Chapter 25 The four worlds are competing for rise and fall

The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms are generally considered to be 53 years from Zhu Wen's destruction of Tang Dynasty in 907 AD to the establishment of Northern Song Dynasty in 960 AD.In fact, six of the Ten Kingdoms perished after 960, and the Northern Han Dynasty was the last, and it was already 979 when it perished.These fifty-three years were the most chaotic and darkest period in Chinese history. Due to space limitations, the author only chooses one line of the Five Dynasties to give a brief account.The Five Dynasties are the five dynasties in the Central Plains, and the ten kingdoms that coexisted with them, except the Northern Han Dynasty, are all in the south of the Huaihe River in the Qinling Mountains.Other co-existing regimes include Liao and Xixia.

Later Liang was built by Zhu Wen, and was destroyed by Li Cunxu, the son of his arch-enemy Li Keyong. There were three emperors in total, and it existed for seventeen years.It has been mentioned before, so I won't say more. It is said that Li Cunxu destroyed the Hou Liang and established the Later Tang regime. He himself also called the emperor Tang Zhuangzong.Li Cunxu believed that he had accomplished the great cause that his father had failed to accomplish, and was satisfied with his ambitions. He began to indulge in sensuality, and completely lost the spirit of overcoming obstacles and pioneering on the battlefield.Li Cunxu loved opera since he was a child, and he composed most of the military songs of the Jin army himself. After he became emperor, this hobby began to flourish.He raised many actors, and even gave himself a stage name called "Li Tianxia". He painted his face with pink ink and made guest appearances in person, regardless of the emperor's dignity, which became a great anecdote at the time.

Li Cunxu loved and trusted the actor very much.Once, when he was acting on stage, he called himself "Li Tianxia" twice.An actor named Jing Xinmo went up and slapped him twice.Everyone was taken aback, and stepped forward to grab Jing Xinmo and question him.Li Cunxu himself was beaten for no reason.Jing Xinmo said with a playful smile: "Li (Li and Li have the same pronunciation) is the only emperor in the world. You called twice, who is the other?" Li Cunxu was very happy after being beaten, and gave Jing Xinmo generously. Once Jing Xinmo played in the hall, and there were many dogs in the hall.When Jing Xinmo left, a dog started chasing him. Jing Xinmo hid by a pillar and shouted to Li Cunxu: "Your Majesty, please don't let your sons and daughters bite!" Dog character, couldn't help being furious, and immediately drew his bow and arrows, ready to shoot Jing Xinmo to death.Jing Xinmo hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, don't kill me. I am one with you. It is not auspicious to kill!" Li Cunxu was surprised and asked what he said.Jing Xinmo replied: "Your Majesty founded the country, and the year name is Tongguang. The whole world calls you Tongguang Emperor. Tong is copper. If Jing Xinmo is killed, the copper will be useless." (Because after the copper is milled Geng Liang) Li Cunxu was very happy, so he released Jing Xinmo.

Li Cunxu likes hunting, but he often tramples on crops.Once while hunting outside, the local county magistrate came forward to advise: "Your Majesty, anyone who owns a country should love the people like a son, and take the people as the foundation of the country. You must not trample on the farmland for a moment of happiness and hurt the people's hearts. Your Majesty is like all people. Parents, how could you do this!" Li Cunxu was furious when he heard this, and ordered the county magistrate to be tied up and beheaded on the spot.Seeing this, Jing Xinmo hurried forward and grabbed the county magistrate, and reprimanded him: "As the county magistrate, you can drive the people. Since you know that your majesty likes hunting, you should leave more open space. Why do you let the people here to hoe? Do you work hard to prevent His Majesty's eagles and dogs from flying away? Now that you have made a mistake, you can't blame yourself, but dare to say nonsense to Your Majesty, I think you deserve to die!" The other actors also booed, and Li Cunxu couldn't help laughing, so The county magistrate was spared.This shows his favor and trust in actors.See "New History of the Five Dynasties Biography of Lingguan".

Relying on Li Cunxu's favor, the actors freely entered and left the palace.They can fight with the emperor, and they are even more arrogant to ordinary court officials.The courtiers were often teased and insulted by the actors, and while the courtiers were angry, they dared not complain to Li Cunxu, and some even turned to curry favor with the actors in order to ensure wealth.Jiedu envoys from all over the world also scrambled to pay bribes. Li Cunxu also named two actors as governors.The officials dissuaded: "Now that the new dynasty has just been established, the soldiers who have experienced many battles with Your Majesty have not yet been rewarded. Instead, let the actor be the governor. I'm afraid everyone will not accept it." official.

Li Cunxu was jealous of the minister, so he trusted an actor named Jing Jin as his confidant, and let him specialize in investigating and reporting the movements of civil and military officials.If the courtiers did not give gifts to Jing Jin, Jing Jin would slander Li Cunxu in front of him.At that time, all the officials were afraid of Jing Jin, and they made a fuss that "the ministers were punished for their innocence, and they swallowed their mouths to avoid disasters."Li Siyuan and Guo Chongtao were the two most prestigious figures in the Later Tang Dynasty at that time, but they were often suspected by Li Cunxu, and they were almost assassinated several times.

