History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 82 Du Rangneng's List
[“Yang School” saves the country]

Yang Fugong clearly realized that Zhu Mei was the big boss behind this farce, although he was not hiding behind the scenes. If Zhu Mei was eliminated, all problems would be solved.

Therefore, Yang Fugong issued an A-level bounty warrant: whoever kills Zhu Mei will be granted the title of Jiedushi of Jingnan Army in Bingzhou.

The bounty order shook Guanzhong. The imperial guards fought even more bravely, such as Li Maozhen. More importantly, Zhu Mei's men also had their own ideas.

Previously, Zhu Mei sent General Wang Xingyu to lead a large army to pursue Emperor Xizong of Tang. Wang Xingyu was unstoppable and conquered Dasan Pass. He crushed the enemy all the way and approached Datang Peak. In the "Datang Peak Battle", he encountered stubborn resistance from the imperial army and suffered several defeats.

Wang Xingyu called a small meeting with his subordinates and said that if we did not fight well, we would definitely be blamed by Zhu Mei; and now, the court has offered a reward, and we can exchange Zhu Mei's head for the governor...so let's not let outsiders get the benefit and trouble them.

As soon as these words were spoken, they were immediately unanimously supported by his confidants.

Wang Xingyu immediately assembled his troops and returned to the capital in a hurry.

Zhu Mei was overwhelmed by the complicated official duties. Suddenly, she heard that Wang Xingyu had led his troops back without permission. She couldn't help but get furious and shouted, "Let him get in right away!"

Wang Xingyu strode into the hall with his head held high, without greeting or bowing.

Zhu Mei was so angry that she slammed the table and yelled, "You actually withdrew your troops without my order. Do you want to rebel?"

Wang Xingyu smiled coldly and retorted, "I'm rebelling? I'm going to kill those who are rebelling!" With Wang Xingyu's order, the soldiers came in one after another, tied up the confused Zhu Mei with ropes, and without saying a word, they chopped her with knives.

He held Zhu Mei's head high on a bamboo pole and inspected the troops.

Zhu Mei was once a war hero. At that time, Zhu Mei was just a junior officer. He fought against Huang Chao's army at the Kaiyuan Gate of Chang'an City. During the battle, Zhu Mei's throat was pierced by an iron spear (a spear pierced his throat), but he miraculously survived. After the war, Zhu Mei was promoted to the governor of Jinzhou, and then promoted to the governor of Bining for his meritorious service. Just a few years later, he was beheaded as a traitor to the country, which is really sad.

Wang Xingyu quickly captured and executed hundreds of Zhu Mei's cronies. Chang'an was thrown into chaos, and Wang Xingyu's troops burned, killed, and looted the city.

Since Huang Chao invaded Chang'an, the people of Chang'an have been in purgatory. They can't count how many times they have been robbed. There are big robberies every three, six, and nine times, and small robberies every day.

The common people really can’t get any money out of them. They have no money and no food... No, you still have clothes, take them off!

Wang Xingyu's subordinates were so ruthless that they even took away the rags on the people's backs. It was the dead of winter (the twelfth month of the lunar calendar), and the streets of Chang'an were littered with naked corpses of people who had frozen to death. It was a horrible sight.

Under the protection of the fake prime ministers Pei Che and Zheng Changtu, Li Yan led more than 200 fake civil and military officials and fled to Hezhong.

Wang Chongrong, the governor of the National Protection Army (formerly Hezhong), extended a warm welcome and invited Li Xun and his party into the city.

Close the door and behead.

At this point, less than three months had passed since Li Yan proclaimed himself emperor when Wang Chongrong put his head in a wooden box and sent it to Xingyuan Prefecture to ask for credit and reward.

【Du Rangneng's list】

Someone suggested that a prisoner presentation ceremony should be held on the South City Tower according to custom, with the emperor in attendance, all officials coming to congratulate, and a general amnesty declared for the whole country to celebrate.

Some people objected, saying that Li Yan was different from Huang Chao. After all, he was a member of the royal family with the surname Li, and the emperor's third cousin and great-grandfather. He was threatened and coerced by the villains, and at most he could only be blamed for not dying for his loyalty. According to the Book of Rites, when a member of the royal family committed a capital crime, the king should change to plain clothes, not listen to music, and not watch singing and dancing. Now that Li Yan has been executed, the most appropriate way should be to demote him to a commoner and order local officials to bury his body. As for the ceremony of offering captives and congratulating him, they should wait for Zhu Mei's head.

Emperor Xizong of Tang agreed with the second view and demoted Li Yan to a commoner.

The subsequent liquidation work was no surprise.

