I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 122 Qingzhao Tribulation

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You won’t know unless you investigate.

After investigation, the bigwigs of the old party found out that although Zhang Chun had a poor family background, she had once been a maid in Empress Dowager Xiang's palace and seemed to have a very poor background.

But in fact, she had gained Zhao Ya's favor a long time ago, and had been helping Zhao Ya to handle official documents. She also gave Zhao Ya advice and recommended talents. She was one of the people who could really influence Zhao Ya's decision.

The key point is that it is said that Zhang Chun was good at deduction. Before Zhao Ya became emperor, she deduced that Zhao Ya would definitely become emperor, and then she secretly decided to spend her life with Zhao Ya early on, and also provided a lot of help in Zhao Ya's ascension to the throne.

Moreover, Zhang Chun has four other sisters who possess extraordinary skills. The five sisters became Zhao Ya's concubines and are now all deeply favored by Zhao Ya.

This made Han Zhongyan, Su Shi and Su Zhe both frown and overjoyed!

What made them frown was that a woman in the deep palace could actually influence the decision of an emperor, and this woman even used the theories of ghosts and gods to guide the emperor's will. Isn't that absurd?
But at the same time, they were delighted that they had finally found someone who could replace Empress Dowager Xiang.

To be honest, they even felt that God would not destroy the old party.

However, after further investigation, Han Zhongyan and others realized that Zhang Chun was not a conservative person at all, but a firm supporter of political reform. She even recommended Cai Jing to Zhao Ya. In terms of ideology, Zhang Chun was fundamentally different from them.

This is more troublesome.

Because we have different ideologies, we can only become allies temporarily for the sake of each other's interests, and it is impossible for us to be firmly bound together.

This also meant that Zhang Chun could not play the role that Empress Dowager Xiang played before.

The bigwigs of the old party expressed great regret over this!
At the same time, the bigwigs of the old party also did not understand why the old party’s propositions were becoming increasingly unpopular, at least among the rulers.

Starting from Song Shenzong, three emperors in a row were all determined to take the path of reform. Only Gao Taotao foolishly reversed history. Even Empress Dowager Xiang only wanted to take a middle-of-the-road approach to reconcile the contradictions between the old and new parties.

But then again, it is precisely because of this that they need to persist even if there are thousands of people against them. They must adhere to the system of censorship, and use censors to supervise and check the power of the emperor and the power of the prime minister to prevent the abuse of power. If they do not criticize some unreasonable measures in the reform and make the court reflect on and adjust some policies, how can they ensure political balance and fairness?
In addition, if we do not pay attention to the actual bearing capacity of the people and carry out excessive economic reform measures, it will lead to hardship for the people and the ruling foundation of the Zhao Song Dynasty will be unstable. At that time, not only will the Zhao Song Dynasty perish, but the people will also be displaced.

In addition, agriculture is the foundation of the country and the cornerstone of national stability. The New Party’s support for the excessive development of commerce and handicrafts will lead to a profit-seeking social atmosphere and affect social stability.

Of course, they also knew that the court did not develop agriculture to develop industry because most of the land today was in the hands of high-ranking officials, gentry, wealthy families and other people who did not have to pay taxes. The court could not collect taxes from agriculture at all and could only turn to vigorously developing industry.

But we need to find a solution. We cannot abandon agriculture just because this road is difficult.

In short, many members of the Old Party believed that if they did not persist, the Zhao Song Dynasty might have been led astray by people who were eager for quick success and instant benefits, such as Zhang Dun and Cai Jing.

Therefore, in the eyes of the old party members, especially those morally noble people who take the people of the world as their responsibility, their persistence is very necessary.

In this case, they must survive, even if it means cooperating with those who have different ideologies from them.

In the end, Han Zhongyan, Su Shi, Su Zhe and others agreed to let Li Qingzhao go back to establish contact with Zhang Chun. Li Qingzhao, Han Yu, Chao Min, Li Chun and Zhao Mai temporarily followed Zhang Chun's lead, and the two sides formed a political alliance.

