Kongming's question sounded less like a challenge and more like a sigh.
After all, anyone who had read the classics knew this much.
If you study the Spring and Autumn Annals, you cannot avoid reform.
Li Kui used legal reforms to enrich Wei.
Wu Qi strengthened Chu through change.
Zou Ji and Sun Bin adjusted Qi's system and made it dominate the feudal states.
Shen Buhai relied on administrative methods to command officials and strengthen the state.
And in the end, Shang Yang used sixty years of reform as precedent, transformed Qin's institutions, assisted Duke Xiao, and laid the foundation for imperial unification.
Even in Former Han, Emperor Wu employed Sang Hongyang to alter fiscal policy. The gains and losses were later openly debated in the Salt and Iron Discussions, not simply buried under a ban.
So at this moment, Kongming slapped his thigh, shook his head, and sighed:
"Why ban it?"
No one had a ready answer.
Pang Tong rubbed his chin and offered a guess.
"Later generations speak of this Zhezong with regret, saying he expanded abroad and pushed reform at home."
"This Huizong lacked both his martial spirit and his persistence, so…"
With that, quite a few people understood.
Fa Zheng followed up.
"Then could it be that Zhezong's early death was also suspicious?"
Pang Tong shook his head instead.
"Later generations probably never figured it out either. But if he died at twenty five and left no heir, then his health was likely…"
"No heir. That really won't do."
Pang Tong's mock sigh made Kongming's breathing hitch for a moment. Everyone knew exactly what he was hinting at, namely that Kongming currently had only one daughter and one adopted son.
Kongming shot him a look and muttered to himself.
"The great clans in Nanzhong previously requested that Lord Xuande establish schools to spread Han teachings. If Ju Shi receives Shiyuan's true transmission, perhaps…"
Ju Shi was Pang Tong's son, Pang Hong, styled Ju Shi.
Seeing Pang Tong's eyes suddenly widen, Kongming smiled faintly. Then he suddenly remembered the question he had nearly forgotten.
"Wait. Zhezong had no sons. Then did Song Taizu also have no sons?"
No one could answer that.
But sometimes actions were faster than thoughts.
At that moment, the people of Han Chang'an saw a line of text drift across the light screen.
[ Li Shimin: Zhao Da, where is your son?]
In Bianliang, Zhao Kuangyin had no answer to give. He instead turned his gaze, quite gently, toward Zhao Guangyi.
"Good younger brother, where is Ri Xin?"
Zhao Kuangyin's eldest son had died young. His second son was Zhao Dezhao, styled Ri Xin.
Zhao Guangyi suddenly felt the hall grow airtight and stifling.
Trying hard to forget the earlier mention of "persecuting imperial relatives," Zhao Guangyi replied carefully.
"Has Your Majesty forgotten? In the sixth year of Kaibao, Ri Xin was appointed Governor of Xingyuan and Military Commissioner of Shannan West. He is now in Hanzhong."
"Oh."
Zhao Kuangyin patted his head as if just remembering.
Then, under everyone's gaze, he stood up slowly and calmly moved his chair behind Zhao Guangyi, neatly blocking the path between Zhao Guangyi and the hall doors.
"It was a bit stuffy up front. This spot has better airflow. Guangyi, do not mind me."
Zhao Guangyi nodded heavily, meaning that wherever the emperor wished to stand, he naturally could.
In Ganlu Hall, Li Shimin stood at the front holding his brush. Seeing no new text appear, he shook his head regretfully, tossed the brush aside, and strolled back.
Empress Zhangsun shot him a look and said with mild reproach.
"Your Majesty really does enjoy poking at others' sore spots."
Li Shimin waved it off, righteous as ever.
"I am reminding him. That brother of his harbors ill intent. As a bystander, I see clearly."
Empress Zhangsun was puzzled.
"Later generations do not say much about this Zhao Er. How do you know he harbors ill intent?"
Li Shimin froze for a beat, then stubbornly insisted.
"I just know."
Sun Simiao, who stood closest to the imperial couple, gave Li Shimin a meaningful look, then turned away without comment.
The light screen continued.
[Lightscreen]
[However, the book title Xiangshan Yelu practically shouts "not guaranteed true." Its popularity was not only because it recorded palace gossip.
This brings us to its author, the monk Wen Ying.
