Only three years later, after Tang Zhuangzong李存勖(xù) fell from the peak to the trough, turning a script of the pride of heaven into a tragedy of Yiyu's death.
Ease and enjoyment is not the nature of Li Cunxu.
On the contrary, he grew up between the military and horses since he was a child. He inherited his father’s will at the critical juncture of the survival of the Jin army, and helped the Guangsha generals. After fifteen years, he tried all the hardships, and he was shameless. But his father, Li Ke, used the three arrows of his last wish.
Success and failure are fleeting, and all these are not contradictory.
▲ Portrait of Li Cunxu.
1
In the first month of the second year of Kaiping (908), the spring is cold and the king of Jin is seriously ill. 李克用 has run out of time.
In the last few years of his life, Li Keyong's career is suffering an unprecedented blow.
朱温, who fought with Li Keyong for more than 20 years, marched into Guanzhong, held the emperor, and sent troops twice to Li Keyong's base in Hedong (present-day Shanxi), and his troops came to Jinyang city. The situation of Liang Jin hegemony reversed, and Li Keyong was at a disadvantage.
When Liang Jun attacked in a big way, Li Ke used day and night to climb the city, worrying about food, and almost fleeing to the desert. In the following years, Zhu Wen defeated Tang and proclaimed himself emperor, but Li Keyong was unable to compete with him.
On the other side, Jiedushi 刘仁贡 took advantage of the fire and betrayed the big brother Li Keyong.
Liu Rengong has always used the grudge between Li Keyong and Zhu Wen to settle in Youzhou, but against Liang and Jin. Every time he was attacked by Zhu Wen, he humbled his attitude to ask for help from Li Keyong. After Zhu Wen retired, he released himself again. He was also a capricious villain.
When Li Ke used the dispatched envoy to ask for help, Liu Rengong was ungrateful. Instead of sending troops to help, he read the letter and spoke harshly at the same time and detained the Hedong envoy.
Li Ke could not swallow this bad breath and sent troops to attack Youzhou. As a result, he encountered heavy fog in Papayajian and was ambushed by Youzhou Army. He almost became a prisoner of Liu Rengong.
Under the rule of Liu Rengong, Youzhou is miasma. All men in the territory were requisitioned as soldiers and tattooed on their faces to prevent escape. The history book said that there were only women and young children in Lulong who had no tattoos on their faces.
His own concubine also commits adultery with his son 刘守光. After the incident, Liu Shouguang, who was demoted to another place, kept doing nothing, and led the troops to kick his father down and imprison him in the city. From then on, Lu Longzhen fell into Liu Shouguang's hands.
Another confidant of Li Keyong in his old age is 契丹.
During the conflict between Liang and Jin, 耶律阿保机, who was later pursued as Taizu of the Liao Dynasty, fought everywhere, expedition to Shiwei and Jurchen to the east, and invaded Hedong many times. Later, he reached an alliance agreement with Li Keyong. For brothers.
Li Keyong once drank and drank in the tent with A Baoji, and they met and attacked Liang Jun: "The Tang Dynasty was usurped by thieves, and I want to fight against Zhu thieves. My brother can lead a fine ride of 20,000 yuan, and the same Luo." Abaoji agreed, leaving three thousand horses as a gift, still like an honest man.
But when Zhu Wen proclaimed the emperor and his power reached its peak, Abaoji abandoned the covenant he had with Li Ke, and in turn cooperated with Zhu Wen, and asked Liang Fengbiao to be his subject, requesting canonization.
Li Keyong was very indignant, he only hated himself for falling into the Pingyang, and he could no longer lead the Shatuo cavalry to break through the Khitan.
2
Before his death, Li Ke left three arrows to entrust his son on the side of the sickbed 李存勖:
One arrow to ask Liu Rengong, you will not go to Youzhou, Henan is unavailable; he hit the Khitan with a single shot, and said that Abaoji and I are allied with each other and become brothers.
On the occasion of the dying, Li Keyong shouted: "If you can become my will, you will die without regret!"
Li Cunxu, who was only 23 years old, took the instruction of his father and enshrined the three arrows in the family temple. Every time he went out, he ordered people to take them down and put them in the kits.
