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On the night of October 20 in the ninth year of Kaibao (976), Zhao Kuangyin drank with his younger brother Zhao Guangyi in the palace.
The two drank each other in the palace, and no one else was present. The palace maid and the eunuch were held back, and they could only see the figures of the two under the candlelight from a distance.
During the banquet, some people saw the light and righteousness under the candlelight from time to time leaving the table, and there was a sign of evasion, and heard Taizu poke the ground with a pillar axe, and said loudly: "Good for it!" (Good self-reliance, with a derogatory meaning).
Subsequently, Zhao Kuangyin went to bed with his belt, snoring like thunder. And Zhao Guangyi also stayed in the palace that night.
However, at the time of the fifth watch, the palace people found that Zhao Kuangyin had died, and Zhao Guangyi immediately ascended the throne in front of the coffin and became Song Taizong.
The mystery of Zhao Guangyi's accession
The above is the whole process of "Candle Shadow Axe". This incident also made Zhao Guangyi's accession to the throne full of controversy.
You must know that Zhao Kuangyin has a son. The emperor is such a precious position, why didn't Zhao Kuangyin pass it on to his son? Is a brother closer than his own son?
In the face of doubts, Zhao Guangyi once moved out of the "Golden Kui Alliance".
According to historical records, Zhao Kuangyin's mother, Empress Dowager Du, made a "Golden Kui Alliance" with Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Pu when she was dying, and agreed that Zhao Guangyi would succeed Zhao Guangyi after his death, which provided a legal basis for Zhao Guangyi's succession.
However, many people believe that the "Golden Kui Alliance" was later fabricated by Zhao Guangyi for political needs, because what Zhao Guangyi did after his accession to the throne, such as the suppression of Zhao Kuangyin's lineage and the liquidation of Zhao Pu, made people doubt the authenticity of this edict.
Because Zhao Guangyi failed to give a satisfactory answer to everyone, there are many people who question his improper means of ascending to the top. Many people believe that the process of Zhao Guangyi's succession to the throne may involve a power struggle in the court, including the role of the eunuch Wang Jien and the participation of the medical officer Cheng Dexuan, which may be an important factor for Zhao Guangyi to quickly grasp the imperial power after Zhao Kuangyin's death.
Is the candle shadow axe real?
The legend of "candle shadow axe" was first seen in the "Continuation of Xiangshan Yelu" written by the monk Wen Ying of the Northern Song Dynasty.
Although this work is considered by some later scholars to have a certain historical value, it has also been pointed out that its content contains a lot of fiction and exaggeration.
In "Continuation of Xiangshan Yelu", Wen Ying recorded the "Candle Shadow Axe", but he did not clearly point out the situation of Zhao Guangyi's killing of his brother and seizing the throne, but said that Zhao Guangyi succeeded to the throne in accordance with the edict.
When the Southern Song Dynasty historian Li Tao edited the "Continuation of the Capital and Governance of Tongjian", he was cautious about the records in the "Continuation of the Xiangshan Yelu". He only adopted the parts directly related to the "Candle Shadow Axe", and for the other parts, especially those with prophetic nature, Li Tao did not consider them to be credible, so he did not include them in the official history.
In addition, the official history "History of the Song Dynasty" has a clear record of Zhao Kuangyin's death and Zhao Guangyi's accession to the throne, but it also does not mention the "axe sound and candle shadow" or the plot of killing his brother and seizing the throne. In the History of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Guangyi's accession to the throne is described as a legitimate and orderly process, which contrasts sharply with the record in the Continuation of the Xiangshan Yelu.
Although the story of the "Candle Shadow Axe" is widely circulated among the people, from the perspective of historical research, this legend lacks conclusive evidence to support it. Historians are more inclined to believe in the official historical record that Zhao Guangyi's accession to the throne was legitimate, rather than that he obtained the throne by killing his brother.
However, it should be pointed out that history is a "little girl dressed up by others", and many historical materials are compiled based on the ideas of the rulers of the current dynasty, and there is no guarantee that their content will be objective and true. The editor believes that the reason why the "Candle Shadow Axe" has been able to circulate until now is not without reason.
What do you think? Do you think Zhao Guangyi killed his brother and seized the throne?