History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 929: The King of Lost Country Liu Xiong
[Signs of national destruction]

"Math Problem"

It is said that there was a man named Zhou Jie who was good at astrology and divination. He passed the imperial examination during the reign of Emperor Mingzong of Later Tang and became an official in the court. He later calculated that there would be chaos in the Central Plains and that only Lingnan could provide shelter from the chaos, so he moved his family to Lingnan.

At that time, Lingnan was under the control of Liu Yin. Liu Yin had long heard of Zhou Jie's name, so he humbly asked him for advice on the way of heaven and disasters. Zhou Jie said that astrology, fortune-telling, and fortune-telling were all feudal superstitions and deceptions. The emperors and ministers of the Central Plains were ashamed of it, so you should not fall into the trap. Later, Liu Yin repeatedly requested, and Zhou Jie simply refused to come on the grounds of old age and physical weakness.

Liu Yan was not so polite. He forced him to come out of retirement and serve as the Southern Han Dynasty's astronomical supervisor, and forced him to calculate the Southern Han Dynasty's national life span. Zhou Jie had no choice but to use the Book of Changes to divination. He took two hexagrams and they were all "earth". So Zhou Jie helped Liu Yan explain that the number of earth gave birth to "five" and ended with "ten", and two and five were connected, so the Southern Han Dynasty should have a national life span of 550 years. Don't get entangled in the specific calculation method. In short, when Liu Yan heard that the Southern Han Dynasty could enjoy a country for 550 years, he was very pleased and rewarded Zhou Jie generously.

In fact, the two "earth" hexagrams mean fifty-five. From the founding of the country by Liu Yan to the surrender of Liu Xiong to the Song Dynasty, it was exactly fifty-five years.

"Liu Yanshi Prophecy"

Legend has it that after Liu Yan founded the country, when he was building a palace, he dug out a stone tablet with sixteen ancient seal characters engraved on it, which read "Everyone has one, every mountain is worth a cow, every rabbit eats silk and bones, and the sea inherits Liu."

Later, some people gave an explanation. "Everyone has one" means "adult"; "mountains are worth the ox", Liu Yan founded the country in the year of the Ox; "rabbit silk", Liu Hongxi ascended the throne in the year of the Rabbit; "swallowing bones" refers to Liu Hongxi's massacre of his brothers; "covering the sea", the ancient Lingnan people took Tianshui as their surname Zhao, and covering the sea means "Zhao"; "accepting Liu" means accepting Liu's surrender.

"Fireproof barrel"

During the reign of Emperor Liu Yan, an order was issued that every household must have a bucket for firefighting, and it was named the "fire-proof bucket."

Later, some people made up a story and said that "Song is the dividing line between Fang and Xin" was stated in "Han Shu·Geography". "Fang" represents Song, and "Fang" and "Fang" are homophones, and "Tong" and "Tong" are homophones, so "Fireproof Bucket" indicates that the Zhao Song Dynasty will unify Lingnan.

"Children's songs become prophecies"

During the time of Liu Xiong, a nursery rhyme was popular in Guangzhou: "Sheep head two or four, rain will come during the day."

The interpreter says that the day when Song’s army entered the city was February 4th of the Xinwei year, and the rain from the sky refers to the fact that Wang’s army came like timely rain to rescue the people of Lingnan.

The ancients believed in the connection between heaven and man, and believed that extraordinary people would have visions. Whether it was the birth of an emperor or the change of dynasties, it would always be accompanied by various supernatural phenomena or various magical prophecies and prophecies. After all, it is hindsight, first shoot the arrow, then draw the target, it can always explain it.

Especially for these so-called nursery rhymes, I carefully recalled the nursery rhymes I heard when I was a child, and it seemed that they were all vulgar insults. For example, someone's head was like a ball, and it would hit the department store when kicked...

【Happy and forgetful】

People have different feelings towards the kings who lost their country. Some make people feel sorry for them, and sigh "They are not the kings who lost their country, but they are destined to lose their country". Some make people admire them, such as choosing to die for their country at the last moment, or committing suicide or throwing themselves into a ring, or the most retro way is to burn the whole family to death, leaving behind the sad song of "the king dies for the country". Some make people despise them, and curse them for their own evil deeds and deserve to die. Some make people laugh and make themselves a joke...

The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period was undoubtedly a period of high productivity for kings who lost their country, and the Song Dynasty became the final destination of the kings who lost their country. Liu Yan, the king of the Southern Han Dynasty, did not forget to bring his eccentric temperament to Bianzhou.

"Destroyed National Temperament"

Liu Xiong grew up in the imperial palace and was deeply influenced by his father and grandfather's love of luxury. He had a high level of attainment in art appreciation. Over time, Liu Xiong became a top art master who was delayed by being an emperor. Although the palace buildings and various treasures were burned before surrendering, there were still 46 jars of pearls left. The gold, silver and jewelry of dozens of large ships were stolen by eunuchs, and all the palace treasuries were burned down... There were still 46 jars of pearls left, which shows the extravagance and corruption of Liu Xiong's pseudo-dynasty.

