Chapter 14 4. Killing two birds with one stone: rumors of unknown origin

Based on the continuous occurrence of military generals seizing power during the Five Dynasties, both Zhou Shizong Chai Rong and Zhou Taizu Guo Wei were very careful about the military generals in the court.While the rising star Zhao Kuangyin was appreciated by Chai Rong and took over the military and political power, Chai Rong was always disturbed by two generals who held military power. One was Zhang Yongde, the son-in-law of Zhou Taizu Guo Wei, and the other was Li Chongjin, Guo Wei's nephew. Before Chai Rong inherited the throne of the Later Zhou Dynasty as an adopted son, Guo Wei feared that Zhang Yongde and Li Chongjin would not accept this, so he was very disturbed.When he was seriously ill, he ordered Zhang and Li to meet Chai Rong as a monarch and minister, and said to them: "Chai Rong is young and promising. Although he is a few years younger than you two, his Wisdom and strategy will definitely make my Great Zhou more prosperous. You should try your best to assist him."

Zhang Yongde and Li Chongjin did not dare to slack off on Guo Wei's decision. After bowing down to Chai Rong, they were loyal and dedicated to assisting Chai Rong in the conquest of the Later Zhou Dynasty. Just after Guo Wei's death, the Northern Han and Khitan launched a war against Hou Zhou with hundreds of thousands of troops, which was enough to kill Hou Zhou.In this battle known as the "Battle of Gaoping" in history, both Zhang Yongde and Li Chongjin killed the enemy in blood and swore to defend Chai Rong's safety.Zhang and Li followed Chai Rong in the southern and northern wars, and they both performed outstandingly in the wars against the Southern Tang and Khitan.With the gradual increase in military exploits, the power position is also getting higher and higher.

Although both of them are loyal to Hou Zhou, the two tigers will inevitably fight each other, and there are many conflicts between Zhang Yongde and Li Chongjin.At that time, Li Chongjin was Sizhou Inspector, leading Wuxin Army Jiedu Envoy, and commanding envoy in front of the palace, while Zhang Yongde was Hezhou Inspector in the capacity of Prince Consort Captain, leading Zuowei General and inspecting in front of the palace. Zhang Yongde was very dissatisfied with Li Chongjin, he insulted Li Chongjin several times, and even said that Li Chongjin had the intention of treason when he was drunk.The crime of treason was no small matter, and someone immediately reported it to Chai Rong.

Chai Rong asked Fan Zhi and Zhao Kuangyin: "Li Chongjin is my cousin, who once swore before the late emperor's spirit to protect my Dazhou River and Mountains. And Zhang Yongde is my brother-in-law. Who should I listen to what these two say? " Fan Zhi said: "Since the end of the Tang Dynasty, military generals have often seized power. No matter who they are, your Majesty must be more careful." But Zhao Kuangyin said: "It is not possible to raise troops to rebel overnight. As long as His Majesty sends someone to monitor Li Chongjin, we can find out whether he has such intentions, and also prove that what Zhang Yongde said is true or false."

After some investigation, Chai Rong found that Li Chongjin showed no signs of rebellion.On the contrary, Li Chongjin repeatedly confessed his loyalty, claiming that Zhang Yongde framed loyal ministers with ulterior motives.Chai Rong called Zhang Yongde to punish him. Zhang Yongde was so frightened that he prostrated himself on the ground and wept bitterly. Now it’s just that everyone hasn’t caught the handle. Your Majesty must be careful of him!” Chai Rong couldn't bear to think about the old relationship between the two and Zhang Yongde's bravery in fighting the enemy.Zhao Kuangyin hurriedly stepped forward to intercede: "General Zhang said such words in order to relieve His Majesty's worries. It is imperative to guard against others. Your Majesty will forgive him for the sake of his drunkenness."

