Chapter 477
It still has to be Zhang Chun
...
If Zhao Yu were to conquer the world, it would take him several years. In an era with inconvenient transportation and communication, it would be easy for problems to arise if there wasn't someone in charge at home.
Therefore, Zhao Yu's abdication was indeed an option, and a better option for the Song Dynasty.
Zhang Chun, however, advocated that Zhao Shou continue to oversee the country as the crown prince, at most granting him some additional titles or honors.
In addition, Zhang Chun reminded Zhao Yu that Empress Zheng would not accompany him on the western expedition this time. With Zheng Xiansu, who had been Empress of the Song Dynasty for more than 20 years, protecting Zhao Shou, even if he did not abdicate in favor of Zhao Shou, it would not affect Zhao Shou's power.
Zhang Chun also proposed to secretly establish a "second crown prince" behind the "Upright and Bright" plaque, just in case.
In other words, if Zhao Yu and Zhao Shouquan were to meet with misfortune, the Empress and all the chief ministers were to retrieve Zhao Yu's secret edict and enthrone a new emperor.
Furthermore, of the four major intelligence agencies—the Imperial City Guard, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Eastern Depot, and the Military Intelligence Bureau—only one can be given to Zhao Shou.
Furthermore, the Shenji Army guarding Beijing must absolutely not be given to Zhao Shou. Zhao Shou only has the authority to mobilize troops in emergencies, not to control them.
Zhao Shou could be appointed as the Deputy Marshal of the Army, and the position of Grand Marshal of the Army would not be established for the time being. Zhao Yu himself could assume the position, or Zhao Yu could temporarily appoint him in case of an emergency.
Most importantly, Emperor Zhao Yu's private treasury was still preserved, and he could appoint one or more of his trusted sons, such as Zhao Cun, to manage it.
In short, Zhang Chun's argument was that even if Zhao Yu left the Song Dynasty, he should retain all the power of the emperor and remotely control everything in the Song Dynasty. He should not listen to the nonsense of some ministers and give the Song Dynasty and Zhao Shou a free rein.
Both Zhao Yu and Zhang Chun are time travelers. Zhang Chun is dependent on Zhao Yu for survival. He may have his own ulterior motives, but he would never harm Zhao Yu. The key point is that Zhang Chun's words are reasonable and well-founded, leaving Zhao Yu no room for rebuttal.
So, as before, Zhao Yu was easily persuaded by Zhang Chun and adopted her suggestion.
Zhao Yu thought to himself, 'At this crucial moment, it still comes down to Zhang Chun; otherwise, I really wouldn't have been able to make this decision.'
In the first month of the twenty-sixth year of Hongwu's reign, which was the first year of the Jingkang era in history, Zhao Yu began a large-scale mobilization of officials, generals, and troops, concentrating them in the Western Regions, Yumen Pass, and the Indochina Peninsula.
Meanwhile, a large number of Song Dynasty naval forces also gathered in the Indochina Peninsula, preparing to sail out of the Strait of Malacca and head west.
Such a large-scale mobilization of generals, officials, and troops could not be kept secret from everyone. Naturally, some clever people guessed that the Song Dynasty would continue to wage war abroad.
If that's not obvious enough...
There are even more obvious examples.
In early February, Emperor Zhao Yu issued an imperial edict appointing Crown Prince Zhao Shou as the governor of Kaifeng.
In this imperial edict, Zhao Yu said: "The Crown Prince shall be removed from his post as governor of Kaifeng, and the rest shall be governed by precedent. This is my will, not a suggestion from the ministers. I have entrusted the Hanlin Academy to draft this edict to convey my intention."
The positions of Prefect and Governor of Kaifeng were not frequently held during the Song Dynasty.
This is mainly because both Emperor Taizong of Song (Zhao Guangyi) and Emperor Zhenzong of Song (Zhao Heng) first served as governors and prefects of Kaifeng before ascending the throne as emperors.
At this time, Zhao Yu appointed Crown Prince Zhao Shou as the governor of Kaifeng, clearly to increase Zhao Shou's power and prestige, and to endorse his future leadership of the Song Dynasty.
