History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 51 Great Purge

【The Great Purge】

In order to further consolidate his regime, Huang Chao issued an edict: all former civil and military officials of the Tang Dynasty must register with Zhao Zhang and then resume their original posts.

I thought they would come one after another and knock on the door of Zhao's house. But who would have thought that there was no one in front of Zhao's house.

This was not simply a matter of not giving Huang Chao face; it was a very serious political incident.

To hand in a business card at the Zhao residence was to take a stand. If you came, it meant that you recognized the legitimacy of the Huang Qi regime; if you didn't come, it meant that you cared about the old Tang Dynasty.

Huang Chao was furious and ordered a city-wide search for former Tang officials. Those arrested in the carpet search included: Prime Minister Dou Luhong and Cui Hang, former Prime Minister Yu Cong and Liu Ye, Prince Junior Tutor Cui Shen, Chief Censor Zhao Meng, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice Li Pu, and Jingzhao Yin Li Tang.

Huang Chao's true colors were finally revealed. He took off his hypocritical mask and ordered them all to be executed.

Former Prime Minister Yu Cong, who was born into a prominent family, was upright and highly respected. He was persecuted for refusing to curry favor with the "Baoyan Party" and was the main victim of the "Yu Cong case". Not only was he a former prime minister, but he was also a son-in-law who married Princess Guangde (the daughter of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang). Therefore, Huang Chao hoped that Yu Cong could set a good example and serve as the prime minister of the Huang Qi regime, setting a good example for the old officials of the Tang Dynasty.

Yu Cong flatly refused and said with great righteousness: "As the son-in-law of the Tang Dynasty, how could I betray Tang and join the enemy? Humph, I would rather die than obey!" So he sacrificed his life for justice and died bravely.

His wife, Princess Guangde, angrily grabbed the executioner's butcher knife and said, "I am a princess of the Tang Dynasty, and I am willing to die with my husband!" Then the couple were killed together. Another story says that Huang Chao did not kill Princess Guangde, and the princess returned home and committed suicide to sacrifice for her country.

After killing these high-ranking officials of the Tang Dynasty, they dug up the tomb of Prime Minister Lu Xie, dragged out his body, cut off his head, and hung it in the streets for public display.

The Minister of Construction (General Director of the Imperial Household), Zheng Qi, and the Minister of Treasury, Zheng Xi, along with their entire families, committed suicide for their country.

Afterwards, Zhang Zhifang was arrested and his three clans were executed on the pretext of hiding a fugitive senior official.

Zhang Zhifang was the number one representative of the "old ministers". When Huang Chao approached Chang'an, it was he who led the military officers to hold a welcoming ceremony at Bashang.

According to historical records, Zhang Zhifang hid many former officials of the Tang Dynasty, including Dou Luyuan, Cui Hang, Yu Cong, etc. He also secretly communicated with Xizong's exiled government and resistance officials, and plotted to kidnap Huang Chao to offer to Xizong...

He was the first to welcome Huang Chao, a great traitor; he hid officials and conspired to kidnap Huang Chao, a great loyal minister. Is Zhang Zhifang loyal or treacherous?
Let's first look at Comrade Zhang Zhifang's profile:
Name: Zhang Zhifang
Hobbies: Hunting (I once lived in Luoyang, where birds would flock to see me)

Main family members: Father: Zhang Zhongwu (former governor of Lulong Army)
Work experience: 1. Lulong Army Retainer (inherited father's position)

2. General Jinwu (who did too many illegal things in the Lulong Army and fled to the court for fear of retaliation)
3. Inspector of the Right Minister of the Imperial Secretariat (promoted because his father had made contributions to the court)
4. Commander of the Right Winged Guards (surrendered, because of murder, "was sentenced to death by beating the Jinwu Envoy for a minor crime")
5. General Xiaowei (demoted due to abuse of power, dereliction of duty, and malfeasance)
6. Sizhou Sihu Canjun (surrendered, for killing slaves)

7. Yu Lin Tong Jun (promoted because his mother went to the court to make a scene)
8. Kangzhou Sima (surrendered because he allowed his subordinates to become bandits)

9. General of the Left Guard, General of the Left Guard (promoted because of his father's merits)
Zhang Zhifang's career was full of ups and downs, and it is very obvious that every time he was promoted, it was because he had a good father, Zhang Zhongwu. Zhang Zhongwu quelled the rebellion of the Lulong Army, defeated the Uighurs, and made great contributions to the Tang Dynasty; at the same time, he also had a good mother who would throw a tantrum.