During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, there was the state of Wuyue in the Jiangnan region, ruled by the Qian family of Lin'an. Their talent for switching allegiances was top tier. They served Later Jin, Later Han, and Northern Song in succession. A true three surname household, and because of that, they lived very comfortably. The ruler Qian Chu was known as the King of Qiantang.
In Emperor Zhenzong's time, Qian Chu's son Qian Weiyan married Ding Wei's daughter, making the two families in laws.
Ding Wei was a chancellor under Zhenzong. Compared to administrative skill, his talent for flattery was unmatched. This was the man who once, while dining with Chancellor Kou Zhun, used rice stuck in Kou Zhun's beard as an excuse to comb it, praising Kou's uprightness as being as straight as his beard. Thus came the idiom "polishing the whiskers and patting the horse."
In short, the Qian family and Ding Wei were a powerful alliance.
It should be noted that in Tang and Song times, monks were more of a social identity. They did not necessarily strictly observe ascetic rules. Many traveled among nobles and wealthy families. In some ways, they resembled Eastern Han literati.
Wen Ying was a famous monk from Qiantang. He became tutor to Qian Weiyan's two sons and was eventually recommended to Ding Wei, entering the chancellor's circle and successfully joining the capital elite.
This status added credibility to Xiangshan Yelu and was a key reason for its wide spread.
It is like Kong Rong suddenly claiming Cao Cao stole Yuan Shao's concubine. A famous figure vouching, plus juicy content, plus Cao Cao's personality, and people would say, well, maybe.
After Wen Ying grabbed the first wave of attention, later writers kept improving and expanding the story.
During Emperor Shenzong's reign, Cai Dun wrote Kui Prefecture Direct Notes, claiming the immortal was actually Chen Tuan, making this version 1.0.
Chen Tuan's birth year is unclear. He claimed to be born in Tang Xiantong twelfth year. If true, he died in 989 at about 118 years old. Since he said it, let us believe it for fun.
Version 1.2 appeared in Renzong's time. Yang Wengong's Talks of the Court claimed the immortal was not Chen Tuan but Zhang Shouzhen of the Zhengyi sect, and that the prophecy involved spirit possession.
According to official records, Zhang Shouzhen died in 1176. That is over two hundred years after the founding of Song. The timeline mismatch is even worse.
Later, Shao Bo of Southern Song included it in Further Records of the Shao Family and solemnly noted it was taken from Taizong's Veritable Records, National History, Daoist and Buddhist Treatises, and Auspicious Signs Treatises.
Then Li Tao, compiling Continued Comprehensive Mirror Long Drafts, merged the two versions into one, officially upgrading it to 2.0.
Summoning spirits, prophecy, candle shadows, axe sounds, all elements included.
He also changed Wen Ying's original "hao zuo hao zuo" into "hao wei zhi," making it clearer and even more suggestive.]
"So is it true or false in the end?"
Zhao Kuangyin was dizzy from all the book titles.
He knew Qian Chu. Nicknamed Hu Zi, quite obedient. For instance, in the current campaign against Li Yu, Qian Hu Zi had sent both troops and supplies. Very cooperative.
But that meant after Jiangnan was pacified, the Qian family might truly become kings of Qiantang. Then that would require further consideration.
Wait.
Zhao Kuangyin shook his head lightly. Before that, the first issue was simple.
How exactly did I die?
He did not really believe his brother had personally killed him. Not out of brotherly trust, but because he knew his brother's actual ability.
One hand suppression, perhaps. But even if Guangyi held an axe, Zhao Kuangyin was confident he could take him down barehanded.
So Zhao Kuangyin turned his hope toward Zhao Pu.
Zhao Pu felt like he was sitting on hot coals. He thought for a moment and said carefully.
"From the fact that Wen Ying served in a chancellor's household, and later writers did not refute him, it may contain some truth."
He then saw Zhao Guangyi's back stiffen slightly, and adjusted his words.
"But later accounts all rely on Wen Ying's version and provide no independent evidence. Thus, it may also be fabricated."
Zhao Guangyi visibly relaxed and gave Zhao Pu a grateful look.
But this only made Zhao Kuangyin's brow knit tighter.
He pulled out a jade axe he had recently acquired and tapped it on the chair.
"So is it real or fake?"
Zhao Pu's grievance nearly overflowed. Then inspiration struck.
