Chapter 56

960 AD, Song Dynasty, Kaifeng Prefecture.

Zhao Kuangyin sat on the dragon throne, holding a memorial in his hand, but he hadn't taken in a single word.

He was waiting, waiting for that Sky Screen to appear again.

He watched with his own eyes as that barbarian Kublai Khan was ranked and even blessed by the immortal, almost fainting from anger.

Why? A Mongol, also worthy of being called the Greatest Emperor?

I, Zhao Kuangyin, ended the chaotic times of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms and founded the Great Song; am I not as good as a barbarian?

Just at this moment, the Sky Screen appeared again.

On the Sky Screen, golden light slowly condensed, turning into several ancient large characters:

【Today's Ranking of the Ten Greatest Emperors in History - Ninth Place】

Zhao Kuangyin held his breath.

The characters dissipated, and the scene appeared:

A military camp, banners fluttering, a baby in swaddling clothes lying in a military tent, surrounded by red light, exotic fragrance permeating. Below the scene, a line of small characters appeared:

【Song Taizu - Zhao Kuangyin】

Zhao Kuangyin: "!!!"

He sprang up from the dragon throne, eyes wide, staring fixedly at the Sky Screen.

It's me! I'm ranked! Ninth place of the Greatest Emperors!

Although only ninth, but... but it's still better than that barbarian!

His chest heaved violently, his hands shaking with excitement.

And the voice on the Sky Screen sounded again:

【Dear audience, welcome back to the "Ten Greatest Emperors of China" ranking scene! Last time we talked about that grassland "mixed-blood honor student" Kublai Khan, and the bullet chat area was so fierce.】

【The ninth place we are ranking today can be said to be the one with the least controversy on this list, but also the one that makes people feel the most "regretful."】

【He is the tough guy who ended the chaotic times of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, and also the startup CEO who set the tone of "peace and development" for the Great Song's three hundred years. But at the same time, he is also the originator of the later generations' roast of "valuing literature over martial arts." He is - Song Taizu, Zhao Kuangyin!】

Zhao Kuangyin listened, his expression complex.

Startup CEO? This immortal's speech is truly strange.

Originator of valuing literature over martial arts? This... where does this come from?

Before he could figure it out, bullet chats started floating on the Sky Screen again:

【Ying Zheng (Qin Shi Huang): @Zhao Kuangyin, I see your speed of unification is okay, why did you release military power so easily? I collected the weapons of the world to cast golden men back then, and I wasn't as cowardly as you. Your Great Song is soft from the roots!】

Zhao Kuangyin's face stiffened.

Qin Shi Huang? That tyrant who burned books and buried scholars, also worthy of accusing me?

I released military power over wine to stabilize the country, to prevent warlordism, so the people wouldn't suffer from war! What do you know!

Immediately after:

【Liu Bang (Han Taizu): That's right! I also had the White Horse Alliance back then, and I didn't say let the generals go home to count money. You are cutting off your own arms, aren't you? Later descendants being rubbed against the ground, you take the big pot!】

Zhao Kuangyin's mouth twitched.

Liu Bang? That street rascal who got the world by luck, also worthy of talking about me?

White Horse Alliance? That was your Liu family making an alliance with meritorious officials to keep the empire; can it be the same as my releasing military power over wine?

【Liu Che (Han Wu Di): Hmph, the glory of sealing the wolf at Juxu turned into "tribute" diplomacy with you? Zhao Da, is this "Greatest Emperor" of yours a gift for topping up your phone bill?】

Zhao Kuangyin: "???"

Gift for topping up? What does that mean? Tribute diplomacy?

What is that again? When did my Great Song pay tribute to others?!