Li Cunxu sits in front of Hedong, and what he receives is a riddled mess. Not only can he not be a profligate second-generation rich, he may even ruin his family property if he is not careful.
Hou Liang Bing is strong and strong, and Lien Chan wins back and forth. 康怀英 led by Liang Jun built a high wall to form a "jiacheng" and besieged Luzhou (now Changzhi, Shanxi) for nearly a year.
If Luzhou is lost, Hedong will not be protected.
Li Cunxu summoned the generals of the Jin army and said: "Zhu Wen has always been afraid of the princes. He heard that I am succeeding. He must think that I am unfamiliar with the army and will be proud and slack. If we lead the soldiers to attack , By surprise, it will surely break the enemy force. To achieve prestige and determine the hegemony, in this one move, it is not to be lost.”
In April of that year, Li Cunxue personally led his army to the south and set up camp in northern Luzhou.
Before dawn, there was heavy fog. Li Cunxue led an army to ambush at 三垂岗. In the morning, he went straight to the Jiacheng built by Liangjun and took the lead in attacking. After that, the Houtang army divided into three groups, waved the flag and beat the drum, and cut off the Jiacheng built by the back beam.
In the melee, after the Sha Tuo soldiers of the Shanxi Army killed more than 10,000 Liang soldiers, Kang Huaiying was in chaos and fled with only a hundred of his own soldiers.
The battle report was passed to Kaifeng, and Zhu Wen was terrified and sighed: "Birth is like Li Cunxuan, Li will not die! My sons are just pigs and dogs."
Li Cunxue's solution to the siege of Luzhou was a turning point in Liang and Jin's struggle for hegemony. After being suppressed by the back beam for many years, the Jin army finally fought a turnaround.
Twenty years ago in this battle, the triumphant Li Keyong once set up a wine meeting in Sanchuigang and ordered the actors to chant the "Hundred Years Song" by Lu Ji of the Western Jin Dynasty.
This group of poems is about the joys and sorrows of a person from childhood to old age. When the actor sang a section describing aging in the poem, the song was very sad, and the crowd was a little sad.
Li Ke stroked his beard, pointed at the young Li Cunxu beside him, smiled and said: "I am going to be old, but my son must be Qier. In twenty years, can he replace me in this battle? ?"
Yu Ruyi commanded suave, everyone was shocked; Jin Guoluo was dripping and he was not drunk in a thousand cups.
The legend of Sanchuigang has left endless reveries for later generations of scholars.
Twenty years later, Li Cunxu's revenge battle started from Sanchuigang.
▲ Portrait of Li Cunxu.
3
After returning to Jinyang, Li Cunxu worked hard and ordered to recruit talents, deprive the disabled, lenient rents, treat the poor, seek justice, and prohibit rape. Pirate .
He personally trained the troops, strictly enforced military discipline, trained the soldiers, ordered the cavalry not to ride the horses without seeing the enemy, and the soldiers must not go beyond the established plan of action. Anyone who violates it will be cut. Later historians believe that the reason for Li Cunxue's strong military power is in "Skilled Soldier Finishing" .
This is the most motivated time of Li Cunxu's life. Perhaps, a person only knows to let go when he has nothing. After
implemented the reform, Li Cunxu’s first arrow was aimed at Liu Rengong and his son in Youzhou.
In the first year of Qianhua (911), Liu Shouguang, who occupied Youzhou, called himself Emperor Dayan.
Liu Shouguang was cruel by nature. The people of Youzhou were dissatisfied with his reign of terror and fled south on a large scale. Every time prisoners are tortured, Liu Shouguang often detains them in iron cages, roasts them on a fire, or brushes their faces with iron brushes. If someone persuaded him to stop him, he would order him to kill him.
It can be seen that this person is a psychopath.
Even so, Liu Shouguang still arrogantly arrogantly provoked Zhu Wen: "My Dayan is 2,000 miles away, and I have 300,000 armors. There is fish and salt in the east, and Saimaa in the north. I am the emperor in the south. Who can be better than me!"
After Liu Shouguang became emperor, Li Cunxu laughed: " Evil is not enough to destroy the body. As the saying goes, if you want to take it, you must first. Now Liu Shouguang is arrogant. How many catties and how many taels?" In order to encourage his arrogance, Li Cunxu also persuaded Liu Shouguang to respect Liu Shouguang as his "shang father".
