I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

...

Not long after Zhao Di returned to his residence, someone knocked on his door again.

"Father, are you asleep?" A steady young man's voice sounded from outside the door.

Hearing the voice he had been waiting for, Zhao Di tried to speak calmly, "Come in."

As soon as Zhao Di finished speaking, a young man in his early twenties with a slightly chubby face and features that resembled Zhao Di by seven or eight points and Zhao Yu by five or six points, pushed open the door and walked in from outside.

Upon entering, the young man bowed to Zhao Di and said, "Greetings, Father."

This young man is Zhao Zichi, the eldest son of Zhao Di.

Zhao Di had seven sons and three daughters, four of whom were over fourteen years old: Zhao Zichi, Zhao Zixu, Zhao Zisui, and Zhao Zixi.

Zhao Di greatly admired his father's methods of training them, and it was for this reason that Zhao Di sent all four of his adult sons to the front lines for military training.

Before that, they had all studied at the Imperial Academy for at least five years, not including their early childhood education and the tutors Zhao Di had hired himself.

Zhao Di's four sons were among the best of Zhao Yu's grandsons, both in their studies and in their performance on the battlefield. In particular, Zhao Zichi achieved a brilliant victory when he led 3,000 men to defeat a coalition army of 70,000 Indians during the conquest of the Indian kingdoms.

Because of this achievement, Zhao Yu even wanted to enfeoff Zhao Zichi as a vassal king, making him the first imperial grandson of Zhao Yu's generation to receive a fiefdom.

But Zhao Zichi refused.

Firstly, knowing full well that the tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind, he didn't want to be too high-profile and become a target of public criticism, especially before he had developed his career.

Secondly, he didn't want Zhao Ziwen, who had been wary of or even jealous of his talent since childhood, to focus his attention on him again. After all, Zhao Ziwen's father, Zhao Shou, was the crown prince and would become the emperor in the future, and Zhao Ziwen, as Zhao Shou's only legitimate son, was likely to be Zhao Shou's successor.

Thirdly, he was very clear that his only chance did not lie with his father, Zhao Di, but with his grandfather, Zhao Yu.

Therefore, Zhao Zichi declined the opportunity to become a prince and instead chose to serve as a general commanding troops by the side of his grandfather Zhao Yu, a virtuous grandson serving his grandfather.

Zhao Zichi's choice received strong support from his father, Zhao Di.

This time, Zhao Di was the only prince who knew that Zhao Shou was seriously ill. Because he was afraid of his father and also because he was afraid of making mistakes, he did nothing. He just tried to send a message to his son Zhao Zichi, asking Zhao Zichi to come back with his father no matter what.

Zhao Di understood perfectly that if Zhao Shou was truly seriously ill and unable to inherit his father's throne, and his father had not chosen Zhao Ziwen, an unsuitable grandson to succeed him, then when his father chose a successor, he would not only consider the successor himself, but also whether the successor had an excellent son to pass the throne on.

Zhao Di was very self-aware. Although he was quite good, there were too many outstanding people in his generation, so he was only among the top, not the most outstanding.

On the other hand, although he was not the most outstanding among his brothers, his son Zhao Zichi had become the most outstanding one of their generation.

The key point is that his father, the emperor, particularly favored his son Zhao Zichi and had been raising him by his side all these years.

This is Zhao Di's greatest opportunity.

After the father and son met, Zhao Di took the initiative to say, "I'm afraid the Crown Prince's days are numbered. Your grandfather's return this time is most likely to select a new heir. I intend to compete for the throne. What do you think I should do to prepare? Could you ask your grandmother to put in a good word for me with your grandfather?"

It's no wonder Zhao Di had this idea; after all, if Zhao Shou were to unfortunately pass away, he would truly be a strong contender for the throne.

First, let's consider the age difference.

Zhao Di was Zhao Yu's fourth son, not his eldest son.

The problem is that Zhao Yu's three sons were not only all born out of wedlock, but also lacked ability. More importantly, all three of them had become princes and were no longer in the Song Dynasty, so they were unlikely to participate in the current struggle for the crown prince position.

Although Zhao Di was not born of the legitimate wife, his mother was Consort Ma Xiaojiao, a favorite concubine of Zhao Yu.

Most importantly, his mother helped the Song Dynasty initiate the Industrial Revolution, making her the undisputed "Mother of Industry," and she made immense contributions to the Song Dynasty and even to all of humanity.

It is no exaggeration to say that, given his background, he was second only to Zhao Shou. Considering that Empress Zheng's other sons and Zhao Ziwen were not suitable to be emperor, it was his turn to be chosen based on birth and seniority.

Let's talk about his contributions to the Song Dynasty.

Zhao Di joined the army at the age of thirteen and fought for the Song Dynasty in the north and south. He participated in almost all the wars that led to the expansion of the Song Dynasty's territory. He earned the position of the first military commander of the Song Dynasty through his military achievements and was appointed as the Prince of Yan by his father.

