According to records, in June of the second year after the founding of the Song Dynasty, Empress Dowager Du was critically ill. Before her death, she summoned Zhao Kuangyin and his confidant Zhao Pu to the palace.
Empress Dowager Du asked Zhao Kuangyin, do you know why you were able to wear a yellow robe and usurp the kingdom of Zhou Dynasty?
Of course Zhao Kuangyin had to say something about God's will and people's wishes, ancestors' blessing, the empress dowager's good teaching, and the officers and men's lives, etc. Empress Dowager Du shook her head and said that we are all our own people. Let's talk about a family behind closed doors. The reason why you can become the emperor is nothing more than bullying the orphans and widowers of the Chai family. You are the master of the country, and you are where you are today.
Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Pu remained silent.
Empress Dowager Du then expressed the main idea, saying that we must not repeat the mistakes of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Let's do this. After a hundred years, you will not pass the throne to your son, but to your younger brother Zhao Guangyi, who will then pass it to Zhao Guangmei. In the future, let Zhao Guangmei pass it on to your sons Zhao Dezhao and Zhao Defang. In this way, if older and more experienced people take the throne, there will be no more Chenqiao mutiny. What do you think?
Zhao Kuangyin knelt down and kowtowed, saying that his mother taught him well and I must listen to her words.
So Empress Dowager Du asked Zhao Pu to draft a contract on the spot, stipulating the order of inheritance from brother to brother in the Song Dynasty, and then sealed it in the golden cabinet.
Note that there are only three insiders of the "Golden Chamber Alliance", Empress Dowager Du, Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Pu. Among them, Empress Dowager Du died of illness in 961. When Zhao Kuangyin died in 976, the only insider was Zhao Pu. However, Zhao Pu did not take out this strong evidence at the first time, but after Zhao Guangyi ascended the throne. It was only six years later that it was taken out and made public.
Why wait 6 years? Because Zhao Pu was being attacked by political opponents at that time and was almost desperate, so he came up with the "Golden Chamber Alliance" to please Zhao Guangyi. It is said that Zhao Pu himself was opposed to brother-in-law, so it had not been made public before. Even Zhao Guangyi did not know the existence of the "Golden Chamber Alliance".
In , after the death of Zhao Kuangyin, the Empress of the Song Dynasty asked the eunuch Wang Jien to summon Zhao Defang into the palace, but Wang Jien summoned Zhao Guangyi because——
"Ji'en was determined by Taizu's ambition to pass on the king of Jin to the country, but he did not go to Defang and went straight to Kaifeng Mansion to summon the king of Jin."
Wang Jien knew that Zhao Kuangyin was going to pass the throne to Zhao Guangyi, so he violated the Queen Song's oral instructions and summoned Zhao Guangyi to the palace without authorization.
As mentioned before, this is a history book written in the Southern Song Dynasty. The emperor at that time was Song Xiaozong, the seventh grandson of Zhao Kuangyin. After the book was completed, he had to read it and review it, which means that Zhao Kuangyin's descendants also recognized the legitimacy of the brother-in-law relationship at that time. However, the person who held the real power of the court at that time was the Supreme Emperor-Gaozong Zhao Gou, a descendant of Zhao Guangyi, so some people say that this is still a whitewash by the descendants of Zhao Guangyi.
Put aside the controversy for the moment and look at Zhao Kuangyin's actions. Empress Dowager Du died after establishing the "Golden Chamber Alliance". Just one month later, in July of the second year of Jianlong, Zhao Kuangyin appointed Zhao Guangyi as the "Yin of Kaifeng", a member of the royal family Being appointed as the mayor of the capital is basically the general process of announcing a prince, such as Shi Chonggui in the later Jin Dynasty and Chai Rong in the later Zhou Dynasty. During the subsequent "Three Expeditions to the Northern Han Dynasty", Zhao Guangyi was appointed as the left-behind guard in the Eastern Capital, responsible for guarding the tower and looking after the house. This was also standard for a prince.