Liu Shouguang is too floating, he doesn't put Li Cunxu in his eyes at all, he is ready to start a decisive battle with the back beam.
Li Cunxu knew that Big Fish had taken the bait and sent General Zhou Dewei to attack Youzhou with 30,000 troops. Liu Shouguang was still immersed in the emperor's dream, and he was vulnerable to a surprise attack by the Jin army. In less than two years, the city of Youzhou was broken and the Liu group was destroyed.
Liu Shouguang begged Li Cunxu for mercy several times, but had no choice but to stumble and escape outside the city. He hadn't eaten for a few days, and was later discovered while begging for food from the villagers and escorted the Jin army. Li Cunxu escorted Liu Rengong, Liu Shouguang and his son to Yanmen to be executed in honor of Li Keyong.
Youzhou is adjacent to Jin to the west and to the rear beam to the south. After capturing Yandi, Li Cunxu relieved his worries.
4
The second arrow left by Li Ke was the crusade against Khitan.
Li Cunxu did not immediately become an enemy of the Khitan in following the early days of King Jin. Instead, he avoided two-line combat, sent envoys and bribed Khitan, and asked Abaoji to send troops to rescue Luzhou.
A Baoji was also deceived by Li Cunxu and promised to be rescued by his teacher. He said: "I and the first king are brothers, and my son is my son. I would rather have a father than help my son!" Because of Li Cunxu's humble attitude, Hedong and Khitan's The relationship did not continue to deteriorate, but he never forgot Abaoji's treachery.
After capturing the Hebei region, Li Cunxu finally had a chance to fight the Khitan.
In the first year of Longde (921), a civil strife broke out in Chengde, one of the three towns in Hebei. The general 张文礼 rebelled, and Li Cunxu led his troops to crusade. Zhang Wenli asked Qidan for help in order to protect himself.
Yiding Jiedushi 王处直, who is dependent on Chengde’s lips and teeth 王处直, for fear that Li Cunxu would take advantage of the situation to seize the land, he also sent his son to ask Khitan to go south for rescue, and shamelessly said to Abaoji: "Zhenzhou ( (Now Zhengding, Hebei) The beauty is like a cloud and the golden silk is like a mountain. Please hurry and seize it. Otherwise, it will be owned by the King of Jin.”
These Hebei towns did not hesitate to attract Khitan because of disputes over interests. A Baoji has been coveting the land of Hebei for a long time. After receiving two requests for help, he naturally led his army to the south and captured Zhuozhou, besieged Youzhou, and approached Yi and Ding.
Li Cunxu learned that Khitan crossed the Yishui River in the south, without fear, and inspiring the military: "The king does things, his own way of heaven, how is the Khitan like me!" He went to Dingzhou (now Baoding, Hebei) , At war with the Khitan army.
This battle was quite fierce. Li Cunxu took the lead and personally acted as a striker in a fierce battle with the Khitan army. He was even besieged for a time and still did not retreat. The Jin army fought fiercely, and several times defeated more with less. Some historical sources also said that the Jin army captured Abaoji's son during the battle.
coincided with the heavy snow in the rear of Khitan, and countless people died from freezing. A Baoji knew that Li Cunxu could not take advantage of it, so he had to retreat to the north and did not dare to commit a crime south.
On the way back from defeat, A Baoji pointed to the sky and sighed: "The sky has not brought me here."
5
Li Cunxu's biggest opponent is the back beam.
It was Zhu Wen who came from behind that made it difficult for Li Ke to use his lofty aspirations, and it was the army of Houliang who besieged the city that made Li Ke die with worry.
Liang Jin’s battle for hegemony for forty years will be ended by Li Cunxu himself.
In the first year of Zhenming (915), Wei Bojiedushi, who had repeatedly frustrated the Jin army for the rear beam, died of illness 杨师厚.
Weibo Town has been known for its strength in the land since the late Tang Dynasty. Zhu Wen’s son, Houliang Modi 朱友贞 came up with a wonderful idea to weaken Weibo’s forces. After Yang Shihou's death, Houliang divided Wei Bo into two, respectively governing Weizhou (now Handan, Hebei) and Xiangzhou (now Anyang, Henan).
