I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

...

Zhao Di's passing the buck to Zhao Ziwen was definitely not out of good intentions, but rather to help Zhao Ziwen.

Yes.

Zhao Shou was Zhao Yu's eldest son and knew how to unite and care for his brothers. When he became the crown prince and then the emperor, none of the princes had any objections, nor did they dare to.

But you, Zhao Ziwen, are just a greenhorn who has never even been on the battlefield. What makes you think you're the next crown prince or even the next emperor of our Great Song Dynasty?

Zhao Shou has been keeping a very low profile lately and hasn't been seen in public for over half a month.

Zhao Di, who knew that Zhao Shou had fallen from his horse and was seriously injured while inspecting the Shenji Army a month ago, already had some guesses.

That day, Zhao Shou inspected the Shenji Army as usual.

Within the main camp on the outskirts of Beijing, bugles sounded throughout the camps. The Shenji Army soldiers, carrying the latest Li Lin guns, lined up in formation under the leadership of Zhao Di, Zhao Qing, Zhao Wei, and others, presenting a magnificent and powerful military scene.

Zhao Shou was dressed in golden armor, with a jade pendant hanging from his waist. He rode a magnificent steed, a tribute from the north, which was exceptionally fine and usually very docile.

Accompanied and protected by Zhao Di and others, the group patrolled to the edge of the dense forest in the rear camp.

At this moment, Zhao Shou waved his hand, telling everyone else not to follow, and only allowing Zhao Di, who was in charge of the Divine Machine Army, and his personal guards to come with him.

Zhao Shou wanted to take this opportunity to discuss with Zhao Di the matter of Zhao Yu abdicating the throne to him, and also to have Zhao Di, who was the head of the princes who had already settled in the Song Dynasty, help him appease the princes so that he could ascend the throne smoothly.

The two were having a good talk.

But to everyone's surprise, a strange, cold wind suddenly swept by, and Zhao Shou and Zhao Di felt a chill run down their spines.

Just then, something suddenly darted out from the withered grass by the roadside!
This creature was entirely bluish-black, with shimmering scales, as thick as a child's arm, and had tiny horns on its head; it resembled an extremely rare and strange snake!

The strange snake suddenly appeared and lunged straight at the hooves of Zhao Shou's precious horse.

Even the most docile horse could not withstand such a sudden and sinister attack. With a long neigh, its front hooves suddenly lifted off the ground, and it reared up on its hind legs.

Although Zhao Shou had practiced martial arts since childhood, the incident was too sudden and caught him off guard. His jade belt tightened, and he was thrown off hard, crashing heavily onto the hard ground.

Zhao Di's prized horse was also startled, but because he had been in the military for a long time and practiced martial arts, horsemanship, and shooting every day, he was agile and had superb riding skills, so he managed to keep his balance.

At this moment, Zhao Di turned around and saw Zhao Shou fall to the ground. Zhao Shou's guards exclaimed in surprise and rushed over to help him up.

Zhao Di looked closely and saw that Zhao Shou's face was pale, his left arm was already immobile, and his lower back was in excruciating pain. He barely managed to say "Don't tell anyone" before fainting. He was then secretly sent back to the palace by Zhao Di and a group of guards.

Panic ensued. When they looked for the strange snake that had startled the horse, it had already disappeared into the grass without a trace, as if it had never been there at all, leaving only a sense of dread and a lingering chill in the air.

Afterwards, Zhao Shou lived a secluded life, only appearing once.

On that very moment, Zhao Di, who knew the whole story, observed carefully and realized that Zhao Shou was putting on a brave face; his health was far from as good as he appeared.

Furthermore, Zhao Yu, who originally had no intention of returning to the Song Dynasty, suddenly came back.

In fact, the very intelligent and meticulous Zhao Di had already vaguely guessed why his father had returned this time.

If Zhao Di guesses correctly, then his opportunity may have arrived.

Zhao Di undoubtedly had many competitors.

However, this must first be based on abolishing the patriarchal system of "passing the throne to the eldest son, not the son of a concubine, and to the eldest son, not the most virtuous," and replacing it with a system where the most virtuous person holds the position.

Empress Zheng gave birth to three sons for Zhao Yu.

Apart from Zhao Shou, his other two sons were not capable of anything and had accomplished nothing in recent years. It would certainly not be acceptable to the public to make them the crown princes.

The only obstacle facing Zhao Di and the other princes who were capable of inheriting the throne was the Crown Prince Zhao Ziwen.

Zhao Ziwen was actually not that great. He was easily fooled by those literati and had no resemblance to an emperor.

The more books you read, the more you'll know that the civil service is the most insidious, hypocritical, and greedy group since ancient times. They and their families are typical examples of wanting everything: taking all the power, shirking all the responsibility, taking all the benefits, and avoiding all the blame. They want to make money but don't pay taxes. When the country is in trouble, they stay far away, but when it's time to make money, they rush to the front.

