History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 424 The Prodigal Son Returns
【The Prodigal Son Returns】

When Li Siyuan replaced Li Cunxu, the Khitan annexed the Bohai Kingdom and completed the integration of the northern part of the Great Wall. At first glance, the Khitan could finally concentrate all its efforts to launch a large-scale war of annihilation against the Later Tang, while the Later Tang was facing the situation of "five countries coexisting" in the south, and was attacked from both the north and the south.

Surprisingly, although the Later Tang Dynasty suffered repeated setbacks in the south, it was able to gain the upper hand over the Khitan.

Before the crucial political refugee, Yelu Bei, defected to the Tang Dynasty, two other relatively important figures returned to the embrace of their motherland.

"Big Traitor" Lu Wenjin:

Lu Wenjin was originally the cavalry company commander (cavalry general) of Liu Shouguang of Youzhou. The young man was very handsome (with a majestic appearance), very tall (seven feet tall), and a foodie with an extraordinary ability to eat (he could drink a lot).

When Li Cunxu was attacking Liu Shouguang of Youzhou, Lu Wenjin was a man of insight and was the first to surrender. He was therefore granted the title of remote governor of Shouzhou. Later, Li Cunxu asked his younger brother Li Cunju to lead the "Eight Armies Behind the Mountains", with Lu Wenjin leading 500 cavalry as Li Cunju's subordinate.

Li Cunxu and Houliang fought a bloody battle at Jiahe, and suffered heavy losses, so he transferred Li Cunju to lead the "Eight Armies Behind the Mountains" to the south to reinforce and make up for the losses. It is said that Li Cunju first took possession of Lu Wenjin's daughter, and Lu Wenjin took the opportunity to incite a mutiny and kill Li Cunju, but was defeated by Zhou Dewei who arrived in time, so he led the remaining troops to surrender to the Khitan.

Yelu Abaoji attached great importance to Lu Wenjin. It is said that he married a Khitan princess to him, promoted him to a higher position, and stationed him in Xinzhou.

The reason why Lu Wenjin was so popular among Khitans was that he actively sold out his country.

First, he acted as a guide for the Khitans, leading the Khitan cavalry to plunder Hebei and capture the people;
Secondly, in conjunction with Shulü Ping's "strategy of exhausting the enemy", he specifically cut off the grain route from Waqiao Pass to Youzhou City. Without the guidance of Lu Wenjin, who was familiar with the local conditions, Shulü Ping's strategy would have remained on paper.
Finally, he brought a lot of advanced technology to the grassland, which greatly improved the productivity of the Khitan and made "the Khitan stronger."

Lu Wenjin brought valuable talent resources and advanced productivity to the Khitan, making the Khitan increasingly powerful. At the same time, the people in the Yan and Zhao areas "lived in peace for years" and "became a trouble to the Tang Dynasty for more than ten years."

For more than a decade, the Hebei region has been in a state of stagnation, the economy has declined, and the people are suffering, and all of this "is caused by Wen Jin."

Lu Wenjin can definitely be called a "big traitor" who sold out his country for personal gain.

After Li Siyuan became emperor, he sent spies to persuade Lu Wenjin, telling him that "a new emperor appoints new ministers". The reason why you left your homeland and betrayed your country was because you had a grudge against Li Cunxu and were forced to abandon your country. Now that the new emperor has ascended the throne, there is no grudge between us. The past is written off. We should look forward. Do you want to bear the infamy of being a "traitor" for thousands of years? Come back.

All of Lu Wenjin's generals were Han Chinese. They had surrendered to the Khitan for more than ten years and had been scolded as "traitors" for ten years. Their spines were almost broken, and they all missed their wives and children in their hometown in the Central Plains. Lu Wenjin summoned his confidants to plot in private, and everyone burst into tears. If it weren't for the situation, who would be willing to be a traitor and a traitor to the country? Since the Central Plains court has turned over the old account, we should also turn over a new leaf and start a new life!
Just do it!

