History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 166: Restoration of Emperor Zhaozong
【Restoration of Emperor Zhaozong】

After receiving Zhu Wen's secret support, Cui Yin began to plan intensively. He soon found a breakthrough, which was quite interesting.

The bad guys are not completely bad, and the good guys are not completely good.

The initiators of the coup were the "core four eunuchs" - Liu Jishu, Wang Zhongxian, Wang Yanfan and Xue Qiwei. The first two controlled the left and right Shen Ce armies respectively and had the power of the imperial guards; the latter two were privy envoys, in charge of receiving and conveying memorials and conveying the emperor's orders, which was equivalent to the "prime minister" of the eunuch world.

The chief commander of the Shen Ce Army colluded with the Privy Councilor, forming a powerful alliance of the eunuch group's powerful departments. It would only take a few minutes for them to launch a coup.

After the coup was successful, Liu Jishu's face of a villain who had achieved success was exposed. He bullied the emperor, abused his power, rewarded and killed people indiscriminately, and was active at the forefront of the stage. He had a strong sense of presence and was the traffic leader of the "core four eunuchs". However, this was only the perception of outsiders. In the imperial guard system that the eunuchs relied on, the real traffic leader was Wang Zhongxian.

According to historical records, Wang Zhongxian was smart and strict, observant but cynical. He had witnessed the corruption and depravity in the imperial guards for many years. After he became the commander-in-chief of the Right Shence Army, he played the role of "Disciplinary Inspection Commission", striking hard against the corruption and law-breaking of the imperial guards, and recovering the stolen money through severe torture (beating them with a painful hammer).

The historical data about this eunuch "Disciplinary Inspection Committee" is too scarce, and we have no way to verify the whereabouts of the recovered stolen money. In other words, we don't know whether Wang Zhongxian was really impartial or "black eating black". I personally would like to believe that it was the former, because such history is more complete, more three-dimensional, and more like real history.

He played an ignominious role in the relationship between the emperor and his subjects, but was ruthless in cracking down on violations of law and discipline. He himself was extremely unrighteous, but he did not allow others to embezzle or take bribes. It was both contradictory and three-dimensional.

Wang Zhongxian made a low-level mistake, forgetting that a rabbit does not eat grass near its burrow. Wang Zhongxian's rectification of the Central Imperial Guards made the soldiers of the Imperial Guards feel insecure, and among them was a junior officer named Sun Dezhao.

Sun Dezhao was a junior officer in the imperial army. He conspired with his colleague Dong Yanbi to embezzle 5 million yuan (5,000 yuan was stolen). Wang Zhongxian found out and then subjected them to "Wang Zhongxian's three companies": criticism and struggle sessions, severe torture, and recovery of stolen money according to law. Especially for small figures like Sun Dezhao and Dong Yanbi who had no background, no backing, and no foundation, the law should be strictly enforced, and they should be investigated thoroughly without any leniency. If you pull out the radish, you will bring out the mud (many people will be implicated).

Sun Dezhao therefore bore a grudge against Wang Zhongxian. Whenever he mentioned this matter while drinking with his friends, he would grit his teeth in hatred and could not help cursing.

Cui Yin saw all of this and kept it in mind, so he sent his confidant Shi Jian to contact Sun Dezhao secretly.

After three rounds of wine and five kinds of dishes, Shi Jian seemingly unintentionally introduced "Wang Zhongxian" into the topic. As expected, Sun Dezhao was furious again, and he wished he could cut Wang Zhongxian into pieces to relieve his hatred.

Shi Jian took advantage of the situation and said that the culprits of the humiliation of the emperor were the two eunuchs Liu Jishu and Wang Zhongxian. If they could kill the two eunuchs and welcome Emperor Zhaozong back to the throne, wouldn't they be the country's number one hero? They would enjoy endless wealth and glory during their lifetime, and their names would be recorded in history after their death. Why not do it?

He elevated personal revenge to the level of national justice and praised Sun Dezhao highly.

Sun Dezhao was obviously tempted by this compliment, but he also told the truth: "To be honest, I have wanted to kill them for a long time, but they are too powerful and I am just a junior officer. I am really powerless!"

Shi Jian came closer and whispered, "The Prime Minister has planned everything and has already made the plan. He just needs you as the vanguard."

Sun Dezhao couldn't contain his joy, "If the Prime Minister really had his back, I, Sun, would dare to take the lead!"

Shi Jian reported to Cui Yin, who immediately tore off his clothes, wrote down the instructions in his own handwriting, sealed them in a wax ball, and asked Shi Jian to take it to Sun Dezhao.

When Sun Dezhao saw the token, he was overjoyed and hurriedly contacted Dong Yanbi. The two hit it off and he secretly contacted another junior officer, Zhou Chenghui. The three of them reached a secret agreement: they would act separately during the Spring Festival.

A few days later, it was New Year's Eve. When Chang'an City was immersed in the festive atmosphere of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, the three men each led their troops and, under the cover of night, ambushed near Anfumen, waiting for the new year's blood.

On the first day of the first lunar month in the fourth year of Guanghua in the Tang Dynasty (901), Wang Zhongxian went to the palace to pay homage to the emperor. As he reached Anfu Gate, he was suddenly stopped by a group of people. The leader was Sun Dezhao.

Wang Zhongxian was so angry that before he could show his anger, Sun Dezhao chopped off his head.