The reason why Zhao Kuangyin pleaded for Zhang Yongde was because Zhang Yongde had a heavy army in his hands at this time, and he was the only one in the court who could contend with Li Chongjin.Moreover, Zhang Yongde and Zhao Kuangyin had a very close personal relationship. After the death of Zhao Kuangyin's original spouse, the He family, he continued to marry the daughter of the general Wang Rao, but the family didn't have much savings. It was Zhang Yongde who lent him money to organize a beautiful wedding.Although he is now a prosperous man, if Zhang Yongde is in such a catastrophe, if he ignores it, he will definitely attract criticism.

Everyone begged for mercy again and again, but Chai Rong didn't really want to punish Zhang Yongde for his crimes, so he asked him to go back to his home and think about his mistakes.Zhang Yong took Zhao Kuangyin's hand and said gratefully: "This time, thanks to the general who interceded for me, I will definitely remember it in my heart." But Zhao Kuangyin smiled and said: "The mere trifles are nothing to worry about, don't worry about the inspection." Looking at Zhang Yongde's back in a hurry, Zhao Kuangyin showed an unfathomable smile on his face.Zhang Yongde made inspections in front of the palace, and the forbidden army in his hands was the most effective army in the later Zhou Dynasty. They were all composed of elite soldiers drawn from various places and were responsible for the safety of the capital and the palace.Whoever controls this team will control the entire capital, so this position has always been valued by Chai Rong and coveted by other generals.Zhao Kuangyin also coveted this position at this time, even if he couldn't get it, he didn't want others to get it.

Since the conflict between Zhang Yongde and Li Chongjin became more and more intense, Chai Rong became more and more disgusted with these two people.On the one hand, he hopes that Zhang and Li can fight for the post-Zhou Jiangshan, on the other hand, he is worried that the two will fight to create an uncontrollable situation.With such worries in mind, Chai Rong sent troops to the Northern Expedition in the sixth year of Xiande (959 A.D.).But Chai Rong's originally happy mood was messed up by a bronze medal that fell from the sky. Chai Rong, who returned from the battle in Mozhou, originally planned to return to Daliang City to rest for a while before sending troops to conquer Youzhou. Unexpectedly, when the soldiers were digging the river, they suddenly dug out an ancient tomb and found a strange thing in it.When Fan Zhi presented this strange bronze medal, Chai Rong couldn't help being surprised. This feeling was something he had never experienced since he became emperor, because there were a few words engraved on the bronze medal: "Inspection" Be the Son of Heaven, and the world will be peaceful!"

These shocking words caused Chai Rong to sit on the dragon chair, unable to calm down for a long time.Fan Zhi said in a low voice: "After the officers and men who opened the river found it, they presented it to the governor Shi Shouxin. I have already silenced them all, and they are not allowed to tell this matter." Chai Rong came back to his senses slowly, and asked Fan Zhi: "Do you think this is good or bad? What does it mean?" Fan Zhi didn't dare to say anything, which obviously foreshadowed something. "Being the emperor" is too sensitive a topic, and the slightest carelessness will offend the emperor.Seeing that Fan Zhi was silent, Chai Rong played with the sign over and over again, pretending to be relaxed and said: "'Check to be the emperor'? Then what do you want me to do? Haha!"

Fan Zhi hurriedly said: "Although this sign was dug out from the tomb, I don't think there is any rust on it, and it looks quite new. Besides, the world is in turmoil now, so your majesty doesn't need to take it too seriously." .” Chai Rong nodded, thought for a while, and asked Fan Zhi: "What kind of person do you think Zhang Yongde is who is inspected in front of the hall?" Fan Zhi replied: "Zhang Yongde has always been loyal, and he did his best when he served the Taizu. In recent years, he has been at the forefront of every battle and made a lot of contributions. The reason why the Taizu betrothed the princess to him was because he saw Among them, he is very filial to serve his parents, although he has a lot of soldiers in his hands, but I believe he will not covet the Great Zhou Dynasty!"

