In just 53 years from 907 AD to 960 AD, there was a fierce competition among the great powers. One short-lived Central Plains dynasty after another emerged in a pool of blood, known as the Five Dynasties, in the Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin, Later Han, and Later Zhou dynasties. Other local regimes were also unwilling to fall behind, forming ten independent kingdoms of all sizes known as the Ten Kingdoms. With constant mutinies and wars, the wheels of history entered a chaotic and unclear historical mystery amidst the smoke of war.
In the year 884 AD, a grand banquet was held at the Shangyuan Post in Bianzhou, just like the Hongmen Banquet during the Qin and Han dynasties. This was a banquet of the late Tang Dynasty and also changed China’s history, recorded in many historical books. Not only that, it was also widely spread among the people, becoming a touching legend. The main characters of the banquet were Zhu Wen, the Xuanwu Jiedushi, and Li Keyong, the Hedong Jiedushi. Zhu Wen was originally a general of the Huang Chao Rebellion at the end of the Tang Dynasty, but later defected to the Tang regime and became an important force in besieging Huang Chao. He held Bianzhou. Forming a powerful military group, Li Keyong was a brave and skilled warrior from Shatuo, known as Feihuzi in the military. He had a problem with one eye and was nicknamed Cyclops. In the war against Huangchao, Li Keyong’s power also rapidly expanded, A powerful Hedong military group was formed centered around Taiyuan, and the two major military groups eventually met in the war to besiege Huangchao. They worked together to attack and achieved a complete victory. Zhu Wen specially arranged a grand celebration banquet to entertain Li Keyong, who was young and full of energy. Li Keyong displayed his strength everywhere at the banquet, and his words were often disrespectful. Zhu Wen felt resentful, but did not show it during the banquet. He put the main focus on the banquet after it.
Professor Li Xiao from China University of Political Science and Law: There is a historical saying that this incident was called the Hongmen Banquet, which lasted for more than 100 years of feudal separatism. After the failure of the Huangchao Uprising, it can be said that it became more and more intense. Among them, the two fastest developing and most rapidly expanding forces were Zhu Wen and Li Keyong. They were the two strong powers at that time. Sitting together, they seemed to be drinking and chatting happily, but in fact, they were hiding murderous intentions.
Li Keyong’s inn was in peril, and Zhu Wen’s army had secretly surrounded it, waiting for a suitable opportunity. As night fell, Zhu Wen’s army set fire and fired arrows, and all 300 of Li Keyong’s personal soldiers were killed. Li Keyong was in imminent danger, but at this time, thunderstorms intensified and the power of the rockets greatly diminished. With the desperate protection of several of his personal companions, Li Keyong fled in a state of embarrassment, and his former comrades became enemies. The struggle between the two military groups began, and their struggle for dominance would influence the political landscape of the Five Dynasties period. At the end of the ninth century, the Tang Empire was already critically ill. During the siege of the Huangchao Uprising, the power of the feudal lords further strengthened, and the Tang Dynasty was on the brink of death. However, courtiers and eunuchs were still engaged in fierce struggles, forming alliances with the power of the feudal lords.
In the year 900 AD, the eunuch forces not only killed courtiers, but also planned to depose Tang Zhaozong. In order to subdue eunuchs, whether it was the emperor or courtiers, they had to rely on local power. They coincidentally placed their hopes on Zhu Wen, and Prime Minister Cui Yin secretly wrote a letter to Zhu Wen, inviting him to send troops to suppress the rebellion. Upon receiving a letter from Prime Minister Cui Yin, Zhu Wen was overjoyed. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and Zhu Wen’s army immediately set out to target Chang’an City. Eunuch Han Quanhui and others, in urgent need, held Tang Zhaozong hostage and sought refuge with Fengxiang Jiedushi Li Maozhen. Li Maozhen was not originally a rival of Wenzhou. After the failure of the battle, Li Maozhen was forced to surrender Emperor Zhaozong. At this time, Zhu Wen had completely controlled the central government of the Tang Dynasty, and a brutal massacre quickly unfolded. More than 700 eunuchs were all killed by Zhu Wen, The Central Army’s Shence Army, which had been under the control of eunuchs for a long time, was disbanded. Immediately after, Zhu Wen, who was widely recognized as a loyal minister, quickly revealed his other side. He launched a massacre against the courtiers and even killed the prime minister Cui Yin who took him to the capital. He forced Emperor Zhaozong of Tang to move to Luoyang and burned down all the palaces, Baisi, and civilian houses in Chang’an before leaving. Shortly after, Emperor Zhaozong of Tang was killed in Luoyang. After a series of preparations, in 907 AD, Zhu Wen proclaimed himself emperor on behalf of Tang and changed the country’s name to Liang. This was the first Central Plains regime of the Five Dynasties – Later Liang. The 289 year rule of the Tang Dynasty came to an end.