"Whether true or false remains unclear. But these Daoist figures like Chen Tuan almost certainly exaggerated their longevity to deceive the world."
Zhao Kuangyin fell into thought and did not press further.
Zhao Pu wiped sweat from his brow, feeling time itself crawl.
Elsewhere, Empress Zhangsun spoke thoughtfully.
"Then perhaps these two Northern Song brothers truly were harmonious."
Li Shimin snorted, finding the phrase brotherly harmony especially irritating.
"Zhao Da's early death must be suspicious."
If he could meet Zhao Kuangyin, he would love to drink with him.
Not as good an emperor as me. Not as long lived as me. Even in brotherly conflict, not as good as me.
And now hearing later generations casually call him Zhao Da, suddenly Er Feng did not sound that bad.
Good man.
Du Ruhui thought of another matter.
"If so, then the last three Song emperors were not Zhao Da's descendants?"
"Won the realm, yielded to a brother, and ended in national ruin. I wonder what Zhao Da feels now."
Li Shimin immediately urged.
"Just ask him."
Du Ruhui laughed helplessly.
"Better wait until the light screen ends, then offer consolation."
Fang Xuanling silently thought, are you sure that counts as consolation?
Meanwhile, Pei Xingjian was enthusiastically pestering his master.
"Since there is no qilin, can Master at least tell my lifespan like that immortal?"
Li Jing tilted his head, thought for a moment, and said confidently.
"Sixty four, illness."
Pei Xingjian froze, his small face collapsing.
"Master is lying!"
Li Jing felt a headache coming on and seriously considered asking Divine Physician Sun for something to clear heat and relieve pain.
In Han Chang'an, Kongming and Pang Tong looked at each other and sighed almost in unison.
"No verification, yet still writing books."
"Later authors establishing doctrine based on ghosts and gods."
In a way, they clearly saw one downside of cheap paper.
Anyone could record rumors, resulting in wildly uneven quality.
Jian Yong laughed it off.
"If we talk about using ghosts and gods as authority, who can beat the Magical Jin History?"
Kongming and Pang Tong were speechless.
Jian Yong, however, was already planning. He could not annotate the classics, but he could certainly compile humorous tales.
Add a disclaimer that it is not historical fact, so as not to mislead future generations.
And maybe include some wild guesses, like later generations claiming Cao Cao loved married women.
Zhang Fei scratched his head.
"Three surname… isn't it three surname slave?"
The light screen continued.
[Lightscreen]
[In the repeated upgrades of the Candle Shadow and Axe Sound story, Li Tao, who finalized version 2.0, still maintained a basic skeptical stance.
In Continued Comprehensive Mirror Long Drafts, he added his own note, questioning the tale. For example, contradictions between versions, Zhao Guangyi's overnight stay being itself irregular, and that Zhao Kuangyin actually died on the twenty first, while the prophecy said the twentieth. The original timing already did not match.
The uploader personally leans toward the view that the matter was originally far simpler.
Wen Ying was, after all, a monk. After the late Tang suppression of Buddhism and chaotic wars, Buddhism was extremely weakened and urgently needed support from the new dynasty.
Unfortunately, Chai Rong was very clear headed and hostile to Buddhism. Zhao Da usurped Chai's state and inherited that same attitude. Early Song Buddhism was in a very difficult position.
Only when Zhenzong wanted to stage his Mount Tai ceremony and promoted heavenly books did religious policy loosen, with Daoism gaining support. Wen Ying then entered a chancellor's household. His earliest version named the immortal "Zhen Wu," a deliberately ambiguous figure between Buddhism and Daoism.
Later changes to Chen Tuan or Zhang Shouzhen were essentially Buddhist and Daoist factions competing for ideological legitimacy. In the end, Buddhism lost.
Even so, Candle Shadow and Axe Sound is not entirely baseless. Li Tao's final annotation reads: "Further verification awaited."
"Deathbed command is a great matter. That veritable records and official histories cannot record it, is it not a pity?"
The absence of records between Zhao Da's death and Zhao Er's accession is described as "cannot be recorded," indirectly indicating Zhao Er adjusted the records.
Even so, from surviving Song records, Zhao Er cannot completely clear himself of the suspicion of fratricide.]
Zhao Guangyi felt as if needles were on his back. Sweat beaded on his forehead.