On the first day of the first lunar month in 960, the news of the Liao army's invasion of the south was spread everywhere in the city of Kaifeng, the Later Zhou Dynasty. After some deliberation, the three chancellors of the dynasty, Fan Qian, Wang Pu, and Wei Renpu, unanimously agreed that Zhao Kuangyin, the supreme commander of the Later Zhou Janissaries and the first in command of the army, should immediately be sent to the front of the palace to inspect (the supreme commander of the Later Zhou Janissaries and the number one in the army) to lead an army to meet the fierce enemy.
After receiving the order from the imperial court, Zhao Kuangyin did not delay for a moment, he immediately raised his account and transferred troops, and completed the military deployment in only half a day. However, just as Zhao Kuangyin was preparing to lead the army to set off, rumors were rife in Kaifeng City, and there was a topic of discussion between the government and the public, that is, Zhao Kuangyin wanted to oppose!
As the people of the capital, the people of Kaifeng had all seen the world, and Zhao Kuangyin's series of actions soon gave them a not-so-good memory: ten years ago, Guo Wei, the taizu of this dynasty, was still a privy envoy of the Later Han Dynasty. At that time, the news of the invasion of the Liao state was also spread everywhere in Kaifeng City, and then Guo Wei led the army to go out. However, it was not long before Guo Wei returned to the Capital Division with his original team, but his identity changed from being a privy councillor of the Later Han Dynasty to the founding emperor of later Zhou. What is even more memorable to everyone is that in order to inspire all the generals of the army, Guo Wei once let them wantonly loot Kaifeng City, and countless families were torn apart in this great change. Now that the city is full of rumors of the invasion of the Liao State, will Zhao Kuangyin become the second Guo Wei?
In addition to "the same recipe, familiar taste", a strange thing happened in the Later Zhou Army half a year ago, which further strengthened the anxiety of the people of Kaifeng. At that time, Emperor Chai Rong was leading troops to personally conquer the Liao State, and just when the Later Zhou army was in full swing, Chai Rong suddenly fell seriously ill, and later Zhou's Northern Expedition was forced to be suspended. Just as the grand army class was on its way back to the dynasty, Chai Rong suddenly found a wooden plank in the imperial tent, on which were written five big characters: "Point inspection to be the son of heaven." "Spot inspection" naturally refers to the inspection in front of the palace, and the person who held this position at that time was called Zhang Yongde, who was Chai Rong's brother-in-law.
Zhang Yongde was a kind man, loyal to the emperor, humble to his subordinates, and Chai Rong trusted him, but this mysterious wooden board made Chai Rong's heart feel very unhappy. Chai Rong was a very wise emperor, and with his wisdom, he naturally knew that this matter must be a conspiracy. However, considering that his illness was getting more and more serious, Zhang Yongde had a high prestige in the government and the public. In case he dies, I am afraid that the world of the Chai family will change his surname to Zhang.
In order to eliminate the hidden dangers, Chai Rong took away the military power in the hands of Zhang Yongde by means of a bright ascension and a secret surrender, and appointed Zhao Kuangyin, the second most important person in the army and the commander of dianqiandu, to serve as the inspector of dianqian. Shortly after making this series of arrangements, Chai Rong died at the age of nine Chinese New Year's Eve. Chai Rong's seven-year-old son Chai Zongxun became the new emperor of Later Zhou. Now that only half a year has passed, the series of evidences such as "invasion of the Liao State", "doubts about the Lord and the Few Kingdoms", and "Inspection of the Heavenly Son" seem to prove one thing: Zhao Kuangyin is going to turn against him!
In the face of rumors all over the city, Zhao Kuangyin was naturally uneasy in his heart, he planned all this with great care, and saw that the difference was near the door, but it seemed that everyone saw through his plot. In desperation, he had to go home and hide. However, a classic scene appeared. Zhao Kuangyin's sister suddenly rushed out, "face like iron, lead the rolling pin to chase Taizu, hit him, and scold: The eldest husband is facing a big event, can he be self-determined, and come to the family to terrorize women What is Yes", the future founding emperor of the Great Song Dynasty was actually chased and beaten by his sister, which is probably something that many people could not imagine.
On the other hand, several prime ministers of the Later Zhou Dynasty and the deputy commander of the guards and the guards in charge of the defense tasks of the Beijing Division, Ma Bujun, naturally heard this rumor. These people are all "old rivers and lakes", and it is impossible to be unaware of the danger signals. However, what was quite surprising was that they did not take any action against Zhao Kuangyin, and watched as Zhao Kuangyin left the Beijing Division with the main force and went north to "resist the enemy". What was the reason for such a serious misjudgment caused by these important ministers in the later weeks?
In fact, the root cause is not that Fan Qian, Han Tong and others are too ignorant, but under the circumstances at that time, they simply did not have a better choice. At the beginning, Chai Rong appointed Zhao Kuangyin to the post of inspector before the palace, mainly because Zhao Kuangyin was still young and still had a shallow foundation in the imperial court, and his important position could balance the power of all sides of the imperial court. However, Chai Rongwan did not expect that Zhao Kuangyin's growth rate far exceeded his imagination. In just half a year, earth-shaking changes took place in the military circles of the Later Zhou Dynasty, and all key positions were replaced by Zhao Kuangyin's cronies, and the only deputy commander of the guards and pro-army Ma Bujun who could balance Zhao Kuangyin in the army made Han Tong a lonely man at this time.
Fan Qian, Han Tong and others were in high positions of power, and it was natural that they would not have a problem killing a Zhao Kuangyin in Kaifeng City. But in this way, those who were tied to Zhao Kuangyin on a rope were bound to wash the seal in blood. At that time, Emperor Taizu Guo Wei rebelled against Han because The Later Han Emperor Liu Chengyou suspected that Guo Wei wanted to rebel and killed Guo Wei's family, and as a result, Guo Weizhen rebelled. Therefore, in order not to repeat the tragedy, Fan Qian, Han Tong and others can only choose to believe that Zhao Kuangyin is a good person who stresses principles and conscience. However, it turned out that their expectations were not fulfilled.
When Zhao Kuangyin led a large army to Chen Qiaoyi, he launched the famous "Chen Qiao Mutiny" in history. Under the "persecution" of the generals of the whole army, Zhao Kuangyin added his yellow robe and led his army back to the Beijing Division. After Han Tong, who was in charge of the defense of the Beijing Division, was shocked to hear the news of Zhao Kuangyin's rebellion, Pegasus rushed to the military camp to organize resistance, but was killed by Wang Yansheng, a confidant that Zhao Kuangyin had already arranged for the Beijing Division, and Zhao Kuangyin easily occupied Kaifeng and seized the Power of Later Zhou. Since then, Chinese history has entered the era of the rule of the Great Song Dynasty.
References: History of the Song Dynasty, History of the Old Five Dynasties