Whether there really was an Eight Sages King Zhao Defang in history and the reason for his death are highly debated. There are two main sayings:
According to the official history, in the sixth year of Taiping Xingguo (981 AD), Zhao Defang died of illness at the age of 23. At that time, Song Taizong personally came to mourn and suspended the government for 5 days, and then gave Zhao Defang the title of Zhongshu Ling and King Qi, nicknamed Kanghui, and then entered the title of Taishi and posthumously named the King of Chu;
However, in the wild history, there is another version of Zhao Defang's death. It is rumored that after the death of Song Taizu, the crown prince did not ascend the throne, but was succeeded by his younger brother Zhao Guangyi, who was born to the empress, who later became Song Taizong. His elder brother Dezhao and younger brother Defang were both quite competitive on the issue of ascending the throne, and according to the rumors of "candlelight axe shadow", Taizong's ascension to the throne may involve the seizure of power. If this is the case, the Zhao Defang brothers are likely to be guarded against and suppressed by Taizong. Then, Dezhao was forced to commit suicide in 979, and Defang died of illness in 981, a series of coincidences that made people speculate that Defang was also killed by Taizong**.
Interestingly, in addition to film and television works such as "Yang Jiajiang" and "Bao Qingtian", we also saw the image of Zhao Defang, a kind, friendly, personable, and righteous Eight Sage King. Whether it is Zhao Defang in the official history or demonized imagination, they all originate from a common point - to correct ** with martial arts and strategy, and to do the right thing for heaven. The Eight Sages are in charge of the jade seal, holding a golden mace, and upholding the principles of justice and morality. Although he is not a real historical figure, Zhao Defang still won the love of the people because of his moral image and noble temperament.
Let's talk about the real Zhao Defang. His father was Emperor Taizu Zhao Kuangyin in the early Song Dynasty, and as the son of the royal family, he received a good education from an early age, and his benevolent demeanor was exemplary. At that time, it was widely expected that Defang would become the next emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty. However, Zhao Kuangyin died of a sudden emergency, and Taizong Zhao Guangyi succeeded to the throne smoothly. Two years later, Defang died of illness and was honored as the Eight Sages.
Zhao Defang, a folk hero who is the eighth prince, holds a golden mace in his hand, and specializes in punishing mediocre monarchs and treacherous ministers, and is deeply loved by the general public. However, there is no clear record of the history of the gold. Although the historical record acknowledges the existence of Zhao Defang, it does not mention that he held the golden mace. In fact, the Eight Sages and Jin Gong are both products of folk art creation, mostly based on Zhao Defang's life deeds.
Historical documents record that Zhao Kuangyin, Taizu of the Song Dynasty, promised to pass the throne to his brother Zhao Guangyi before the Chenqiao Mutiny. However, this incident has sparked a lot of speculation, especially the "candle shadow axe" incident caused by Zhao Guangyi after he came to power. Zhao Guangyi succeeded to the throne, Empress He took Zhao Defang, the son of Taizu, to the palace to question, Taizong may have felt guilty, so he rewarded Zhao Defang with a golden gong. This edict gave Zhao Defang the power to monitor the government during the Taizu period, which could attack the emperor and control the ministers.
Since then, Zhao Defang has been known as the "Eight Sage Kings", and the golden mace he holds has also become an artifact that every upright ** dreams of. Although the Eight Wise Kings are fictional characters, the expectations of the people they represent for injustices are real and deep.