Chapter 223 Chapter 222 Gaozu Shi Jingtang

Shi Jingtang (892-942 AD), a member of the Shatuo tribe.Shatuo was originally a part of the Western Turkic tribe. Its original place of residence was equivalent to the place near Balikun Lake in the northeastern part of Xinjiang. Later, it moved eastward to Yanzhou (now Dingbian, Shaanxi). It was a nomadic tribe good at riding and shooting.Shi Jingtang was born in Fenyang, Taiyuan on February 28, the first year of Jingfu (892 AD). Shi Jingtang was born in an era when the world was in chaos and wars were fierce.The Li Tang dynasty survived in name only, the separatist rule of feudal clans intensified, wars continued, there was no peace every year, and warriors and powerful generals ruled everything.When Shi Jingtang grew up, he learned some skills of sword, spear, riding and shooting from his father.He has a calm personality and few words. He can read some books on the art of war in his free time while practicing martial arts, and gradually knows the deeds of the former famous generals Li Mu and Zhou Yafu.People in Shatuo have always favored martial arts and did not pay much attention to culture. Shi Jingtang was obviously different.Li Siyuan, the adopted son of Li Keyong, who was the governor of Daizhou (now Daixian County, Shanxi Province) at that time, regarded him very highly and recruited him as his son-in-law.Li Cunxu heard that Shi Jingtang was good at archery, so he also promoted him to the left and right.Later, Li Siyuan ordered him to supervise the left-shooting army of the personal army, relying on him as his confidant.

Shi Jingtang followed Li Cunxu from birth to death, charged into battle, and made great contributions. However, after Li Cunxu became emperor, he was not granted a half-job. He was still a confidant under Li Siyuan's command, and the treatment was too unfair.Shi Jingtang was full of resentment in his heart, but he didn't show any dissatisfaction on his lips. He was silently waiting for the situation to change. He saw that there were many heroes and veterans who were forgotten and neglected by Li Cunxu like him, and the most suspected one was His father-in-law, Li Siyuan, was the one who made the most contributions.

In the third year of Tongguang (925 A.D.), Zhao Zaili launched a rebellion in Weizhou. The imperial court sent Yuan Xingqin to appease him but failed. All the discussions agreed that Li Siyuan must be used.Unexpectedly, when the soldiers arrived at the city of Yedu (Daming, Hebei), there was a mutiny that night. The soldiers held Li Siyuan hostage and wanted him to be emperor, but Li Siyuan refused, and the soldiers fled away one after another.At this time, Li Siyuan only had Changshan's army in his hands, with a total of 5,000 men and 2,000 horses.Li Siyuan wanted to show his intention of not turning back, so he appealed to Li Siyuan many times, but was detained by Yuan Xingqin, and could not reach the court. Yu decisive but defeated by hesitation, where in the world is there any general and rebels who entered the city of thieves together and kept safe in the future? Daliang is the key to the world, if you give Jingtang 300 cavalry, go and occupy it first, then you Lead the troops to rush forward, and use this as a base to protect yourself." Li Siyuan's words moved Li Siyuan, and he ordered Shi Jingtang to lead 500 cavalry to attack Daliang.Shi Jingtang crossed the Yellow River in the starry night and rushed to the foot of Daliang City. First, he sent Li Qiong to rush into Fengqiu Gate with a strong army, and then he himself followed from the west gate and occupied Daliang.Then Shi Jingtang marched westward, Li Cunxu was shot and wounded by the rebels, and died after drinking milk.Li Siyuan entered Luoyang and took the throne immediately. He was Mingzong of the Later Tang Dynasty.

The father-in-law became emperor, and Shi Jingtang was both a son-in-law and a meritorious official. His status was quite different from before, and his official positions changed several times a year. , bestowed the title of "Hero of Liberty and Concise Restoration".In the following year, he was added as the inspector Taifu and the deputy envoy of the Sixth Army's guards, and was granted the title of Kai Guobo.Soon he was promoted to the Jiedu envoy of the Xuanwu Army, the commander of the Ma Bujun of the bodyguards and the deputy envoy of the Sixth Army. During the reign of Mingzong in the later Tang Dynasty, Shi Jingtang relied on his status as a relative of the emperor and made great contributions. He was always invincible in the fierce power struggle within the court.In the last years of Emperor Mingzong, he was appointed as the envoy of Hedong Jiedu and the general manager of Han soldiers and chariots.Inside, he was the supreme commander of the military power of the later Tang Dynasty, and outside, he was the chief official guarding the frontier fortresses.