Wei Bo’s generals are inherited from father and son. Several generations have served as soldiers in the local area. They are reluctant to move. They have refused to divide the town, launched a mutiny in a rage, and asked Li Cunxu to be their master.
Previously, the Liang and Jin armies had been fighting around the banks of the Yellow River for a long time. Upon hearing the news, Li Cunxun acted decisively and led his army to take Weizhou. Since then, Liang lost the Hebei barrier and retreated to the south bank of the Yellow River. The capital of Bianjing was completely under threat from the Jin army, and the situation on both sides reversed again.
The Liang and Jin armies, who had not been grieving, launched the final fierce battle. In the fourth year of Zhenming (918), Li Cunxu led a 100,000 army southward and marched to Hu Liupi. The two sides fought bloody battles. In a few days, each lost two-thirds of his soldiers and horses. The corpses were all over the field.
Inside the Houliang regime, Zhu Youzhen is already exhausted to guard against his brothers who are in the same room. He was afraid that his brothers would follow his example of killing his elder brother Zhu Yougui to succeed him, staying deep in the palace, clinging to the throne, and being hysterical all day long.
Zhu Wen’s sons were so popular for the throne. Zhu Youzhen’s younger brother 朱友兹 took advantage of the opportunity of his brother’s beloved concubine Zhang to assassinate Zhu Youzhen in the middle of the night. But the assassin's business ability was too good, and he was awakened before he started, and Zhu Youzhen quickly counter-killed him.
After Zhu Youzi's conspiracy was revealed, Zhu Youzhen further distanced himself from his clan brothers. From then on, he only trusted Zhu Wen's son-in-law Zhao Yan and Defei Zhang's family, allowing them to control the government and separate the generals. He did nothing.
Power is an addictive poison. Li Cunxu will not know that he will be poisoned by this one day.
In the third year of Longde (923 years), the politically dim Back Liang had already lost the heart of the people. Li Cunxu seized the opportunity to proclaim the emperor and found the country in Weizhou, playing the banner of reviving the Tang Dynasty, historically known as 后唐.
The rear beam is like an out of control train, madly driving towards the end of fate.
In the second month after Li Cunxu proclaimed his emperor, the Houli Liang Yunzhou defender surrendered to Hotang and informed the Yunzhou defenders that they were dissatisfied with a thousand people and the generals were no longer popular. Li Cunxu attacked Yunzhou and opened the door to Bianjing.
The area from Yunzhou to Bianjing is hardly guarded by heavy soldiers, and Li Cunxu's army is decimating and dying.
In the entire rear beam, only the famous general named "Wang Tieqiang" 王彦章 successfully intercepted the army of Hou Tang, and broke the city occupied by Hou Tang several times.
Can be on the verge of destruction, Zhu Youzhen actually listened to the slander, and when the war ahead was urgent, he called Wang Yanzhang back. It was not until Li Cunxue came to the city of Bianjing that Wang Yanzhang was called to protect him.
Wang Yanzhang was over sixty years old at that time. He knew that he would lose, but he went out of the city to meet the enemy. After being seriously injured, he was captured by the Later Tang Dynasty.
Li Cunxu knew Wang Yanzhang's prestige and sent people to persuade the veteran to surrender.
Wang Yanzhang refused: "Today I am defeated and poor, and there is always a chance to die. Even if the emperor does not kill me, how can I see people in Wang Yanzhang! Besides, as a courtier, how can I be a courtier and be promoted? ??" After saying that he went to death generously, he responded to the phrase he loves to say on weekdays, "Leopards die and leave their names" .
The desperate Zhu Youzhen hid in the palace, and found that his seal had been stolen by the eunuch, and he dedicated it to the later Tang to ask for credit.
The discouraged Zhu Youzhen summoned the imperial army general Huangfulin into the palace and gave him an order: "I and the Jin people are enemies for generations, and can't wait for them to kill me. You kill me, don't let me fall In the hands of the enemy.”
Huang Fulin cried with the emperor, and after killing Zhu Youzhen, he also drew his sword and killed himself.
Back beam, perish.
So far, Li Cunxu seized Hebei, North Khitan, and South Hou Liang. It took 15 years and basically realized the three last wishes left by his father.