Li Cunxu's empress, Liu Shi, was born in poverty, and was plundered by Li Keyong's troops when she was a child. Cao Shi, the concubine of Li Cunxu, was dedicated to Li Keyong's concubine as a little maid.As a result, the little maid married Li Cunxu and became a queen when she grew up, and she was considered extremely rich.Liu's temperament is vicious. After she became rich, her long-lost father came to her.At that time, Mrs. Liu was about to fight for the position of queen. She was worried that if she recognized this poor father who had neither power nor money, she would appear to be of humble origin, so she lied that her father had died in the war and drove her biological father away.After she got her wish and became a queen, she intervened in the government affairs, acted perversely, and amassed money crazily.Guo Chongtao, an important minister of the later Tang Dynasty, was framed and killed by her.Li Cunxu actually let it go.

Li Cunxu's behavior is naturally difficult to convince the public.Especially after Guo Chongtao was killed, the government and the public were shaken.In 926 A.D., the soldiers of the Later Tang supported Li Siyuan (the adopted son of Li Keyong) and demanded that he be the main one to resist Li Cunxu.At first Li Siyuan refused to make trouble, and wanted to stay out of it.Li Shaorong, another general of the later Tang Dynasty, had already made a statement, saying that Li Siyuan had rebelled.Li Siyuan failed to defend himself, so he was very suspicious, for fear of being harmed by Li Cunxu.Li Siyuan's son-in-law Shi Jingtang (later Emperor Gaozu of the later Jin Dynasty) urged Li Siyuan to seize Bianjing (Kaifeng) and launch a coup.His subordinates Kang Yicheng and An Zhongjiao also tried their best to encourage him.Li Siyuan made up his mind to launch a mutiny, with his son-in-law Shi Jingtang as the vanguard and his adopted son Li Congke as the rear guard, marching towards Bianjing.

Li Cunxu heard the news of Li Siyuan's rebellion in Luoyang, and wanted to rush back to Bianjing.On the way, I heard that Li Siyuan had already entered Bianjing, and generals from all over the country supported Li Siyuan one after another.Knowing that he was completely isolated, he said to the left and right soldiers dejectedly: "This is the end for me!" When Li Cunxu returned to Luoyang, he wanted to resist Li Siyuan.Guo Congqian, his pro-army commander, was also an actor, and he once recognized General Guo Chongtao as his uncle.After Guo Chongtao was killed, Guo Congqian had harbored a grudge for a long time. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he launched a pro-army mutiny and stormed the palace.Li Cunxu led more than ten people to resist, was shot to death by stray arrows, and fled left and right.The world that Li Ke had acquired on horseback with his father and son for two generations fell into the hands of others in an instant.

Li Cunxu reigned for three years, and it is said in history that "his prosperity is also short, and his death is also sudden".He was originally a hero, and when he was on the battlefield, the heroes of the world did not dare to compete with him, but he ended up in a sad end.Sure enough, worrying about labor can rejuvenate the country, and leisure and pleasure can lead to death.The ruthlessness of history cannot but make future generations sigh. There are three poems handed down by Li Cunxu.Its "One Leaf Falls" says: "A leaf falls, and the vermilion foil is sprinkled. At this time, the scenery is bleak. The moon shadow on the painting building is cold, and the west wind blows the curtain. Blowing the curtain, thinking about the past." It shows that this man who is accustomed to fighting A hero is no ordinary warrior.

After Li Siyuan seized the power of the Later Tang Dynasty, he only used the name of Jianguo at first. After the descendants of Li Keyong and Li Cunxu were killed, he officially became the emperor. He became Emperor Mingzong of the Later Tang Dynasty and changed his name to Li Dan. Li Siyuan was a relatively wise emperor. After he came to the throne, he changed some of the bad policies at that time; he prohibited Chinese and foreign ministers from presenting rare and valuables; only one hundred old ladies, thirty eunuchs, one hundred bands, and hunters were kept in the palace. There are twenty eagle people and fifty people in the kitchen.The organization of the imperial palace is so simple, which is unmatched by any emperor in Chinese history.The prime minister was in charge of the finances, and he was also very successful. Therefore, in just one year, Li Siyuan's throne was stabilized.In Li Siyuan's harem, there is a concubine Shu Wang, who is known as "the most beautiful woman in the Five Dynasties".According to the "New History of the Five Dynasties": "Shu Concubine Wang is also the son of the Binzhou cake family. She is beautiful, and her name is 'Huajian Shame'." Wang is just the daughter of Wang's biscuit shop in Binzhou City. Seeing shame, it can be seen what a natural beauty it is.A good person lives in troubled times and must have an extraordinary life.In the business of helping his father welcome and send off, Hua Jianxiu has developed a set of good skills of human relations.Afterwards, she became the concubine of General Liu Xun of the Later Liang Dynasty, a young girl matched with an old man, but she was also quite happy.Soon after, Li Cunxu of the Later Tang Dynasty destroyed Houliang, and Hua Jianxie fell into the hands of Li Siyuan, who was the first to enter the city. Although Liu Xun died, he left a lot of wealth to Hua Jianxie.Hua Jianxiu was shrewd and generous, and used the wealth