Immediately afterwards, Zhao Yu summoned Zhao Shou to court, ordered him to remove the gold fish ornament worn by the Crown Prince, and bestowed upon him a jade belt with a square pattern.
According to the court etiquette regulations of the Song Dynasty, the square jade belt was only for the use of the emperor and not for the use of his subjects.
—In the Song Dynasty, gold belts were more common than jade belts. Jade belts were forbidden to be worn on official robes by anyone other than the emperor.
Of course, there are exceptions.
—Including the previous dynasty and the current dynasty, there are three exceptions in total.
The first exception was during the Xining era when Emperor Shenzong of Song and Wang Anshi recovered Xihe. When all the officials offered their congratulations, Emperor Shenzong specially took off his own jade belt and gave it to Wang Anshi, who then wore it to offer his congratulations.
Wang Anshi declined the offer, refusing to accept it.
Emperor Shenzong of Song insisted on bestowing this jade belt upon Wang Anshi.
Unable to refuse, Wang Anshi wore it for only one day, then took it off the next day and put it on display.
The second time was after Zhao Yu recovered Qinghai, Tibet, Western Xia, and the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun. Zhang Dun was old and about to retire. Zhao Yu, grateful for his contributions, followed the "ancestral rule" of Emperor Shenzong of Song bestowing a jade belt upon Wang Anshi and gave Zhang Dun a jade belt that he himself had worn.
Zhang Dun could not refuse, so he asked Zhao Yu to change the square jade belt into a round jade belt and take it home to enshrine.
The third time was before Cai Jing retired from office. Zhao Yu gave him a jade belt that he had worn himself. Cai Jing asked Zhao Yu to change it into a square jade belt and take it home to enshrine.
The jade belt that Zhao Yu bestowed upon Zhao Shou this time was not a modified square jade belt, but a genuine square jade belt.
This is Zhao Yu sending a signal to the outside world: during the regency of Crown Prince Zhao Shou, he can issue orders as the emperor.
Subsequently, Zhao Yu bestowed upon Zhao Shou two junior palace attendants and two concubines.
Before Zhao Yu ascended the throne, Empress Dowager Xiang bestowed two concubines upon him, namely Zheng Xiansu and Wang Yisu, who are now Empress Zheng and Consort Wang.
Some people misunderstood Zhao Yu's meaning and concluded that he already had the intention of abdicating at this time.
Wu Min, a censor and scholar-official who also served as a reader, held this view.
Wu Min was exceptionally talented in his youth, excelling in writing, calligraphy, and poetry.
At that time, Cai Jing particularly admired Wu Min's writing and wanted to marry his daughter to Wu Min.
However, Wu Min felt that Cai Jing was a bad person and did not like his ideas, so she strongly declined the marriage.
Cai Jing may have valued talent, or he may have wanted to show Zhao Yu and the world that he was "selfless" and would not appoint people based on personal connections. As a result, he not only did not punish Wu Min, but also defied public opinion and recommended Wu Min for a position in the Imperial Academy.
After that, Cai Jing spared no effort in promoting Wu Min until he was promoted to the position of Attendant-in-Ordinary and concurrently served as a Reader in the Imperial Academy.
It can be said that Wu Min was promoted by Cai Jing.
In addition, Wu Min and Li Gang also have a close relationship.
Li Gang and Wu Min once discussed national affairs.
Wu Min asked Li Gang, "Does His Majesty intend to abdicate?"
Li Gang vaguely replied, "Your Majesty will be gone for a year. The proposal to establish a governorship may be to have the Crown Prince remain in charge."
Upon hearing this, Wu Min immediately guessed that Zhao Yu indeed intended to abdicate. He promptly said, "The Crown Prince's frugality and respect for the imperial family are commendable, but establishing a governorship is not. If an emergency were to occur, how could the dynasty be saved without passing on the throne and attracting heroes to defend it together? Why don't you speak to the emperor on his behalf?" In fact, Li Gang also felt that if Zhao Yu insisted on leading a western expedition, for the sake of the Song Dynasty, it would be best to pass the throne to Zhao Shou. Only then could Zhao Shou rightfully command the people of the Song Dynasty to govern it well.
