Zhen, Song Qi, Jia Yan, Yao Shu, Liu Qi, Wang Yande, Cheng Dexuan, Zhang Xun, Yang Shouyi, Zhao Rong, Wang Xian, Chen Congxin, Wang Jisheng, Yin Xian, Zhang Xu, Pei Ji, etc. They were all Zhao Guangyi's confidants and had an important influence on him.

Cheng Yu asked with concern: "Prince Jin, how is the emperor's injury? There are rumors that he has been bedridden with firearm injuries and a cold from drowning. In addition, he is worried about state affairs and his health is not as good as before. Can he still hold on?" There was a hint of worry in his voice, and it was obvious that he was very concerned about Zhao Kuangyin's health.

After Zhao Guangyi sat down, he frowned slightly, thought for a moment and said, "My brother is indeed seriously injured and is currently running a high fever. Fortunately, my brother has practiced martial arts for many years and is in good health. If it were someone else, they might not be able to survive this attack and fall into the water."

Fan Min nodded slightly, his tone firm: "If the emperor is critically ill this time, the position of crown prince will be between Prince Jin and the eldest prince. Currently, our Song Dynasty is facing internal and external troubles, and the eldest prince is just in his early twenties. He is a kind man and has no talent for governing a country or fighting a war. If we want to appoint a crown prince, no one is more suitable than Prince Jin." He swept his eyes over the crowd, with a hint of expectation in his eyes.

Dou Zhen also nodded and agreed, "That's right. The Prince of Jin should accept the throne more than the eldest prince. After all, the imperial power belongs to the Zhao family. Whether it is passed down from brother to brother or from father to son, the nature of the regime has not changed. Special times still require special succession. The Prince of Jin has a greater chance of ascending the throne than the eldest prince."

The more these counselors spoke, the more excited they became. They were all Zhao Guangyi's confidants. If the Prince of Jin ascended the throne as emperor in the future, the six ministries of the court would definitely be reshuffled and replaced one after another. These counselors and civil servants who gathered around Zhao Guangyi would naturally be promoted greatly. They were all his followers.

The current situation is here, they feel that the chances are getting bigger and bigger, because Zhao Kuangyin is injured and has not appointed a crown prince, the status of the Prince of Jin and the eldest prince has become mysterious. Once Zhao Kuangyin is critically ill, the probability of the Prince of Jin ascending the throne is still very high.

Zhao Guangyi was extremely happy, his mouth corners slightly raised, and his eyes were full of excitement. He was more than ten years younger than Zhao Kuangyin, and he had also fought on the battlefield and led troops. He also learned a lot of poetry and songs, and he claimed to be a man of both civil and military talents, and was not inferior to his brother. He always thought that his brother's ability to become emperor was related to their Yihui Society.

At that time, on July 953th of the third year of Guangshun ( AD), Zhao Kuangyin and ten other people, including Yang Guangyi, Shi Shouxin, Li Jixun, Wang Shenqi, Liu Qingyi, Liu Shouzhong, Liu Tingrang, Han Chongyun and Wang Zhengzhong, established the Yishe Society, swore an oath of blood and became brothers. These were all senior military generals, and they worked together to form a powerful force in the military.

These generals were very smart. After Chai Rong died, they did not want to continue protecting the young emperor, Chai Rong's son. So they discussed with Zhao Pu, Zhao Guangyi and others and decided to put the yellow robe on Zhao Kuangyin. Whether Zhao Kuangyin directed and acted in this completely by himself is unknown in historical records, but it is mentioned that Zhao Kuangyin was forced.

However, the contents of ancient history books are true and false, and many details cannot be trusted. They are processed and written, and they are definitely biased towards the position of the successful. It is also possible that Zhao Kuangyin planned all this and pretended that he was crowned with a yellow robe by the generals to highlight Zhao Kuangyin's benevolence and passive helplessness.

Now, the opportunity is rare. Zhao Guangyi himself has thought about becoming the emperor himself, but he just has no chance. He has been storing up strength and waiting for the opportunity. Unexpectedly, this opportunity has come. His brother Zhao Kuangyin was seriously injured and temporarily bedridden in the palace. Many powers were controlled by him and the eldest prince Zhao Dezhao. In addition, he had great power in Kaifeng Prefecture, so there was still a lot of room for maneuver.

"Do you all think so?" Zhao Guangyi looked at these trusted advisers and asked for their opinions, with a hint of expectation in his eyes.

"Yes, Prince Jin, this is a rare opportunity. If you take one more step, you will be the emperor." Zhao Rui's tone was a little excited and his eyes showed a hint of anticipation.