to please Li Siyuan's other concubines and his daughter-in-law, so everyone praised Huajianxiu in unison, Li Siyuan loved her very much because of this, but no one was jealous.Hua Jianxiu bought a good popularity, which later brought great benefits to her throughout her life.Liu Xun's two sons were also honored by the shame of flowers, and they were promoted to rank. Li Siyuan's original spouse died early, and after Li Siyuan came to the throne, he wanted to be a queen in shame.Hua Jian shyly said: "The empress is just a title. If you love each other, what is the title? What's more, your Majesty and his original wife, Mrs. Xia, have been in trouble together. Although she has passed away now, her two sons are dead. When he grows up and leads the army abroad, moreover, the members of the Xia family also hold important positions. It is better not to register as a queen first, but to make Mrs. Xia the queen. First, it will make people feel that His Majesty does not forget the old love, and second, it can also be stable. The political situation." This insight was very clever, and Li Siyuan adopted her opinion, which won applause from the government and the opposition. Three years later, all the ministers came forward one after another, thinking that the Queen's mother should not be left in vain for a long time.But Huajian was still humble and insisted that Li Siyuan canonize the Cao family as his queen.So the Cao family was canonized as a queen, and Hua Jianxie was named a concubine Shu. At that time, someone in the harem gave birth to a son, and Li Siyuan let the childless Hua see the shame to raise him. This is Xu Wang Li Congyi.Li Siyuan was sick in his later years, and his eldest son Li Congjing was killed by Li Cunxu.The second son, Li Congrong, was named the King of Qin, appointed as Yin of Henan Province, and also sentenced the six armies to serve as guards. disturbed.In order to observe the movement in the palace, Li Congrong secretly made friends with Siyi Wang, the nurse of Xu Wang Li Congyi (who was four years old at the time). In 933 AD, the 66-year-old Li Siyuan was bedridden.Li Congrong, king of Qin, was in a hurry and wanted to seize the throne by force, so he led his troops to attack the palace gate.The guards in the palace counterattacked and killed Li Congrong, and Siyi Wang, Xu Wang's nurse, was also given to death. Li Siyuan "heard that Congrong was dead, and he fell to the couch in grief, and he would die again." It can be seen that he loves this son very much deep in his heart.After being hit by this, Li Siyuan became seriously ill and died of illness.Li Siyuan's son, Li Conghou, succeeded to the throne as Emperor Tang Min.After Li Conghou came to the throne, he respected Empress Cao as the empress dowager, and Huajian was ashamed as the empress dowager.Because Si Yi Wang was the nurse of Xu Wang Li Congyi, and Hua Jianxiu was involved, Li Conghou was unhappy, and wanted to move Huajianxiu to Zhide Palace.But Hua Jianxiu was very friendly with all the palace people, Li Conghou still didn't dare to offend the public, and gave up the idea of ​​getting rid of Hua Jianxiu, but after that he was very indifferent to the concubine. Tang Mindi Li Conghou was young and incompetent. He reigned for only four months, and Li Siyuan's adopted son Li Congke staged a coup.Li Conghou fled the capital, and met his brother-in-law Shi Jingtang on the way.Shi Jingtang was unwilling to save his brother-in-law, who was at the end of the situation. One of Li Conghou's followers was dissatisfied with Shi Jingtang, and drew a knife to kill Shi Jingtang, but was killed by Shi Jingtang's guards instead.Shi Jingtang simply killed all of Li Conghou's guards and imprisoned Li Conghou.Later Li Congke killed Li Conghou.So all the officials supported Li Congke as emperor, that is, Tang Feidi (also known as Tang Modi). After Li Congke came to the throne, he bought wine in the palace courtyard where Huajian was ashamed, in order to appease the concubine.Huajian was ashamed to drink and said: "I would like to bid farewell to the emperor and become a nun." Li Congke asked why.Huajian shyly said: "little Li Congyi, if you don't allow him, how can I see the late emperor on the day he dies!"Li Congke was also saddened by it, and has been treating Huajian shamelessly ever since. Li Congke and Shi Jingtang are both brave and good at fighting, and they have never been convinced by each other.After Li Congke became emperor, the conflict between the two began to become public.Once, when Li Congke held a family banquet in the palace, Shi Jingtang's wife, Princess Jin (daughter of Li Siyuan), served the wine and said that she would resign and return to Jinyang. Li Congke got drunk and asked, "Why don't you stay longer? You are in such a hurry Going back, do you want to rebel against Shi Lang?" Shi Jingtang was terrified when he found out, and was secretly preparing for rebellion. Later, the two broke up publicly.Li Congke sent Zhang Jingda to lead tens of thousands of troops to besiege Jinyang City.Shi Jingtang couldn't resist, Jinyang was in critical condition.The secretary Sang Weihan came up with an idea, asking him to ask the Khitan for help.Therefore, Shi Jingtang wrote a letter to the Khitan king Yelu Deguang as a minister, expressing his willingness to worship the Khitan king Yelu Deguang as his father, and promised to take the Yanyun Sixteen Prefecture (also known as Youyun Sixteen) north of Yanmen Pass after defeating the Tang army. Zhouzhou refers to 16 states including Youzhou and Yunzhou, all of which are in the northern part of today’s Hebei and Shanxi provinces) whose land was dedicated