History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 473 Three Dragons Society

【Three Dragons Club】

Murong Qian could barely be counted as one of Li Conghou's few direct descendants. He was previously just a low-ranking officer under Li Conghou. Li Conghou trusted him very much, and after he ascended the throne, he promoted him from a general to a general of the imperial guards (commander-in-chief of the Control Crane Army).

Li Conghou planned to flee to Weizhou, so he called Murong Qian to cover his retreat and defend Xuanwu Gate (the northern gate of the imperial city). On this day, Li Conghou led fifty personal cavalrymen and fled north from Xuanwu Gate. Before leaving, he asked Murong Qian to escort him with his men.

Murong Qian felt obliged to do so and immediately summoned his troops.

But just as Li Conghou walked out of the Xuanwu Gate, he heard a loud bang and the city gate was closed by Murong Qian.

"I'm sorry, I want to be Li Congke's man." Murong Qian betrayed his master in times of crisis.

Li Conghou was at the end of his rope, and under the protection of fifty personal cavalrymen, he fled in a panic towards Weizhou. When they fled about seven or eight miles east of Weizhou, they suddenly saw a group of cavalrymen coming towards them.

Li Conghou's attendants stepped forward and shouted, asking them which unit they belonged to, and asked them to make way quickly.

The answer was: Shi Jingtang’s troops from Zhenzhou Chengde Army.

Li Conghou cried with joy. He finally met his own people!
When Shi Jingtang heard that he had met the emperor, he hurried over to pay homage.

Li Conghou threw off the stirrup, dismounted and cried. In his excitement, he spoke without thinking and leaked all the secrets. Through the conversation between Li Conghou and Shi Jingtang, it is not difficult to understand why no one supported Li Conghou. He was really a hopeless case.

"Your Majesty, why is it so?"

"I asked you to move your town not long ago, and you obeyed me. But Li Congke did something that endangered the country. He rebelled!"

"Didn't they send a large army to suppress it?"

"Total defeat!"

"Oh... Then I heard that Kang Yicheng was sent again with all the elite imperial guards, right?"

"Don't mention it. Kang Yicheng has also rebelled, and all the imperial guards have defected."

"Oh..." Shi Jingtang sighed thoughtfully and said, "I never thought that things would develop to this point... Wang Hongzhi, the governor of Weizhou, is an old minister of the previous dynasty and is familiar with military and national affairs. How about we go to him first and discuss the next plan with him?"

Shi Jingtang acted as the vanguard for Li Conghou and arrived in Weizhou first to have a secret conversation with Wang Hongzhi.

Wang Hongzhi said: "There are so many emperors in exile, but they always bring with them civil and military officials, imperial guards, money and food, royal seals, etc., so that they can continue to call on their subjects and become a true exiled emperor, and then they can make plans for the future. But now... Li Conghou has nothing with him, only fifty cavalrymen. Even if you and I are full of loyalty, what can we do?"

Shi Jingtang thought it made sense.

Without officials and retinue, it is equivalent to losing the support of all ministers; without gold, silver and treasures, it is impossible to reward the soldiers loyal to the emperor; without the royal seal, it is impossible to issue commissions to meritorious soldiers... Without money and official positions, who would risk their lives to protect the emperor in distress?

Shi Jingtang returned to the post station and tactfully told Li Conghou these words, indicating the difficult situation of the day.

Li Conghou's two trusted followers, Sha Shourong and Ben Hongjin, stepped forward and angrily rebuked Shi Jingtang: "You are the son-in-law of the late emperor, and the late emperor treated you well. But now, the late emperor's legitimate son is in trouble, and not only are you unwilling to be loyal, but you are also making excuses. Are you planning a rebellion?"

After that, Sha Shourong drew his saber and stabbed Shi Jingtang. Shi Jingtang's guard Chen Hui fought with him and died together. Ben Hongjin committed suicide in anger.

Shi Jingtang hurriedly said it was a misunderstanding, and Li Conghou also hurried to stop him.

That night, Li Conghou summoned Shi Jingtang to discuss matters, but in fact he wanted to assassinate Shi Jingtang and hid swordsmen in the courtyard. Liu Zhiyuan, a close confidant of Shi Jingtang, sent Shi Gan, a martial arts expert, to serve as Shi Jingtang's personal bodyguard.

After the meeting, Li Conghou said that he had important matters to discuss and asked everyone to leave. Shi Jingtang's guards gradually withdrew, and only Shi Gan stood behind him.

After just a few words, ambushes appeared from all directions and headed straight for Shi Jingtang.

Shi Gan pushed Shi Jingtang into a small room, blocked the door with a huge log, took out a big hammer hidden in his sleeve, and fought with the crowd. Liu Zhiyuan also led reinforcements to wipe out Li Conghou's ambush, leaving Li Conghou alone.

After checking the scene, they found that the warrior Shi Gan had been killed, and Li Conghou was imprisoned by Shi Jingtang.

Afterwards, Shi Jingtang rushed to Luoyang and expressed his allegiance to Li Congke.

At the same time Li Conghou escaped from Luoyang, Kang Yicheng finally found an organization to take him in. He came to Shanzhou in a desperate situation and met Li Congke.

Li Congke scolded him, "After the death of the previous emperor, the issue of succession was decided by you guys. After the new emperor ascended the throne, during the period of mourning, all government orders were made by you guys. Not only did you not assist him wholeheartedly, but you also messed up the country into what it is now, and harmed my brother Li Conghou so badly. Do you know your crime?"

Kang Yicheng was so frightened that he kowtowed and begged for mercy.

Li Congke really wanted to kill him, but now was not the right time. If he was killed now, the newly joined imperial guards would be in danger, so in order to do a good job of united front work, he could only temporarily announce his pardon.

Chang Congjian, the commander of the cavalry and infantry, and Wang Jingkan, the commander of the left dragon army, were also tied up by their subordinates in a mutiny and surrendered to Li Congke. At this point, all the expeditionary forces and the central imperial guards sent by the central government had surrendered to Li Congke. Li Congke would no longer face military resistance when he took control of Luoyang.

Li Congke wrote a memorial to Empress Dowager Cao, expressing his willingness to wait for her decision. He then led his army eastward to Luoyang.

On the way, Li Congke's team met another person, who was the eunuch Meng Hanqiong. When Li Congke was framed by An Zhonghui, he was under house arrest in Luoyang. Concubine Wang De often sent Meng Hanqiong to comfort him, so Meng Hanqiong thought he was Li Congke's old friend and best friend. He rode out of Luoyang alone, headed west, and finally met Li Congke's army.

Meng Hanqiong came to Li Congke, fell to the ground and cried, and wanted to explain.

Li Congke said leisurely: "Don't say anymore. I know everything."

Meng Hanqiong stood up with relief and gratitude, and consciously joined Li Congke's direct team.

Li Congke said with a double meaning: "You are on the wrong side."

Meng Hanqiong was stunned for a moment, smiled awkwardly but politely, and then stood in the team of surrendered generals.

Li Congke said coldly: "Come this way." With a glance, two burly men dragged Meng Hanqiong from the team to the roadside and beheaded him on the spot.

Kang Yicheng still has some value to Li Congke, but the eunuch Meng Hanqiong is of no value at all. Moreover, eunuchs have always had a bad reputation and are hated by other factions. Li Congke is just about to kill one or two eunuchs to establish his authority and seize power, and Meng Hanqiong is right on the knife edge. Perhaps being killed is Meng Hanqiong's only value.

There is no resistance militarily, but what about politically?
(End of this chapter)