PFC Chapter 105 The Conflict Between Civil and Military Officials Intensifies
Chapter 105 The Conflict Between Civil and Military Officials Intensifies
Chapter 105 The Conflict Between Civil and Military Officials Intensifies
Several days later, in the eastern suburbs of Kaifeng, outside the ten-mile-long pavilion, banners fluttered and armored soldiers stood in formation.
Zhao Kuangyin, dressed in a crimson dragon robe, stood on a high platform, followed by a group of important civil and military officials, including Zhao Pu, Murong Yanzhao, and Zhao Guangyi, with his gaze frequently looking south.
Scouts reported that Zhao Dezhao and Cao Bin's group were escorting the Southern Tang hostage, and had reached a point thirty li away, about to arrive in Kaifeng.
This was his son's first victory in a personal campaign, and also the war in which the Song Dynasty firmly established itself in the Central Plains!
After this battle, any ambitious military governors would have to carefully consider whether Zhao Kuangyin and his son's swords were harder, or their heads were harder.
Therefore, Zhao Kuangyin specially ordered his officials to greet him ten miles away, taking this opportunity to promote national prestige and enhance Zhao Dezhao's prestige.
Before long, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from afar.
Amidst the billowing dust, Zhao Dezhao rode his tall horse at the very front, head held high, humming a little tune as he glanced back at the donkey carts behind him.
One million two hundred thousand strings of cash! A full one million two hundred thousand strings of cash!!
Who would have thought that the Southern Tang's treasury was so rich? Even with Zhou Ehuang's help from within, it took several trips to empty it.
With this 1.2 million strings of cash, Zhao Dezhao could finally confidently say that he was now richer than a country!
It should be noted that the Song Dynasty's imperial treasury only held 300,000 strings of cash.
He had witnessed firsthand the prosperity of Jiangnan today.
"Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty!"
Upon seeing Zhao Kuangyin, Zhao Dezhao immediately dismounted, stepped forward, and knelt on one knee.
"Good! Good! Good!!"
Zhao Kuangyin quickly stepped forward to help his son up, looking him over with satisfaction in his eyes: "My son's journey has truly given your father quite a scare!"
"Your Majesty, I am not suffering; it is the soldiers of the three armies who are suffering. Your Majesty, I beg you to request a reward for the three armies!"
Zhao Dezhao seized the opportunity to shout loudly.
Upon hearing this, the army behind him stirred slightly, their gazes toward Zhao Dezhao growing even more fervent and filled with admiration.
How fortunate it must be to have a prince who always cares about his soldiers.
"Haha, you little rascal."
How could Zhao Kuangyin not see that his son was trying to win over the hearts of the imperial guards by taking this opportunity? However, he felt no dissatisfaction at all; on the contrary, he was even more pleased.
This is his own son, not some stranger.
I'm so happy that my son is capable and virtuous, how could I possibly blame him?
This is one of the reasons why Zhao Kuangyin is so different from many other emperors.
If a son is not like his father, Zhao Kuangyin would sigh and feel regret.
If a son resembles his father, Zhao Kuangyin would only feel pleased, not suspicious.
"Guards, announce the imperial decree!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a eunuch stepped forward, unfurled the imperial edict, and announced loudly, "His Majesty has decreed!"
"The victory in the pacification of Yangzhou and the signing of the Treaty on the River with Tang were unprecedented in the history of our Great Song Dynasty! This was not only due to the wisdom and courage of our generals, but also to the ancestral temple's guidance and the soldiers' valiant efforts. Their strategic planning and decisive actions, as well as their personal bravery in the face of arrows and stones, are worthy of being recorded in history and set an example for future generations!"
"Hereby bestow upon Prince Zhao Dezhao the title of Prince of Wugong and concurrently Military Governor of Chengde, governing Zhenzhou, with a fief of one thousand households."
"Cao Bin is hereby specially appointed as Left Divine Martial General and concurrently Privy Councilor, and awarded a thousand taels of gold and one hundred bolts of brocade!"
"Li Chuyun is hereby appointed Prefect of Yangzhou and concurrently Deputy Military Governor of Chengde Army, and awarded a thousand taels of gold and one hundred bolts of brocade!"
"Shi Shouxin"
"The remaining troops shall be rewarded double according to their military merits!"
As soon as the words were spoken, the generals' faces lit up with excitement and joy, and they couldn't help but shout in unison, their voices resounding through the heavens: "Your Majesty is wise!!"
