Shu Ke puede recuperar una fortuna perdida - Capítulo 14
Zhao Xu cupped his hands and said, "The Empress Dowager is wise; she has expressed exactly what I have been thinking."
"Wise?" The Empress Dowager suddenly slammed her cane heavily on the ground, making a loud "thud," which startled the palace maids on either side, who exchanged pale glances. "This isn't wisdom; it's just that I haven't grown old enough to stop thinking!" the Empress Dowager roared.
"Now, Mu Zheng and others in the Hehuang region are eyeing us covetously, harboring rebellious intentions. War is imminent. However, Mu Zheng is a mindless barbarian, so it's almost certain that your brother Hao will defeat him. Afterward, you'll have him fight the Western Xia. The Western Xia ruler, Li Yuanhao, is dead, leaving only the young Bingchang, an orphan and widow. Perhaps you can take advantage of them. But this will give you an excuse to continue having him fight the Khitan, which is clearly sending him into the tiger's den! After Emperor Taizong destroyed the Northern Han, he personally led troops to besiege Nanjing, the capital of the Khitan. Unfortunately, he was defeated by the Khitan reinforcements at the Gaoliang River, suffering heavy losses, and Emperor Taizong almost lost his life. Later, he sent my grandfather Cao Bin, along with Pan Mei and Tian Zhong, to fight the Khitan. The result was almost complete annihilation, and Yang Jiye, the deputy commander of the Song army attacking Yunzhou, was captured by the Khitan and died of starvation."
As a result, the imperial court was forced to change its national policy and adopt a defensive stance against the Khitan. In the first year of Emperor Zhenzong's reign (1149), Emperor Shengzong of Khitan and his mother, Empress Dowager Xiao, led their army to invade China's territory. Finally, the Treaty of Chanyuan was signed, in which Emperor Zhenzong agreed to pay the Khitan 100,000 taels of silver and 200,000 bolts of silk annually in exchange for peace.
In the second year of the Qingli reign of your grandfather, Emperor Renzong, the Khitans became increasingly arrogant and even sent envoys demanding that the court "return" the two prefectures of Ying and Mo, which had been recovered by Emperor Shizong of Zhou. Emperor Renzong sent Fu Bi as an envoy to the Khitans twice, barely persuading them not to mention the two important prefectures, but he was forced to increase the annual tribute by 100,000 taels of silver and 100,000 bolts of silk. At that time, I felt, like you do now, that your grandfather's actions were too weak and disgraceful to the nation. But later, after I entered politics, I realized that our national strength was indeed too weak, our people were poor, and we lacked strong soldiers and capable generals; we simply couldn't afford to fight that war! You are now enthusiastically following Wang Anshi's reforms, and I'm too lazy to interfere for now. Let's wait a few years and see together whether the country has truly become as prosperous and powerful as you imagine. However, it is absolutely unacceptable for you to attack the Khitan now. The Khitan are still powerful, and there has been no upheaval like that of the Western Xia. Your idea of using the attack on Western Xia to cripple the Khitan's right arm is good, but have you considered whether the Khitan will simply stand by and watch, defenseless, as you forcibly sever their arm? Furthermore, within our own borders, the reforms have caused discord among the officials, leading to factionalism and demoralization. To attack the Khitan now would be nothing short of a pipe dream. We lack all the necessary conditions—favorable timing, advantageous location, and popular support—yet you still intend to send your second brother to his death!
Zhao Xu listened quietly, not in a hurry to refute, but slowly said, "The Empress Dowager is too pessimistic. If I really wanted my brother Hao to attack the Khitan, I would have done so after recovering the Hehuang region and achieving a complete victory over the Western Xia, choosing a suitable opportunity and striving for certain victory. I would not let him take such a risk lightly. Besides, my brother Hao is so outstanding, skilled in strategy and horsemanship, he will surely be invincible and return safely to receive my rewards, promotions, and titles."
The Empress Dowager questioned, "If you truly want him to achieve great merit and return with higher rank and titles, why not appoint him as a proper military governor, but instead make him a minor deputy general following behind Wang Shao? In this way, he will certainly be at the forefront of battles, but even with great merit, his achievements will be limited. Even if he wins a battle, how much benefit will he receive when rewards are distributed?"
"I'm not letting him command the army because he's still young and inexperienced," Zhao Xu argued. "Your Majesty, rest assured, as long as he returns victorious, I will certainly give him a satisfactory reward."
"Very well," the Empress Dowager sneered. "Do you really want him to win the battle? I'd like to know how you plan to give him a 'satisfactory' reward."
"At worst, I'll abdicate the throne to him!" Zhao Xu finally couldn't contain his anger and blurted out, "Isn't that exactly what the Empress Dowager wanted?!"
"You bastard!" The Empress Dowager slammed her hand on the table and stood up, glaring angrily at Zhao Xu. However, she couldn't catch her breath and felt a sudden darkness before her eyes, a wave of dizziness, and her legs went weak, causing her to fall backward.
