The prince is more stable

Chapter 356: Departure for the Post
In the two days before leaving Beijing, Zhao Xiaoqian was busy saying goodbye.

He said goodbye to his relatives and his wives and concubines, and sent Di Ying and the others to his mother Feng's house in Fanglin Garden.

When they were sent to the place, Di Ying and Jiang Miaoxian grabbed his sleeves and refused to let him go. They asked Zhao Xiaoqian in tears when he could take them to Zhending Prefecture.

This question is difficult to answer. Zhao Xiaoqian will only dare to bring them here when Zhending Prefecture is at peace.

As for how to achieve peace, it depends on the methods Zhao Xiaoqian uses after taking office and how powerful the Liao people are.

The answer is unknown, the return date is uncertain, and that is why separation in this world is so heartbreaking.

While Zhao Xiaoqian was busy saying goodbye and the soldiers of the Longwei Camp were busy preparing for the expedition, Zhao Xu's imperial edict appointing Zhao Xiaoqian finally attracted the attention of the court officials.

There is nothing wrong with the prefect of Zhending. This title has existed for a long time, but it was a remote appointment in the past and is now a real appointment. The local prefect is only a fourth-rank official. The Duke of Anle is a fourth-rank official, which is strictly speaking a demotion.

But Zhao Xiaoqian also had another official position, "Hebei West Road General Manager and Pacifier", and this position made the court officials very dissatisfied.

Why does a young man under 20 years old hold such an important official position?
"Jinglüe Anfushi" is in charge of the military and political affairs of the entire western Hebei Road. Is this a position that a twenty-year-old young man is qualified to hold?

The administrative system of the Song Dynasty was the "lufuzhouxian" system.

The level of "Lu" is equivalent to the "Province" in later generations. The Jinglüe Anfushi is the head of this province. He can manage both the military and the people. At the same time, he serves as the prefect of Zhending and holds all the power of Hebei West Road firmly in his hands.

Usually, such an important official position is held by a highly respected civil servant in the court, but now it is occupied by a young man who is less than twenty years old.

Especially since the person occupying this position is a descendant of the imperial clan, what on earth is the government thinking? Do they really have no regard for the ancestral rules? Moreover, by giving such an important position to a descendant of the imperial clan, aren't they afraid that this will sow hidden dangers for the future of the Song Dynasty?
With Zhao Xu's imperial edict, the court was once again in turmoil.

Several prime ministers in the Council of State were the first to express their opposition, and several envoys from the Privy Council also submitted memorials to advise against it.

Even Zeng Bu, the Privy Councilor who had always maintained neutrality, submitted a memorial stating that the power granted by the government should not be too heavy. The identities of the clan members' children were sensitive, so how could they be easily granted military power along the way, allowing the clan members to gain power and become powerful?

This time, Zhao Xiaoqian was attacked by everyone.

The amazing thing is that both the new and old parties have united this time. They all said in unison that the government's appointments were too excessive and posed a serious threat to the country.

Among all the advices, most people's attitudes are relatively rational, and they are all about the matter rather than the person.

The ministers did not criticize Zhao Xiaoqian too much. After all, Zhao Xiaoqian was still young and had made great contributions to the Song Dynasty, earning a lot of face. The surrender of Western Xia at that time still made the subjects proud and talked about it with relish.

It's not directed at anyone, but the government did something wrong.

The ancestral rules were violated too thoroughly, and the appointment of clan members was too extreme.

When the Song Dynasty was founded, Emperor Taizong left behind an ancestral precept that clan members were not allowed to participate in politics. Could it be that he just said it on a whim?
After all, there is a basis for it. The instructions left by Taizong were intended to eliminate hidden dangers from a legal perspective, to nip in the bud any possible disturbances in the future of the Song Dynasty, and to give his successors, future generations, a stable dynasty with peace and prosperity.

But now, Zhao Xu broke the ancestral rules and resolutely appointed Zhao Xiaoqian. The court officials saw it and were anxious.

If this precedent is broken, will the Song Dynasty repeat the mistakes of the late Tang Dynasty, where the emperor granted fiefs to his subjects, leading to a situation of separatist regimes?
No one can say it’s bad, but the attitude of opposition will never change, and it is impossible to compromise with the government.

Memorials of advice and remonstration flooded into the government hall, and Zhang Dun lived up to expectations. He ignored everything and sent all the memorials of advice and remonstration to Zhao Xu's desk, looking like he was going to give up.

