Zhao Xu fell ill.

In fact, he had been sick all the time, but he was not overwhelmed. However, the series of tossing and excessively cold weather that began on the third year of Yuanfu became the last straw that overwhelmed Zhao Xu's fragile body.

It's a pity to say that. Among the Song Dynasty, which has produced many mediocre monarchs, there is a rare official who dares to delegate power and can also let go of the capable ministers. Don't underestimate these two advantages. The emperors of the Song Dynasty like to mess with the fools too much. The emperors are all excellent in their minds, but they just can't do things well. However, Zhezong Zhao Xu was an alien, who dared to delegate power to the prime minister, and also selected the most capable and very principled treacherous minister Zhang Dun from a group of cunning masters to be the prime minister.

Of course, Zhang Dun was a traitor. In the increasingly tense political atmosphere at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, it was impossible for him to do anything if he was not a traitor, and he could only be deceived and imprisoned, just like the martial arts and literary masters. Even the group of upright and famous officials in the Renzong Dynasty were all respected by later generations, what big things did they do?

In just six or seven years (from the eighth year of Yuanyou to the present), Zhao Xu's era defeated Xixia, gaining all the important areas in Hengshan-Tiandu Mountain, forcing Xixia to seek peace and surrender, and regaining Qingtang for the second time, while also resisting the pressure from the Liao Kingdom.

In the original history, a series of diplomatic confrontations between the Song and Liao dynasties also prompted the Liao Kingdom to force the Queen Mother of Xiaoliang to death in Xixia, and in this time and space, it even allowed the Queen Mother of Xiaoliang to enter Kaifeng as a mass, which basically solved the border troubles of Xixia.

Such military victory may not be anything in the Han and Tang dynasties, but it is definitely remarkable in the Song Dynasty.

The reason why such a victory was actually very simple, that Zhao Xu chose the right prime minister and gave him full trust and support. He also supported Zhang Dun to suppress the power of the old party through severe means and formed a certain dictatorship.

Although such behavior was rated in later history books: the party membership has prospered and all gentlemen have been reprimanded, and the Song Dynasty has become worse.

However, "wartime dictatorship" is actually understandable. If the old party is not suppressed, but the traditional Song-style political means of "different theories are disturbed", the great victory on the Western Front will not be defeated no matter what.

The two parties of the new and old alone are enough to turn a great victory into a great defeat! Even if they barely win, they will compromise because of "fear of Liao" and lose their previous results. In order to suppress the Liao fear that broke out due to pressure from the Liao Kingdom after the "Pingxia City Victory", Zhang Dun adopted the means of "closing the way of speaking" and "encouraging informants", and even killed a drunk and nonsense (said that the Liao Kingdom was fighting).

It can be imagined that if Zhang Dun had not gained Zhao Xu's full trust and had no full authority, he was afraid that Liao's disease would definitely explode in the second year of Yuanfu. Even if he did not vomit all Hengshan and Tiandu Mountain, he would probably have to give Liao people more than 200,000 to 300,000 yuan for no reason...

In short, as a king, he chose a prime minister, and he also trusted him fully and gave him great power. In the end, he achieved the desired result, basically solving the Western Front War that plagued the Song Dynasty for decades. Now the initiative of the Song Dynasty was in the Song Dynasty. As long as the Song Dynasty did not choose to start a war, the Western Xia would be unable to provoke a new war.

Such a king was considered historically to be a foolish monarch who had ruined the politics of the Song Dynasty and laid hidden dangers for the demise of the Northern Song Dynasty. It was really unreasonable and quite ignorant.

Because the Song Dynasty was "open and clear" and not a republic of the void kings. And the essence of open and clear is still a special one, so there cannot be a foolish monarch! It is best to meet a wise monarch and a holy lord. If not, you can make do with a mediocre monarch, but there must be no foolish monarch.

Since the founding of the Song Dynasty, many mediocre lords have emerged, but the real tyrant lords have never appeared. This is why the "Enlightened and Specialized" in the Northern Song Dynasty has never been messed up.

On the seventh day of the first lunar month of the third year of Yuanfu, Zhao Xu, the official who worked hard for several days and had a cold, finally couldn't hold on and started a fever. He thought he was just a cold, but after a few days of rest, he didn't get any better. In the early morning of the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, around the Chou Times, Zhao Xu's condition suddenly worsened, and the low fever turned into a high fever, and he was also drowsy, as if something was wrong.

It seems that the ideal of living for another thirty years is impossible to realize!

In the Funing Palace, Zhao Xu, who was lying on the bed, only felt a little noisy in his ears. Perhaps the imperial physician and the internal officials were walking back and forth, and they were panicked.

"Zhang Dun! Zhang Dun! Come and come quickly Zhang Dun, Zeng Bu, Cai Bian, Cai Jing and others..."

He tried hard to shout the names of Prime Minister Zhang Dun and a group of important officials.

Zhao Xu, who had a premonition that he might not be able to stand up, wanted to meet most now, was his magistrate and important minister.

He just needs to say in front of the priests on the bed: "Send the throne to King Jian, respect the concubine of Shengduan Palace as the empress dowager, and the two empress dowagers will follow the court to rule."

Then there will be at least one mediocre king in the future of the Song Dynasty, and King Jian Zhao Si is a mediocre person with no sense of existence.

