Chapter 115

Three Kingdoms plane.

Liu Bei said hatefully: "The dim-witted ruler and the treacherous official are in cahoots!"

"This Qin Hui is Zhao Gou's accomplice and one of the culprits who killed Yue Fei. These two should stink for ten thousand years and never be reincarnated."

Zhuge Liang said: "If the ruler does not follow the right path, the subjects will surely follow the evil."

"Since Zhao Gou set the national policy of seeking temporary ease and peace, treacherous officials like Qin Hui who are good at executing this policy and can take the blame for him are naturally favored."

"It's just that this 'risk control' prevented the northern expedition and the return of the two emperors, but it couldn't prevent the hearts of the people from scattering, couldn't prevent the national power from declining day by day, and ultimately couldn't prevent the Mongol cavalry. How short-sighted, how stupid!"

Southern Song, Shaoxing era.

Lin'an Imperial Palace, Deshou Palace.

Emperor Gaozong of Song, Zhao Gou, who had already abdicated to become the Retired Emperor and was enjoying his later years, was enjoying singing and dancing, savoring the new tea contributed by the south, feeling satisfied.

He felt that although his life had some twists and turns, he ultimately preserved half the country, abdicated safely, and his son was obedient. His later years were wealthy and happy, much better than his unfortunate father and brother (Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qinzong).

He was simply a model of turning the tide in adversity and having a good beginning and end.

Suddenly, the celestial screen descended again.

When he saw "The Fourth Place on the Top Ten List of Dim-witted Emperors — Emperor Gaozong of Song, Zhao Gou," the satisfied smile on Zhao Gou's face froze instantly, and the teacup in his hand fell to the ground with a "clatter," shattering into pieces.

"Wh... what?!"

Zhao Gou stood up suddenly, shocked and angry,

"I... how could I be a dim-witted emperor? I preserved half the country of the Great Song, I ended the war, I let the people rest and recuperate, I... I am the monarch of restoration! This celestial screen is talking nonsense!"

However, the subsequent content of the celestial screen hit his heart like heavy hammers.

"Runaway Emperor... calculating... sober selfishness... Wanyan Gou..."

Every word was like a poisoned dagger, precisely piercing the darkest, most secret, and most unwilling-to-admit darkness deep in his heart.

His face turned from red to white, and from white to green.

"Unjustly killing Yue Fei... twelve golden plaques... Mo Xu You... Fengbo Pavilion..."

Seeing the scene of Yue Fei and his son dying unjustly, especially the three words "Mo Xu You," Zhao Gou's body swayed.

This matter was now exposed to the public by the celestial screen, accompanied by such tragic scenes and the accusations of the people of the world.

He felt as if Yue Fei's wronged soul was right in front of him, and countless angry gazes pierced through his body.

"Shaoxing Peace Treaty... declaring himself a subject to Jin... ceding land and paying tribute... Best Party B of the Year..."

The content of that humiliating treaty was made public again, and labeled as a "traitorous contract."

Zhao Gou's face burned, as if he were being stripped naked and whipped in public.

This was the scar he least wanted to mention.

"Favoring Qin Hui... iron curtain of surrender... Chief Risk Officer..."

Seeing the scene of Qin Hui monopolizing power and suppressing the pro-war faction, and seeing the sharp mockery of the netizens, Zhao Gou opened his mouth, wanting to defend himself, saying Qin Hui was a capable official, saying seeking peace was for the people...

But these words appeared so pale and weak in the face of the iron-clad facts displayed by the celestial screen and the overwhelming public opinion of the world.

He wanted to roar, to curse, to accuse the celestial screen like the previous ones.

But looking at the incredibly clear scenes on the celestial screen and listening to those incredibly sharp comments, especially the infamy "Wanyan Gou" that he would carry for ten thousand generations, all his courage and excuses disappeared without a trace.

Only boundless fear, shame, and... a despair of being completely seen through and nailed to the pillar of historical shame remained.

He seemed to have already seen how history books would record him and how later generations would curse him.

Would his statue really be kneeling somewhere with Qin Hui, suffering the trampling of ten thousand people...

"No... no..."

Zhao Gou covered his face, letting out a low moan like a wounded beast.

The peace of his later years that he had carefully constructed and the "achievements" he thought he had were torn to pieces by the celestial screen at this moment, leaving only a mess and eternal infamy.

Southern Song, among the people.

On the streets of Lin'an, in wine shops and teahouses, countless commoners and scholars secretly looked at the celestial screen.

When they saw "Unjustly killing Yue Fei," "Shaoxing Peace Treaty," and "Favoring Qin Hui," the anger that had been suppressed for decades erupted like a volcano.

"It's Marshal Yue, he really was killed by the Emperor and Qin Hui!"

