Chapter 41: What on Earth is Zhao Kuangyin Planning?

“There is something I have been deliberating over for quite some time. Today, I shall discuss it with all of you.”

After handling several matters of state and seeing that no one else had any memorials to present, Zhao Kuangyin straightened in his seat.

With his left hand, he tugged his jade belt a little higher around his waist.

The moment the emperor said those words, every civil and military official in the hall sharpened their attention. Even those whose minds had been wandering just moments before pricked up their ears.

Several hearts leaped as they thought of various possibilities.

Could it be that His Majesty was preparing to designate the Crown Prince?

In particular, people recalled how, contrary to his usual conduct, His Majesty had arranged for Zhao Dezhao to receive Li Yu this time, as well as how Li Yu had addressed the Second Imperial Prince, Zhao Dezhao, as “the Crown Prince” yesterday.

Although nothing had openly circulated on the matter and it appeared that many people knew nothing of it, in truth, rumors had already spread throughout the capital.

All of this made some people feel that such a possibility was very real.

Many held their breath.

Many others secretly clenched their fists, entering a state of battle readiness.

If events proved unfavorable to the person they supported, they would immediately tear into their opponents!

Zhao Guangyi, Prince of Jin, stood at the head of all the officials, even ahead of the chancellor. His heart pounded violently, and his mouth had gone somewhat dry.

He felt that it was very likely his imperial elder brother had been provoked by the words of that treacherous bird, Li Yu. At last, he had begun to take the question of the Crown Prince seriously and was preparing to settle the matter.

Though Zhao Guangyi had long been confident about succeeding to the position, believing it belonged to him and no one else, now that the moment had truly arrived, he still could not help feeling nervous and apprehensive.

He feared that even the slightest mishap might cause the throne to slip through his fingers.

As for Zhao Dezhao, he was equally tense and uneasy.

Like many others, he had thought of the same possibility.

Zhao Guangmei, the Fourth Brother Zhao, however, remained perfectly composed.

After all, the position of Crown Prince would belong either to his Third Brother or to his nephew Rixin. There was no possibility that he would have the slightest connection with it in this lifetime.

Naturally, there was no reason for him to agonize over the matter.

Whether it was his Third Brother or Rixin, both were his closest kin. Regardless of which of them became Crown Prince and eventually took the throne, his own life would not suffer.

Living freely and becoming an idle nobleman was perfectly acceptable to him.

His ambitions were modest.

“I intend to move the capital.”

Having drawn everyone’s attention, Zhao Kuangyin looked over the assembled officials and announced his decision.

“Bianliang is truly unsuitable as the capital. It has no natural defenses whatsoever.

“If the Khitan from the north sends its iron cavalry south, the road will lie open before them. In only a few days, they could sweep straight into Bianliang!

“To defend Bianliang, we are forced to station more than a hundred thousand Imperial Guards in the capital year-round. The expense is enormous.

“It would be better to move the capital to the Western Capital, Luoyang.

“Luoyang possesses the natural defenses of Hangu and Yique, protected by mountains and rivers. If we establish the capital there, we will no longer have to remain so helpless—constantly trembling in fear of a Khitan invasion, never daring to relax for even an instant, sleeping with one eye open!”

Originally, he had intended to bring up the matter of moving the capital to the Western Capital after the New Year, when spring arrived.

But after speaking with Li Cheng and learning that his own third younger brother had opposed the proposal and prevented it from being carried out, he began to reconsider.

After much thought, he decided to advance the matter.

It would serve to verify whether Li Cheng’s words were true and reveal whether his third brother’s influence had truly grown so powerful.

In fact, by this point, he already knew that what Young Master Li had said was not without basis.

But this was his own younger brother—his flesh and blood, born of the same mother.

He truly did not wish to imagine him in the worst possible light.

Thus, after careful consideration, he decided to employ relatively gentle methods first and uncover the truth completely. He could not wrong his third brother.

There was, in fact, a far more direct way to verify whether Li Cheng’s claims were true.

