Zhao Song: My father was Emperor Taizu of Song

Chapter 34 Dragon Fart

Actually, the difference between letting Li Shoujie go back or not lies in just one point.

Has the greater good been taken into account?

Although this was the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, an era that did not emphasize "righteousness," this matter was different.

If Li Shoujie is detained in the capital as a hostage, and he dies in the capital under mysterious circumstances, then Li Jun will be the one who holds the moral high ground!

At that time, Li Jun could follow the example of Guo Wei and use the death of his son as a pretext to raise an army and start a rebellion. With a little persuasion, the other former military governors would also feel insecure and thus raise an army together to rebel against the Song Dynasty!

"The current emperor has lost his virtue and has unjustly executed the sons of important officials from the previous dynasty. It is clear that he intends to eliminate the loyal generals of the previous dynasty. Who can guarantee that you are not inferior?"

Listen to that, what a great reason!

You should know that the various regional military governors and regional military governors in the country each have a combined army of 200,000!

But if Li Shoujie is allowed to return, then things will be different.

Although Li Jun would still rebel, he no longer held the moral high ground; it was now a personal rebellion. While the other military governors would observe and be eager to act, they would no longer take any drastic measures out of fear, which gave Zhao Kuangyin time to react.

The new dynasty was newly established, and everyone was trembling with fear, as if walking on thin ice.

It wasn't that Zhao Kuangyin wanted to appease the people, but rather that he had no choice but to do so!

Creating a unified dynasty is never an easy task!

Although Zhao Dezhao did not directly answer Zhao Kuangyin's question, what he said was exactly the core of the matter, so it's no wonder that Zhao Kuangyin clapped his hands in praise.

"Ze Ping's teaching is excellent!"

Zhao Kuangyin glanced at Zhao Pu with satisfaction.

Zhao Guangyi also pretended to suddenly understand, but in his heart he was somewhat unconvinced.

If it were him, he would have detained Li Shoujie on the spot and marched directly to Luzhou.

With the most elite imperial guards in the land at his command, let alone Li Jun, he dared to confront and kill even the Liao people in the north several times, and recovered the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun!

Brother, you're being a bit too cautious!

"Your Majesty, Li Jun's sending his son to the capital is clearly a delaying tactic to form an alliance with the false Han. This man already harbors rebellious intentions, and Your Majesty should prepare accordingly."

Zhao Pu timely raised the key issue.

"Your Majesty, this battle must be won quickly," Zhao Guangyi hurriedly said. "Our dynasty has just been established, and the national treasury is not yet abundant. A protracted war is not advisable."

"In this battle, we must fight with all our might!"

It must be said that Zhao Guangyi's analysis on this point is quite reliable.

Zhao Dezhao nodded subconsciously.

The newly established Song Dynasty was surrounded by wolves. This was the first battle of the founding of the nation, and it was a battle that could only be won, not lost. It had to be won fiercely and decisively to deter those restless military governors.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin fell silent, his fingers tapping incessantly on the imperial desk.

He knew that this was not just a battle to quell a rebellion, but a crucial battle that would determine whether his Song Dynasty could be stabilized.

We must win decisively!

This could be a good show of making an example of someone, but if it goes wrong, it will backfire and cause a lot of trouble.

In this way, besides sending the main force of the Imperial Guards forward, the choice of the commander-in-chief is also crucial.

That being the case...

"I intend to personally lead the army!"

Zhao Kuangyin slowly revealed his thoughts.

Upon hearing this, both Zhao Pu and Zhao Guangyi were taken aback, not expecting that Zhao Kuangyin would have such a thought.

It's true that they went all out, but it didn't say that the emperor would personally lead the expedition.

"Your Majesty, I believe this is unacceptable!"

Zhao Guangyi quickly rose and advised, "The emperor's dignity is like the sun and moon in the sky; how can he lightly leave the capital!"

"Although Li Jun is brave, he has good generals to command his troops. With the bravery and strategy of generals such as Murong Yanzhao or Shi Shouxin, they are enough to patrol the border on behalf of the emperor and clear away the dust on the border."