"Twelve golden plaques... Mo Xu You... Fengbo Pavilion... Heaven is clear!"

"Declaring himself a subject and paying tribute to the Jin people... the taxes we pay every year are all sent to the Jin people!"

"Qin Hui, that treacherous villain! And that dim-witted emperor! Bah!"

"Wanyan Gou... well called! He is just a dog of the Jin people!"

"Chief Risk Officer? Preventing northern expeditions? Preventing the two emperors? Why didn't he prevent the Jin people from attacking?"

"Our emperor is a 'Runaway Emperor,' a 'Wanyan Gou'..."

The discussion grew louder and angrier.

Many people remembered the grief and indignation when they heard the news of Yue Fei's death, the pain of their relatives in the north being trapped, and the heavy burden of annual tribute...

It turned out the source of all this was that selfish and cold-blooded Retired Emperor in the palace.

What restoration, what peace—all were built on the blood and tears of loyal officials and humiliating treaties.

Lin'an City appeared as prosperous as ever, but a surging undercurrent was already swelling among the people.

The infamy of Zhao Gou and Qin Hui was completely confirmed by this celestial screen and could never be washed away.

And the nickname "Wanyan Gou" would surely accompany the history of the Song Dynasty's humiliation and spread for ten thousand years.

【Zhao Gou's actions set the tone for the Southern Song Dynasty's national policy of "lingering in a corner and seeking temporary survival."

From then on, "Northern Expedition" became a political forbidden zone, the pro-war faction was marginalized, and the entire country lost its blood and ambition to recover the Central Plains.

Although the Southern Song was economically wealthy, it permanently became a "lame giant" in spirit.】

【Netizen divine comment: He locked the "graphics card" of the Southern Song, and from then on, it could only run the "Lin'an Simulator" and could no longer handle "Central Plains 3A masterpieces."】

【Summary: Emperor Gaozong of Song, Zhao Gou, was a "professional manager" who reached the extreme in the position of "Emperor."

His KPI had only one item: preserve his own position.

As for national dignity, national righteousness, and the hatred of his father and brother, they were all bargaining chips that could be traded.

He used Yue Fei's blood to dye his imperial throne red; he used humiliating peace treaties to exchange for his personal comfort.】

【There are many dim-witted emperors in history, but one like Zhao Gou, who is smart yet cold-blooded, sober yet base, is truly rare.

He was not a muddled fool, but an exquisite egoist, which instead made his "dim-wittedness" appear even more shameful and even more lamentable.

He is well-deserving of the name "Wanyan Gou."】

The celestial screen gave its final, cold summary.

In the scene, there was a contrast between Zhao Gou's later years in Deshou Palace, where he lived in constant fear, and the Yue Wang Temple in the north, where incense was flourishing and he was revered by ten thousand people.

Zhao Gou heard the summary and saw the contrast, finally collapsing completely, lying limp on the luxurious throne of the Retired Emperor, his eyes dull, like an empty shell from which the soul had been extracted.

He knew he was finished.

Not only in the present, but in history, and in the eyes of everyone in all the heavens and myriad dynasties, he was finished.

The three words "Wanyan Gou" would be the label he could never tear off, the nightmare he could never escape for all eternity.

And the fourth place on the list of dim-witted emperors, Emperor Gaozong of Song, Zhao Gou, left the most complex and most shameful mark on the list with his extreme shrewdness, sober cold-bloodedness, and base selfishness.

The founding emperor of the Great Song, Zhao Kuangyin, slowly woke up under the rescue of the imperial physicians.

He stared fixedly at the three words "Wanyan Gou" on the celestial screen, his eyes filled with monstrous hatred and determination.

Zhao Kuangyin said in a hoarse voice to Zhao Guangyi, who was guarding by his side, to the ancestors in the void, and even more to the will of heaven in the dark, swearing an oath:

"Zhao Gou... this scoundrel is not worthy of the surname Zhao, not worthy of being a descendant of my Zhao family!"

"Guangyi, you listen to me, and I ask the heavens and myriad dynasties to bear witness. I, Zhao Kuangyin, hereby swear that I will thoroughly investigate the genealogy. If this Zhao Gou is of my direct lineage, I... I would rather cut off this lineage!"

"I must cut off the possibility of such a degenerate being born from the root!"

"My Great Song would rather perish at the hands of external enemies than perish at the hands of such a beast who forgets his origins, is cold-blooded and selfish! Let heaven and earth bear witness to this oath!!"

Although the voice was weak, it was resolute, carrying endless blood, tears, and grief, echoing in the palace.

There were only the last three places left on the list of dim-witted emperors.

Emperors of all dynasties wanted to know, how dim-witted were the top three on this list?