Li Qingzhao then returned to the harem.

It was also a coincidence that as soon as Li Qingzhao returned, Ma Xiaojiao gave birth to Zhao Ya's fourth son smoothly and without any worries.

Zhao Ya was very happy!
Now that Zhao Ya already has four sons, he will most likely not face the embarrassment of having no heir like Zhao Xu.

Moreover, because Zhao Ya already had four sons, the throne of the Zhao Song Dynasty would most likely be inherited only among his descendants, just like Song Shenzong.

Zhao Ya held his fourth son in his arms and said to him, "What name should I give you?"

Zhang Chun's eyes twitched as he suggested, "'Di' means wood. Wood is simple and elegant, conveying a sense of calmness and generosity. It sounds both elegant and outstanding, and is easy to pronounce, full of vigor and vitality. How about naming the official's fourth son with 'Di'?"

When Zhang Chun said this, others felt that Zhang Chun was too bold to even get involved in naming the prince, but they didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

For people of this era, the character "Di" is nothing special, it's just a very ordinary name.

But for people in later generations, the character "Di" represents the name of one person only - Zhu Yuanzhang's fourth son, Yongle Emperor Zhu Di!!!
"He's also the fourth son, and he's also named 'Di'. What on earth does Zhang Chun want to do? Is she trying to train Jiaojiao's child to be like Zhu Di?"

"Wait, it seems that one of the four princes also succeeded in ascending the throne?"

"Will Jiaojiao's son also become a high-ranking official in the future?"

Zhao Ya also looked at Zhang Chun and thought, "You really are just trying to create chaos in the world!"

However, Zhao Ya was not as pedantic as Zhu Yuanzhang. He was determined to pass his throne to his eldest son. After his eldest son died, he was determined to pass it to his eldest grandson. He did not consider a more suitable heir at all. This led to so many things happening later.

In Zhao Ya's view, as long as he passed the throne to his son, he could carry it forward and make it flourish. So it didn't matter which son he passed it to.
Based on this, Zhao Ya looked at his fourth son and said, "Zhao Di? Not bad, not bad, a good name. You will be called Zhao Di."

Seeing that Zhao Yazhen adopted Zhang Chun's suggestion, Li Qingzhao, who was standing by, had a new understanding of Zhang Chun's potential.

Soon, Zhao Ya went to accompany Ma Xiaojiao.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Li Qingzhao came to Zhang Chun and conveyed the message that the old party leaders asked her to bring to Zhang Chun: "Han Xianggong, my master's father, my uncle, Li Xianggong, and Zhao Shangshu all said that if they have the opportunity in the future, they will come to see the Empress. The few of us who have entered the palace are at your disposal."

In fact, Zhang Chun was not worried at all that the old party would not join him, because the old party had no choice.

From the beginning to the end, Zhang Chun was worried about one and only one thing, that is, whether Zhao Ya would allow her to manage the old party?

Zhang Chun looked at Li Qingzhao, and a plan came to her mind. She smiled and asked Li Qingzhao, "Do you really want to listen to me?"

Li Qingzhao thought to herself, "Do I have any other choice?"

On the surface, Li Qingzhao said, "Please give me your orders, Madam. I will do my best."

Zhang Chun said with a half-smile, "Then I'll teach you how to sleep with me tonight. Do you want to listen?"

Zhang Chun's directness really caught Li Qingzhao off guard. She couldn't understand why Zhang Chun was so anxious when Zhao Ya hadn't even asked her to sleep with him.
"Confused?" Zhang Chun asked.

Li Qingzhao nodded.

Zhang Chun patiently explained to Li Qingzhao: "If I can't think about what the emperor wants and worry about what the emperor worries about, why am I the only one who stands out among the three thousand beauties in the harem?"

