【Headline recommendation】 Wang Yanzhang in Ouyang Xiu's pen

Wang Yanzhang in Ouyang Xiu's pen

Text/Wang Zewen (Yanggu)

(Web Photo)

Wang Yanzhang (863-923), courtesy name Ziming, was a native of Shouzhang County,Liang Prefecture (present-day Dongmen Village, Shouzhang Town, Yanggu County) five generations later, who joined the army in his early years, was under Zhu Wen's account, and was known for his Xiao Yong.

When Wang Yanzhang was recruited into the army, hundreds of people joined the army together, Wang Yanzhang asked to be the captain of the team, and everyone disagreed, saying to him: "You Wang Yanzhang just came out of the mountains and wild grasses, you want to be our captain, you are too self-measured!" Wang Yanzhang listened, did not pay any attention to them at all, and directly said to the main general who was present at the time: "I am born with a majestic spirit, and you are indeed inferior, so I ask to be your captain and kill the enemy together in the future." Da Fan Jian Er said that he was alive and dead, but before he reached the front of the two armies, I would first show you the kung fu on my feet, walk barefoot on the ground with tribulus terrestris three or five times, and then see if any of you can try it? Everyone began to think that he was fooling everyone, but they didn't expect that Wang Yanzhang had really walked a few times, and there was nothing on his feet. The crowd was stunned, no one dared to follow suit, and they all secretly admired it. After Zhu Wen heard about it, he valued Wang Yanzhang very much and promoted and reused him.

Wang Yanzhang used two iron guns during the war, both weighing 100 pounds, one in the saddle, one in the hand, invincible, no one can stop, the army is known as "Wang Iron Gun". After the murder of Li Cunxiao, the first fierce general of the Later Tang Dynasty, Wang Yanzhang picked the "first shot in the world" Gao Siji and became the invincible general of the Later Tang. With the help of Wang Yanzhang, in the first year of Kaiping (907), Zhu Wen deposed the Tang Emperor Li Li and proclaimed himself emperor, and Wang Yanzhang was awarded the vanguard of the battalion Ma Jun for his merits.

After Zhu Wen replaced Emperor Wanzong of Tang and destroyed the Tang Dynasty, he angered all the Envoys of the Tang Dynasty, whether selfish or loyal, and they gathered all their forces to fight a decisive battle against Zhu Wen's army at Jibao Mountain. Due to the large number of heroes of the Tang Army, they did not take Wang Yanzhang in their eyes. Zheng Ji and Le Rong, who appeared first, were both generals who had experienced hundreds of battles, and they were also brave generals when they destroyed the Huangchao army, but when they encountered Wang Yanzhang, they did not have time to react, one shot fell one, and both were killed in two rounds. At this time, Li Bi, Li Yan, and Li Xun, the princes of the Tang Dynasty, although they were not called first-class strength, they were not ordinary people, especially Li Bi, the pair of sixty-pound sledgehammers in his hands were very famous, but Wang Yanzhang's marksmanship was too fast and too fierce, and the sledgehammer was stabbed when it was still smashed down, and Li Yan and Li Xun were all killed in one round. At this time, the golden sword sent Helian Duo out of battle, and the Tang army seemed to be much calmer, because Helian Duo's fame was too great, and when he was young, he was called the "Late Tang Six Friends" of equal strength with Luo Zhaowei, Zhou Shun, Jin Shengzu and others. Not only was his sword technique fierce but also his strength was very large, he picked up the elephant nose ancient moon knife in his hand and struggled to split it, Wang Yanzhang's two arms fought, this one hundred and twenty pounds of iron gun shook the big knife open, when Helian Duo's hands were numb, Wang Yanzhang suddenly stabbed him under the horse. At this time, the veteran general Zhou Shun, who was anxious to kill the six friends, in fact, he was already preparing to retire, he just came with the army to persuade Helian Duo to leave together, and now that the old friend was dead, he raised his two guns and went straight to Wang Yanzhang. Wang Yanzhang knew that he was not easy to provoke, and his arms were stronger and suddenly flew one of Zhou Shun's guns, followed by a punch, which picked him under the horse. In this way, the momentum was like a bamboo, after a battle, the day did not move, Wang Yanzhang successively provoked and killed thirty-six Tang generals, and since then, the invincible prestige of the iron gun Wang Yanzhang has been known all over the world.