On the other hand, a new emperor brings a new court. Li Gang was promoted to the position of prime minister by Zhao Yu. If the emperor were to change from Zhao Yu to Zhao Shou, could he continue to serve as prime minister?
The key point is that, setting aside the fact that Zhao Yu had shown Li Gang kindness and recognition, Li Gang knew Zhao Yu's abilities and was also aware that Zhao Shou was far inferior to Zhao Yu. Moreover, Zhao Yu was in his prime and had not yet reached retirement age, so Li Gang was naturally more willing to assist Zhao Yu.
Therefore, Li Gang not only did not persuade Zhao Yu to abdicate, but he also tried to persuade Zhao Yu to simply let Zhao Shou oversee the country.
Not only Li Gang, but all the prime ministers promoted by Zhao Yu shared this attitude.
Clearly, these ministers also knew that with each new emperor came a new court, and if Zhao Yu were not to become emperor, they would most likely be replaced as well. Therefore, it was in their best interest for Zhao Yu to continue as emperor.
Similarly, Wu Min knew that a new emperor meant a new court, and he felt that only by getting a new emperor and gaining merit from supporting the new emperor could he climb to the position of prime minister.
Upon learning from Li Gang that Zhao Yu indeed intended to abdicate, Wu Min immediately used his ornate writing skills to eloquently compose a memorial urging Zhao Yu to abdicate in favor of Zhao Shou.
In this memorial, Wu Min cited the Lingwu incident of Emperor Suzong of Tang as an example, arguing that Zhao Shou was only the regent, and if the Song Dynasty were to encounter a major crisis, Zhao Shou's status as only the crown prince would be too awkward and insufficient to save the Song Dynasty.
After reading Wu Min's memorial, Zhao Yu casually tossed it aside and ignored it.
Logically speaking, Zhao Yu had already sent a very strong signal to Wu Min, indicating that he did not want to abdicate in favor of Zhao Shou.
Wu Min felt that this might be because the matter of abdication was too big for Zhao Yu to easily express his opinion, and he had to persuade Zhao Yu in person.
Therefore, Wu Min took the initiative to go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to request an audience with Zhao Yu.
When Wu Min arrived, all the chief ministers and high-ranking officials were waiting to report to him.
By the time all the ministers had finished their reports, it was already dark.
Zhao Yu rose and prepared to return to the inner palace.
Upon seeing this, Wu Min hurriedly stepped forward and reported, "Please allow me to speak."
This means that they hope to speak to Zhao Yu alone.
Zhao Yu frowned.
To be honest, Zhao Yu had no good impression of Wu Min, who was always boastful and had served as Zhao Huan's prime minister in history but had never done anything positive.
To put it simply, if Wu Min hadn't been such a good writer and a master of propaganda, and hadn't had Cai Jing protecting him, Zhao Yu would never have been able to let him rise to power.
Now, Wu Min is incredibly foolish to advise Zhao Yu to abdicate in favor of Zhao Shou, instead of betting everything on himself like Zhang Chun, Li Lin, and Li Gang did.
How could Zhao Yu possibly like Wu Min?
But Wu Min had waited so late, it wasn't good to not see him. The key point was that Zhao Yu himself had previously hinted at abdicating, so it's no wonder Wu Min made such a choice.
So Zhao Yu dismissed the other ministers, leaving only Wu Min behind, to see what he had to say.
Unexpectedly, Wu Min did not answer but asked in return: "I have heard that His Majesty has decided to lead the expedition to the west. Is that true?"
Zhao Yu frowned and asked, "What should we do?"
At this time, Zhao Yu had already decided to lead the army on a western expedition. Some of the Song army had even reached the border between the Song Dynasty and the Western Karakhanid Khanate. It would not be long before war broke out between the two countries.
But Wu Min's status was not high enough for her to know such an important matter, so Zhao Yu did not respond.
This is actually a very obvious signal. If Wu Min were a smart person, she should stop there and not ask any more questions.
However, Wu Min was clearly blinded by the merit of following the emperor's rise to power. He failed to understand Zhao Yu's attitude and continued, "If Your Majesty is not in the capital and a major event occurs, the people will be in turmoil. Some will want to flee, some will want to defend the capital, and some will want to rebel. If all three types of people defend the capital together, the country will surely fall."
