History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 63 Zhu Wen surrenders to Tang
Gao Pian's separatist rule made the local warlords in the Jianghuai area feel insecure, and they were afraid of being annexed by him and did not dare to go to the capital.

Meanwhile, military rebellions continued to break out in Shandong, Hebei and Henan, with warlords annexing each other.

Wang Duo judged the situation and adopted a tolerant attitude towards the mutiny. As long as they were willing to go to Chang'an to fight, not only would they be exempted from the crime of mutiny, but they would also be rewarded according to their merits and promoted to higher positions.

As a result, warlords from Guandong (east of Tongguan) rushed to Hezhong, creating pressure on the east side of Chang'an.

The mutinies in Guanxi (such as Fengxiang) were also pardoned, and they gathered in Fengxiang and joined forces with the Xichuan expeditionary force to create pressure on the west of Chang'an.

A new round of contest between the Tang Dynasty and the Huang Qi regime began.

[Zhu Wen surrendered to Tang]

Although Huang Chao occupied Chang'an, the actual control area of ​​the Huang Qi regime was pitifully small, with only three places within its territory: Chang'an, Tongzhou and Huazhou.

The governor of Tongzhou was Zhu Wen. Although he was only a small governor, he controlled one third of the "Great Qi" country.

The Yellow River flows from west to east, and after passing Tongzhou, it turns north, forming a "几" shape, so Tongzhou is bordered by the Yellow River on both the east and south sides.

On its south bank is Huazhou, and on its east bank is the Hezhong region of the Tang Dynasty.

The Hezhong area was the gathering place of the Tang Dynasty's Guandong Army Group. The person guarding Hezhong was Wang Chongrong, the governor of Hezhong and also a fierce general.

Because Meng Kai hated Zhu Wen, he deliberately let Zhu Wen capture Tongzhou, hoping to kill Zhu Wen by borrowing a knife and get rid of Zhu Wen through Wang Chongrong.

Zhu Wen and Wang Chongrong were well-matched chess players and talented generals. They both fought countless fierce battles on both sides of the Yellow River, with both sides winning and losing, and it was difficult to tell who was the better of them.

After Wang Duo took command for the second time, the Kwantung Army continued to reinforce Hezhong. Wang Chongrong received additional resources and gradually gained the upper hand in the fight.

Zhu Wen also continued to seek help from the rear in order to maintain a strategic balance with Wang Chongrong.

However, after sending one urgent document after another to Chang'an, nothing came of it. Not only did Chang'an not send any troops or food, but there was not even a single reply.

Tongzhou is about to run out of ammunition and food.

In sharp contrast, Hezhong King Chongrong received another batch of military supplies, a total of thirty large ships full of food!

Zhu Wen got the news and led more than 1,000 people to set up an ambush at Xiayang Ferry, successfully intercepting the grain transport fleet. Just as he was transferring the baggage, Wang Chongrong sent warships to rescue him.

"If I can't get it, you can't get it either!" Zhu Wen ordered the grain ships to be sunk. Thirty ships of grain immediately disappeared in the rolling Yellow River.

Wang Chongrong was furious upon hearing the news. He personally led 30,000 elite troops from his own army, joined forces with part of the Kwantung Army, crossed the Yellow River, and surrounded Tongzhou.

"You wasted my food, so I wasted you!"

The grain seizure incident not only failed to solve the resource crisis for Tongzhou, but instead became a breakthrough for the Kwantung Army Group. Wang Zhongrong adopted a posture of a decisive battle, determined to take Tongzhou in one fell swoop.

If Tongzhou was lost, the Huang Qi regime would lose one-third of its territory, and the northeastern gate of Chang'an would be opened, making it no longer defensible.

Tongzhou is in crisis, Chang'an is in crisis, and "Da Qi" is in crisis!
Zhu Wen sent another urgent letter for help.

In less than a month, Zhu Wen sent a total of ten petitions for help to Chang'an, but received no response.

The reason is very simple, Meng Kai was detained.

There was a Tian Lingzi in the court of the Tang Dynasty, and there was a Meng Kai in the court of the Huang Qi regime.

At that time, all memorials from outside the capital had to go through Meng Kai before being delivered to Huang Chao. Meng Kai was determined to kill Zhu Wen, so he deliberately concealed the military situation in Tongzhou.

Huang Chao had no idea that Zhu Wen of Tongzhou was fighting the Guandong coalition forces in Hezhong. Under Meng Kai's manipulation, the Huang Qi regime's attention was drawn to the west of Beijing. Shang Rang personally led the team to organize a counterattack, but the weather was bad. Heavy snow fell, and the bad weather caused Shang Rang's troops to suffer non-combat casualties of up to 30% (rain and snow were a foot high, and it was very cold. Twelve or thirteen of the bandits froze to death).