In the heyday of the Later Tang Dynasty, the northern towns were unified, the seashore in the east, Longyou in the west, and even the Qianshu was conquered afterwards. The southern countries also regarded the Later Tang as Zhengshuo.
At this time, the Later Tang Dynasty has the widest territory in the history of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, and it is difficult to meet an opponent for a while. Li Cunxu is undoubtedly the figure closest to dominating the world.
History, but made a big joke.
6
It is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to change from luxury to frugality.
According to his father's last wish, Li Cunxu defeated the three opponents, thus losing his life goal and plunged into the comfort zone trap. Since then, drunk life and dream of death, never wake up again.
From decay to revival, Li Cunxu walked for 15 years, from the peak to fall, he only took 3 years.
Li Cunxu led soldiers to fight for a while, but when he became an emperor, he cared more not about how to be a good emperor, but how to be comfortable when he became an emperor.
After Li Cunxu set up his capital in Luoyang, he restored the old system of the Tang Dynasty. He even copied the eunuch system that had harmed the Tang Dynasty for many years, and appointed eunuchs as deacons in the palace and supervising the army.
The killing of eunuchs was one of the rare deeds of Zhu Wen when he usurped the Tang Dynasty. Zhu Wen once combined with court officials to carry out a devastating attack on the eunuchs, and at one time only a few dozen eunuchs were left to sweep the courtyard. But Li Cunxu invited these eunuchs back to the palace.
After being reused, the eunuch did his best to flatter Li Cunxu.
At that time, Li Cunxue had just moved into the old palace room of the Tang Dynasty, and the concubines in the harem were not yet complete. The eunuch complied with Li Cunxu's wishes and said that there were more than 10,000 people in the harem of the Tang Dynasty, but now the house is empty and there are often ghosts and things in the palace, so we should find more people to enrich the harem.
Li Cunxu heard it, it makes sense. Maybe he loves the North American women more, and sent people to Yecheng to collect more than 1,000 beautiful women into the palace. The wife and daughter of Sergeant Yecheng heard about the incident and ran away in fright. Thousands of people ran away, but there were still thousands of Yecheng women who were loaded in cars and sent to Luoyang.
The eunuch also persuaded Li Cunxu to use the wealth contributed by the generals as the expenses of the emperor’s cruise, or to reward his relatives.
Li Cunxue obeyed the eunuch's suggestion, searched for wealth, he was reluctant to spend money to reward the army, and even killed the general 郭崇韬, so that the soldiers who contributed to Later Tangli lived in poverty and complained.
Li Keyong Yizi, Houtang Dajiang 李曦源, it is precisely to seize the dissatisfaction of Li Cunxu in the army to brew a rebellion that pushes Li Cunxu into the abyss.
Li Cunxu not only favored the eunuchs, but also recruited a large number of corrupt officials who came from the noble clans in the late Tang Dynasty.
唐朝旧臣苏贯, is a villain who sells for glory.
Before Zhu Wen proclaimed the emperor, Su Xun helped him to pull the Tang dynasty off the horse, and he was called "Tang Zhixiao, the current fox charm" .
After the Tang Dynasty destroyed the Liang Dynasty, Su Xun met Li Cunxu to congratulate the emperor of the Tang Dynasty. At that time, no one of the civil and military officials used court congratulations, but Su Xun was the first to respect Li Cunxu as Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. Li Cunxu couldn't help but look overjoyed.
The next day, Su Xun did not know where to find 30 large pens, claiming that it was a "painting pen", which was exclusively used by the emperor of the Tang Dynasty and dedicated it to Li Cunxu.
Su Xun's level of flattering can be described as perfect. Li Cunxu was happy, and Xu Yi was a high-ranking official.
Seeing that Li Cunxu recruited the old officials of the Tang Dynasty, the remnants of the noble clans quickly came out and hugged their thighs. Douluge, Wei Shuo, and other ministers from famous Gaodi were appointed as high-ranking officials. They are really mediocre and have no ability to govern the country. They only know that they corrupt post-Tang politics.
It is worth mentioning that suppressing gentry clansmen was also one of the advanced measures Zhu Wen took back then. In the Five Dynasties, the ethos of "no matter how you take the scholars, and no matter how you get married" , but Li Cunxu inherited the shortcomings of the previous dynasty.