But did the influence of the Tang Dynasty really disappear completely? After the establishment of the Later Liang Dynasty, although many feudal lords were annihilated by Zhu Wen, even the strongest feudal lords Wei Bo and Chengde since the mid Tang Dynasty surrendered to Zhu Wen due to their defeat, there was only one important figure who always believed that the history of the Tang Dynasty was not over. He was Li Keyong, who had formed a deep grudge against Zhu Wen. By this time, 23 years had passed since the feast of the Shangyuan Post, and Li Keyong had transformed from a young and vigorous young man into a mature military hegemon occupying the eastern part of the river. In addition, only Li Keyong’s Hedong military group posed a significant threat to the Later Liang Dynasty, and the subsequent Central Plains hegemony was also carried out between these two military groups. Zhu Wen’s assassination When the news of killing Emperor Zhaozong of Tang reached Taiyuan, Li Keyong wept southward and swore to avenge the rebellion and restore the Tang Dynasty. Li Keyong still considered himself a Tang minister, using the banner of being diligent in the king’s rebellion and constantly attacking and killing the Later Liang army.
Dr. Zhang Minghua from the School of History and Culture of Henan University: In terms of military strength, the Zhu Wen Group has such an absolute advantage in military affairs. However, morally speaking, Li Keyong came under the banner of seeking revenge for the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, in terms of morality, he has greater support.
Zhu Wen’s army has strict discipline and is very ruthless. He once ordered that if a general was killed or fled in war, all the soldiers he led must be killed, which is known as the Battalion Slash. This is even more cruel to his own soldiers and even more cruel to enemy soldiers. Li Keyong, on the other hand, linked his loyalty with his adopted son, the Thirteen Taibao, to form a powerful Yi’er Army, and then centered around the Yi’er Army, to form a powerful military group. It is Jinzhong Art School in Shanxi Province. In order to perform this year, students have started intense rehearsals again. The rehearsal includes the Jinju Yaguan Tower, which tells the story of Li Keyong and his adopted son fighting together. In the story, Li Keyong’s adopted son Li Cunxiao, who is only in his teens but excels in martial arts, captured Huang Chao’s general Meng Juehai in battle. In the era of drama, there are many and very popular plays that describe Li Keyong’s father son battle story, such as Shatuoguo, Yaguan Tower, Feihu Mountain, Taiping Bridge, and so on. They have become classic plays, and thus, they have also performed well-known ones. Legendary story, Li Keyong and the Thirteen Protectors. It is said that Li Keyong had thirteen adopted sons, each of whom had extraordinary martial arts skills. They were all heroes and violent warriors who helped Li Keyong achieve great accomplishments and conquer the world, Taibao Li Cunxiao is known as the most brave general in the world, who fought back and forth among thousands of soldiers and horses, as if walking on flat ground. Li Keyong and his adopted son have a very close relationship, and they fought together with blood and continuously achieved significant results.
Professor You Biao from the School of History of Beijing Normal University: Li Keyong’s so-called righteous sons actually mean that he is in the Central Plains region. Because it is of this ethnic minority bloodline, his Central Plains region needs to form its own influence. This requires recruiting many so-called righteous sons from the Central Plains region. At that time, this righteousness was more of a benefit, and his adopted son was just a name.
For more than 20 years, Li Keyong and Zhu Wen had been engaged in uninterrupted struggle. After the establishment of the Later Liang Dynasty, the war between the two sides became even more intense, approaching the final moment of a decisive battle. However, in January 908, Li Keyong died violently. Until Li Keyong’s death, he was still planning military plans in the military camp. He appointed his son Li Cunxu as the King of Jin, took out three arrows, and entrusted his son to complete three major tasks. The first arrow pointed directly at Liu Rengong and Liu Shouguang’s father and son in the north, who were occupying Youzhou. The second arrow pointed to Qidan outside the Central Plains dynasty, and the third arrow was the most important. The important thing is to eliminate the world enemy Zhu Wen.