He was about to erupt when the scene on the Sky Screen changed, beginning to introduce his life:

【Early Career: From "Fragrant Child" to "Zhao the Big Black Fatty"】

【Zhao Kuangyin was born in 927 AD (Later Tang Tiancheng Year 2). He is the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty. His ancestral home is Zhuozhou, Hebei, but he was born in a military camp in Jiamaying, Luoyang, Henan.】

【Speaking of the scene of his birth, it was "full of special effects." According to the "History of Song," at that time, "red light circled the room, exotic fragrance lasted for days," which is to say, there was red light in the room, and the courtyard was fragrant for three days, so he had the nickname "Fragrant Child" since he was little.】

Zhao Kuangyin's face cleared slightly. Fragrant Child... this nickname is quite intimate.

【However, looking at the portraits passed down, this gentleman grew up to be a dark-skinned, sturdy fatty, so netizens affectionately gave him another nickname - "Zhao the Big Black Fatty."】

Zhao Kuangyin: "..."

Black fatty? I... I am just sturdy! Sturdy, understand?!

This immortal actually teases me like this!

【How was Zhao Kuangyin's family background? A proper military officer's son. His father, Zhao Hongyin, was a general of the Later Tang imperial guards, equivalent to a cadre in the central security regiment.】

【Zhao Kuangyin grew up in the military camp. Other children played with mud, but he played with troop formations; he belonged to the type of "other people's children" who could fight the best.】

Zhao Kuangyin nodded slightly.

This is true; he practiced martial arts since childhood, was skilled in archery and horsemanship, and few could get close to him.】

【His mother, Lady Du, saw him dancing with knives and guns all day, fearing he would become illiterate, so she forced him to study in a private school, specifically sending him to his grandfather's house to study under the learned scholar Xin Wenyue.】

【So Zhao Kuangyin's education was a "mixed doubles of literature and martial arts" - reciting "Analects" in the classroom while practicing horse riding on the playground.】

【He had amazing strength; once he rode a fierce horse without a bridle, and his head hit the city gate tower and he fell off. The onlookers were ready to call 120, but he climbed up, patted off the dirt, chased the horse, and ran away.】

Zhao Kuangyin's old face flushed red.

This matter... how did the immortal know about this too?

He was indeed reckless in his youth, but that was just youthful vigor!

On the Sky Screen, bullet chats floated up again:

【Li Shimin (Tang Taizong): I already wrote the four words "take history as a mirror," why don't you look at it? But having said that, I admire your ancestral instruction of not killing scholar-officials. Scholars are always better than generals rebelling, but if it goes too far, it's overcorrecting.】

Zhao Kuangyin felt a little better seeing this.

Tang Taizong Li Shimin, a generation of wise monarchs, being able to appreciate his ancestral instruction shows he did the right thing.

Not killing scholar-officials, letting scholars dare to speak, this is the foundation he set for the Great Song.

However, the Sky Screen soon got to the point:

【In his youth, Zhao Kuangyin caught up with chaotic times. To help his family reduce the burden, he resolutely left home at 21 and began a wandering life of "wandering the world with a sword."】

【This experience allowed him to see the suffering of the people and also meet a group of good brothers, such as Chai Rong (Later Zhou Shizong) and Zheng En (Zheng Ziming) with whom he later became sworn brothers.】

【Zhao Kuangyin's career is simply a workplace promotion record. After joining the army, he served under Guo Wei, later followed Chai Rong, and because he didn't fear death in battle and had a good brain, he climbed from a bottom-level soldier to the high position of Dianqian Dudianjian.】

Zhao Kuangyin looked at his young self in the scene, high-spirited, wandering the world with a sword, and couldn't help but hook the corner of his mouth into a smile.

Those years were indeed happy and vengeful.

【In 960 AD, the opportunity came. Northern Han and Khitan joined forces to go south, and the young emperor Chai Zongxun (only 7 years old) sent Zhao Kuangyin to lead troops to resist.】

【The army walked to Chenqiao Station; these brothers felt there was no future following a little brat, so they discussed it and directly put a yellow robe on Zhao Kuangyin who was taking a nap, kneeling and shouting "Long live."】