The Taojun emperor did not wear Taoist robes, but was dressed in fine attire.
After Zhao Tong returned to Beijing, he heard about something. Lin Lingsu was repelled and sent back to his hometown.
Probably during the campaign to suppress Wang Qing, the capital was hit by a rare flood. Emperor Daojun ordered Lin Lingsu to withdraw from the water. As a result, he went to the city to pray for three days and three nights, but the flood did not move at all. After he came down to the city, he was attacked by people who were fighting against the flood. The working men surrounded and beat him.
At this time, Lin Lingsu, who had always been regarded as a living god, was not as good as an ordinary person. He could not use any of the magic spells he had shown before. He was chased by the slave laborers who hated him to the core and fled. No one in the capital knew about it.
Then he did something stupid again and told Emperor Daojun that the water rose up because the prince offended the sky, and he had to go to the city and bow down in all directions before it could retreat.
Lin Lingsu is a supporter of Zhao Kai, so one can imagine what his intentions are.
Emperor Daojun had seen him being chased but unable to use any spells before, and he had become suspicious of him. However, with the attitude of giving it a try, he asked Zhao Huan to go to the city. Who knew that Zhao Huan only worshiped for one day, but the water actually turned out to be real? Withdrew.
Lin Lingsu originally planned to kill two birds with one stone. If Zhao Huan could not withdraw from the water, it would mean that God thought he was guilty and unfit to be the prince again. It would just give Zhao Kai a chance. In turn, if the water receded, it would prove that Lin Lingsu had great supernatural powers. , it turns out that Zhao Huan can really retreat.
But who knew that things went against expectations. After the flood receded, Liang Shicheng, who was part of the prince's party, and Cai Jing, who also supported Zhao Kai, joined forces to impeach him, saying that he had offended God and that was why the flood siege the city, so he did not retreat no matter how much he prayed. water.
This time he shot himself in the foot without saying anything, and Emperor Daojun saw that he couldn't use magic, so he drove him away in anger.
Zhao Tong understood in his heart that this was a method used by Cai Jing's party to eliminate dissidents. Although Cai Jing and Lin Lingsu both supported Zhao Kai, they actually had a grudge. Cai Jing took this opportunity to launch an attack and drove Lin Lingsu out of the court. Hall.
Emperor Daojun became somewhat vigilant after Lin Lingsu left and rarely wore Taoist robes from then on.
Zhao Tong looked at the prince Zhao Huan and saw that he had gained a lot of weight, and his originally dark skin was much fairer, but his face was unnatural.
When he came over, Zhao Huan glanced at Zhao Tao with a complicated expression, obviously knowing about the transfer to King Qin.
After the ceremony, all the ministers sat down, and the eunuch announced an edict, which was mostly about singing merits and virtues. Merits and virtues naturally belong to the Dao Lord and Emperor. As for Zhao Tong, he only mentioned it a little at the end.
Then Emperor Daojun said a few more words, then started to have fun, and the banquet officially began.
First, the wine is served. There is not as much variety as outside, but it is all royal wine, and the taste is mellow and beautiful. As for the dishes, they are one after another. The last main course is a lamb dish. The lambs are stacked in layers, and the innermost part is a Yellow River. The big carp is cooked in a century-old soup and simmered over low heat. It is extremely delicious.
Some of the important officials sitting in front of the court didn't feel anything about this, but the officials in the distant government rarely ate it once. After all, this kind of dish can only be made in a real restaurant outside, and even in a real restaurant, it is very expensive. The big dish on the table is generally a treat for friends, and one would not order something expensive and time-consuming.
Zhao Tong and the three of them didn't speak, didn't look at each other, they just lowered their heads and ate and drank.
After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food, and a round of singing and dancing, the chamberlain came out and ordered all the musicians and female actors to leave the hall.
Upon seeing this, the officials began to wipe the greasy mouth with silk handkerchiefs, then raised their heads and looked ahead. According to the examples of such banquets in the past, they knew that this was an official announcement.
Most of the things announced by the officials at the banquet did not involve military and state affairs, but were mainly private matters. For example, the preparations for the construction of Yanfu Palace, the construction of Gen Mountain, and the establishment of Huashi Gang were all private affairs of the Daojun and Emperor, but they required the treasury and the public. I support it, so I still have to announce it.
As for why the announcement was made at the banquet, it was because this kind of thing often arouses public opposition. After all, it costs money, and anything that costs money will be opposed, even if it is spent to do official things, let alone private matters.
But at the banquet, the ministers drank the official wine and ate the official dishes, so it was hard to object. After all, eating people has short mouths, and taking people has short hands. This is a universal truth.
The ministers looked up at this time, guessing that something was going to happen to the officials. It probably wouldn't be a major military matter, but it would probably be a private matter that requires money, so they should just turn a blind eye and go ahead. Anyway, I heard that this King Ci Qi brought back a lot of money from Huaixi. If the officials were determined to spend it, they could come up with other ways even if they disagreed with the officials.
