History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 517: Emperor Gaozu's Good Governance
Li Congke was hesitant about going north to lead the army in person, but Zhang Yanlang and Liu Yanlang urged him to do so. Facts have proved that they were right. If Li Congke had led the army in person to the front line, it would have put great pressure on Taiyuan, and the Khitan had already prepared to retreat. At that time, the "Saigon Iron Fist" would have been staged, and history would have been rewritten.

As Li Congke's brother-in-law, Liu Yanhao became arrogant because of his favor, did many evil things, and had a very bad reputation.

Therefore, Shi Jingtang used these three people as an example to exonerate the other "Li Congke followers."

Afterwards, Shi Jingtang announced a general amnesty, the magnitude of which was beyond imagination. Four people, Ma Yinsun, Fang Hao, Li Zhuanmei and Han Zhaoyin, were specifically named for special pardon.

These four people were Li Congke's "six-member dormitory inspection team" (including Li Congke and Song Shenqian), Li Congke's "Fengxiang direct line", and the purest "Li Congke's followers". Song Shenqian accompanied Li Congke in self-immolation, and the remaining four were all acquitted.

These four people will be exempt from liquidation, and no one in the world will be purged due to a change of dynasty.

Other officials who once attached themselves to Li Congke not only did not suffer any retaliation, but were also able to enjoy the emperor's grace and receive promotions and titles:

For example, he appointed former Prime Minister Lu Wenji as the Minister of Personnel;

Feng Dao, Lü Qi, Li Song and others were all highly valued, among whom Li Song was appointed as prime minister and privy councilor. Lü Qi and Li Song, who had advised Li Congke to make peace with the Khitan, could have almost put Shi Jingtang to death.

Li Song was particularly important because Shi Jingtang was really grateful to him. Shi Jingtang never forgot that when he fled the central government to avoid the disaster of Li Congrong, it was Li Song who recommended Shi Jingtang to Mingzong Li Siyuan to guard Hedong and resist the Khitan. A drop of water is returned with a spring of gratitude. For a scholar, the prime minister and privy envoy is already the best.

Even Li Song himself felt embarrassed and felt bad, so he wrote a memorial to Shi Jingtang, expressing his willingness to give up the post of "Privy Envoy" to Comrade Zhao Ying, because Zhao Ying was Shi Jingtang's direct descendant. Shi Jingtang refused to allow it.

Yin Hui and Yang Siquan were the "first heroes" under Fengxiang City. They were the first to defect and support Li Congke, and Shi Jingtang also arranged positions for them in the imperial guards.

Long Min helped Li Congke come up with the plan to send Yelu Bei back to his country and set fire to the Khitan's backyard. Shi Jingtang also promoted him and gave him an important position.

Kang Sili, loyal to the Later Tang and Li Congke, was ordered to go north to support the front line of Jin'an Village in Taiyuan. On the way, he heard that Yang Guangyuan had killed Zhang Jingda and surrendered. He was so sad and angry that he died suddenly in the army. Shi Jingtang posthumously awarded him the title of Prince Junior Tutor and stopped court for one day.

An Congjin, Fan Yanguang, Yang Guangyuan and others were also promoted to higher positions. Their stories will be described in detail later, because they have many things in common, such as they are all "Li Congke's followers", and another thing in common is that they all embarked on the road of rebellion.

In the edict, Shi Jingtang clearly stated: "The imperial foundation is just laid, showing universal grace." We should be kind to the old people of the previous dynasty, and even more so to the meritorious officials of the current dynasty, so that everyone can feel the new atmosphere of the new year.

Under the supreme instruction of "showing universal grace", Yang Guangyuan, Fan Yanguang, Fu Yanrao, Chang Congjian, Gao Xingzhou, An Shenqi and other civil and military officials who surrendered on the battlefield, and those who stubbornly resisted until Li Congke self-immolated and then expressed their submission, such as Daizhou Governor Zhang Lang, Pan Huan, Liu Suining, etc., were all promoted and given higher ranks, and the past was no longer mentioned;
Those who have guarded the borders for the empire for a long time, such as Kang Fu, Anyanwei, Li Jizhe, etc., will also be promoted.

