Emperor Renzong of Song had thirteen daughters and three sons, so why did he pass the throne to his nephew? Let's start with his father, Song Zhenzong.
In 1003, Zhao You, the son of Zhao Heng of Song Zhenzong, died prematurely, which caused panic inside and outside the imperial court, because Song Zhenzong had no other sons, and this throne had to be inherited! So his nephew, the eight-year-old Zhao Yunrang, was taken to the palace as a spare tire. But Song Zhenzong never gave up having a son.
In 1010, Zhao Yunrang ended his 7-year "spare tire" career and was sent back. Because Li gave birth to a son to Emperor Zhenzong of Song, that is, the later Emperor Renzong of Song.
History is always strikingly similar, twenty-two years is like a reincarnation, in 1035 AD, the twenty-six-year-old Song Renzong had no children under his knees, twenty-six years old was a relatively old age in ancient times, while the "spare tire" Zhao Yunrang was "fruitful", he already had more than a dozen sons at this time (this is not the final data, and later gave birth to several, a total of twenty-two sons in his lifetime). Song Renzong followed his father's example and selected three-year-old Zhao Shu from Zhao Yun's sons to raise him in the palace. Of course, Song Renzong, like his father, was not idle, and he also had to work hard to have a boy.
In 1037, Zhao Fang, the eldest son of Song Renzong, was born, and before Song Renzong could grin, Zhao Fang died again. In 1039, the second son Zhao Xin was born, and Song Renzong quickly sent back the "spare tire" Zhao Shu. Will the lives of Zhao Yunrang and Zhao Shu's father and son really be the same?
In 1041 AD, Zhao Xi, the third son of Emperor Renzong of Song, was also born, so it seems that Zhao Shu's chances of returning to the palace are not great. However, in 1043 AD, things took a one hundred and eighty degree reversal, and within the same year, fate tricked zhao, and Zhao Renzong's only two remaining sons died early.
In the first month of 1056 AD, when he was in the middle of the dynasty, Song Renzong's body suddenly seemed to be possessed by something, and he began to drool wildly, and he danced rhythmically, which frightened the ministers below. On the same day, an emissary went to see Song Renzong, and Song Renzong was also talking nonsense. A bunch of "question marks" in the head of the Messenger? In order to conceal the emissary, the chancellor Wen Yanbo had to lie that the emperor was caused by excessive drinking.
In the next few days, Song Renzong's situation did not improve, but became more and more serious, and when he was unconscious, he even speculated about Empress Cao's "rebellion" and shouted absurd words such as "Empress Cao and Zhang Mao plotted rebellion." The emperor was bedridden and unable to afford to be sick, and the affairs of the dprk and China were handed over to the prime minister. When everyone was about to fall into despair, in February of the same year, Song Renzong slowly improved and was able to handle political affairs on his own.
In 1062 AD, that is, the year before the death of Song Renzong, although Song Renzong always had a dream of having a son, but he was already fifty-three years old, he was powerless, and he helplessly put Zhao Shu into the palace again, Zhao Shu was also unable to follow his father's old path, and after the death of Song Renzong the following year, he took over the throne.
If Zhao Shu had taken Zhao Yun's old path, then this father and son would have been too miserable.