Zhao Song: My father was Emperor Taizu of Song

Chapter 13 Aunt Fu

To succeed, you can't just endure hardship; you have to devour others!

"Uncle Li...you're being so direct..."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Dezhao almost spat out the lamb leg in his mouth, and glanced at Li Chuyun with a complicated expression.

Whether in the original owner's memories or in their interactions over the past few days, Li Chuyun had always presented himself as a brash and unruly soldier in front of him. It wasn't until he said those words that Zhao Dezhao suddenly remembered.

This person... actually did something like that!

How could a general who could climb to this position during such a dark and turbulent period as the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms be as 'harmless' as he appears?

However, this incident did serve as a reminder to Zhao Dezhao.

Those who treat the ancients as fools are the real fools!

"Thank you for your guidance, Uncle Li." With that thought, Zhao Dezhao stood up and bowed respectfully to Li Chuyun.

"It's alright, it's alright! You're still young."

Li Chuyun waved his hand, reverting to his usual carefree demeanor, and chuckled, "I only reminded her because I noticed Zhao'er seemed to feel a bit of pity for Han Tong."

"Zhao'er, what should we do next?"

Having accomplished the great feat of capturing Han Tong without injury, Li Chuyun was very happy, and he was all smiles.

Without hesitation, Zhao Dezhao said, "Find Empress Dowager Fu and retrieve the Imperial Seal!"

Thanks to the extensive research he had done while writing historical articles in his previous life, he clearly remembered that when Zhao Kuangyin led his troops into the city, the young emperor Chai Zongxun was secretly taken out of the palace by Empress Dowager Fu and hidden in Tianqing Temple, a temple named after Chai Rong.

After all, Pan Mei was all alone, and it was unrealistic to expect him to keep an eye on the entire court.

This led to Zhao Kuangyin discovering just before his ascension to the throne that there was no edict of abdication, and he had to have one made on the spot.

It's understandable that a father has no experience when he rebels for the first time, so shouldn't a son take extra care of his father?

What a troublesome son!

"Speaking of Empress Dowager Fu, it reminds me of her elder sister, Empress Xuanyi... truly a heroine among women!"

Even a fierce general like Li Chuyun couldn't help but give a thumbs up when Empress Xuanyi was mentioned.

"Oh? What do you mean by that, Uncle Li?"

The two walked and talked.

"You were young then, so you didn't know that before marrying Emperor Shizong, Empress Xuanyi was the daughter-in-law of Li Shouzhen, a powerful minister of the puppet Han regime. When Emperor Taizu Guo Wei attacked Li Shouzhen that year, not a single member of the Li family escaped."

Li Chuyun recounted the story from back then:

"Only Empress Xuanyi remained calm and sat alone at the door, rebuking the chaotic soldiers: 'I am the daughter of the Prince of Wei. The Prince of Wei is not even as good as the brothers of the Grand Commandant. You must not be so rude!'"

"Upon seeing this, the chaotic troops retreated in solemn silence, and no one dared to attack."

"If the older sister is like this, one can imagine what the younger sister's personality will be like."

At this point, Li Chuyun paused, then said with a hint of schadenfreude, "This little Empress Dowager Fu is not someone to be trifled with. It won't be so easy to get her to obediently reveal the whereabouts of the Imperial Seal."

Ever since he boarded Zhao Dezhao's pirate ship, Li Chuyun had been increasingly amazed by his intelligence, especially by the scene where he was dressed in double robes. Now that he had finally encountered something that could make this kid suffer, Li Chuyun was also looking forward to watching the show.

"What are the preferences of this young Empress Dowager Fu?" Zhao Dezhao asked after a moment of contemplation.

He really didn't know much about this young Empress Dowager Fu.

"I've only heard that she's well-versed in classics and history and has a quick wit, but I've never heard anything about her hobbies."

"That's a bit tricky."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Dezhao was momentarily at a loss, since he couldn't directly threaten the widow and her child, otherwise it would damage his reputation.

"We can only take it one step at a time."