to Khitan. Regardless of personal dignity, Shi Jingtang brazenly recognized Yelu Deguang, who was ten years younger than himself, as his father, and put forward many shameful conditions, which made even his subordinates feel embarrassed.The general Liu Zhiyuan (later Emperor Gaozu of the later Han Dynasty) said: "It is fine to be a minister, but it seems too much to be a son. Send more gold and silk, and the Khitan soldiers will come naturally. You don't have to give land. I am afraid that it will be a disaster for China in the future. I regret it. Too late." But Shi Jingtang wanted to become the "child emperor" quickly, so he ignored Liu Zhiyuan's advice and asked Sang Weihan to write a memorial and send it to Khitan.Yelu Deguang was overjoyed, and soon he personally led 50,000 cavalry, claiming 300,000, to defeat Zhang Jingda's army at the city of Jinyang. Li Congke was shocked and issued an edict to personally conquer, but by this time the soldiers had already left.The ministers persuaded Li Congke to go north, but he was so frightened that no one would mention Shi Jingtang's name, saying: "Don't mention Shi Lang, it will make me feel heartbroken." Yelubei (the son of the former Khitan king Abaoji) became the Khitan king, and then sent troops back to Khitan, which made Yelude Guang worry about his future.Li Congke thought it was very good, but for some reason, she didn't do it. Instead, she was depressed, drinking and singing dirges day and night, as if it was the end of the day. Zhang Jingda led the remnant troops to guard Jin'an (in the south of Jinyang City), but did not see any reinforcements, and was also killed by his general Yang Guangyuan, and the remnant soldiers surrendered to Khitan.Shi Jingtang marched from Jinyang to Luoyang.Later Tang generals Zhao Dejun, Zhao Yanshou and his son surrendered to Shi Jingtang one after another.Li Congke, the 45-year-old deposed emperor of the Tang Dynasty, and his whole family took their national treasures to the Xuanwu Tower, preparing to set themselves on fire.Huajian was ashamed but had another idea, and said to Queen Mother Cao: "It's urgent, let's take shelter and wait for reinforcements." Queen Mother Cao said: "Our Li family has reached this point, I can't bear to be alone, sister, take care of yourself Empress Dowager Cao and Li Congke both set themselves on fire and died, while Hua Jianxuan hid in Juyuan with Li Congyi, the king of Xu, and his younger sister (the woman was also the adopted daughter of Hua Jianxuan, who was later married by Yelu Deguang and later Jin Jiang Zhao Yanshou), out of danger. The Later Tang Dynasty perished and passed on to four emperors for a total of 14 years. Khitan King Yelude saw that the great success was accomplished, so he said to his "son" Shi Jingtang: "I have come three thousand miles to face difficulties, and I am sure to succeed. You look like you, and you are the master of the Central Plains. I will make you the emperor." Shi Jingtang pretended After some resignation, he ascended the throne as the Emperor of the Later Jin Dynasty.Subsequently, the sixteen prefectures of Yanyun (in today's Hebei and northern Shanxi) were given to Khitan, and an additional 300,000 horses were paid each year.Yelu Deguang returned to the country, and he got great benefits from going south this time, so he cried farewell to Shi Jingtang and said: "For generations to come, don't forget each other." Shi Jingtang's act of ceding Yanyun sixteen prefectures to Khitan had a profound impact on later generations.Afterwards, there was almost no danger to defend Hebei and Hedong, which created extremely favorable conditions for the Khitan, Jurchen, and Mongolia to go south in the future.Therefore, many historians list Shi Jingtang as the first traitor in Chinese history and the most notorious feudal emperor.Sang Weihan, who came up with the idea, was also named "the sinner of all ages" by the later historian Wang Fuzhi. After Shi Jingtang became emperor, Huajian was ashamed and asked herself to be a nun. Shi Jingtang did not approve, but moved her mother and son to Zhide Palace.After the capital was moved to Bianliang in the later Jin Dynasty, Huajianxiu's mother and son traveled eastward with them and lived in the palace of Bianliang. Empress Shi Jingtang treated Huajianxiu as her mother.Later, Shi Jingtang also established the ancestral temple of the Later Tang Dynasty, and made Li Congyi, the adopted son of Xu Wang, the Duke of Xun, to preside over the ancestral temple of the Later Tang Dynasty. Shi Jingtang relied on the Khitan to obtain the throne, so he was grateful to the leader of the Khitan, Yelu Deguang, and wrote a memorial to the Khitan, calling the leader of the Khitan "father emperor" and himself "son emperor".In addition to paying 300,000 horses of silk as tribute to Khitan every year, envoys were also sent to send gifts to the Khitan King, Empress Dowager, and noble ministers during festivals.As soon as those people were dissatisfied, they would send someone to blame Shi Jingtang. Shi Jingtang was always respectful and apologized.The subjects of the later Jin Dynasty felt ashamed. Relying on the protection of Khitan, Shi Jingtang served as son-emperor for seven years, died of illness, and lived to be fifty-one years old.His nephew Shi Chonggui ascended the throne, the emperor of Jinchu.Shi Chonggui appointed Jing Yanguang as the prime minister. Jing Yanguang was ashamed of being a vassal of the Liao Kingdom and actively opposed the Liao Kingdom. He told the Liao Kingdom: "There are 100,000 swordsmen in the Jin Dynasty. If Weng (referring to the Liao Lord) wants to fight, he will come