In addition, when his father, the emperor, led the western expedition, he specifically left him, Zhao Qing, Zhao Wei, and a few others behind to protect Zhao Shou.

He did not disappoint the task entrusted to him by his father. Over the years, he and Zhao Qing, Zhao Wei and others have managed their part of the army in an orderly manner, so that Zhao Shou, the regent, always had confidence in the military.

All of this is his capital for running for the new crown prince.

After discerning his father's ambition, Zhao Zichi remained silent for a while before saying, "The matter of the Crown Prince has not yet been settled. Even if the Crown Prince is truly nearing the end of his life, it is still a matter concerning the succession of our Great Song Dynasty, and it is up to Your Majesty to make the final decision. I believe Your Majesty will definitely choose the most suitable heir for our Great Song Dynasty."

Zhao Zichi's somewhat formulaic answer startled Zhao Di! He couldn't understand why his excellent son would remain inactive on the important matter of seizing the crown prince position.

Zhao Di's first thought was that there were secret agents from the four major intelligence agencies here. Otherwise, why would his son be trying to trick him into talking?
But there were indeed only the father and son in the room; it didn't seem like there could be a third person.

Zhao Di was no ordinary man. He calmed down and thought it over carefully, and quickly understood Zhao Zichi's brilliance:

'Is my son employing a strategy of strategic retreat, laying the groundwork for a grander, more daring, and ultimately more successful plan than actively vying for the throne?'

"My father was a man of great talent and ambition, whose power extended throughout the land. He ruled with absolute authority, but his greatest vice was that his sons and grandsons coveted the throne, formed factions, and made irresponsible remarks about the foundations of the state."

The Crown Prince is seriously ill and cannot recover. My father must be very anxious. If I act rashly, at best I will be accused of coveting the throne and plotting rebellion, and I will be in a precarious situation. At worst, I will displease my father and completely lose my chance to seize the throne.

If my father knew that I was secretly plotting and even wanted to get the concubines in the harem to interfere in politics and plead for my life, he would be alarmed and then disgusted with me. In the end, he would strip me of my title and remove me from the list of heirs, thus ending my hopes for the throne forever. This would be my own death.

In the past, during the reign of Emperor Taizong, Prince Zhao Yuanzuo was implicated in the succession struggle and showed a slight desire to seize the throne. As a result, he was disliked by his father, imprisoned, and abandoned, never to be employed again. The lessons of the past are still fresh in our minds.

Today, Chi'er advised me not to speak on my own initiative or ask my mother for advice. This is precisely to teach me to uphold the duties of a subject, abide by etiquette, respect the emperor and father in everything, and leave the power of establishing an heir entirely to the emperor's decision, without harboring any personal bias.

The successor chosen by the Emperor will surely be a respectful, prudent, calm, and law-abiding person, certainly not someone who is hasty, reckless, or scheming for the throne. Chi'er's plan first puts my father and me in an invincible position, which can be described as far-sighted and far-sighted.

Furthermore, with the Crown Prince still alive and the position of heir apparent not yet vacant, what appears to be an opportunity is actually fraught with hidden dangers. Various factions within and outside the court will undoubtedly be eager to act and vie for favor. Anyone who takes the lead in vying for the throne will instantly become the target of public criticism. Censors may impeach them for having impure intentions, political enemies may frame them for misconduct, and the Emperor will also test them in various ways. One wrong step could lead to utter ruin.

At this time, I should remain hidden in the shadows and observe the princes vying for power, letting them fight amongst themselves and reveal their ambitions and weaknesses.

Once the dust settles and all those who fought have lost, I will then present myself before my father as someone who is calm, unassuming, loyal to the emperor, and filial to his parents. This would be the most appropriate and wise course of action.

As the ancient saying goes: "Not contending is the greatest contention; remaining still is the true path to steady progress."

If one's talents are too outspoken, one's father will see through one's schemes, and one's peers will see one as a mortal enemy, leading to one's own destruction.

Emperor Jing of Han established Liu Che, the Prince of Jiaodong, firstly because his mother, Wang Zhi, was favored, and secondly because Liu Che was intelligent from a young age and deeply loved by the emperor.

My son, Chi'er, is exceptionally talented and has made outstanding military achievements. He is deeply loved by Father Emperor and raised by his side. I am the eldest son, and my mother is Father Emperor's favorite concubine. She has also made great contributions by initiating the Industrial Revolution and benefiting the world. My foundation is already much stronger than that of my brothers.

Only by remaining still and concealing one's strengths can these advantages gradually become apparent, ultimately becoming the key to the Emperor's decision on establishing an heir.

One should not solicit favors from others, form cliques for personal gain, make unwarranted comments on national affairs, act rashly or impulsively, maintain integrity in one's conduct, and be without fault, thus leaving no room for criticism or fault-finding.

This is indeed the best strategy for seizing the throne. Chi'er's foresight and depth of thought far surpass mine. I should undoubtedly follow his advice...

Having figured all this out, Zhao Di broke out in a cold sweat. Looking at Zhao Zichi, there was no longer any dissatisfaction, only deep satisfaction and admiration.

