History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 756: Predecessors Planted Trees (Part )

【Predecessors planted trees】

1. Song Qiqiu
There is no need to elaborate on the foreplay. There were fatal errors in his political stance. First, he obstructed Xu Zhigao's enthronement, and then he was involved in the struggle for the throne. Xu Zhigao had long since actively alienated him and excluded him from the core power circle.

But Song Qiuqiu was unwilling to give up and shamelessly asked for real power many times. Xu Zhigao played a cat-and-mouse game with him, letting him enter the power center - the Secretariat, but transferred the work of the Secretariat to the Shangshu Province.

Song Qiqiu was very dissatisfied and said that what I want is not a nominal position with no substance, but real power! Since you have handed the work over to the Shangshu Province, then please let me be in charge of the Shangshu Province.

If the work was transferred back to the Secretariat... Xu Zhigao was the best at bronze-level operations. His operation was to approve Song Qiqiu's request, and then set up a new top supervisor above the three provinces (Secretary, Ministry of Personnel, and Ministry of State Affairs) to be responsible for the final decision on the affairs of the three provinces, and this top supervisor was the crown prince - Li Jing.

Turning around and around, Song Qiuqiu felt lonely.

Facing the low health of Song Qiqiu, Xu Zhigao continued to finish off the enemy: Just over two months later, Xia Changtu, a close confidant of Song Qiqiu, was reported to have embezzled 3,000 guan of public funds. According to the law at the time, he should have been sentenced to death. However, Song Qiqiu was partial to him and bent the law, so he was spared the death penalty.

Song Qiqiu didn't know that this move was exactly what Xu Zhigao wanted. We can even boldly speculate that the "Xia Changtu embezzlement case" itself was a trap set by Xu Zhigao for him to warn him and clip his wings.

Xu Zhigao ordered the immediate execution of Xia Changtu and investigated Song Qiuqiu's behavior of favoritism and abuse of power. Song Qiuqiu took the blame and resigned from his post in the Secretariat, which Xu Zhigao readily approved.

From then on, Song Qiuqiu stayed at home on the pretext of illness, not daring to have any more hope. However, Xu Zhigao's finishing blow was not over yet.

Xu Zhigao sent Li Jingsui to visit Song Qiuqiu's home to express his condolences and concern. "Wearing brocade clothes during the day was valued by the ancients," so the emperor specially let you return to your hometown to show off, and conferred you the title of "Hongzhou Zhennan Army Jiedushi." Go back to your hometown, Hongzhou, to show off!

Swearing without using any dirty words.

The story of "wearing brocade clothes at night" comes from Xiang Yu. After Xiang Yu conquered Xianyang, everyone advised him to make it the capital and continue to accomplish his great cause, but Xiang Yu was anxious to return to his hometown to show off, saying that if he did not show off in front of his fellow villagers, it would be like wearing gorgeous clothes at night and no one would know. It describes a person who has no ambition, low realm, small pattern, and is useless.

Xu Zhigao said that he wanted to let Song Qiuqiu "walk in luxury during the day" and appointed him as the governor of his hometown. It seemed that this was to help him satisfy his vanity, but in fact it was to exclude him from the core power and send him to the local level. At the same time, he compared him to Xiang Yu, who had no lofty ambitions and was short-sighted.

Killing someone, but also killing your heart!
Song Qiuqiu went to the palace to express his gratitude, and Xu Zhigao entertained him with a banquet.

After three rounds of drinking, Song Qiuqiu, who was a little drunk, complained bitterly, "Your Majesty, let's be honest, you can be where you are today because of my assistance. Why are you...trying to kill me now? That's a bit unfair."

Xu Zhigao was furious. "Asshole! At first, you were just a poor scholar wandering around with nothing. You took the initiative to come to me and asked for shelter and support. Now, I have made you a high-ranking official. Aren't you satisfied? But you spread bad things about me everywhere, saying that I have a bird's beak and look like Gou Jian, and that I am a person who can only share adversity but not wealth. Do you think I don't know?"

"Yes! I did!"

I don't know if it was the effect of alcohol or because I was too ashamed and angry, but Song Qiuqiu's face turned red like a ripe tomato. "It's just because your majesty was just a small official (provincial governor) and I was just a tramp, so I spoke without restraint and spit out shit. What's wrong? Your majesty is digging up old posts, right? Then you can kill me!" Shameless people are feared by ghosts. The banquet ended unhappily.