Seeing that Zhang Chun used her as a tool to please Zhao Ya so confidently, Li Qingzhao felt very disgusted, and she was not mentally prepared to serve him in bed, so she remained silent.

Seeing this, Zhang Chun retreated and said, "If you don't want to, that's fine. I can find someone else."

When Li Qingzhao heard this, the first thought in her mind was, would Zhang Chun go to find Cai Xuan, Wei Zhi and other women from the New Party and then turn to the New Party?

If that were the case, then Li Qingzhao would have gotten herself into great trouble. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she was a sinner of the old party. This wasn't to say that Li Qingzhao loved the old party, but her family was deeply tied to it. Their prosperity was shared, and their decline was shared. Crucially, this involved the political dreams of countless great moral figures, and she couldn't let her momentary impulse ruin all of this.

Based on this, Li Qingzhao could only suppress her hesitation and said shyly: "Your Majesty, please allow me to be reserved for a while."

Seeing Li Qingzhao succumb to her tyranny, Zhang Chun was very excited, "The taste of power is so wonderful!!!"

——Although it was Zhao Ya who got the upper hand in the end, for some reason, Zhang Chun felt inexplicably excited whenever she thought of Li Qingzhao, the most talented woman in history, being ravaged by Zhao Ya, especially when it was she who made it happen.

Zhang Chun thought to himself, 'Have I become a little abnormal recently?'

But soon, Zhang Chun found an excuse for her own abnormal psychology, "Only by treating Zhao Ya as myself, or even prioritizing myself, can I gain Zhao Ya's favor and then take power from Zhao Ya."

Thinking of this, Zhang Chun immediately felt at ease.

Soon, Zhang Chun had a new thought: "Do I have the potential to be treacherous?"

Zhang Chun quickly shook his head to get rid of this boring thought, "No, no, no, I do all this for my political ambitions and my dreams. I am right!"

……

Zhao Ya wanted to stay overnight at Ma Xiaojiao's place.

But Ma Xiaojiao drove Zhao Ya out.

What Ma Xiaojiao meant was that she couldn't accompany Zhao Ya now, so why should she monopolize Zhao Ya? She should give Zhao Ya to someone in need.

Zhao Ya really didn't expect that Ma Xiaojiao was so noble.

This made Zhao Ya not know what to say for a moment.

Unexpectedly, Ma Xiaojiao then said bluntly: "When I get better, the emperor must come to my place often."

"Well, I'm overthinking it. Lei Jiao has a typical science and engineering mindset. Everything is based on rationality. What does that have to do with being upright and honest?"

As he walked out, Zhao Ya thought:
"Where should I sleep tonight? Or should I go and get Xu Qing fired? She has a standard oval face. Eyes that aren't too big, a nose of moderate height, a mouth of just the right size. She's just the right height, and both weight and body type. If she were a pound taller, she'd be too tall, and if she were a pound shorter, she'd be too short. If she were a pound fatter, she'd be too fat, and if she were a pound thinner, she'd be too thin. And the most beautiful thing about her face is the shape of it. From the top of her face to her chin, it turns slowly, neither too fast nor too slow. Her chin isn't pointed nor too tilted. It's a very pleasing sight. The more you look at her, the more you appreciate her..."

"Besides, if I kill her, it will also put General Xu's mind at ease and allow him to leave peacefully..."

At this moment, Li Shishi appeared before Zhao Ya. She bowed gracefully and said in a very pleasant voice, "Your Majesty, my wife has prepared a surprise for you. May I ask if you have time to come to my house to rest tonight?"

The ladies-in-waiting beside her were speechless.

In the entire harem, Zhang Chun and the other four were the most unruly. Whenever they wanted to sleep with Zhao Ya, they would send someone to find him directly, or even come to him in person, without waiting for him to turn over their names. They always took more than they could chew.

Fortunately, Zhao Ya did not agree to the four of them every time, but would make choices based on his mood or other considerations. Otherwise, others would have no chance.

'surprise?'