Professor Li Xiao from China University of Political Science and Law: Should we first work for Zhu Wen, or stabilize our own defense and weaken the power of Liu Rengong in the north and the Khitan, which has always posed a strong threat to the Central Plains? This was a major strategic choice that some politicians and military strategists at that time needed to make. Li Keyong put pacifying Youzhou, which is now Beijing, and resisting the powerful enemy Khitan in the first place, indicating that they made stabilizing the rear their primary task.
The Youzhou occupied by Liu Rengong and Liu Shouguang is exactly the border between the Central Plains Dynasty and the Khitan Empire. This is a military battleground, and Li Keyong pointed his second arrow at the Khitan Empire. Only by avoiding the strong invasion of the Khitan Empire can he have no worries. Li Keyong’s ultimate goal is to establish himself in Zhu Wen. Only by eliminating Zhu Wen’s Later Liang army can Li Keyong’s military group truly dominate the Central Plains. When Li Keyong died, the outside world was covered in yellow sand, and the real war would unfold after his death. Since Zhu Wen proclaimed himself emperor and established Later Liang, various military governors in the south have also gained independence, establishing nine countries one after another. In addition, the Northern Han regime in the north, this is the ten countries in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.
Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province
This is Yangzhou. As early as the Sui and Tang dynasties, Yangzhou was very prosperous and was the largest city in the southeast at that time. During the Five Dynasties period, Yangzhou was the center and two countries were established successively. Wu State and Southern Tang Dynasty. Yang Xingmi, a native of Hefei, served as the Governor of Huainan during the Tang Dynasty and was conferred the title of King of Wu. When the war in the Central Plains was raging, Yang Xingmi decisively sent troops to suppress Zhu Wen’s southward advance and prevent the destruction of the southern economy. In 937 AD, Xu Zhigao, a powerful minister of Wu, replaced Wu and established himself. Xu Zhigao claimed to be a descendant of the Tang Dynasty and changed his name to Li Sheng. He changed the country’s name to Tang Dynasty, which is known as Southern Tang. The basic national policy of the Southern Tang Dynasty was to protect the environment and the people, and to pacify the soldiers. The intensity of agricultural development exceeded that of various political regimes in the north and south, and significant progress was made in various forms of management. The handicrafts and commerce of the Southern Tang Dynasty were very prosperous.
Hele Tu Southern Tang Zhou Wenju
This is also an artistic dynasty, where two generations of rulers, Li Jing and Li Yu, were both talented people from Jiangnan. Under their leadership, the literature, art, calligraphy, and music of the Southern Tang Dynasty achieved outstanding achievements.
Professor Li Xiao from China University of Political Science and Law: In the southern region of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, if compared to the northern region, there were two prominent differences. Firstly, it was relatively stable. Secondly, the social and economic development was very significant. In order to win in competition with each other, these separatist local regimes in the south adopted policies such as developing the economy, protecting the environment and the people, which greatly promoted the recovery and sustainable development of the social economy at that time.
Humble Administrator’s Garden, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province
This is the world-renowned king of Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Wu Yue, Qian Ying, who developed agriculture, mulberry cultivation, and water conservancy, which made Wu Yue prosperous in the southeast. Suzhou and Hangzhou were vigorously built, and the Six Harmony Pagoda, Baojiao Pagoda, Leifeng Pagoda, and Yunyan Temple Pagoda in Huqiu, Suzhou were all top-notch in terms of architectural technology at that time. The natural scenery and cultural landscape complemented each other, forming the most enviable place. The saying of heaven above and Suzhou and Hangzhou below spread throughout the world.
The state of Wu and Yue faces south, and the Min regime established by Wang Chao and Wang Shenzhi is flourishing. The marine economy has been vigorously developed, and the Gantang Port has been thriving ever since its establishment. Among the ten states, Shu, located in the southwest, is centered around Chengdu, with rugged mountains and rivers and vast fertile fields. It is known as the Kingdom of Tianfu. When Zhu Wen established the Later Liang Dynasty, the King of Shu, Wang Jian, also proclaimed himself emperor and established the country name Shu, known as Former Shu in history.