Zhao Yu said calmly, "Indeed, what can be done?"
Seeing that Zhao Yu didn't seem very interested in what he was saying, Wu Min became anxious and quickly brought out his trump card.
Then Wu Min said, "Recently, I privately prayed at the ancestral temple. I had a dream about it before, but I don't know if I can report it to the emperor?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yu sneered inwardly, 'You think you're Zhang Chun? You dare try to fool me with your delusions!'
However, Zhao Yu said, "It's alright."
Wu Min immediately said, “I once dreamt that the Jade Emperor descended upon the Purple Palace, adorned in a star-studded crown and jade robes, his majesty awe-inspiring. He turned to me and said, ‘The foundation of the Song Dynasty rests on the heir apparent. Now, His Majesty is personally leading an expedition to the western frontier, his imperial carriage traveling a long distance. This will inevitably cause unrest in the capital, shaking the court and the people. Traitors are lurking, refugees are in distress, and without a leader, the nation will be in peril. The Crown Prince is respectful, frugal, and benevolent, possessing both talent and strategic acumen. He can pacify the army and the people, secure the nation, defend against foreign aggression, and quell internal strife. Only by bestowing upon him the imperial seal and granting him the throne can the tide be turned and the Song Dynasty's foundation secured. Heaven's mandate has been given to the Crown Prince. You must quickly persuade His Majesty to abdicate, to obey Heaven's will and appease the people. Otherwise, the nation will perish, and it will be too late for regrets!’ I awoke with a start, my clothes soaked with sweat. This dream haunted me, and I dared not fail to report it.”
After hearing this, how could Zhao Yu not know what Wu Min was thinking?
Zhao Yu kept silent.
Upon seeing this, Wu Min said again, "Since Your Majesty understands what is meant, I will not fear death. But if Your Majesty leads the expedition to the west, what if something happens to the country? The defenders will not be able to hold their ground, and the expedition will not be able to reach their destination? What then?"
Zhao Yu echoed Wu Min's words, saying, "That's exactly what I'm worried about."
Wu Min said, "Your Majesty has granted the guards power and authority, which is sufficient to ensure their full use. In this way, the defense will be secure, and with a secure defense, those who travel will be able to succeed."
Before Zhao Yu could speak, Wu Min impatiently added:
"Your Majesty understands what I have said. If Your Majesty can follow my plan, I dare to guarantee that Your Majesty will live a long and prosperous life. The Great Emperor of Longevity means that Your Majesty will live a long and prosperous life. However, if the Great Emperor of Longevity is not accompanied by the Emperor of Qinghua, how can the Great Emperor of Longevity live a long and prosperous life? Qinghua means the Spring Palace."
"If Your Majesty can devise a plan, the dynasty will be secure; if not, we fear it may face ruin. The fate of the dynasty rests on Your Majesty's shoulders today..."
Seeing that Wu Min still wanted to persuade him to abdicate in favor of Zhao Shou, Zhao Yu, whose time was precious, did not want to listen any longer, so he said sarcastically, "In that case, I will appoint you as the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and assist the Crown Prince, is that alright?"
Wu Min was overjoyed, feeling that it was worthwhile for him to fight for Zhao Shou, but he said aloud, "I devised the plan for Your Majesty and it is my duty to follow Your Majesty on the western expedition! Your Majesty is about to pass on the throne, and I am being promoted in such an unconventional way. How dare I?"
'Will you join me on this westward expedition?'
Zhao Yu smiled slightly, thinking, 'Then I'll let you get what you asked for.'
Thinking of this, Zhao Yu smiled and said, "My dear minister, you are truly my loyal subject. In that case, you shall accompany me on my western expedition."
Wu Min, who was still basking in the joy of becoming the prime minister a second ago, was dumbfounded the next second! He never expected that Zhao Yu would take him away after he was just being polite to him.
The key point is that his words were law, and he had volunteered for it, making it impossible for him to change his mind.
In the end, Wu Min could only give a bitter smile and say, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty!"
...(End of chapter)