Chapter 1 The Impasse

As deep winter arrived, the weather grew colder day by day. At the same time, the Zhao Emperor's condition became increasingly erratic, often improving for a few days only to relapse and confine him to bed for several more.

Gradually, and quite naturally, this gave rise to rumors.

At first, the rumors concerned the Emperor's illness itself: how severe was it, what would be the consequences of such relapses, and shouldn't a famous folk doctor be consulted?

This already caused some unrest. In November, when the Emperor once again missed the early-month grand court assembly, even the monthly quota of Northern Expedition bonds experienced a degree of sluggish sales in Dongjing (Kaifeng).

It should be known that, according to the current policy of the court, the bond quotas had long been broken down to the monthly level to ensure a steady flow. The monthly quota of 150,000 strings of cash was distributed among many cities, including Dongjing, Nanjing, Jinan, Xiachai, Yangzhou, Nanyang, Chang'an, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Jiangling, Quanzhou, and Guangzhou. Under these circumstances, Dongjing's share had been greatly reduced, but due to its special political and economic significance, the city remained particularly strong in the bond market. Often, the monthly quota of tens of thousands of strings of cash would be snapped up within the ten-day protection period.

In fact, according to the arrangements of the court's upper echelons, the Emperor would still be responsible for allocating a certain amount of large-sum bonds to dignitaries, court officials, and even powerful merchants of the gentry at the end of the year and mid-year... a so-called scorched-earth policy, to squeeze out every last drop.

Therefore, the slight delay in bond sales in Dongjing after November immediately attracted everyone's attention.

Even though the bonds were quickly sold out with the successive return of Japanese and Goryeo (Korean) ships, it did not change the disturbance to people's hearts caused by this event.

Sure enough, shortly thereafter, there were some additional comments about the Emperor's illness... such as it being retribution for the Emperor's imprisonment of his father and brother; or that it was because the Emperor's accession to the throne was illegitimate and he never went to the Eight Mausoleums in Luoyang to offer sacrifices, thus incurring the punishment of his ancestors; or that in the early years of Jianyan, the Emperor had repeatedly plundered temples and monasteries, scraping off the gold from the Buddha statues, thus provoking the Buddha's retribution.

Such words, of course, did not belong in polite society, but they inevitably spread among the common people, because the people liked this kind of gossip. Even the representatives of the temples and monasteries who remained in Dongjing were said to be forced by the court to hold blessing ceremonies for the Emperor.

By mid-month, with the Emperor still not leaving his palace and rumors of a serious illness making it difficult for him to rise, these rumors finally converged, eventually forming a complete version that could not be tolerated inside or outside the court.

According to this rumor, when the Emperor ascended the throne, he had promised to return the throne when the Two Sages (Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qinzong) returned. That was why he had tried his best to resist the Jin halfway through, and his determination not to negotiate for peace was not for any other reason than to secretly put the Two Sages, the Empress Dowager, and his brothers to death, so as to exclusively enjoy the throne.

After the return of the Two Sages, the Emperor not only did not return power, but directly imprisoned his father and brother in temples and monasteries. As for forcing his father and brother to write insulting memoirs, pushing all the blame for the Jingkang Catastrophe onto his father and brother, this was an even more outrageous act of filial impiety and fraternal discord.

Moreover, since ascending the throne, this Jianyan Emperor had always valued military affairs over civil affairs, treated the elders of the imperial clan harshly, executed ministers at will, expelled loyal and good officials, violated sacred learning, plundered and abused the people, and was unfair in rewards and punishments. He should have abdicated long ago to repent his wrongdoings, and now that he was suffering from a serious illness, it was his retribution.

And because his own children were young, he should return the throne to the Supreme Emperor Yuansheng (Emperor Huizong) or the Supreme Daoist Emperor (Emperor Huizong). At the very least, he should choose a virtuous and capable member of the imperial clan to succeed him.

If that was not possible, he should establish his heir, and then add a virtuous prince and a virtuous empress to govern.

Otherwise, if the ruler was young and the country unstable in the future, it would be the consequence of the current Jianyan Emperor's willful actions.

