After Song Emperor Tai, Zhao Kuangyin, Zhao Bocong was his 5th great grandson, posthumously called Emperor Zhewen Shenwu Chengxiao. Better referred to as Anding Junwang (rank of nobility next to prince) in the Southern Song, Zhao had his residence in Wuzhen, as logged in the Wuqing Town Annals.

Truth be told, Zhao (Xiaozong posthumously) was counted as the most accomplished ruler of the Southern Song. Indignant at his secluded coastal reign, he was determined to regain the Central Plains, with reforms of internal affairs to revive national power. This spurred a turnaround against compromise and daydream peace. Inflicted with a mess of irritants, like the constraints of backstage Emperor Gaozong, strong obstruction of the peace group, declining talent of the war party, and what not, Xiaozong suffered a burnout, sending the Resurgence mission going to waste.

The Zhao royalty fell into collapse with the disruption of the Southern Song, rendering the lush mansion falling into ruins. “At the Gujia Bridge”, a trace of records about the abode location, if any, can only be cited from Wuqing Town Annals. Yet, not a word or two was mentioned about its scale and layout. Notably, a saying in the Annals on the lineage and conferring of Zhao brings in more confusion than accuracy. Conversely, a recent excavation unearthed a full 4 tombstones, shedding a silver lining on the ins and outs of the Anding Junwang, a supplement clarifying the errors in Song history and local chronicles. From their epitaphs were confirmed, Zhao Bocong, his wives of Hu and Shen, as well as grandson Xili. Moreover, the whereabouts of the mansion was nowhere near mentioned, however.

Presumably, the barely-there mansion has every reason to be top-of-the-line regal residence in historic Wuzhen, as Zhao was credited for his respectable status. Traced back, all was a blast from the past, be it the glitz and glamor of the proprietor, or the glory and grandeur of the quarters, with merely a hint of lines tickling nostalgia-seekers of today.