History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 870 All Good Things Must Come to an End 6
2.3 Bai Chongzan

This gentleman was also a Shatuo person. He joined the army since he was young and was quite brave. He was highly valued during the Later Han Dynasty and was promoted to a mid-level general of the imperial army (the commander of the Guardian Saint Army). When he was attacking Li Shouzhen in Hezhong, Bai Chongzan was the commander of the vanguard army (the commander of the vanguard army in the camp).

In the "Battle of Gaoping", He Hui and Fan Aineng fled from the battlefield, but Bai Chongzan and Li Chongjin held their ground and fought desperately. After the war, he was rewarded for his merits and promoted to Jiedushi of Baoda Army. At the beginning of the "Three Expeditions to Huainan", Bai Chongzan led his troops to garrison Yingzhou, controlling the vital throat of Huainan.

In the early Song Dynasty, he was promoted to Inspecting Grand Tutor and moved to Jingzhou, and later to Xuzhou and Tongzhou.

In the second year of Kaibao (969), in the "Releasing Military Power with a Cup of Wine" 2.0, he reluctantly handed over his military power and was granted the title of General of the Left Thousand Bull Guard. In the following year (970), he passed away in infinite reluctance and depression at the age of 62.

There was no posthumous title or honor bestowal, no posthumous name, and no record of his achievements among his descendants.

2.4 Yang Tingzhang

Guo Wei's brother-in-law, his sister is Guo Wei's Consort Yang Shufei.

During the Later Jin Dynasty, Liu Zhiyuan was in charge of Hedong. Guo Wei had already been highly valued by Liu Zhiyuan, and Guo Wei also began to regard his brother-in-law Yang Tingzhang as his confidant.

Later, during the major events of Guo Wei's campaign against Li Shouzhen in Hezhong and the "Chanzhou Mutiny", Yang Tingzhang repeatedly offered brilliant strategies, which earned him great respect. Guo Wei then placed him in Chanzhou to assist his adopted son Chai Rong.

When Chai Rong went to Beijing to report on his work, he praised Yang Tingzhang's talents to Guo Wei.

At that time, Shi Yi, the governor of Jingzhou, claimed to be ill and did not attend the court. He had other intentions in mind. Guo Wei sent Yang Tingzhang to urge him to attend the court. Before he left, he secretly told Shi Yi to kill him if he hesitated! When Yang Tingzhang arrived in Jingzhou, he dismissed his attendants and showed Shi Yi the imperial edict summoning him to the court. He explained the pros and cons to Shi Yi and told him about the consequences. Shi Yi burst into tears and said, "Brother, I was wrong!" He left for the capital that day.

While Yang Tingzhang was waiting for further instructions from the court in Jingzhou, the court received the bad news: Guo Wei had passed away. According to records, Yang Tingzhang "vomited blood and refused to eat for several days."

After Chai Rong ascended the throne, he let his uncle stay in Jinzhou to contain the Northern Han. Yang Tingzhang made many outstanding achievements in the town. Chai Rong was so excited that he shouted "My uncle is really good at resisting the invaders" and issued an edict to praise him.

During the period of Chai Rong, he was given the title of Inspector Taibao; during the period of Chai Zongxun, he was given the title of Inspector Taifu; and in the early Song Dynasty, he was given the title of Inspector Taiwei.

Yang Tingzhang had been in charge of Jinzhou for many years and had a good reputation. The officials and people jointly submitted a petition, requesting that a monument be erected to commemorate his merits. When Li Yun of Luzhou was plotting a rebellion, he wrote a wax ball to invite Yang Tingzhang to join him in the rebellion against the Song Dynasty. Yang Tingzhang tied up the messenger and sent him to Bianzhou along with the wax ball letter, and attached his strategy for conquering Luzhou.

After Luzhou was pacified, he moved his garrison to Bingzhou and Fuzhou.

In the "Release of Military Power with a Cup of Wine" in the second year of Kaibao, he was awarded the title of "General of the Right Thousand Oxen Guard". In the fourth year of Kaibao, he also died in infinite resentment and resentment at the age of 60, and was given pieces of silk.

As analyzed in the previous article, as Guo Wei's brother-in-law, Chai Rong's uncle, and Chai Zongxun's great-uncle, Yang Tingzhang was not trusted by Zhao Kuangyin. Even though Yang Tingzhang took the initiative to hand over the wax ball letter of the Luzhou rebels, Zhao Kuangyin was still worried about him. He moved his capital from Jinzhou (now Linfen City, Shanxi Province) to Binzhou (in the northwest of Chang'an, near Bin County, Shaanxi Province today), and then to Fuzhou (now Fu County, Shaanxi Province), gradually moving away from the political core area and developing the Northwest.

