In the first year of the Taiping Rejuvenation of the Kingdom, Zhao Guangyi succeeded to the throne as Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty, but the Song Dynasty at this time was shrouded in a dark cloud. The records left in history, especially Sima Guang's "Records of Lianshui" and Li Tao's "Continuation of Capital and Governance Tongjian's Long Edition", reveal a confusing history.
The snowy night of 976 A.D. was the last moment of Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin before his death. He drank with Zhao Guangyi in the palace, and then the eunuch and the palace maid were retired, and the palace fell silent. This snowy night became the beginning of the mystery that followed. Under the candlelight, what Zhao Guangyi and Zhao Kuangyin talked about has become a mystery in history.
The cause of Zhao Kuangyin's death is also suspicious, he died unnaturally at the age of 50. In this year, Zhao Kuangyin did not have a record of illness, went out on patrol frequently, and seemed to be in good health. Zhao Kuangyin's death raised questions about whether he had the idea of passing on the throne to Zhao Guangyi. After a snowy night, he died suddenly, leaving behind a series of suspicions.
Regarding the issue of succession, Zhao Kuangyin once said that he would "protect wealth and wealth together" and replied to Zhao Guangyi: "Don't be afraid!."This shows that Zhao Kuangyin does have the idea of passing on Zhao Guangyi, but he has not publicly appointed him as the heir to the throne. This left some variables, and also laid the groundwork for the mystery of the "candle shadow axe" later.
At the same time, the political struggle between Zhao Guangyi and Zhao Pu became more and more intense. Zhao Guangyi once presided over Kaifeng Mansion during the Taizu period, while Zhao Pu rose to the position of prime minister of the Great Song Dynasty, and the two gradually formed two major political forces. Zhao Guangyi's ascension to the throne of Jin showed that he was already a prince, but Zhao Pu strongly opposed him becoming the crown prince. Zhao Kuangyin finally deposed Zhao Pu, giving Zhao Guangyi a certain political advantage.
However, Zhao Pu was not to be outdone and competed with Zhao Guangyi on the "Golden Kui Alliance". This oath was intended to prescribe the order of succession to the throne in order to avoid a chaotic situation of five generations in history. Zhao Guangyi tested Zhao Pu for this, but Zhao Pu resolutely opposed the transfer of the throne to Zhao Guangyi. As a result of this struggle, Zhao Pu was deposed, but he later revisited the prime minister and regained power with the help of the "Golden Alliance".
After Zhao Guangyi ascended the throne, the turmoil within the clan also intensified. Zhao Kuangyin's son, Zhao Dezhao, was proposed to be emperor after Zhao Guangyi destroyed the Northern Han Dynasty, but Zhao Guangyi did not immediately reward him, causing Zhao Dezhao to be frightened, which eventually led him to kill himself. Zhao Guangyi's purge of the clan cleared the obstacles that prevented him from passing on the throne and ensured his succession.
However, doubts about the cause of Zhao Kuangyin's death have always existed. In the year of Taizu's violent death, Zhao Guangyi quickly changed the yuan and changed the era name from the ninth year of Kaibao to the first year of Taiping Xingguo. This behaviour is clearly unconventional and suspicious. At the same time, the so-called "candle shadow axe" has also become a mystery in history. Some people believe that Zhao Guangyi may have poisoned the wine, and Zhao Kuangyin became a victim of the poisoned wine. However, this speculation has not been conclusively proven.
In this history, there is also a key figure Cheng Dexuan. He is a close confidant of Zhao Guangyi, and he is also a person who is good at medicine. On the snowy night after Zhao Kuangyin's death, Cheng Dexuan waited for a long time at the gate of the Jin Palace, seemingly waiting for news from the palace. His presence adds to the mystery and makes history even more confusing.
In the long river of history, Zhao Kuangyin's violent death became the beginning of the three hundred years of Zhao and Song dynasties, casting a shadow on the period of Taizong of the Song Dynasty. Zhao Guangyi's various behaviors after ascending the throne show that his ascension to the throne is not above board. The truth of the "candle shadow axe" may never be solved. All we know for sure is that Zhao Da died violently and Zhao Er succeeded to the throne, and this historical mystery will continue to challenge the wisdom of historians and readers alike.