The heavens set sail from the courtyard

Chapter 410

Zhao Xu found Wang Gang and Sima Guang because he really wanted to ask Gu.

He knew his own affairs, and the imperial physician had already sentenced him to death for vomiting blood this time, so it didn't matter how unwilling Zhao Xu was.

Although the emperor is said to be long live, since ancient times, which emperor can really live [-] years, on the contrary, there are more short-lived emperors.

"Prince, I don't want to hand over the mess of Song Dynasty to you, but you, as the crown prince, my son, enjoy the wealth and also shoulder the responsibility."

Zhao Xu took his son's hand and said: "I have been in power for 18 years. The country is not rich and the people are strong in my hands. Instead, it is troubled internally and externally. I am ashamed of my ancestors. The prince should take me as a lesson."

At this time, Prince Zhao Yi was a little scared, a little happy, and even a little bit scared. In short, he was in a complicated mood.

Zhao Xu is someone who has been there, and he also understands his son's psychology at this time, so he turned to Sima Guang and said:
"Junshi, I appointed you and Changfeng as ministers of Gu Ming. After I leave, you must assist the prince well. If he has done anything wrong, you must advise him in time."

Wang Gang and Sima Guang immediately knelt down to thank the prince and said they would definitely assist the prince.

Zhao Xu looked at Wang Gang with a complicated face. To be honest, he didn't want this third uncle to be a minister of fate. If it weren't for the current internal and external troubles in the court, he would even kill Wang Gang before he died, so as not to leave any hidden dangers for his son. .

"You go out first, I want to chat with Chang Feng alone." Zhao Xu sent everyone away, and then said to Wang Gang:
"Chang Feng, to be honest, I'm a little afraid of you."

"I'm terrified." Wang Gang lowered his head and said.

Zhao Xu shook his head and said, "You are too perfect and capable. I am worried that the prince will not be able to suppress you in the future, but I have to leave you to the prince."

Wang Gang said with a sullen face, "The crown prince is my nephew, and I will definitely assist you well, and I will never disappoint Your Majesty's kindness."

Zhao Xu shook his head again and said: "I believe that you can assist the prince well, and even Da Song will be better in your hands.

You are a capable minister who can govern the army on horseback and the people on horseback, so I am worried about you. Wang Mang of the Western Han Dynasty and Cao Cao of the Eastern Han Dynasty are not capable. "

Zhao Xu suddenly mentioned Wang Mang and Cao Cao, and Wang Gang knew what he meant.

These two people have one thing in common, they both usurped the Han in the end, and they are both relatives and power ministers.

Wang Mang himself came from a wealthy family of foreign relatives, and later usurped the Han Dynasty to establish himself and establish a new dynasty.

The same is true for Cao Cao. He married several of his daughters to Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty, and suppressed Emperor Xian of the Han all his life. In the end, his son Cao Pi usurped the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Zhao Xu compared Wang Gang with the two because he was worried that he would usurp Song Zili in the future.

"Since Your Majesty is worried about the subject, why not let the subject go first." Wang Gang suddenly raised his head and looked outside the hall.

At this time, a black shadow flickered outside Zhao Xu's hall, and there was a faint murderous intent. Wang Gang had a premonition of danger.

Zhao Xu smiled wryly and shook his head, then clapped his hands twice, the black shadow outside the window disappeared, and Wang Gang no longer felt the danger.

"I really want to kill you, but I can't! I can't break the Song Dynasty with my own hands, cough cough cough cough."

Zhao Xu coughed, spat out all the coughed blood, and his body was shaking.

Wang Gang frowned, but still stepped forward to support Zhao Xu.

"I am a failed emperor. I have been emperor for [-] years. Internally, the reformers and conservatives fought constantly. Externally, Xixia, who had finally subdued, rebelled.

The prince is young and cannot support the country with internal and external turmoil. If I break the prince's arm again, the Song Dynasty will really be over. "

Zhao Xu grabbed Wang Gang's lapel and said weakly: "Chang Feng, it seems that the crown prince is your nephew, can you promise me to help him?"

At this time, Zhao Xu's tone no longer had the power of an emperor, he was just a dying father, a father who was worried about his child.

Wang Gang finally nodded and said, "I will live up to your majesty's hope."

Zhao Xu let go of Wang Gang's hand, then took out an imperial edict from the quilt, and said, "Chang Feng, this is my edict. If the crown prince is stupid, you can use this edict to abolish him."

Wang Gang couldn't be dealt with by Zhao Xu now, and he couldn't understand what he meant by this move?
The front foot just begged him for his son, and the back foot gave him an edict to abolish the establishment?

Zhao Xu said: "The foundation of the ancestors is important, but the Han Dynasty cannot fall into the hands of foreigners. If the prince cannot be supported in the future, you can take out the will!"

Wang Gang looked at the imperial edict in his hand, but he hadn't figured out Zhao Xu's real intention for a while.

"Call Minglan in!" Zhao Xu pushed Wang Gang away and said while lying on the bed.

Wang Gang put the imperial edict in his arms, then walked out of the palace gate and let Sheng Minglan in.

Not long after Sheng Minglan entered, a loud cry suddenly came from the hall.

Zhao Xu passed away, leaving a mess and died.