From this point of view, Zhao Kuangyin seemed to agree with his mother, Queen Mother Du, and cultivated Zhao Guangyi on the track of cultivating the heir to the throne.
And when Zhao Kuangyin was "not hesitant", he summoned Zhao Guangyi to the palace instead of his own son. Under normal circumstances, the person the emperor summoned before his death was the heir to the throne in his mind.
According to records, Zhao Kuangyin once personally said to his ministers: "The King of Jin will be the emperor of peace when he walks like a dragon and a tiger, and his good fortune is beyond my reach." It seems that he also expressed his approval of Zhao Guangyi's future accession to the throne.
These historical materials prove that Zhao Kuangyin recognized Zhao Guangyi as his successor.
Let’s take another look at Zhao Guangyi’s strength.
Zhao Guangyi was one of the core members of the "Chenqiao Mutiny". Zhao Kuangyin was able to wear the yellow robe and could not do without the assistance of his younger brother Zhao Guangyi. After the founding of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Guangyi was appointed as the Marquis of Yu, the capital in front of the palace, and rose to the top of the Forbidden Army. Then came the "Battle of Zelu". Zhao Kuangyin personally conquered Li Yun of Luzhou, while Zhao Guangyi inspected the interior; when he attacked Li Chongjin of Yangzhou, Zhao Guangyi was appointed to deploy the inner capital, add Tongping Zhangshi, act as Kaifeng governor, and also serve as secretary of the Central Committee; during the "Three Expeditions to the Northern Han Dynasty", he was appointed to stay in the eastern capital, and was granted the title of King of Jin. He was also given the fourteenth door halberd. The class order is above the prime minister, and it is commonly said that one person is below ten thousand people.
In short, as soon as the Song Dynasty was founded, Zhao Guangyi was the senior leader of the Central Forbidden Army and guarded the tower professionally for thirty years. Regardless of his qualifications or connections, Zhao Guangyi has completed the preliminary tasks of the crown prince.
Someone brought up a small foreshadowing we had reserved in advance in the previous article, that is, when Zhao Kuangyin personally conquered Taiyuan, the fortified city could not be captured for a long time, and his direct generals were willing to form a death squad to attack, but Zhao Kuangyin did not agree and told them that he would rather not have Taiyuan. , and I don’t want you to sacrifice. As a result, everyone was so moved that they burst into tears.
So some people say that Zhao Kuangyin had consciously preserved "his own people" at that time, because he had a premonition that some people - such as Comrade Zhao Guangyi - had deep roots and were powerful enough to threaten his own status, so he could not treat his trusted direct descendants as The power is consumed in Hedong, but it should be used as a bargaining chip to balance the "Jin Wang Family".
This... seems reasonable, but is actually groundless. Because Zhao Kuangyin not only did not weaken Zhao Guangyi after that, but instead loved him even more.
For example, historical records show that just four months before Zhao Kuangyin's death, he helped Zhao Guangyi's family install additional water-fetching equipment. Because the Jin Palace was located on a high terrain and it was difficult to obtain water, Zhao Kuangyin ordered people to make a water wheel, which was equivalent to installing a tap water pipe. He also worked tirelessly to personally supervise the construction and participate in the project acceptance.
It is also recorded that Zhao Guangyi was seriously ill and in a coma and needed moxibustion. Zhao Kuangyin burned moxa for him himself, and first tested the temperature on himself and then used it on Zhao Guangyi to prevent him from being burned.
Also, Zhao Guangyi was very drunk, and Zhao Kuangyin helped him go home. As soon as he went out, Zhao Guangyi's subordinates kneeled Gao Qiong on the ground, carefully lifted Zhao Guangyi's feet with their hands, and helped him get into the car. This scene was seen by Zhao Kuangyin, and Zhao Kuangyin He immediately rewarded Gao Qiong with a large amount of gold, silver and jewelry, and told him to continue to serve Zhao Guangyi attentively.
