Was the Chenqiao Mutiny Planned in Advance? How Did Zhao Kuangyin Die?

[Was the Chenqiao Mutiny planned in advance? How did Zhao Kuangyin die? #history #Great Song]

"Zhao Kuangyin? Emperor Taizu of Song from a later era!"

"Why ask how Zhao Kuangyin died? Was his death a mystery?"

Across the dynasties, those who had been arguing over whether Li Shimin, Genghis Khan, or Zhu Yuanzhang was more formidable all changed the subject when they saw the title appear on the sky screen.

Zhao Kuangyin was Emperor Taizu of Song, a founding emperor, after all.

When Emperor Taizu of Song himself saw the video's title, his pupils instinctively contracted.

He knew better than anyone whether the Chenqiao Mutiny had been planned in advance.

["During the Chenqiao Mutiny, why was Zhao Kuangyin able to command the whole realm after occupying only Kaifeng City?"]

["Because after Zhao Kuangyin occupied Kaifeng, he took direct control of all the court's senior officials, then forced the young emperor of the Later Zhou to abdicate in his favor. As far as the outside world was concerned, Zhao Kuangyin's accession to the throne was legitimate. Moreover, before the mutiny, when Fan Zhi, the chancellor at the time, suddenly received news of a large-scale invasion by the Liao State and Northern Han, he entrusted Zhao Kuangyin with supreme military command, allowing him to mobilize troops throughout the country. So after occupying Kaifeng, Zhao Kuangyin could directly command the whole realm."]

["Was the Chenqiao Mutiny actually planned in advance?"]

["Although the Song Dynasty's official histories have always claimed that Zhao Kuangyin had made no plans before the Chenqiao Mutiny, the entire course of the mutiny points otherwise. From the news of the Liao State's invasion before the mutiny to the yellow robe that was ready at hand, the abdication edict drafted in advance, and the close cooperation among the various parties, the Chenqiao Mutiny was clearly meticulously planned. That was how they were able to occupy Kaifeng without bloodshed and then seize power."]

"The people of Song were the most hypocritical of all!"

"It was clearly a planned mutiny to usurp the throne, yet they insisted the soldiers had rallied behind him and forced the yellow robe onto him."

Zhao Kuangyin's own face darkened.

Zhao Guangyi, in another plane, looked just as grim.

["After Zhao Kuangyin took the throne, why didn't any of the Later Zhou's military governors raise troops against him?"]

["Because they simply couldn't beat him. Before Zhao Kuangyin became emperor, he held the post of commander-in-chief of the palace front, with the Later Zhou's entire most elite force under his command. The Palace Front Command of the Imperial Guards was made up of elites selected from the military governors' armies across the country during Chai Rong's reign, and its fighting strength was formidable. Besides, it wasn't true that no one rose against him. Li Yun, the military governor of Zhaoyi, and Li Chongjin, the military governor of Huainan, both launched rebellions, but they were quickly suppressed."]

["How did Zhao Kuangyin treat the Chai family after usurping the throne?"]

["Zhao Kuangyin first made Chai Zongxun, the young emperor of the Later Zhou, Prince of Zheng. Then he erected a stone stele instructing future emperors: if descendants of the Chai clan commit crimes, they must not be subjected to punishment. Even if they commit treason, they may only be granted death in prison; they must not be executed in the marketplace, nor may their relatives be punished by association. Later generations followed this very well. As long as the realm remained under the Zhao name, the Chai descendants could enjoy wealth and privilege forever."]

"This Zhao Kuangyin wasn't bad. He didn't kill the previous dynasty's imperial family after usurping the throne!"

"Compared with those previous imperial families who weren't spared a single survivor, the Chai clan of the Later Zhou was already treated very well!"

"If someone stole your realm and then turned around and made you a prince, would you think well of him?"

["Why did Zhao Kuangyin adopt a strategy of south first, north later after taking the throne?"]