Another thing that can better illustrate Zhao Kuangyin's vigilance against Yang Tingzhang is that after Li Yun of Luzhou was pacified, Zhao Kuangyin sent Jing Hanru to Jinzhou to monitor Yang Tingzhang, and secretly told Jing Hanru that if he found any suspiciousness in Yang Tingzhang, he should be executed first and then reported. As mentioned in the previous article, Jing Hanru did not find any suspiciousness in Yang Tingzhang in the end, and was convinced by Yang Tingzhang's personality charm and canceled the assassination plan. At that time, people said that the reason why Yang Tingzhang was saved in Jinzhou was all because of his Yinde who saved Shi Yi in Bingzhou. Under the blow of "Release Military Power with a Cup of Wine" 2.0, Yang Tingzhang finally woke up. When the court asked him what kind of organization he wanted to seek for his descendants, Yang Tingzhang shook his head and refused. What virtue and ability did he have to let his sons and daughters be idle? Forget it.

Yang Tingzhang had seven sons. Yang Tingzhang did not seek official positions for them, but recommended his nephew An Chongxun to the court to help him enter the system and become a Western Head Official. An Chongxun was Yang Tingzhang's nephew, and he also had another identity - the son of An Zhonghui, an important official of the Later Tang Dynasty.

Among the seven sons, Yang Tan and Yang Xun passed the imperial examination and became deputy commissioner of salt and iron and doctor of the capital respectively. The official positions of these two sons had nothing to do with "releasing military power with a cup of wine". They passed the imperial examination and became officials based on their own abilities.

"Releasing Military Power with a Cup of Wine" was the clarion call for a series of reforms to strengthen centralization during the Song Dynasty. It became the epitome and representative of this reform due to its gentle and romantic interpretation. It was precisely because of the success of this series of reforms that the Song Dynasty did not repeat the mistakes of the Five Dynasties. More details about this reform will be presented in the following special topic.

Zhao Kuangyin seized the country from the Chai family, inherited Chai Rong's mantle, and basically fulfilled Chai Rong's last wish. After the establishment of the Song Dynasty, it took less than a year to eliminate the two time bombs of Li Yun of Luzhou and Li Chongjin of Yangzhou. Then, he further improved on the basis of Chai Rong's reform of strengthening centralization, making the emerging Song Dynasty full of vitality.

During this period, Zhao Kuangyin suffered from insomnia more than once. In the dead of night, he would always stand alone in front of the map silently. You, Jin, Shu, Jing, Chu, Guangdong and Guangxi, Jiangnan, Liangzhe... How should the road to unification begin?

During the period of Chai Rong, the strategist Wang Pu gave the strategic guidance of "first easy and then difficult, first south and then north". Except for You and Jin, they are all in the south, and except for You and Jin, they all seem to be "easy".

In April of the third year of Jianlong (962), Zhao Kuangyin carried out a large-scale military deployment:

Zhao Kuangzan was appointed as the military governor of Zhangwu Army in Yanzhou, and was granted the privilege of "acting at his own discretion"; Dong Zunhui guarded Huanzhou, "Wang Jianer" Wang Yansheng guarded Yuanzhou, and Feng Jiye was stationed in Lingwu - to prepare for the Western Xia;
Li Hanchao stationed in Guannan, the "national archer" Ma Renyu guarded Yingzhou, Han Lingkun was stationed in Zhenzhou, He Weizhong guarded Yizhou, and He Jiyun guarded Dizhou - to resist the Khitan;
Guo Jin controlled Xishan, Wu Shouqi guarded Jinzhou, Li Qianpu guarded Xizhou, and Li Jixun sat in Luzhou - to defend against Taiyuan.

These 13 generals built a new Great Wall for the Song Empire, keeping a close eye on the three strategic imaginary enemies of the Song Dynasty in the north: Xiazhou, Northern Han, and Khitan.

In June, Zhao Kuangyin sent his trusted confidant, Privy Councilor Wu Yanzuo, to Qinzhou to serve as the military governor of Qinzhou. The day before the decree was issued, Zhao Kuangyin privately talked to Wu Yanzuo and explained the reason for his "exile": There is a Xiyang Town in the northwest of Qinzhou, which used to be Fuqiang County. It was forcibly occupied by the Tibetans after the "Anshi Rebellion" because there was an oasis there and it produced rare wood. Now the Tibetans have made a comeback and are fighting with us again. I am going south to use troops. I don't want to have a conflict with the Tibetans in the northwest. This matter is of great importance. Only you can see through the pros and cons and handle it properly, so I let you go, not to send you out of the country, please don't misunderstand.

Zhao Kuangyin gave them considerable power, including military power and financial power. For example, they had the monopoly of local salt, iron, and wine, and were allowed to "smuggle" and exempted from almost all taxes...

These generals lived up to expectations. Although they were unable to directly participate in the subsequent war of unification, they devoted all their loyalty and wisdom to firmly guard the northern defense line for the Song Dynasty and solved the worries of their comrades who went south.

After arranging the affairs in the north, Zhao Kuangyin had to concentrate on conquering the southern vassal states. Who should he start with?

Opportunities always come to those who are prepared. In October of this year (962), Hunan suddenly submitted a petition for help, saying that there was a traitor among them and requested the Celestial Empire to send down heavenly soldiers and generals to eliminate the rebels.

Zhao Kuangyin slapped his thigh and said, "God help me!"

(End of this chapter)