Anyway, the decision is made by you. Take a look at these memorials yourself and judge whether they are foolish or wise. The Council of State cannot handle it, so you, the emperor, should handle it.

What was Zhao Xu’s reaction?

His reaction was stubborn and unyielding. As early as when he appointed Zhao Xiaoqian, Zhao Xu had anticipated considerable resistance and was prepared to fight against the entire court.

The entire Song Dynasty belongs to me. It is my territory and I have the final say. I can enfeoff anyone I want and I will bear the consequences.

Why was Zhao Xu's attitude so tough? After all, it was not only because of his trust in Zhao Xiaoqian, but also because of his own interests.

The temptation to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun was too great. Zhao Xu was only in his early twenties, and young people could not refuse the opportunity to bring honor to their family, especially when this young man was the emperor.

The source of his confidence was not only that Zhao Xiaoqian had invented the flintlock rifle, but also that through the Song-Xia War commanded by Zhao Xiaoqian, Zhao Xu discovered Zhao Xiaoqian's other talents.

The Song Dynasty was not short of talents; in fact, it had a surplus of talents.

But what the Song Dynasty lacked was talents like Zhao Xiaoqian who could win dignity and gain benefits for the country. Zhang Dun in the court could not do this, nor could Zhang Yu who was guarding the border. Their talents were at best "maintaining the status quo."

Only Zhao Xiaoqian was able to be "aggressive". His eyes were fixed on the outside of the Song Dynasty. His mission was to assist Zhao Xu in unifying China. He had no interest in the so-called new and old party struggles and internal strife in the Song Dynasty court.

This is the kind of talent Zhao Xu needs.

Zhao Xu was convinced that among all the civil and military officials in the court, the only person who had the hope of recovering the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun was Zhao Xiaoqian.

Amidst overwhelming opposition, Zhao Xu insisted on his own opinion. In order to maintain his decision, he even stopped court meetings in the days before Zhao Xiaoqian left Beijing, locked himself in Yanfu Palace, and refused to see any court officials.

This time, Zhao Xiaoqian finally saw the courage of an emperor.

The evaluation of Zhao Xu in later historical books is relatively positive. Although Zhao Xu handled the internal party struggles with some problems, it must be admitted that Zhao Xu was by no means a foolish ruler. He would firmly carry out what he decided to do no matter how much resistance he faced.

It is the same with abolishing the old and restoring the new, and it is the same with recovering Yanyun.

Amidst fierce opposition, Zhao Xu closed the palace gates and blocked all voices.

Two days later, the Dragon Guard Camp's food, weapons, war horses, armor and helmets were ready.

On the fourth day of October in the second year of Shaosheng, the weather was getting colder, and the late autumn sky was gray and bleak.

Outside the Longwei Camp in the southern suburbs of Bianjing, more than 30,000 soldiers, wearing armor and riding on horses, lined up quietly.

Outside the camp, the autumn wind was howling, and the fallen leaves on the ground were flying all over the sky. Clouds were rolling in the sky, and yellow dust was rolling. The sky and the earth were filled with a murderous atmosphere.

This time he was not going to war, but taking office, so there were not many departure ceremonies.

Zhao Xiaoqian wore armor and stood at the front of the team.

Behind him, Zhao Xu, dressed in a yellow robe, looked solemn and dignified. Looking at the dense crowd of soldiers in front of him, Zhao Xu's emotions seemed to be infected by the solemn and murderous atmosphere. He felt a surge of excitement in his chest, making him want to lead the troops out of the capital himself.

All the soldiers were present, and the generals counted them and reported truthfully.

Zhao Xiaoqian turned around and knelt on one knee towards Zhao Xu. "Your Majesty, I, Zhao Xiaoqian, have been ordered to leave the capital. I have completed the military mobilization and request your instructions."

Zhao Xu nodded and said in a deep voice, "Zi'an, I'll leave everything to you as you go to Zhending. The prosperity and decline of the Song Dynasty, the expectations of the emperor and his subjects, all depend on you, Zi'an. Please be cautious and proceed slowly. I'll await your good news in Bianjing."

After saying this, Zhao Xu looked around at the 30,000 soldiers of the Dragon Guard Camp and shouted, "All troops, march out!"

(End of this chapter)