Emperor Daojun put down his wine glass and looked at the ministers, then turned his attention to the three princes on the lower left.
One is the eldest son and is crowned the prince, but he is not like him at all. He has no skills and is only cautious on weekdays, which is fine.
One is the biological second son, who was named King of Qi. How can I put this? It doesn’t look like him at all, but he is good at poetry and writing. In this aspect... he should still be similar. As for his abilities, he is much better. It is simply He is an all-rounder in both civil and military affairs, but he likes to scheme everywhere, even me, which is not good.
The last one was named King Yun. This one was just like him. No matter in appearance or behavior, no matter literary talent or temperament, especially in calligraphy and painting, he had quite a bit of charm. Moreover, he could see what was going on in this person's heart and didn't make any calculations. He is not like the second brother, who has very complicated thoughts.
He wanted to change the prince for a long time, but it was not easy to change the prince. After all, the prince was right. Last year, the third child won the first prize. He tried to reveal some words in court, which immediately aroused opposition from Liang Shicheng and others. , citing scriptures, it is irrefutable.
But after all, they still have to change. He doesn't say anything about the prince's dissimilarity. His temperament is simply the opposite. How can this be possible?
Emperor Daojun's eyes kept rising and falling on the three of them, and finally slowly fell on King Yun Zhao Kai.
How to replace it is a question. If you replace it all at once, not to mention some officials will protest and object, the world will be shocked. After all, this is a fundamental matter for the country.
His eyes fell on Zhao Tong again. The second-in-command said that he had never cared about the throne. He didn't know whether it was true or not, and he really couldn't tell.
But since he said he never cared about it, let him take the lead and test the reaction of the officials.
Things have to be done step by step. First, let the second child be crowned King of Qin to attract the attention of the court and the people...
The title of King Qin is very special and will attract a lot of discussion, both from the top to the bottom. It will share some of the attention when the prince is appointed next.
If he suppressed all voices and sealed the title of the second king of Qin, the opposition voices would be weaker when the time came to establish a new crown prince.
This is a battle between the court and the court, a battle between the king and his ministers.
Naturally, he wanted to make Zhao Kai the crown prince instead. This kind of son should be treated as the crown prince!
But he knew that if he wanted to change to the crown prince, Zhao Kai still lacked one thing, and that was military merit.
As long as he has military merit, Zhao Kai has the capital to become a prince.
The second brother over there relied on military merit to be granted the title of King of Qin. As long as Zhao Kai has military merit here, he will be granted the title of Crown Prince!
Let the second child take the lead in everything, test it step by step, and then let Zhao Kai do it. This is like letting the second child help Zhao Kai.
Emperor Daojun didn't think there was anything wrong with his family. Since Zhao Kai looked like him, it was natural for Zhao Kai to take over the throne.
As for Zhao Tong's testing, he did not let his son be busy in vain. Zhao Tong held great power, even more powerful than Zhao Kai. He was also granted the title of King of Qin and became a highly respected minister. This was already the ultimate reward. Yes, these are all given by him. Since the founding of the country by Taizu, how many princes in this dynasty have had this honor? The emperor's favor is already overwhelming.
As for the title of King of Qin, he didn't think too much about it. It was just a title. The system of this dynasty was different from that of Li Tang. What's more, Li Shimin once conquered half of the country, and his men were all proud soldiers. How could he be the second child? comparable? The second brother is only in charge of troops, but cannot mobilize them.
Thinking of this, Emperor Daojun smiled, looked at the ministers below and said, "I have something to announce today."
Although the ministers below were sitting, their bodies were slightly bowed forward, as if they were waiting to listen to the holy teachings.
Emperor Daojun nodded with satisfaction and said to the young eunuch Zheng Fu next to him: "Declare the decree!"
Zheng Fu asked for the imperial edict and unfolded it respectfully. The ministers below couldn't help but be stunned. In the past, the banquets announced were private affairs of the Dao Lord and Emperor. Why is there an imperial edict this time?
The presence of an imperial edict means that the matter has already involved the court, and Emperor Daojun has made a decision and will not discuss it with them anymore, but will just announce it to let them know.
Such things are rare, but usually not too important. The ministers held their breaths and listened to the edict being read out in front of them, but as they listened, many people's expressions changed.
That is, those who have not drank alcohol become whiter, and those who have drunk alcohol become red and black.
Everyone had other thoughts.
This imperial edict actually conferred the title of King of Qin on the second prince?
Although in the eyes of Emperor Daojun or Zhao Tie, this was a transfer of title, after all, the names were different, and the salary and so on were the same.
But in the eyes of the ministers, this was a Jin title. After all, the King of Jin couldn't grant it, so the King of Qin was the head of the kings.
And this King of Qin... No matter who in the audience heard the word King of Qin, they thought of nothing else but the former Zhenguan Emperor Li Shimin and the Xuanwu Gate incident.