Zhao Ya immediately thought of Li Qingzhao who was taken away by Zhang Chun.

The title of the most talented woman in history is still great.

Thinking that it might be Li Qingzhao who would sleep with him tonight, Zhao Ya immediately arranged Xu Qing to sleep with him tomorrow night.

When Zhao Ya came to Zhang Chun's palace, he subconsciously went to look for Li Qingzhao.

As a result, where is Li Qingzhao?
This could not help but make Zhao Ya somewhat disappointed, "I misunderstood, the surprise Zhang Chun prepared for me was not Li Qingzhao?"

Seeing that Zhao Ya went to look for Li Qingzhao as soon as he arrived at her place, Zhang Chun thought to herself, "Men are really all pigs who get bored easily. We have only slept together a few dozen times, and you have no sexual interest in me?"

However, Zhang Chun could only criticize these words in his heart.

After welcoming Zhao Ya into the bedroom, Zhang Chun diligently followed Zhao Ya's health habits, asked the maid to fetch foot washing water, and then personally washed Zhao Ya's feet.

While washing, Zhang Chun said:
"Chen Guan's admonitions were not without purpose. The Shaosheng Emperor, when compiling the 'Veritable Records of Emperor Shenzong', actually used Wang Anshi's diary as a reference. This is truly absurd. A historian should consider a wide range of opinions, conduct detailed research, and supplement them with relevant documents. Only then can a reliable history be produced, allowing future generations to recognize the wisdom of the government."

"Cai Bian, Wang Anshi's son-in-law, worked hard to deify Wang Anshi, fostering a cult of personality and vigorously promoting new learning. As for the order of honoring Wang Anshi in the Confucius Temple, the order was Confucius, Mencius, and Yan Hui, with Wang Anshi ranked fourth. Isn't this excessive and absurd?"

"Wang Anshih possesses exceptional talent and has made significant contributions to the Song Dynasty. However, excessively elevating his position would be detrimental to either the stability of the court or his personal reputation. What are your thoughts, Your Majesty?"

What Zhang Chun said actually makes a lot of sense.

The key point is that Cai Bian is no longer even satisfied with Wang Anshi ranking fourth. He even wants Wang Anshi to be on par with Confucius.

He only gave up temporarily because of strong opposition from the old party.

But Cai Bian still had evil intentions.

Not long ago, Cai Bian's people were responsible for repairing the Confucius Temple. He placed Yan Hui and Mencius on the left side of Confucius' main seat, and Wang Anshi on the right side of the main seat. Since the right is more honorable, Wang Anshi was equivalent to sitting in the second chair in the Confucius Temple.

If Cai Bian continues to do this, Wang Anshi might really be worshipped.

Moreover, Song Shenzong was Zhao Ya's adopted father after all. As his "son", Zhao Ya could not ignore the fact that Wang Anshi was always highlighted and Song Shenzong was stepped on.

It is worth mentioning that the reason why Zhao Ya was always persuaded by Zhang Chun was mainly because they both came from later generations and had highly consistent values ​​and views.

For example, the evaluation of Wang Anshi.

Zhao Ya also believed that Wang Anshi's reforms were of some help to the Zhao Song Dynasty, but whether it was his achievements or his new learning, they were actually just that, at least not enough to rank fourth in the Confucius Temple, let alone second.

Therefore, rather than saying that Zhao Ya was persuaded by Zhang Chun, it would be better to say that Zhao Ya also thought that Cai Bian praised Wang Anshi too highly.

The two chatted about current affairs for a while and then took a break.

Who would have thought that Zhao Ya had already fought with Zhang Chun once, but he didn't see the surprise that Zhang Chun mentioned?

Just as Zhao Ya was about to ask Zhang Chun, "What surprise have you prepared for me?" Zhang Chun suddenly said to Zhao Ya, "Your Majesty is too brave. I cannot handle him alone. How about I call someone over and we can serve you together?"

……

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(End of this chapter)