Hu Wei, Deputy Director of the Collection Department of the Sichuan Museum: In the late Tang Dynasty, many officials and scholars from the Central Plains sought refuge in the Kingdom of Former Shu due to war. With their help, Wang Jian established a political system that imitated the official system of the Tang Dynasty. This was also a very complete political system. Due to the many natural dangers in this Shu region, it can be said that it was a high-risk area. Under such unique conditions, the economy of the Former Shu was greatly developed.
Wang Jian can be regarded as a wise ruler, but his successor was cruel and incompetent. After the downfall of the Former Shu, the Later Shu was established, and the second emperor of the Later Shu, Meng Chang, was diligent in national affairs and rested with the people in his early years. As a result, the Later Shu became strong. Meng Chang was still a famous literary and artistic youth, and he was the most fascinated by opera. Some opera troupes still regard him as the guardian deity, calling him Meng Langjun, the great immortal. In Chengdu, Feng Yuying, a Shu embroidery woman, is one of the few artists who still adhere to traditional craftsmanship. As a folk artist of traditional Shu embroidery, she has been teaching and passing on her skills in her own home for more than ten years. During the pre Shu and post Shu periods, despite the continuous wars in the Central Plains, Sichuan went to a corner of Pian’an and experienced economic prosperity. This folk craft of Shu embroidery, which originated in Chengdu, also began to develop and become popular at that time.
Remnants of the Guangzheng Stone Classic, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province
Nowadays, Feng Yuying’s Shu embroidery workshop has gained some fame, and the most beloved works of customers are still this beautiful hibiscus flower and Lady Huarui. Lady Huarui was Meng Chang’s favorite concubine, and she was also an unparalleled beauty. She was also a famous female poet, who wrote palace poems for Lady Huarui. Chengdu is also known as Rongcheng. Few people know that the name of Rongcheng is related to Lady Huarui. Legend has it that Lady Huarui loves hibiscus flowers and peonies the most. Meng Chang ordered the people to plant hibiscus trees everywhere in the city. During the blooming season, Chengdu, which is 40 miles away, is beautiful, and people are amazed by its beauty. Furong City, abbreviated as Rongcheng, was a collection of five hundred Tang Dynasty and Five Dynasties poems compiled by the Later Shu Prime Minister Wu Zhaoyi and others, which had a great impact on later generations. Wu Zhaoyi privately owned millions of dollars to build schools, develop education, and requested the carving and printing of the Nine Classics, which led to the revival of Chinese language learning in Shu. This is a romantic country, It is also a cultural gathering country. During the war in the Central Plains region, Later Shu became a cultural kingdom that people yearned for.
Changsha, located in the central and southern regions, was the Tanzhou of Chu during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. At that time, it was the largest tea market in the south, and tea taxes became the main source of tax revenue for Chu at that time, earning millions of yuan annually. Among the southern countries, Nanping, located in Hubei, was able to survive and develop in the buffer zone of various countries. The Southern Han Dynasty, which was located in Lingnan, could also establish schools and promote culture and education. It was a primitive land in the past and achieved a certain degree of development. The only northern country among the Ten Kingdoms, the Northern Han Dynasty, was also able to defend its territory after forming an alliance with the Liao Dynasty.
Professor Li Xiao from China University of Political Science and Law: This new appearance and pattern of urban economy can be traced back to the late Tang and Five Dynasties period. Many aspects of urban life, such as folk cultural activities such as Goulan and Washa, as well as the lifestyles, ideological concepts, and even the values of the entire society of literati and officials, have greatly benefited from the development of commodity economy. Therefore, without the breaking of the old pattern in the northern region and the trend of commodity economy development in the southern region, there may not have been a desirable scene of prosperous commercial trade like the Qingming River Map, which is a fascinating sight. This is her influence on the future market during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.