……

Tianqing Temple is located not far from the Right Gate of the Imperial City. It is a large temple and is known as a royal temple.

Just as Zhao Dezhao was heading to this place, a rather luxurious carriage slowly stopped at the entrance of the temple.

"Madam, we have arrived at Tianqing Temple."

The maid carefully lifted the carriage curtain and helped a richly dressed woman slowly down from the carriage.

The woman looked to be only seventeen or eighteen years old. Her delicate, oval face combined the vigor of a young girl with the dignified grace of a woman, giving her a unique charm.

She was graceful and lithe, her steps as light as lotus blossoms, and her expression carried an innate nobility.

Stepping down from the carriage, the woman glanced at the plaque above Tianqing Temple, then went to a guest room inside the temple, knocked on the door, and whispered:

"Sister, it's me."

After a moment of silence inside, a soft female voice came from inside: "Come in."

The woman then pushed open the door, and inside were Empress Dowager Xiao Fu, who had removed her yellow robes and was dressed in white with a sorrowful expression, and the young Emperor Guo Zongxun.

If someone can address Empress Dowager Xiao Fu as "elder sister," then the identity of the woman who pushed open the door is not hard to guess.

She was Fu, the wife of Zhao Guangyi (who has since changed his name).

After entering the room, Madam Fu gracefully walked to sit beside the young Empress Dowager Fu, took her sister's hand, and without rushing to reveal her purpose, sighed with a sorrowful expression, "My sister has suffered so much."

"What's the use of saying all this now that things have come to this?" Empress Dowager Fu shook her head, subtly withdrawing her delicate hand from Fu's grasp, and said indifferently, "I wonder what brings you here, sister?"

Seeing her sister's distant attitude, Madam Fu was neither annoyed nor answered her sister's question, but instead continued on her own:

"If I'm not mistaken, my older sister came here to seek refuge, waiting for Father's reaction, right?"

Empress Dowager Fu was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, and fell silent without saying a word.

Seeing this, Madam Fu knew that she had probably guessed correctly. With her sister's strong-willed nature, how could she easily back down?

At this time, her father was the only person her sister could rely on.

As Fu Yanqing's daughter, Fu naturally knew just how prestigious her father was. Back then, her father was an unparalleled general who could make the Khitan Emperor Yelü Deguang flee in panic, and his fame had long been awe-inspiring beyond the Great Wall.

With my father alive, the Liao people still dare not move south.

If Father intervenes, then perhaps the Great Zhou Dynasty will truly have a glimmer of hope.

"Sister, let's not even talk about how distant water can't quench immediate thirst. Even if Father really came, would he really be an enemy of Inspector Zhao for the sake of the Guo family's empire?"

Fu Shi uttered a cold, hard truth in a low voice: "After all, I am a member of the Zhao family."

"Yes, you are a member of the Zhao family."

Empress Dowager Fu smiled bitterly. Even if she didn't want to admit it, based on her understanding of her father, he would most likely remain neutral between his two daughters.

She was just unwilling to accept it, still clinging to a sliver of hope.

"Sister, things have come to this point, and there's nothing we can do to change the course of events. I've come today to offer you some guidance."

Seeing this, Madam Fu no longer hesitated and directly stated her purpose: "If you, elder sister, are willing to hand over the Imperial Seal to me and have the Zhou Emperor draft an abdication edict, I can guarantee that you and the Zhou Emperor will have a worry-free life."

"Just because you're Zhao Kuangyin's sister-in-law?" Empress Dowager Fu asked with a sneer.

"Sister, you're wrong. What I relied on was never my brother, but..."

To everyone's surprise, Madam Fu was not annoyed at all. Instead, she slowly shook her head, then proudly raised her swan-like neck and confidently said:

"My husband, Zhao Tingyi!"

Upon hearing this, Empress Dowager Xiao Fu was slightly taken aback, then fell silent, seemingly lost in thought.

……

A moment later, Fu hurriedly walked out of the temple and was about to board the carriage when Zhao Dezhao arrived...