Chapter 117: Against One's Will

"Emperor Shenzong had fourteen sons in total, of whom only six are still living. The imperial succession of our sacred dynasty has not been flourishing; the late Emperor Renzong had no heirs, and Emperor Yingzong was adopted by Renzong as his son. Yingzong sired Shenzong, and the current Holy Majesty is the sixth son of Emperor Shenzong, while Prince Duan is the eleventh son..." He Zhizhong spoke slowly to Li Sanjian.

Of Emperor Shenzong's fourteen sons, only six currently survive: the Emperor Zhao Xu, Prince Mu Zhao Pi, Prince Duan Zhao Ji, Prince Yan Zhao Yu, Prince Xian Zhao Si, and Prince Yue Zhao Si. Among them, Prince Mu Zhao Pi is the eldest after the Emperor himself, being Shenzong's ninth son, while Prince Xian Zhao Si was born to the Noble Consort Zhu and is the full brother of Emperor Zhao Xu.

Until now, Li Sanjian did not understand why He Zhizhong was discussing this with him, yet he found it quite intriguing.

"Imperial succession not flourishing?" Li Sanjian mused to himself. "Does He Zhizhong mean that while many are born, few survive?"

Shenzong had fourteen sons, which, by any reasonable measure, was not a small number, yet only six remained. In this era, medical standards were backward and infant mortality rates were high. This was true for commoners, and the imperial family was no exception. Thus, whether for the Emperor or the common people, to ensure the continuation of the lineage, the strategy was essentially to seek an advantage through sheer numbers—give birth to eighty or a hundred, and surely some would survive.

The same was true for Li Sanjian's own family; his mother, Lady Fu, had given birth to three sons, and only Li Sanjian had survived.

"The ancestral laws of our sacred dynasty dictate that the father's throne passes to the son, yet there have been instances of the elder brother passing it to the younger brother; our current dynasty's Emperor Taizong is a case in point," He Zhizhong continued.

"Emperor Taizong?" Li Sanjian pondered the name.

During his time at Prince Duan's estate, Li Sanjian had read many history books and even some unofficial chronicles, granting him a degree of understanding of history, particularly the Song dynasty. Unofficial records claimed that Zhao Kuangyin died at the hands of Zhao Guangyi, a tale famously referred to as "the sound of the axe and the shadow of the candle." Official records, however, spoke of the "Covenant of the Golden Coffer," which formalized the succession from brother to brother. It was said that before the Empress Dowager Du, mother of Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Guangyi, passed away, she summoned Zhao Pu to record her dying wish: that the throne should pass to her younger son, Zhao Guangyi, after the Emperor’s death. This testament was kept in a golden coffer, hence the name.

Whether it was the "Covenant of the Golden Coffer" or "the sound of the axe and the shadow of the candle," it was impossible to discern at this point; no one could say for certain.

Given the Song dynasty's policy of strict internal security, it was unlikely that Emperor Taizong had usurped the throne by fratricide. After studying this period, Li Sanjian privately speculated that Emperor Taizu likely intended to pass the throne to his brother initially—after all, Zhao Guangyi had been instrumental in helping Zhao Kuangyin seize the empire from the Chai family. However, as his reign lengthened, he likely came to regret this, wishing instead to pass the throne to his own sons. Yet, just as he was stripping his brother of power and preparing to secure the succession for his children, he was struck by a sudden, fatal illness. At that moment, his own heirs were too young and weak to challenge Zhao Guangyi, and the throne fell into the latter's hands.

Regardless, it was from the time of Emperor Taizong that the precedent of succession from brother to brother was established.

As He Zhizhong brought this up, Li Sanjian began to understand the situation. That Emperor Zhao Xu was childless was common knowledge. Having lived in Kaifeng for nearly a year, Li Sanjian would have been woefully ignorant not to know.

Zhao Xu was childless and frail. If this did not change, the direct issue would be the imperial succession. Following the precedent of the Song, the successor would likely be chosen from among the remaining sons of Shenzong. Yesterday, Li Sanjian’s scheme had allowed Zhao Ji to avoid an awkward predicament and even maintained his opportunity to compete for the throne. In that sense, Li Sanjian had performed a great service, and he could not help but feel a swell of pride.

Yet, why had He Zhizhong suggested that his actions had hindered Zhao Ji? Li Sanjian was puzzled, but instead of asking that, he inquired, "The current Majesty is in the prime of his youth; surely the situation of having no... sons might change? Furthermore..."

Finding some words difficult to utter, he trailed off.

He Zhizhong smiled slightly, gestured to the tea on the table, and said, "No hurry. Sit and have some tea. What is it you wish to say? Take your time. Today's conversation is known only to Heaven, Earth, you, and me. No third person shall ever know."

