Great Song Dynasty.

In the palace.

Zhao Kuangyin performed Tong Chang Quan and his whole body became hot and his head was slightly sweaty.

He took the basin brought by the eunuch and washed his hands. Then he stood in front of the window and looked outside.

It was already dark, but outside the window it was all white.

It snowed heavily today.

There was still a lot of flying outside the window.

The white snow bent the branches in the courtyard, and the red bricks and green tiles were covered in silver, which was very beautiful.

Seeing a figure hurriedly walking in from outside, Zhao Kuangyin's eyes flashed and he exhaled slowly.

The Song Dynasty had been established for less than sixteen years. There was a lot of work to be done internally, powerful enemies were everywhere, wars were ongoing, and the great cause of unification had not yet been completed.

He looks high and mighty, but he is actually quite tired.

In addition to military and political troubles, more of it stems from the current situation.

When the Chenqiao mutiny occurred and Zhao Guangyi was crowned emperor, it was his younger brother Zhao Guangyi who made great efforts.

My younger brother has made indispensable contributions to the battles fought in the south and the north over the years.

He could make others give up their military power with a glass of wine, but this obviously did not apply to Zhao Guangyi.

If he couldn't even trust his own brothers, how many people in the world could he trust? Over time, he gradually raised Zhao Guangyi to the pinnacle of power in the Song Dynasty, second only to him.

In this way, the contradiction gradually emerged.

Although he was born a military general, he preferred scholars and advocated governing the world together with the literati and practicing benevolence and righteousness.

Whether they were descendants of the Chai family or those kings who surrendered to him, he treated them with courtesy and preserved their dignity.

But Zhao Guangyi had strong objections.

He firmly believed that these were destabilizing factors and that they should be killed for a reason to eliminate future troubles.

But the world is not yet stable. How can scholars feel at ease with such a brutal act?

The two brothers argued more than once over this idea.

But the other conflict that the two of them had not brought to the surface was even more intense, even to the point of being at loggerheads.

That is about the crown prince.

He was over fifty years old and in good health, but thinking that his son had already grown up, he tried to raise the issue of appointing a crown prince.

However, Zhao Guangyi firmly opposed it.

He claimed that his two sons lacked training, but he was in good health and should not be so hasty.

Zhao Kuangyin knew very well what his brother meant.

He was a dozen years younger than himself and had always been ambitious. He had mentioned his mother, Empress Dowager Du, in private many times, saying that the younger brother should succeed the elder brother, so as to prevent the Zhao family's empire from being taken away by others because the crown prince was too young.

But the premise of what the mother said was clearly that her children were still young.

He tried to resolve the conflict and proposed that Zhao Guangyi guard Kaifeng while he moved the capital to Luoyang, but was strongly opposed by Zhao.

Not only his brother himself, he had unknowingly fostered a considerable force in the court.

Zhao Kuangyin rubbed his eyebrows and looked at the heavy snow.

His thoughts unconsciously returned to his youth.

He was a young man at that time, and his younger brother had just learned to babble. It was also a snowy day like this, and the two brothers were playing in the snow, showing brotherly love and respect to each other.

While he was reminiscing, the eunuch brought in Zhao Guangyi.

"Brother!" Zhao Guangyi smiled and cupped his hands.

Zhao Kuangyin motioned for the others to leave, and cast his gaze on Zhao Guangyi, saying with a smile: "What brings you to me so late at night?"

Zhao Guangyi took out a bottle of wine from under his wide sleeves and said, "It's snowing heavily today. I suddenly thought of the time many years ago when I drank with my brother around the fire. Someone happened to send me a bottle of good wine, so I came here to drink with you."

Drinking around the fire...

Zhao Kuangyin's thoughts went back to the time many years ago when he fought against Later Shu with Chai Rong.

At that time, Fengzhou had been under siege for a long time, and he was ordered to go to the front line to check. It was a snowy night, and the two brothers were drinking around the fire, imagining the future, but they encountered a counterattack by the Hou Shu army.

At the critical moment, Zhao Guangyi advised him to go first and he would lead his men to cover the rear. He was unwilling to do so. After some argument, the two brothers broke through the siege side by side.

Zhao Kuangyin's expression softened.

Why has our brotherhood become so estranged because of power?

He guessed that Zhao Guangyi had also thought of this, which was why he came to him on this snowy night.

Zhao Guangyi warmed up the wine by the fire in the hall.

A faint aroma of wine filled the air as the two brothers reminisced about the past, their tone filled with nostalgia.

Zhao Kuangyin felt that the brotherhood of the past seemed to have returned.

While Zhao Guangyi was speaking, he took two wine glasses from the side and filled them for both of them.

"Drink some wine to warm your body in the heavy snow." He handed a glass of wine to Zhao Kuangyin.

When taking the wine, Zhao Kuangyin hesitated for a moment.

When Zhao Guangyi finished the wine in his glass, he drank it too. He thought that he was too cautious. How could his own brother possibly harm him?

The two of them drank the whole pot of wine cup by cup.

