History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 860 His Uncle is Still His Uncle
[His uncle is still his uncle]

When Li Yun launched the rebellion, he also called people and tried to collude with all the forces he could, such as the Northern Han, the vanguard of anti-Central Plains forces abroad, and local vassal states, such as Li Chongjin of Yangzhou and Yang Tingzhang of Jinzhou.

Thanks to Li Yun's reputation over the years and his carefully crafted personality, few people have made a positive response to his collusion. In fact, the reason is quite simple. Regardless of whether the team up with Li Yun can defeat Zhao Kuangyin, even if they really overthrow the Song Dynasty, the most difficult problem will be: how to divide the spoils?

If Li Yun were to become emperor, why would I risk the extermination of my entire clan to help him?

If Li Yun promised to support me to become emperor, why did he do that? Since he could be my vassal, why not be my vassal? It was obviously a lie.

Anyone with a normal mind would not respond positively to Li Yun's collusion. Of course there are exceptions, such as Li Chongjin.

Li Chongjin was Guo Wei's nephew and one of the people who posed the greatest threat to the imperial power. Before Guo Wei's death, he deliberately asked Li Chongjin to kneel down in public and worship Chai Rong to make it clear that the emperor and his subjects were separate, in order to prevent Li Chongjin from usurping Chai Rong's power. After Chai Rong ascended the throne, he also took great pains to walk a tightrope between Li Chongjin and Zhang Yongde. Before his death, he sent the two of them to the local areas and removed their military power to prevent them from threatening Chai Zongxun.

Now that the Zhou dynasty had been usurped by Zhao Kuangyin, Li Chongjin must have been indignant. "To be honest, there should be a first come, first served order when usurping power, right?"

After Chai Zongxun ascended the throne, he moved Li Chongjin to Yangzhou and took charge of Huainan.

After Zhao Kuangyin became emperor, he promoted Li Chongjin in name only but demoted him in reality. He replaced Li Chongjin's "Commander of the Imperial Guards" with his trusted confidant Han Lingkun, who took over the Imperial Guards Division of the Central Imperial Army, and gave Li Chongjin the honorary title of "Minister of the Central Secretariat".

Li Chongjin was very nervous and submitted a petition requesting to be allowed to meet the emperor in order to test the court.

Under normal circumstances, local vassal states that took the initiative to come to the court to pay homage were tantamount to "falling into a trap", an extreme way of showing loyalty to the court, like a fish out of the abyss, or a beast out of the forest, at the mercy of the court, who could detain them as hostages or move them to other corners at will. This was also the greatest extravagant hope of the central court for local vassal states.

However, since the end of the Tang Dynasty, with the shift in local and central power, the style of painting has undergone subtle changes. For example, heroes such as Li Keyong, Li Maozhen, and Zhu Wen, in name only, came to the court to pay homage, but in fact they were trying to control the court. What Emperor Zhaozong of Tang feared most was that local vassal states would come to the court without an imperial edict.

The first-rate powerful vassal states would force their way into the court and use the emperor to control the other princes; the second-rate vassal states would test the court by throwing a stone at the emperor. Whether it was entering the court or resigning and retiring, it was a test stone used by the local vassal states to test the court's attitude. If the court agreed immediately, it meant that the court was suspicious of them, and they could openly rebel, just like Shi Jingtang did. If the court "refused to allow it", then they could be exempted from the accusation of "refusing to pay homage to the emperor" and continue to rule the country and act tyrannically.

In short, Li Chongjin submitted a petition to enter the court not because he really wanted to do so, but to test Zhao Kuangyin's attitude towards him.

The "Chenqiao Mutiny" has already given us a glimpse of the level of political scheming of Zhao Kuangyin's group. How could Li Chongjin's little trick succeed?
Zhao Kuangyin first issued an edict to refuse, and told Li Chongjin that the court absolutely trusted him, so he could rest assured and did not need to come to the capital to pay homage. Then he changed his tone and said that since Comrade Li Chongjin had such a high level of awareness, then - he would be moved to Qingzhou, and given the title of Grand Master of the Three Departments, and called on the vassal states across the country to learn from Comrade Li Chongjin.

The imperial court used the strategy of "receiving, transforming and sending" to kick the stone of inquiry back to Li Chongjin. If you are truly sincere and honest, then you should obediently go to Qingzhou and leave your old nest in Huainan.

Li Chongjin had made a mess of his plan and was caught in a dilemma. He was very frightened, so he collected grass and grain, recruited soldiers, and repaired the city defenses. His intention was self-evident.