Outside the city were Tang troops, and Wang Chongrong was so angry that he gritted his teeth and stomped his feet, vowing to cut himself into pieces. Zhu Wen in Tongzhou was desperate.

Zhu Wen was also lucky because the eunuch supervising the siege troops was Yang Fuguang.

[Negotiation expert Yang Fuguang]

When the war was unclear, the eunuch Yang Fuguang took action in time, instigated Zhou Ji and Qin Zongquan to rebel, and brought the misguided Zhongwu Army back to the camp of justice. He reorganized the "Eight Zhongwu Cities" and recaptured Dengzhou in one fell swoop. He also chased Zhu Wen all the way and drove him back to Chang'an.

Now, Wang Chongrong surrounded Zhu Wen of Tongzhou, and a fierce battle was about to begin. At the critical moment, Yang Fuguang stepped forward again and stopped the siege plan in time.

Wang Zhongrong was still furious, and cursed Zhu Wen in front of Yang Fuguang, "If the grain cannot be taken away, it will sink into the Yellow River and be wasted. How despicable!"

Yang Fuguang listened quietly and let Wang Chongrong vent his anger.

When Wang Zhongrong was tired of scolding, Yang Fuguang slowly asked: "Then what are you going to do?"

"What should we do? Kill him! Do you think I'd be stupid enough to attack Tongzhou City? No - Tongzhou is out of ammunition and food. If I stay outside the city without attacking, I can trap him to death in less than a month. I'll capture Tongzhou, march west, attack Chang'an, chop off Huang Chao's head, and achieve an unprecedented feat."

Yang Fuguang listened to his fantasy quietly, and after listening, he laughed.

"Master Yang, what are you laughing at?" "I'm laughing at you for only knowing one side of the story."

Next, Yang Fuguang calmly analyzed the interests for Wang Chongrong.

First of all, Zhu Wen would not be so stupid as to starve to death. A trapped beast will still fight, and a few days later, a fierce battle to break out is inevitable. Even if our army has more soldiers, it will be 800 casualties for every 1,000 casualties. After eliminating Zhu Wen, Wang Chongrong's strength will also be weakened. By then, the Guandong Army will stage a drama of competing for credit, just like the first liberation of Chang'an. At that time, I'm afraid that you, Wang Chongrong, will plant trees for the Guandong Army to enjoy the shade. Why do you have to make wedding clothes for others?

Secondly, even if you, Wang Zhongrong, are unrivaled in the world, and you killed Zhu Wen first, then Huang Chao, and suppressed the bandits, what will happen next? Can you gain a foothold in the court?
Although Wang Chongrong was a descendant of a general, he had little foundation in the court and no backing. Moreover, when the bandits invaded Chang'an, he led his troops to riot and plunder Hezhong. When Huang Chao proclaimed himself emperor, he surrendered to him. These were the two biggest stains on his life that he could not get rid of. It had only been a few days? Who could guarantee that after the bandits were pacified, the court would not retaliate?

Even if the court doesn't settle the old scores, if the treacherous officials in the court use this as a handle to launch a political attack, can you, Wang Chongrong, withstand it? Kang Chengxun never surrendered to the enemy, nor did he rebel, but he still ended up like that. Will you, Wang Chongrong, be luckier than Kang Chengxun?
Wang Zhongrong suddenly realized, but immediately fell into confusion, "Then what should I do? Please give me some advice, Eunuch Yang!"

"To conquer the enemy without fighting and to persuade Zhu Wen to surrender is the best strategy. Killing many birds with one stone."

"Everything is subject to Lord Yang's arrangements."

Yang Fuguang sent someone to deliver a letter to Zhu Wen to persuade him to surrender. The words were sincere and every sentence was reasonable.

Zhu Wen secretly summoned his confidants to discuss the matter, and they unanimously agreed to surrender to the Tang Dynasty.

The next day, Zhu Wen gathered all the officers and soldiers in the city and gave a highly inflammatory speech, which made the entire army burst into tears. They scolded Meng Kai for killing someone with a borrowed knife and scolded Huang Chao for not saving someone from death.

The officers and soldiers were outraged, and under the leadership of Zhu Wen's confidants, they shouted in unison, "Separate from the Great Qi."

So Zhu Wen executed Yan Shi, the military supervisor of the Huang Qi regime.

On September 882, 9, the second year of the Tang Dynasty, the weather was clear and the chrysanthemums were in full bloom. Zhu Wen surrendered the city with his head sealed.

At the surrender ceremony, Zhu Wen knelt down and kowtowed to Wang Chongrong, shouting "Uncle".

Previously, Wang Chongrong had publicly stated many times that he would swear on the thirty ships of grain that he would not be a human being if he did not kill Zhu Wen. Therefore, it was widely rumored in the army that Wang Chongrong wanted to kill Zhu Wen.

