History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 812: Seeking Peace (Part )

Under Chai Rong's orders, all fronts continued to advance.

On March 3, He Chao reported that Zhang Shao, the governor of Guangzhou in the Southern Tang Dynasty, had abandoned the city and fled, and Zhang Chenghan, the military supervisor of Guangzhou, had surrendered the city.

On March 3, Guo Lingtu reported: Shuzhou was conquered, and Zhou Hongzuo, the governor of Shuzhou in Southern Tang, committed suicide by drowning;
Li Fu, a general of Qizhou in the Southern Tang Dynasty, launched a mutiny, killed Wang Chengjun, the acting governor of Qizhou, and surrendered.

Cai Hui, the commander of the Southern Tang imperial army (Tiancheng Army Commander), went out of the city to surrender.

The Zhou army attacked Hezhou and the front line continued to advance.

Li Jing was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot. He sent friendly signals for the third time and sent 150 Shu soldiers to Chai Rong. These Shu soldiers surrendered to the Later Zhou during the "Qin-Feng War". At that time, Chai Rong gave a lenient policy. Those who were willing to stay were incorporated into the imperial army and given the number "Huai'en Army" to garrison along the Huai River. Those who were willing to go home were given resettlement fees and travel expenses to return to Shu.

When Chai Rong launched the Huai River Campaign, many of the "Huai'en Army" surrendered to the Southern Tang on the battlefield. Now, they were all packed up and sent to Chai Rong by Li Jing as a gesture of friendship.

Chai Rong beheaded all 150 disloyal Huai'en soldiers.

There were two important figures in the newly taken over Yangzhou City - Ma Xichong and Wang Yanzheng's son Wang Jiyi. Chai Rong issued an edict to appease them and to treat them well. Although Li Jing promptly eradicated the Yang clan in Taizhou, Ma Xichong and Wang Jiyi, who were settled in Yangzhou, were not relocated or harmed in time.

For Chai Rong, these two talents are priceless treasures. In the future battlefields of Hunan and Fujian, he can play the "Ma card" and the "Wang card" to help the peaceful liberation of Hunan and Fujian.

Chai Rong brought Sun Sheng to the outskirts of Shouzhou City and asked him, in his capacity as prime minister, to persuade Liu Renzhan, who was defending the isolated city, to surrender.

Sun Sheng was a veteran and meritorious official who assisted Xu Zhigao in establishing the country and becoming emperor. He served two emperors and enjoyed a high reputation in Southern Tang. When Liu Renzhan saw the highly respected Sun Sheng, he immediately bowed to him respectfully. He knelt down to Sun Sheng with the courtesy of a frontier general meeting a prime minister.

When Chai Rong saw Liu Renzhan being so respectful, he felt delighted. As long as Sun Sheng explained the pros and cons, Shouzhou would surely open its doors and pay tribute.

Unexpectedly, Sun Sheng rushed to the city and shouted: "General Liu, do not lose your loyalty, reinforcements are coming!" Another record said, "You are deeply favored by the emperor, you must not open the city and surrender!"

Liu Renzhan was deeply moved by the fact that a scholar was in danger of losing his life, and he shed tears on the city wall and said, "Don't worry, Prime Minister. I swear to live and die with Shouzhou!"

Chai Rong was both shocked and angry, and he shouted, "Sun Sheng, you are so brave!" The attendants on both sides drew their swords, waiting for the order to behead Sun Sheng.

Sun Sheng showed no fear and said solemnly, "I am the prime minister. How can a prime minister instigate a military governor to commit treason?" Chai Rong was speechless. He looked Sun Sheng up and down and suddenly laughed out loud, "Don't blame me, sir. I was just testing you with words."

Since ancient times, how many tough men have given up in seconds under the butcher's knife, and how many weak scholars have remained strong. Although scholars are weak, they have firm beliefs. For the sake of lofty ideals and missions, they are ready to die, even if they are cut into pieces, even if they are in a mountain of knives and a pot of oil, they are not afraid and never forget their original intentions.

Death can only scare those who are afraid of death. Chai Rong decided to change his approach and use sugar-coated bullets to influence Sun Sheng.

According to records, from then on, Chai Rong treated Sun Sheng very well. Whenever he entertained his ministers, he would invite Sun Sheng to attend, seat him at the top, and give him endless courtesy, hoping that he would be grateful to Zhou Enlai and turn to the light.

However, Chai Rong should not forget the story of Guan Yu "hanging his seal and sealing the gold". Cao Cao treated Guan Yu well, but he could not pry open the oath of the three brothers in Taoyuan. In the end, didn't Guan Yu still pass through five gates, kill six generals, and ride alone for thousands of miles to Hebei to find his elder brother Liu Bei?
There was Guan Yu during the Three Kingdoms period, and there was Sun Sheng during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

As the battle line continued to advance, Zhong Mo and Li Deming broke down. They first expressed their willingness to let Li Jing of Southern Tang strip him of his imperial title, pledge allegiance to the Later Zhou, cede the six states of Shou, Hao, Si, Chu, Guang and Hai, and pay tribute of one million in gold and silk every year in the hope that the Later Zhou would withdraw its troops.

Chai Rong laughed and said, "I have already conquered more land than these six states, and you can see that good news is coming back from all fronts every day. Why should I agree?"
Li Deming completely collapsed and said to Chai Rong: "It's because my master didn't know that the Celestial Empire's military force was so powerful. So, please give me five days. I will go back and tell my master to cede all the land north of the Yangtze River. Do you think it's okay?"

Pay attention to the key point - divide the river and govern separately, this is Chai Rong's psychological price. The strategic goal of this expedition to Huaihe is to compress Southern Tang to the south of the Yangtze River.

The Huai River is not a natural barrier, but the Yangtze River is definitely a natural barrier. Chai Rong knew that he did not have the strength to extend to Jiangnan, and once the Central Plains really attacked Jiangnan, the attitudes of the Liangzhe, Hunan, Guangdong and Guangxi vassals might change, and the Later Zhou would face huge resistance and unpredictable variables.

Therefore, Chai Rong's strategic goal of "three expeditions to Huainan" was to compress the Southern Tang to the south of the Yangtze River, severely injure it, preserve it, use it to contain the Wuyue Kingdom, Southern Han and other southern countries, and make the Southern Tang a wedge of the Central Plains in southern China. This will maximize the interests of the Central Plains.

When Li Deming realized this truth, Chai Rong finally smiled, thinking that this young man was teachable. So, Chai Rong sent people to send Li Deming and Wang Chongzhi back to Shengzhou, while Zhong Mo and Sun Sheng continued to be detained.

After Li Deming came back, Li Jing summoned him with great expectation to listen to his report. However, when Li Deming opened his mouth, everyone was shocked and the court fell silent.

According to historical records, Li Deming boosted others' morale and destroyed his own prestige. In front of Li Jing and all the civil and military officials in the court, he praised Chai Rong's power and virtue and the invincibility of the Later Zhou army, and urged Li Jing to hurry up and cede the entire territory north of the Yangtze River.

Li Jing was very unhappy.

Afterwards, Li Deming took out Chai Rong's reply letter. After Li Jing had written to him many times without success, Chai Rong finally gave a positive reply for the first time.

(End of this chapter)