early." When Shi Chonggui presented the memorial to the Khitan ruler, he called himself his grandson, not his vassal.Yelude just thought he was disrespectful and led troops to attack. In 943 A.D., Zhao Yanshou (the son-in-law of Li Siyuan, who first married Li Siyuan's own daughter, and later married Xu Wang Li Congyi's younger sister, the adopted daughter of Hua Jianxie) attacked the Jin Dynasty.Khitan promised Zhao Yanshou in advance: "If you win China, you should be made emperor." Zhao Yanshou was very happy and expressed his willingness to do his best for Liao.However, Zhao Yanshou encountered fierce resistance from the soldiers and civilians of the Later Jin Dynasty and suffered repeated defeats.Yelu Deguang personally led 100,000 soldiers to the north of Chanzhou City to form a decisive battle with the Jin army.The two sides fought fiercely, and the casualties were heavy.Yelu Deguang retreated, burning, killing and looting all the way.Jing Yanguang, Prime Minister of the Later Jin Dynasty, did not dare to pursue him. In 945 A.D., the Khitan invaded the south again, still taking the surrendered general Zhao Yanshou as the vanguard.At that time, Jing Yanguang was suspicious of Shi Chonggui, the emperor who came out of Jin Dynasty, so he stayed behind in Xijing, and Sang Weihan was in power on behalf of Jing Yanguang.Sang Weihan was afraid of the Liao army and ordered the troops to retreat.The armies panicked and retreated to Xiangzhou City (now Anyang County, Henan).After rectification in Xiangzhou, the Jin army fought a decisive battle with the Liao army.Generals Huangfu Yu, Murong Yanchao, An Shenqi and others fought hard, and the Liao army was defeated.Zhao Yanshou returned north and passed through Qizhou City (now Anguo County, Hebei). Knowing that there were few soldiers in the city, he besieged the city and attacked it.Shen Bin, the governor of Qizhou, stood firm.Zhao Yanshou persuaded him to surrender under the city, Shen Bin scolded: "Your father and son went the wrong way to seek refuge in a foreign country, and you have the heart to lead wolves to harm the motherland. You don't know shame, but you have arrogance. How weird! Die for the motherland, and never learn from your behavior!" The next day, the city fell, and Shen Bin committed suicide. Knowing that the Khitan army had retreated, Shi Chonggui, the emperor of the Jin Dynasty, set out in person to attack Youzhou.He appointed his uncle Chengde Jiedu envoy Du Chongwei to lead the army.Du Chongwei is a greedy, cruel, shameless and cowardly general who already intends to rebel.The Jin army met the Khitan army in Yangcheng (southeast of Puyin County, Hebei today), and Du Chongwei forbade his subordinates to attack.It was General Li Shouzhen who led his troops to attack vigorously and defeated the Liao army. Emperor Taizong of the Liao Dynasty abandoned his chariot, found a camel, and rode away.The generals asked for pursuit, but Du Chongwei refused, saying: "It is good enough not to hurt your life when you meet a robber. Do you still want to get your pocket back?" My close relatives will never disagree, so don't be suspicious." Soon after, Shi Chonggui appointed Du Chongwei as Tianxiong Jiedu envoy and dismissed Sang Weihan. In 946 A.D., Emperor Shi Chonggui of the Jin Dynasty appointed Du Chongwei as Marshal and Li Shouzhen as Deputy Marshal. He led Song Yanyun, Zhang Yanze, Wang Qing and other armies to attack Khitan, intending to recover the lost land of Yan, Yun and others.Yelu Deguang led his army to Hengzhou and confronted Du Chongwei's army across the river.Jin general Wang Qing 2,000 people as the vanguard, crossed the river to attack the enemy.The Khitan army retreated, and the generals asked to take advantage of the situation to cross the river.Du Chongwei had planned to surrender to Khitan, so he neither allowed to cross the river, nor sent troops to assist Wang Qing, so Wang Qing and 2000 soldiers all died.The Khitan army surrounded the Jin camp, and the Jin army ran out of food.Du Chongwei conspired with Li Shouzhen and Song Yanjun to surrender to Liao.Du Chongwei sent a secret envoy to see Yelu Deguang and asked for a reward.Yelu Deguang lied to the envoy and said: "Zhao Yanshou's qualifications are not high enough. I'm afraid he's not enough to be emperor. Du Chongwei came to surrender, so he should be allowed to do it." Du Chongwei was overjoyed and decided to surrender.He ordered the whole army to go out of the camp and line up, and lift their armor.When the sergeant understood, they all wept bitterly, and their voices shook the field. Yelu Deguang led the troops to the south, and sent general Zhang Yanze to lead two thousand cavalry to take Bianjing first.Zhang Yanze drove away, crossed Baimajin at night, and broke in from the gate of Qiumen. There was great chaos in the city, Shi Chonggui had to surrender, and was escorted to Khitan, where he was placed in Huanglong Mansion (in today's Chaoyang County, Liaoning Province), and endured humiliation. Eighteen years passed before he died. The two emperors passed on in the later Jin Dynasty for a total of twelve years, and they perished so far. In 947 AD, Yelu Deguang entered Bianjing and proclaimed himself Emperor of Daliao (Khitan changed its name to Liao in this year).When the people in the capital heard that the Liao soldiers had entered the city, they fled one after another.In order to appease the people, Lord Yelu Deguang killed Zhang Yanze on the charge of plundering the capital, and then went up to the tower and announced: "Everyone, don't be afraid, I am also a human being. I didn't want to come. It was the Han people who led us in. I