History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 295: Eunuch's Spring

【The actor Qingliu respects the new grinding】

Li Cunxu liked opera, was proficient in music, and could compose music himself. He wrote many popular songs himself, which were sung by the people of Hedong for many years. The common people called them "Imperial Composition". He also gave himself a stage name - "Li Tianxia". When he was in the mood, he would go on stage to perform opera as "Li Tianxia".

After the incident of "Liu Sou recognizing his relatives" happened, one day, Li Cunxu suddenly had an idea and ordered people to buy a set of Liu Sou's clothes, carry a medicine bag, and let his son Li Jiji follow with a tattered straw hat. Then he suddenly visited little Liu's bedroom, "Ahem... Where is my daughter? Mr. Liu is here to look for my daughter! Ahem..."

Li Cunxu's acting skills are outstanding, and with this appearance, he is almost the same as Liu Sou.

Little Liu was startled, and after taking a closer look, she was so angry that she beat Li Jiji (Liu was furious and beat Jiji and drove him away).

Li Cunxu was laughing like a pig.

Li Cunxu played a teasing role on little Liu and performed the role of "Liu Sou Visits His Daughter" with his strength, which achieved an even more sensational effect than the original "Liu Sou Recognizes His Relatives". From then on, it became the biggest joke in the palace (everyone in the palace thought it was a joke).

Is this what the emperor did?

Among the huge group of actors, there was also a good actor worthy of respect. His name was Jing Xinmo.

Once, Li Cunxu transformed himself into "Li Tianxia" and performed on stage with other actors. According to the script, Li Cunxu had several lines saying his own name, and he was seen shouting with great devotion: "Li Tianxia, ​​Li Tianxia!"

Suddenly, Jing Xinmo walked up quickly, raised his hand and slapped Li Cunxu loudly in the face.

The scene suddenly fell silent. Li Cunxu was also confused.

Jing Xinmo said calmly, "There is only one person who governs the world, and that is our emperor! Who are you calling?"

Li Cunxu was very happy, thinking that the slap was a good one! So he gave him a generous reward of a new grinder.

He really didn't hear the subtext of Jing Xinmo's words. On the surface, it was to show loyalty to Li Cunxu, but in reality it was to advise him. The general meaning was that with your character, you are not worthy of being our emperor. Li Cunxu didn't hear it.

Another time, Li Cunxu went hunting in Zhongmu County. His entourage also trampled and destroyed farmland. The magistrate of Zhongmu County knelt in front of Li Cunxu's horse and said, "Your Majesty is the parent of the people of the world. Why do you destroy the people's food and let them starve to death?"

Li Cunxu was furious, "How dare a mere county magistrate ruin my mood? Get out of here!" Then he ordered him to be killed.

Jing Xinmo hurriedly brought the actors to the temporary execution ground and threw the county magistrate in front of Li Cunxu's horse, rebuking him loudly: "Everyone in the world knows that the emperor likes hunting. How dare you, a county magistrate, say you don't know? And you dare to allow the people to cultivate the land and grow crops to pay taxes? You are so bold! You should burn all the crops and starve the people to death so that the land can be freed up for the emperor to hunt. You really deserve to be killed!"

Then he pleaded that the county magistrate be executed on the spot. The other actors echoed him, "Yes, yes, kill him!"

Li Cunxu laughed loudly and ordered the county magistrate to be pardoned.

Playing hard to get is a common method used to persuade tyrants. Zhang Chengye repeatedly used this method of saying the opposite of what he meant to persuade Li Cunxu.

Jing Xinmo once went to the palace to report on something, and happened to see Li Cunxu walking his dog. "There were many vicious dogs in the palace, and when Xinmo left, one of the dogs got up and chased him away." People who like hunting must like to raise flying eagles and running dogs. Li Cunxu raised hunting dogs, not small teddy dogs, which are very threatening to people.

Jing Xinmo performed the "Qin King running around the pillar" and shouted to Li Cunxu: "Your Majesty, don't let your child bite me!"

The Shatuo people were originally barbarians, and the Central Plains often compared barbarians to dogs, so the Shatuo people were most taboo about this (Zhuangzong's family was barbarian, and barbarians taboo about dogs). Lu Zhi, who loved drinking, often called Li Cunxu's brothers pigs and dogs after drinking, which made Li Cunxu want to kill him many times.

Jing Xinmo deliberately ridiculed him, "Your Majesty, please don't let your children bite people!" Li Cunxu was furious. He took off the precious carved bow, bent the bow and drew the arrow, intending to shoot Jing Xinmo himself.