After Zhao Guangyi came to the throne, he continued Zhao Kuangyin's route in both domestic and foreign affairs. There were no sudden stops or sharp turns. This shows that Zhao Guangyi received widespread support from courtiers and completed a smooth transition without the need for a bloody purge.
From this perspective, Zhao Guangyi does not seem to be usurping the throne, or even if he is usurping the throne, he is in compliance with nature, meets the demands of the majority of vested interest groups, and has received widespread support.
Let’s also talk about the so-called key evidence in this case—the “axe.”
Please read three short stories:
When Zhao Kuangyin received an upright minister, he was so angry that he hit the minister's mouth with a "pillar axe", causing the minister's two front teeth to fall out on the spot;
In the first month of 965, Wang Quanbin sent back a battle report from the front line, reporting the good news of the elimination of the Shu puppet regime, and asking the court if he could make a go of it and kill his old friend Nanzhao. Zhao Kuangyin "painted the west of Dadu River with a jade ax and said: 'I don't have anything else.'"
In October 1968, Comrade Red Xiang, a member of the field service, went to Beijing to appeal. Not only did he leapfrog his rank and break into the palace, he also shouted loudly in front of Zhao Kuangyin and slandered Zhao Pu. Zhao Kuangyin was furious and immediately "led a pillar ax and broke two teeth of his upper jaw". Zhao Kuangyin likes to mention the achievement title of "Incisor Terminator".
Combining these three records with the word "axe", many scholars believe that the ax in "The Sound of the Candle Shadow Ax" should be similar to the above-mentioned pillar ax and jade ax. It is likely to be a ritual or toy object at that time, not Ax among weapons. Zhao Kuangyin is the emperor, not Cheng Yaojin or Li Kui. Have you ever seen His Majesty the Emperor holding a wheel and an ax all day long?
In other words, the ax in "Candle Shadow Ax Sound" should not have the lethality to kill people, and it cannot be the murder weapon.
Finally, let’s take a look at the fate of the legal heir of the “Golden Chamber Alliance”.
Zhao Guangmei, formerly known as Zhao Kuangmei, changed the name to Guangmei after Zhao Kuangyin came to the throne, and changed the name to Tingmei after Zhao Guangyi came to the throne. After Zhao Guangyi came to the throne, he was granted the titles of Zhongshu Ling, Kaifeng Prefecture Yin, and Qi King. To highlight the key point, Kaifeng Prefecture Yin declares his status as prince. Zhao Guangyi also specially issued an edict to designate Zhao Guangmei's children as princes and princesses to show special favor. Later, he also inspected and inspected the imperial palace. Following Zhao Guangyi in the Northern Expedition, he was renamed King of Qin.
However, in the seventh year of Zhao Guangyi's accession to the throne, someone accused Zhao Guangmei of treason, so he was dismissed from the Kaifeng Prefecture and sent to Luoyang, leaving the center of power. Immediately afterwards, Zhao Pu continued to make up for the damage, saying that Zhao Guangmei did not want to repent and still had different aspirations, and suggested that she be moved to a more remote place for proper resettlement. So Zhao Guangmei was reduced to Fuling County Duke and resettled in Fangzhou.
After arriving in Fangzhou, Zhao Guangmei became ill with worry and soon died of illness at the age of 38, leaving us prematurely. The incident occurred in 984, the eighth year after Zhao Guangyi ascended the throne.
Zhao Dezhao, the second son of Zhao Kuangyin, had never been crowned king when Zhao Kuangyin was alive. According to the practice at that time, the prince was crowned king when he left the cabinet. According to the system of the Tang Dynasty, princes were raised in the palace when they were young, and when they grew up, they moved out of the palace to live, that is, "leaving the palace." Leaving the palace was equivalent to the coming-of-age ceremony for the princes, and was the beginning of their entry into the political arena to receive experience. Zhao Dezhao left the cabinet in 964, and until Zhao Kuangyin's death, he was not named king because he was young. In fact, this is also indirect evidence that people believe that the "Golden Chamber Alliance" really exists. Because he is not the crown prince, he cannot be crowned king prematurely. After Zhao Guangyi came to the throne, he was named the King of Wugong County.
