vrcanaries Chapter 364 Puppet
Chapter 364 Puppet
These words weighed heavily on everyone's hearts. Ministers like Sun Fu were not uncommon in the late Northern Song Dynasty; it was simply that the court was utterly incapable of supporting its ruler!
Before they could even express their regret, Lin Ke's voice drifted over again.
"The Jin people were very satisfied with the Song people's service this time, and since the Song people in Kaifeng had nothing of value left to plunder, they prepared to pack up and go back to their hometown."
"However, there is one more thing to do before leaving: to get Emperors Huizong and Qinzong to write an abdication edict and establish Zhang Bangchang as emperor."
"In general, all parties agreed on this matter, because establishing Zhang Bangchang would mean the Jurchens retreating back to their homeland."
"Then the people in the city were very happy. First of all, with fewer Jurchens, their safety was guaranteed."
"In the face of life and death, everything else is taken lightly, so changing leaders didn't seem to be an option, and the matter proceeded in an orderly manner."
"The problem is, regarding the ascension to the throne, the Jin people agreed, and the Song people also essentially agreed, but no one consulted Zhang Bangchang's own opinion, and that's how the unexpected happened!!!"
Hearing this, everyone was truly surprised by the outcome. After all, it was the emperor, and who would have thought that this timid minister would have such good fortune, even though he was just a puppet!
As a result, comments appeared one after another on the screen:
Emperor Zhao Kuangyin of the Song Dynasty: Unfilial descendants! Unfilial descendants!
Li Erfeng of the Tang Dynasty: Alright, Old Zhao! What time is it? The Northern Song Dynasty is about to fall, let's look at the Southern Song Dynasty instead!
Judy, the General Who Conquers the North: That's true, no matter how angry you are, you can't hit him! The Southern Song Dynasty has already taken off, while the Northern Song Dynasty has already crashed to the ground. Let's just take it easy!
Emperor Shenzong of Song, Zhao Xu: ......
The optimist Su Dongpo: ...That's true, but why does it sound so frustrating?
......
Eastern Han Dynasty
Hearing that the Northern Song Dynasty ended in such a way, even Liu Xiu felt a sense of regret.
He had heard of the names of people from the Northern Song Dynasty, such as Su Shi, Wang Anshi, Sima Guang, and Fan Zhongyan, whose names have been passed down to later generations.
It is likely that literature in the Song Dynasty reached its peak at that time, but it was weak in military affairs.
Think about it, the Eastern Han Dynasty didn't have such troubles; they just needed to recuperate and rebuild.
But what happened to him after the Eastern Han Dynasty?
I wonder when it will be my turn!
........
Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty
Zhu Jianshen looked away, feeling somewhat disgusted by what the Song court had done.
In just one place, there were several factions, some seeking peace, others advocating war, and there were also opportunists and traitors interspersed among them. No wonder they couldn't unite in resistance!
In his opinion, the Jin people's mistake was that they didn't leave the Song court any way out, and now they're causing trouble and humiliating the Song Dynasty.
Decades later, when it was Emperor Aizong of Jin's turn, he was also split in two, with the spoils divided between the Southern Song and the Mongols!
Alas, it's such a pity that the loyal ministers among them served him until the end of their lives.
......
When the Song Dynasty official heard Zhang Bangchang's refusal, he couldn't help but twitch his lips. Could this guy possibly refuse?
Then Lin Ke gave them the answer: Zhang Bangchang really didn't want to be emperor!
"Zhang Bangchang is a cowardly and timid person, and people can't stand him."
"However, sometimes this trait can be a lifesaver. For example, because he was so timid and afraid of trouble, he would often stay away when the court was in the midst of its fiercest arguments."
"Once the winner emerges, this person will join their team. Their own opinion doesn't matter; what matters is who wins and who they side with!"
"In officialdom, this way of life is considered a set of rules."
"Perhaps no one at the time imagined that such a fickle person would one day sit on the throne!"
"However, it feels like the Song Dynasty throne has become increasingly devalued! Nobody wants to hold it anymore!!"
The emperors of the Song Dynasty: (??? ? ??? )...
Lin Ke's sarcastic remark caused several emperors of the Northern Song Dynasty to break down. Seriously?! Did they really despise the very position they sat on?
Didn't the Tang and Qing dynasties fight tooth and nail over this?!
Tang/Qing Dynasty Emperors: Don't they even know whether they'll be taking over a mess or cleaning it up after they sit on the throne?
……
The live broadcast continues.
"Clearly, Zhang Bangchang, with his rich work experience, could not possibly be unaware of what he would face upon taking office!"
Zhang Bangchang: Damn it! These Jurchens are really cunning! They'll just run away and leave him alone to face them!
"Therefore, compared to Wang Shiyong and his ilk, Zhang Bangchang displayed a spirit of sacrificing his life for a cause, preferring death to becoming this worthless emperor!"
"After all, he was just a puppet pushed out by the Jurchens to show off. For Zhang Bangchang, who always wanted to get as far away as possible, this was going to be a big deal!"
"Besides, he could lose his life if he's not careful. Anyway, everyone's goal is the same; the only difference is whether their reputation is good or bad!"
"Therefore, based on the above considerations, Zhang Bangchang chose to strive for a dignified death, so that perhaps a thousand or eight hundred years later, he could still be regarded as a loyal and righteous man!"
"After that, he also used his usual strengths to shut himself in and refuse to see anyone, stubbornly resisting."
"When the Jurchens found out, they didn't care whether he was telling the truth or not, and directly declared that if he didn't ascend the throne, they would raid the city, so the pressure was put on Zhang Bangchang!"
"If we were to rank the people's deepest hatred, Zhang Bangchang would undoubtedly be the one they hate most right now."
"So the people, whose hatred had been diverted, naturally all turned against Zhang Bangchang. This process can be described in a few words: the whole city urged him to ascend the throne!"