Zhao Xu really wanted to find Wang Gang and Sima Guang to take care of him.
He knew what he had done. This time he vomited blood, and the imperial doctor had already sentenced him to death. For this reason, Zhao Xu was unwilling to do anything.
Although the emperor is said to be long live, but since ancient times, no emperor can really live for 10,000 years. On the contrary, there are more short-lived emperors.
"Prince, I don't want to leave this mess of the Song Dynasty to you, but as the crown prince and my son, you enjoy wealth and honor but also shoulder responsibilities."
Zhao Xu took his son's hand and said: "In the eighteen years since I have been in power, the country has not only become richer and stronger in my hands, but has become troubled internally and externally. I am ashamed of my ancestors, and the prince should learn from me."
At this time, Prince Zhao Yan was a little scared, a little happy, and even a little scared. In short, he felt very complicated.
Zhao Xu was a veteran and understood his son's mentality at this time. He turned to Sima Guang and said:
"Jun Shi, I will appoint you and Chang Feng as ministers of Gu Ming. After I leave, you must assist the prince. If he does anything wrong, you must advise him in time."
Wang Gang and Sima Guang immediately knelt down to express their gratitude and promised to assist the prince.
Zhao Xu looked at Wang Gang with a complicated expression. To be honest, he didn't want his third uncle to be the Minister of Life. If the court hadn't been troubled internally and externally, he would have even killed Wang Gang before his death to avoid leaving any hidden dangers to his son.
.
"You guys go out first, I want to talk to Chang Feng alone." Zhao Xu sent everyone out, and then said to Wang Gang:
"Chang Feng, to be honest, I am a little afraid of you."
"I'm scared." Wang Gang lowered his head and said.
Zhao Xu shook his head and said: "You are too perfect and capable. I am worried that the prince will not be able to suppress you in the future, but I have to leave you to the prince."
Wang Gang said solemnly: "The prince is my nephew. I will help you well and will never let down your majesty's kindness."
Zhao Xu shook his head again and said: "I believe you can assist the prince well, and even the Song Dynasty will be better in your hands.
You are a capable minister who can govern the army when mounted and the people when dismounted, so I am worried about you. Wang Mang of the Western Han Dynasty and Cao Cao of the Eastern Han Dynasty are not incompetent."
Zhao Xu suddenly mentioned Wang Mang and Cao Cao, and Wang Gang knew what he meant.
These two people have one thing in common, they both usurped the Han Dynasty in the end, and they are both powerful relatives of foreign relatives.
Wang Mang himself came from a wealthy family, and later usurped the Han Dynasty and established a new dynasty.
The same goes for Cao Cao. He married several of his daughters to Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty and suppressed Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty throughout his life. In the end, his son Cao Pi usurped the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Zhao Xu used the two men as a metaphor for Wang Gang because he was worried that he would usurp the Song Dynasty and establish itself in the future.
"Since Your Majesty is worried about me, why not let me take the first step." Wang Gang suddenly raised his head and looked outside the palace.
At this time, black shadows flashed outside Zhao Xu's palace, and murderous intent loomed. Wang Gang had a premonition of danger.
Zhao Xu smiled bitterly and shook his head, then clapped his hands twice. The black shadow outside the window disappeared, and Wang Gang no longer felt any danger.
"I really want to kill you, but I can't! I can't destroy the Song Dynasty with my own hands, cough cough cough cough."
Zhao Xu coughed and vomited out all the blood he coughed up, and his body was shaking.
Wang Gang frowned, but stepped forward to support Zhao Xu.
"I am a failed emperor. I have been the emperor for eighteen years. Internally, the reformists and conservatives have been fighting constantly. Externally, Xixia, which was finally conquered, has rebelled.
The prince is young and cannot support the country that is experiencing internal and external troubles. If I break the prince's arm again, the Song Dynasty will really be doomed."
Zhao Xu grabbed Wang Gang's lapel and said weakly: "Chang Feng, since the prince is your nephew, can you promise me to help him?"
At this time, Zhao Xu's tone no longer had any imperial power. He was just a dying father, a father who was worried about his children.
Wang Gang finally nodded and said: "I will live up to your majesty's hope."
Zhao Xu let go of Wang Gang's hand, then took out an edict from the quilt and said: "Chang Feng, this is my edict. If the prince is fatuous, you can use this edict to depose him."
Wang Gang can't be fooled by Zhao Xu now. I don't understand what his move means?
The front leg just begged him for his son, and the back leg gave him the edict to abolish the establishment?
Zhao Xu said: "The inheritance of the ancestors is of course important, but the Han Dynasty cannot fall into the hands of foreigners. If the prince cannot be supported in the future, just come up with the imperial edict!"
Wang Gang looked at the edict in his hand and could not figure out Zhao Xu's true intention for a while.
"Call Minglan in!" Zhao Xu pushed Wang Gang away and said while lying on the bed.
Wang Gang put the edict in his arms, then walked out of the palace door and let Sheng Minglan in.
Not long after Sheng Minglan entered, a loud cry suddenly came from the hall.
Zhao Xu died, leaving a mess behind.
Wang Gang and Sima Guang took Prince Zhao Yi to the throne in front of Zhao Xu's coffin.
Speaking of which, this is already the third emperor of the Song Dynasty whom Wang Gang sent away, and he is also a "veteran" of the Four Dynasties.
