History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 340 Mingzong Enters Luoyang 1 One Call, Hundreds of Responses

[Mingzong enters Luoyang 1 One call and a hundred responses]

At the beginning of the fourth year of Tongguang (926), Li Cunxu and his Later Tang Empire faced unprecedented challenges:
Li Cunxu's excessive hunting and Empress Liu's corruption and bribery left the country in tatters and in a state of terminal decline.

Last year's drought and floods, like ice and fire, drained the empire's financial support;

He was aggressive and aggressive, drawing elite troops from all over the country to fight in Shu, which plunged the empire into the quagmire of war and left the rear empty.
The successive killings of Guo Chongtao and Zhu Youqian triggered a series of mutinies, which made the empire even worse. The empty rear gradually lost control, and Li Siyuan was finally appointed to lead the rebellion. However, Li Siyuan, the hope of the whole village, rebelled when he arrived at the front...

The Later Tang Empire was already crumbling and in danger. At this time, Li Cunxu ordered the early levy of taxes in order to raise military supplies. Pre-collecting taxes from the people for the summer and autumn seasons further increased the burden on the people, making their lives miserable.

Not to mention that the landlords have no surplus food, even the emperor has no surplus food, but you are levying taxes in advance at this time, which is simply killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. Li Cunxu, you have it too hard.

Rent and Labor Commissioner Kong Qian: My life is so difficult!

The treasury was about to run out of money, and Kong Qian had no choice but to withhold military rations, leaving the soldiers hungry. The army was shaken, rumors were spreading, and it looked like another mutiny was imminent.

Don't you think it's not lively enough outside? The officials are forcing the people to rebel by collecting taxes in advance, and they are withholding military rations to induce mutiny. Are you tired of sitting on the throne because the country has been too long? Is the country really out of money? Others don't know, but we don't?
So, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau first helped to build momentum, saying that "a guest star is invading the heavenly storehouse, and a star is flowing in the heavenly club." What does that mean? The Imperial Astronomical Bureau explained that this indicated that "there will be an urgent battle in front of the emperor" (nonsense, the war has already started). How should it be resolved? "It is better to disperse the accumulated wealth to ward it off." Just spread some wealth.

The prime ministers led the civil and military officials, and took the "prophecy" of the Imperial Astronomical Observatory as an opportunity to jointly submit a petition, saying that the national treasury is empty, but Your Majesty has a lot of private money in your private treasury. Now the soldiers of the imperial army can't even support their parents, wives and children. If you don't help them, I'm afraid something unexpected will happen! Your Majesty, please pay out of your own pocket first to help the soldiers tide over the difficulties temporarily. Even if the country borrows from you, we will return it to you after the famine is over and the treasury is full.

After all, the whole country belongs to you, so shouldn’t you take the lead in ruining your family and helping the country?
Li Cunxu thought it made sense and agreed immediately to open the treasury to save the country!

Empress Liu quickly stopped him, "What? You want to threaten us with the army? You want to blackmail the emperor? How dare you! My husband is the ruler of a country, ruling over all nations. Of course, he has to rely on the army, but he is also appointed by heaven. I wonder who dares to go against the will of heaven!"

The prime ministers were so anxious that they stamped their feet, thinking, this bear woman, the country is in crisis and you are about to die, why do you want money instead of life? So they went to Li Cunxu privately and made a secret oral appeal, urging him to stop being a miser and to spend money to stabilize the army.

Empress Liu sent someone to hide behind the screen and eavesdrop secretly.

Soon, Empress Liu sent someone to bring out a dressing table, three silver basins, and a little prince nicknamed "Manxi" (some say three), and told the prime minister: "The landlords don't have any surplus food. People outside believe in rumors. In fact, the emperor's family is also very poor. They are short of money now. Sell these to subsidize the army and reward the officers and soldiers."

Empress Liu was not crying poor, but threatening the prime ministers. You have already forced the emperor's family to sell their children, what do you want to do?

The prime ministers were so frightened that they quickly apologized and left in a hurry.

This Empress Liu, who "plotted against Liu by taking away her father", was a famous miser, money-grubber, and money-hungry person in Chinese history. She would rather die of drunkenness than pay for a pot of wine, and she valued money over her life.

Under her strong obstruction, Li Cunxu and his empire missed the last chance to save themselves.

Li Siyuan's communication with the court was blocked by Yuan Xingqin. At that time, Li Siyuan's eldest son Li Congshen was in Luoyang. According to custom, he served as the commander of the imperial guards and guarded the palace. Li Cunxu called Li Congshen and comforted him, saying, "I know your father very well. He is a loyal man and will definitely not rebel. I firmly believe in this. So I specially ask you to go to your father and convey my intention to him, so as not to let him have any doubts and eliminate misunderstandings."

