"Your Highness, aren't you worrying too much? His Majesty wouldn't possibly be angered by such a minor matter, would he?" Han Mo hesitated, a frown on his face.
"Father Emperor won't be angered by me, but who knows if some scoundrels might poison his ears?" Zhao Huan said, tears streaming down his face as he lowered his voice.
Han Mo finally understood. It seemed Zhao Huan had been tricked and was now seeing ghosts everywhere. Still, on second thought, his worries weren't entirely unfounded. The rivalry between Prince Yun and the Crown Prince was no secret.
Moreover, historically, the Northern Song Dynasty had nine emperors, and only Song Renzong, Song Shenzong, and Song Qinzong were sons of the Empress succeeding to the throne. Unlike other dynasties, ever since the founding emperor's vow to govern the empire with the literati, the succession of the throne had transformed from a private affair of the Zhao family to a matter of "choosing a ruler for the empire" among the literati.
The most famous example was the dialogue between Emperor Taizong and Kou Zhun. Emperor Taizong directly asked Kou Zhun, "Of my sons, who is fit to inherit the divine artifact?" In other words, among my sons, who can become emperor? Kou Zhun replied at the time, "Your Majesty, for the sake of the empire, it is not advisable to consult women in the palace or eunuchs, nor close officials. Your Majesty should choose someone who meets the expectations of the empire." This statement was quite clear. Kou Zhun meant that when choosing an imperial successor, one should not consult women in the palace, eunuchs, or close officials of the emperor. The only criterion should be someone among the royal family who meets the expectations of the empire. This simple sentence completely swayed Emperor Taizong's mind. After much deliberation, Emperor Taizong directly appointed his third son, Zhao Heng, as emperor, who was the third emperor of the Song Dynasty, Emperor Zhenzong. It was from this point onward that the legitimacy of the Song Dynasty's eldest son succession was thoroughly undermined.
According to the current situation, among Emperor Huizong's sons, Zhao Huan, although the Crown Prince, lacked outstanding talent. Furthermore, he was not favored by the Emperor. It was because Emperor Huizong was too reckless in his youth that the Chancellors worried he might exhaust himself with his actions. This was why they forced him to appoint a Crown Prince. Emperor Huizong didn't think much of it at the time and directly appointed his eldest son, Zhao Huan, as Crown Prince. It was likely he never truly intended to pass the throne to this Crown Prince, so he didn't pay much attention to him.
On the other hand, his third son, the current Prince Yun, Zhao Kai, was exceptionally favored by the Emperor. Moreover, this Prince Yun strongly resembled Emperor Huizong. Not only was he accomplished in calligraphy and painting, but he had also participated in the imperial examinations under a false name. More outrageously, under the strict imperial examination system, he still performed exceptionally well and achieved the top position as Zhuangyuan (top scholar). It was only because of his royal status that the second-place candidate was chosen to take his place. This incident greatly honored Emperor Huizong, and because of it, Prince Yun, Zhao Kai, enjoyed a very good reputation among the literati. Furthermore, with Cai Jing, Tong Guan, Wang Fu, and a host of others around Prince Yun, who helped to promote him, how could his reputation be anything but good?
The competition for the throne between Prince Yun and the Crown Prince had already reached a fever pitch. Although this was a minor matter, if Prince Yun truly wanted to leverage it, it wasn't impossible.
"Has Your Highness discussed this matter with anyone?" Han Mo asked softly after a moment of hesitation.
"How could I possibly speak of such confidential matters carelessly?" Zhao Huan looked at Han Mo nervously.
"Since Prince Yun hasn't made a move yet, why doesn't Your Highness seek out the Hidden Chancellor?"
"But he..." Hearing Han Mo's suggestion, Zhao Huan seemed genuinely hesitant. The so-called Hidden Chancellor was Liang Shicheng, a powerful eunuch by Emperor Huizong's side. For a eunuch to be granted the title of "Tong Jinshi Chushen" (similar to passing the highest level of imperial examination) by Emperor Huizong showed how favored he was. This was unimaginable in other dynasties, but for Emperor Huizong, the artistic emperor, it seemed entirely possible. While seeking help from others might be difficult, for Liang Shicheng, it was simply a matter of a few words.
"What are you worried about now?" Han Mo asked, somewhat puzzled by Zhao Huan's hesitant expression.
"Firstly, his reputation among the literati is not good. If I seek his help, I fear..." Zhao Huan didn't finish his sentence, but Han Mo immediately understood his meaning. This man truly wanted to have his cake and eat it too, wanting all the good things for himself.
"Your Highness, for one to achieve great things, one should not be bogged down by minor details. When Your Highness ascends the throne, who will dare to say that what you did today was wrong? This is a time when the victor becomes king and the loser is branded a bandit. Your Highness must not be timid because of societal opinions!" Han Mo looked at him deeply and then lowered his voice.
"But he holds immense power now, and Prince Yun seems to be trying to win him over. Is it too late for me to try and build a relationship with him now?"
"Your Highness, please don't forget that you carry the mantle of righteousness. As the saying goes, it's easy to add flowers to the brocade, but difficult to send charcoal in the snow. Prince Yun is surrounded by many stars. To put it bluntly, his presence or absence doesn't make much difference. But looking at the people around Your Highness, how many are truly worthy of your reliance? This is both your disadvantage and your advantage. As long as Your Highness chooses the right person to approach him, I believe there's an eighty percent chance of success." Liang Shicheng was historically one of the most important protectors of Emperor Qinzong before his enthronement, so this was a natural progression, and Han Mo was naturally full of confidence.
"Everyone around me is a scholar. I don't know who would be suitable for this task?" Zhao Huan felt it was a bit beneath his dignity to ask this, but the situation had come to this point, and Han Mo's analysis was so sharp that he couldn't help but be convinced.
"I heard that Scholar Su's son, Su Guo, has a good private relationship with Your Highness. Is that true?"
"You mean!" Zhao Huan's face immediately lit up with joy. Liang Shicheng had always claimed to be Su Shi's illegitimate son. If Su Shi's son were to persuade him, it would indeed be most appropriate.