Arrest those who are arrested, kill those who are killed. Imperial decree: Xiao Ke, Pei Che, and Zheng Changtu, who served as prime ministers in the pseudo-regime, do not need to be escorted to Xingyuan Prefecture, but should be executed on the spot, and the local people and military officers and soldiers should be gathered to watch and eat melons; all officials at all levels who accepted Li Yan's appointment and served in the pseudo-government should be killed without mercy.

One more thing to say here:
In fact, Xiao Ke was strongly opposed to Li Yan's usurpation of the throne. He refused to write a memorial for Li Yan's accession to the throne, and was demoted by Zhu Mei to "Prince Taibao" and "stood aside" in the pseudo-dynasty. After Li Yan officially became emperor, Xiao Ke pretended to be sick and fled to Yongle County, Shanxi, because Xiao Ke's brother was the county magistrate of Yongle County. However, he was still sentenced as a core member of Zhu Mei's party, and died in disgrace, which was really unfair.

Is Xiao Ke the only one who suffered injustice? We certainly do not rule out the possibility that some people were willing to join the rebellion under Zhu Mei's instigation, but most people were forced to "remain invincible" by Zhu Mei's tyranny. To be fair, they are guilty, but their crimes do not deserve the death penalty.

Xizong made a long death list, and except for those who followed him to flee to Xingyuan Prefecture, almost all the remaining civil and military officials in the court were on the list.

After fierce political struggles, bloody reckoning is inevitable, especially in the struggle for the throne. Everyone inside and outside the court is in danger, because this list is always in a "to be continued" state, and is updated and added with fresh content at any time.

At this time, few people would speak up for the people on the list, especially during the purge process. Because during this sensitive period, anyone who speaks up for the list, or even just expresses sympathy or regret, will be regarded as an accomplice of the people on the list and will be purged together.

At the end of the Han Dynasty, Cai Yong heard the news that Dong Zhuo was killed, and he could not help but sigh. Then he was killed by Prime Minister Wang Yun as Dong Zhuo's accomplice. He lost his head for sighing, let alone for speaking up for Dong Zhuo. Cai Yong was a famous official, calligrapher, and writer in the Eastern Han Dynasty. His daughter, Cai Wenji, was even more famous.

Now, Yang Fugong wants to use this opportunity to clean up the political arena and eliminate dissidents. At this time, who dares to speak up for the traitor?

Yes, Prime Minister Du Rangneng.

Du Rangneng was not afraid of danger and argued with reason, and finally saved 70 to 80 percent of the people on the list (17 to 18 percent were spared).

This should be the late Tang Dynasty version of "Schindler's List".

There were also many who were rewarded.

Xizong fulfilled his promise and appointed Wang Xingyu as the governor of Jingnan Army. At the same time, he appointed Li Maozhen as the governor of Wuding Army, Yang Shouzong (Yang Fugong's adopted son) as the governor of Jinshang, Yang Shouliang (Yang Fuguang's adopted son) as the governor of Shannan West Road, and Gu Yanlang as the governor of Dongchuan.

Those who should be killed were killed, and those who should be rewarded were rewarded. With the assistance of the "Yang faction" eunuch group, Emperor Xizong returned to Beijing. The country showed signs of recovery.

However, there is one person who is more entangled, and that is Li Changfu, the governor of Fengxiang. He and Zhu Mei were originally a duo of stupid thieves, good friends who usurped the throne and jointly supported Li Yan to become emperor. They were the real initiators. It was only because of the uneven distribution of spoils that they secretly communicated with Emperor Xizong and returned to the right path.

Although he stopped himself in time, he failed to redeem himself. Zhu Mei was not killed by him, and Li Xun was not captured and killed by him... Li Changfu was in an awkward situation.

Although Xizong clearly stated that he would not hold him accountable for bygone days, he was still worried, fearing that Xizong would take revenge on him after returning to Chang'an.

Li Changfu, who was extremely conflicted, made an even more conflicted move: detaining Emperor Xizong.

He did not dare to detain her by force, as his old comrade Zhu Mei had served as a lesson for him. Li Changfu's approach was more gentle.

"With heavy steps, the road home is so long..." The poem "Clouds of Hometown" is so appropriate. Chang'an seems to be the hometown that Xizong can never return to.

When Xizong's troops passed through Fengxiang, Li Changfu insisted that Xizong stay in Fengxiang for a few more days, using the excuse that the palace in Chang'an had not yet been completed.

Emperor Xizong was eager to return home, but he couldn't refuse Li Changfu's enthusiastic retention.

Staying for a few days would prove the court's sincerity in letting bygones be bygones, so as not to arouse Li Changfu's suspicion. After all, the court now could no longer withstand any disturbance.

How many days? How many days is it?
On March 887, 3, Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty came to Fengxiang and stayed there until June.

Thanks to my old friend “最爱一笑” for his recommendation and support!


(End of this chapter)