Chapter 275: Zhao Yu: My Son Has Made Something of Himself

…

Zhao Yu had already spoken plainly: among the fourteen of us brothers, eleven are dead, only the three of us remain. If the three of us must love each other and support one another, then if Zhao Ji wants to sit the imperial examinations, how could Zhao Yu possibly refuse?

Besides, the new laws governing imperial princes and the imperial clan were pushed through by Zhao Yu himself; he can't very well slap his own face and bar Zhao Ji from the examinations, can he?

So, when Zhao Ji expressed his wish to sit the imperial examinations, Zhao Yu agreed readily enough.

But after Zhao Ji left, Zhao Yu could not help but knit his brow. Zhao Yu had agreed readily, but that did not mean he had no guard up against Zhao Ji.

Zhao Ji was already a Prince of the Blood — beneath one man, above ten thousand — and yet he still wanted to sit the examinations. What on earth was he after?

'Rack up reputation, and bide his time to snatch my throne?'

Beyond that reason, the only other thing Zhao Yu could think of was that Zhao Ji hoped to be taken into Zhao Yu's service.

Yet no matter which it was, Zhao Yu certainly could not let Zhao Ji have his way.

Take the former first.

Because Zhao Ji is the Song Huizong of history, Zhao Yu will never truly set his mind at ease about him — no matter what he does, even if he saved Zhao Yu's life, especially while Zhao Yu's son is still young.

When a young lion defeats a lion king and takes over his pride, the first thing he does is bite all the lion king's cubs to death.

Before his transmigration, Zhao Yu watched Animal World quite often.

And then there is the fact that Zhao Yu absolutely cannot allow Zhao Ji to twist the history he had worked so hard to change back toward the Jingkang Humiliation.

One must remember that the chief culprits behind the Jingkang Humiliation, Zhao Ji and Zhao Huan, are both still alive — it really is not impossible.

So Zhao Yu must certainly keep Zhao Ji under tight guard.

As for the latter?

Even if Zhao Ji truly yearned for Zhao Yu's favor, that ambition of his could not be lightly indulged.

Zhao Yu knew well that once the tree of power is planted, its roots spread silently until they reach the very foundation of imperial authority.

The key point: if Zhao Ji used this as a springboard to scheme for greater power, it could become a situation too big to rein in.

Even more critical: should anything happen to Zhao Yu, Zhao Ji might well vie with Zhao Yu's son for the throne.

So Zhao Yu certainly would not feel easy about Zhao Ji.

This must be what it means to think like an emperor.

Trusting no one.

Destined to be a lonely man.

Zhang Chun, upon hearing that Zhao Ji also wanted to sit the examinations, offered Zhao Yu a strategy of pulling the firewood out from under the cauldron.

……

A few days later, several censors heard that Zhao Ji intended to sit this session's examinations, and they hastened to remonstrate with Zhao Yu, saying that imperial princes and members of the imperial clan sitting the examinations smacked of competing with the scholars of the realm for advantage; and further, that imperial princes and clan members already had special channels into office — why then snatch the chance from candidates who had toiled at their studies?

Zhao Yu, 'helpless under the circumstances,' could only decree: any imperial prince or clan member sitting the examinations must first 'relinquish their title,' and take the exams as an ordinary candidate.

This was also reasonable — after all, imperial princes and clan members had their own special paths into office; by virtue of their noble status alone they could enter government and be appointed to posts.

In other words, the new laws governing imperial princes and the imperial clan stipulated that imperial princes, clan members, and others as members of the imperial house would obtain titles through grace-bestowal or examination-bestowal (that is, by studying at the Imperial Academy or the Military Academy), and thereby enter officialdom and hold important posts. Moreover, from childhood they received strict royal education, and the direction and goal of their training differed from that of officials who entered through the examinations.

Under such circumstances, they truly had absolutely no need to sit the examinations.

Yet there were always those who liked to make trouble where none existed — what could Zhao Yu do? He could only meet each move as it came.

Faced with this sudden turn, Zhao Ji could only choose between remaining a Prince of the Blood and sitting the examinations.

To be honest, Zhao Yu was quite curious what Zhao Ji would choose: 'I wonder whether Zhao Ji will back off now, fall into a decline, and settle for being an obedient Prince of the Blood?'

What choice Zhao Ji would make also became a hot topic of discussion inside and outside Dongjing Bianliang.

For the vast majority of people, there was no need to mention a princely title — any title at all meant power, status, and boundless wealth and honor.

The path of the examinations, by contrast, was full of unknowns and challenges.

Many people could not fathom it: Zhao Ji was already a Prince of the Blood, so why did he want to sit the examinations? Was he ill?

Of course, there were also those who understood Zhao Ji, feeling he was a prince with dreams and even with ambition, and so they supported him in giving up his princely title to sit the examinations.

Some even took to betting on the matter. Reportedly, the odds against Zhao Ji giving up his princely title ran as high as nineteen to one.

Li Yan, Yang Jian, and Yuweng Xuzhong had all reported to Zhao Yu that Zhao Huan had come home specially from the Imperial Academy to urge Zhao Ji not to act rashly — he absolutely must not give up his princely title.

Yang Jian also vividly described to Zhao Yu how Zhao Huan had cried like a fountain of tears, only to be roundly cursed by Zhao Ji as useless, who said: 'I have no son like you.'

Zhao Huan's frantic efforts to stop Zhao Ji from giving up his princely title were understandable.

After all, so long as Zhao Ji did not give up his princely title, once Zhao Ji passed on, Zhao Huan would assuredly inherit a Hereditary Prince title; even by the time it passed to Zhao Huan's son, his family would still hold a Commandery Prince title.

But once Zhao Ji gave up his princely title, Zhao Huan and his descendants might all have to fend for themselves.

It was as if the family had a mountain of gold waiting for Zhao Huan to inherit, and suddenly the head of the household, Zhao Ji, wanted to donate the mountain of gold and go off to learn a trade and set up a stall — naturally Zhao Huan would be hopping mad.

In short, people everywhere were speculating whether Zhao Ji would, for the sake of his examination dream, resolutely give up that princely title of being beneath one man and above ten thousand.

Zhao Ji did not keep Zhao Yu and the world waiting long.

Before the registration deadline for the prefectural-level examination, whether out of confidence in his own talent, or because long-suppressed ambition had gotten the better of him, or simply because he did not wish to be looked down upon by the world —

In the end, amid Zhao Huan's tearful and earnest remonstrances, Zhao Ji resolutely and decisively gave up his princely title, set foot upon the path of the examinations, and chose, as an ordinary candidate, to stake everything on one throw.

Zhao Ji's decision, like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, instantly stirred up a great storm inside and outside Dongjing Bianliang.

There were those who praised Zhao Ji;

There were also those who cursed him as reckless, even as a fool;

But most people were simply preparing to watch the show.

Upon learning of Zhao Ji's choice, Zhao Yu was secretly astonished as well. He was surprised that Zhao Ji truly possessed such boldness — daring to cast aside the wealth and honor that should have been his, in pursuit of those elusive examination laurels; yet he also felt a faint unease, worrying that if Zhao Ji truly rose to prominence with the momentum of one who had burned his boats, he might well cause trouble in the future.