I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 63: Only One Step Away from Becoming the Emperor

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What Zhao Ya and Zhao Ji said outside the door, including their previous conversation with Zhao Si, soon reached the ears of the royal family.

Even people who don't understand politics can see that neither Zhao Ji nor Zhao Si can solve the problems faced by the Zhao Song Dynasty. They don't even know that the Zhao Song Dynasty has such problems.

In this case, only if Zhao Ya became the emperor would the Zhao Song Dynasty have hope.

What's more, Zhao Ji's reputation was ruined, and Empress Dowager Xiang would never let Zhao Si become the emperor. Zhao Ji and Zhao Si had no intention of competing with Zhao Ya.

As a result, after Zhao Ya and the other two entered Cide Palace, almost all the royal family members, regardless of their status, came forward to greet Zhao Ya and even showed awe to him.

It seems that Zhao Ya is the popular choice.

Zhao Ya did not modestly decline, but accompanied by Zhao Qi and Zhao Si, he greeted each of the royal family members appropriately...

In fact, there was a reason why Zhao Ya stopped pretending.

The first reason was that he had received accurate information: Zhao Xu's condition had worsened again.

This cannot be blamed on anyone else, the only thing to blame is Zhao Xu's insistence on being too arrogant and presiding over the suburban ceremony personally.

As a result, Zhao Xu was tired and was blown by the cold wind, so he developed a high fever on the way back and lost consciousness.

According to the imperial physician's diagnosis, Zhao Xu's body was already on the verge of collapse and now he was relying entirely on their medicine to survive, so they quickly arranged his funeral.

Combined with history.

Zhao Ya was certain that the words "old dog" from Emperor Jing would never happen. He sat up in shock and thought that he would live another seven years.

In fact, before this, Zhao Ya had always kept a low profile. In order not to arouse Zhao Xu's suspicion, Zhao Ya had not left his palace for more than a month and had been refusing visitors.

Let’s put it this way, after Fuling, Ma Xiaojiao, and Wang Chuchu, Guo Wei got Zhao Ya pregnant again.

This shows how much free time Zhao Ya had during this period. He was so free that he could only play with the children at home.

Of course, having many offspring is also an effective aid in competing for the throne.

After all, the issue of inheritance is a major matter concerning the stability of the royal rule. Many emperors lost their country or changed dynasties because they had no sons. Therefore, most royal families who had no ambition to become emperor did not want to see the difficulty of passing the throne to their descendants like Song Renzong and Song Zhezong.

Based on this, Zhao Ya, who is about to become the father of four children, is definitely more competitive than his brothers who have no children.

The second reason is that Zhao Ya had always had high hopes for Zhao Xu, hoping that he would make it clear that he was his successor. However, the reality was that Zhao Xu had no such intention and he still had to compete with Zhao Ji and Zhao Si.

Zhao Ji and Zhao Si had no intention of giving up the throne.

Therefore, Zhao Ya could not retreat and had to fight. If he retreated again, those who wanted to gain the credit of following the emperor might support others.

Accompanied by Zhao Qi and Zhao Si, Zhao Ya had just entered Shengping Tower when Princess Qingshou, the tenth daughter of Emperor Renzong of Song, approached and said, "After the suburban rites, I have recommended you to His Majesty for the position of Kaifeng Governor. Although His Majesty has not agreed, he is not as furious as he was a few days ago when the ministers urged him to appoint a crown prince. Another day, when His Majesty is feeling better, I will visit you again and will definitely have you appointed Kaifeng Governor."

Princess Qingshou was the cousin of Emperor Yingzong of Song, Zhao Shu, the grandfather of Zhao Ya, Zhao Xu and others. She was older than Empress Dowager Xiang, so Empress Dowager Xiang had to be polite whenever she saw her.

Moreover, Princess Qingshou was an upright person who always cared about the royal family. She spoke well of both Song Shenzong and Song Zhezong when they ascended the throne.

Therefore, Princess Qingshou was one of the few people in the royal family who dared to say such words to Zhao Xu.

Zhao Ya hurriedly and respectfully thanked her, saying, "I, your grandson, am truly grateful for your kindness and care." Princess Qingshou's face darkened. "The country is in dire straits today. Internally, ministers are squabbling, people's livelihoods are in decline, and externally, we are under the watchful eye of powerful neighbors. Border troubles are frequent, and the country is perilous. You are the wisest and bravest among the princes, and indeed, among our royal family. You should step forward, revive the government, manage all affairs, drive out the invaders, and ensure the well-being of the people. With swift action, you will eliminate the long-standing ills; with wisdom and strategy, you will forge a revival. You vow to restore the vitality of the Song Dynasty, ensure the eternal stability of our country, and bring prosperity to our people. You will live up to the legacy of our ancestors and the expectations of the people of the world."