Liu Xiong used these pearls to weave a "Pearl Dragon Nine-Five Saddle" and presented it to Zhao Kuangyin.

The emperor and his ministers of the Song Dynasty held this saddle made of pearls and decorated with dragons playing with pearls, and could not help but sigh at the exquisite craftsmanship. Zhao Kuangyin showed this saddle to the royal craftsmen (the various craftsmen), and the royal craftsmen were "all shocked", saying that this was definitely the ceiling of the industry, and there was no one like it. Zhao Kuangyin asked them to help estimate the price. The craftsmen finally estimated it to be 1.5 million. Zhao Kuangyin then paid Liu Cong 1.5 million coins, and then warned his ministers: "Liu Cong likes craftsmanship, and it has become a habit. If he used this energy to govern the country, how could he have lost the country!"

The Pearl Dragon Nine-Five Saddle has since become a living teaching aid in the Song Dynasty’s royal ideological education classes.

"Tyrant temperament"

One day, Zhao Kuangyin rode on a sedan chair and accompanied by dozens of followers to the Lecture Hall, where he studied and discussed as usual and feasted with his ministers. Liu Cong was the most active and was the first to report. Zhao Kuangyin was very happy and ordered someone to give him a cup of imperial wine to show his favor.

However, Liu Xiong, who was holding the wine glass, was trembling all over and crying.

How could I be so moved?

Liu Xiong lifted his clothes and knelt down, crying, "I inherited the foundation of two generations of my father and grandfather, but because I disobeyed the order and resisted the court, the king's teacher punished me, and I deserve death! Since your majesty has promised to spare my life, I dare not ask for anything more. I just hope to be an ordinary citizen of Bianzhou and live in peace and prosperity for a few more years... I really don't dare to drink this wine!"

It turned out that Liu Xiong was suspicious of the royal family and ministers in Lingnan, and often poisoned the ministers' clansmen by giving them poisoned wine, so he subconsciously thought that Zhao Kuangyin also wanted to get rid of him with poisoned wine.

Zhao Kuangyin laughed and said, "I am speaking to you from the bottom of my heart, how can I be so dirty? Come, bring the wine." Then, Zhao Kuangyin drank the cup of imperial wine in one gulp, and then ordered someone to pour him another cup, "Do you believe it now?"

Liu Xiong felt very ashamed. He kowtowed several times and then drank it all in one gulp.

"Bar owner temperament"

In the early years of Emperor Taizong of Song, he summoned all his ministers to a banquet. At that time, Emperor Taizong was planning to attack the Northern Han and eliminate the last separatist regime in the Central Plains.

Liu Xiong held up the wine glass and said, "Your Majesty is wise, the Celestial Empire is mighty, and all the usurpers are sitting here today. I believe Liu Jiyuan will soon meet you in Taiyuan. Your Majesty, don't forget that I am the first one to come here. Everything has a first come first served system, and I should be the leader of the usurpers!" (I am the first to come here, and I wish to hold the staff and be the leader of the surrendered kings of all the countries)

This drinking party was held in 979. In addition to him, the "pretentious rulers present" mentioned by Liu Yan included Qian Hongchu of Wuyue State and Chen Hongjin of Quanzhou. Before the surrender of Southern Han, the Song Dynasty destroyed Jingnan, Southern Chu and Hou Shu. However, Gao Jichong of Jingnan and Meng Chang of Hou Shu had both passed away, and Zhou Baoquan of Southern Chu was sent to the local area. After the surrender of Southern Han, the separatist forces of Southern Tang, Wuyue State and Qingyuan Army of Quanzhou were destroyed, among which Li Yu, the last ruler of Southern Tang, had also passed away.

So Liu Xiong said with great pride that he was "the first to come to the court", much more obedient than Qian Hongchu and Chen Hongjin. And our "Usurper Friends Circle" only lacks one Northern Han Liu Jiyuan, who will come in a few days. He will come the latest, so Your Majesty must let me be the moderator of the "Usurper Bar".

In fact, we will talk about it later. Qian Hongchu was also very well behaved, but he was still shocked by Liu Xian's shameless face. Shameless, even more shameless than Liu Chan who was happy in Shu!

Emperor Taizong Zhao Guangyi was so pleased with Liu Cong's flattery that he immediately rewarded him handsomely.

In the fifth year of Taiping Xingguo (780), Liu Xiong died in Bianzhou at the age of 39 due to illness, ending his wonderful and short life and leaving us prematurely.

After Liu Xiong surrendered to the Song Dynasty, he was first granted the title of Enshe Marquis, then Duke of Pengcheng County, and then Duke of Weiguo. When the bad news came, Emperor Taizong of Song suspended court for three days for him, posthumously awarded him the title of Grand Tutor, posthumously granted him the title of King of Nanyue, and buried him in Hushan, Shaozhou. Because Liu Xiong was posthumously granted the title of King of Nanyue, people renamed Hushan as Yuewang Mountain.

Thanks to my old friend “Da Ma Hu 22” for the monthly ticket support!

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(End of this chapter)