It will definitely make your life better." Although he said so, he did it in another way.He allowed the Liao soldiers to rob property everywhere in the name of herding horses, which was called "grass-grazing valley".He also ordered the officials of the state of Jin to search for money and silk, regardless of the officials and the common people, to donate money and silk to "work the army". However, Yelu Deguang respected Hua Jianxuan very much, and said: "Mingzong (referring to Li Siyuan) and I are about brothers, and you are my sister-in-law." Thank you. The people in the Central Plains couldn't stand the killing and looting of the Liao soldiers, and organized rebel armies one after another to resist the Liao soldiers.A few thousand less, tens of thousands more.They attacked prefectures and counties and killed the officials sent by Liao.The rebel army in the east was so powerful that it captured three states.Yelu Deguang was frightened, and said to his attendants, "I never thought that people from the Central Plains would be so difficult to deal with." After a period of time, he summoned the officials of the late Jin Dynasty and announced, "The weather is hot, and I am not used to living here. I went to Shangguo (referring to Liaoguo) to visit the Empress Dowager." The surrendered general Zhao Yanshou was not considered the emperor of the Central Plains, but was taken away by Liao soldiers and died in Liaoguo. After Yelu Deguang returned to the north, Xiao Han stayed in Bianzhou.Although the Liao soldiers were forced to withdraw from the Central Plains, the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, which was betrayed by Shi Jingtang, were still occupied by the Liao and became the base for their subsequent attack on the Central Plains. Liu Zhiyuan, the post-Jin Hedong Jiedu envoy, has been sticking to the homeland, did not participate in the Jin-Liao War, and took the opportunity to develop his own power.After the Liao army entered Bianjing, Liu Zhiyuan sent his general Wang Jun to Yelu Deguang to profess his vassal, and took the opportunity to observe the situation in Bianjing.Wang Jun came back and said: "Khitan is greedy and crippled, and has lost all people's hearts. It will not last long." The generals persuaded Liu Zhiyuan to proclaim himself emperor and gave orders to all directions, but Liu Zhiyuan refused.Later, it was heard that the Lord of Liao planned to retreat to the north, so Liu Zhiyuan became the emperor in Jinyang, that is, Gaozu of the Later Han Dynasty. After learning that Liu Zhiyuan had raised troops, Xiao Han was very scared and prepared to withdraw his troops to the north, but he was a little unwilling, so he sent someone to invite Li Congyi, hoping that he would be the puppet emperor of the Central Plains, so as to contain Liu Zhiyuan.Li Congyi and Huajianxiu's mother and son did not agree, and fled to Huiling to avoid the envoy.The envoys still found them and forced Li Congyi to be the acting emperor.Li Congyi sat in the Chongyuan Hall and was greeted by the Khitan generals led by Xiao Han and the later Jin officials.The ministers entered the palace to meet the concubine Hua Jianxie, Hua Jianxie said: "Our family is orphaned and our mother is weak, and we are forced by Xiao Han. Is this a blessing? I think disaster is not far away!" So Wang Song, Zhao Shangjiao was the left and right prime ministers, Li Shi and Zhai Guangye were the privy envoys, and the Khitan general Liu Zuo was the commander of the guards and troops. Xiao Han left a thousand Khitan soldiers under Liu Zuo's command, and the rest retreated back. When Liu Zhiyuan marched south with his troops, Li Congyi sent people to call Gao Xingzhou, Wu Xingde and other feudal towns to resist Liu Zhiyuan's army.They all refused to come, so Li Congyi had no choice but to discuss with Wang Song, command the Khitan soldiers, and keep the city closed.Hua Jian said in shame: "Our family is the descendant of a subjugated country, how dare we compete with others for the world!" So he sent someone to welcome Liu Zhiyuan. Liu Zhiyuan heard that Li Congyi had summoned Gao Xingzhou and others to resist but failed. He was worried that Li Congyi would have future troubles, so he sent Guo Congyi to the capital first to kill the mother and son.Before dying, Hua Jianxuan shouted: "What is the crime of my mother and son? Why don't my son be spared, so that every year, I will hold a bowl of rice for cold food and sprinkle it on Mingzong's grave." People who heard Hua Jianxuan's protest were full of grief .Li Congyi was seventeen years old when he died, and he actually posed no threat to Liu Zhiyuan at all. Huajianxiu is a legendary woman of the Five Dynasties. She has lived through Houliang, Later Tang, Later Jin, and later Han, and has almost witnessed the rise and fall of all dynasties in the Five Dynasties.During the war-torn years, she tried to use her generosity and shameless face to save her life, but she couldn't escape the bloody power struggle after all.This is not only her personal tragedy, but also the unique fate of people in troubled times. After Liu Zhiyuan killed Hua Jianxuan and Li Congyi's mother and son, he did not change the country's name for the time being in order to win over the old officials of the Jin Dynasty, and still used Tianfu (Jin Gaozu's year name) to record the year, so the old generals of the Jin Dynasty joined them one after another, and the people also responded and fought everywhere. Liao Army.Afterwards, Liu Zhiyuan seized power by taking advantage of the retreat of the Liao army, and the Later Han quickly stabilized. Liu Zhiyuan reigned for less than three