History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 847 Actor's Self-cultivation 1
[Self-cultivation of actors]

The reason why Zhao Kuangyin was able to complete the transition from the old dynasty to the new dynasty in a very short period of time was closely related to his team behind the scenes. Fan Zhi and others may have felt that the incident was sudden and quite shocked, but the "Zhao Family Class" in the court had been waiting for it for a long time.

We use the order of appearance as the main reference system and briefly sort out the list of cast and crew, or the founding heroes of the Song Dynasty:
1. Atmosphere Group
1. Chen Tuan, the Hermit

Chen Tuan was born during the reign of Emperor Yizong of Tang. During the reign of Emperor Mingzong of Later Tang, he went to Beijing to take the imperial examination, but unfortunately failed. After failing the exam, Chen Tuan became a Taoist monk and lived a life of cultivating immortals.

Chen Tuan soon became a well-known "half-immortal" and by the time of the Later Zhou Dynasty, he was already famous both at home and abroad.

After Chai Rong became emperor, he summoned Chen Tuan to the court because according to rumors, this old immortal could turn fossils into gold. So Chai Rong planned to let him perform magic to generate income for the country.

Turning stone into gold is a classic trick of ancient charlatans. Our junior high school chemistry teacher has already told us the law of conservation of elements, and gold and silver cannot be "turned" out of thin air.

Chen Tuan, who had been in the underworld for many years, did not panic. Instead, he taught Chai Rong a lesson, saying that as the ruler of the world, you should focus on governing the country and devote yourself to building a harmonious society and making the people well-off. How can you still have the time to listen to gossip? What are you busy with all day?

Instead of getting angry, Chai Rong laughed and immediately expressed his intention to grant him the title of "Adviser" and let him stay in the court to point out his mistakes and provide him with honest advice and bitter medicine.

Chen Tuan said that he had transcended the Three Realms and was not within the Five Elements, and he refused to engage in worldly affairs.

It is better to obey than to be respectful. After Chai Rong tried to persuade him several times without success, he had to give him the honorary title of "Mr. Baiyun" instead.

He can't turn stone into gold, nor can he produce the elixir of life, and he doesn't want to be a professional troll... A month later, Chai Rongli escorted Chen Tuan out of the palace and instructed local officials to buy some gifts to visit the old man during the holidays.

After the establishment of the Song Dynasty, Chen Tuan visited the palace many times and was received with great ceremony by the emperor each time.

In July of the second year of Duangong (989) during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Song Dynasty, Chen Tuan passed away at the age of 7, leaving us prematurely.

Chen Tuan made outstanding contributions to the study and inheritance of the "Book of Changes", and was proficient in symbols and numbers, which is known as the "foresight" according to folk legend. He was good at fortune-telling and knew how to cultivate himself and maintain health. He was universally respected by everyone from the emperor to the common people.

Chen Tuan has a very high status in Taoism. He has a disciple who is called "Fire Dragon Immortal". I believe everyone must have heard of one of the disciples of this "Fire Dragon Immortal", and that is "Tai Chi Zhang Sanfeng".

Chen Tuan is the master of Zhang Sanfeng, the founder of the Wudang Sanfeng School of Taoism.

It is said that Chen Tuan could predict the future, and this was the real reason why Chai Rong summoned him to the court. Chai Rong asked him about his life span and the fate of the country, which was an occupational disease for emperors. Chen Tuan went around in circles and only gave a long lecture, which was nothing more than advising him to be down-to-earth and care about the people.

When the news of Zhao Kuangyin's "Chenqiao Mutiny" came, Chen Tuan stroked his silver beard and said, "The world has been settled from now on!" So some people believe that when Chai Rong was alive, Chen Tuan had already calculated that the Later Zhou Dynasty had run out of luck, and that it would be replaced by a unified, long-lived, prosperous and peaceful dynasty.