The descendants of respected civil and military officials of the previous dynasty and of vassal states were also promoted and treated well, and the deceased were also posthumously honored, such as Yang Ningshi (son of Yang She, Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty) and Luo Zhoujing (nephew of Luo Shaowei, former governor of Weizhou).

The deceased meritorious officials of the previous dynasty were posthumously awarded titles, such as Yan Bao, Li Cunzhang, Li Siyu, Li Sizhao, Li Siben, An Shentong, Shi Jiantang, Wang Jianji, Zhou Dewei, etc. Wang Yanzhang, the "Wang Tieqiang" of the previous dynasty (Later Liang), was also specially commended by name. Although Wang Yanzhang was loyal to the Later Liang and resisted the Later Tang until his death, Shi Jingtang respected him as a tough guy and praised him for "having a thousand years of righteousness and a good reputation for hundreds of generations." He posthumously awarded him the title of Grand Master and his descendants were appointed according to their talents.

In short, reward, reward, reward.

In addition, Shi Jingtang gave the previous monarch a posthumous funeral:
Empress Liu of Emperor Zhuangzong Li Cunxu (Chou Die Plotted against Liu) was posthumously named "Empress Shen Min Jing";
Li Conghou was posthumously named "Emperor Min" and buried on a chosen day; Li Conghou's empress, Kong, was posthumously named "Empress Min Ai" and buried with him;

The Empress Dowager Cao was posthumously named "Empress He Wuxian", and the court was suspended for three days in mourning.
Although Li Congke was demoted to a commoner, he was buried with royal rites. His wife, son, and others were also buried with him, and court was suspended for one day.

In short, the living are promoted to higher positions and enjoy wealth and honor, while the recently dead are buried with great ceremony and remembered. There is also a type of people who are completely dead, such as Zhu Youzhen.

Shi Jingtang issued an edict to allow the heads of criminals that were previously stored in the Taishe of the Later Tang Dynasty to be claimed and buried by their families or relatives and friends. The most famous head was that of Zhu Youzhen, the last emperor of the Later Liang Dynasty, which was buried by Lou Jiying, a general of the imperial guards.

Treating officials well, especially granting amnesty and preferential treatment to officials of the previous dynasty, was not only out of Shi Jingtang's kindness, but also out of political necessity. The root of Shi Jingtang's problem was the big hat of "traitor" and "traitor to the country" on his head. He needed to weaken the contradiction with the previous dynasty, so as to downplay the Khitan's interference in the Central Plains and subtly reduce the stigma of "traitor".

2. Treat the people well

Shi Jingtang had to present large amounts of gold, silver, and jewelry to the Khitan as gifts. In addition to the annual tribute of 300,000 yuan, he also had to pay large amounts of festival fees during the holidays. In addition, he had to pay large bribes to the Khitan monarch and his ministers in daily dealings. This was an economic burden that had never been encountered before in previous dynasties.

Internally, it was the "show of favor" mentioned above. The reward for officials was not just a letter of appointment. Along with the promotion and title, there must also be a large reward. Especially for the military, the field army, the central imperial army, and the Khitan reinforcements brought by Dilibi, none of them could be missing. This was undoubtedly another huge expense.

Therefore, after entering Luoyang, Shi Jingtang immediately sent Dili Bi back to the north with courtesy.

"Dili, is it hot?"

"Yes, Tokyo Luoyang is too hot, much hotter than where we are."

Lack of money was a major problem throughout the Later Tang Dynasty. From Li Cunxu to Li Congke, there were problems such as withholding and delaying military pay, and they were eventually overthrown by the dissatisfied army.

Shi Jingtang now had to pay a large portion of his income to the Khitan as a tribute, and his situation was even more difficult than that of Li Cunxu and Li Congke. However, what was puzzling was that Shi Jingtang not only did not plunder the people like Li Cunxu and Li Congke, but instead he continuously collected taxes and provided relief to the victims, bringing real benefits to the people.

(End of this chapter)