years, and was succeeded by his son Liu Chengyu after his death, who became Emperor Han Yin.Since Liu Chengyu ascended the throne, Yang Bin has been in charge of the government, Guo Wei has been in charge of conquest, Shi Hongzhao has been in charge of guards, Wang Zhang has been in charge of wealth, and Su Jianji has been the prime minister. These civil servants and generals have controlled the government, and Liu Chengyu has no real power.Once, when Yang Bin and Shi Hongzhao were discussing matters at the court, Liu Chengyu said, "Think about it carefully, and don't let others gossip." Yang Bin immediately said, "You don't need to speak, we are here." Restrained by the ministers, his cronies also slandered, saying: "Yang Bin and others are tyrannical, and they will end up in chaos." Liu Chengyu conspired to kill Yang Bin and others.One day, Yang Bin, Shi Hongzhao, and Wang Zhang entered the court and were killed by soldiers ambushing in the palace. When Liu Chengyu killed the three of them, the government and the public were shocked, and they all complained for their grievances.Liu Chengyu sent envoys to Weizhou to kill Tianxiong Jiedu envoy Guo Wei.Guo Wei was forced to rebel, and the army soon approached the capital.The capital's human feelings are terrified.Emperor Yin of the Han Dynasty Liu Chengyu sent Murong Yanchao and other troops to resist, but Murong Yanchao was defeated and returned.Liu Chengyu personally went out to work in the army outside the city, but was killed by the rebels.Liu Chengyu reigned for two years. The two emperors passed on in the later Han Dynasty, and they perished in less than four years. In 951 A.D., Guo Wei was proclaimed the emperor, and the country was named Zhou, which was Hou Zhou, and he was the Taizu of Hou Zhou.After Zhou Taizu died of illness, because he had no biological son, his adopted son Jin Wang Guorong (originally surnamed Chai, son of Chai Shouli) succeeded to the throne. He was called Zhou Shizong, and he was generally called Chai Rong in history.Chai Rong was the most famous emperor of the Five Dynasties. Sima Guang spoke highly of him, especially for his employment. Just after Chai Rong came to the throne, Liu Min, the leader of the Northern Han Dynasty, colluded with the Liao Kingdom and invaded on a large scale.Chai Rong decided to personally lead the troops to resist.The ministers believed that he had never fought a war and had not shown any military talent, so they all advised him not to move lightly, and Prime Minister Feng Dao especially tried his best to dissuade him.Chai Rong insisted on personally leading the army and stationed in the northeast of Zezhou (now Jincheng County, Shanxi).The Northern Han army was stationed in the south of Gaoping (now Gaoping County, Shanxi).At that time, there were many soldiers in the Northern Han Dynasty, but few in the Later Zhou Dynasty. The soldiers of the Zhou army were a little afraid.Chai Rong put on armor and rode into battle to supervise the battle, with high ambition.Seeing that there were few soldiers in Zhou, Liu Min sent his troops to attack.Not long after the battle, the generals Fan Aineng and He Hui of Zhou Youjun led the cavalry and fled first. The Youjun was defeated, and more than a thousand infantry soldiers surrendered to the Northern Han Dynasty.Seeing that the army was in critical condition, Chai Rong led his own soldiers to supervise the battle against Shi Shi.General Zhao Kuangyin (later Song Taizu) was very moved and said: "The emperor is so dangerous, how can we not fight to the death!" So he led two thousand people to attack bravely, taking the lead and rushing to the front. , The Northern Han soldiers were defeated.Liu Min ran day and night and fled back to Jinyang.When Fan Aineng and He Hui saw Zhou Jun's victory, they all returned.Chai Rong arrested Fan Aineng, He Hui and more than 70 generals, and scolded: "It's not that you can't fight, but you want to sell my rare goods to Liu Chong!" Army infantry.The pro-military general Zhang Yongde praised Zhao Kuangyin for his wisdom and courage, and Chai Rong promoted Zhao Kuangyin to be the Marquis of Yu, the capital in front of the palace.During the Gaoping battle, Chai Rong's bravery and courage began to be convinced by the officials. After that, Chai Rong made three southern expeditions, which not only made the Southern Tang surrender, but also deterred the separatist forces in the south. In 959 A.D., Chai Rong issued an imperial edict to personally conscript and recover the lost land in the north.Going north via Cangzhou (now part of Hebei), he led tens of thousands of riders straight into the territory of Liao.By May, the three prefectures of Ying (now Hejian), Mo (now Renqiubei), Yi (now Yi County), Yijin (now Wen'an County), Waqiao (now Xiong County), and Yukou (now Xiong County) had been recovered successively. Today's Ba County) three passes, a total of 17 counties, is the biggest victory in the war against Liao since the Five Dynasties.Just as the generals of Chai Rong were discussing the acquisition of Youzhou (now Beijing), they suddenly fell ill and had to return to Bianjing. After returning to Bianjing, Chai Rong knew that he was sick and could not afford it, so he arranged for the funeral.He made his seven-year-old son Chai Zongxun King of Liang, and entrusted important positions to Wei Renpu, Wang Pu, Fan Zhi, Han Tong and others.During Chai Rong's Northern Expedition, he found a piece of wood more than three feet long in his briefcase, on which were written the words "Check to be the Son of Heaven".At that time, Chai Rong's son-in-law, Zhang Yongde, was inspecting the front of the