Unexpectedly, when Li Congshen passed through Weizhou, he was arrested by Yuan Xingqin, who planned to kill him.

Li Congshen said: "You don't trust my father, and you won't let me go to my father. Well, please let me go back to Beijing to protect the emperor."

After all, Li Congshen was following the emperor's orders, and Yuan Xingqin could not kill him without authorization, so he released Li Congshen and sent him back to Luoyang.

In order to express his sincerity to Li Siyuan, Li Cunxu brought Li Congshen with him, treated him like his own son, and gave him the name "Li Jijing".

Li Siyuan's staff were also busy. His capable general and son-in-law Shi Jingtang advised: "The great events of the world are won by decisive killing and lost by indecision. Since ancient times, how could a general who suppressed a rebellion enter the enemy city with the rebels and not be punished in the future? No matter what the reason, you have entered the city with Zhao Zaili, Huangfu Hui and others to drink, and yellow mud has fallen into your crotch - it is shit if not shit."

You went into Fenghua Entertainment the night before, and came out the next morning, and told others that you had lectured on the Tao Te Ching the whole night? You burned newspapers at the grave, are you kidding the ghosts?
"What can I do?"

Shi Jingtang said: "Bianzhou is the heart of the world. Please give me 300 cavalrymen to launch a surprise attack. If we can take Bianzhou, then you can lead the army to march westward quickly, and Luoyang will be within your reach! Only in this way can we seize the initiative and truly protect ourselves!"

Kang Yicheng, commander of the cavalry commando, also advised: "The emperor is licentious and has no way of governing the country, and the whole world is resentful. Marshal, as long as you sit on the same bench with the masses, you can survive; if you are stubborn and still insist on blind loyalty, I am afraid you will not be able to escape death (follow the crowd and live, keep your integrity and die)."

Therefore, Li Siyuan finally made up his mind that his fate was his own and he could not rely on the mercy of others. Li Siyuan publicly raised the flag and became the leader of the resistance army. He issued proclamations to all directions, mobilized troops from all directions, united and overthrew Li Cunxu's rule.

Wang Jianli, the general of Zhenzhou, took the initiative and killed the eunuch who was the military supervisor of Zhenzhou Chengde Army at the first opportunity, thus preserving Li Siyuan's family in Zhenzhou; his adopted son Li Congke, who was demoted to Shimen Town, also immediately led his troops to Zhenzhou to join forces with Wang Jianli, and then marched quickly to Li Siyuan's troops; Li Congzhang (Li Siyuan's nephew) went south from Zhenzhou and passed through Xingzhou. The generals of Xingzhou warmly tried to retain him and recommended him to be the commander of Xingzhou Anguo Army. In other words, at Li Siyuan's call, the former Dongzhao Yi Army immediately surrendered and pledged allegiance.

The road to Luoyang was blocked by Weizhou Yuan Xingqin, but this helped Li Siyuan. Just like Shi Jingtang's suggestion, it was nothing more than another "left hook" operation. When destroying Liang, Li Siyuan was the vanguard of the "left hook", and he was familiar with it and used the same trick again.

Li Siyuan assigned 300 cavalrymen, led by Shi Jingtang, the vanguard, and his adopted son Li Congke as the rear guard, to cross the river to Huazhou, then go south to Bianzhou, and then rush west from Bianzhou to attack Luoyang. Bypassing the hard rock of Yuan Xingqin in Weizhou, this military plan was simply a replica of the plan to destroy Liang.

Three years of extravagance and debauchery had greatly reduced Li Cunxu's strategic judgment ability. He actually ignored the experience of destroying Liang and did not realize that he might also be tricked by the "left hook". Li Cunxu ordered the imperial guards to defend Heyang Bridge, which is today's Yellow River Bridge in Mengzhou City, Henan Province, to the north of Luoyang. This move was to prevent Li Siyuan from breaking out from the front (Weizhou).

It was not until now that Li Cunxu realized the seriousness of the matter. Only at this time did Li Cunxu finally take out a large amount of gold, silver, and silk. The actor Jing Jin and the eunuchs also paid out of their own pockets and spit out a lot of gold, silver, and silk to reward the imperial guards, hoping that they would defend the Heyang Bridge to the death.

The soldiers of the imperial guards took the rewards, but their faces became even angrier. They cursed as they walked, "My wife and children are already starving to death. What's the point of having these things?"

Li Siyuan's rebellion manifesto was like a spark that set the whole prairie on fire in an instant. The people of the country, especially the people of Hebei, had long been resentful. When Li Siyuan raised his arm and called for action, the whole country responded. Soldiers from all walks of life expressed their support for Li Siyuan, and even the central imperial guards were unwilling to work for Li Cunxu anymore.

Li Cunxu suddenly came to his senses, but it was too late.

(End of this chapter)