This rumor, rather than being a complete fabrication, was more of a patchwork, piecing together all the controversial and unpopular things that the current Jianyan Emperor had done, and then drawing an absurd conclusion, and finally giving a series of extremely outrageous suggestions.

In addition, anyone with a little common sense knew that this kind of long, composite rumor could not have formed spontaneously. Undoubtedly, someone with ulterior motives had deliberately intervened.

This did not require any inference, because the evidence was there... hundreds of pieces of paper with the rumor written on them in crooked handwriting, scattered at night on both sides of Imperial Street, inside and outside the Jing Garden, and in front of the shops and warehouses on Horse Market Street.

Even a fool knew that someone was deliberately causing trouble.

Therefore, with the emergence of this extremely malicious rumor, an open political disturbance finally occurred in Dongjing.

First, at the Secretarial Pavilion. That afternoon, at the daily routine meeting after the Emperor's illness, Zhao Shilian, the Grand Minister of the Imperial Clan, who had been absent from the meetings on the grounds of illness, personally came. First, he sternly accused the chief councilors Zhao Ding and Zhang Jun of incompetence, allowing such rumors to exist and failing the Emperor's trust; then, he demanded that Ma Shen, the Minister of Justice, immediately set a deadline to investigate the matter; then, he presented Zhang Jun with a memorial he had written on the spot, asking the Privy Council to forward it, requesting the establishment of a crown prince. It clearly mentioned that the Two Sages and the close relatives of the imperial clan in Nanyang had lost their qualifications to become heirs, including regents, due to the Jingkang Catastrophe and the journey of exile to the north. Finally, he declared that he was old and requested to resign.

His words were so intense, his emotions so agitated, and his hidden resentment and dissatisfaction so obvious that the chief councilors found it difficult to bear.

Even Chen Kangbo, the Director of the Imperial Academy, who was originally scheduled to launch a major attack on behalf of the younger generation, subsequently lost some of his momentum.

It could only be said that the Grand Minister of the Imperial Clan had experienced the entrustment of orphans at Yao Mountain and had immunity and some intuition for this kind of thing. He also had a bit of insight into the Zhao Emperor, so he dared to stab to the end with such pointed words.

Thanks to the Grand Minister's outburst, the Imperial Secretariat also hastily gathered after the Secretarial Pavilion, and then jointly submitted a memorial to the court, which was basically copying the Grand Minister's homework... However, they not only accused the chief councilors, but also the entire Secretarial Pavilion, for allowing such rumors to exist as the administrators entrusted by the Emperor to manage the court, which was really harboring ulterior motives. Then, they still targeted the Secretarial Pavilion, demanding that the Secretarial Pavilion investigate the rumors within a time limit. Then, of course, they also had to request the establishment of a crown prince, inquire about the Emperor's health, and at the same time criticize the Two Sages and the Emperor's brothers. Finally, the Han and Kong factions, who had been 'unfairly rewarded', inevitably took the opportunity to submit memorials requesting to retire.

After the Imperial Secretariat, the Imperial Academy launched a large-scale criticism of the rumor, and the results of the Imperial Academy's criticism were directly published in the official gazette. It was also during the Imperial Academy's debate that the descendants of the close relatives of the imperial clan who had been placed in Nanyang realized what was going on, and they also went through official channels to submit memorials, inquiring about the Emperor's health, requesting an investigation of the rumors, and then declaring that they were unworthy and had lost their integrity, requesting the Emperor to establish a crown prince as soon as possible.

At the same time, it was not necessary to think about it to know that the ten regional commanders, the twelve grand commanders, and the hundred commandants had probably already sent secret memorials to the Emperor to inquire about his health and express their loyalty... perhaps some of them who did not understand the rules had directly requested the establishment of a crown prince in their secret memorials.

In other words, the Zhao Emperor's operation of fishing out the disloyal could be declared a failure from the start.

However, throughout November, the clamorous expressions of loyalty from all sides did not produce any substantial results.