"Now you are the Prince of Jin, the only king of the Song Dynasty, and the emperor's younger brother. It can be said that under the emperor, no one in the Song Dynasty has a more honorable status than you. You are second only to the emperor and above everyone else. If you take one more step forward, you will be what everyone expects." Shi Xizai also echoed, with a firmness in his eyes.

The other counselors also nodded and said in unison: "Prince Jin, this is a godsend opportunity and must not be missed." There was a hint of urgency in their voices, and they were obviously full of expectations for Zhao Guangyi.

Zhao Guangyi nodded slightly when he heard this, a trace of deep thought flashed in his eyes, and then he said slowly: "Our emperor is in poor health right now, but he will not die. We still need to plan more and deal with various political situations. In addition, the Wu army invaded the Song Dynasty with great momentum. Even Yingtian Prefecture is in danger. I don’t know if the Song Dynasty can hold on this time. This matter still worries me." There was a hint of worry in his voice, and he was obviously uneasy about the future of the Song Dynasty.

The Wu army was like a huge threat, which not only brought pressure to Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Dezhao, but also Zhao Guangyi and Zhao Guangmei. Once the Song Dynasty was destroyed, the Zhao royal family would be threatened with life and death, their status would plummet, their former glory would be gone, and they would be exterminated. Therefore, in terms of resisting the Wu army, Zhao Guangyi, Zhao Guangmei and the eldest prince Zhao Dezhao had the same interests.

"Prince Jin, we must first stabilize the country before we can resist foreign aggression. Although the Wu army is very powerful, they cannot attack us in a short time, so it will not affect our plan." Counselor Cheng Dexuan smiled slightly, with a hint of firmness in his tone, obviously trying to convince Zhao Guangyi.

Zhao Guangyi nodded slightly, but it was still difficult to make a decision directly and turn against Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Dezhao. He was not fully prepared to kill them, and he needed to consider and observe for a while. "Let me go back to the palace to think about it, and we'll talk about it in two days." Zhao Guangyi paused, his eyes revealing a trace of deep thought: "Everyone, the first thing we have to do is to ensure the stability of Bianjing and solve the problem of food shortage." There was a hint of majesty in his voice, obviously not wanting to make everyone too excited.

The counselors nodded one after another, with a hint of admiration in their eyes. They knew that the calmer Zhao Guangyi was at this moment, the higher his chances of success would be in the future.

After Zhao Guangyi's meeting ended, when he left the Southern Court, it was already late in the evening, the night was falling, and the moonlight was hazy.

His carriage, escorted by more than a dozen guards, slowly traveled through the streets and alleys of the Song Dynasty; the lights on both sides of the street were sparse, casting a dim light and shadow, adding a bit of mystery to the quiet night.

The night was dim, and the wheels of the carriage rolled gently on the bluestone road, making a slight sound. Zhao Guangyi sat in the carriage, slightly closed his eyes, and was still thinking about the discussion just now. He knew that every decision at this moment might affect the future of the Song Dynasty and his own destiny.

At this moment, the killer who had been lying in ambush on the street had already set his sights on his car.

They hid in the dark, their figures blending into the night, with a hint of coldness in their eyes. These killers were obviously carefully trained, and every move was silent, like ghosts in the night.

The carriage moved forward slowly, and the guards looked around vigilantly, but the cover of night made it difficult for them to detect the lurking danger. Suddenly, a black shadow flashed out from the darkness, and the sharp blade in its hand flashed a cold light in the moonlight, flew down from the roof on one side of the street, and rushed straight towards the carriage.

"Be careful!" A master guard reacted quickly, shouted, and drew his sword to meet the enemy.

"Protect King Jin!"

"Clang!" The swords collided and sparks flew, but more killers came from all directions and surrounded the carriage.

Zhao Guangyi opened his eyes slightly in the car, and a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes. He knew that at this moment, he was already in danger.

But he did not panic, instead he smiled slightly and thought to himself: "It seems that someone doesn't want me to return to the mansion alive."

The guards quickly formed a circle to protect the carriage and engaged in a fierce fight with the killers.

"Dang Dang Dang!"

The flashing of swords and the shouts of killing echoed in the silent night, breaking the tranquility.

Zhao Guangyi frowned slightly and whispered, "Protect the carriage and don't alarm the people."

The guards responded and protected the carriage more carefully, while trying their best to minimize the scope of the battle to avoid causing greater commotion.

Zhao Guangyi sat in the car with a hint of calmness in his eyes. He knew in his heart that at this moment, he had to remain calm, because his life and death not only concerned himself, but also the future of the Song Dynasty.