"Now that the Song Dynasty has just been established, if Your Majesty were to leave the capital lightly, it would inevitably cause unrest among the people and shake the stability of the nation."

"Please reconsider, Your Majesty!"

He truly meant what he said.

Now that the new dynasty has just been established, only Zhao Kuangyin can keep those arrogant and fierce generals in check. If he were to personally lead the expedition, and something unexpected were to happen, the Zhao dynasty would surely collapse overnight!

When the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact?

Even Zhao Pu rose to advise, "Your Majesty, we should prioritize stability."

However, Zhao Kuangyin shook his head, showing no sign of giving up the idea of ​​personally leading the expedition. Just as he was about to explain, he saw his eldest son staring intently at a plate of dried plums in front of him.

Zhao Kuangyin frowned slightly, then tapped the imperial desk lightly before asking Zhao Dezhao:

"My son, who do you think should lead this battle?"

"what?"

When suddenly asked the question, Zhao Dezhao was clearly caught off guard and swallowed hard, looking bewildered.

There was no way he wasn't hungry. It was mealtime, and he was suddenly called over. How could he not be hungry?

Seeing this, Zhao Kuangyin frowned even more deeply, while Zhao Guangyi, standing to the side, smiled gently and looked at Zhao Dezhao with a hint of doting affection.

The more useless his son is, the greater his chances of becoming the heir apparent in the future. Therefore, Zhao Dezhao's behavior was exactly what he wanted.

He even kindly "reminded" me:

"Zhao'er, don't be greedy. His Majesty is asking you a question: Who should lead this battle?"

Upon hearing these words, Zhao Kuangyin's expression darkened slightly.

He specifically asked someone to summon Zhao Dezhao so that he could take this opportunity to train his son, which is why he repeatedly spoke up to test and guide him.

But how could a prince, while discussing important matters, have his eyes fixed on the dried plums in front of him, looking completely distracted?

This really angered him.

Zhao Dezhao then realized what was happening. After glancing at Zhao Guangyi, he pretended to think for a moment before speaking with certainty:

"Your Majesty, I believe this battle must be led by Your Majesty personally!"

Zhao Dezhao's answer made Zhao Pu frown instantly, while Zhao Guangyi smiled.

Although the Chuigong Hall is not as grand as the Chongyuan Hall, it is still a place for deliberation. One should not make unfounded remarks. Moreover, since His Majesty has already put his words to test him, if Zhao Dezhao cannot provide any convincing arguments, he may leave a bad impression on His Majesty.

"Oh? Does Zhao'er have any basis for her statement?"

Zhao Guangyi smiled and spoke first.

He wanted to see what reasons a ten-year-old could come up with to refute his previous statement.

Zhao Dezhao glanced at his ill-intentioned uncle and suddenly asked, "Uncle, I have a question to ask you."

"Zhao'er, please ask away," Zhao Guangyi said with a smile.

"Shouldn't we win this battle beautifully and decisively?" Zhao Dezhao asked in a childish voice.

"nature."

"Should we go all out in this battle?"

"nature."

"Shouldn't the commander of this battle be the foremost military general of our Great Song Dynasty?"

"That's how it should be."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Guangyi had a vague feeling that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

That's it.

Zhao Dezhao stood up, no longer looking at Zhao Guangyi, but turning to look at his father on the dragon throne. His still-childish face perfectly displayed filial piety and admiration. He answered in a clear, resonant voice:

"Then let me ask you, Uncle, though heroes of the world are as numerous as carp crossing a river, how many can truly be considered capable of commanding troops in battle..."

"Who can compare to my father, the Emperor!"

"If even my father, the Emperor, could not defeat the enemy when he personally led the army, then no one else in this world would be able to do the same!"

"After all... the greatest military leader in the world today is my father, the Emperor!"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the room was stunned.

Zhao Kuangyin, who had previously maintained a stern fatherly demeanor, could no longer contain himself, and a smile he could not suppress appeared on his lips.

Zhao Guangyi, on the other hand, looked completely astonished.

Flattering the dragon?

Does this work too?