Diqin Designer

Chapter 503 The Most Outstanding "Hero" of the Northern Song Dynasty Makes His Debut! (History of the Northern Song Dynasty)
This is also one of the reasons why Li Nian looks down on the Song Dynasty. Some people in the Song Dynasty look down on this and that all day long, and boast that they are unprecedented, but their actual achievements are hard to judge.

All other dynasties are rubbish, but my Great Song Dynasty is the greatest of all time. However, upon closer inspection, this greatest of all time is actually covered in shit.

Furthermore, some people in the Zhao Song dynasty always gave the impression that they never considered themselves as the successors of the Han and Tang dynasties or the rulers of China.

Even if we don't actually have the ability to reclaim the former territories of the Han and Tang dynasties, we should at least have the ambition to do so. However, some people simply lack this ambition and even actively cede land to others.

Is this something a human can do?
In their eyes, the ancient lands of the Han and Tang dynasties had nothing to do with their Song dynasty.

My Great Song Dynasty was the most prosperous country in all of history. What level are your Han and Tang Dynasties? Don't try to pull this on!
These people have a self-deceptive feeling of being immersed in the fantasy that they are a superior nation.

As long as we believe that our Great Song Dynasty is an unprecedentedly prosperous nation, then the Han and Tang Dynasties were nothing more than a group of warmongers.

While the territories of the Han and Tang dynasties were indeed vast, were they as wealthy as our Song dynasty? Did they have as many scholars as our Song dynasty? Did they have as high a level of culture as our Song dynasty?
Moreover, Tang was utterly humiliated, with "the capital falling six times and the emperor dying nine times," he had no shame whatsoever.

The Han dynasty wasn't much better; it was usurped by the emperor's relatives and the emperor was even held hostage to command the other lords.

Such a thing could never happen in our Great Song Dynasty, because our Great Song Dynasty has a wise and virtuous emperor like Emperor Renzong, as well as wise and learned officials.

These people have clearly chosen to selectively forget that they had the God of War on the donkey cart, the Treaty of Chanyuan, and the Peace Treaty of Qingli...

Ignoring one's own shortcomings and only focusing on the weaknesses of others, the Song Dynasty won, becoming the first in history. It was truly like the First Emperor touching an electric wire – he won so badly he was numb!
Li Nian continued, "The Hehuang Campaign launched by Zhao Xu during his reign achieved remarkable results, and some land was recovered. However, after Zhao Xu's death in the third year of Yuanfu, it was abandoned."

They gave up again?
Wang Ben immediately said, "Is the old party making a comeback?"

Li Nian nodded: "Yes! After Zhao Xu passed away, his stepmother, the Empress Dowager, seized power, and the old faction made a comeback for a period of time."

The Song dynasty was truly a mess. The old and new factions kept switching sides. This year, the new faction was in power and drove the old faction out of the court, abolished the old faction's policies, and adopted new laws. Next year, the old faction was welcomed back and drove the new faction out again, abolishing the new faction's laws.

Moreover, the conflict between the two sides eventually escalated to the point of acting impulsively. Regardless of whether the policies were right or wrong, good or bad, they only cared about which side the policy came from. If the other side implemented the policy, then they would oppose it.

The Donglin Party strife at the end of the Ming Dynasty was similar; it was all about opposing for the sake of opposing, creating chaos from the imperial court to the local level, ultimately harming the country and its people.

"But the old party didn't last long. After the great calligrapher took power, he changed the law."

Upon hearing that the great calligrapher was about to appear, the First Emperor and his entourage were invigorated. They had heard from Li Nian that this great calligrapher had appeared many times before, and they were finally waiting for this "hero" to make his debut.

They wanted to hear what this "hero" of the Song Dynasty had done to be constantly talked about by Li Nian, something even Emperor Yang Guang hadn't been talked about like this by.

Meng Tian asked curiously, "That great calligrapher also knows how to use new methods?"

