History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 861 Battle of Yangzhou (Part )

Battle of Yangzhou

In September of the first year of Jianlong in the Song Dynasty (960), Zhao Kuangyin issued an edict to attack the Yangzhou rebel Li Chongjin and sent out the national team:
Shi Shouxin: The Yangzhou Camp is deployed

Wang Shenqi: Deputy Commander of Yangzhou Camp
Li Chuyun: Yangzhou Metropolitan Supervisor
Song Yanwo: Commander in Chief
In terms of war strategy, Zhao Kuangyin consulted his chief think tank, Zhao Pu. Zhao Pu said that Li Chongjin relied on the natural barrier of the Huai River and repaired the city, thinking he was impregnable, but he had no allies to help him and was short of food and grass. We should fight quickly and inflict excessive damage on him. Don't delay, otherwise there will be more trouble. What if he really waits for the "momentum"?

Whether it was pacifying Luzhou or Yangzhou, Zhao Pu's point of view was one word - do it! Since they wanted to wait for external aid, they had to get rid of it before the external forces could react.

Zhao Kuangyin was very pleased, so he immediately issued an edict to lead the army in person, just like Chai Rong, and personally went to fight the madman.

At the end of October, Zhao Kuangyin led the main force south by boat, which was still the legacy left by the infrastructure maniac Chai Rong. The army took the water route from Bianzhou, landed in Sizhou, and then marched with drums. The sound of drums and gongs spread throughout Huainan and shook the roof tiles.

Before setting out, Zhao Kuangyin made his war declaration to his ministers: I have no suspicion of the old ministers of the Zhou Dynasty, but Li Chongjin cannot understand my broad-mindedness and is rebellious. I will have to ask you all to comfort his young heart.

How to comfort?

——"Now the six armies are in the wild, we should go and comfort them temporarily."

Use the army to pacify and win people over with virtue, just like pacifying Luzhou.

When Zhao Kuangyin arrived at Dayi Town (now Dayi Town, Yizheng City, Jiangsu Province, northwest of Yangzhou), he received an urgent battle report (chizou) from the front line sent by Shi Shouxin: Boss, come quickly, don't miss the good show (the city will be broken at any time, you are here in person, and the city can be conquered with one blow)!

Zhao Kuangyin immediately gave up his rest and rushed to the front line. On the day he arrived at the city of Yangzhou, Yangzhou was conquered (he arrived at the city of Yangzhou and captured it on the same day).

It's that fast.

We may be able to get a glimpse of the reason why Li Chongjin's group collapsed so quickly from a small detail:

When the city was about to fall, Li Chongjin also chose to burn his entire family to death. At this time, his close associates advised him to kill Chen Sihui. Chen Sihui was the imperial envoy who came to deliver the red book and iron certificate. Li Chongjin had imprisoned him before. Li Chongjin smiled bitterly and said, "I will burn my entire family to death soon. What's the point of killing him?"

When a man is about to die, his words are good. Chen Sihui is just a courier boy. He has no grudge against me, Li Chongjin. He was ordered to convey the message that my rebellion has nothing to do with him, and the court's expedition has nothing to do with him.

After saying this, Li Chongjin sighed and then jumped into the sea of ​​fire. After Li Chongjin's death, his cronies disobeyed his will and killed Chen Sihui to vent their anger.

The death of Chen Sihui reflected the narrow-mindedness and short-sightedness of Li Chongjin's group. No wonder they suffered such a miserable defeat.

Zhao Kuangyin entered Yangzhou City and arrested hundreds of Li Chongjin's followers and sentenced them all to death. Li Chongjin's younger brother Li Chongzan and son Li Yanfu were also sentenced to death. Li Chongjin's older brother Li Chongxing committed suicide as soon as he heard Li Chongjin's official announcement of treason.

At this point, the two major cancers and hidden dangers in the early Song Dynasty - "the confluence of Yangzhou and Luzhou" - were completely crushed. When purging the remnants of the rebel party, the court also found a dangerous element - Zhang Chonggu, the governor of Zezhou. Zhang Chonggu, whose original name was Zhang Chongxun, changed his name to avoid taboos. During the period of Guo Wei, he served as the Privy Councilor, and later was sent out as the governor of Jiezhou and the salt envoy of Liangchi. He worked diligently and did an excellent job, and was awarded many commendations by the organization. During the period of Chai Rong, he was transferred to Dezhou, and later to Sizhou. Not long ago, he was transferred to Zezhou.