When the conversation got interesting, Zhao Kuangyin even took down the pillar axe hanging on the wall and demonstrated the battle situation with his brother.

The Pillar Axe is a small crystal axe with limited damage and is only for decoration.

The night grew darker and the snow outside the window had stopped.

Zhao Kuangyin felt a little dizzy.

He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he always felt that his brother's expression when he looked at him was a little strange.

He must be drunk.

Zhao Kuangyin thought to himself.

Today's chat was quite pleasant. My younger brother even took the initiative to suggest that he could be sent to the front line to lead the troops, and let his two sons serve as the prefect of Kaifeng. It was clear that he had compromised on the issue of the crown prince.

He was very happy.

Zhao Guangyi took the initiative to resign.

Zhao Kuangyin wanted to send him to the door, but was refused.

He felt extremely sleepy, so he simply lay down on the couch and soon began to snore loudly.

Just a quarter of an hour later, Zhao Kuangyin suddenly opened his eyes.

He felt severe pain all over his body, his internal organs were twitching, and his throat was burning as if something was strangling him, and he couldn't make a sound at all.

He was foaming at the mouth and was in so much pain that he could hardly breathe, but his eyes were wide open.

He tried to touch the wooden table beside the bed to attract the attention of the eunuch outside the door.

But his body seemed to be filled with molten iron and he couldn't move at all.

His reactions gradually became slow and his consciousness became confused.

Just when Zhao Kuangyin was almost in despair, he suddenly heard a voice in his mind.

A series of incredible scenes followed one after another.

This situation happened during the day when he was discussing state affairs with his ministers. He thought it was hallucinations caused by being too tired and did not take it seriously.

But now it appears again...

"Am I really sick?"

Zhao Kuangyin chose to accept it in a daze.

…

The pub is a little quiet tonight.

Yang Jian confronted the Heavenly Court, and Chenxiang took almost all the masters in the tavern to that world.

Although the crisis has been resolved, no one is willing to come back immediately.

There were only a dozen people in the tavern at this time.

Zhu Yuanzhang was originally sitting at the same table with them, but since there was a big battle the next day, he drank two glasses of wine and left early.

The two were exchanging experiences in governing the country.

Ying Zheng mostly asked for advice.

He originally advocated the rule of law.

In times of chaos, severe punishments should be used. This is one of the reasons why the Qin Dynasty was able to stand out among the seven kingdoms.

But governing the country obviously requires more benevolent policies.

After all, he had read the history books of the future several times.

Moreover, he had no good feelings towards several representative figures of the Legalists.

Shang Yang's reforms did promote the prosperity of the Qin Dynasty, but they also brought about a huge crisis.

His five methods of controlling the people, namely "uniting the people, weakening the people, exhausting the people, humiliating the people, and making them poor", did double the power of the Qin Dynasty in a short period of time, but in the long run, it obviously pushed the people to the opposite side.

The punishment of being torn apart by a chariot was not unjust at all! Li Si, whom he had always trusted, actually stabbed him in the back, which made him feel even worse.

After reading through history books, Ying Zheng found that there were many kings who were interesting to him, but not many he admired. Li Shimin was one of them.

He was very curious about the other party's philosophy of governing the country.

"Actually, speaking of benevolent government, there is another person who is more worthy of our advice." Li Shimin said with a smile.

"Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin?" Ying Zheng asked.

Li Shimin nodded and said, "He was a man of great talent and strategy. He ended the chaos in the Central Plains as a commoner. He was well-liked by the people after he wore the yellow robe. He promoted the imperial examination system and ruled the country together with the civil officials."

Ying Zheng agreed: "Although the Song Dynasty's concept of governing the country lacks the spirit of progress, it can avoid the empire from internal strife to the greatest extent."

"The people are prosperous and the treasury is full. This is a rare good era for millions of people in the world," said Li Shimin.

The two looked at each other and smiled.

Under normal circumstances, the political system of the Ming Dynasty would actually be more suitable for them to learn from.

But with the tavern as their backing, they don't need to worry about any foreign enemies. What they should consider more is how to maintain continued stability in the country.

In this way, the system of the Song Dynasty also has many desirable aspects.

Although the Song Dynasty was weak, the people were relatively richer. It was only because of the Five Barbarians Rebellion that the Han people's technological advantage that had lasted for thousands of years was destroyed. The country was surrounded by powerful enemies and the national policy of suppressing military power and emphasizing culture led to years of war. In order to maintain their rule, emperors and ministers of successive dynasties carried out a series of outrageous operations, which made the Song Dynasty look so unbearable.

The two talked about the system of the Song Dynasty and then talked about Zhao Kuangyin himself.

"If he had died a few years later, perhaps the situation of the Song Dynasty would have been better." Li Shimin sighed.

"His death was quite strange. Historical records show that he died suddenly in the palace after drinking with his brother Zhao Guangyi, but it also says that he was strong and healthy. How could he die suddenly of illness?" As Ying Zheng said this, he thought of himself again.

If he hadn't stepped into the tavern, he would probably not have much time left.

He guessed that he was indeed suffering from illness, rather than dying in unclear circumstances like Zhao Kuangyin.

