History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 373 Gao Jichang

Earlier, for the sake of military defense, Gao Jichang built Xiongchu Tower, Wangjiang Tower and Gao’s Dike, especially Gao’s Dike, which effectively controlled the flood in southern Jingzhou and "the residents relied on it." No matter how much we criticize him, Gao’s Dike is one of his achievements that cannot be erased.

As for Gao Jichang's mistakes, the historian gave the answer, saying that he made two major mistakes: going to Luojing to pay homage to the emperor and persuading the Tang Dynasty to attack Shu.

Jingnan was a tiny country surrounded by enemies, with a narrow territory and weak soldiers, but he was always able to make full use of geopolitics to use his strength to fight against his neighbors. On the surface, he seemed capricious and despicable, but in fact, the weak Gao Jichang fought against the powerful neighbors on his own, sometimes fighting and sometimes making peace. The historian commented that he "played the original in the palm of his hand, and he also had a deep understanding of the art of diplomacy!"

He is good at maneuvering and making things happen in the palm of his hand... He can describe meanness, fickleness and profiteering in such a refreshing and refined way that I am ashamed of myself.

Of course, the reasons why Gao Jichang and his son were awarded the honorary title of "Gao Laizi" are slightly different. For example, Gao Jichang gives us the intuitive impression that he has been a professional robber for 30 years and dares to rob anyone. Previously, he used his geographical advantage as a transportation hub to rob the tributes of the southern vassal states. Recently, he simply robbed the imperial treasury, robbed Li Siyuan's spoils of war in Shu, and robbed the BMW and beautiful women that Li Siyuan gave to Ma Yin... The only thing that makes people feel a little bit rogue is that whenever the victims come to him to defend their rights, he returns the stolen money and goods in full, and "without shame."

His successors truly demonstrated their "inconsistency" to the fullest, sometimes paying homage to the central court, sometimes paying homage to Southern Wu, and always following whoever feeds them.

Jingnan was not only small in territory and weak in military power, but also always inferior in politics. Its neighbors successively proclaimed themselves emperors and founded their own states, but Jingnan was the only one who always paid tribute to other powers. The reason why they paid tribute to other powers was that they benefited from their gifts. They called them mother when they were given milk and father when they were given money. "Therefore, all the other states despised them and called them Gao Laizi, or Gao Wulai." Laizi means "a person who robs and steals things without any shame is called a Laizi."

The wonderful performance of his successor will be presented later.

Gao Jichang was also good at employing people. Once, he ordered General Ni Kefu to supervise a project. As a result, the construction period was delayed. Gao Jichang was furious and beat Ni Kefu in public. Afterwards, Gao Jichang called his daughter (Ni Kefu's daughter-in-law) and asked her to go home and tell Ni Kefu that he did it deliberately to show his power and did not really want to humiliate him, and asked him not to think too much. He asked his daughter to bring 100 ingots of gold to his beloved general and father-in-law as compensation.

This is Gao Jichang’s art of management and way of employing people.

There is also a beautiful legend about Gao Jichang - The Old Woman Welcoming the King:

It is said that when Gao Jichang was young, he followed Zhu Wen to an expedition. On the way, an old woman came to serve him with a candle and was very respectful. Gao Jichang was puzzled and asked her why.

The old woman said that she had just dreamed of someone knocking on her door and saying, "Get up, get up, the man who is going to divide the land and make him king is here!" I got up quickly and had just finished washing up when you brought your troops here. So you are the man who is going to divide the land and make him king as the gods said, and of course I dare not neglect you.

Gao Jichang was overjoyed when he heard this, and later he was appointed to govern southern Jing and gradually rose to the title of king.

This kind of stories are not lacking in troubled times. For example, there is a legend about Wang Jian who hid in a tomb and was called "King of Shu" by little ghosts.

If the story of "the old woman welcoming the king" is not fabricated, it should be the wisdom of the old woman. At that time, the harassment of the army on the ground was not news but a routine. The old woman made up a beautiful reason, flattered the commander-in-chief with the mouth of the gods, and kowtowed to him in a high-sounding manner in exchange for the mercy of the warlord. This was the way to survive in troubled times. Whether it was true or not, Gao Jichang's authorities would certainly vigorously publicize it and tell people: Gao Jichang's division of the land and enthronement of the king was destined to hurt heaven.

Especially when Gao Jichang broke with the Later Tang and was rejected by Huainan, as mentioned above, in those months, Gao Jichang lost the legal basis for his legitimate rule over the Jingnan region. Since it doesn't make sense from a legal point of view, he can only ask the gods to help him stand up and endorse him.

Gao Jichang and his descendants never proclaimed themselves emperors, and always paid homage to the central government in turn. During this period, they also paid homage to Southern Wu, but later generations still regarded it as a complete and independent local separatist regime, listing it as one of the "Ten Kingdoms".

Since the Gao family never changed the name of the country, later generations called their regime differently. Ouyang Xiu's "New History of the Five Dynasties" called it "Nanping" because in the second year of Tongguang (924) Li Cunxu named Gao Jichang "King of Nanping"; while "Nine Kingdoms Records" did not regard it as a "country", so only compiled the other nine countries; Zhang Tangying added it in and called it "Northern Chu", a total of two volumes; "Ten Kingdoms Spring and Autumn" adopted the name of "Ten Kingdoms Chronicles" and "History of Song Dynasty", calling it "Jingnan".

However, no matter which history book it is, there is a consensus on the duration of the regime change, that is, it lasted for 907 years, from the first year of Kaiping in the Later Liang Dynasty (963) to the fourth year of Jianlong in the Northern Song Dynasty (57).

In the first year of Kaiping (907), Zhu Wen established the Later Liang Dynasty and appointed Gao Jichang to be the governor of Jingnan. In the second year of Tongguang (924), Li Cunxu conferred Gao Jichang the title of King of Nanping. Therefore, it is not appropriate to call this area "Nanping". Therefore, this book adopts the more logical "Jingnan".

For fifty-seven years, the Gao regime in Jingnan spanned the entire "Five Dynasties". It was born at the same time as the Later Liang Dynasty, and then outlasted the Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin, Later Han, and Later Zhou, and lasted until the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty, spanning four generations and five dynasties (Gao Jichang, Gao Conghui, Gao Baorong, Gao Baoxu, and Gao Jichong).

Gao Ji Chong took the initiative to offer his land and surrender, and the Jingnan area was peacefully taken over by the Northern Song Dynasty. The people of Jingnan were spared the suffering of war, and Gao's descendants were able to have a good end.

Looking back at the historian's evaluation of the Gao family, I can't help but sigh at the foresight of Gao Jichang and his successors! During the entire "Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms" period, their territory was the smallest, without a doubt, and surrounded by powerful neighbors, each of which was eyeing them covetously and was definitely not a good thing, but they still existed for 57 years, second only to the Wuyue Qian family.

He was despised, laughed at, and ridiculed...but he defeated everyone except Qian Liu, just with a tiny piece of land.

His capriciousness and his meanness are precisely his political wisdom. As the saying goes, small countries do not keep their word, and big countries do not have principles. Gao Jichang's roguery was also forced by the cruel reality. He had to maneuver and make full use of geopolitics, drive away wolves, let powerful neighbors fight each other, and the weak Jingnan would reap the benefits.

One has to admit that beneath the appearance of a rogue, Gao Jichang hides great wisdom.

If you can't make money standing up, then make money on your knees. Making money, business, is not shabby.

(End of this chapter)