Of course, these records were still written by people in the Song Dynasty. But even if it was out of political correctness and groundless speculation, it shows that Chen Tuan may have learned some "inside information" at that time, so he was determined to leave this place of right and wrong.

There is no direct evidence that Chen Tuan participated in Zhao Kuangyin's group, but it only provides indirect evidence for the "long-term conspiracy" of Zhao Kuangyin's group. The real participant was another disciple of Chen Tuan, the "astrologer" Miao Xun.

2. Miao Xun, the "astrologer"

Miao Xun was a disciple of Chen Tuan, a fellow disciple of "Fire Dragon Master" and the uncle of Tai Chi Master Zhang Sanfeng. His specialty was observing astronomy and astrology, and he was "good at astronomical divination". He had a very close personal relationship with Zhao Kuangyin, and "was privately friendly with Taizu".

On the day the army set out, Miao Xun spread the saying among the army that "there are two suns in the sky, one follows the other." If anyone else had said this, they would have been scolded as blind, but Miao Xun, who was "good at astronomy and divination," said this, which was equivalent to an official announcement from an authority and could not be doubted.

Miao Xun can be seen as the announcer of this drama.

3. Han Xizai, the “front row spectator”
First of all, I would like to state that this person was not a member of Zhao Kuangyin's group, nor did he participate in the "Chenqiao Mutiny". But his story can also serve as indirect evidence.

He was a minister of Southern Tang, and was sent as an envoy to Later Zhou after the "Conquest of Huai River". After returning to China, Li Jing asked him about the Later Zhou's strengths and weaknesses, and asked about the situation of the Later Zhou's generals. Han Xizai replied: "Zhao Dianjian's observation is unusual, and it is difficult to predict." It means that I think that Zhao Kuangyin seems to have rebellious ambitions, and he may cause trouble in the future.

In addition, most people ignore the translation of "顾视", thinking that it is the same as the "顾视" in modern Chinese. In fact, the "顾视" in the mouth of the great scholar Han Xizai means "枭视狼顾", which means "Sima Zhao's intention is known to everyone on the street."

So when the news of the "Chenqiao Mutiny" came, Li Jing was full of admiration for Han Xizai.

A foreign envoy or diplomat could sense that Zhao Kuangyin had the power to change the world. This not only proved that Comrade Zhao Kuangyin was the chosen one and that Han Xizai had a sharp vision, but it also served as indirect evidence of the "long-term conspiracy" of Zhao Kuangyin's group.

They were waiting, waiting for the east wind.

4. Other extras

4.1 Zheng Qi
During the reign of Emperor Shizong, when Zhao Kuangyin was the chief inspector of the imperial palace, Zheng Qi smelled something strange, so he wrote a letter to the prime minister Fan Zhi, saying that Zhao Kuangyin controlled the imperial guards and had many friends in private, so he should be cautious. But Fan Zhi did not listen. This is probably one of the reasons why Fan Zhi later regretted it so much that he scratched Wang Pu's arm until it bled. But why didn't Fan Zhi listen?
Let's take a look at Comrade Zheng Qi's resume to get a glimpse of it:
Zheng Qi was born in a grassroots family, so grassroots that historians did not know where he came from (no one knew who he was). He was frivolous and had no moral integrity. He wandered around Luoyang and Bianzhou, and drifted in Beijing. One day, he heard that there was a monk in Shuangquan Temple in Xiangzhou who could turn stones into gold, so he happily went there, shaved his head and became his disciple, serving the monk day and night in the hope of learning the true teachings. After a long time, he saw through the monk's scam and was greatly disappointed, so he returned to secular life in anger.

After returning to secular life, he took the imperial examination and passed it in one go. In the early years of the Later Zhou Dynasty, he was appointed as the chief clerk of Weishi County, Bianzhou. After three years, Zheng Qi took the initiative to write a letter to Fan Zhi to recommend himself. With Fan Zhi's recommendation, Zheng Qi finally entered the court and was promoted to the Palace Attendant Censor when Chai Zongxun ascended the throne.