The Zhao Emperor remained in the inner palace, but it was said that he was listening to daily intelligence summaries every three days, and the source of the rumors could not be found, but the extraordinary attention from the central government made it known to the whole world.

No crown prince was established, no one was punished, and of course, there was no military unrest... According to the words of a drunken commandant, the Zhao Emperor replied in his secret memorial with eight characters: 'None of your business, don't interfere.'

It seemed that things had stalled.

However, by December, after the Emperor again missed the early-month grand court assembly, coupled with the memorials sent by the distant relatives of the imperial clan in Yangzhou, even the public atmosphere was a bit strange.

Or rather, at this time, most people's judgments on this matter had gradually converged in the same direction.

And sure enough, after the last batch of memorials was sent, the Zhao Emperor, whose fishing expedition had failed, finally made a public appearance... or rather, a semi-public appearance, because the location was chosen in the front hall of his bedroom, Jingfu Palace, also known as Yanhua Hall. The senior officials summoned from the outer court only included one Grand Councilor, four chief councilors, one Investigating Censor, and six ministers.

Of course, the various close officials who usually attended were also allowed to attend... but they clearly had no say.

The Emperor and his ministers faced each other, and the senior officials of the outer court instinctively focused their attention on the Emperor's posture and demeanor. The Emperor did not conceal anything. He walked in from the inner courtyard with light steps, sat behind the desk in the hall, and raised his head, his face flushed and his posture calm, ultimately appearing as if he had recovered long ago.

Seeing this scene, most people, starting with Lü Haowen, maintained their composure.

Of course, only most people.

"Are they saying outside that We are making trouble out of nothing?" After the Zhao Emperor sat down, the senior eunuch Lan Gui, the commander of the Imperial Guards Liu Yan, and the gatekeeper Ren Baozhong stepped forward to move stacks of sorted memorials to the Emperor's desk. Taking this opportunity, the Emperor spoke directly, with a somewhat ambiguous expression.

"The Emperor should not govern people with cunning methods."

Li Guang, the Investigating Censor, who had almost failed to restrain himself when the Emperor first entered, finally could not hold back this time. He stepped forward directly and bowed to the Zhao Emperor sitting in the hall to offer his advice. "Does the Emperor not know that his safety is related to the foundation of the country? And how much turmoil has there been in the hearts of the people this month, and how many unwarranted things have happened? Who advised the Emperor to feign illness for so long? Your subject requests that he be beheaded to appease the world!"

Zhao Jiu looked at the mountain of memorials on the desk in front of him and shook his head repeatedly: "It was Our own idea."

"Your Majesty!" Li Guang was anxious.

"Li Qing, be patient." Zhao Jiu remained unhurried. "In fact, please think about it. Even if We had doubts for a moment during Our illness and could not help but test it out, why would We continue after We recovered? Why would We really be making trouble out of nothing?"

"Your Majesty." Ma Shen, the Minister of Justice, stepped forward half a step with a dark face and bowed in response. "Your subject is presumptuous, but does Your Majesty's meaning of 'testing it out' mean admitting that those rumors actually came from the palace?"

"That's right." Zhao Jiu replied proudly. "We released them!"

"May I ask why the Emperor did such an absurd thing?!" Ma Shen's anger was clearly greater than Li Guang's.

He couldn't help but feel that way. These days, he had been more difficult than anyone else... Everyone had been attacking him as a means of expressing loyalty to the Emperor.

"Because We were really seriously ill at the end of October." Zhao Jiu replied frankly. "At that time, a whole day would pass between closing and opening My eyes. We were really afraid that We would go directly to see the Daoist Ancestor in a dream and never wake up again. By then, the situation We had worked so hard to create for six or seven years, who knows if some Supreme Emperor, virtuous prince, or virtuous empress would emerge to change direction, just like the Yuanyou Restoration after Emperor Shenzong?"

"Yuanyou..." Ma Shen hesitated.