"There is indeed a story about candlelight and axe shadow," Li Shimin said, "but it is too absurd to chop someone with an axe in the palace. It is more likely to be poisoning."

"Zhao Guangyi is a vicious person. He poisoned many people after he ascended the throne. Moreover, the eunuch in the palace who tipped off the emperor and the medical practitioner in his mansion were both demoted and promoted. How could this be such a coincidence?" Ying Zheng thought about some of the information he had read.

"It's better to wait until the person involved asks in the future." Li Shimin said with a smile.

"What do you want to ask?" A voice suddenly came from behind the two of them.

The man was wearing a dragon robe, but his face was ashen, his features were hideous, and he was foaming at the mouth, like a demon crawling out of hell.

Both of them were startled.

But they soon realized that this was a new visitor.

Speaking of which, today is the day for new members to arrive, but no one has shown up. Everyone is speculating that something might have happened to the new member.

Ying Zheng was slightly surprised, then asked, "Who are you?"

"Zhao Kuangyin." Zhao Kuangyin squeezed out these three words from between his teeth.

He felt unwell all over and could faint at any moment.

After entering this place, the symptoms improved a little, but I still felt confused.

He had been lying on the ground listening silently until he had barely recovered a little strength. In addition, the topic they were talking about was so frightening that he forced himself to stand up.

The words of the two made his heart sink gradually.

The two of them were right about one thing: there was indeed nothing wrong with his health.

It became like this for no reason, and it looked like the symptoms of poisoning.

The only one who had the conditions and motive to poison him was his younger brother Zhao Guangyi.

Hearing his words, Ying Zheng and Li Shimin looked at each other in surprise.

They obviously did not expect that the other party would appear while they were talking about Zhao Kuangyin.

"You are..." Li Shimin stepped forward, observed for a moment, and said with a slightly changed expression, "Are you poisoned?"

Zhao Kuangyin laughed bitterly and said, "I must have died of poisoning."

Ying Zheng was surprised and asked, "Aren't you still alive?"

Zhao Kuangyin was stunned for a moment, and seemed to have gained some strength. He looked around and said, "Isn't this the world of the dead?"

Ying Zheng laughed loudly: "If everyone could come here after they died, their ancestors for eight hundred generations would probably wake up with joy!"

Li Shimin smiled and said, "Brother Zhao, you are not dead."

Zhao Kuangyin looked around blankly.

This place was indeed very different from the hell in the legend. He originally thought he had ascended to the fairyland.

"Brother Zhao has been severely poisoned. Although the tavern can suppress the symptoms, you might faint when you go back next time, so it is best to detoxify your body first." Li Shimin followed.

Zhao Kuangyin's eyes were bloodshot, his breathing was heavy, and he asked, "Do you have a solution?"

Li Shimin shook his head and bowed to the other side, saying: "Divine Doctor Hua, I have to ask you to diagnose it."

Hua Tuo happened to be in the tavern.

He himself didn't have much gold or resources, but the guests in the tavern had a good impression of both him and the two great doctors, Sun Simiao.

After several gifts of wine, the two miracle doctors have regained their youth and possess extraordinary powers.

The two have also "remotely" helped diagnose some guests' friends or subordinates, making people feel that they are worthy of the title of miracle doctors.

"Who is this?" Zhao Kuangyin was still not able to react as he looked at the young-looking but mature and steady man walking towards him.

"This is Hua Tuo," Li Shimin introduced.

"Hua Tuo?" Zhao Kuangyin was shocked and became more conscious.

Ying Zheng smiled and said, "My name is Ying Zheng, and this is Li Shimin."

Zhao Kuangyin stood up involuntarily and stared at the two of them: "The First Emperor? Emperor Taizong of Tang?"

Seeing the two nod, he closed his eyes again and muttered to himself: "Hallucination, it must be an illusion."

"It's not an illusion," Ying Zheng explained with a smile, "The two of us are nothing in this tavern. There are real gods here."

"I think you should have gotten that information when you entered the tavern," Li Shimin also said.

Zhao Kuangyin opened his eyes, his bloodshot eyes still filled with disbelief.

Under Hua Tuo's diagnosis, it was confirmed that he was poisoned.

"This symptom is undoubtedly poisoning, but I don't know the formula of the poison, so I can't prepare an antidote in a short time," Hua Tuo said with a difficult expression, and suggested, "But as long as you make your physique stronger, it will be enough to resist the erosion of the poison."

"How many times the physique?" Ying Zheng asked.

"Twice is enough to survive, and five times is enough to heal itself." Hua Tuo said carefully.

"What a coincidence." Li Shimin smiled and raised his hand.

A glass of light green wine soon appeared in his palm.

The Green Devil Fortified Wine, worth 500 time and space coins, can enhance physical fitness 10 times.

He bought some a few days ago to reward his ministers.

He handed the wine to Zhao Kuangyin and said with a smile: "Brother Zhao, drink this cup of Green Devil Enhanced Wine. I think it will be enough to make you healed."

…

(End of this chapter)