In the fourth year of Changxing (933 A.D.), Emperor Min of the Later Tang Dynasty came to the throne.Emperor Min was indecisive and indecisive, his power was left behind, and the internal contradictions of the ruling group intensified.Mingzong's adopted son Li Congke launched a mutiny in Fengxiang and came to seize the throne.Emperor Min hastily summoned his brother-in-law Shi Jingtang to go to the Que to defend against the enemy.Shi Jingtang discussed with the other generals, and decided that he might as well go to wait and see the situation before making a decision, so he led his troops here.On the first day of April, seven or eight miles east of Weizhou (Jixian County, Henan Province), he met Emperor Min who fled in a hurry with only 50 guards.When Emperor Min saw his brother-in-law, he was overjoyed. He thought he had a savior, so he hurriedly asked him for help, asking about the plan of the society.Unexpectedly, Shi Jingtang didn't give a direct answer, but instead asked: "I heard that Your Majesty has sent Kang Yicheng to the west to discuss the situation. How is the situation? Why did Your Majesty come here?" Emperor Min wept and said, "Kang Yicheng has also rebelled." Shi Jingtang's expression changed immediately, he saw Seeing Emperor Min's distraught look, he bowed his head and made a small calculation: Li Congke was brave and good at fighting, and his reputation shocked the army. Now he has recruited surrenders and rebels, and his strength has greatly increased. However, he is still fledgling, with a great disparity in strength and weakness. I am afraid it will be difficult to compete with him. .Instead of protecting the emperor who looks like a lost dog and getting burned, it is better to preserve his strength, temporarily avoid the limelight, and wait for the opportunity.Thinking of this, he pretended to sigh a few times, and said to Emperor Min in a toneless manner: "Wang Hongzhi, the governor of Weizhou, is a shrewd and capable veteran. I'll ask him." Then he pretended to go to Wang Hongzhi's place , Bringing back Hongzhi's words: "In the past, there were many examples of the emperor's relocation, but they all brought generals, guards, treasury, and legal objects, so that the people looked up to them. Now the emperor only brings fifty cavalry guards. I have nothing, even if I want to be loyal, what can I do?" Mindi's guard Ben Hongjin was furious after hearing this, pointed at Shi Jingtang and reprimanded him sharply: "You are Mingzong's beloved son-in-law, and you should share wealth with him. Bearing with sorrow, today my son is in trouble, and I ask you for help, but you talk nonsense and shirk responsibility, isn't this trying to betray the owner?" Sha Shourong, the bow and arrow storehouse envoy, was also filled with righteous indignation, and he drew out his saber to stab the stone in respect of Tang.Chen Hui, Shi Jingtang's relative, hurried forward to block him. After several rounds of fighting, Sha Shourong was killed by a sword, and Ben Hongjin killed himself.Shi Jingtang simply ordered the commander Liu Zhiyuan to lead the troops into the post, killed all the followers of Emperor Min, left him in the post, and left.

Although Shi Jingtang joined Li Congke like other ministers in the later Tang Dynasty, his desire to rebel had become Sima Zhao's heart, and people with discerning eyes at that time could see the signs.Li Congke was not ignorant either. He ordered Wuning Jiedu envoy Zhang Jingda to be the deputy chief of the camp in the north, stationed in Daizhou (Daixian County, Shanxi) to distribute Shi Jingtang's power, and ordered Yulin General Yang Yanxun to be the Beijing deputy left-behind supervisor of Shi Jingtang.In the first month of the third year of Qingtai (AD 936), when Li Congke celebrated his birthday, Shi Jingtang's wife entered the palace to celebrate her birthday. When she was leaving, Li Congke said drunkenly, "Why are you in a hurry to go back? Are you going to rebel against Shi Lang?" Shi Jingtang Hearing this, he was even more suspicious and determined to raise his troops to rebel.

In May of the third year of Qingtai, the rebellion broke out.Shi Jingtang was the first to launch a political offensive, accusing Li Congke of taking the throne illegally and asking him to step down automatically.The reason why Shi Jingtang did not dare to go south to take Luoyang rashly was because he was worried that his strength would not be strong enough to succeed in one fell swoop.Sitting in the city of Taiyuan and provoking with pen and ink, he was waiting for the opponent's split and Khitan's reinforcements. During this period, Li Congke sent Zhang Jingda, Zhang Yanqi and others to attack Shi Jingtang, and all relatives of the Shi family were also executed.It was hard to get through the summer, and it was not until autumn when the horses were fat that Khitan came to rescue them.In September, Khitan leader Yelu Deguang personally led 50,000 cavalry, claiming 300,000, from Yangwu Valley to the south, and arrived at the city of Taiyuan within a few days.The next day, the Khitan army pursued and killed the Tang army. Nearly 10,000 infantrymen died. Only the cavalry survived and fled back to Jin'an Village.The Tang army surrendered more than a thousand people, and Shi Jingtang ordered them all to be killed, and the siege of Taiyuan was finally lifted.

That night, outside the north gate of Taiyuan City, with the rustling autumn wind and the fluttering of war flags, under the illumination of lanterns and torches, a scene of ugly drama rarely seen in history kicked off.Surrounded by all the officials, 44-year-old Shi Jingtang proclaimed: "I bow to my father!" and bowed down at the bare feet of Yelude, who was only 33 years old.After the ceremony, the two entered the city hand in hand, Yelu Deguang was overjoyed, Shi Jingtang was as respectful and humble as if he met his own father and Laozi.Some of the onlookers didn't know whether they wanted to laugh or vomit.