Wang Chongrong thought Zhu Wen was shouting "Help!", but when he saw Zhu Wen's respectful attitude and kneeling down, Wang Chongrong was a little confused for a moment.

"Uncle, I'm your nephew!"

Wang Chongrong had a face full of question marks and looked at the military supervisor eunuch Yang Fuguang for help.

Yang Fuguang signaled him to quickly acknowledge this nephew.

During the Sui and Tang dynasties, influenced by the Hu people, it became popular for warlords to adopt adopted sons, also known as foster sons, adopted sons, fake sons, and adopted sons. This trend has been around for a long time, so much so that eunuchs also recognized godfathers, such as Yang Fuguang's godfather Yang Xuanjia. Even emperors recognized godfathers, such as Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty who recognized Tian Lingzi as his godfather.

Recognizing a godfather has become a popular method for newcomers who have just debuted. But recognizing an uncle is really new.

Zhu Wen had his reasons. Because his mother's surname was Wang, he insisted that his mother Wang and Wang Chongrong were from the same hometown and clan, and were distant relatives.

This was Zhu Wen's cleverness. He was born in a poor family, had no foundation in the court, and was a bandit who had just surrendered. If he didn't cling to someone powerful, he would have no way out. So he used his mother's surname to shamelessly insist that he and Wang Chongrong were uncle and nephew.

Wang Chongrong and Zhu Wen, one an official and the other a bandit, were in similar situations, equally isolated and helpless in the turbulent political arena. As a result, the two became a community of interests, helping each other from then on, and becoming grasshoppers on the same rope.

Yang Fuguang gave Wang Zhongrong a look, and Wang Zhongrong understood what he meant. He quickly helped Zhu Wen up and said, "Oh, my good nephew, long time no see..."

Tongzhou was recovered.

When the news reached Chengdu, Emperor Xizong of Tang was overjoyed and could not help but sigh that it was a gift from heaven. Therefore, he appointed Zhu Wen as the General of the Left Jinwu Army and the Deputy Envoy of the Hezhong Camp, and also gave him a very meaningful name: Quanzhong. After that, Zhu Wen changed his name to Zhu Quanzhong (for the convenience of recording, this book always calls him Zhu Wen).

Zhu Wen's surrender to the Tang Dynasty was of great significance.

From a tactical point of view, Zhu Wen of Tongzhou surrendered to the Tang Dynasty just like Zhang Xuanren of Suzhou surrendered to the Tang Dynasty during the "Pang Xun Rebellion". It opened a gap in the enemy's tight defense line, making our army like a sharp knife, piercing the enemy's heart and making it impossible for the enemy to defend.

Its strategic significance lies in the political aspect. Zhu Wen's surrender to the Tang Dynasty opened a good start for the strategic counterattack of the Tang army, strengthened the belief of the Tang army in victory, and undermined the enemy's fighting spirit.

Huang Chao's group lost a powerful general, lost one-third of its "territory", and lost internal trust. A serious crisis of trust broke out within Huang Chao's group, and a new round of purges began. Members outside the "Follow the Dragon Faction" and marginalized people within the "Follow the Dragon Faction" were suppressed and excluded, becoming more and more alienated, and Huang Chao gradually became a lonely man.

For example, Huazhou, which is across the river from Tongzhou.

In August of the previous year (881), Li Xian, a general of the Cao army, defeated Gao Xun, the governor of the Zhaoyi army of the Tang Dynasty, at Shiqiao and occupied Huazhou. He was then appointed as the governor of Huazhou by Huang Chao. Gao Xun was also killed in a mutiny afterwards, and the Zhaoyi army returned to their home town and withdrew from the battle sequence. From this perspective, it was Li Xian who ignited the fuse of the "Zhaoyi mutiny".

Zhu Wen and Li Xiang, who were stationed across the Yellow River, were good comrades-in-arms and had close ties with each other. So after Zhu Wen surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, Li Xiang was immediately subjected to a bloody purge by Huang Chao's group, and Huang Chao's younger brother Huang Ye was stationed in Huazhou.

The killing of Li Xian was a signal for the disintegration of Huang Chao's group. Since Zhu Wen surrendered to the Tang Dynasty, Huang Chao no longer trusted "outsiders".

Huang Ye was expelled from Huazhou by Li Xian's former subordinates within a few days of his arrival, and then surrendered the city to Wang Chongrong. Huang Chao's purge accelerated the decline of the Cao army.

With the recovery of Tong and Hua states, the power of the Huang Qi regime was compressed into Chang'an.

Thanks to my two old friends "飞天神龙斩" and "feeitian" for their recommendation votes! Thank you for your continued attention, welcome to come home and check it out often.

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(End of this chapter)