Zhao Kuangyin then sent his confidant, the Six House Envoy Chen Sihui, to Yangzhou with a red-lettered iron certificate and a golden medal of immunity from death, to explain to Li Chongjin the court's magnanimity and assure him that as long as he obeyed the court's orders, nothing would happen to him.

Li Chongjin hesitated for a long time, and then prepared to give in. He began to pack up his belongings and prepared to follow Chen Sihui to Qingzhou. However, his subordinates tried their best to dissuade him, saying that you must not leave Yangzhou, let alone believe in the golden medal of immunity from death. Young people nowadays have no martial ethics. In the distant past, there was Zhu Youqian, and in the recent past, there were Yang Guangyuan and Fan Yanguang. Who didn't hold the golden medal of immunity from death and be exterminated? Besides, Liu Yun was deceived by Guo Wei to leave Xuzhou and was killed on the way? You are confused! You are a close relative of the Zhou Dynasty, highly respected, and have a large army. How can the surname Zhao spare you? Defending Yangzhou and making friends with foreign aids are the fundamentals of survival!

Li Chongjin suddenly realized, "That makes sense!" So he imprisoned Chen Sihui, and then repaired the armor and weapons more blatantly.

An Yougui, the military supervisor of Yangzhou, led his confidants to break through the checkpoints and eventually climbed over the city wall and escaped with his life. Dozens of other officers were killed by Li Chongjin because they refused to join the rebellion.

At this sensitive moment, Li Yun appeared in time, "Want a date?"

"about!"

This was the first survival crisis of the Song Dynasty since its establishment. Although it was downplayed in history books, it was definitely a critical moment concerning the life and death of the Song Dynasty.

Li Yun was stationed in the Xizhaoyi Army in Luzhou, colluded with the Northern Han regime in Hedong, and had the support of the powerful Khitan; Li Chongjin was stationed in Huainan, bordering the Wuyue Kingdom in the southeast, the Southern Tang across the Yangtze River in the south, and Jingnan and Southern Chu (original) in the west.

Once Li Yun and Li Chongjin reached a consensus on "attacking from both north and south" and won over the major anti-Song forces at home and abroad, they would form a powerful stranglehold on the emerging Song Dynasty. This was no longer just a north-south attack by Luzhou and Yangzhou on Bianzhou, but an all-round strategic encirclement of the Central Plains Dynasty by international anti-Central Plains forces. Needless to say, the threat from the north;

Southern Tang: You (Zhongyuan) hurt me, and you just laughed it off. The Southern Tang had half of its territory occupied by Zhongyuan, and was forced to give up its imperial title. It was the greatest humiliation it had ever experienced since Yang Xingmi founded the country. It had every reason to avenge the humiliation.
Lianghu: Whether it is the Gaolaizi family in Jingnan or the remnants of the former Southern Chu, their relationship with the Central Plains dynasty has been very delicate since the end of the Tang Dynasty. On the surface, they are vassals, but in reality, they forget their loyalty when they see profit, and whoever feeds them is their mother;
Wuyue Kingdom: Same as above. Although Wuyue Kingdom followed the Central Plains’ order to attack Southern Tang during the “Three Expeditions to Huainan”, opposition voices within Wuyue Kingdom never ceased. Opponents shouted “lips and teeth are cold” and strongly advocated uniting with Southern Tang and other southern vassal states to counter the Central Plains and maintain the balance of power since the end of the Tang Dynasty.
If we look further south, we will see the Southern Han regime entrenched in the Guangdong and Guangxi regions. The Southern Han regime had long been at odds with the Central Plains dynasty, and during the Later Zhou Dynasty, the relationship between the two countries further deteriorated...

Therefore, in diplomacy, the Li Yun and Li Chongjin group has certain advantages.

In terms of public opinion, Li Chongjin was even more lovable. He was Guo Wei's nephew, Chai Rong's cousin, and Chai Zongxun's uncle. You, Zhao Kuangyin, overthrew my nephew, so how could I, as his uncle, sit back and do nothing? Li Chongjin could have raised the banner of justice to support the Zhou Dynasty and eliminated the traitor Zhao Kuangyin.

Li Chongjin could publicly declare that after the success, he would still let Chai Zongxun be the emperor, and he would act as regent as the "imperial uncle". When Chai Zongxun was able to rule the country himself, he would return the power to Chai.

