Zhao Song: My father was Emperor Taizu of Song

Chapter 106 Discussion of Military Strategy at a Tea Stall

Chapter 106 Discussion of Military Strategy at a Tea Stall

Inside the Chongyuan Hall, all the court officials looked toward Zhao Kuangyin, awaiting his decision.

The military officers, meanwhile, continued drinking, completely unconcerned about the matter; in their eyes, it was nothing more than a trivial affair.

Writing seditious poetry? Just kill him!

If you kill enough people, naturally no one will dare to act recklessly.

This is the thinking of most martial artists, and that's what they do.

They thought Zhao Kuangyin would make the same decision as them, but this time, Zhao Kuangyin remained silent for a very long time.

Although he was angry, Shen Yilun's words enlightened him.

He had indeed said, "All of you may speak freely," and if he were to break his promise and kill this person now, he would inevitably be criticized as "the emperor is untrustworthy."

If court officials dare not speak frankly in the future, the court will fall into a state of complete silence, which is something he does not want to see.

Moreover, this person was merely a scholar, yet he dared to speak frankly and was utterly loyal to the previous dynasty, demonstrating the importance of strictly adhering to the teachings of the sages and the necessity of promoting Confucianism!

Now that the Song Dynasty has just been established, it is urgent to use Confucianism to rectify people's hearts and establish discipline. If we break our promise and kill this scholar with integrity, wouldn't that chill the hearts of Confucian scholars all over the world?

However, most importantly, the idea of ​​governing the country through civil administration and limiting military power through civil administration had been brewing in his mind for a long time.

Since the Five Dynasties period, military generals have wielded immense power, often amassing their own armies, rebelling, and establishing separatist regimes. He himself ascended the throne by virtue of his military power, so he was naturally well aware of the potential dangers involved.

To end the chaos and consolidate the foundation of the Song Dynasty, we must not repeat the same mistakes. We must elevate the status of civil officials and use education to restrain the arrogance of military men.

Thinking of this, Zhao Kuangyin's anger gradually subsided, and his face returned to its usual calm. He simply said, "Remove this person from his official post and banish him from the capital."

"His Majesty!"

Shi Shouxin and the others were taken aback. Just as they were about to persuade him again, Zhao Kuangyin stopped them with a look.

The civil officials breathed a sigh of relief and stepped forward, bowing and praising, "Your Majesty is wise and magnanimous! Truly a blessing to all Confucian scholars!"

Zhao Dezhao sat at the table, watching this scene, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

He wasn't surprised by his father's choice.

The preference for civil officials over military ones was an inevitable trend, a choice that every monarch who emerged from the flames of war during the Five Dynasties period and personally experienced the turbulent changes of the world would inevitably make.

Zhao Kuangyin was not a god; he could not see the whole picture of history. All he could do was adapt to the situation and make the safest choice.

However, he didn't believe that Zhao Guangyi hadn't played a role in this.

Zhao Dezhao smiled, looked up at Zhao Guangyi, and met his gaze.

Both of them wore their signature fake smiles.

Zhao Dezhao slightly raised his hand and gestured towards the wine glass, while Zhao Guangyi smiled and nodded, raising his glass in return.

Zhao Guangyi downed the wine in one gulp and couldn't help but smile.

"You underestimated my nephew—"

The turmoil subsided, the banquet returned to its usual clamor, and the sounds of music and laughter once again filled Chongyuan Hall.

After the banquet, the officials gradually left, but Zhao Kuangyin kept only Zhao Dezhao and Zhao Guangyi, saying, "You two come with me for a stroll."

"Here you are."

The three men changed into ordinary blue cloth robes, shedding the majesty of dragon robes and official attire, and walked through the streets of Kaifeng.

As dusk fell, the lights along the streets gradually illuminated the area, and the shouts of vendors and the lively conversations of the people blended together, creating a bustling scene.

Looking at the lively atmosphere before him, Zhao Kuangyin couldn't help but show a hint of satisfaction on his face.

This is the empire he desires, the Song Dynasty should look like after the chaos is completely over!

The country is prosperous and the people are at peace; peace and prosperity abound; the land is fertile and the people are thriving; the people's hearts are with us!

But this sense of relief did not last long. The sound of rapid hoofbeats, the shouts of soldiers, and the cries of the people suddenly shattered the peace.