"The Yuanyou Restoration was just a factional dispute." Zhao Jiu interrupted him, then casually flipped through the memorials in front of him. "But today's situation concerns the unity of the country. How can We allow the matter of the cessation of politics upon My death to occur at this time? Therefore, at the end of October and the beginning of November, We had already made up Our mind. If someone dared to collude without authorization... hum... If the Two Sages dared to vie for the throne, We would really dare to do the Candle Shadow Ax Conspiracy; and if the three Empresses Dowager and two imperial concubines were involved, We would really dare to imitate Emperor Wu of Han in killing His mother to establish His son; and if any virtuous princes or powerful eunuchs dared to emerge, We would be too lazy to look for any allusions and would just bury them all... In the end, We will never allow the country to be confined to one corner! Even if there is the slightest tendency, We will not allow it! While I live, We will drag and pull this country to resist the Jin and launch the Northern Expedition. When I die, We will take away as many evildoers as We can!"

Zhao Emperor's tone was not stern, even somewhat casual, but his tiger-and-wolf words were narrated in detail, still causing Ma Shen and Li Guang to gradually clench their teeth, and also causing the faces of the senior officials who came today to become completely serious.

They really didn't know what to say.

But someone still had to speak... It wouldn't do not to speak. Wouldn't that be disloyal and unfilial?

"The Emperor should be careful with His words."

After Zhao Ding, Zhang Jun, and several other senior officials, including the two of them, repeatedly tried to speak but could not open their mouths, Lü Haowen, who had retired, sighed, stepped forward, and responded slightly.

"What is there to be careful about?"

The Zhao Emperor, who was holding a memorial in his seat, did not raise his head, but only raised his eyes to look at Lü Haowen in front of him, then moved his gaze away from Lü Haowen and scanned the other senior officials before continuing to speak.

"In the end, the Jingkang Catastrophe was not just the loss of a city and the exile of the Two Sages to the north, but the loss of thousands of miles of land in the two rivers, the death and chaos of millions of lives in the north and the Central Plains, and even more so, the actual demise of the old Song and the change and chaos of the establishment of the new Song... Compared with this, what is the system of the state, what is the affection between father and son, what is the etiquette system, is not even a fart... Do you not know this principle?"

No one spoke.

"You all know." Zhao Jiu retracted his gaze and looked down at the memorials in his hand with a smile. "You are all smart people, the most elite among the scholars of the world, how could you not know? Those famous Confucian scholars in the south also know, they are also the elite among the scholars. The local monks, secular nobles, and powerful families also know, even the Goryeo people know... But some people just like to pretend not to know, as if lowering their heads and not thinking about those unbearable things, not doing those arduous things, they can just scrape by. In this case, once there is some Emperor Yuansheng or Empress Dowager Xuanren, even the few of you, who are willing to work with Me today, will gradually wear down in the future, right?"

Again, someone could not listen anymore, but it was actually Zhang Jun, Zhang Deyuan: "Your Majesty! The results of this test of the Emperor have already come out. There are not too many ostriches, and overall, everyone is of one mind, all following the Emperor north."

Zhao Jiu shook his head and smiled again:

"Deyuan is thinking too much. We are really not satirizing or teaching anyone, but feeling something... There is no way, people's hearts are always seeking peace, scholars always want to eke out a living, officials always want to be dull, and powerful nobles and landlords always want their own gains and losses. It is only because We are still here under the current system of emperors and ministers that everyone can be of one mind and speak in unison. But if there is not an Emperor who can make a firm decision, even if there are some loyal ministers and good generals, they will be worn down by the overall situation... Thinking about it this way, who but We can lead the crossing of the river to the north, the recovery of the two rivers, and the extermination of the Jurchens? Therefore, We are finally gradually recovering."

Lü Haowen was helpless and could only bow forward: "Your subject congratulates the Emperor on his recovery."

The other senior officials also held their noses and bowed forward in congratulation.

"Thank you, everyone." Zhao Jiu put down the memorials and smiled easily. "Enough of the idle talk, let's talk about serious matters. This time, We wanted to lure the snakes out of their holes, but We undoubtedly failed, or rather, everyone in Dongjing knows Us a little too well and is not easy to fool... However, there are still some interesting things happening in other places outside. Did you know that the medicine box sent by the Empress Dowager Yuanyou yesterday actually contained handwritten self-defenses from both Supreme Emperors?"

