History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 552: Jin Zu
First of all, Shi Jingtang was a traitor.

This is a verdict that can never be overturned. Shi Jingtang overthrew his country's legitimate government with the help of foreign forces, ceded large tracts of territory, and sold out national interests and state sovereignty. No matter what standard is used to measure him, he is an indisputable and genuine traitor.

Some people also objected, saying that he could not be considered a "traitor" because he was not a Han Chinese, but a Shatuo. This is hypocritical. No matter what nationality he is, whether he is a Han Chinese or a Hu Chinese, in short, he betrayed the interests of the Central Plains Han area, represented the owner of the Central Plains Han area, represented the Central Plains Han people, and ceded the Central Plains Han area, so he is a "traitor."

Although he worked hard to govern the country and managed the Central Plains after he came to power, and had ideas and actions to get rid of Khitan control, this could not change the fact that the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun were ceded.

So, is it true that the traitor Shi Jingtang is completely useless and has nothing good to offer?

I personally think that the final conclusion of the Old History of the Five Dynasties is very pertinent and is an objective and fair evaluation by the mainstream historical community: "Although he was not as good as the previous kings, he could be said to be a benevolent, respectful and frugal ruler."

The evaluation of "a benevolent, respectful and frugal ruler" is quite high. In other words, if he had not ceded the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, then the title of "the first wise ruler of the Five Dynasties" would probably not be given to Emperor Taizong of Later Zhou.

What kind of person was Shi Jingtang and what kind of monarch was he?
According to historical records, Shi Jingtang was taciturn, serious, calm, capable, mature and warm-hearted. He liked to read military books and strategies, was a brave general with brains, and could stand on his own. His idols were Li Mu and Zhou Yafu.

Li Mu was a famous general of the State of Zhao during the Warring States Period. He was known as one of the "Four Great Generals of the Warring States Period" along with Bai Qi, Wang Jian and Lian Po. He was a national hero who fought against the Huns in the first half of his life, and devoted the second half of his life to fighting against the State of Qin. His existence made it impossible for the State of Qin to annex the State of Zhao, so there was a saying among the people that "the death of Li Mu means the demise of the State of Zhao".

Zhou Yafu was a famous general in the early Han Dynasty. His greatest achievement was to quell the "Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms".

Shi Jingtang's life can be simply divided into two stages: before he became emperor and after he became emperor.

Before he became emperor, Shi Jingtang was such a ruthless and taciturn Confucian general. Li Siyuan admired him very much and married his beloved daughter to him. In the war to overthrow the Later Liang Dynasty, Shi Jingtang made many outstanding achievements. Li Cunxu once stroked his back and praised him for being a good father and a good son.

Shi Jingtang advocated frugality and simplicity, and did not like singing and dancing. Even after becoming emperor, he did not indulge in extravagance and often wore the cheapest coarse cloth clothes and hemp shoes. This was his plus point.

As an emperor, the Son of Heaven, he did not let himself go. Not only did he work "996", he almost worked all year round. Historical records say that he was diligent in government affairs and worked late into the night, meaning that he had to get up before dawn to work and rest late at night.

It was precisely because of these excellent qualities that he was able to preserve the country.

During the years when Shi Jingtang was in power, natural disasters and man-made tragedies continued. He took over a mess left by Li Congke and was short of money and food. Therefore, Shi Jingtang's frugality was on the one hand for show, and on the other hand it was forced by objective reality that he could not afford to be extravagant.

Rebellions in various places sprang up like mushrooms after rain. In addition to the ones we have mentioned, such as Fan Yanguang, Li Jinquan, An Zhongrong, and An Congjin, there were also rebellions of varying sizes in the northwest and Henan.

In addition to these internal difficulties, Shi Jingtang also had to deal with the Khitan father's meddling and fight against primitive colonialism. So he was forced to work day and night.

But we will not erase these points for him. After all, some rulers are irresponsible. When people are living in poverty and everything is withered, they still dance on the graves, play music and dance, "Why not eat meat porridge?" Shi Jingtang at least knew how to work hard and work hard for the country. In such a situation of natural disasters, man-made disasters, internal and external troubles, Shi Jingtang was emperor for seven years. His reign was among the top three in the Five Dynasties, tied with Li Siyuan, who reigned during the "Mingzong Prosperity".

Although Shi Jingtang was born a military general, he was a kind and gentle person, which was rare among the warlords. Historical books say that he "respected the wise and accepted advice." Whether before or after becoming emperor, he never abandoned this fine quality. He was respectful to the wise and humble, and was open-minded to accept advice, which made him much better than Li Congke.

For example, in the "Zhang Yanze case" mentioned above, although he was so angry that he lost his temper and swore on the spot, and although he was choked by Li Tao and couldn't say a word, he just turned away and left. He didn't do what Li Cunxu and Li Congke did, swinging their swords or bows to kill ministers who advised him.

If we only look at these, we can indeed say that Shi Jingtang was a good emperor. The final verdict given by the authoritative official history is "a benevolent, respectful and frugal ruler."

However, no matter how you try to get around it, you cannot avoid his treasonous acts.

The Old History of the Five Dynasties says that Shi Jingtang's request for Khitan reinforcements was like drinking poison to quench thirst.

Note that before the Old History of the Five Dynasties praised him as a "benevolent, respectful and frugal ruler", there was an important premise: "if it were not for the help from outside." It is very rigorous. If Shi Jingtang had not asked for help from the Khitan and had not ceded the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, he would have deserved that praise.

Shi Jingtang also became the most famous "child emperor" in Chinese history because he "served the Khitan as his father" and was criticized for recognizing the enemy as his father and being shameless.

During his reign, people also had the illusion that Shi Jingtang was a very weak, cowardly coward who compromised and tolerated everything. So much so that An Zhongrong dared to publicly humiliate him and scold him for not being a real man before the rebellion.

We have already analyzed the reasons, and it is still the same sentence, forced by the current situation. Don't forget that Shi Jingtang was born as a military general, and his fame was fought out from the dead. When he followed Li Cunxu to conquer the world, he often led a dozen or even dozens of cavalrymen to charge into the enemy camp, and was extremely brave, so he was discovered by Li Cunxu and Li Siyuan and was appreciated and respected.

Later generations were misled by the impression of "child emperor" and then looked at his attitude towards domestic opposition, and they would preconceived that he was a mean and masochistic person. In fact, Shi Jingtang was a bloody man who killed people without blinking an eye. He also hated evil.

When he was in charge of Hedong, there was a case like this: a peasant woman had a dispute with a soldier and took the case to court. The cause of the case was actually very simple. The peasant woman said that the soldier's horse ate the corn she hung out to dry at the door, and she demanded compensation from the soldier. The soldier insisted that he had not eaten the corn and that the woman was extorting money from him.

Ate - didn't eat - just ate - just didn't eat

The two sides were arguing over this.

The case was simple, but it was difficult to collect evidence. In that era without surveillance, the small county magistrate scratched his head and could not make a judgment, so he reported it to his superiors, who then reported it to the Jiedushi Shi Jingtang.

(End of this chapter)