Once, Zheng Qi ran into Zhao Kuangyin on the road. Officials of Zhao Kuangyin's rank traveled with a motorcade. In movies and TV series, even county officials had to sit in a sedan chair, with someone holding a sign in front of them and a guide shouting to the crowd, "Get out of the way, don't block the road."

In order to show that he had drawn a clear line between himself and Zhao Kuangyin, Zheng Qi deliberately overtook and maliciously blocked the car (passing across the front). A little impatience can ruin a big plan, so Zhao Kuangyin chose to endure it and not act.

In the early Song Dynasty, Zheng Qi was transferred to Sizhou, where he was in charge of market supervision and taxation. Zhang Tingfan, the governor of Sizhou at the time, was a minor official, and his subordinates, in order to curry favor with him, all called him "Taibao". It's like today, calling "Deputy Director Li" "Director Li" and "Manager Zhang" "General Manager Zhang".

One day, Zheng Qi accompanied Zhang Tingfan to the suburbs to see off a guest. Zheng Qi was relatively poor and had no money to buy a horse, so he only rode a mule. After seeing off the guest, Zhang Tingfan was in a hurry, so he bowed to Zheng Qi and said, "Please spur the horse." He meant to step on the gas a little more and go faster.

As a result, Zheng Qi said sarcastically: "This is a mule, and it should not be called that in an unusual way (this mule should not be called "ear")." He used the mule to ridicule Zhang Tingfan for calling him "Taibao".

But Zhang Tingfan was so angry that he secretly reported to the court, saying that Zheng Qi was addicted to alcohol and derelict in his duty.

Through these two or three things about Zheng Qi, we can infer that Zheng Qi's image in the eyes of Prime Minister Fan Zhi may not be very positive. The historical books also commented that Zheng Qi was aloof and arrogant, arrogant, and often slandered others. So when he reported Zhao Kuangyin to Fan Zhi, Fan Zhi did not take it seriously and thought that he was just a troll.

When Zhang Tingfan's secret report was sent to the capital, Zhao Kuangyin remembered the old grudge of being beaten by a car, so he demoted Zheng Qi to the magistrate of Xihe County (in today's Dali County, Shaanxi Province). Later, he was sent to the border by Zhao Kuangyin. In order to avoid the long journey, Zheng Qi burned his feet with an iron to escape, but the wound became infected and he died.

4.2 Yang Huizhi

Yang Huizhi's ancestral home was Jianzhou. His ancestors had been practicing martial arts and joining the army for generations. His father gave up martial arts and turned to literature. His father's career ended as the magistrate of Pucheng County. Yang Huizhi was smart and studied hard since he was young. He was a good friend of Jiang Wenwei, a great talent in Huainan at that time, and their reputations were equally good. Later, because he did not want to be an official in the Southern Tang Dynasty, he sneaked to the Central Plains.

He submitted his works to Wang Pu and Dou Yi, who appreciated their works. He participated in the imperial examination during the reign of Emperor Shizong and ranked among the top. He was admitted to the first class of Jinshi. There were 16 Jinshi in the same class. Chai Rong ordered his close ministers to re-examine them. As a result, only 4 people, including Yang Huizhi, passed. Prime Minister Fan Zhi thought highly of him, and Dou Yan also took the initiative to ask him to be his assistant.

Yang Huizhi told Chai Rong that Zhao Kuangyin was rich and popular and was not suitable to be in charge of the imperial guards.

To Chai Rong, Yang Huizhi was just a new college graduate who didn't know anything. He thought he could alienate the emperor and his ministers by getting a high score? Who do you think you are? Do you know how close my relationship with Lao Zhao is? Do you know that Lao Zhao is a veteran revolutionary who has been tested for a long time? Do you know how deep the waters of the court are? He has no respect for the big or small, no importance!
Chai Rong also didn't take it seriously. Zhao Kuangyin, on the other hand, was sweating all over, feeling lucky that he had escaped another disaster.

