"Yes, that's exactly what the emperor meant." Zhao Ding, who had recovered his composure a little, answered while finally picking up the mutton soup to dip it in the sauce. But for some reason, he lost interest in the food he had been looking forward to after just two bites, so he put down his chopsticks again and just looked at the surrounding scenery with emotion. "In fact, when Emperor Mingzong of the Later Tang Dynasty did not use weapons for a few years, he could be considered well-off. The Book of Jin also said, 'The mountains and tombs are solid, and China is well-off'... If he did not seek a northern expedition and negotiated peace with the Jin people, most of Henan would be lost. With the simplicity of the emperor now, and the appearance of many upright officials in the court, and the elimination of redundant officials and soldiers, with a little operation, it would be well-off in a few years."

"Forgive me for speaking bluntly. The government won't allow it, the 200,000 imperial soldiers won't allow it, and even the people of the two rivers won't allow it." This time it was Zhao Fen's turn to shake his head. "Dad, although my name is Fen, I grew up in Bianjing, so it's okay. But you grew up in your hometown in Hedong, don't you worry about it? Why do you say this?"

"Of course I am concerned about you." Zhao Ding became more and more depressed. "But it is precisely because I am from Hedong that I can say this... I have been in Huainan for a long time and have long realized the people in the south. They only regard sending troops to the north as a burden... Moreover, the people in the south are indeed suffering."

"But no matter what, the emperor won't allow it." Zhao Fen hurriedly tried to persuade him again. "If Daddy said something like this, I'm afraid he would be disobeying the emperor."

Zhao Ding shook his head again: "Of course I understand this truth, but if I don't tell you, these people from Henan and Jiangnan will naturally find someone else to tell you... As a father among them, I can feel that most of the officials and people below don't want to fight."

"But the people below still cannot disobey the emperor." Zhao Fen disagreed. "The emperor holds the military power, and his confidants are everywhere in the court and the country... Isn't father also a confidant of the emperor? Moreover, the two emperors are in the north, and the Northern Expedition is the righteous cause. Under such circumstances, those who dare to talk about peace must be like Liu Guangshi and Du Chong."

Zhao Ding shook his head slowly: "You are right... but there is only one thing, that is, the government's Northern Expedition is definitely not for the two saints."

"Who doesn't know about this?" As the sun gradually set, Zhao Fen held a bowl of mutton noodles and said with a smile. "If the Jin people really send the two emperors back, the emperor will have a headache. My son is just talking about righteousness... Just this one sentence is enough to make the scholars and officials in the world speechless and have no choice but to join forces to fight the Northern Expedition! What's more, the emperor is in charge of the imperial army and many court officials."

"That's right." Zhao Ding blurted out, but frowned again. "But do the people know the government's attitude towards the two saints?"

"Of course." Zhao Fen quickly put down the mutton noodles and explained again. "We have cleared up the accumulated problems before, and there are rumors about various incidents. At least the Imperial Academy has long known about it."

"What do the people... or the Imperial Academy say about the government?" Zhao Ding asked seriously. "Are there any inappropriate comments?"

"There were some inappropriate comments, most of which were made when we were pursuing the abuse of favors and privileges. But because of the prestige of the emperor's return to the old capital and the great victory at Yaoshan, there were always more excuses and praises... As for the two saints, there was less discussion about filial piety and brotherhood."

"Those inappropriate words... except for some absurd ones, do you remember them?" Zhao Ding looked around and saw that it was evening dinner time, and there were boats on the Cai River, and there was constant noise everywhere. Even the stall owner behind him and the guards at the next table could not hear clearly, so he couldn't help asking a few more questions. "It's not just about filial piety and brotherhood."

"Of course I remember." Zhao Fen also looked around, and took the opportunity to hold up the bowl and smiled. "Son, tell me something interesting... Some people say that officials know they are wrong but don't correct it, and like to save face... 'Cangzhou Zhao Jiu' is a clear example!"

"What do you mean?"

"It is said that when the emperor used this signature on Huaishang, he lost his memory and made a mistake in remembering his native place, and remembered Cangzhou instead of Zhuozhou Zhao... This is not a big deal, after all, he lost his memory... But later he gradually remembered the past, but he did not wake up, and still used it again and again, which shows that he is a person who cares about face and is unwilling to repent."

"Signatures are supposed to be weird, and the signature of 'Cangzhou Zhao Jiu' is already familiar to both countries, so why change it? How do you know it wasn't done on purpose by the government?"

"In fact, there is also such a saying... It is said that the government despised the two saints for abandoning the country and was ashamed to be the Zhao family of Zhuozhou, so it deliberately changed it to show that it is completely different from the two saints."

"This is quite interesting. There are also people in the court who have made such speculations... Are there any others?"

"Some... say that the government officials are ignorant and incompetent... 'Don't fear the will of heaven' is a clear proof of this!"

"Heaven's Mandate can also refer to changes in the sky. It's the same meaning. It's fine... Would the emperor really say that he, the emperor, is not to be feared? It's just a few typos. It's not worth mentioning! You must know that the emperor is a prince of pleasure. If he hadn't encountered a major change, why would he have thought of becoming an emperor, let alone studying the fate of heaven and changes in the sky?"

“That’s exactly what’s going on.”

"Anything else?"

"It is said that the emperor secretly admires Yi An hermit..."

"Nonsense! Yi An is almost fifty years old, almost the same age as the Empress Dowager. How can he say such absurd things... At most, the Emperor secretly admires Yi An's talent for poetry."

"Those who understand the truth will understand, but Daddy must also know that there are people in this city who love to point out the royal family's private affairs and gossip about them the most, and they can't be stopped."

"That's true...what else?"

"It is said that the official is talented and versatile, but also frivolous, and when he gets angry, he is also a bit cruel. In some things, he is quite selfish and unscrupulous... So, in fact, he is very similar to the Emperor Taishang Daojun!"

Zhao Ding suddenly fell silent, and nodded after a while: "It does look like it!"

This time, Zhao Fen was indignant on behalf of the emperor: "If that is the case, why is one the king who destroyed the country, and the other the king who restored it?"

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