Chapter 70: Ascension

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Speaking of Zhao Yu, the Empress Dowager said: “Prince Shen is naturally benevolent and filial, endowed with both talent and virtue, wise and courageous; the late emperor and Your Majesty have both said so. Prince Shen bears the countenance of fortune and longevity, fit to be the sovereign of all under heaven.”

Song Shenzong and Zhao Xu are already dead; now, of course, the Empress Dowager can say whatever she wishes. If you don’t believe her, can you go to Song Shenzong and Zhao Xu to verify?

Zhang Dun led the others in agreement: “Your Majesty’s wisdom is unmatched.”

The Empress Dowager, representing the imperial house, and Zhang Dun, representing the ministers, had reached consensus.

What more needed to be said? Immediately draft the edict, appointing Zhao Yu as the new emperor.

Since Cai Jing wrote the best calligraphy among all present, everyone nominated him to draft the edict of Zhao Yu’s succession.

Due to the urgency, as Cai Jing drafted the edict, the chancellor-ministers stood by; Zhang Dun held the brush, Ceng Bu held the inkstone, and Cai Bian ground the ink.

Seeing the New Party so eagerly welcoming Zhao Yu’s succession, Han Zhongyan’s heart tightened. He thought: “Will the new monarch side with the New Party and launch a sweeping purge against our Yuanyou faction?”

But at this moment, everyone was busy preparing for Zhao Yu’s ascension—who had time to care what Han Zhongyan thought?

Cai Jing’s brush flew, his words radiating solemnity and authority; soon, the edict was complete.

Cai Jing gently blew on the ink to dry it, then handed it to the Empress Dowager for review.

The Empress Dowager took it, read it carefully, nodded in satisfaction, and said: “Prince Shen Zhao Yu, by Heaven’s mandate, inherits the past and opens the future. From this day forth, he ascends the throne as emperor. May our Great Song enjoy peace, prosperity, and eternal flourishing.”

The Empress Dowager’s words echoed through the hall, each syllable striking like a drumbeat upon the hearts of the ministers, sending ripples through them all.

Soon, Zhao Yu came to pay respects to the Empress Dowager and wept bitterly, refusing the throne.

Zhang Dun and Han Zhongyan hurried forward and dressed Zhao Yu in the imperial robe.

Zhao Yu firmly refused to accept the dragon robe, declaring he could not become emperor, then retreated into the inner chamber and sat upright upon the central chair.

The chancellors and imperial relatives rushed in after him and knelt upon the floor.

Zhang Dun fell to the ground weeping, leading the others in another bow, and said:

“The late emperor has passed; the realm is without a sovereign, and the hearts of all are in turmoil. Your Highness, if you do not act swiftly, you will later regret it. I beg Your Highness to consider the ancestral temples and the state, and swiftly ascend the throne, establish your rightful position, and stabilize the realm. The people stretch their necks in hope—please, Your Highness, heed our plea and yield to the will of the multitude. I, Zhang Dun, along with all ministers, dare to speak with utmost devotion, kneeling and bowing again.”

Hearing this, Zhao Yu rose from his seat and walked toward the outer hall, covering his face as tears streamed down, refusing to accept their request.

Zhao Yu stepped outside the hall,

where the assembled civil and military ministers, already gathered outside, all knelt and shouted in unison: “Long live! Long live!” Their voices thundered, shaking heaven and earth.

Zhao Yu, resolute in his will, again refused the imperial title, then returned to the hall and sent messengers out to tell everyone to return home.

Soon after, the Empress Dowager herself came to urge Zhao Yu to accept the throne.

Zhao Yu declined.

The Empress Dowager said: “If you refuse, you are unfilial.”

The performance ended; Zhao Yu “reluctantly” agreed to inherit the throne.

Upon learning Zhao Yu had consented to ascend as emperor, civil and military officials rejoiced.

The Empress Dowager ordered that Zhao Yu be taken to Fugong Palace to assume the throne, with the coronation ceremony to be scheduled later.