All the civil and military officials bowed to Zhao Dezhao in congratulations.
"I have already prepared a victory celebration banquet, my son, come quickly!"
Zhao Kuangyin, his face beaming with uncontrollable joy, publicly took his son's hand and led him straight to the palace.
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The banquet was held in the Chongyuan Hall, the main hall of the imperial palace, which was of the highest standard.
Maids carrying exquisite meals moved about, and all the civil and military officials of the court took their seats.
After several rounds of drinks and several dishes, Zhao Kuangyin immediately raised his wine cup and made a rather meaningful gesture.
"My son is skilled in martial arts and possesses the talent of Emperor Taizong of old; my younger brother excels in literature and has the abilities of Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui. I hope that the two of you will work together with one heart and one mind, and our Great Song Dynasty will surely enjoy peace for ten thousand generations!"
Let us drink this cup together!
As soon as he finished speaking, all the civil and military officials in the court were stunned.
The emperor's words seemed to have already defined the identities of these two men: one was "Emperor Taizong," and the other was "Fang and Du," who assisted Emperor Taizong. The deeper meaning behind these words was quite obvious.
Zhao Dezhao and Zhao Guangyi exchanged a glance, both with warm smiles on their faces. They rose together and raised their cups in a toast: "Your subjects (brothers) will certainly live up to Father's (elder brother's) high expectations!"
"Good! Good! Good!"
Seeing the harmonious relationship between the uncle and nephew, Zhao Kuangyin breathed a sigh of relief. He refilled his cup, smiled at his ministers, and said loudly, "The Long Spring Festival is approaching. Today is both a victory celebration banquet and a state banquet for the great dynasty. You may all make yourselves at home and speak freely!"
Let us drink this cup together!
"Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness!"
The ministers drank together, and the atmosphere was lively. But just then, an untimely voice suddenly rang out in the hall.
"Eternal peace? What dynasty lasts forever?"
"I vaguely remember this place last year; it was the Zhou Palace. Now it belongs to the Zhao family. It's truly a sad state of affairs."
These words shocked the entire hall, and all the officials turned to look, wondering who was so reckless as to be so ignorant of their own mortality.
A middle-aged man dressed in the official robes of a Hanlin scholar, his face flushed, downed the wine in his cup in one gulp, then threw it to the ground. Standing up, he paced back and forth in full view of everyone, reciting: "The soft sound of the reed pipes at the Chongyuan Banquet, last year in Zhouji, today in Zhaotian."
"The millet grows tall, a lonely thought of the former emperor; how can I bear to see the dragon banners change with the new moon?"
Upon hearing this rebellious poem, the ministers exchanged bewildered glances.
Zhao Kuangyin's face darkened instantly. He instinctively raised his hand to place it on the hilt of his sword, only to realize that he had not worn a sword at the banquet.
"Capture this thief!"
Upon seeing this, Zhang Qiong, the commander of the palace guards, immediately ordered the palace guards to seize the man.
Shi Shouxin immediately stood up and angrily remonstrated, "Your Majesty, this man has publicly composed a seditious poem; he should be executed!"
"He deserves to die!"
The many generals shouted in unison.
Zhao Dezhao made no move, but looked meaningfully at the ranks of civil officials. Sure enough, when many military generals thought this man should be killed, Shen Yilun stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the eldest prince has returned in triumph, and the Spring Festival is approaching. This is a day of great joy."
"His Majesty previously said that all ministers could speak freely. It is understandable that this man had drunk a few too many cups and uttered some incoherent words."
"Furthermore—" Shen Yilun paused, then said meaningfully, "Your Majesty is wise; this man is merely a scholar. Although he has shown some disrespect to Your Majesty, he is utterly loyal to the previous dynasty. Such integrity is truly admirable."
"If Your Majesty were to kill this man, wouldn't that discourage the scholars of the land? We beseech Your Majesty to consider this and show leniency."
After Shen Yilun finished speaking, several more civil officials stepped forward, including the current prime ministers Wei Renpu and Fan Zhi. Their attitude was very uniform: "We implore Your Majesty to be lenient!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin's anger subsided slightly, and he appeared to be deep in thought.
interesting--
Zhao Dezhao smiled upon seeing this.
He never expected that in just two months since he left Kaifeng, the conflict between the civil and military officials would have escalated to this extent.
The grand drama has already begun!
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