Li Cunxu can't escape that law, people will always live the appearance they once hated the most.
7
Li Cunxu is a drama idiot, proficient in musical opera, likes to apply his own powder and ink, come on stage and sing until the Song Dynasty,There are people in Fen and Jin who sing the tunes he composed, which was called "Imperial Control".
, the world's number one fancier, also gave himself a resounding stage name "李天下" .
Once, Li Cunxue sang and made fun with all the actors. He looked around and shouted: "Li Tianxia, where is Li Tianxia?"
The actor Jingxin by the side gave him two slaps, Li Cunxu. Confused, the others were also terrified.
Jing Xinmo said calmly: "The only person who'regulates the world' is your Majesty. Why did you call out'Li Tianxia' twice?"
Li Cunxu laughed without anger and rewarded heavily Jing Xinmo. After giving the emperors slap in the face, they were rewarded on the spot. Jing Xinmo can be said to be the first person in the ages.
The most condemned thing for later generations is that Li Cunxun was obsessed with opera, to the point where he regarded Sheji as a child's play, and even lavishly rewarded the actors, allowing the actors to enter and exit the court, but abandoning the soldiers who were born and died with him.
伶官景进 For a while, he often serves Li Cunxu and can even participate in military affairs and state affairs. Even the ministers of civil and military affairs of the Manchu Dynasty were jealous of him, thinking about how to flatter him.
Among these actors, the most special is 郭从谦. Guo Congqian was also an actor, but he has made military exploits. Because of his exploits, Li Cunxu was appointed from Mazhi to command . Cong Ma Zhi, Li Cunxu's pro-military army, has a stake in his life.
Guo Congqian is a capable actress, but he was born humble, so he respected Guo Chongtao, a hero of the post-Tang Dynasty with the same surname, as his uncle, and was adopted as an adopted son by Guo Chongtao's son-in-law and Li Cunxiu's younger brother Li Cunyi.
After Guo Chongtao was framed and killed by the eunuch, Li Cunyi also died unfairly. Guo Congqian was very angry and drank in the barracks. After being drunk, he said straightly that Guo Chongtao and Li Cunyi were both wronged.
After Li Cunxu knew about it, he didn't kill Guo Congqian, but he just ridiculed him and said: "Your comrades Guo Chongtao and Li Cunyi are all responsible for me. What are you going to do now?"
Guo Congqian was panicked. Back in the camp, he said to his subordinates: "Now you spend all your property, drink and eat meat as much as you want, and don't have to plan for the future."
all the soldiers were puzzled and asked why. Guo Congqian said that the emperor will now send troops to fight the rebellion, and he will kill us all when he comes back.
The sergeant believed it was true, and the rebellion was about to start.
After Tang Tongguang four years (926), Li Siyuan instigated soldiers and rebelled. Li Cunxu's imperial conquest, but he was already unpopular. On the way to put down the rebellion, the army was distracted and the soldiers fled, leaving only more than 20,000 people.
hadn't fought yet, and everyone was running away, so Li Cunxu had to return to the court.
Guo Congqian stationed in the capital took the opportunity to launch a mutiny and led his subordinates to attack the imperial city. Some of the rebels set fire to the palace gates, and some of them overcame the wall to attack the imperial palace, and dozens of people surrounded the once invincible Li Cunxu.
During the battle, Li Cunxu was shot by a stream of arrows and was seriously injured. He was helped into the hall to rest.
The seriously injured Li Cunxu was too thirsty and asked for water from the left and right. Empress Liu on the side had to get a cup of milk syrup to quench his thirst.
Li Cunxue died of his injuries shortly after drinking the milk serum.
Back then, it was the three arrows left by his father that helped Li Cunxu achieve hegemony. It was only one arrow in the rebellion that took his life in the end, and this rebellion was completely self-blame.
Don't be pregnant with poisonous poison.
References:
[Song] Xue Juzheng: "Old Five Dynasties History", Zhonghua Book Company 1976 Edition
[Song] Ouyang Xiu: "New Five Dynasties History", Zhonghua Book Company 1976 Edition
樊文礼: "Li Keyong Criticism", Shandong University Press, 2005 Edition
