In 961, according to Song sources, the founding emperor Zhao Kuangyin kept his senior generals back after court for a banquet. Half drunk, he told them he could not sleep. Who would not want the throne? One day, someone might put the yellow robe on them, as had been done for him. The generals knelt and asked him to show them a way to live. He advised them to buy land and houses and enjoy their years.
The next day, the generals asked to resign on the grounds of illness. The emperor granted every request and gave them generous rewards.
The episode is known as 杯酒释兵权, releasing military power over a cup of wine. It is not in the official records of the emperor’s reign, and modern historians have questioned it.