After Zhao Yi succeeded to the throne, he appointed Sima Guang as prime minister and made Wang Gang in charge of the Privy Council and concurrently as Minister of War.
Wang Gang took complete control of the country's military power.
But the current problem is that 100,000 Xia troops are still circling the northwest, and the Liao army has mobilized troops from all over the country to invade the Song Dynasty.
Wang Gang once again faced the crisis of fighting on two fronts.
This time he did not go to the northwest again, but divided the Forbidden Army into two, giving half to Gu Tingye, and the other half to Yanmen Pass under his own leadership.
For more than ten years, Wang Gang did nothing in the Ministry of War, focusing on the research and development of firearms, and finally developed flintlock guns and artillery.
He handed over eighteen artillery pieces to Gu Tingye, and then took thirty-eight artillery pieces and eight thousand flintlock muskets to face the Liao army of 500,000 people.
Before leaving for the expedition, Wang Gang took his wife and children to Sheng's house for their last meal.
Mrs. Sheng was too old at this time, her teeth were almost gone, and she could no longer eat much. But when she learned that Wang Gang was about to face the Liao army of 500,000, she was also worried.
Sheng Hong and Lin Sushuang are both very young, and they already have silver frost on their heads.
Wang Gang's brothers and sisters all returned home and reluctantly said goodbye to him.
Everyone in the Sheng family knew that Wang Gang was not only the towering tree of the Sheng family, but also the support of the country.
After dinner, Wang Gang led 300,000 forbidden troops to Yanmen Pass.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! In the palace, the Queen Mother Sheng Minglan was standing on the tower looking at the retreating army from a distance, and said to the emperor's son beside her:
"Emperor, you must remember that your uncle went to Yanmen Pass to fight for you."
Zhao Yan solemnly said: "My son will never forget everything my uncle has done."
Sheng Minglan looked at her son, who was taller than herself, and sighed deeply.
There is no family relationship between father and son under the imperial power, let alone a nephew and uncle. Sheng Minglan only hopes that her brother and son will not fight against each other in the future.
…………
After Wang Gang led his army to Yanmen Pass, he immediately saw the power of the Daliao cavalry.
The Liao Kingdom was established much earlier than the Song Dynasty. When Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin unified the Central Plains, his biggest goal was the Liao Kingdom.
However, the Liao Kingdom's cavalry was unparalleled in the world, and as it occupied the sixteen states of Yanyun, the Song Dynasty lost the best land for raising horses, and the two countries were always at a disadvantage in the war.
Zhao Kuangyin died, and Song Taizong succeeded to the throne. He even went on a personal expedition with his chariot, and conducted two Northern Expeditions. As a result, he was defeated by the Liao cavalry. He was hit by an arrow in the buttocks and escaped in a car. He was nicknamed the God of War of Gaoliang River.
During the reign of Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty, the Song Dynasty and the Liao Dynasty also fought twice, with each winning and losing. As a result, Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty was afraid of war and signed the Chanyuan Alliance. The Song Dynasty paid annual coins to seek peace.
During the reign of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty, Xixia rose to prominence, and the Song Dynasty was sandwiched between the two countries, making it even more disadvantaged militarily.
Later, the two emperors Song Yingzong and Song Shenzong focused more on internal affairs, especially Song Shenzong. They thought that implementing reforms would enrich the country and strengthen the people, and then they would go to recover Daliao. As a result, the reforms caused internal and external troubles for the country, and it was not strong.
Anti-weak.
The Emperor of the Liao Dynasty, Yelu Hongji, saw the Song Dynasty's predicament and mobilized all the troops from across the country, totaling 500,000 troops to attack Yanmen Pass.
Yanmen Pass guard Tan Zongde held on tight and finally waited for the 300,000 forbidden troops brought by Wang Gang.
As soon as Wang Gang arrived, he immediately took over the military power and sent his own people to take over Yanmen Pass. Tan Zongde didn't even dare to let go.
The day after taking over Yanmen Pass, Yelu Hongji sent his generals to attack the city. Fortunately, the men Wang Gang brought this time were mostly elite men who had retreated from Qingzhou, so they didn't have anyone to fear in terms of defending the city.
After ten days of guarding, Wang Gang suddenly received a letter from Yelu Hongji. The general content of the letter was to persuade him to surrender.
Yelu Hongji promised that after taking over the Song Dynasty, all the south of the Yangtze River could be given to Wang Gang.
Wang Gang also wrote a reply.
When Yelu Hongji received the reply, he thought it was a letter of surrender from Wang Gang, but when he opened it and read it, he almost died of anger.
What Wang Gang wrote was not a letter of surrender, but also a letter of surrender.
The conditions he offered were much stingier than Yelu Hongji's. Not to mention the south of the Yangtze River, Wang Gang didn't even give Yelu Hongji an inch of land, and wanted him to cede the sixteen states of Yanyun.
"This is outrageous." Yelu Hongji tore up the letter, but did not order his men to attack the city. Instead, he ordered his army to bypass Yanmen Pass and return to Chanzhou.
As soon as Yelu Hongji arrived in Chanzhou, he found that Wang Gang's main force was waiting for him.
Chanzhou was also the battlefield chosen by Wang Gang, which brought a hundred years of shame to the Song Dynasty.