History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 342: Emperor Mingzong Enters Luoyang 3: The Xingjiao Gate Mutiny

[Mingzong enters Luoyang 3 Xingjiaomen Rebellion]

Yao Yanwen led 3,000 Longxiang troops to rush to Bianzhou. After arriving in Bianzhou, he immediately changed sides and swore allegiance to Li Siyuan. He said that Li Cunxu had been bewitched by Yuan Xingqin, and Li Cunxu was now deserted by his friends and relatives and no one was willing to work for him. Luoyang was within reach, so he asked the minister to advance westward as quickly as possible.

Li Siyuan was furious and scolded, "You should be loyal to the person who provides you with food. However, you are not loyal to His Majesty, yet you dare to say such absurd and treasonous words?" He immediately seized Yao Yanwen's military power and annexed the army.

The nearby Wangcun Village had tens of thousands of shi of grain and grass stored in it. Li Cunxu sent cavalry to inspect it, but the commander of Wangcun Village, Pan Huan, immediately defected to Li Siyuan.

Li Cunxu advanced to Wansheng Town and received the news that Li Siyuan had taken over Bianzhou. He was deserted by his friends and relatives and was very depressed. When he came out of Luoyang, he was accompanied by an army of 25,000 people. Now, after some appeasement, there were only about 10,000 people left. More than half of them sneaked away and defected to Li Siyuan.

Li Cunxu was depressed and climbed a high hill, looking eastward. He then had a drink to relieve his sorrow. A nearby farmer presented him with a pheasant and said, "Good luck, let's have chicken tonight."

Li Cunxu raised his hand and beckoned the farmer to come closer, asking, "What is the name of this place?"

The farmer replied, "Choutai."

I was afraid at Huangfeng Beach, and I felt lonely in the ocean. Li Cunxu was at the Sorrow Stage, and he drank to dispel his sorrow, but he became even more sad. He was filled with emotion and burst into tears.

"It's a bad place name. It's unlucky. Let's go."

Li Cunxu and his followers continued to head west, walked a distance, and set up wine on the roadside again. Li Cunxu looked around at the generals, and his eyes stopped at Yuan Xingqin, "Although I have fought in many battles for many years and escaped death many times, we have all shared happiness and difficulties. At the beginning, I wanted to make peace with Li Siyuan, but you refused; a few days ago, I wanted to cross the river in person to clear up the misunderstanding with Li Siyuan, but you still refused. Now, tell me, what should I do?"

Yuan Xingqin and more than a hundred generals drew their swords, cut off a section of their hair, and threw it on the ground. "We only have this life! We swear to follow your majesty until death!"

Yes, there is really no other way except death. Let's drink and eat, and then we can go on the road after we are full.

Li Cunxu sighed, "The situation is over!"

On the way back to Luoyang, when passing through Poppy Valley southeast of Sishui Pass, the road was narrow and the team was crowded. Whenever Li Cunxu met soldiers holding weapons, he would tell them softly, considerately and gently: "I just received a report from the crown prince that another 500,000 taels of gold and silver have been transported from Shu! As soon as we return to Luoyang, we will give it to you immediately."

The soldiers smiled coldly and said, "Your Majesty's reward comes too late!"

Facing the soldiers' defiance and sarcasm, Li Cunxu could only smile and respond with an awkward but polite smile. When he turned around, tears could not stop flowing. Li Cunxu could only secretly wipe away his tears, pretending to be confident and calm, secretly thanking that the soldiers were just complaining and grumbling, not mutiny.

Li Cunxu asked Zhang Rongge, the eunuch who managed the warehouse, for robes, jade belts and other items to reward his entourage. Zhang Rongge said helplessly that they had already been distributed and there was nothing left. The entourage guards immediately drew their swords and cursed: "It is you castrated bitches who made the emperor lose his country and fall to this state today!" Then they swung their swords and chased after him. Fortunately, someone stopped him and Zhang Rongge escaped with his life.

Zhang Rongge was worried and said to other eunuchs in despair: "The Queen values ​​money more than her life. It is her stinginess that has caused the current situation, and the angry soldiers have transferred their anger to us. We may be used as scapegoats and torn into pieces at any time. I don't want to wait until that day comes." He then jumped into the river and committed suicide.