Then Khitan and Shi Jingtang encircled Jin'an Village, and they fought each other for several months. Now that the flag of rebellion was raised, he should have the appearance of appealing to the world. Shi Jingtang wished he could become emperor immediately, but he didn't dare to tell Lao Tzu Yelu De Guangming, feeling very unhappy in his heart.One day in November, Yelu Deguang said to him: "I will always succeed when I come to aid from thousands of miles away. Judging by your appearance and strength, you really look like the lord of the Central Plains. I will make you the emperor." These words touched Shi Jingtang's heart. But he didn't dare to accept it right away, so he pretended to decline several times. After repeated persuasion by the general, Shi Jingtang pretended to reluctantly agree.Yelu Deguang wrote a booklet, conferring on Shi Jingtang the title of Emperor of the Jin Dynasty, and built an altar in the willow forest outside the north gate of Taiyuan, and held the enthronement ceremony on a certain day.At that time, Yelu Deguang took off his own robe and crown with his own hands, and put it on for Shi Jingtang. Shi Jingtang wore a Khitan costume, and sat in the south facing indecently.

Soon, Tang generals Yang Guangyuan and An Shenqi in Jin'an Village killed Zhang Jingda and surrendered. Shi Jingtang pulled out the nail and led his troops south. Along the way, later Tang generals surrendered one after another.Seeing that the situation was over, Li Congke went upstairs and set himself on fire.Shi Jingtang marched into Luoyang, and later established his capital in Bianliang. From then on, the third dynasty of the Five Dynasties - the Later Jin Dynasty began. Shi Jingtang became emperor relying on Khitan's support, so he was naturally grateful to Yelu Deguang and obeyed.When he was in Taiyuan, Yelu Deguang said: "Sang Weihan is loyal to you, and you should use him as your prime minister." Shi Jingtang appointed Sang Weihan as his servant and Tongping Zhangshi.Shi Jingtang was about to go south to Luoyang, and wanted to keep a son to stay in Taiyuan, so he also asked Yelu Deguang for an order. Yelu Deguang ordered him to line up all his sons and select them himself. He pointed to his adopted son Shi Chonggui and said, "This boy has big eyes. Just leave him alone." Shi Jingtang immediately complied.

During the 7 years of Shi Jingtang's reign, he was always flattering and flattering to Khitan, as docile as a sheep.He wrote letters to Yelu Deguang, always using "biao", and also called Yelu Deguang "Father Emperor", and he called himself a minister, "Emperor Son".When Khitan envoys came to the Later Jin Dynasty, he always met and received imperial edicts, and did his best to be a son and minister.In October of the third year of Tianfu (AD 938), Khitan sent an envoy to confer his badge title "Emperor Yingwu Mingyi" and praised him for his deep understanding of "father and son righteousness". The canonized imperial edict was greeted vigorously in front of the Chongyuan Hall like a book to welcome the sky, and displayed for worship. Shi Jingtang's tribute to Khitan was incalculable.When the Khitan army returned to the country, he sent Weisai (now Zhuolu, Hebei) Jiedu envoy Zhai Zhang to raise 100,000 yuan to reward the army in the area under his jurisdiction. The land in this state was barren and the people poor. , so that the people are miserable.Since then, in addition to donating 300,000 yuan in gold and silk every year according to the original agreement, he also gave extra gifts during festivals and auspicious celebrations.From the Central Plains to Khitan, there is an endless stream of cars full of rare and interesting things throughout the year. Outside of Yelu Deguang, Khitan's empress dowagers, empresses, princes, relatives, generals and ministers all have property to get.In addition to the war in the later Jin Dynasty, the treasury was exhausted, and all the financial burdens contributed to Qi Fan were passed on to the people. Under Shi Jingtang's cruel exploitation, the people of the late Jin Dynasty lived in dire straits. At that time, natural disasters and man-made disasters were also extremely serious. Floods, droughts, and locust plagues continued one after another. In just one month in May of the seventh year of Tianfu (AD 942), there were five prefectures. Flooding occurred in counties, and 18 states and counties were hit by drought.In September of the sixth year of Tianfu, the Yellow River burst in Huazhou and flowed thousands of miles eastward. The people helped the old and the young to climb the hills to avoid the flood.However, if they escaped the flood, they could not avoid man-made disasters, and countless people died of starvation.Even so, Shi Jingtang and his gang still did not let go of their exploitation of the people. All of a sudden, starvation filled the fields and displaced people spread everywhere.Some people who wanted to settle down and engage in production also had to embark on the road of wandering again because of the heavy corvee in the prefecture and county, heavy responsibilities, and severe punishment. The social economy was severely damaged. It is difficult to take the throne, and it is even more difficult to keep the throne.Shi Jingtang is both an emperor and a slave, a sheep and a wolf, a character who is both noble and humble, weak and cruel.During his 7 years in power, like Fan Yanguang, he disobeyed his leadership, and people coveting the throne emerged in endlessly. Many feudal towns only worshiped him on the surface, but they were not very respectful to him secretly.Khitan's father, the emperor, didn't take him seriously, and would reprimand him even if he didn't like it.He tossed and turned like sleeping on a bush fire all day long, restless.Under such internal and external difficulties, in the seventh year of Tianfu, Shi Jingtang fell ill, and in June, he died in Baochang Palace at the age of 51.