At this time in China, although the separatist regimes in the south developed economically and culturally, they were unable to rewrite history. The real historical drama was still played in the Central Plains. After Li Keyong’s death, his successor Li Cunxu was carrying out a strong struggle for supremacy in the Central Plains according to his dying will. Before Li Keyong’s death, he left three arrows, which were enshrined in his temples. Every time he went on an expedition, Li Cunxu solemnly took them out and put them in a brocade bag. After winning the battle, he sent them back to his temple. These three arrows became Li Cunxu’s active compass for progress. In 913 AD, Li Cunxu’s army captured Youzhou and fully controlled the Hebei region. Liu Rengong Father and son were captured, and Li Cunxu used Liu Rengong’s blood to pay homage to Li Keyong’s tomb, completing the mission of the first arrow completely. In the year 922 AD, Li Cunxu led his troops to fight against the Khitan army and drove them out of the country. The second arrow that Li Keyong instructed also achieved good results. In 923 AD, Li Cunxu proclaimed himself emperor and established the second Central Plains dynasty among the Five Dynasties, known as the Later Tang Dynasty. Li Keyong only had one of the three arrows left, and the final battle was about to begin. At this point, the rear beam has already gone downhill. In 912 AD, after Zhu Wen was killed by his second son, Liang Jin further declined. By October 923 AD, Li Cunxu’s army attacked the capital of Liang, Bianjing, and the once formidable Later Liang was defeated by Li Cunxu’s army. Li Cunxu was proud and had truly reached the point where he could not argue with a hero who could conquer the world. Perhaps the only regret was that Zhu Wen was no longer alive, and Li Cunxu could not personally kill him. However, this warrior who ascended to the throne began his more legendary dramatic life.
Traditional Chinese Opera Brick Carving Institute of Traditional Chinese Opera Cultural Relics, Shanxi Normal University
Li Cunxu was skilled in melody since childhood and was able to compose music and lyrics. After pacifying the Central Plains, he often acted with actors and even gave himself a stage name called Li Tianxia. The term “actor” can be traced back to the era of the Yellow Emperor. It is recorded that during the reign of the Yellow Emperor, Lianlun created music and later called the music official “Lianguan”. Later, he also included artists who made a living by acting and collectively referred to them as “actors”. In ancient traditional beliefs, the status of actors was very low. Li Cunxu highly valued actors and appointed them to important positions, which became a unique phenomenon in Chinese history. The status of actors suddenly reversed and rose, appearing in real politics. The heroes who helped Li Cunxu fight the world through life and death on the battlefield were ignored. There were also upright individuals among the actors, but more officials relied on the emperor’s favor and acted recklessly. Officials dared not speak out in anger. Actors Jing Jin, who specialized in probing the outside world for Emperor Zhuangzong of Tang, only needed someone to gain favor. Blaming him, he went forward in front of Emperor Zhuangzong to slander and slander his opponent, causing a great disaster to befall him, and the eunuchs were once again valued.
In 925 AD, eunuchs and performers selected three thousand women from the common people to fill the harem. In 926 AD, Li Cunxu listened to the eunuchs’ slander and killed Guo Chongtao, the King of Xiping who had made outstanding contributions in pacifying the Former Shu. The mutiny broke out again, and there were also mutinies in Weizhou and other places. Rebellion also occurred in the capital. Guo Congqian, a pro military general from the background of the performer, usually regarded Guo Chongtao as his uncle and had close ties with him. Shortly after Guo Chongtao’s death, Guo Congqian led his troops to attack the city gate. Li Cunxu personally led his guards and cavalry to attack, but he had already betrayed and could not mobilize nearby troops. The army and people around him also left one after another. This once dominant warrior is now isolated and fighting alone. In immense loss and pain, Li Cunxu was shot with an arrow and died tragically after only three years of proclaiming himself emperor. At that time, only one actor picked up some discarded and broken musical instruments and set them on Li Cunxu’s body to light and burn his body. Li Cunxu was a skilled performer and actor, and was even revered as the ancestor of traditional Chinese opera by many troupes. In the real world outside of the theater, he also used his own life to write an unparalleled tragicomedy. The actor, instrument, and bow and arrow, representing the passion and charm of Zhuangzi’s life, participated in his dramatic ending. As Ouyang Xiu quoted from Zuo Zhuan, from this beginning, you must end with this.
Li Siyuan was the adopted son of Li Keyong and the oldest among the thirteen eunuchs. He fought alongside the father and son of Li Keyong and Li Cunxu for more than 30 years and made remarkable achievements. When the mutiny broke out, Li Siyuan was ordered to go to Weizhou to suppress the rebels. However, the verdict was not long after. His soldiers instigated a mutiny and joined forces with the rebels, supporting Li Siyuan as the new emperor. This was another successful mutiny. Li Siyuan was a beneficiary of the mutiny, but he must firmly contain the mutiny after taking office, otherwise he may be the next to be killed.