Regarding this answer, Chai Rong had already expected it in his heart. Zhang Yongde had fought side by side with him for many years, and he believed that this brother-in-law was not a treacherous person.But this bronze medal that fell from the sky seemed to indicate something. He asked Fan Zhi: "Then where do you think this bronze medal came from?" Fan Zhi said in a low voice, "I dare not say anything." Chai Rong asked: "Do you think this was done on purpose? To frame Zhang Yongde?" Fan Zhi replied: "Your Majesty is wise. Zhang Yongde has power and is trusted. He has aroused the jealousy of many people for a long time, and he and Li Chongjin have been fighting constantly, so this is very likely." Chai Rong, who dared to demolish temples and melt down Buddha statues to make money, did not seem to believe in this kind of oracle from heaven. After discussing with Fan Zhi, he still chose to trust Zhang Yongde.So he destroyed this bronze medal of unknown origin, pretending that nothing happened, he wanted to see if there would be other "oracles" or man-made things to prove that Zhang Yongde really had a conspiracy Heart. Unexpectedly, as soon as Zhou Jun returned to Daliang, Chai Rong fell ill, and the original plan to attack Youzhou had to be cancelled.Chai Rong on the hospital bed looked at his seven-year-old son Chai Zongxun, and couldn't help feeling uneasy.He said to Empress Fu: "After I die, Zong Xun is still too young. If he succeeds to the throne, you must help him well. Only you orphans and widows are not enough. You must have a few capable ministers to assist you. You can control the government." Empress Fu said with tears in her eyes: "Now the ministers in the court are doing their best to assist His Majesty, but you must choose the right person for this kind of important task, so you can rest assured. Among these people, who do you think can be trusted? " The pale-faced Chai Rong listed all the important officials in the court in his mind: "Among the civil servants, Prime Minister Fan Zhi and Wang Pu are veteran ministers who have followed me for many years. They will definitely assist Zong Xun. The key is the generals. There are no more than four people who hold heavy troops: Li Chongjin, Zhang Yongde, Han Tong, and Zhao Kuangyin. Except for Li Chongjin, the others are very loyal to me, and I believe they will not harm Zongxun." Empress Fu nodded and said: "Okay, if anything happens in the future, I will consult with these five people." But Chai Rong suddenly remembered the bronze medal and the phrase "check to be the emperor".This sentence made Chai Rong feel very uneasy when he was dying. Looking at his seven-year-old son, he felt that he could not take risks.So he said to Empress Fu: "In front of the hall, the imperial guards in Zhang Yongde's hands are inspected to protect the safety of the capital, but I can't rest assured of him. Only when someone else does the inspection can I rest in peace. Han Tong is loyal but Lacking strategy, Zhao Kuangyin has the style of a Confucian general, and he will definitely be able to protect your mother and child." After entrusting Chai Zongxun to the four ministers Fan Zhi, Wang Pu, Han Tong, and Zhao Kuangyin, and handing over the military power of the Forbidden Army held by Zhang Yongde to Zhao Kuangyin, Chai Rong felt that he had finally settled his funeral, and closed his eyes helplessly.And the fate of Hou Zhou also began to become precarious. Today, thousands of years later, the bronze medal of "Check to be the Emperor" that Chai Rong won back then is still a mystery.There is no evidence to prove who did it, but there is no doubt that it is precisely because of the suggestive effect of this bronze medal that Chai Rong became suspicious of Zhang Yongde, so that he gave up the command of the Forbidden Army at the last moment. Handed over to Zhao Kuangyin.Since then, Zhang Yongde's status in the Later Zhou Dynasty has plummeted, and he can no longer pose any threat to Li Chongjin or Zhao Kuangyin.And there is only one beneficiary of the whole incident: Zhao Kuangyin, who has since then been in charge of most of the most powerful armies in Hou Zhou and has become a giant of generals. Chai Rong didn't want to "check to be the Son of Heaven", so Zhang Yong was pulled off his horse, and Zhao Kuangyin, who was finally succeeded by the inspection in front of the palace, replaced Chai Zongxun, Emperor Gong of the Later Zhou Dynasty, as the "Son of Heaven", which also corresponds to the phrase "Check to be the Son of Heaven" talk.If it is not man-made, maybe all this is really a coincidence of history.