A patrol of cavalry came galloping in, their whips in hand. They disregarded the people and merchants passing by in the streets and alleys, and rode wildly, knocking over the stalls on the street and scattering fruits and vegetables all over the ground.

An elderly woman was unable to dodge in time and was hit on the knee by a stone kicked up by the horse's hoof, causing her to fall to the ground groaning in pain.

"You blind fool! You're asking for it!"

Instead of stopping to apologize, the leading soldier reined in his horse, shouted at the old woman, and then led his troops away, leaving behind only a mess and the people's complaints.

"Ugh—these soldiers, you can't mess with them, you really can't mess with them."

"If you're patrolling the city, then patrolling the city is fine. But this reckless barging around, how are you any different from a bandit?"

"Shh! Keep your voice down, or they'll hear you and you'll be in big trouble!"

The people dared not speak out against their anger, and after muttering a few complaints, they hurriedly cleaned up the mess.

Zhao Kuangyin's face instantly darkened, his brows furrowed, and his previous pleasure vanished without a trace.

Zhao Dezhao frowned as he looked at him.

The soldiers of the Five Dynasties were indeed extremely arrogant.

"Your Majesty," Zhao Guangyi spoke up at the opportune moment, "While military generals have rendered meritorious service in defending the borders and protecting the capital, if they are not properly disciplined and abuse their power, they will lose the hearts of the people."

Zhao Kuangyin nodded slowly, his gaze sweeping over the tea stalls on the street: "Let's go, let's go sit down."

After the three were seated, Zhao Kuangyin instructed the tea server, "Bring three bowls of chilled tea."

"Alright!" The tea server responded and went off, returning shortly with three bowls of refreshingly cool tea.

After the tea server left, Zhao Kuangyin got straight to the point, pointing in the direction the patrol team had gone, and asked the two men, "Tell me your thoughts."

After a moment's thought, Zhao Guangyi replied first: "Your Majesty, I believe this is a disaster caused by an imbalance between civil and military affairs."

A hint of approval flashed in Zhao Kuangyin's eyes, signaling him to continue. Zhao Guangyi then continued, "Since the founding of our Great Song Dynasty, there was a time when Wang Yansheng visited the Prime Minister's residence at night and openly demanded bribes from Prime Minister Wang Pu."

"Later, Fu Zhaoshou publicly humiliated Prime Minister Wei Renpu in the street, which shows that these military generals had long been accustomed to the respect they had received in the past, and were arrogant because of their bravery, and did not know how to respect the emperor or abide by etiquette."

"If it is not restrained, it will eventually become a major problem, and the chaos of the Five Dynasties may be repeated, and the foundation of the Song Dynasty will be shaken."

"Then, in your opinion, how should this be resolved?" Zhao Kuangyin asked at the opportune moment.

Zhao Guangyi picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and slowly said, "In my opinion, there are three essential points."

"Firstly, the military governorships should be abolished, the military power of local warlords should be taken over, and the threat of private armies should be eliminated."

"Secondly, civil officials should govern the military. The Privy Council and key local military positions should all be held by civil officials who will be in charge of military affairs throughout the country. Military generals should only follow orders and should not mobilize troops on their own."

"Thirdly, when generals lead troops into battle, the emperor may temporarily appoint commanders and devise battle formations, ordering all generals to strictly adhere to them and not to alter them arbitrarily. After the battle, military command must be immediately returned to the commanders to prevent the danger of generals monopolizing troops."

Having said that, he put down his teacup, his tone resolute: "In this way, military generals will have neither power nor troops, and naturally will have no way to cause trouble, thus bringing peace to the world!"

Zhao Kuangyin listened quietly, looking thoughtful. Just as he was about to speak again, a sneer suddenly came from beside him.

"Pfft—!"

Zhao Kuangyin turned to Zhao Dezhao and asked, "What are your thoughts, my son?"

Zhao Dezhao waved his hand with great delight and laughed, "Father, I wouldn't call it insightful, but I truly admire my uncle—"

"How could they come up with such a way to destroy the very foundation of our Great Song Dynasty?"

After he said this, Zhao Guangyi's face instantly turned ugly.

But that wasn't all. Zhao Dezhao quickly added, "If our Great Song Dynasty truly followed this method, I dare not say how many more years the dynasty would last, but it would certainly become a laughingstock for posterity!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Guangyi's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot, and his gaze toward Zhao Dezhao became hostile.

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