He could immediately arrest Wang Jien, Cheng Dexuan, and Ma Shao and interrogate them.

It was now the end of the eighth year of the Kaibao era, and less than a year remained before his own death.

If things were truly as Li Cheng had said, then by this time, the three men must already have entered into collusion with his third brother. Surely, some trace of the truth could be unearthed.

That had originally been what he intended to do.

But the day before yesterday, his younger sister-in-law had fallen ill, and he had gone to visit her. Seeing that she was gravely ill, and then hearing from the imperial physicians that she might not have long to live, he had been deeply shaken and changed his mind.

He decided to adopt a gentler approach.

The Zhao family had never been blessed with a large family. Now that he had reached middle age, he had already endured the sorrow of losing many close relatives.

There were fewer and fewer of them left.

His third brother was his own flesh brother, someone he had raised from childhood and watched grow up!

They were brothers in this life—but could they still be brothers in the next?

After considerable deliberation, he decided that he would still handle the matter by gentler means.

He would place the greatest possible trust in his third brother and reduce any adverse consequences to a minimum.

If his brother truly turned out to be such a beast, Zhao Kuangyin would not spare him.

But if he did not, then this course of action would prevent the matter from escalating beyond repair and damaging the bond between the two brothers.

When faced with something they valued deeply, many people became cautious to the extreme.

Zhao Kuangyin was no exception.

So it was not about the Crown Prince after all, but about moving the capital?

Once they learned what Zhao Kuangyin intended to do, most of the civil and military officials were stunned. It was entirely unexpected.

At the same time, many who had been holding their breath finally let it out.

Prince of Jin Zhao Guangyi, however, did not.

Instead, he reacted as though his backside had been set on fire.

What was Zhao Kuangyin thinking? What was he trying to do?

Instead of hastily designating him as Crown Prince, he was actually planning to move the capital to Luoyang?

Was this really a relocation of the capital?

It was clearly an attempt to weaken his power!

The many forces he had painstakingly cultivated were all based in Bianliang. If the capital were moved, would that not deal him a devastating blow?

Good! Good! Good!

What a Zhao Kuangyin!

He was actually such a despicable hypocrite!

Just the day before yesterday, he had personally told Zhao Guangyi that he was sending Zhao Dezhao to receive Li Yu for no other reason and certainly not to target him.

When faced with his ailing wife, he had acted so deeply concerned for family, so heartbroken, wearing such an earnest and sincere expression.

Yet in the blink of an eye, he had stabbed Zhao Guangyi viciously in the back!

What a fine elder brother! Truly, what a fine elder brother!

All these years, Zhao Guangyi had seen him wrong.

How had he failed to notice earlier that Zhao Kuangyin was such a sanctimonious hypocrite?

He claimed to care about family, but in reality, everything he did was merely to clear the way for that useless Zhao Dezhao!

Was this how an elder brother behaved?

“An elder brother is as a father”? What utter nonsense!

For a moment, Zhao Guangyi was consumed by grief and fury. He was enraged and frantic, feeling as though his own elder brother had broken his heart.

At the same time, he rapidly considered how to respond.

No matter the cost, he had to stop the relocation of the capital. He absolutely could not allow Zhao Kuangyin to succeed!

But what method could he use to restrain Zhao Kuangyin?

His thoughts raced.

What he did not know was that after speaking those words, Zhao Kuangyin had already focused most of his attention on him, carefully observing his reaction.

He was waiting to see what Zhao Guangyi would choose to do next.

“Imperial Brother, the capital cannot be moved!”

After a brief silence settled over the Hall of Ten Thousand Years, Zhao Guangyi stepped forward and was the first to break it, voicing his opposition to the relocation in unmistakable terms.

“Bianliang has no natural defenses. Why, then, can the capital not be moved?

“If we do not move the capital to Luoyang, how are we to defend Bianliang in the years to come?”

Zhao Kuangyin’s dark face appeared calm, making it impossible to discern any change in his expression.

“Your Majesty, virtue is more important than terrain.”