The faces of everyone in the hall changed drastically, and Ma Shen, disregarding everything, quickly bowed and hurriedly spoke: "Your Majesty! The Empress Dowager Yuanyou is far away in Yangzhou and does not know the situation here in the capital, and may not even understand the reasoning between the Two Sages and the Emperor. The Two Sages asked her, and she found it difficult to refuse. There is no possibility of collusion between the two sides."

"Yes, that's what We think too." Zhao Jiu replied casually. "But if that's the case, it would be better to invite the Empress Dowager Yuanyou back to the capital to live. Anyway, Yanfu Palace is large and still has some vacant houses... The three Empresses Dowager can be together, which is convenient for Me to show filial piety, and they can also watch operas and chat to relieve boredom, and it will save her the trouble of not being able to refuse next time."

Ma Shen immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"There is a man named Cao Yong, said to be a fifth-generation descendant of Cao Bin. He followed the fleeing entourage of the Empress Dowager Yuanyou to Yangzhou in his early years, and now he often runs around between Nanyang, Yangzhou, Hangzhou, and Luoyang. Does anyone know him?" Zhao Jiu asked casually again.

Someone actually knew him.

Chief Councilor Zhao Ding thought for a moment and blurted out: "When I was a secretary in Kaifeng Prefecture in my early years, I knew this person. He has always been cunning and unscrupulous, mixing around on the strength of his ancestral legacy. He is an ordinary rogue... However, he once funded Qin Hui, the current Deputy Administrator of the Privy Council of the Jin Dynasty. Later, when Qin Hui became slightly successful, he often boasted about it."

"No wonder..." Zhao Jiu sighed. "We cut off Qin Hui's path to return to the south, which is the same as cutting off his path, and it is normal for him to be in this shape."

"This kind of petty person who presumptuously colludes with the imperial family and sows discord between father and son and between ruler and ministers should be beheaded!" Ma Shen was particularly impatient, especially after hearing the name of his old superior Qin Hui, he felt even more annoyed... How could he not know that it was this person who was traveling back and forth to pass documents to the Two Sages and the Empress Dowager Yuanyou.

"What about Wang Ciweng?" Zhao Jiu asked another name.

This time, the hall suddenly became solemn, and then many senior officials looked at each other.

After a moment, the Investigating Censor Li Guang immediately asked Zhao Emperor seriously: "Your Majesty, may I ask what this person has done again?"

"This person is the one who funded Cao Yong. Cao Yong travels to several places, and he mostly gives him money, and sends letters to various places asking for smooth passage." Zhao Jiu replied calmly. "We looked at this person's resume, and it seems that he has been opposing tax increases in the south since before the Jingkang period?"

"Yes." Li Guang felt his throat dry. "This person is from Jinan, always known as a famous scholar, first in the Ministry of Rites' special examination (a re-examination for the children of officials to avoid cheating). When the Alliance on the Sea was formed in his early years, he knew Dao Prefecture. At that time, because troops were sent to Yan and Yun, a tax-exemption was established, and he..."

"He was very resistant and did not disturb the people in Dao Prefecture, so his reputation became even greater." Zhao Jiu looked at a memorial in his hand and interrupted, answering the rest. "After the Jingkang Catastrophe, he stayed in the southeast. After Prime Minister Lü (Lü Yihao) replaced Li Gang in leading the southeast, he recruited him to do things. When he saw Prime Minister Lü increasing taxes in the southeast, he directly left in anger. Later, when Yue Pengju went south to quell the rebellion, it was he who ran back and forth between Jiangxi and the two Lakes, accusing Yue Pengju of disturbing the people with his troops... Minister Ma was the Pacification Commissioner of Jinghu North Circuit at that time and should know about this, right?"

"To let the Emperor know, Wang Ciweng was also eager to love the people, and his intentions were good..." Ma Shen also spoke with difficulty.