'It's not that Chi'er doesn't strive, but rather that he sees further and calculates more shrewdly than anyone else—he doesn't concern himself with short-term gains, but only with the long-term stability of the world.'

Zhao Di let out a long breath, his voice extremely low: "I understand... However, you have many uncles, among whom are many talented people. If you don't compete, will the throne really fall to me?"

After much hesitation, Zhao Di mentioned the opponent he feared most: "Your fourteenth uncle is skilled in both literature and military strategy, and has been superior to us since childhood. Twenty years ago, he led many of your imperial uncles to the Prince Continent to expand the territory. Now, almost the entire Prince Continent has become a vassal state of our Great Song Dynasty. Your fourteenth uncle has made great contributions. If we talk about achievements, none of us can compare to your fourteenth uncle. In terms of the size of the vassal state, his vassal state is the largest among all the vassal states. In terms of military strength, he has hundreds of thousands of elite troops. In terms of national strength, his vassal state is the richest among all the vassal states. Moreover, his eldest son, second son, and third son are not necessarily inferior to you."

At this point, Zhao Di couldn't help but say with some uncertainty, "If he returns, I'm afraid the position of Crown Prince will be..."

Just as Zhao Di said, back then, seeing that Zhao Shou was incapable of inheriting the throne from Zhao Yu, Zhao Cheng, on the advice of his mother Zhang Chun, chose to go to the Prince Continent to expand the territory.

After more than 20 years of development, Zhao Cheng led more than 100 brothers who went to the Prince Continent to conquer it and divided it into more than 100 vassal states of varying sizes.

During this process, Zhao Cheng not only conquered the best and largest territory on the Prince Continent and established his own fiefdom, but he also helped his other brothers establish their own fiefdoms.

It is no exaggeration to say that under Zhao Cheng's leadership, Zhao Yu's sons completely conquered the Prince Continent in just twenty years, turning it into a vassal state of the Song Dynasty.

Of course, this was inseparable from Zhao Yu's support.

—If Zhao Yu hadn't spared no effort in helping Zhao Cheng and his people immigrate, and hadn't continuously provided them with weapons, supplies, and provisions, exhausting them to death, it would have been impossible for them to conquer the entire Prince Continent in just twenty years.

Because the Prince Continent was too far from the Song Dynasty's homeland, and transportation and communication were inconvenient, Zhao Yu was unable to command his sons who were expanding the territory of the Prince Continent.

A snake cannot function without a head, especially if it wants to conquer such a vast continent as the Prince's Continent.

Thus, through an internal election, Zhao Cheng became the leader of the princes who went to the Prince Continent to establish their own fiefdoms, leading them to defeat, conquer, and rule the natives.

Of course, this also received Zhao Yu's approval and strong support.

Despite having Zhao Yu's strong support, Zhao Tang was able to lead over a hundred ambitious princes to conquer the vast Prince Continent without any complaints from the vast majority of the princes, which speaks volumes about his abilities.

Now, Zhao Cheng has practically become the uncrowned emperor of the Prince Continent, the most outstanding of Zhao Yu's sons.

It's no wonder that Zhao Di was so wary of Zhao Cheng.

Zhao Zichi also knew that his fourteenth uncle was powerful. If he returned, the throne would most likely fall into his fourteenth uncle's hands.

In response, Zhao Zichi could only advise, "Father, you are wise. The throne is not something that can be obtained through force, but rather it is ordained by Heaven and the will of the people."

An ancient proverb says, "Man proposes, God disposes." It also says, "Those who follow Heaven prosper, those who defy Heaven perish."

Those who are blessed but lack virtue will live in unease; those who are virtuous but lack blessings will not obtain what they desire.

An ancient sage once said: "The wise man dwells in ease and awaits his destiny, while the petty man takes risks in hopes of getting away with it."

Those who hold high positions are of paramount importance to the nation and cannot be seized by force.

Forcing things will bring disaster, while waiting patiently will bring good fortune.

If destiny is with us, father and son, it will come without us asking; if destiny is not with us, though we try every means to obtain it, we will ultimately perish.

Zhao Di thought about it and agreed. Becoming an emperor requires the blessing of fate; otherwise, how could one possibly become emperor?

Let's leave aside the distant past and just talk about Zhao Shou.

Just when Zhao Shou was about to become emperor, he fell seriously ill due to an accident, and the throne that was almost in his hands slipped away.

Isn't this just a case of not being born to be an emperor?

Now let's talk about Zhao Cheng.

Although he is extremely outstanding in every aspect, he is currently still on the Prince Continent, which is 100,000 miles away from the Song Dynasty. If he wants to return, it will take at least three months and at most half a year.

Therefore, it's really hard to say who will emerge victorious.

Having figured all this out, Zhao Di's mindset became peaceful. He didn't even go to pay his respects to his mother, Ma Xiaojiao, whom he hadn't seen for over ten years. Instead, he obediently returned to Beijing with his father, the emperor.

...(End of this chapter)