If the world is handed over to him, it would be impossible to restore Yan and pacify Liao. However, the people can get rest and the country can get peace. In the future, even if the barbarians rise to the Liao Dynasty, the Song Dynasty can still have vitality to resist. If it were Ji Yi, Wu Haogu and other young ministers could grow up at that time and would always fight another Chanyuan Alliance...

It seems that this is the only way!

...

"No, how can the palace gate open at night? And it will not be too late to summon it again until dawn!"

Empress Dowager Xiang, who rushed from Kunning Palace, issued an imperial edict to stop Zhao Xu's confidant eunuchs who were about to leave the palace to summon Prime Minister Zhang Dun and others.

"Empress, the official family is seriously ill and may be unexpected. It is customary to summon the assistant ministers and Hanlin scholars." Empress Liu, who was standing beside Zhao Xu, plucked up the courage to remind Empress Dowager Xiang.

Queen Mother Xiang did not get angry at all, but said kindly: "Old body is the old routine of Queen Mother Xun Guangxian! Now the official family suddenly gets sick, and it is not obvious what is going on. What you need to be careful not to be taken by a traitor, so the palace gate should not be opened at night."

Empress Dowager Guangxian was the Empress Cao of Renzong. When Renzong died of critical illness, he refused to open the palace gate at night.

"But, but..."

In the bedroom, Empress Liu suddenly lost her opinion. The official said she would fall down and she didn't even wait for the child in Princess Duan's belly to be adopted by him. If Princess Duan could give birth to a son and be the empress dowager who ruled the country from behind the curtain, then she would have to find Zhang Dun if she fought with Empress Dowager Xiang.

But now, it is not my turn to listen to the government either, whether it is Duan or Jian. If we fight against the Queen Mother Xiang for the sake of establishing whoever is not established, there will be no benefit in the future, and there will be no certainty in being punished.

"Then, I will listen to the Empress."

When Empress Liu said something, Empress Dowager Xiang was relieved.

Zhao Xu has been in charge of the capital for seven years! And the empress dowager, she, never before, had been in court. Even when Zhao Xu was young, Empress Dowager Gao was in charge of the affairs behind the curtain.

Therefore, she did not have absolute authority in the palace, especially after Zhao Xu deposed Empress Meng and appointed Empress Liu despite her opposition, Empress Dowager Xiang's authority was greatly damaged.

If Empress Liu joins the attack with Concubine Zhu from Shengduan Palace, she might be able to summon Zhang Dun and others into the palace. It would be hard to say who the emperor would do it to...

"Queen, don't worry, the official family is just covered in cold weather, maybe it's not a big deal. You should take good care of yourself, and you'll come when you're old."

After comforting Empress Liu, who was a little anxious, Empress Dowager Xiang went to the residence of Concubine Zhu, surrounded by a group of confidant eunuchs and palace maids. She had long expected Zhao Xu's intention to pass the throne to King Jian, and maybe she would leave a handwritten edict.

Judging from Empress Liu, the edict would probably not be in her hands, and would probably be kept in Concubine Zhu. Now, as long as you control Concubine Zhu, the overall situation should be decided.

At this moment, the inner east gate, which should have been closed, opened a crack, and Wu Haogu's brother-in-law Pan Xiao'an stood in the inner east gate with some silence.

A fat eunuch wearing a scarlet robe and a sable on his head was speaking with a famous saying, "Pan Gong, you have to listen to the empress dowager. Don't you know the empress dowager's intentions? That's for King Duan. What is the relationship between King Duan and you and your brother-in-law? If he becomes an official, you will go up. Even if the three yamen manage the army, it will only take a few years."

"Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager..."

Pan Xiao'an was taken out of the warm bed, and he is still confused now!

In fact, he was just acquiring a degree in the Gumensi, and he never expected to encounter such a big thing!

The government family is no longer able to do it, and Empress Dowager Xiang sent the most confidant Da Diao to win over... Why is this a little wrong? Is this going to change the palace? The government family will not "fake death", will they come back to life later?

"What's the matter?"

The fat eunuch, that is, Pang Kuan, who is in the East Gate Division, had already spoken in a deep voice: "You won't listen to the Queen Mother's words?"

How dare you?

Pan Xiao'an complained in his heart. Why was it his turn to be on duty at Neidong Gate tonight? On one hand, there was an official family with uncertain life and death, and on the other hand, the Queen Mother Xiang, who would not know when he would be in power.

If you take a wrong step, it will be a deep abyss!

"Then, then please ask the official Pang Da's order." Pan Xiao'an gritted his teeth and bowed to Pang Kuan.

In fact, he had no choice, because the person who came to him now was Pang Kuan, who represented Empress Dowager Xiang, and no one was looking for him on the other side. What else could he do if he followed Empress Dowager Xiang to have a chance?

"Okay!" Pang Kuan nodded, "You leave the palace immediately, go and gather some people to bring His Highness Duan into the palace. This is the empress dowager's hand decree, you have it done.

In addition, except for King Duan, no one can know that the government will not give it.”

This is to keep the funeral secret!

Pan Xiao'an already understood what was wrong! This was a palace change... The official must have left behind an edict to pass the throne to other princes, most of which was his mother, King Jian.

Empress Dowager Xiang was unwilling to let Concubine Zhu become Empress Dowager Zhu, and because she liked Prince Duan, she launched a palace transformation to support Prince Duan!
Chapter completed!