Zhao Song: My father was Emperor Taizu of Song

Chapter 42 The Chain Scheme

Inside the Imperial Palace, in the Hall of Hanging Arches, the air is filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.

With Li Jun's rebellion imminent, Zhao Kuangyin was discussing the suppression of the rebellion with Zhao Pu, his brows furrowed, occasionally tapping on the table.

"Your Majesty, Pan Kesheng requests an audience," the eunuch announced softly.

"Pan Mei?" Zhao Kuangyin was slightly taken aback, then remembered this man of considerable courage, and said, "Let him in."

A moment later, Pan Mei strode into the hall, bowed, and said, "Your subject Pan Mei greets Your Majesty!"

"No need for formalities."

Zhao Kuangyin waved his hand and asked in a deep voice, "You've come in such a hurry, is there something important?"

Pan Meizhi stood up, his handsome face beaming with undisguised joy: "Your Majesty, I have stumbled upon an excellent military treatise in the marketplace, and I have come to present it to Your Majesty for your perusal."

As he spoke, he reached into his pocket, took out the half of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," and presented it with both hands.

The eunuch Zhang Dejun took it and presented it to Zhao Kuangyin.

Zhao Kuangyin frowned slightly and casually flipped through the book. When he saw that it was a collection of miscellaneous notes that resembled a storybook, he became even more dismissive.

It's just a storybook, how could it be related to military strategy?

With this attitude, Zhao Kuangyin continued reading until he came to the part about the "Oath of the Peach Garden," at which point he paused slightly, sat up a little straighter, and showed a hint of interest on his face.

"We don't ask to be born on the same day, month, and year, but we do ask to die on the same day, month, and year... Interesting."

Just as Pan Mei had imagined, Zhao Kuangyin thought of his ten "sworn brothers." Back then, when they swore an oath of brotherhood, wasn't that the same idea they had?

The heroic spirit of江湖豪杰 (jianghu heroes) is nothing more than this.

Seeing this, Zhao Pu, who was standing nearby, also curiously went over to investigate.

The hall fell silent for a moment, with only the occasional soft sound of Zhao Kuangyin turning the pages of a book.

Pan Mei stood to the side, holding her breath, a hint of anticipation rising in her heart.

He had followed Zhao Kuangyin for many years and knew that although His Majesty came from a military background, he valued literary talent and was good at discovering talent.

Although this "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is a vernacular story, some of the strategies and military tactics recorded in it are beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Your Majesty should be able to discover his extraordinary qualities.

"A series of schemes, is it a combination of a honey trap and a divide-and-conquer strategy? Interesting..."

As expected, when Zhao Kuangyin saw the elaborate scheme Wang Yun used against Dong Zhuo, he raised an eyebrow and his expression became even more serious.

"This book is indeed not something an ordinary person could write." A glint of light flashed in Zhao Pu's eyes, and he looked thoughtful.

A moment later, the sound of pages turning finally stopped.

Zhao Kuangyin glanced at the book again, seemingly still wanting more, until he was sure there was no further development. Only then did he close the book and ask, somewhat impatiently:

Is there a sequel to this book?

Seeing this, Pan Mei felt relieved and quickly said, "Your Majesty, when I went to the bookstore earlier, the shopkeeper said that the author updates the book five times a day."

"Who wrote this book?" Zhao Kuangyin asked again.

"Your Majesty, I only know that it was written by a Mr. Luo, but I have never met him. However, I think that the bookstore must have an inextricable connection with Mr. Luo."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "Send someone to find this Mr. Luo and invite him to the palace for a chat."

Pan Mei's idea was correct; Zhao Kuangyin was in dire need of talent at that time.

While generals like Shi Shouxin and Murong Yanzhao were indeed capable, deep down, Zhao Kuangyin was somewhat hesitant to give them important positions.

After all, these people were extremely prestigious in the military and each held great power, so he was really not at ease using them.

Military power is something he will have to deal with sooner or later.

But if these generals are dealt with, someone has to step up, since there are still many forces around that are eyeing the Song Dynasty covetously, and the Song Dynasty cannot be without generals.

Therefore, Zhao Kuangyin was always looking for capable generals who did not have a deep foundation in the Imperial Guard.

Cao Bin is one of them.

Pan Mei, who is standing in front of us, is actually one of them.

And Mr. Luo can certainly be considered one of them.

But the prerequisite is that he must meet this Mr. Luo in person. If this person is truly talented, Zhao Kuangyin will naturally be open to different opinions.

"I will obey Your Majesty's decree." Seeing that Zhao Kuangyin seemed interested, Pan Mei felt much more at ease and quickly bowed to accept the order.

Just then, Zhang Dejun rushed into the hall again, his expression tense, and said, "Your Majesty, an urgent report from Luzhou!"

Zhao Kuangyin narrowed his eyes slightly, and instead of having Zhang Dejun present it immediately, he glanced at Pan Mei first.

Seeing this, Pan Mei understood and bowed to resign.

"Go ahead. If this person is truly talented, I will remember your recommendation."

Zhao Kuangyin smiled, and after Pan Mei withdrew, he took the urgent report from Zhang Dejun. He unfolded it and, upon seeing "Zezhou has fallen," showed no anger. Instead, he handed the report to Zhao Pu with a slight smile.

"Zeping, look, this chicken is already eagerly offering up its neck."

Zhao Pu received the urgent report, which read: "Li Jun, the military governor of Zhaoyi, has raised the banner of rebellion in Luzhou with the support of the puppet Han, captured Zezhou, and vowed to restore the Great Zhou dynasty!"

"Killing a chicken is simple, but we still need to be wary of that fierce dog from the south." Zhao Pu frowned slightly.

Li Jun has already gained the support of the puppet Han regime in Taiyuan. If Li Chongjin in the south also rebels, we cannot afford to be complacent in the face of a pincer attack from the north and south.

Moreover, compared to Li Jun, Li Chongjin, who commands 50,000 elite troops, is far more powerful. If the pseudo-Tang regime in the south were to intervene, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Throughout history, there are countless examples of people who tried to kill a chicken but ended up losing the rice instead.

"I was indeed having some trouble with Li Chongjin in Yangzhou, but just now, I suddenly thought of a solution."

To Zhao Pu's surprise, Zhao Kuangyin remained calm and even raised the book "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" in his hand.

"Does Your Majesty mean... a series of schemes?" Zhao Pu asked thoughtfully.

"Exactly."

Zhao Kuangyin laughed and said, "This Li Chongjin is suspicious and cruel by nature, much like Dong Zhuo. He has an adopted son named An Yougui, who is a fierce general with great prestige in the army, but he is also very lecherous. Isn't he just like Lü Bu?"

"Now that Your Majesty says so, it does seem to be true." Zhao Pu's eyes also lit up slightly.

"Li Jun has rebelled. Given his nature, he will inevitably seek an alliance with Li Chongjin. However, Li Chongjin is somewhat hesitant and lacks decisiveness. I only need to appease him to delay the inevitable."

Zhao Kuangyin tapped the imperial desk, a broad smile spreading across his face: "We can take advantage of this opportunity to stage a elaborate scheme for Li Chongjin and his son, shall we?"

"Your Majesty is wise." Zhao Pu bowed in praise, and then said, "I will go and find a suitable and beautiful woman."

"Go, go..."

Zhao Kuangyin waved his hand, and after Zhao Pu left, he reopened the book "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".

I thought it was excellent at first glance, but now, after careful appreciation, I am even more amazed.

Zhao Kuangyin couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"That's interesting."

Watch it again.

"That's very interesting!"

……