palace. Chai Rong was suspicious of this, so he went to Zhang Yongde's military post and became prime minister, and appointed the post of inspecting the front of the palace to Zhao Kuangyin, who was relatively junior.Unexpectedly, it was Zhao Kuangyin who became the emperor later. Chai Rong was only thirty-nine years old when he died and reigned for five and a half years.When he first succeeded to the throne, Chai Rong set his ambition for 30 years: "Ten years to open up the world, ten years to support the people, ten years to bring peace." It is a pity that he only reigned for five and a half years, but all The achievements of martial arts and martial arts have laid the foundation for ending the separatist regime and creating a new situation, so the historical commentary: "Shenwuxionglue is the hero of a generation" is justified.He was indeed the most outstanding emperor of the Five Dynasties period. After Zhou Shizong Chai Rong died of illness, Prince Liang Wang Chai Zongxun came to the throne. He was only seven years old, and he was Emperor Gong of Zhou.After Chai Zongxun ascended the throne, Li Chongjin served as Huainan Jiedushi to defend the Southern Tang Dynasty, Han Tong also served as Tianping Jiedushi to defend the northeast of Bianjing, Zhao Kuangyin also served as Guide Jiedushi to defend the east of Bianjing, and Xiang Xun stayed behind for Xijing (Luoyang) to defend Bianjing. West of Beijing.The security of the capital is very strict, which also shows Chai Rong's extraordinary strategy. In 960 A.D., when Zhou Qunchen was celebrating New Year's Day, Zhenzhou and Dingzhou suddenly reported that the Liao Kingdom and the Northern Han Dynasty had invaded the south.Zhao Kuangyin immediately led the generals of the forbidden army to resist.When they arrived at Chenqiaoyi (20 miles north of Kaifeng City), Miao Xun, the commander of Dianqian San, spread the so-called destiny of "checking and becoming the emperor" in the name of observing the sky.Therefore, Zhao Kuangyin's younger brother Zhao Kuangyi, Zhao Pu, the secretary of the Guide Army, and generals Gao Huaide, Murong Yanzhao, Zhang Lingduo, Zhang Guanghan, Zhao Yanhui, Pan Mei, etc. planned the mutiny overnight, saying: "The Lord is weak, and we will fight with all our strength to defeat the enemy. If you know, why don't you set up a spot check to become the emperor first, and then go north." At dawn, the soldiers in armor marched towards Zhao Kuangyin's dormitory.Zhao Kuangyin was startled, and saw the soldiers standing in the courtyard with knives, shouting in unison: "The generals have no master, I wish the Taiwei (Zhao Kuangyin and Taiwei) to be the emperor." Before Zhao Kuangyin could answer, the yellow robe had already been added.Everyone bowed down and shouted long live.This is the famous "Chenqiao Mutiny" in history. Zhao Kuangyin was escorted back to Beijing. He reined in his horse and said: "You are greedy for wealth and honor, and you make me the emperor. You can obey my orders, otherwise, I can't be your emperor." All the generals got off their horses and said: " Willing to obey orders." Zhao Kuangyin then declared military discipline: they must not startle the Queen Mother, the Emperor, and ministers, and must not invade the government treasury. At that time, the capital's defenses were empty, and Shi Shouxin, the commander of the palace, and Du Yuhou Wang Shenqi were in the palace as internal responses, so Zhao Kuangyin easily controlled the capital.Han Tong and other important officials were killed.The soldiers escorted the important ministers Fan Zhi and Wang Pu to Zhao Kuangyin's office. When Zhao Kuangyin saw them, he immediately shed tears and said, "I have been favored by Emperor Shizong and forced by the Sixth Army. Once I get here, I am ashamed of the world. What will I do?" Before he could answer, Zhao Kuangyin's subordinate Luo Yanhuan drew his sword in his hand, stepped forward, and said sharply: "We have no master, we must establish the emperor today!" Fan Zhi and others looked at each other, not knowing what to do.It was still Wang Pu who was clever and bowed down to Zhao Kuangyin first, and Fan Zhi had no choice but to bow down as well. After that, Zhao Kuangyin went to the Chongyuan Hall to practice meditation and perform rituals, that is, the throne of the emperor. He enshrined Emperor Zhou Gong as King Zheng and Empress Dowager Fu as Empress Dowager Zhou. The three emperors passed on in the later Zhou Dynasty for a total of ten years, and they perished so far. Zhou Gongdi Chai Zongxun reigned for only half a year, and died eleven years later at the age of eighteen. The Five Dynasties started from Zhu Wen, the Taizu of the Later Liang Dynasty, and experienced three short dynasties of the Later Liang Dynasty, Later Tang Dynasty, Later Jin Dynasty, Later Han Dynasty, and Later Wu Dynasty, and ended with Emperor Gongdi Chai Zongxun of the Later Zhou Dynasty.After Zhao Kuangyin proclaimed himself emperor and established the Song Dynasty, the Five Dynasties ended, a total of fifty-three years.These fifty-three years are just a drop in the ocean for the vast human history, but for the people who lived in troubled times at that time, it was a painful and long life. "The thirty-six heroes of the Southern Dynasties competed for their rise and fall. It is a dream to have a country and a family, and it is empty to be a dragon or a tiger."At this point, the great social turmoil caused by the Huangchao Peasant Army Uprising finally dissipated after various influential figures came on the stage after you sang and me.However, history is not over yet, nor is the Song Dynasty the end of history.