When the emperor wanted to collect taxes, they would jump out and say that this was competing with the people for profit and that it was an act of extortion and oppression.

How wonderful that sounds! They really care about the people.

But the question is, who exactly are the "people" they're talking about?
Are they really the suffering masses who endure hardship and even resort to cannibalism?

No.

The "people" they referred to were the gentry, large landowners, and wealthy merchants who monopolized trade.

These people don't have to pay taxes because the land is registered under the name of someone with official rank, thus exempting them from taxes.

These people were also exempt from corvée labor because they had official titles and ranks.

The so-called "wealth hidden among the people" is essentially "wealth hidden among the powerful and wealthy." How much money can ordinary people actually have?
What if the country needs money?
What happens when you need military pay during a war?
What if we need food for disaster relief?
At this point, those literati and the gentry, large landowners, and wealthy merchants behind them would say, "This is your court's business, this is the emperor's business, what does it have to do with us? You can collect it from the common people, just don't come to us."

Thus, the most shameless scene unfolded: the powerful elites and the gentry, large landowners, and wealthy merchants behind them were rolling in money, making it nearly impossible to collect land and commercial taxes, leaving the imperial treasury empty.

What if I don't have money?
They can only target poor areas.

Ordinary people are being taxed at every level.

Until the common people were driven to the point where they could no longer survive and rose up in rebellion...

What intellectuals excel at is packaging the interests of their own class as "public opinion" and their refusal to assume national responsibility as "speaking out for the people." They stand on the moral high ground, making the emperor and the court take all the blame, while they hide behind the scenes counting their money.

And this is not their limit.

They also monopolize public opinion and distort the truth.

If the court's policies do not align with their interests, even if they are correct, they will be criticized and condemned.

Over time, the positive performance incentive system for officials completely collapsed, fewer and fewer people were willing to do things, and the whole society was left with only one voice, that is, the voice of intellectuals.

This monopoly on public opinion can even influence who becomes emperor.

Their ideal state was an era where "the emperor and the scholar-officials shared the world," just like during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song, when the emperor had to act according to the wishes of his ministers.

To put it bluntly, they were not loyal ministers or righteous men at all, but a group of sophisticated egoists. What's even more frightening is that these intellectuals were very good at portraying themselves as the embodiment of justice.

In the eyes of these literati, the gentry were good citizens, the common people were worthless weeds, the military generals were reckless brutes, the eunuchs were treacherous officials, the Imperial City Guard, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Eastern Depot, and the Military Intelligence Bureau were their lackeys, and the emperor was a foolish ruler.

They championed the idea that "the emperor and the scholar-officials should govern the world together," but in their hearts they were thinking about how to slay the dragon; they championed the idea that "the people are the most important, the state is next, and the ruler is the least important," but in their hearts they were thinking about what "the people" really meant.
The gentry also upheld the principle of "If it benefits the country, I will risk my life; how can I avoid it because of fortune or misfortune?" They thought that even ants try to survive. They also upheld the principle of "Every man has a responsibility for the rise and fall of the nation", and thought that "Dynasties come and go, but aristocratic families remain."

This is what intellectuals are like: they monopolize the power to define right and wrong, packaging everything they do as righteous and stigmatizing everyone who opposes them as evil.

They are not participating in politics; they are defining politics.

Their monopoly of public opinion is merely a means to an end; their true purpose is profit.

They are not just a political group, but also a tightly knit interest group that integrates politics and business.

They formed a vast network of relationships through classmates, fellow townsmen, mentors and students, and marriage alliances.

If this group is allowed to grow and expand, they will control military power, food distribution, overseas trade, and personnel appointments and removals, leaving the emperor with almost no power but to kill a few ministers when he is angry.

But they weren't afraid.

Their logic is as follows:

Today they are high-ranking officials in the imperial court, but tomorrow they will return to their hometowns to become wealthy gentry and landowners. While in the court, they will place their protégés and former subordinates in key departments, and once they have risen to prominence, they will promote their own descendants.

Even if they die, there are people who will ensure that their descendants continue to be part of this network of relationships.

This is the revolving door, where power and wealth are seamlessly transferred between them.

If civil officials and scholars are allowed to develop unchecked, they will regard the emperor as an enemy, use monopolies to cut off the emperor's financial power, and then interfere with military power and personnel appointment and dismissal power, thus undermining the emperor's authority while demanding that the emperor bear overall responsibility for the country.

This is what intellectuals are like.

If allowed to develop, they would become not only politicians but also businessmen, wielding power and monopolizing capital. They would use political power to protect their commercial interests and commercial profits to fuel political struggles, thus forming a political-business alliance that parasitizes the dynasty, desperately sucking its lifeblood, and is extremely difficult to eradicate.