Zhang Zhifang earned every time he was demoted by his own hard work. He was "violent and fond of hunting", lawless and would kill people at will. He had a long history of bad deeds.

When Huang Chao invaded the capital, he, as the General of the Left Imperial Guard, not only did he not fulfill his duty and lead his troops to resist, but he led the military officers out of the city to welcome Huang Chao into the capital. This is a stain that will never be erased from his life file. There is a song to prove it:

"There was a young man in the village named Zhang Zhifang, who was handsome and arrogant, with a pair of beautiful big eyes, and a little tyrant with a silver spear. On the night when Huang Chao entered the city, he led his ministers to the Ba Bridge, and the emperor who had never knelt before stood on the Ba Bridge. Thank you for your love, and for leading me to the road to Chang'an. Thank you for giving me the reason to chop off your head."

Looking at what he did, I find it hard to believe that this "little bully with the silver spear" would suddenly turn over a new leaf and plot to assassinate and kidnap Huang Chao.

In addition to Zhang Zhifang, Pi Rixiu, the former Doctor of the Imperial Academy and current Imperial Academy scholar, was also executed on the pretext of being executed. Pi Rixiu was one of the officials who followed Zhang Zhifang to Bashang to welcome Huang Chao.

In addition, Yang Xigu, a representative of the "old ministers" among the "four founding ministers", also disappeared forever from historical records and his whereabouts are still unknown. We can also speculate that he was most likely killed in this purge.

Through this purge, the "Follow the Dragon Faction" occupied a dominant position in the Huang Qi regime and had absolute voice; the "Surrender Faction" were all in danger and only sought to protect themselves; the "Old Ministers Faction" almost disappeared.

Looking back at this purge, there are too many doubts. For example, whether Yu Cong and others were hiding in Zhang Zhifang's house. Different historical books have different records, some of which are vague and some are contradictory.

I will not list these doubts one by one here. It is not because I am lazy, but because there is really no need. "Medical Dispute Case", "Yu Cong Case", "Dengzhou Surrender Case"... As I said before, there are no cases that cannot be solved, only cases that people dare not solve.

Let's call this founding purge of the Huang Qi regime the "Zhao Mansion Registration Case." This case is actually the one with the clearest structure and facts, but many doubts arise. The simpler it is, the more complicated it becomes, and the more complicated it is, the more powerful the mastermind behind it is.

All these doubts were deliberately created by the "Conglong Faction" in order to fish in troubled waters.

After all, from search to interrogation, all links were dominated by the "Conglong faction".

Regardless of whether Zhang Zhifang participated in the hiding or assassination, he would definitely die. Because he was the number one figure in the "Old Ministers Faction", the "Following the Dragon Faction" wanted to target the "Old Ministers Faction" first, and Zhang Zhifang would definitely be at the top of the death list.

I firmly believe that Zhang Zhifang has not turned over a new leaf.

The charges of hiding the former Tang officials and murdering Huang Chao were all fabricated by the "Follow the Dragon Faction". Although there were many doubts and loopholes, this political conspiracy was still quite effective. The factional struggle of the Huang Qi regime ended with the complete victory of the "Follow the Dragon Faction" and the complete defeat of the "Old Officials Faction".

The history books expressed sympathy and respect for the officials who died in this purge. They were men of integrity and would rather die than follow the enemy. Perhaps out of disdain for the Huang Chao group, the political struggle behind this purge was intentionally or unintentionally ignored.

Huang Chao was unable to stop it, but was also happy with it. He adopted a tacit attitude towards the "Follow the Dragon Faction", or in other words, he used and instigated the "Follow the Dragon Faction" to expand the scope of the struggle, which truly evolved into a political purge and purified the revolutionary ranks.

At the same time, the newly enthroned Huang Chao was not idle. He mainly did three things to consolidate the Huang Qi regime:
1. Send strong generals to garrison various fortresses and strongholds to do a good job of military defense;

2. Send the second-in-command, Shang Rang, to lead the elite troops to pursue Emperor Xizong of Tang in the west and completely overthrow the Tang Dynasty;
3. Lobby various vassal states, win the support and recognition of all forces, and politically isolate the Tang Dynasty.

The people of Chang'an welcomed the rebel army with food and drink, believed the political propaganda led by Shang Rang, and regarded the Cao army as liberators.

We are unstoppable in military terms, united in politics, unified in ideology, and have the support of the people and the expectation of the masses... Our Huang Qi regime is as solid as a rock!
Is the fact really as he wished?

(End of this chapter)