The credit cannot be taken away by others. Sun Dezhao did not care about cheering, and ran to Shaoyang Courtyard at the speed of a 100-meter sprint, knocked on the door and shouted: "Your Majesty, the traitor has been killed by me, please come out to comfort the troops!"

Empress He was worried that there was a trick, so she shouted to the outside of the door: "If this is true, throw the thief's head in and let us see." Sun Dezhao quickly handed the head in and said, "The traitor has been killed, Your Majesty, please come out."

Only then did Emperor Zhaozong and Empress He believe it and ordered their men to destroy the gate.

Cui Yin welcomed Zhaozong to the Changle Gate Tower and led all civil and military officials to the court to congratulate him.

While Sun Dezhao was intercepting and killing Wang Zhongxian, Zhou Chenghui suddenly attacked Liu Jishou, captured Liu Jishou, Wang Yanfan and other masterminds alive, and took them to Changle Gate Tower.

When Emperor Zhaozong was about to question them, Liu Jishou and others had already been beaten to death with sticks.

Zhou Chenghui is not smart enough, how could he catch him alive? Liu Jishu and other eunuchs relied on the power of the imperial guards to complete the coup d'état, would Liu Jishu take all the blame alone? Is he willing to be the scapegoat? As the saying goes, a thief's bite goes deep into the bone. He knows too much, and we can't let him "talk nonsense".

Another mastermind, Xue Qiwei, heard the news and committed suicide by jumping into a well. His body was pulled out and his head was chopped off.

The "four core eunuchs" Liu Jishou, Wang Zhongxian, Wang Yanfan, and Xue Qiwei were all executed along with their entire families, and more than 20 of their followers were also killed.

Was Wang Zhongxian a bad person for participating in the coup? Yes, but not completely bad; was Sun Dezhao a good person for restoring order? Yes, but not completely good enough.

The eunuchs protected the young master and hid him in the Zuo Shence Army, and handed over the imperial seal.

Emperor Zhaozong was still very sympathetic to his prince, saying that he was just an 8-year-old kid who was coerced into the throne by a traitor, and that he was just a child and had done nothing wrong. So he ordered him to return to the East Palace and restore his original title - Prince of De, and his original name - Li Yu.

Reward: Sun Dezhao, the governor of Jinghai (Headquarters in Annan Prefecture, now the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi), was given the name Li Jizhao; Dong Yanbi, the governor of Ningyuan, was given the name Li Yanbi; Zhou Chenghui, the governor of Lingnan West Road, was given the name Li Jihui. They were also honored with their portraits being painted in the Lingyan Pavilion.

The title of Jiedushi for the three men was just a nominal one, and they did not actually take up the posts in Guangdong, Guangxi, and Vietnam. Instead, they stayed in the capital and served as palace guards. Emperor Zhaozong trusted them very much and rewarded them generously, almost emptying the treasury ("rewards emptied the treasury" "Zizhi Tongjian"; "exhausted the treasures in the inner treasury to reward them" "New Book of Tang"). In addition, the three men were also given the title of prime minister (Tongpingzhangshi), and were collectively called "the Three Envoys" at the time.

As the mastermind behind the restoration of order, Cui Yin was also rewarded. Emperor Zhaozong promoted him to the position of Si Tu (one of the Three Dukes). However, faced with the title which was almost the highest honor for a civil servant, Cui Yin chose to be upright and resolutely declined the offer.

Cui Yin not only refused the post of Minister of Education, but also refused to take credit for his achievements, and pushed all the credit to others. He led all the officials to "wait for punishment", tears streaming down his face, with shame and guilt, "The lord is in sorrow and the minister is humiliated; the lord is humiliated and the minister dies. Your Majesty has been humiliated by the eunuchs, and I am in a high position, but I cannot punish the traitors... Fortunately, Comrade Zhu Wen was the first to be loyal and joined forces with Sun Dezhao and others to capture and kill the evil traitor..."

"A great loyal minister!" Emperor Zhaozong loved Cui Yin so much that although he did not explicitly grant him the title of "praise and worship without a name", the title was real. From then on, "when he was seen, he could be called by his courtesy name without a name, and he was treated with unparalleled favor."

When Zhu Wen received the news that Liu Jishou had been executed, he immediately broke Cheng Yan's legs, put handcuffs and shackles on him, and took him to the capital together with Liu Xidu, Li Fengben and others, and beheaded him.

Cheng Yan was also a staff member of the Bianzhou Office in Beijing. He participated in Liu Jishu's coup and was an important participant in the coup. He helped Liu Jishu lobby Li Zhen. On the day of the coup, Cheng Yan violently dragged Zhaozong, which was a great treason. After Zhu Wen decided to support Cui Yin, he recalled Cheng Yan to Bianzhou. It was not until Cui Yin succeeded that Cheng Yan was sent to the capital after his feet were broken.

It has to be said that Zhu Wen really made preparations for both situations. Now that the big thing has been accomplished, he quickly sacrificed Cheng Yan to distance himself from Liu Jishou's eunuch party.

In order to reward Zhu Wen for his contribution to the restoration, Emperor Zhaozong promoted Zhu Wen's title from a two-character prince (Prince of Dongping) to a one-character prince (Prince of Liang).

Zhu Wen then valued Li Zhen even more. Li Zhen and Jing Xiang became Zhu Wen's two great think tanks, just like Crouching Dragon and Phoenix to Liu Bei.

At this point, Liu Jishou's coup lasted less than two months before being quelled.

Happy May Day friends


(End of this chapter)