With Chai Zongxun as a shield and supporting the Zhou Dynasty as a banner, the nature of this war will immediately change dramatically. The former rebels will become heroes, and the former "royal teacher" Zhao Kuangyin group will become rebels.

Once the "Yang and Lu merge", the emerging Song Dynasty will undoubtedly be in a precarious situation. This is what Zhao Kuangyin is most worried about.

When later generations learned the subsequent story and then looked back at this history from a God's perspective, they would inevitably scoff at the above views, thinking that they were alarmist, because the Southern Tang, Wuyue Kingdom and other forces did not form an alliance with Li Chongjin at all.

Under the background at that time, the above view was definitely not groundless. Whether it was the Southern Tang, the Wuyue Kingdom, or the forces in the two lakes, any political force, as long as the leader had an IQ, would consider the issue from the perspective of one word: interests. The reason why they did not help Li Chongjin, or the reason why they might have helped Li Chongjin, was a word highly summarized in "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu: momentum.

Everyone wants to win by clinging to the thigh. If the "Yang-Lu merger" creates enough pressure on the Song Dynasty, then the attitudes of the southern vassal states will be subject to certain variables.

It is a basic quality for a politician to first determine the strategic route and then create public opinion, rather than being swayed by public opinion. Therefore, slogans such as "respecting the Central Plains", "respecting the king and expelling the barbarians", and "supporting a certain dynasty" are all the best solutions to serve this political group.

As for Li Yun and Li Chongjin, what Zhao Kuangyin hoped most was to resolve the dispute peacefully through dialogue, just like other vassal states. At the beginning of the founding of the country, he promoted the two to higher positions, issued imperial edicts to appease them, and tried his best to avoid conflicts.

After being lured by Li Yun, Li Chongjin sent his confidant Zhai Shouxun to take a shortcut to Luzhou to discuss the "North-South attack" with Li Yun.

At this moment, Zhai Shouxun, an insignificant little man, has quietly taken on the mission of determining the direction of Chinese history. Whether the above views can be realized depends on Zhai Shouxun's choice.

Going from Yangzhou to Luzhou inevitably requires crossing the vast territory of the Central Plains, which is a journey full of hardships and dangers. Zhai Shouxun took a shortcut and lived up to expectations by appearing in Bianzhou. He secretly visited his old friend, Li Chuyun, the Privy Councilor. With the help of Li Chuyun, Zhai Shouxun had a secret contact with Zhao Kuangyin.

Zhao Kuangyin asked Zhai Shouxun about Li Chongjin's true situation, saying, "I have given him a red-lettered iron certificate and a golden medal of immunity from death. What is the effect?"

Zhai Shouxun told the truth, saying that Li Chongjin had no intention of surrendering and that they should be prepared early.

Zhao Kuangyin rewarded Zhai Shouxun handsomely and gave him a glorious and arduous undercover mission - "prevent the two villains from acting together."

Li Chongjin was plotting a rebellion, but this information was not valuable. What was valuable was how to prevent the "merger of Yang and Lu" so that Zhao Kuangyin would have time and energy to defeat them one by one. This was the value of Zhai Shouxun.

After Zhai Shouxun returned to Yangzhou, he reported that Li Yun was ambitious but incompetent, and was a real pig teammate. It was not appropriate to join forces with him. Besides, after joining forces with him to overthrow the Song Dynasty, who would be the emperor? Would it be Li Yun or Liu Chengjun of the Northern Han Dynasty, or the Khitan father behind them? It would be better to prepare for war and let Li Yun be cannon fodder, and wait for him to fight to the death with the Song Dynasty, and we in Yangzhou would reap the benefits. Wouldn't it be wonderful?
Li Chongjin agreed with this and refused to join the "Great Khitan Co-Prosperity Sphere". He relied on his own efforts, worked hard, and devoted himself to managing his own territory.

When Li Yun was defeated and burned himself, the crisis of "Yang and Lu merged" was resolved, and Zhao Kuangyin was finally able to free up his hands to deal with Li Chongjin of Yangzhou.

Li Chongjin was ready to go, "Please start my show." He sent people across the river to contact the Southern Tang and promised them various benefits.

As mentioned above, Li Chongjin had lost the momentum of "Yang and Lu merging". Facing the Song Dynasty which had won the "Zelu War", Li Chongjin was already in danger. How could the Southern Tang or other southern vassal states stand on his side?
Thanks to my old friend “江湖刘白” for his monthly ticket and recommendation support!

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(End of this chapter)