An old saying goes, ignorance is bliss.
As a great-grandfather, he couldn’t bring himself to get angry at Zhao Xu for the physical altercation.
But if he was going to be beaten, he at least needed a reason to vent his frustrations.
Moreover, the Dangxiang people had originally followed the Liao for their livelihood. Although he had suffered losses at the hands of the Liao, he didn't see things this way.
It was like, it’s normal for a king to lose to another king, but it’s utterly pathetic if you’re bullied by their mere underlings!
Zhao Xu quickly explained, "Great-grandfather, please calm your anger. Your grandson has never slacked in the war efforts between our two nations."
"It’s just that since Li Jiqian of Dangxiang was enfeoffed as the King of Western Xia by the Liao Kingdom eighty years ago, he has successively occupied Hexi and other regions."
"Due to the ongoing conflict between the Song and Liao, they were given an opportunity to grow stronger."
"Since my ascension to the throne, I have never eased up on the war against Western Xia. Please, Great-grandfather, see the truth!"
His unspoken implication was clear: he had only been on the throne for just over two years, so this wasn’t his fault.
"Presumptuous!"
Zhao Guangyi, however, wasn't buying it. After finally turning the tables, he felt it would be a disservice to himself and his ten million taels of travel expenses if he didn't vent his pent-up anger!
"You condone barbarians plundering our citizens and seizing our wealth. You should personally lead your troops to boost their morale!"
"At the very least, you should lead the civil and military officials to devise formidable battle formations and crush the might of Western Xia!"
"But what have you been doing for the past two years!"
"I’ll beat you to death, you prodigal son who cannot hold onto the foundation laid by our ancestors!"
With that, he hobbled to the back of the great hall, casually grabbed a brocade stool, and hurled it at Zhao Xu.
They say affection grows stronger across generations, but this was four generations apart!
Coupled with Zhao Xu’s earlier kick, Zhao Guangyi held nothing back as he attacked.
After so many generations, their Zhao family had probably produced countless descendants; they wouldn’t miss this one!
"Great-grandfather, please calm down, Great-grandfather~~ Ah!"
Seeing his action, Zhao Xu’s face instantly turned pale. The brocade stool was stuffed with the finest nanmu wood. If it hit his head, he'd be crippled if not killed.
However, his evasion was a moment too slow. The flying brocade stool landed precisely on his backside.
After a scream, Zhao Xu clutched his rear and fled towards Li Shimin.
"Senior Taizong, save me!"
This time, it was truly a grandfather beating his grandson. Zhan Zhao and the others outside the hall could only stare dumbfounded, not daring to intervene.
But Li Shimin also had no intention of interfering. What was more enjoyable than hitting someone himself? Watching someone else hit someone!
He quickly retreated a few steps and waved his hand, saying, "This is your family matter. It's not convenient for me to interfere. You can only rely on yourself~~"
Zhao Xu was chased by Zhao Guangyi around the great hall. The grandfather had an old injury on his backside, making him slow, and the grandson had just been hit there, also making him unable to run fast.
Li Xiuning and the other female generals watched from the side, giggling.
They all saw through Zhao Guangyi’s intentions. This fellow simply wanted to use state affairs as an excuse to beat up his grandson.
"Taizong, please, stop him quickly!"
The group studying the photographs was also unable to concentrate due to the commotion. Ouyang Xiu quickly walked in between the grandfather and grandson, spreading his arms to prevent Zhao Guangyi from continuing his pursuit.
"Get out of my way! Emperor Taizong himself said this is my family affair!"
Zhao Guangyi pushed Ouyang Xiu aside and continued to chase Zhao Xu.
Just then, Sima Guang slowly woke up and was utterly bewildered by the scene.
"Brother Yongshu, what is the meaning of this!"
He couldn't understand why this person dared to strike again, and why the imperial guards outside the hall seemed to be ignoring it.
Ouyang Xiu quickly explained the entire story to him. After listening, Sima Guang glared at Zhao Guangyi's retreating figure and gritted his teeth as he stood up.
Sima Guang had been incredibly successful in the first half of his life. Even when he went to war against Western Xia and was defeated, he had never felt as humiliated as he did today. The beating he received outside the palace had instilled a deep resentment in his heart towards Zhao Guangyi.
As long as Zhao Guangyi lost face, he would naturally have no reason to meddle in court affairs. Even if these people remained, he would merely be a powerless grand emperor emeritus.
Moreover, he believed that Zhao Xu would not trouble him over this matter afterward, as no one liked to have someone bossing them around while they were working.
Therefore, after steadying himself, he suddenly shouted, "Stop!"
His voice was so loud that Zhao Guangyi involuntarily halted his steps.
Then, Sima Guang loudly declared, "Emperor Taizong, as the saying goes, one dynasty's emperor, one dynasty's ministers. Please forgive my presumption for what I am about to say!"
Li Shimin looked at him with surprise. Good heavens, this fellow truly dared to speak his mind!
"One dynasty's emperor, one dynasty's ministers" was a well-known phrase in official circles, but who would dare utter it in front of the emperor?
Furthermore, there were three emperors in the great hall at this moment!
Was he courting death?
"You shut up! If you dare to obstruct me again, I'll beat you too!"
Zhao Guangyi felt his moment of glory was at hand and would not tolerate anyone interrupting.
But Sima Guang, neither servile nor overbearing, said, "Emperor Taizong, the current predicament of the Great Song can ultimately be attributed to you!"
"You were boastful, claiming your abilities surpassed Han Wu and Tang Zong, and your merits eclipsed Qin Shi Huang. But what did you accomplish during your twenty-one years on the throne!"
"You mobilized the entire nation for a northern expedition, only to suffer a crushing defeat at Youzhou!"
"You fled in a donkey cart, abandoning your soldiers and escaping alone, completely discarding the dignity of an emperor!"
"You were crippled in one battle and dared not lead troops to the front line again. On what grounds do you demand that the current emperor go to war?!"
"In the second northern expedition, your lack of military knowledge and refusal to personally lead the troops was a good thing. Yet, you were poor at judging people and favored your cronies. Knowing the enmity between Pan Renmei and the Yang family, you still appointed him as the Grand Marshal!"
"Pan Renmei, driven by selfish motives, caused the northern expedition to fail once again, needlessly squandering the Great Song's national strength and the lives of countless soldiers!"
"You depleted more than half of the Great Song's reserves, forcing us to recuperate for years. What right do you have to criticize future generations!"
Zhao Guangyi’s face turned green from Sima Guang’s scolding. He pointed a finger at Sima Guang’s nose, panting heavily, but didn’t know how to retort.
Ouyang Xiu, after all, was a man of integrity. Seeing how enraged Zhao Guangyi was, he quickly tried to pacify him.
"Junshi, you must not only focus on a few mistakes. Emperor Taizong also had his achievements. We cannot completely negate them simply because of these."
"If Emperor Taizong had not set an example by valuing civil officials, how could we have had such a proliferation of talent today?"
His words were meant to smooth things over, but this time, before Sima Guang could speak, Wang Anshi on the side chimed in.
"Brother Yongshu, your words are flawed. Valuing civil officials was a rule established by Emperor Taizu, and it has nothing to do with Emperor Taizong."
Ouyang Xiu nearly choked on his words. When would this insensitive fellow learn to speak at the appropriate time and place?
Zhao Guangyi was even more shamed and indignant, clutching his chest as his body trembled.
After a moment, his cheeks puffed out, and with a sudden “poof,” he spewed out a mouthful of blood, his entire body collapsing. His eyes were tightly shut, and his life hung in the balance.