["Because given Zhao Kuangyin's cautious character, he would not have made marching north his first priority without absolute confidence in recovering the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun. Besides, the Northern Song was a new dynasty whose foundations were not yet secure. Going north before south was too risky. Success would have been fine, but failure could very well have led to a total collapse. After conquering the south first, however, the Northern Song would still have room to maneuver even if the northern expedition failed."]

["Why did Zhao Kuangyin overlook his younger brother Zhao Guangyi when he used a cup of wine to strip the generals of their military power?"]

["Because Zhao Kuangyin's sons were still young at the time, and the Northern Song had not long been founded, so the imperial clan was not yet strong enough. Zhao Kuangyin needed his younger brother Zhao Guangyi to help him govern the country. Zhao Kuangyin had intended to let his two sons participate in government once they came of age, but he hadn't expected that by then, Zhao Guangyi's influence at court would be so deeply entrenched that his sons would be unable to contend with him at all."]

At this, Zhao Kuangyin frowned deeply.

He hadn't been able to imagine how he had died before.

Now, one possibility occurred to him.

In the imperial family, there were no fathers and sons, much less brothers.

["Why didn't Zhao Kuangyin appoint a crown prince during his reign?"]

["Because when Zhao Kuangyin first took the throne, his sons were still young. Moreover, during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, many states fell because their heirs were too young and lacked the ability to influence affairs of state. To prevent something similar from happening, Zhao Kuangyin had no choice but to support his younger brother Zhao Guangyi as a backup first, then gradually groom his sons once they came of age. But he hadn't expected Zhao Guangyi's influence to have grown so great by the time his sons came of age, and Zhao Kuangyin passed away before he could finish grooming them."]

["Was Zhao Kuangyin actually killed by Zhao Guangyi?"]

["Although the historical records contain no explicit account linking Zhao Guangyin's death to Zhao Guangyi, judging by the unusual behavior of Zhao Guangyi, the eunuch Wang Jien, the imperial physician, and the empress, among others, on the day it happened, Zhao Kuangyin was probably killed by Zhao Guangyi so he could usurp the throne."]

The video ended there, and Zhao Kuangyin could no longer contain his anger.

He had died at the hands of his own younger brother!

And a eunuch, an imperial physician, and even his empress had been involved!

Zhao Guangyi, in Emperor Taizong of Song's plane, could not contain his anger either.

Once word spread that he had killed his brother to seize the throne, everyone in the realm would believe he had done it, whether he actually had or not.

"The empress and her brother-in-law killed her own husband together? Even an opera wouldn't dare put on a story like that!"

"To think a founding emperor of his stature would meet such an end!"

"Impossible. Taizu was definitely not killed by Taizong!"

"Lies! Those people from later generations are lying!"

[He stripped the generals of their military power over a cup of wine before he'd even recovered the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun.]

[If he hadn't stripped them of their military power over a cup of wine, Song would have fallen as soon as he died!]

Zhao Kuangyin: I'm furious right now, but I can't deny you're right!

[A born coward. What a pity Chai Rong died young. Chai Rong's goal was to defeat the Liao State and recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun first, then unify the country by conquering the south.]

[If you're going to praise Chai Rong, you might as well praise Li Cunxu.]

[He could only bully an orphan and a widow. If Chai Rong had still been alive, he wouldn't have dared even if he'd had ten times the courage!]

Chai Rong: I'm still alive right now. Even if I die, I'll take Zhao Kuangyin's whole family with me.

[What a pity about Chai Rong. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been any Cowardly Song.]

A Song Dynasty emperor who did not wish to be named: Cowardly Song? People in later generations don't understand anything. They read a few history books and talk nonsense.

[Thank goodness Old Zhu came along four hundred years later!]

Zhu Yuanzhang: I was the one who recovered the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun! Those Song Dynasty emperors were no good.

[Too bad I don't have military power, brother.]

[Even if you had military power, it would be no use. You also need a certain level of prestige. Without prestige, it won't work.]

[How could you have military power and no prestige?]

The emperors of every dynasty: What do you want military power for? To follow Zhao Kuangyin's example?