"Yes." Zhao Jiu looked up with a blank expression and sighed. "This kind of person who is eager to love the people and has good intentions, of course, hates Me, this kind of tyrannical and greedy Emperor who wants to collect wealth and use troops, and then yearns for the Empress Dowager Xuanren to be reborn, so that they can live and work in peace... What did We say when We first came in?"

"Your Majesty."

Ma Shen was silent, and Li Guang replied with difficulty. "This person is good at heart and has integrity..."

"How is this any different from Du Chong?!" At this moment, Minister of Personnel Chen Gongfu suddenly roared, actually scaring Li Guang, and also causing the other senior officials in the hall to look sideways in surprise. "Good intentions! Good intentions! Can you do this kind of thing in the name of good intentions? The major policies of the country have long been decided, and have not changed for six or seven years, which is to use troops and launch the Northern Expedition! In the front, everyone is enduring for the sake of the country. The entire court and the entire country are doing their best to develop new sources of revenue and reduce expenditures for the Northern Expedition, and he is not convinced in the back, but should stop at words and abide by the way of a minister! Now that he has really done this kind of thing, how can we keep him?! Minister Ma, just now you said that Cao Yong presumptuously colluded with the imperial family and sowed discord between father and son and between ruler and ministers. Now that you have found the mastermind behind it, does your Ministry of Justice have nothing to say?!"

Ma Shen's face was pale, he tried to speak several times, but was speechless. Finally, under the gaze of everyone, he could only reply with difficulty: "This person involves the imperial family, so it is naturally up to the Emperor to decide."

"Your Majesty, is it just Wang Ciweng alone?" Chen Gongfu turned to Zhao Emperor again in Li Guang's complicated gaze.

"How could it be just one person?" Zhao Jiu smiled. "There are many people in the southeast who call themselves famous Confucian scholars, advocate living and working in peace, and are not afraid of power, and who in their hearts advocate peace negotiations, but Wang Ciweng is a little bolder, so Cao Yong can directly confirm that this person gave him the money. Wang Ciweng has always had a wide range of friends, and many people of the same kind cannot all be dealt with. The only person who can be determined to have met Cao Yong with Wang Ciweng is only Fan Tong."

"This person was Qin Hui's classmate and roommate in the Imperial Academy, and he has always been dissatisfied with the heavy strength of the Imperial Army." Ma Shen blurted out, then closed his eyes and sighed. "Please let the Emperor decide for himself. We have nothing to say."

"Don't kill them..." Zhao Jiu's gaze swept over Chen Gongfu, Ma Shen, and Li Guang, and then looked at the other chief councilors and ministers who were silent. He could not help but smile in the seat. "Killing Du Chong has been remembered until now, so that people often shout that We actually killed a civil official, and the country will not be a country. Moreover, this person only intervened in the imperial family's private affairs and did not clearly violate any laws. How about this? Wang Ciweng is exiled to Zhuya Army (Hainan), and Fan Tong goes to Xining (Qinghai Lake), so that the two of them will never be able to reunite in this life... Cao Yong, and an attendant named Chen Yongxi by the side of the Empress Dowager Yuanyou, are executed together... The rest will not be implicated, what do you think?"

"The Emperor is magnanimous." Lü Haowen quickly spoke at the right time.

Seeing this, the other chief councilors also expressed their opinions, and Li Guang and Ma Shen then mixed in with the crowd and muddled through.

"The Grand Minister of the Imperial Clan needs to be comforted, and let his eldest son Zhao Bufan enter the Imperial Army to do something serious..." Zhao Jiu thought for a moment and continued. "The Ministry of War should make appropriate arrangements."

"Your subject receives the decree."

Liu Ziyu spoke for the first time... In this kind of occasion, even a minister does not have many opportunities to open his mouth.

"We have noticed that this month's national debt is selling particularly fast, and We plan to issue more large-sum national debt at the end of the year." Zhao Jiu looked at Minister of Revenue Lin Jingmo, who was next to Liu Ziyu, with a strange expression, but what he said was expected. "Minister Lin, prepare for it."