Wang Gang and Sima Guang took the crown prince Zhao Yu to the throne in front of Zhao Xu's coffin.

Speaking of which, this is already the third Song emperor sent away by Wang Gang, and he is also an "veteran" of the four dynasties.

After Zhao Yu succeeded to the throne, he appointed Sima Guang as prime minister, and let Wang Gang take charge of the Privy Council and concurrently serve as Minister of the Ministry of War.

Wang Gang completely controlled the country's military power.

But the problem now is that the [-] Xia army is still circling the northwest, and the Daliao has invaded the Song Dynasty with soldiers from all over the country.

Wang Gang once again faced the crisis of fighting on two fronts.

This time he did not go to the northwest again, but divided the forbidden army into two, handing half to Gu Tingye, and leading the other half to Yanmen Pass.

For more than ten years, Wang Gang did nothing in the Ministry of War, and devoted himself to the research and development of firearms, and finally developed flintlock guns and artillery.

He handed over 38 cannons to Gu Tingye, and then he took 50 cannons and [-] flintlock guns to face the [-] army of Daliao.

Before the expedition, Wang Gang took his wife and children to Sheng's house for the last meal.

Mrs. Sheng was too old at this time, her teeth were about to fall out, and she couldn't eat much. But when she learned that Wang Gang was going to face the 50 army of Daliao, she was also worried.

Sheng Hong and Lin Sushuang were not young, and silver frost had already appeared on their heads.

Wang Gang's brothers and sisters all returned home and bid him farewell reluctantly.

Everyone in the Sheng family knew that Wang Gang was not only the towering tree of the Sheng family, but also the support of the country.

After dinner, Wang Gang led 30 forbidden troops to Yanmen Pass.

In the imperial palace, at this moment, it was the Empress Dowager Sheng Minglan, who stood on the tower and looked at the distant army from a distance, and said to the emperor's son beside her:
"Emperor, you must remember that your uncle went to Yanmen Pass to fight for you."

Zhao Yu solemnly said: "My son will never forget everything my uncle has done."

Sheng Minglan looked at her son who was taller than herself, and sighed deeply.

Under the imperial power, there is no family affection between father and son, let alone nephew, Sheng Minglan only hopes that her brother and son will not meet each other in battle in the future.

…………

After Wang Gang led the army to Yanmen Pass, he immediately saw the power of the Daliao cavalry.

The Liao Kingdom was established much earlier than the Great Song Dynasty. After Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin unified the Central Plains, the biggest goal was the Liao Kingdom.

However, the cavalry of the Liao Kingdom was unparalleled in the world, and with the occupation of the sixteen prefectures of Yanyun, the Song Dynasty lost the best horse breeding land, and the war between the two countries has always been at a disadvantage.

Zhao Kuangyin passed away, and Song Taizong succeeded to the throne. He also went on a personal conquest by the emperor, and the two Northern Expeditions. In the end, he was defeated by the Daliao cavalry. He fled back with an arrow in his own ass, and was given the nickname Gaolianghe God of War.

During Song Zhenzong's period, Da Song and Daliao also fought twice, each winning and losing. As a result, Song Zhenzong was afraid of the war and signed the Chanyuan Alliance, and Da Song paid old coins every year to seek peace.

During Song Renzong's period, Xixia rose, and the Great Song Dynasty was sandwiched between the two countries, and the military fell even further.

Later, the two emperors, Song Yingzong and Song Shenzong, focused more on internal affairs, especially Song Shenzong, who thought that the implementation of the reform would enrich the country and strengthen the people, and then they went to recover the Daliao. against the weak.

The emperor of the Liao Dynasty, Yelu Hongji, saw the predicament of the Song Dynasty, and mobilized soldiers from all over the country, with a total of 50 troops to crush Yanmen Pass.

Tan Zongde, the general guard of Yanmen Gate, defended to the death, and finally waited for the 30 forbidden troops brought by Wang Gang.

As soon as Wang Gang came, he immediately took over the military power and sent his own people to take over Yanmen Pass. Tan Zongde didn't dare to let a fart go.

On the second day after taking over Yanmen Pass, Yelu Hongji sent his generals to attack the city. Fortunately, most of the men Wang Gang brought with him this time were elite soldiers who had retreated from Qingzhou.

After ten days of guarding, Wang Gang suddenly received a letter from Yelu Hongji, the general content of the letter was to persuade him to surrender.

Yelu Hongji promised that after taking over the Song Dynasty, everything south of the Yangtze River could be given to Wang Gang.

Wang Gang also wrote a reply letter.

When Yelu Hongji received the reply, he thought it was Wang Gang's surrender letter, but when he opened it, he almost died of anger.

What Wang Gang wrote was not a letter of surrender, but a letter of surrender.

His terms were much more stingy than Yelu Hongji's. Not to mention the south of the Yangtze River, Wang Gang didn't even give Yelu Hongji an inch of land, and asked him to subsidize Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures.

"You're angry." Yelu Hongji tore up the letter, but he didn't order his men to attack the city. Instead, he let the army bypass Yanmen Pass and return to Chanzhou.

As soon as Yelu Hongji arrived in Chanzhou, he found that Wang Gang's main force was waiting for him.

Chanzhou is also the battlefield chosen by Wang Gang, a century of humiliation for the Song Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)