This doesn't quite match their imagined character profile!
When Li Nian deliberately referred to the Song emperor as a "great calligrapher," the First Emperor and others knew that the great calligrapher was definitely not a wise ruler of the Song Dynasty.

In their conjecture, this great calligrapher must be incompetent and conservative, and probably would use the old methods.

Upon hearing Meng Tian's question, Li Nian knew what Meng Tian was thinking and said with a strange expression, "It's not necessarily a good thing for a great calligrapher to use new methods. For a clever but wicked person like him, new methods will only become a tool for his evil deeds."

"Great calligraphers are never stupid. Of course, this 'not stupid' refers to the fact that they are not born with intellectual disabilities, but in Zhao Song's case, they were complete fools. If they had been intellectually disabled, things might have been better!"

Just like the great Guang Shen, if Sima Zhong had been in charge, the Sui Dynasty might not have perished after only two generations.

Meng Tian said, "When a fool makes a mistake, the consequences will be far more severe than when a wise person deliberately makes a mistake."

Li Nian shook his head and said, "The great calligrapher doesn't think that's a mistake; he's just doing it according to his own wishes."

That's the most terrifying thing: not realizing you're making a mistake, yet actually causing a disaster.

This situation either stems from being so foolish as to not realize a mistake, or from being fully aware of what happened but not recognizing it as wrong.

The great calligrapher is the latter; he knows what he is doing and is aware of his actions, but he doesn't take it seriously.

This is also the mentality of many emperors: I know very well what I have done, but I don't care, because the whole world belongs to me, and I can do whatever I want. How can it be considered wrong?
Li Nian said, "Zhao Xu has always been in poor health, suffering from a chronic illness since his youth. It is unknown whether the Zhao Song imperial palace contains radioactive materials or heavy metals, but many princes and princesses have died young. Zhao Xu is no exception!"

"In the second year of Yuanfu, Consort Liu, whom Zhao Xu favored, gave birth to a son. This was his first son, and also his last. However, the son did not survive and died at only three months old!"

“Early death of infants was common in the Song Dynasty, but this was, after all, his first son, born to his most beloved concubine. The blow to Zhao Xu was unimaginable. He suspended court for three days in mourning for this prince.”

"But four days later, his daughter with Consort Liu also died. Having lost his beloved son and daughter in succession, Zhao Xu's already poor health worsened as a result!"

The cause of death of Zhao Xu's children can be attributed to the Yuan You old party, who deliberately provoked Zhao Xu and aggravated his illness, and thus plotted to kill his children.

"On the twelfth day of the first month of the third year of Yuanfu, this emperor, who had considerable talent in the Zhao Song Dynasty, died of illness in Funingdian at the age of twenty-three. He reigned for fifteen years, but he only truly ruled in his own right for a little over six years."

"Since Zhao Xu died without leaving any heirs, the throne could only be inherited from his brothers. The person chosen by Empress Dowager Xiang and others was Zhao Xu's eleventh brother, Prince Duan, who was also the great calligrapher!"

Upon hearing this, Feng Quji asked, "Why did they choose this Prince Duan?"

Although Zhao Xu left behind only a few sons, why was this fellow chosen? What did he see in him?

Zhao Xu, the prime minister of the New Party, once commented that "Prince Duan is frivolous and unfit to rule the world!"
Li Nian smiled and said, "Firstly, because the great calligrapher was very talented. Apart from not being very good at being an emperor, the great calligrapher was quite learned. He was good at both painting and calligraphy. He created a calligraphic style called 'Slender Gold Style,' and his paintings have also been passed down to later generations."

The great calligrapher was quite shrewd to become emperor; had it not been for the Jin invasion, he might have died peacefully in his old age.

Like the Emperor of Longevity, the great calligrapher may have done a lot of shoddy work, but he still firmly held onto core power. People like Cai Jing were just tools he used to make money.