What's even more infuriating is that they eat the food the emperor provides, yet their political platform is a dichotomy of power and responsibility: if the country goes wrong, the responsibility lies with the emperor; if the emperor taxes the gentry and landlord class, it's immoral. On the one hand, they advocate for wealth to be distributed among the people, and for the court's power to be infinitely small; on the other hand, they advocate that whoever is emperor should take the blame, and for the court's responsibility to be infinitely large. Any problems that arise are not their problem, but the emperor's. Don't expect us to share this responsibility with you, and don't expect us to spend money to help you with disaster relief, fight wars, or govern the country.

To put it simply, their power was given to them by the emperor, yet they wanted both the advantages the emperor provided and the emperor himself as a target of conflict.

Their goal was to limit imperial power above, interfere in state affairs, suppress resistance from the lower classes, and prevent ordinary people from negotiating with them.

In their eyes, when the emperor collected more taxes, it was called "competing with the people for profit," and when ordinary people bargained with them, it was called "greedy" and "shameless."

They are parasites of the dynasty, yet they present themselves as critics of the dynasty.

They enjoyed all the benefits of the dynasty but refused to assume any of its obligations.

They regarded the emperor as an enemy, yet they relied on his existence to maintain their privileges.

They are the most difficult destroyers to guard against.

They are aloof, leisurely, and do not engage in production, yet they receive the best resources, and others have to worship them, placing them on a pedestal.

A clear-headed emperor could see all of this.

For example, Emperor Xuan of Han.

At that time, Crown Prince Liu Shi suggested: "It is advisable to employ Confucian scholars."

Emperor Xuan of Han, his face darkening, said: “The Han dynasty has its own system, which is a mixture of hegemonic and kingly ways. Why should we rely solely on moral teachings and adopt the policies of the Zhou dynasty? Moreover, these vulgar scholars are out of touch with the times, preferring to praise the past and criticize the present, confusing people with names and realities, and making them unsure of what to uphold. How can they be entrusted with important responsibilities?”

He then sighed and said, "The one who has brought chaos to my family is the Crown Prince!"

They say that Confucian scholars are boastful, unrealistic, out of touch with the times, have ulterior motives, are antiquarian and disdainful of the present, say one thing and do another, and are masters of double standards.

Emperor Xuan of Han saw through their plans at a glance.

But the crown prince thought they were talking about "benevolence and righteousness".

Those educated by scholars don't know the true nature of these scholars. They think they are talking about grand principles and "benevolence and righteousness," but they end up making a mess of the country.

Zhao Ziwen is in this situation.

As the Great Emperor of the Universe, Zhao Yu spent the early part of his reign fighting against this group of people. For this, Zhao Yu wasted at least ten years. How could he tolerate the fact that the crown prince of the Song Dynasty was Zhao Ziwen, who was educated by these people?
Zhao Di doesn't need to do much. He just needs to let his father see Zhao Ziwen's true colors, and he will naturally be out of the game.

Seeing that Zhao Di had passed the buck to him, Zhao Ziwen was momentarily at a loss.

Since ancient times, no matter is too small for the royal family.

What's more, this is the first thing his imperial grandfather did after returning for more than ten years.

If he doesn't handle this properly, it could really affect his future, his chances of becoming the crown prince or the emperor.

Yes.

When his grandfather went to war, he was still young and had never personally experienced the power of this legendary old man.

Although he had never personally experienced the power of his imperial grandfather, it did not mean he had never heard of it. Comparing it with the achievements of previous great emperors, how could he not know just how powerful his imperial grandfather was?

Besides, we shouldn't look far ahead, we should only look at what's in front of us.

His imperial grandfather hadn't even returned yet, and he had only said one sentence for Chen Liang, yet he was criticized by almost everyone present. Even those who usually fawned over him didn't dare to stand up for him. How could he not personally experience the power of his imperial grandfather?

He firmly believed that without the approval of his imperial grandfather, he could not possibly become the crown prince of the Song Dynasty, let alone the emperor.

So, in essence, he wanted to handle this matter well.

However, on the other hand, Zhao Ziwen was still too young, or perhaps his status was too prestigious, which made him somewhat "confident" and hesitant about this important matter.

Seeing this, Zhao Cun glanced at Zhao Di, then suggested with a smile, "Chen Liang's criticism of the Emperor is an unforgivable crime, but this is, after all, the day of the Emperor's triumphant return, and it is not appropriate to kill him. How about we give him a lighter punishment?"

Zhao Ziwen, who was in a dilemma, was overjoyed when he heard Zhao Cun offer him a way out. He hurriedly said, "Uncle Jin is right. In my opinion, there is no need to bother the Emperor with such a trivial matter. Just give him thirty slaps and leave it for later review. What do you think?"

When Zhao Ziwen said this, he didn't see several civil officials shaking their heads at him, trying to stop him from giving Chen Liang a lighter punishment; nor did he see the smiles on the lips of princes like Zhao Di and Zhao Cun...

...(End of this chapter)