History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 776: Hunan’s Dream (Part )

The civil war in Southern Chu finally came to an end. As the financial sponsor behind Ma Xi'e, Li Jing of Southern Tang once again appeared on the international political stage as a regional hegemon, flexing his muscles in southern China.

The old and young people who survived Ma Xiguang's period, such as Liu Yanwen and Liu Yantang, led their defeated troops to defect to the Southern Tang; Ma Xi'e also immediately sent his chief of staff Liu Guangfu to the Southern Tang with generous gifts to pay tribute and express his gratitude.

The Spring Festival in 951 AD was the happiest and most memorable one for Li Jing, because during this period, many major events happened intensively in China: the Later Zhou replaced the Later Han; the Southern Tang funded Ma Xi'e to conquer the Southern Chu.

The Later Zhou Dynasty was now surrounded by powerful enemies: the Later Shu State was swallowing up the western territory; in the east, "Uncle Liu" Murong Yanchao occupied Yanzhou; in the north, Liu Chong, the governor of Hedong, declared himself emperor and established the Northern Han regime; at the same time, the Khitan, an old friend of the Central Plains people, never gave up its involvement in the Central Plains.

Murong Yanchao of Yanzhou colluded with Liu Chong of Northern Han, and together with Khitan and Southern Tang, they conspired to overthrow the Later Zhou.

The Southern Tang Dynasty successively conquered the Kingdom of Min and Southern Chu, and its national power was at its peak.

So Li Jing once again prepared for the Northern Expedition.

At the imperial meeting, Han Xizai, who was once a "war advocate", suddenly changed his position and firmly opposed the Northern Expedition. In the end, Li Jing gave up the Northern Expedition and just let Li Jinquan lead the army to show off his power by the Huai River, showing off his muscles to the Later Zhou Dynasty, but it was useless.

Could Han Xizai's words be so destructive?
Li Jing was just a little arrogant, but he was neither stupid nor crazy. If we briefly analyze the bubbles of the Southern Tang Dynasty, we will know why Li Jing was so calm and restrained:

First of all, it’s a question of money.

Money is not the problem, the problem is the lack of money. As early as the end of the Battle of Fuzhou, when the Southern Tang Dynasty destroyed the Min Kingdom, the historical records clearly stated that the Southern Tang Dynasty's treasury was emptied. Then Cha Wenhui was deceived and acted rashly, launching the second Battle of Fuzhou. As a result, not only was Cha Wenhui captured, but more than 10,000 Southern Tang troops were killed, and the loss of supplies was incalculable, which made the Southern Tang Dynasty's already stretched treasury even worse, completely draining the Southern Tang Dynasty and hollowing out Li Jing's body.

Later, it intervened in the civil strife in Southern Chu. Although Ma Xi'e, who was supported by Southern Tang, seized the power of Southern Chu, Southern Tang did not profit from it, or there was no short-term gain. It could only be a long-term political investment.

Huainan suffered another natural disaster this year, and a severe famine broke out.

Obviously, it is difficult for the Southern Tang to launch a war of annihilation against the great country in the Central Plains. Secondly, there is the problem of the direction of speculation.

As the saying goes, a lean camel is bigger than a horse, and a centipede is still alive even after death. After all, the Southern Tang was a great country that dominated the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers. Although the financial problems were shocking, it was not yet at the point of living beyond its means. The previous emperor Xu Zhigao left a solid foundation for the Southern Tang. If Li Jing insisted on militarism and gambling on the fate of the country, he could still barely start the war machine. In fact, Li Jing did send troops to the north to support Murong Yanchao of Yanzhou.

If Li Jing had focused on the Northern Expedition, he might have been able to gain an advantage. He could have divided his troops into two routes: the eastern route went out of Haizhou and attacked Xuzhou, cooperating with Murong Yanchao of Yanzhou; the central route went out of Shouzhou and attacked Bian and Luo with Liu Chong of the Northern Han; or he could have added a western route that went out of Yuezhou and Ezhou, and joined forces with the Later Shu to threaten the western part of the Central Plains.

However, Li Jing was distracted. The important person who distracted him was Liu Guangfu, the chief aide sent by Ma Xi'e to pay a visit to him.

After Ma Xi'e entered Tanzhou, he called himself the General of Tiance, the Military Governor of Wu'an, Wuping, Jingjiang, Ningyuan, and the King of Chu. These are the standard titles of the top leaders of Southern Chu since Ma Yin. Legally speaking, the heirs of the Ma family must first petition the central government, and then the central government will issue the appointment letter. Before Ma Xi'e, all the titles were conferred by the Central Plains dynasty, and since Ma Xi'e was a vassal of Southern Tang, he should be conferred by Li Jing. Ma Xi'e claimed the title without receiving orders, and his rebellious heart was obvious.

In addition, Ma Xi'e carried out a political purge, suppressing the Tanzhou Gang and promoting his direct lineage, the Langzhou Gang, thus firmly grasping the real power of Nanchu in his hands.

All of Ma Xi'e's actions are sending an important signal to the outside world: Nan Chu's surname is Ma, not Li.

Ma Xi'e's actions embarrassed Li Jing, so he could only come uninvited to save face. He issued an imperial decree to confer Ma Xi'e the title of General of Tiance, Military Governor of Wu'an, Wuping, Pingjiang, Ningyuan and other military governors and the title of Zhongshu Ling, and the title of King of Chu. He also gave him the title of Zhongshu Ling to show the court's care and that he did not claim to be so, but I conferred him the title. Then he arranged Sun Sheng and Yao Feng as the envoys for the ceremony, and entered Tanzhou in a high-profile manner to declare sovereignty and to spy on the true situation of Ma Xi'e's group.

Liu Guangfu, the chief aide sent by Ma Xi'e to pay his respects, came as a timely assist.

According to records, Li Jing treated him very well, and then Liu Guangfu secretly betrayed Ma Xi'e and revealed the true situation of Southern Chu to Li Jing, "Hunan people are tired and the ruler is arrogant, it is worth taking." This scene is very similar to "Zhang Song presents a map" in "Three Kingdoms", except that Cao Cao's arrogance made him miss Yizhou, and Liu Bei got the advantage; but Li Jing seized this opportunity.

Liu Guangfu was to Ma Xi'e what Zhuge Liang was to Liu Bei. The chief aide was selling out his master for fame and fortune, which showed the internal chaos of Ma Xi'e's group.

Therefore, Li Jing appointed Bian Hao as the "Hunan Pacifier" and led his troops to Yuanzhou. He gave him secret instructions, asking him to seize the opportunity to seize Southern Chu, and at the same time gave him the privilege of "acting at his own discretion."

(End of this chapter)