After Zhao Yu’s ascension, he followed precedent and issued a general amnesty:

“Our Great Song founded and preserved its rule, continuing a two-century legacy; dwelling at the center, we establish a realm spanning ten thousand li. Now, in my humble person, I inherit the sacred mandate. Ever mindful of the weight of succession, I tremble like ice in spring; ever aware of the hardship of rule, I fear as a fraying rope. Now, the borders remain unsettled, armies still mobilizing; thus, I extend a broad amnesty to soothe the hopes of near and far: I hereby grant a general pardon throughout the realm…”

This edict was also drafted by Cai Jing; its release stirred considerable public reaction.

Because the amnesty did not state that Zhao Yu’s succession came from Zhao Xu’s bequest, widespread criticism arose across the realm.

But Zhao Xu had no sons, and he died suddenly of illness; passing the throne to his younger brother was not unreasonable.

Yet, conversely, it was also true that Zhao Yu possessed no succession edict from Zhao Xu; for contemporaries to seize upon this point was not unreasonable either.

In short, all sectors of society closely watched the political shifts, every new development, wondering whether Zhao Yu could truly hold onto the throne.

Zhao Yu responded with remarkable composure.

The moment he ascended, Zhao Yu led civil and military ministers in petitioning the Empress Dowager to preside over governance from behind the curtain, affirming his legitimacy.

What is legitimacy?

Simply put: Li Shimin launched the Xuanwu Gate Incident, killing his two brothers, Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji. Why didn’t he kill Li Yuan as well—wouldn’t that have been easier?

He did not spare Li Yuan out of mercy, but because Li Shimin needed legitimacy to become emperor.

And only Li Yuan could grant Li Shimin that legitimacy.

So Li Shimin forced Li Yuan to write a decree of abdication, ceding the throne to him.

Thus, Li Shimin gained legitimacy.

The throne was not seized—it was bestowed by my father.

Such things occurred often in history.

Cao Pi, Wang Mang, Zhao Kuangyin, Zhu Di—all had done the same.

One could say: any feudal dynasty’s founding—or any man’s ascension to the throne—requires legitimacy, even if it is merely a facade.

“Heaven’s Mandate,” “the people’s will”—there must be some justification, some credible veneer.

But because Zhao Xu refused to cooperate, Zhao Yu never obtained a succession edict from the previous emperor.

This left a flaw in Zhao Yu’s legitimacy.

The matter was not large, yet neither was it trivial.

To resolve this problem, Zhao Yu fully heeded the counsel of Zhang Dun and other chancellors: he lavishly praised Zhao Xu’s contributions to the Zhao Song dynasty, emphasized how suddenly Zhao Xu had died, declared he was inheriting his brother’s throne, and then requested the Empress Dowager—the most legitimate and highest-ranking figure, widow of Song Shenzong and his own stepmother—to preside over governance from behind the curtain, thereby strengthening his legitimacy.

The Empress Dowager readily agreed to preside over governance.

Yet, to everyone’s astonishment, after only three days of regency, the Empress Dowager voluntarily returned power to Zhao Yu.

Zhao Yu pleaded with her repeatedly to stay, but she firmly insisted: placing the Zhao Song dynasty in Zhao Yu’s hands, she felt at ease, and resolved to retire behind the scenes.

Seeing this, Zhao Yu had no choice but to become the true emperor of Zhao Song, beginning his reign.

To the great relief of the court, Zhao Yu, upon becoming emperor, made almost no changes to Zhao Xu’s officials. He merely promoted Cai Jing to Grand Master of the Gate and Vice Minister of the Gate, making him one of the chancellors; promoted his future father-in-law, the famed Northern Song general Guo Cheng, to Grand Commandant and Commander of the Imperial Guards; promoted Huang Jingchen to Director of the Imperial Household; sent Tong Guan and Wang Bin to the Command of the Imperial Guards; transferred Zong Ze to the Court to serve in the Command of the Imperial Cavalry; transferred Zhang Shuye to the Court to serve in the Command of the Imperial Infantry; and assigned Li Yan to take charge of the Imperial City Surveillance.

In short, at the outset of his reign, Zhao Yu made no major moves.

Notably, some ministers advised that to uphold the legitimacy and authority of Zhao Yu’s rule, he must strictly observe mourning rites.

One such rule: within twenty-seven months, no grand wedding should be held…

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(End of Chapter)