Unlike the Great Calligrapher, the Longevity Emperor was not cowardly and was more astute, not foolish enough to believe that he could make peace with the Jin army. If the Longevity Emperor were in the Great Calligrapher's position, he would surely have actively prepared countermeasures before the Jin army even marched south.

Unlike the great calligrapher who, upon hearing of the impending arrival of the Jin army, abdicated and fled in terror, only to return to his tyrannical ways after the Jin army left, and then, when the Jin army once again besieged the city, actually conspired with Emperor Qinzong to negotiate peace with the Jin, only to be captured and forced into servitude by the Jin.

"The Song Dynasty valued literature over military prowess, so great calligraphers who were skilled in calligraphy, painting, and poetry were naturally more popular among the Song Dynasty's scholar-officials. Secondly, great calligraphers were generally in good health!"

This reason surprised everyone for a moment, but they quickly realized what it meant.

Neither Zhao Xu nor Zhao Xu lived long; one died at thirty-eight and the other at twenty-three. This probably left the ministers of the Song Dynasty with a psychological shadow, so this time they were determined to choose an emperor who was in excellent health and could live longer.

And great calligraphers will be in good health...

This guy isn't some shut-in nerd who spends all his time at home writing and drawing; he also enjoys sports like horseback riding, archery, and Cuju (ancient Chinese football). It's no wonder he's in poor health.

"Thirdly, the great calligrapher's foundation is not deep, which may make it easier for Empress Dowager Xiang to control him. Empress Dowager Xiang is not a kind person either. Although Zhao Xu died without a son, he had a younger brother from the same mother. It would be more reasonable to establish Zhao Xu's younger brother as heir. However, Empress Dowager Xiang did not refuse to establish him as heir, but she chose the eldest son, which clearly shows that she had other ideas."

"Empress Dowager Xiang herself had no children. Although she was the Empress Dowager, Zhao Xu, who sat on the throne, was born to Lady Zhu. She probably felt that Lady Zhu had been overshadowed by her son. So she made another son of Lady Zhu, so that that lowly servant Lady Zhu would continue to be overshadowed?"

"When she was empress, Zhu was nothing at all. Moreover, she came from a noble family; her great-grandfather was the prime minister during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong. What was Zhu's background?"

"Now that Zhao Xu is dead and has not left a will, this is her chance to turn the tables, so Zhao Xu's younger brother is the first one who has no chance."

Wang Wan said, "This is the disaster caused by failing to establish a proper heir and leaving behind a will!"

The First Emperor glanced at Wang Wan and felt that she was taking the opportunity to subtly criticize him, because in the history Li Nian was telling, he had not designated an heir or prepared a proper will.

No, he must have prepared a will, but it was ruined by people like Huhai and Zhao Gao.

Li Nian didn't care that Wang Wan might take the opportunity to subtly criticize the First Emperor, and continued, "Although Prince Shen Zhao Bi is tall, he has an eye disease and is therefore excluded. As for the others, the great calligrapher's birth mother is dead, and his maternal clan is not powerful, making him a very suitable candidate for Empress Dowager Xiang."

"Unfortunately, Empress Dowager Xiang could not have imagined that her selection of people would have a profound impact on the Song Dynasty, and that the great calligrapher was not a harmless person."

Li Nian shook his head and continued, "Fourth, the ascension of a great calligrapher would better align with the interests of all parties."

This is the most important thing; it is more beneficial to have this person on the throne than to have someone else on the throne.

This was a matter of imperial succession. The people of the Zhao Song dynasty certainly didn't just pick a general or soldier and decide who would take the throne. They must have considered the advantages and disadvantages of the great calligrapher ascending the throne versus someone else.

"Therefore, although there were people like Zhang Dun who thought that the great calligrapher was not suitable to ascend the throne, most ministers supported the great calligrapher to become the emperor of the Zhao Song dynasty."

"So after Zhao Xu's death, the great calligrapher was chosen as the next emperor of the Zhao Song Dynasty. The great calligrapher's name was 'Zhao Ji', his courtesy name was Xuanhe Master, and he was also known as 'Emperor Daojun' and 'Emperor Taishang Daojun', but I prefer to call him 'Huiyang', because that doesn't count as a person!"