The Daqing Palace was full of people who read poetry and books, even the military attachés. In order to compete with the civil servants in the Song Dynasty, all the military attachés read books. Everyone knew about this.
There was silence in the hall for a while, and you could hear a pin drop.
Emperor Daojun sat on it and looked like an old god. This was exactly the effect he wanted.
It's better to be shocked, better to be suspicious, and better to stand up and object. If this opposition is suppressed, it will be much smoother next time when the crown prince is appointed.
He said: "The King of Qi has made great achievements in recovering Huaixi, and he should be rewarded with a reward. However, he is already in the first rank and cannot be granted a title. I have decided to move to the King of Qin!"
It can't be sealed, it's so good that it can't be sealed!
Zhao Tong thought to himself, are you determined to push me to the forefront? Put it on the fire to bake? Even if I cause trouble in Fan Lou, you will not give up? Even if Zhao Kai is provoked and persuaded, he still won't change his mind?
What do you want to do, old man?
Could it be that he wants to establish a crown prince instead?
There is no other explanation! Zhao Tong thought to himself that other than pushing him up, pushing him to the front, and then secretly manipulating the matter of changing the crown prince, there was no other explanation!
After all, no emperor wants to be uncomfortable. He makes his second son the King of Qin. It is not impossible for him to conquer Huaixi and have other titles. He has twelve ranks of military merit and meritorious service in the Zhu Kingdom. Anyway, all the honorary officers of the Song Dynasty are It's false, no one even mentions it on weekdays.
This was what he originally thought, but he didn't expect to be crowned King of Qin when he came back, so this was the only explanation.
But since he was pushed out first, it was definitely not to establish him as the prince. If Zhao Huan was deposed and he was not established, then Zhao Kai could only be established.
But there is still something missing in this matter. Zhao Kai's capital is not enough. Just having the title of No. 1 Scholar is not enough to become a prince.
If you can be the top scholar in literature and martial arts...
The corner of Zhao Tong's mouth twitched, isn't this just because he still lacks military merit? No wonder before the expedition to Huaixi, Emperor Daojun said that he wanted Zhao Kai to go on to conquer Tianhu. It turned out to be this idea.
If Zhao Kai can defeat Tian Hu, that will be enough. In addition, most officials in the court support him, and he has shared the attention in advance, so the matter of changing the crown prince should be accomplished.
However, Zhao Huan would be in dire straits by then. As for his family, he was used as a spearman all the way. It would be okay if Emperor Daojun had been in power. But if Emperor Daojun was gone and Zhao Kai ascended to the throne, no matter how great his achievements were, he would not be able to do so. I will be punished by these third brothers.
Zhao Tong thought to himself, is it really okay for an old man to be so partial? It seems a bit excessive!
At this time, he should have stood up and thanked him. After all, the imperial edict had been read out, Emperor Daojun had also spoken, and everyone in the palace had looked over.
But Zhao Tong didn't move, squinting his eyes as if he was still drunk, as if he didn't notice what was happening in the outside world at all.
Zheng Fu hurried over and reminded in a low voice: "Your Majesty, it's time to thank you."
"Ah?" Zhao Tong immediately trembled when he heard this, then stood up and looked at the ministers with a blank expression.
Zheng Fu had served Zhao Tao before, so he was naturally anxious at this time and lowered his voice and said: "The official family has transferred to the prince to be the king of Qin. The prince should thank you quickly."
Only then did Zhao Tong seem to come to his senses, and he hurriedly looked at Emperor Daojun, and saw that Emperor Daojun had a sullen face and was looking at him displeased.
He hurriedly bowed to the ceremony, but before he could express his gratitude, he heard a voice coming from the palace: "Guan family, I think it is inappropriate to give the second prince the title of King of Qin!"
Zhao Tong was stunned when he heard this. Emperor Daojun over there also pretended to frown. He was waiting for someone to object. The more people, the better.
Then he fought against all opinions and decided to move the second son to the title of King of Qin. When the next time he changed the name to a prince, the resistance would be much smaller.
Everyone in the hall looked towards the sound, because the hall was extremely quiet when the imperial edict was read before, and the sound was not quiet, so it was easy to find it.
At a glance, everyone spotted the person who made the noise from the last seat where the court officials were sitting, and this person also stood up at this moment.
The tables and seats in the main hall are arranged according to the order of officials from the court first and officials from the capital later.
So even if this person is sitting at the end of the court official's desk, Emperor Daojun, Zhao Yu and others in front can all see clearly.
I saw that the official who spoke out was not old, but he was upright, with bright eyes, a white face, a straight nose and a square mouth, and he was wearing a green robe.
Those wearing green robes are those of seventh rank and below, and the minimum required to participate in the celebration banquet is seventh rank. Obviously, this person is a seventh-rank official.
Emperor Daojun said with a cold face: "Qin Hui, what are you going to say?"
(End of chapter)