The surrounding palace maids gasped in surprise and immediately rushed over to help.
Zhao Xu was also greatly alarmed and rushed over, calling out to his grandmother.
After a flurry of frantic efforts to save her, the Empress Dowager finally regained consciousness. She opened her eyes and looked at Zhao Xu, but could not speak, only shedding two lines of tears.
Seeing this, Zhao Xu was relieved. He then knelt directly before the Empress Dowager, bowing his head and saying, "Your subject knows his mistake. Please, Your Majesty, forgive me."
When the Empress Dowager saw that he referred to himself as "your subject" instead of the arrogant "I, the Emperor," she knew that he had decided to back down and stop arguing. She nodded slightly and then ordered the palace maid beside her, "Let's return to the palace."
The palace maid carefully helped her up and slowly walked towards the door. After a few steps, the Empress Dowager stopped, turned to look at Zhao Xu who was still kneeling in the same spot, and walked back to him. She reached out and touched his temples and face, her eyes full of love and pity, and sighed softly, "She has been dead for so long, yet you still can't let go?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xu was struck as if by a heavy blow. For a moment, everything before his eyes seemed to disappear completely. He only saw a small white chrysanthemum floating gently from the depths of his long-dormant memory, which landed on his heart. In that instant, his heart felt an absolute, searing pain, as if it were branded.
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Wanji
For a prince who aspires to inherit the throne, having a younger brother who is exceptionally outstanding is a profound disaster. From childhood to adulthood, they will always be compared to each other, watching as people intentionally or unintentionally place the right of succession before them, telling them in an unspoken but self-evident way that it is a trophy that will belong to the winner. Thus, the brotherly life that should have been close and friendly turns into a war of discord and estrangement.
Zhao Xu was the eldest son of the legitimate wife, but before being made crown prince, he could hardly feel the advantages of being the eldest son of the legitimate wife. Emperor Yingzong was reluctant to establish an heir for three years. Unlike Emperor Renzong, who had no biological son to establish, Emperor Yingzong had two choices: two sons, both his biological sons, even born to the empress he loved, both equally excellent, but each with their own strengths. Therefore, he was in a dilemma.
Zhao Xu vaguely sensed that his father might prefer Hao, and that his hesitation was partly due to his status as the eldest son of the legitimate wife. After all, being the eldest son of the legitimate wife wasn't entirely useless; it could influence the emperor's decision on such a crucial matter.
Zhao Hao. His second younger brother. He was almost universally loved in the palace.
Hao was almost innately virtuous. From a young age, he would greet his grandparents, parents, and father every day without fail, rain or shine. If any of them fell slightly ill, he would personally prepare medicine and attend to them at their bedside. He was also extremely loving and respectful to his older siblings. On New Year's Day when he was five years old, Emperor Renzong, as was customary, selected exquisite gifts to bestow upon the various imperial descendants. The gifts for Emperor Yingzong's sons were all placed together without specifying which one was for whom. His grandmother, Empress Cao, held Hao on her lap and pointed to the gifts, saying to him, "Take whichever one you like." Unexpectedly, Hao shook his head and said, "My brother should choose first. I don't know if my sister has any; if not, I'll give mine to her." Everyone was full of praise upon hearing this. Emperor Renzong exclaimed, "Kong Rong was nine years old when he shared pears with his sister, and this child, at only five years old, already knows how to be loving and modest. It is evident that he will surely be renowned for his virtue and bring glory to the imperial family in the future."
When they reached school age, Emperor Renzong ordered Hao and Xu to study together in the Eastern Palace, and appointed Wang Tao, a lecturer, to teach them.
Every time Wang Tao entered, Hao would immediately rise from his seat and bow to his teacher. Xu would do the same. Wang Tao was deeply moved and praised their respect for their teacher to Emperor Renzong. When Emperor Renzong heard this, he asked who had first thought of bowing. Before Xu could speak, Hao had already answered, "It was my elder brother who taught me." So Emperor Renzong praised Xu for being sensible and polite. Although Xu knew that his younger brother meant well, he was inexplicably receiving praise that should have been given to Hao, and he was very unhappy.
The lecturer was supposed to stand while lecturing, but the two imperial grandsons were allowed to sit. Hao went to Emperor Renzong to ask if the teacher could also sit. Renzong replied that this rule had been in place for many years, established by the late emperor, and could not be changed; their daily bowing to the teacher was already a great respect. So the lecturer continued to stand, but Hao felt very indebted. Each time Wang Tao finished lecturing, he would present him with gold and silver gifts. Emperor Xu disapproved, saying, "This is bribery." Hao, bewildered, explained, "The teacher works so hard lecturing; I'm just expressing my gratitude."