Wang Yanqiu and Fang Zhiwen, who had previously received invitations from Li Siyuan, also led their troops to Bianzhou to meet up and swear allegiance to Li Siyuan.

Li Siyuan ordered Shi Jingtang to lead the vanguard to the Sishui River to recruit the stragglers who were willing to surrender. Then, Li Siyuan led the main force westward, aiming at Luoyang.

On March 3, civil and military officials and eunuchs jointly submitted a memorial, saying that Li Jiji's main force was about to return, and requested Your Majesty to control the Sishui River at all costs and delay the return of the main force.

Li Cunxu personally inspected the cavalry and ordered them to set out at midnight. That night, the army was assembled and they were waiting for the emperor's order to march to the Sishui front. Suddenly, the commander of the cavalry, Guo Congqian, launched a mutiny and led his troops to attack Xingjiao Gate (there are three gates on the south side of the imperial palace, and Xingjiao Gate is the westernmost one).

Li Cunxu was having a meal. After receiving the news, he immediately led the princes to command the imperial guards to fight back, driving Guo Congqian's rebels out of Xingjiao Gate, temporarily ensuring the safety of the palace. Li Cunxu hurriedly sent someone to summon his confidant Zhu Shouyin outside the city and ordered him to enter the city to protect the emperor.

However, Zhu Shouyin not only did not enter the city to protect the emperor, but instead led his troops to migrate northward.

Guo Congqian was given a chance to catch his breath. After gathering and resting, he immediately launched a new and more fierce attack on Xingjiao Gate, setting it on fire and sending a suicide squad to climb over the wall into the inner city.

The generals who had just cut their hair to show their determination and swore an oath with tears, immediately took off their armor and fled in all directions.

Only a dozen people including Li Cunshen's son Li Yanqing, He Fujin, Wang Quanbin and others persisted in resistance.

Guo Congqian's rebels quickly captured Xingjiao Gate and advanced into the imperial city.

During the melee, Li Cunxu was hit by a stray arrow. He was helped down from the city gate tower by the eunuch Shanyou and the arrow was pulled out.

Li Cunxu was extremely anxious. He felt a tightness in his chest and a dry mouth. At this moment, he had only one last wish: I want to drink some water.

Empress Liu, who loved him dearly, only sent an eunuch to bring him a bowl of yogurt and did not come to see him for the last time. She could beat her own father, so how could she really care about your life or death?

The shouts and screams gradually spread from outside the palace to inside. Civil and military officials, imperial guards, eunuchs and palace maids... all fled in panic, and the palace was in chaos.

In the corridor outside the Jiangxiao Palace, Li Cunxu, the founding emperor of the Later Tang Dynasty who was as feared by Zhu Wen as his father, sat helplessly on the ground, half leaning against the red painted palace pillar. The blood under his body gradually formed a pool, but there was no trace of pain on his face. His eyes were blank and dull, staring at the bowl of yogurt dejectedly.

Next to him, there was an old eunuch with a slightly unsteady gait, holding the bowl of yogurt shakily, "Your Majesty, have a sip."

After a moment, Li Cunxu slowly raised his head and looked at the dark night sky, which was illuminated by blazing flames.

"Hey--"

A sigh, filled with infinite regret and despair.

"Your Majesty? Your Majesty! Your Majesty——"

Li Cunxu died alone and miserably at the age of 42.

Most of us have never experienced a near-death experience, so it is difficult for us to understand that feeling. Li Cunxu, who had lived a life of wealth and luxury, wearing all kinds of silk and satin, and eating all kinds of delicacies from land and sea, just wanted to drink a sip of water, a sip of cold water, when he was dying, which became a luxury for an emperor. This is not much different from the situation of Yuan Shu in the Three Kingdoms. Yuan Shu, who had been arrogant and extravagant all his life, just wanted to drink a bowl of honey water when he was dying, but he was also not satisfied.

When I first read "The Records of Emperor Zhuangzong", when I came to the part about the Xingjiao Gate Rebellion and the death of Emperor Zhuangzong, I was deeply moved and quickly drank some Fat House Happy Water to calm my nerves.

(End of this chapter)