It is said that with the Zhao Emperor's fishing law enforcement bankrupt, but has been keeping silent, possibly worried about a purge, so the national debt market in the twelfth lunar month is particularly hot... After all, national debt is not confiscated during house arrest... Then it is conceivable that the upcoming large-sum national debt market at the end of the year should also be very hot.

According to the Zhao Emperor's temperament, if he does not take this opportunity to sell a wave of Northern Expedition national debt, then he is not him.

In response, Lin Jingmo, although he noticed the Emperor's gaze, could only respond calmly.

After this exchange, the hall returned to silence... As a small hall attached to Zhao Emperor's bedroom, the hall was clearly heated, and everyone standing in it felt quite restless, but still no one spoke.

After all, everyone knew that some things had not been mentioned, and these things could only be said by Zhao Emperor himself first.

In fact, except for Lü Haowen, the chief councilors had not been very active, and were waiting for those topics.

"We have thought about the matter of the crown prince for a long time." Zhao Jiu also sighed. "After having sons, We know the difficulty of being a father... We want him to be wise and martial, but also want him to be dull and simple... However, this is not something We can decide. What We worry about is that if We establish a crown prince and give him officials of the Eastern Palace, over time, there will inevitably be troubles between father and son... Not to mention Han Gaozu, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Gaozu of Tang, and Wu Zetian, in the previous years, weren't there endless troubles between the Supreme Daoist Emperor and the Supreme Emperor Yuansheng? Especially since We can barely be considered a half-horseback Emperor, there might be even greater disasters."

When these words were first spoken, many senior officials of the outer court, starting with Zhao Ding, immediately reviewed their well-thought-out advice, but after saying a few words, these senior officials became helpless again.

Nothing else, this Emperor just likes to say some things that make people's heads ache at random... When he was sick, he was afraid that the Two Sages would seize the throne, and then he fished out the disloyal, forcing everyone to come out and shout to establish a crown prince, and then he would establish a crown prince. When he recovered, he felt that the Two Sages were nothing, and then he didn't want to establish a crown prince, so he didn't establish a crown prince. Why did he have to drag a few words about the mutual slaughter of father and son for everything?

"But if We don't establish one, once something unexpected happens to Us, like what We said at the beginning, how can We ensure that the great cause of the Northern Expedition will not be in vain?" Zhao Jiu did not seem to notice the helpless expressions of the crowd, but continued to sigh. "It's nothing more than having a definite and convincing successor, and then letting you who are willing to inherit My legacy protect him in the Northern Expedition... Do you think that's right?"

Now that he was recovered, he shouldn't say anything about legacy and unexpected events... Even Minister Lin was too lazy to analyze the inner thoughts of this Emperor. There was no need.

"That's right." Zhao Jiu really did not give these people a chance to answer. "We have thought of a way... called secret establishment of an heir... that is to say, We will write two edicts, the same one. One will be received and hung high in the main hall of the Wende Hall in public, and the other will be carried by Yang Yizhong to protect Me. This way, no matter where We die, you can compare and establish a new ruler."

Everyone was stunned for a moment, and then began to think seriously.

Immediately, Zhao Ding asked seriously: "The Emperor's idea seems to be from the *Old Book of Tang*. Persia has always had this kind of system... But Your Majesty, what if the two edicts are different?"

"If they are really different, of course the one in Wende Hall will prevail." Zhao Jiu certainly did not know anything about the *Old Book of Tang*. He copied it from 'My Great Qing', and it was none of his business who 'My Great Qing' learned it from. "However, We will not create two equally matched hidden heirs. We must let everyone have a bottom line in their hearts, at least tacitly..."

At this point, Zhao Jiu turned to look at Yang Yizhong, who was standing in front of the side door, and the latter understood and immediately stepped forward. He first carried two boxes to Prime Minister Lü Haowen in public.

Lü Haowen, who was clearly caught off guard, glanced at Zhao Emperor and carefully opened the top one, and then solemnly took out the bright yellow silk. Immediately, Yang Yizhong carried the second box to Chief Councilor Zhao Ding of the Department of State Affairs. Zhao Ding did not dare to neglect and immediately followed suit, taking out the second silk.