Lu Wenjin then killed the Khitan general who served as the military supervisor and led his people back. Lu Wenjin was hateful when he left, but lovable when he came back. Because he not only brought back his own troops, but also brought back the people of Pingzhou, and brought back all the pots, pans, and utensils that could be brought back. Just like Liu Bei's "bringing people across the river", all the Han people who were forced and abducted to Khitan were moved back to the Central Plains, bringing the old and the young, as many as 150,000 people, 8,000 covered wagons, and the team moving south was connected end to end, stretching for more than 70 miles.

Li Siyuan was overjoyed and immediately promoted Lu Wenjin to the position of acting Grand Commandant, co-prime minister, and military governor of Huazhou Yicheng Army. The more than 400 officers and officials who returned with Lu Wenjin were rewarded. Emperor Mingzong issued an edict to commend them.

This was not Lu Wenjin’s last betrayal, and his wonderful life will make headlines later.

"Military Affairs Delayed the Development of the Literary Society" - Zhang Xichong:

Zhang Xichong was originally a literary youth from Youzhou. He liked to read Zuo's Spring and Autumn Annals and was good at chanting. He wanted to become an official after studying hard. His greatest wish was that knowledge could change his fate. However, the top leader of Youzhou at that time was Liu Shouguang, who hated scholars the most and only liked warriors who played with swords and guns. Liu Shouguang contemptuously threw Zhang Xichong's resume aside and told him clearly: "If you want to beg for food under me, you must throw away your pen and take up a gun."

Zhang Xichong felt that he had been greatly insulted, not only to himself, but also to Confucianism, culture, and tradition! So he angrily gave up his pen and joined the army, turning his grief and anger into strength, and was gradually promoted to a company-level officer.

After Li Cunxu destroyed Youzhou's Liu Shouguang, Zhang Xichong was assigned to Zhou Dewei's account. The Hedong Group certainly had no time or interest in investigating grassroots officers. No one would discuss life and ideals with a company-level officer. Soon, Zhang Xichong was stationed in Pingzhou.

It happened that the Khitans attacked from the south and captured Pingzhou. In Pingzhou, the Khitans captured two important figures, one was Zhao Siwen mentioned above, who forced Empress Dowager Shulü to cut off her wrist, and the other was Zhang Xichong.

The Khitans have always attached great importance to the captives from the Central Plains. Even with the most ordinary soldiers, the Khitans are willing to chat with them, for fear of missing out on any talented people.

Thus, the unique Zhang Xichong was discovered by the Khitans. The Khitans' attitude towards "scholars" was simply too good. Yelu Abaoji personally visited him and immediately promoted Zhang Xichong to the position of judge of the Marshal's Office. Soon after, he was changed to the military commander of the Lulong Army, and then to the supervisor of the Fanhan Capital.

Although they were all civilian jobs, they were all civilian jobs in the military system, and Zhang Xichong's ideal was to serve as an official in the court, such as a Hanlin scholar, a counselor, a minister of the Ministry of Revenue, or a vice minister of the Ministry of Rites...

Zhang Xichong comforted himself, thinking, let's take it step by step. He could first work as a civilian in the army, and then choose the right opportunity to transfer to the local area, or directly join the central government. It would be a good way to save the country in a roundabout way.

The cruel reality played another joke on him, which is the "return of Lu Wenjin" mentioned above. After Lu Wenjin rebelled against Liao and returned to Tang, the Khitans replaced Lu Wenjin with Zhang Xichong as the "Jiedushi of Pingzhou", stationed in Pingzhou, and sent 300 Khitan cavalry to assist him. The main purpose of the 300 Khitan soldiers was of course to monitor Zhang Xichong.

In the eyes of others, he should be congratulated for his promotion from a military commander to a military governor, but Zhang Xichong was extremely distressed, as it meant that he was gradually moving away from the label of a "civil servant".

(End of this chapter)