Professor Deng Xiaonan from the Department of History at Peking University: In fact, during the Five Dynasties period, the Forbidden Army actually referred to the elite and regular army. On the one hand, their military posture was relatively strong in combat effectiveness, and on the other hand, the commander of the Forbidden Army was also formed through years of fierce warfare, which was relatively popular. Even emperors dared not easily manipulate them. Therefore, although there were many measures to prevent this mutiny, such as strict discipline and the reorganization of some rebellious warlords and generals, there was no way to fundamentally solve such problems.
If Li Siyuan wants to break through the dilemma of mutiny, the first thing he needs to do when he ascends to the throne is to suppress and rectify. For the arrogant and fierce soldiers who are difficult to control, Li Siyuan will execute them all to prevent future troubles. There have been several large-scale massacres, and the situation where arrogant soldiers and fierce generals are prone to rebellion has been preliminarily changed. Li Siyuan further strengthened the centralization of the central government, reorganized the bodyguard and personal army, and began to establish a new system of imperial guards. In addition to defending the capital, the imperial guards are also stationed in various places to restrain and weaken the power of the feudal lords. The military governors are frequently mobilized to prevent them from forming separatist forces, and the powerful feudal lords are repeatedly divided and their actual strength is greatly reduced. Li Siyuan also attempted to completely eliminate the soil that led to the mutiny. He purged officials and provided a certain degree of rest for the Central Plains people who had suffered from the war. These measures undoubtedly stabilized the political situation and lost the foundation of the mutiny. However, Li Siyuan had insurmountable shortcomings. When he ascended to the throne, he was already 60 years old and weak, and a sound system could not be established. He had to distribute a large amount of power to his family and confidants, and replace the original warlords with close ones to become a new force.
Li Siyuan attempted to compensate for the shortcomings of the system by linking emotions and righteousness, but could it succeed? When Li Siyuan fell ill in his later years, a palace coup occurred again. His second son Li Congrong led his army to attack the palace gate, attempting to usurp the throne, but was defeated and killed. Li Siyuan himself was frightened and mourned, and died tragically. After a series of palace killings, in 934 AD, Li Siyuan’s adopted son Li Congke proclaimed himself emperor and had just ascended to the throne. Li Congke was very wary of Shi Jingtang in Taiyuan. Shi Jingtang was not only a feudal lord with an army, but also Li Siyuan’s son-in-law. In order to relieve Shi Jingtang’s threat, Li Congke decided to take action first and force him to become stronger. Let Shi Jingtang leave the nest, but this decision not only caused Li Congke to die quickly, but also triggered a difficult problem that the Central Plains Dynasty could not solve for hundreds of years. In order to resist Li Congke, Shi Jingtang faced a difficult decision and ultimately took extraordinary measures to actively seek help from the northern Khitans. After a series of reforms, the Khitans had become stronger. In order to obtain the help of the Khitan army, Shi Jingtang voluntarily ceded the sixteen provinces of Yanyun to the Khitans, which completely changed the political landscape in northern China.
Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures, stretching about 600 miles from east to west and about 200 kilometers from north to south, have historically served as a natural boundary between the agricultural civilization of the Central Plains and the nomadic civilization of the grasslands, as well as a military boundary for the Central Plains government to resist the invasion of northern nomadic ethnic groups. As early as the Warring States period, the states of Yan and Zhao spared no expense in building the Great Wall on steep mountains and ridges. After the establishment of the Qin Dynasty, the Great Wall was even connected. Since then, the Central Plains regimes of various dynasties have sent heavy troops to guard it, fearing any loss, because once lost, the north is defenseless, and powerful iron cavalry can gallop freely on the land of the Central Plains.
Professor You Biao from the School of History at Beijing Normal University: For any dynasty, he must control the Yanyun region. After controlling the Yanyun region, he can basically ensure the safety of the Central Plains dynasty. If this security barrier is lost, it is easy to be led south by cavalry from ethnic minorities, causing a great and significant impact on the Central Plains dynasty.
Professor Deng Xiaonan from the Department of History at Peking University: After ceding this region to the Khitan people, they used to be a nomadic people, and they basically used nomadism as their production and lifestyle. After obtaining the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, there began to be a region dominated by agricultural economy. This situation actually stimulated the development of the Khitan people themselves, and had an enlightening or driving effect on the structure of their society, including the rule of the Liao Dynasty.