"It is My eldest son, Zhao Yuanzu."

Just as the other chief councilors and senior officials looked solemnly and carefully at the two yellow silks, Zhao Jiu did not give these people a chance to solemnly create a sense of ceremony, but directly revealed the answer. "There is no reason to bypass the eldest and give it to the second child in the current situation. Of course, if there are other statements later and the secret edict needs to be replaced, We will naturally tell you again."

After carefully handing the silk in his hand to Zhang Jun, the Censor-in-chief, Zhao Ding thought for a moment, but seriously replied again: "Your subject believes that the Emperor's meaning is actually not to establish an Eastern Palace? Rather than not establishing a crown prince?"

"Chief Councilor Zhao is right in one word." Zhao Jiu replied frankly.

"If it is like this, the advantages and disadvantages are obvious." Zhao Ding replied seriously again. "The advantage is that there are fewer subordinates in the Eastern Palace, and there can be less suspicion between father and son and between ruler and ministers, but the disadvantage is that the crown prince does not have a title or officials and cannot be trained to be a ruler..."

This time, it was Zhao Jiu's turn to be silent.

And after a long time, this Emperor reluctantly smiled and replied: "If We say that this is the real reason why We have been pretending to be sick until today, you may think We are talking nonsense again, but this is the truth... Gentlemen, how do you think the system of Chief Councilor - Secretarial Pavilion - Imperial Secretariat operates when We do not ask about things? Is it also very good without Me?"

Almost all the ministers in the hall, starting with Lü Haowen, including the several eunuchs who were not qualified to speak at this time, all shivered and looked up at the Zhao Emperor sitting there.

"We do not have any earth-shattering intentions." Zhao Jiu smiled. "We also have no intention of achieving success overnight, but these days We have been considering the matter of succession, but both of My sons are just young children. Then, as a father, We think that if My sons and grandsons are capable in the future, it would of course be good to create a Song Wenjing Emperor or Emperor Wu; but what if this child grows up to be like the Supreme Daoist Emperor? Wouldn't it be necessary to create a Song Yang Emperor? And these days, We have been lying alone in the inner palace, and rumors continue to flow outside, which can be regarded as a clear political tide. You, as the Chief Councilors leading the Secretarial Pavilion, although there have been some disturbances, have always made the court operate properly, and We cannot help but have a little bit of patience... Then We cannot help but think, if the power of the Chief Councilors and the Secretarial Pavilion is greater, and the Imperial Secretariat is given a little power to supervise the Secretarial Pavilion, it can somewhat turn the Song Yang Emperor into a Song Ling Emperor... right?"

Lü Haowen was stunned and speechless, and Zhao Ding and others, including Li Guang and Ma Shen, were all dry-mouthed.

"Let's take it slowly!" Zhao Jiu continued to smile. "It would of course be good if one day We could rule by doing nothing, but what if My sons and grandsons are unwilling? We can only slowly cultivate some traditions... Even if We are alive, if you create a Secretarial Pavilion full of Confucianism, We will have to directly dissolve it. When the Secretarial Pavilion both inside and outside are talking about original learning and are willing to launch the Northern Expedition, We will of course be happy to be a hands-off manager and save Myself from getting sick again from being too tired... As for the secret establishment of an heir, it is actually a mindset to respond to this matter."

The senior officials below, except for Ma Shen, who came from a Confucian background, had a somewhat radiant look... Compared with this, Zhao Emperor's feigned illness and frivolous reforms of the crown prince system seemed to be excusable.

It seemed that he was muddled through by Zhao Emperor.

On the other hand, after Zhao Emperor finished saying this, he ordered Yang Yizhong to put away one secret edict, and then asked Lü Haowen to lead the way and watch the other secret edict being hidden in the Wende Hall.

Just as everyone was preparing to turn around and take their leave, suddenly, Zhao Emperor, who had already stood up, turned around and looked at everyone:

"Gentlemen, what do you say, now that We have moved the Empress Dowager Yuanyou here, should We treat everyone equally and invite the two Supreme Emperors to live here