Since the founding of Nanchen, it has experienced Emperor Wu, , Emperor Wen, Emperor Fei, Emperor Xuan, and finally perished at the time of Chen Shubao. As a king who subjugated his country, Chen Shubao had a bad reputation in history.
Chen Shubao did not know how to govern the country, but liked literature, doted on beautiful women, and pursued pleasure. He should be mainly responsible for the demise of Nanchen. However, objectively speaking, Nanchen only had a small area east of Jiangling, south of the Yangtze River, and north of Jiaozhi. The area was about the same as Soochow during the Three Kingdoms period. It was weak and difficult to compete with the powerful Sui Dynasty. Even if Even if Chen Shubao makes a difference, he may not be able to escape destruction. Therefore, the author believes that the demise of Nanchen is a historical necessity and cannot be entirely attributed to Chen Shubao alone.
In the north, after being unified and ruled by the Northern Wei for more than 90 years, it split into Eastern Wei and Western Wei . After a short time, they were replaced by Northern Qi and Northern Zhou respectively. In 577 AD, the Northern Zhou Dynasty destroyed the Northern Qi Dynasty and reunified the north. Four years later, Yang Jian, a powerful minister of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, usurped the Zhou Dynasty and established the Sui Dynasty.
The Sui Dynasty established by Yang Jian in the north had a vast territory, reaching the Yangtze River in the south and the desert in the north. It had a large population, far beyond that of southern Chen. In particular, the Sui Dynasty was a new regime. It was in its prime and its rulers were ambitious and prepared to defeat Nanchen and unify the country in one fell swoop.
Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty Yang Jian had a strategy and a deep city. After he established the Sui Dynasty, he needed to consolidate his rule and deal with the Turks in the north, so he temporarily adopted a friendly policy towards Nanchen. It turns out that there were frequent frictions on the border between the two countries. Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty ordered the Sui army not to take the initiative to attack. After capturing the Nanchen soldiers, he presented them with clothes and horses and politely returned them. In the letters written by Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty to Chen Shubao, the words "Yang Jian bowed his head" were written, showing great humility. Chen Shubao's vanity was greatly satisfied, so he relaxed his vigilance towards the Sui Dynasty.
After paralyzing Nanchen, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty worked hard to consolidate his power, make the Sui Dynasty more powerful, and conquer the Turks in the north, which relieved his worries. Then, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty abolished the vassal Houliang, sent troops to the Jiangling area, and deployed troops at the gate of Nanchen. The Sui army also built thousands of warships in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, ready to go down the river at any time to attack Jiankang . Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty had great ambitions and determined to unify the country. He made all preparations to conquer Chen and began to take action.
In November 588 AD, the Sui Dynasty dispatched 510,000 troops, divided into eight groups, starting from Jiangling, Xiangyang, Yong'an, Liuhe, Lujiang, Guangling, Qichun, Donghai, and pounced fiercely on Nanchen. . The Sui army was under the unified command of Jin Wang Yang Guang. It started from the seaside in the east and reached Bashu in the west. It advanced by land and water, with banners covering the sun, stretching for thousands of miles and with great momentum.
Before the army set off, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty also adopted psychological tactics. He issued an edict to enumerate Chen Shubao's twenty major crimes, hoping that the people of Jiangnan would cooperate with the Sui army to jointly punish the foolish emperor. Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty ordered 200,000 copies of the edict to be made and distributed widely in the south of the Yangtze River. Sure enough, when the soldiers and civilians of Nanchen saw it, their hearts were in a state of confusion and the society was in turmoil.
At this critical moment, Chen Shubao is still stubborn. He believed that the Yangtze River was a natural danger and the Sui army could not cross it, so he said to the ministers: "Since the founding of Chen Dynasty, the Qi army has invaded three times, and the Zhou army has also attacked the border twice with large troops. Didn't they all return in defeat? Now the Sui Dynasty If the army invades, what can they do to me?"
Chen Shubao's poet friend and minister Kong Fan also said: "The Yangtze River is a natural chasm. Can the enemy fly over with wings? This is because the generals want to make meritorious deeds. Your Majesty does not need to worry about exaggerating the enemy's situation." Chen Shubao thought he was right, so he played music and dances, drank and drank, and composed poems for fun as usual.
In January 589 AD, Sui army generals He Ruobi and Han Qinhu divided their troops into two groups and broke through the natural dangers of the Yangtze River in one fell swoop. He Ruobi led his army to capture Zhenjiang, and Han Qinhu captured Caishiji, forming a pincer attack on Jiankang.The Sui army had strict discipline and did not commit any crimes against the common people. The captured Nanchen soldiers were given rations and released immediately. The Nanchen army was demoralized, Wangfeng was defeated, and countless people surrendered. The Sui army quickly marched towards Jiankang City.
Until this moment, Chen Shubao was shocked and panicked. He made urgent arrangements to meet the enemy. When the troops were insufficient, he expanded the army aggressively. All young and middle-aged people enlisted in the army, and even monks Taoist priests also went to serve as soldiers. However, what is the use of this improvised mob? The Chen army went out to fight and lost consecutive battles, unable to stop the Sui army. The Sui army soon came to Jiankang City.
In February 589 AD, the Sui Dynasty army surrounded Jiankang City and attacked it fiercely. At that time, there were still 100,000 troops in Jiankang City, but the soldiers had no fighting spirit. Chen Shubao did not understand military affairs and could only cry day and night. Soon, the Sui army captured Jiankang City. Chen Shubao panicked and hid in a well with Zhang Lihua and Kong Guibi. They were found by soldiers and became prisoners.
Nanchen, which lasted for thirty-two years, was destroyed by the Sui Dynasty in only three months, which was about the same time as it took the Jin Dynasty to destroy Wu.
As for Chen Shubao's behavior after he became a prisoner, " Chen Shu" does not record it. It only says that he entered Chang'an and died of illness fifteen years later at the age of fifty-two. After his death, he was posthumously awarded the title of General, and was granted the title of Duke of Changcheng County. His posthumous title was "Yang" and he was buried in Mangshan Mountain, Luoyang, China.
"Southern History" records that after Chen Shubao became a prisoner, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty treated him very favorably, gave him many things, and often invited him to attend banquets. Chen Shubao asked, "I don't have an official position now, and I often attend court gatherings. My name is not justifiable, so I hope I can get an official title." Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty was very surprised when he heard this, and said to others: "Chen Shubao has no heart at all."
Chen Shubao still likes to drink, often gets drunk, and rarely wakes up. He also likes to eat donkey meat. Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty said: "Isn't his failure due to drinking? The time spent drinking and writing poems might as well be used to think about world affairs!"
After Chen Shubao was captured, his behavior was indecent, groveling, and spineless. This It is also an important reason why he was criticized by later generations. It is indeed beneath the status of a dignified emperor to live in such an ignoble way. However, how could a person not bow his head under the eaves? What could Chen Shubao do? The demise of
Nanchen marked the end of Southern Dynasty . Since the founding of Liu Yu, the Southern Dynasty has gone through the four countries of Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen. It lasted 169 years and was finally destroyed by the Sui Dynasty. From then on, it entered the unified Sui Dynasty period.
So, what was the situation like in the Northern Dynasty, which was at the same time as the Southern Dynasty and had been in opposition for a long time? Please watch the next episode, Xianbei Tuoba power rises in the north.
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