History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 472: Taking Office 3 (Thanks for the monthly vote, additional chapter)
Li Conghou emptied the national treasury to reward the imperial guards, and "the treasury was completely emptied."

Today, Li Conghou is very much like Li Cunxu before the "Xingjiao Gate Incident". There is not enough money in the treasury to reward the soldiers. This is strange. Didn't he just take over the "Mingzong Prosperous Era"? Where is the money?
The history books say that it was because of the construction of a mausoleum for Li Siyuan, "At that time, the mausoleum was under construction, and this gift was given, and the treasury was emptied." The country was emptied just to build a tomb for Li Siyuan... Is the mausoleum of Qin Shihuang that you are building?

In fact, the real reason was that at the end of Mingzong's reign, the "harem faction" Wang Defei paid tribute to the "drawing father to plot against Liu". According to historical records, after killing An Zhonghui, Wang Defei and the eunuch Meng Hanqiong squandered the national treasury without scrip, and embezzled without reason or limit.

When Li Siyuan was alive, he launched three large-scale wars, namely, Jingnan, Liangchuan, and Xiazhou. All of them were defeated due to logistics. In one word, no money.

I said that the "Mingzong's prosperous era" itself was a beautiful bubble, a false prosperity. The three wars hollowed out the empire. In the later period, Concubine Wang De turned into a spendthrift woman. Li Congrong launched a coup, which made the empire even worse (rewarding meritorious officials was also a huge expense). As for building a mausoleum for Li Siyuan, it was just an excuse.

In short, Li Conghou was not really supported by these people, and his few direct descendants were all excluded by the "Rocket Faction" and had no say at all. Now he has no money. Li Conghou reappeared the dilemma of Li Cunxu before the "Xingjiaomen Incident".

Li Conghou almost begged, "After we pacify the rebels in Fengxiang, I will definitely give you another reward of 200 strings of cash each! If the treasury is not enough, you can sell the treasures and curios in the palace. Don't worry, I will definitely give it to you."

Faced with the empty promise from the emperor, the imperial guards were not grateful. Looking at the empty treasury and holding the rewards, they did not think about how to be loyal to the emperor and the country, but how to sell out their master for glory. They even publicly shouted: "When we arrive in Fengxiang, we will accept Li Congke's reward! (We will ask for one more cent when we arrive in Fengxiang)"

Li Congke's vanguard troops caught up with Wang Sitong, captured him alive, and escorted him to Li Congke.

Li Congke blamed him for not adapting to the times and supporting himself in time.

Wang Sitong's answer was powerful. "I was promoted from a small soldier to such a high position by the late emperor, but I have no chance to repay the emperor's grace. Don't I know that if I submit to you, I will be rich and prosperous, but if I am loyal to the court, I will suffer disaster? I am just worried that I will not be able to see the late emperor in the afterlife after my death."

Li Congke was moved by his loyalty and integrity, and comforted him with kind words, "I won't kill you, you go and have a rest." He also planned to reappoint him as a high official after he seized the throne in the future.

However, Yang Siquan, Yin Hui and others were eager to execute Wang Sitong. Especially Yin Hui, he had already taken over Wang Sitong's property and concubines in Chang'an. If Wang Sitong regained power, how could he have a good ending? So they all lobbied Li Congke's confidant Liu Yanlang to persuade him to kill Wang Sitong.

One day, Li Congke was drunk, and Liu Yanlang and others secretly executed Wang Sitong's wife and children. When Li Congke woke up, he was furious with Liu Yanlang, and he didn't smile for several days, and kept sighing.

On the second day after Li Conghou sent Kang Yicheng to the battle, Li Congke arrived in Huazhou and captured Yao Yanchou alive, and then continued to march eastward. Along the way, An Zhongba, the governor of the Tongzhou Kuangguo Army, and An Yanwei, the governor of the Hezhong Huguo Army, surrendered one after another. Li Congke's troops were increasing in number and their momentum was huge.

Only Kang Sili, the governor of the Baoyi Army in Shanzhou, was prepared to hold on to Shanzhou and wait for the main force of the imperial army led by Kang Yicheng to come to his rescue.

Previously, there were 500 imperial guards stationed in the west of Shanzhou, forming the first line of defense of Shanzhou. Now, they suddenly became Li Congke's vanguard, rushed to the city, and shouted to the defenders on the city: "One hundred thousand imperial guards have long supported Li Congke. What use are you? You just bring bloodshed to the people of the city. He who knows the times is a hero!" The imperial guards in the garrison rushed out, saying that they would change their positions and support Li Congke. Kang Sili was unable to stop it, so he also ordered the city to surrender.

On March 3, Li Congke entered Shanzhou. On the advice of his advisers, he temporarily stayed in Shanzhou and sent a notice to Luoyang, which was close at hand, to reassure the people. The general idea was that I, Li Congke, was not going to rebel, but to "clean up the emperor's side" and help the emperor eliminate the villains around him. This time, I only wanted to kill the entire families of Zhu Hongzhao and Feng Yun, and all other civil and military officials were innocent, so the people should not panic.

After Kang Yicheng led the imperial guards out of Luoyang, officers and soldiers, numbering dozens or even hundreds, broke away from the main force in groups and came to Li Congke's army to express their submission.

Since we are all surrendering, why should you, Kang Yicheng, sell us out? We sell ourselves, without any middlemen making a profit!

When Kang Yicheng reached the east of Shanzhou, he had only a few dozen cavalrymen left, and happened to meet a dozen scouts of Li Congke's cavalry. Kang Yicheng took off his bow and sword as a token of trust, and asked the scouts to present them on his behalf, requesting surrender.

Li Conghou was completely panicked and ordered An Congjin, the commander-in-chief of the imperial cavalry, to serve as the commander of Luoyang City Defense and be responsible for organizing the defense of Luoyang. What he didn't know was that An Congjin had also made secret contact with Li Congke and secretly reached a surrender agreement. The city defense commander was ready to cooperate with Li Congke.

When the news of Kang Yicheng's surrender reached Luoyang, Li Conghou was completely panicked and hurriedly summoned Zhu Hongzhao into the palace to discuss countermeasures.

Zhu Hongzhao sighed and said, "You're asking me to enter the palace so urgently at this time. I'm afraid it will be very dangerous. Oh, forget it. I'll end it myself." Then he jumped into a well and committed suicide.

When the "traitor" An Congjin heard that Zhu Hongzhao had committed suicide, he immediately led his troops into Feng Yun's house, executed all his family members, cut off Feng Yun's head, and packed it together with Zhu Hongzhao's head and sent it to Shanzhou.

Wang Sitong, sent his head thousands of miles away; Kang Yicheng, sold out his master for fame and fortune; An Congjin, infiltrated our army... Li Conghou really became a commander without troops, and he found the last comrade he could trust - the eunuch Meng Hanqiong.

Meng Hanqiong played a great role in killing Li Congrong, and it was he who went to Weizhou to replace Li Conghou and came to the capital to ascend the throne. It can be said that it was Meng Hanqiong who lifted Li Conghou to the throne. At this time when he was deserted by his friends and relatives, Li Conghou regarded Meng Hanqiong as his last straw.

Li Conghou asked Meng Hanqiong to return to Weizhou to make arrangements, while he himself planned to escape to Weizhou and make plans later.

However, Meng Hanqiong gave a big "NO" and fled Luoyang alone. Instead of going to Weizhou in the east, he rode west at full speed to Shanzhou to join Li Congke.

Who else is Li Conghou's direct descendant? There is indeed one, the imperial guard general Murong Qian.

(End of this chapter)