When Li Chongjin went to Yangzhou, he passed through Sizhou. Zhang Chonggu, the governor of Sizhou at that time, warmly entertained him and advised him to repair the armor and improve the city defense after arriving in Yangzhou. At that time, Chai Rong had not yet passed away, and Li Chongjin did not have too many other ideas. After Li Chongjin was defeated and burned himself, this story of Zhang Chonggu was also unearthed.

Now, Zhang Chonggu was the governor of Zezhou. The strategic significance of Zezhou was self-evident. His wavering political stance finally brought him the fate he deserved - death penalty and expropriation of all property. Expropriation of all property meant that all men would be enslaved and women would be maids.

As for the people of Yangzhou City, not only did they not suffer from liquidation, but they received relief from the court. Zhao Kuangyin gave each person one hu of rice, half the amount for children under ten years old. He also paid travel expenses to repatriate the Yangzhou soldiers who were forced to flee, and allowed them to return to their fields.

In short, the principle of "only punishing the main culprit and not questioning the rest" was implemented, and the Yangzhou crisis was successfully resolved.

A few days later, Li Jing, the emperor of Southern Tang, dispatched Yan Xu, a senior official (Zuo Pushe, equivalent to the prime minister, the head of all officials), to congratulate the Celestial Empire on its suppression of the civil strife. Five days later, he sent his eighth son, Li Congyi, to pay tribute and congratulate the pacification of Yangzhou, and then sent Feng Yanlu, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, to pay homage...

Many historical materials record that Li Jing sent his son "Duke Jiang Congjian" to the court, but Li Jing did not have a son named Li Congjian at all. This is another valuable part of this book.

There is a record in the "Ten Kingdoms Spring and Autumn Annals: Southern Tang: The Chronicle of Emperor Yuanzong", which reads "In the first year of Jianlong (960)... Duke Jiang followed Jianchao to the imperial court..."

"Continued Zizhi Tongjian" forwarded this record, and thus the false information spread.

The truth is actually very simple. This is a small typo in the "Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms". However, it has been changed in the later text. In the "Zongshi Zhuan", there is the following record:

"Congyi is the eighth son of Emperor Yuanzong (Li Jing)... He was initially granted the title of Duke of Shu, and later Duke of Jiang. When Emperor Taizu of Song went to fight against Li Chongjin, Congyi was ordered to go to the imperial court..."

"... and demoted the system to Jiang Guogong..."

It also notes that in the Old History of the Five Dynasties and Ma Ling's edition of the History of the Southern Tang, he was recorded as "Li Congyi", while in Lu You's edition of the History of the Southern Tang, the Remaining Chronicles of the Tang Dynasty, and the History of the Song Dynasty, he was recorded as "Li Congyi". Because "Li Congyi" has the same name as Li Siyuan's youngest son, this book also records him as "Li Congyi".

By the way, the Zizhi Tongjian, which Sima Guang edited after he smashed the jar, only records up to the sixth year of Xiande (959). The Sequel to Zizhi Tongjian, which was completed in the Qing Dynasty, followed closely, starting from the seventh year of Xiande (the first year of Jianlong, 960) and continuing to the Yuan Dynasty. As the second season of Zizhi Tongjian, it enjoys a high status in the historical community. Liang Qichao once praised this book, but its shortcomings are also very obvious. For example, it basically mechanically copies and pastes old historical materials. For example, the expression "Jiang Guogong from the mirror" in the above text is copied almost word for word. From this perspective, it is a hodgepodge of historical materials from various sources, with good and bad mixed together and no way to distinguish the true from the false.

After pacifying Yangzhou, Zhao Kuangyin adhered to the strategic idea of ​​"mountains pressing down on the top and rocks hitting the eggs", and the elite of the six divisions of the Song Dynasty gathered in Huainan. The pacification of Yangzhou was too easy and pleasant, and the elite soldiers of the six armies had not yet released their overflowing hormones.

Zhao Kuangyin looked at these passionate young men, and then looked at the rich but weak Southern Tang across the river. This temptation was simply too great, "Since we are here..."

Zhao Kuangyin inherited Chai Rong's ambition and took it as his responsibility to conquer the world. The separatist forces such as Shu, You, Jin, and Huai (Tang) must be unified, it is just a matter of time and method. However, Confucius said that haste makes waste. The "Battle of Gaoping" has taught Chai Rong enough lessons, and Zhao Kuangyin also learned from it. Therefore, after pacifying Luzhou, he did not continue the northern expedition to Taiyuan. Now that he is pacifying Yangzhou, will he be impulsive?

Yes, because no one can resist such temptation. But Zhao Kuangyin also retained some rationality when he was impulsive. He wanted to win the enemy without fighting and scare the Southern Tang into surrendering.

(End of this chapter)