That was more like it. Li Sanjian thought to himself that he had already suffered from speaking out of turn, but having consumed some wine today, he felt emboldened. "As the sages say, without rules, one cannot establish order. To abandon the system of father to son and adopt the practice of brother to brother is truly the path to chaos in ancient times. Though the current Majesty has no heirs for now, who can say this will not change? Moreover, even if he remains childless, one could emulate the ancestors and choose an heir from among the clan. Only then can our sacred dynasty ensure long-term stability and keep the Great Song peaceful and prosperous."

If the elder brother died and the succession passed to the younger brother, the rules would be broken. Any royal kinsman could claim the right to the throne, leading to infighting and national turmoil—and in the end, it would be the common people who suffered. Though Li Sanjian held no grand ambitions for the nation, his humble origins made him loathe the prospect of such chaos.

He Zhizhong stared at Li Sanjian in shock. He had never expected such insight from a mere youth of seventeen or eighteen. Li Sanjian was correct; abandoning the established order of succession was indeed a recipe for disaster. How many palace intrigues and fratricidal wars had been born of such instability?

"Master Li is truly a loyal subject of our sacred dynasty," a voice said as Prince Duan Zhao Ji walked in from outside. "To be so deeply concerned for the future of the Great Song is truly commendable."

*How am I 'deeply concerned' for your Zhao family empire?* Li Sanjian thought to himself. *I am merely afraid that your squabbling will ruin the world and bring disaster upon the people, and that a family as humble as mine will be caught in the crossfire.*

A loyal subject? Li Sanjian was not even an official; at best, he was a loyal commoner.

"Greetings, Your Highness. I was merely babbling; I hope for your forgiveness," Li Sanjian said, bowing quickly despite his internal reservations.

"Oh, Sanlang," Zhao Ji said, waving his hand with a smile. "I have already said that you and I are brothers—brothers who can talk about anything. Since that is the case, speak your mind. I will never blame you."

"Many thanks, Your Highness," Li Sanjian replied, feeling touched.

"Don't thank me just yet," Zhao Ji continued. "What I want to say is that your previous words were both right and wrong."

Li Sanjian nodded. "How so, Your Highness?"

Zhao Ji looked at He Zhizhong, who understood and stepped in: "Let me explain the Prince's meaning. When the late Emperor Renzong was childless, he adopted a son from the clan who succeeded him as Emperor Yingzong, allowing our dynasty's lineage to continue. But the situation then was that Emperor Renzong was the only surviving son of Emperor Zhenzong; he had no brothers. More importantly, Renzong was a ruler of great virtue whom the world respected, and he was a ruler who maintained the status quo. Thus, there was no need for a brother-to-brother succession. Today is different. The current Majesty is frail, and in several years, he has had only one son, who passed away in infancy. We have consulted many physicians, who say the chance of the Emperor having more children is slim. Most importantly, Emperor Shenzong still has five sons, all with healthy mothers and strong constitutions. How can we allow the imperial power to slip away? Li Hanyin, do you understand?"

Li Sanjian nodded and fell silent. He Zhizhong’s point was clear: the key was the mothers' strength and the sons' health. Naturally, a mother would want her own child to inherit the throne, leaving no room for other clansmen.

"I have just turned eighteen this year," Zhao Ji said after a long pause. "I do not wish to live my life in a daze. Hanyin, are you willing to assist me?"

The struggle for the throne was like this: advance and live, retreat and die. If Zhao Ji failed, his life might be spared, but he would be kept in confinement like a pig for the rest of his days. That was something neither Zhao Ji nor Li Sanjian could bear to imagine.

Li Sanjian was at a loss for how to answer. The struggle for the throne was so perilous—what use was a failed scholar like him? He wondered if Zhao Ji was treating him as cannon fodder—a pawn that could be discarded to save the king.

However, Zhao Ji had been kind to him, and he could not bring himself to refuse. The situation had reached this point; there was no turning back. To advance was to face death, but to retreat was also to face death. Perhaps it was better to gamble and seek victory in the midst of danger.

Realizing this, Li Sanjian bowed deeply. "I am willing to follow Your Highness and offer my humble service."

"Ha-ha!" Zhao Ji was overjoyed by the swift agreement. "With Hanyin's help, the great task can be accomplished!"

*Am I really that important?* Li Sanjian wondered, filled with doubt. He had only wanted to pass the civil service exams to secure a future for his mother, yet he had been swept into the struggle for the Song throne. The path ahead would be fraught with danger. He sighed, wishing he could just take his mother and leave the capital to return to Qiongtai and sell seafood.