With the help of the Khitans, Shi Jingtang established the third Central Plains regime during the Five Dynasties period, Later Jin. However, although Shi Jingtang became emperor, he could only bow to the Khitans. Shi Jingtang’s successor, Shi Zhonggui, attempted to risk his life to regain the sixteen provinces of Yanyun from the Khitans and completely change the passive situation. However, by this time, the situation was irreversible. From 944 to 947 AD, the Khitan army marched south three times, and the Later Jin Dynasty was destroyed. Although the Khitans invaded the Central Plains, their plundering and atrocities provoked resistance from the people of the Central Plains. The Khitans were forced to retreat, creating a political gap in the Central Plains.
Jin Ci Ancient Stage, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province
Liu Zhiyuan, the left behind governor of Taiyuan, took the opportunity to launch troops and establish the Later Han regime. He passed away after only one year of his reign, and his second son Liu Chengyou ascended to the throne. Mutiny broke out again, and Liu Chengyou was killed. In January 951 AD, Ye Du, who was leading a large army to resist the Khitan Empire, left Guo Wei behind and was proclaimed emperor by the soldiers. The army returned to Tokyo and established a new regime. This was the last Central Plains dynasty of the Five Dynasties period – the Later Zhou Dynasty. Guo Wei, along with his successors Zhou Shizong and Chai Rong, were very capable emperors of the Five Dynasties period. They vigorously eradicated corruption, eliminated mutinies, and became the key to their governance of the country. Of utmost importance, Guo Wei’s successor, Chai Rong, was his nephew and adopted son. In order to prevent a mutiny, Chai Rong formed the Palace Front Army in addition to the Guard Army, making the Palace Front and Guard Departments the core of the Central Forbidden Army and even all armed forces, Fundamentally changed the situation of external emphasis and internal neglect since the late Tang Dynasty.
Professor Deng Xiaonan from the History Department of Peking University: During the process of Chai Ronghe’s reorganization of the Forbidden Army, he added some elite forces to the Palace Front Department. Therefore, the power of the Palace Front Department was significantly enhanced in the structure of the Forbidden Army at that time, and it almost became a force that could be on par with the Guard Department. Therefore, the two departments of the Forbidden Army, such a commanding structure or leadership structure, constrained the rebellion of the Forbidden Army to a certain extent.
In fact, in addition to the problem of mutiny, the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun have always been an urgent problem that the Later Zhou regime wanted to solve. Chai Rong’s army successively conquered Later Shu and Southern Tang and achieved significant results, but the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun remained like a thorn in the throat, and Chai Rong was eager to regain them from the hands of the Khitans. In 959 AD, Chai Rong made up his mind to personally conquer the north and fight against the Khitan army, recapturing the three provinces of Mo, Ying, and Yi occupied by the Liao Dynasty. However, when Chai Rong was preparing to conquer Youzhou, a disease suddenly struck and he left behind a magnificent cause. His successor, his son Chai Zongxun, was only seven years old, and the god of death was about to arrive. Chai Rong still exerted his last strength to arrange the aftermath. He made the final major adjustment to the personnel of the army, but he did not expect such an adjustment to still be unable to escape the terrible situation of mutiny. The Five Dynasties were about to end.
In the long night, one ruler after another appeared and disappeared in a blink of an eye. Whether it was the cunning and strict Zhu Wen, the opera obsessed Li Cunxu, the elderly and weak Li Siyuan, or the unlucky Chai Rong, they were unable to break through the political difficulties of the Chinese land, let alone the seven year old Chai Zongxun. However, the wheels of history were eagerly advancing, and the Central Plains land was calling for a great king.
90 Seconds of History: Visiting Jin on a Snowy Night
It was a snowy night, and Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin, braved the heavy snow to knock on the door of Zhao Pu’s house. His brother Zhao Guangyi also came with him. This snowy night visit was because Zhao Kuangyin felt that his bed was too small. Zhao Pu quickly understood that the emperor did not find his bed too small, but rather that the territory of the Song Dynasty was too small. In Zhao Kuangyin’s own words, this form was described as the enemy sleeping heavily on the side of the bed. Therefore, a proposal to unify the country from south to north was proposed by Zhao Pu, which coincided with Zhao Kuangyin’s idea. Starting from 963 AD, Starting from January of that year, Zhao Kuangyin began his hegemony of unifying the whole country. He successively eliminated Jingnan, Hunan, Later Shu, Southern Han, and Jiangnan, and in thirteen years, basically ended the separatist situation of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, except for Wu Yue and Northern Han, He achieved overall national unity and wrote a lifelong legend.