The next day, Xu Zhigao wrote a personal letter to Song Qiqiu to apologize, saying that we have been together for more than 30 years, and my temper has always been so impatient. You should understand that what I said yesterday was just angry words. When we were young, we were as close as brothers and sisters. How come we resent each other after getting older? I was wrong, so stop it, dear.

Subsequently, the imperial court issued a formal appointment letter, appointing Song Qiuqiu as the Jiedushi of Hongzhou Zhennan Army, and sent him to Hongzhou, officially leaving the core power circle.

2. Li Jianxun
Li Jianxun became the founding prime minister because of his support for the throne, and he was extremely powerful, but Xu Zhigao was particularly sensitive to the title of "prime minister" because he himself usurped power from this position. Therefore, historical records show that Xu Zhigao "was particularly wary of the power of the prime minister."

At that time, Li Jianxun was the Right Prime Minister and the Secretary of the Central Secretariat, the Co-Prime Minister, and the Remote Governor of Huazhou. However, he did not know how to retire after success, and even forgot the ancient saying that the bow should be put away after the birds are all gone. Since the founding of the country, he has been in this high position for five years, the longest time among all prime ministers. Xu Zhigao was very suspicious of him and hinted that he could take a break, enjoy a leisurely life, and give the young people a chance to exercise.

However, Li Jianxun said naively: I am not tired, I will continue to serve the people and be loyal to Your Majesty!
If you don't accept the toast, you can only drink the penalty wine. Xu Zhigao is a man who can easily take down Li Jianxun with a little trick.

One day, Li Jianxun submitted a memorial to the emperor, and his comments on reform were all reasonable. At the end of the memorial, Li Jianxun emphasized that these measures were of great importance and could not be handled by a small person of my level. Your Majesty must endorse them and promote them in the form of an imperial edict.

Xu Zhigao rolled his eyes and came up with a plan. He did not issue an imperial edict, but took a tacit attitude and secretly instructed the lower-level units to implement the suggestions of Comrade Li Jianxun. As a result, these more drastic measures were promoted in the name of Li Jianxun.

Li Jianxun was innocent and cute. Until this point, he didn't know that Xu Zhigao had set a trap for him on purpose. Seeing that there was no imperial edict to support him, he hurriedly called the Secretariat and the Imperial Edict Editors and asked them to quickly make up an imperial edict and complete the formalities to help Xu Zhigao clean up the mess.

At this time, another lovely and good boy, Comrade Chang Mengxi, was rigorous and cautious. He immediately reported to Xu Zhigao that Li Jianxun had drafted the edict without authorization and falsely claimed that it was your Majesty's fault...

Xu Zhigao's plan succeeded, and he immediately pretended to be innocent and surprised, "Ah? There is such a thing? How dare you!" As a result, Li Jianxun was convicted, dismissed from his post, and ordered to go home and reflect on himself.

With a little trick, Li Jianxun was completely defeated. Just when Xu Zhigao was secretly congratulating himself on his political skills, Princess Guangde came in a rage and called for punishment.

Princess Guangde was Xu Wen's biological daughter. At that time, in order to win over Li Decheng, a key minister of the Huainan Group, Xu Wen married his daughter to Li Jianxun, the son of Li Decheng.

Princess Guangde scolded Xu Zhigao, "Forged the imperial edict without authorization? When our father died, didn't you also come to my husband and do the same thing? Haven't you done enough of this kind of thing? How about we start from the beginning and talk it over?"

Xu Zhigao was so frightened that he quickly apologized to his sister, "You are my aunt! I was wrong!" He comforted her and said it was just a small misunderstanding. Soon after, he announced that Li Jianxun would be restored to the position of prime minister.

However, after this ordeal, Li Jianxun has grown up from a naive, ignorant boy to a man who understands the dangers of political struggle. Even after he regained his position as prime minister, he learned to be humble.

Through this little conspiracy, Xu Zhigao successfully intimidated the "Former Emperor's Party" and cleared the obstacles for his overtime workers so that they would not be suppressed by the so-called "old ministers entrusted with the care of the orphan."

(End of this chapter)