Later generations also called Emperor Huizong of Song the best emperor for the poor, saying that he set up nursing homes for widows, widowers, and orphans, provided birth subsidies for the poor, and pioneered universal medical insurance.

If the people of the Song Dynasty under the rule of the great calligrapher knew that there were such boastful people in later generations, they would definitely be happy to exchange time with these people.

Since later generations believe that Emperor Daojun was the best emperor for the people, this blessing will be passed on to you all so that you may enjoy it.

These people only see that the great calligrapher set up nursing homes for widows, widowers, and the lonely, and provided birth subsidies to the poor, but they don't see whether these measures are actually effective, nor do they talk about how many poor people came to be during the time of the great calligrapher.

This is a typical example of someone who only says one truly good thing and ignores everything else. The person who says this should go back to the era of the great calligraphers and experience it for themselves.

When the First Emperor and others heard the words "Daojun," they knew that the great calligrapher Zhao Ji was also a cultivator.

I didn't know that the dragon's energy in the dynasty was depleted and spiritual energy was exhausted, so one could not cultivate immortality. If one wanted to cultivate immortality, one had to give up the throne, otherwise one would definitely become mentally ill and bring disaster to the country and the people.

"The great calligrapher was really lucky. He survived to adulthood among Zhao Xu's many sons. Originally, if his elder brother Zhao Xu were alive or had children, he would not have had the opportunity to ascend the throne. However, Zhao Xu died without children, so he stood out from his brothers and was chosen as the next emperor."

"After he ascended the throne, Empress Dowager Xiang would have been a problem, but she returned power to the Grand Calligrapher, and she passed away in the second year of his reign."

This guy is really lucky. He did almost nothing. He just needed to grow up healthy and the throne automatically fell into his lap. It was the kind of throne that was almost not a threat.

"The first reign title set by the great calligrapher during his reign was 'Jianzhong Jingguo'. The great calligrapher was willing to set this reign title because he wanted to cater to Empress Dowager Xiang, who was inclined to the Yuanyou old party. After Zhao Xu's death, when she came to power, she recalled the old party that Zhao Xu had driven out of the court."

"But Empress Dowager Xiang did not drive out the New Party. Instead, she allowed the two parties to coexist. The great calligrapher's reign title 'Jianzhong Jingguo' was intended to reconcile the contradictions between the two parties and allow them to govern the country together."

"The great calligrapher did not reveal his political inclination when he chose this reign title. However, after Empress Dowager Xiang passed away, in November of the same year, the great calligrapher revealed his political inclination and decided to name the following year 'Chongning'!"

Feng Jie said, "Chongning? Chongfa Xining? This reign title clearly shows Zhao Ji's intention."

Li Nian said, "But the great calligrapher did not really want to reform the laws. He just wanted to use the new laws as a pretext to seek personal gain. He appointed Cai Jing, a notorious traitor in history, as prime minister. Cai Jing was the head of the 'six traitors' in the great calligrapher's reign."

"'The Six Traitors' refers to the six powerful ministers during the time of the great calligrapher, who can also be considered treacherous ministers. However, whether a minister is treacherous or not depends mainly on the monarch. If the monarch is incompetent and tyrannical, there will naturally be more treacherous ministers."

Throughout Chinese history, when commenting on treacherous officials, the focus has often been on the officials themselves, describing them as morally corrupt and capable of any evil. However, the emperor's faults are rarely mentioned, as the emperor is often considered the primary cause of the emergence of treacherous officials.

Some even believed that the emperor was being misled by treacherous officials and wanted to expose the crimes of these officials to the emperor.

In fact, the emperor was not unaware of many of the treacherous officials' actions, but rather deliberately turned a blind eye, as exemplified by the great calligrapher's treatment of Cai Jing and others.

(End of this chapter)