What needs to be emphasized is that Zhao Guangyi clearly stipulated that Zhao Guangmei and Zhao Dezhao should go before the prime minister and at the top of the hundred officials. This is also indirect evidence of the existence of the "Golden Chamber Alliance".
In the fourth year after Zhao Guangyi ascended the throne, he angrily criticized Zhao Dezhao for some reason. After he retired from the court, Zhao Dezhao committed suicide in fear. He died at the age of 28 and left us prematurely.
Zhao Defang, the fourth son of Zhao Kuangyin. After Zhao Guangyi ascended the throne, he appointed Zhao Defang as the Yin of Xingyuan Prefecture, the Jiedu Envoy of Shannan West Road, and the Tongping Zhangshi, and later he was added as the Inspector of the School. However, in March 1981, Zhao Defang died due to ineffective treatment at the age of 22. He left us prematurely.
"Who else?"
Zhao Kuangyin's eldest son Zhao Dexiu and third son Zhao Delin both died young.
Some people believe that it was precisely because of the existence of the "Golden Chamber Alliance" that Zhao Guangyi used the list of heirs as a death list and couldn't wait to get rid of his younger brother and nephew.
If the "Alliance of the Golden Chamber" exists, it just shows that Zhao Guangyi is the legal heir, and the "sound of the candle shadow axe" that killed his brother to seize power does not exist; however, if the "Alliance of the Golden Chamber" does not exist, it can prove that the "sound of the candle shadow axe" Does it exist? Logically it's obviously not possible.
In addition, according to historical records, after the death of Zhao Guangyin, the Empress of the Song Dynasty wanted to summon the young Zhao Defang to the palace to ascend the throne. So the question arises, why not her elder brother Zhao Dezhao?
Some people say that it is because elders usually prefer younger sons; others say that because younger sons are easy to control, Empress Song has political ambitions to rule the dynasty...
As the entire incident is controversial, Queen Song's idea of "abolition of elders and establishment of younger ones" can be regarded as a false proposition for the time being, and there is no need to discuss it at all.
What needs to be said is that based on sympathy for Zhao Defang and the desire for a savior, later generations will portray Zhao Defang as an "Eight Wise King" and "Eight Kings of a Thousand Years" who hate evil as much as hatred, punish evil and promote good, and specialize in killing traitors. In operas, storytelling and other interpretations, Zhao Defang is usually portrayed as an upright white-bearded old man holding a golden mace bestowed by the emperor, beating up emperors and slandering ministers. He upholds justice and redresses grievances for the people. He is the "Bao Qingtian" Bao Zheng. He and the strong backing of the Yang family generals have appeared in many popular works such as , , , and so on. He is just like an elderly version of Li Yunlong.
Art originates from life but is higher than life. This prince who died young at the age of 22 has become the spiritual sustenance of the working people struggling in suffering. The people need a Bao Qingtian who punishes evil and promotes good, and they also need an Eight Wise King who can withstand all pressures and uphold justice.
To sum up, Zhao Guangyi already has all the objective conditions for taking over. He does not need to risk regicide to seize power. He only needs to wait patiently. "The Sound of the Candle Shadow and the Axe" was more fabricated out of political needs. The main purpose was to question and reshape the Taizong's legal system. As for "The Alliance of the Golden Chamber", I personally prefer to believe that this is the third film directed by Zhao Pu. Part one.
When his younger brother Zhao Guangmei and his nephews Zhao Dezhao and Zhao Defang all passed away, Zhao Guangyi finally solved the problem of brother succession. Starting from him, the Song Dynasty throne opened the template of father-to-son succession.