The joke was too much, Jing Xinmo hurriedly shouted: "Your Majesty, please don't kill me. Your Majesty and I are one. Killing me is unlucky!"

Li Cunxu was puzzled, loosened the bowstring, and asked him what he meant.

Jing Xinmo replied: "Your Majesty founded the country and changed the era name to 'Tongguang'. People all over the world call your Majesty 'Emperor Tongguang'. Jing means mirror, which is made of copper. Newly polished things have shine. Jing Xinmo means the shine of copper. If you kill Jing Xinmo, you will kill 'Tongguang'."

Li Cunxu then laughed and stopped making things difficult for him.

There is no occupational discrimination in history. When we criticize eunuchs, we should know that among them there are Yang Fuguang and Zhang Chengye; when we criticize actors, we should not forget the Stone Wild Boar (Emperor Xizong said that if playing polo was included in the imperial examination, I would definitely get the top spot. The Stone Wild Boar replied: If Yao and Shun were the chief examiners, your majesty would have failed) and Jing Xinmo.

【Spring of Eunuch】

Li Cunxu's character is the restorer of the Tang Dynasty, who revived the fallen and supported the crumbling edifice. In theory, he wanted to restore the cultural relics system of the Tang Dynasty and reproduce the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.

To this end, he did make a lot of efforts, such as abolishing the "Liang Law Format" and adopting the Tang system; restoring the old names of prefectures, counties, temples, and palace gates; redressing the injustice and restoring the reputation of those persecuted by Zhu Liang... At first glance, it seems like a big deal, but in fact it is insignificant. Only one thing can be considered of great significance - the restoration of eunuchs.

No matter how much later generations slander and discredit Zhu Wen and his Later Liang, they have to admit an objective fact: Zhu Wen completely eradicated the eunuchs' meddling in politics that had seriously corrupted the Tang Dynasty and made it increasingly weak. Although the means were cruel and the process was bloody, it was indeed effective.

Later Liang changed the original "Privy Council" to "Chongzheng Council" and put civil officials in charge. The central power was transferred from the eunuchs to the civil officials, not to mention the military power of the imperial guards. Zhu Wen achieved Zhaozong's dream and eradicated the eunuchs.

This should be the political legacy that Later Liang left to Li Cunxu of Later Tang.

Li Cunxu did not appreciate it.

In the first month of the second year of Tongguang (924), Li Cunxu issued an edict to collect eunuchs from all over the country and send them to the palace. At that time, Li Cunxu already had eunuchs around him. After the edict was issued, the number of eunuchs in the palace immediately exceeded .

It has been 903 years since the massacre of eunuchs after the "Siege of Fengxiang" (22), when civil and military officials took over the power of the former eunuchs. Now, Li Cunxu not only gave these eunuchs more generous salaries than before, but also let them regain control of various real powers and sent them to various armies and provinces as eunuchs to supervise the army.

The power of the eunuchs in charge of the army even exceeded that of the Tang Dynasty. Whenever the military and political leaders left the headquarters, whether they were fighting outside or attending court in Beijing, the eunuchs in charge of the army would immediately take over the military and political power. The eunuchs in charge of the army even dared to humiliate and oppress the commander-in-chief. Although the commander-in-chief hated it, he did not dare to complain or resist.

The eunuchs' power has revived.

Li Cunxu's plan to let the eunuchs regain power was only a means, not an end. His goal was to use the rise of the eunuchs' power to suppress and weaken the meritorious old officials and disintegrate the local feudal lords. This was exactly the opposite of Emperor Zhaozong's approach.

The eunuchs did not disappoint Li Cunxu's high hopes. They grew rapidly and vigorously like dog urine moss after rain, and competed for power and profit with the meritorious old ministers and military generals who helped Li Cunxu conquer the world.

For example, Guo Chongtao among the civil officials and Li Siyuan among the military generals became the targets of the eunuchs. Although the eunuchs of the Later Tang Dynasty were in their infancy, they had the secret support and encouragement of Li Cunxu behind them, so they burst out with amazing fighting power, and even Li Siyuan, who was deeply rooted, highly respected, and had a large number of troops, could not resist.

Guo Chongtao resigned more than once to avoid disaster, and Li Siyuan even took the initiative to surrender his military power. Even these two surrendered to the eunuch group, not to mention others.

The soil for the strong return of eunuchs' power was the change in Li Cunxu's attitude towards meritorious generals.

(End of this chapter)