He was kind and benevolent to his servants, and respectful and obedient to his elders in the royal family. Everyone said that he already possessed the demeanor of an ancient sage at a young age. Xu, however, disagreed. While respectfulness was one thing, blind obedience was the attitude Xu disliked most. Xu developed his own thoughts early on. Even as a child, he didn't believe the prosperous and peaceful Song Dynasty that others wanted him to believe. He had witnessed his grandfather, Emperor Renzong, suffering from sleepless nights and extreme anxiety over the heavy burden of annual tributes. This led him to wonder: if the Song Dynasty was truly so wealthy and powerful, why was it so afraid of fighting the Khitan and Western Xia, sending so much silver and silk to them every year? He gradually understood the meaning of "embellishing a peaceful life" and began to question all the ideas his teachers and elders tried to instill in him, learning to think independently. As a result, he increasingly showed resistance to certain commands from his elders. He felt that he absolutely could not take the words of those who had dragged the country into such poverty and weakness as his guiding principles; he could only choose what was good and follow it, not necessarily obey every word.
Once he clearly realized this, he felt some contempt for Hao. Hao was accustomed to regarding blind obedience as one of the most important meanings of filial piety, which suppressed the development of his personal will and led him down the path of blind obedience.
If Hao only possessed the simple virtues of filial piety and benevolence, it wouldn't be so formidable. The problem was that he was indeed intelligent and eager to learn. "Exceptionally gifted" was the unanimous assessment of him by his elders and teachers. Whether it was poetry, calligraphy, or horsemanship and archery, he learned quickly and mastered it in no time. He had beautiful calligraphy skills and loved collecting rare paintings and books. These were all qualities that his father and mother admired.
Xu felt that with his own qualities, he was not necessarily inferior to Hao. Although he was slightly lacking in riding and archery, he could be said to have surpassed Hao in literary talent and strategy. Even in appearance, it was hard to say who was better or worse, each with their own merits. Both were handsome and refined, but Hao was gentle and dashing, while Xu had a more compelling heroic spirit, which was the confidence and heroic spirit that only a king should have.
He and Hao should have been on equal footing, but unfortunately, his confidence clashed with Hao's filial piety, causing the scales to tip. Given that both were equally outstanding, who wouldn't prefer the more compliant child? Moreover, his confidence and sharp, assertive nature often embarrassed the elders.
In the eighth year of Emperor Renzong's reign (1549), Xu was enfeoffed as the Prince of Huaiyang by his grandfather, while Hao was not enfeoffed as a prince because he was still young. However, in the first year of his reign, Emperor Yingzong, his father, eagerly enfeoffed Hao as the Prince of Dongyang. Although he later promoted his eldest son, Xu, to the Prince of Ying, Xu sensed many ominous signs in Hao's title "Dongyang." Dongyang, the Eastern Palace, the Eastern Lord, the Sun—it was clearly his father's expression of his hope that Hao would become the Crown Prince.
He couldn't understand. Shouldn't he, the eldest son, be the one to enter the Eastern Palace? In terms of knowledge, strategy, talent, and appearance, how was he inferior to Hao? He should be the one radiating the brilliant light of a newborn lord, so why were those waiting for the sunrise gazing hopefully at the place where Hao stood?
He suffered setbacks time and time again, which proved one fact time and time again: almost everyone loved Hao more than he loved him, from his grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, and sisters to his teachers, ministers, and even the lowest palace maids and eunuchs in the palace.
However, there was one exception; for a long time, that person's love was his only source of emotional support.
I first met Wanji in the palace of Empress Dowager Cao.
At that time, Emperor Renzong was still alive, and the Empress Dowager was only the Empress. He was six years old, still young, a carefree age. It was Consort Wan who made him understand what sadness and sorrow were.
That day, when he went to pay his respects to his grandmother, he noticed a strange girl in the palace. She was about his age, shyly leaning against Empress Cao. Her hair was loose and styled in a low bun, with several thin braids delicately adorned with colorful ribbons, making her look exceptionally adorable against her delicate, porcelain-like face. However, her face was streaked with tears, even wetting the front of her pink silk dress. Her attire was very noble, clearly indicating she was not an ordinary palace maid.
Empress Cao beckoned him over, making them stand face to face, and said to him, "This is Wan'er, she will be your sister from now on, you must treat her well."
Xu nodded, looking at her red, tear-filled eyes, and asked curiously, "Why are you crying?"
Wan'er closed her eyelashes, and tears, like two clear, transparent pearls, fell. Her little mouth trembled slightly as she sobbed, "I want my mother..."
"Don't you have a mother?" Seeing his frail little sister so heartbroken, Xu was suddenly filled with heroic spirit. He pretended to be an older brother, took her hand, patted her shoulder, and said, "Don't cry, don't cry. You're my sister now. I'll make my mother your mother, my father your father, my sister your sister, and a younger brother too. Do you want that?"
Everyone around laughed at her words. Wan'er wiped away her tears, looked up at him, her eyes filled with shyness, but it was clear that she felt affection and gratitude towards him.
She was the granddaughter of Cao Yi, the younger brother of Empress Cao. At that time, her birth mother had just passed away. Empress Cao loved her very much and was worried that her nephew's other wives would not treat her well, so she brought her into the palace to raise her herself.