When Princess Qingshou said this, Zhao Ji and Zhao Si just came in.

After hearing what Princess Qingshou said, Zhao Ji and Zhao Si, especially the former, felt really uncomfortable.

Zhao Ji wanted to ask Princess Qingshou, "I am well-read and proficient in poetry, calligraphy and painting. Why is Zhao Ya the best among us brothers?"
But when he thought of the nine questions Zhao Ya had just asked, Zhao Ji felt guilty and didn't dare to speak.

At this time, Song Shenzong's cousin, Zhao Zhongli, the current Prince of Pu, the Chief of the Imperial Clan, and the uncle of Zhao Ya and others, also came over and said, "I have also met Your Majesty and we recommend you for the position of Governor of Kaifeng. If Your Majesty agrees, please do not disappoint us."

Zhao Ji and Zhao Si understood. It turned out that it was not only Princess Qingshou and Prince Pu who recommended Zhao Ya to be the governor of Kaifeng. It should be that the senior officials of the royal family had reached a consensus to nominate Zhao Ya to inherit Zhao Xu's throne.

"How can we argue about this?!!!"

"Also, why didn't anyone tell me about such a big thing?"

Soon, Zhao Ji and Zhao Si's guesses were confirmed.

Before the banquet began, Queen Mother Xiang waved to Zhao Ya and said, "Prince Shen, please come and sit here with me."

Seeing this, Zhao Ji, who thought he had restored his mother-son relationship with Empress Dowager Xiang and even had expectations of the throne, finally realized that he was out.

No.

Zhao Ji realized that he had actually been out of the game a long time ago.

Thinking back to Empress Dowager Xiang's attitude towards him during this period, and then thinking about his own actions during this period, Zhao Ji closed his eyes and said: "The moment I entered Fanlou, I had already lost."

Zhao Ji was filled with annoyance and regret. He looked at Zhao Ya with some reluctance: "The grace of heaven is only bestowed upon you, while I have not received any such blessing!"

Empress Dowager Xiang, who has the final say on who will take over the throne, is now pushing Zhao Ya in public. Zhao Ya must step forward and show his responsible side.

So, Zhao Ya stood up, walked calmly to the Queen Mother Xiang, bowed, and then sat down on the left side of the Queen Mother Xiang.

Empress Dowager Xiang's voice was not loud, but she made her point very firmly:
"Today, the Great Song Dynasty faces a time of great trouble, with internal and external troubles coming one after another. At court, officials are squabbling fiercely, hindering the implementation of government policies. Across the country, people are suffering, and bandits are rampant. Beyond the borders, powerful invaders are lurking all around, with the Liao and Xia armies repeatedly invading our borders and the flames of war raging.

However, the current emperor is in poor health, suffering from a serious illness that is difficult to cure, and has no children, so the throne of succession is vacant.

There are many talented people in my royal family, but the country is in crisis. When selecting a successor, the most urgent task is to choose the most outstanding prince to serve as the crown prince.

This person must possess great talent and vision, a heart for the common people, and a vision for the stability of the nation. With wisdom and insight, he will discern the crux of the court situation, restore order, purge the treacherous, and revitalize the government. With courage and determination, he will strengthen the military, keep the enemy at bay, and spread the power of the Song Dynasty far and wide. He must take it upon himself to revive the Song Dynasty, carrying on the legacy of our ancestors and ushering in a new era of peace and prosperity, ensuring that the Song Dynasty endures for generations to come and enjoy eternal tranquility.

The most important reason why Empress Dowager Xiang dared to speak out and clearly supported Zhao Ya as the crown prince was that she had also received the news that Zhao Xu was dying.

In fact, after Zhao Xu came down from the altar, everyone could see that Zhao Xu was really in trouble, otherwise no one would have placed a bet.

Of course, this is also because Zhao Ya worked hard and performed better than all his "brothers".

In short, this force that is second only to Zhao Xu in the pursuit of the throne is now doing its best to push Zhao Ya to the throne.

Zhao Ya was only one step away from ascending the throne and becoming emperor...

(End of this chapter)