After Zhao Kuangyin became emperor, he was still resentful of Yang Huizhi, so he found an excuse to kill him. Zhao Guangyi advised him not to harm him, saying that Yang Huizhi was a loyal minister of the Zhou Dynasty. Zhao Kuangyin then gave up his intention to kill him and only demoted Yang Huizhi to a small county magistrate.

Zheng Qi and Yang Huizhi were both newly promoted civil servants without any foundation in the court. They could see Zhao Kuangyin's tricks of forming cliques and engaging in small group politics, and they also guessed Zhao Kuangyin's intentions. This also shows that the "Chenqiao Mutiny" was not accidental, but a long-planned conspiracy.

2. Starring Chen Qiao
1. Zhao Pu, the "right-hand man"

Zhao Pu's ancestral home is Youzhou. During the Later Tang Dynasty, Youzhou was at war for many years. Zhao Pu's father, Zhao Hui, moved his family south to Zhenzhou first and then to Luoyang. Zhao Pu was quick-witted, taciturn, and shrewd.

After Guo Wei founded the country and proclaimed himself emperor, his trusted general, Liu Ci, the governor of Chang'an Yongxing Army, took a liking to Zhao Pu and promoted him to be his staff. However, Liu Ci died of illness the following year. Before his death, Liu Ci recommended Zhao Pu to the court, saying that this man had great potential.

Chai Rong personally led the expedition to Huainan, and Zhao Kuangyin won the "Qingliu Pass-Chuzhou" battle. Prime Minister Fan Zhi recommended Zhao Pu as Zhao Kuangyin's follower (military judge). When talking about Zhao Kuangyin's conquest of Chuzhou, Zhao Pu was mentioned before, because there are unofficial records that Zhao Kuangyin "visited the thatched cottage three times" to invite "Zhao Xuejiu" to come out of retirement.

Before this, the two should have known each other, but they were not close friends. One was a general of the imperial guards, and the other was a minor official outside the officialdom. They were not in the same department and had never cooperated deeply.

However, after the capture of Chuzhou, Zhao Pu was arranged by Fan Zhi to be Zhao Kuangyin's staff. Zhao Pu was later praised by Zhao Kuangyin as his right-hand man and obeyed his orders. Zhao Pu was the behind-the-scenes screenwriter of the "Chenqiao Mutiny". I wonder what Prime Minister Fan Zhi would think of this.

After Zhao Pu arrived in Chuzhou, his relationship with Zhao Kuangyin quickly warmed up. This was because Zhao Kuangyin's father, Zhao Hongyin, had just fallen seriously ill and was recuperating in Chuzhou. During this period, Zhao Pu served Zhao Hongyin like his own father (serving him medicine day and night), which moved Zhao Hongyin very much. Since both of them had the surname Zhao, Zhao Hongyin used this as a way to build a relationship and "treat him as a member of the clan."

From then on, Zhao Pu and Zhao Kuangyin became half-brothers.

When Zhao Kuangyin talked with him, he was even more surprised and exclaimed that this was a talent. So he treated him very well and regarded him as his own Xiao He, Zhang Liang and Zhuge Liang.

In the "Chenqiao Mutiny", the chief screenwriter Zhao Pu made a friendly guest appearance. At that time, the soldiers were ignited by the supernatural events during the day (two suns in the sky) and clamored to support Zhao Kuangyin as the new emperor. The chief yamen officer Li Chuyun reported the matter to Zhao Guangyi and Zhao Pu.

Zhao Pu and Zhao Guangyi immediately called together Wang Yansheng, Ma Renyu (a national archer), Li Hanchao and other imperial guards to discuss the matter. They all agreed that Zhao Kuangyin should be enthroned as emperor.

Afterwards, Zhao Pu and Zhao Guangyi, as representatives of the soldiers, broke into Zhao Kuangyin's tent, informed him of the mutiny, and advanced the plot step by step.

(End of this chapter)