Liang Taizu Zhu Wen was assassinated by his third son Zhu Youjue in the second year of Qianhua (912) because of his cruelty and wanton sexual immorality. Zhu Youjue's father ascended the throne, and after succeeding to the throne, he rewarded a large number of soldiers in an attempt to win people's hearts. At this time, Wang Yanzhang was promoted to inspector and colonel, and later to Puzhou Thorn History, Qianhua Four Years (914) as The History of Thorn In Liaozhou, and was enfeoffed as the founding uncle.

Zhu Youjue was initially enfeoffed as the King of Ying, changed his era name to Fengli, and after ascending the throne, due to fainting, people's hearts boiled over, and people's grievances were rife, his brother Zhu Youzhen and others plotted a coup d'état, Zhu Youjue escaped unsuccessfully, Feng Tingchen killed him and the empress, and Zhu Youzhen succeeded to the throne as the last emperor.

After Zhu Youzhen ascended the throne, Li Cunxun, the King of Jin, concentrated all his efforts to destroy Hou Liang, and the two sides fought for many years. Li Cunxun, the King of Jin, knew that Wang Yanzhang was loyal, so he took his wife captive and sent her to Taiyuan, where he gave him a mansion and lured Wang Yanzhang to surrender on favorable terms. Wang Yanzhang was unmoved, and beheaded his messenger to show his determination. King Jin's subordinates were better off their families, and it wasn't until a few years later that they saw that Wang Yanzhang had no intention of demoting him to the throne that he killed Wang Yanzhang's family.

In 919, the Jin army occupied Deshengdu (in present-day Puyang, Henan Province), built a pontoon bridge, sandwiched sand and built a city to defend, and the Liang army was unable to attack for a long time. In 932, the Jin army attacked Yun Prefecture, and the last emperor Zhu Youzhen asked Wang Yanzhang to be an envoy, attack deshengdu, ask Wang Yanzhang the date of breaking the enemy, Wang Yanzhang promised to attack the enemy city in three days, and his colleagues laughed and did not believe it. Wang Yanzhang was ordered to go out and quickly go to Huazhou for two days, where he set up a feast and held a cocktail party, but secretly prepared a boat. At night, 600 jiashi, each armed with a large axe, carrying coal and other materials, took a boat down the river to the east, led thousands of elite soldiers, along the river to take Deshengdu, Jiashi cut off the pontoon bridge on the river, Wang Yanzhang's army attacked in a hurry, and conquered the southern city of Deshengkou in one fell swoop. From the time of the departure to the destruction of the city, it was only three days. At this time, Li Cunxun was in Wei and exclaimed, "Yan Zhang Xiao Yong, I tried to avoid his front, not to defend Yin's enemy." However, Yan Zhang's small number of soldiers is conducive to a quick battle, and he will attack our southern city in a hurry. He immediately rushed to save the city, and when he traveled 20 miles, he realized that Wang Yanzhang had captured the southern city.

Wang Yanzhang was sincere and made great contributions to protecting Liang Jiangshan, but because of his upright personality, he was at odds with some courtiers who played with power, and was deposed after making great contributions to the war with Jin. The last emperor Zhu Youzhen listened to the treacherous rumors, Wang Yanzhang was not trusted, and the late emperor Zhu Youzhen ordered Wang Yanzhang to attack Zezhou (Jincheng, Shanxi), Wang Yanzhang was severely wounded and captured in this battle, and Li Cunxun promised to use the high-ranking official Houlu to persuade people to surrender. Wang Yanzhang was just and stern, did not yield, and said to the persuaders: "The leopard dies and leaves its skin, and the person dies to leave its name," to show his loyalty and righteousness, Li Cunxun knew that Wang Yanzhang was finally tied to Hou Liang and could not be used for his own use, so he beheaded him with pain and love, at the age of 61.

Song Ouyang wrote the "History of the New Five Dynasties", and he was deeply touched by this, writing: "When the misfortune of the soldier is born, he wants to complete his festival and not the two, which is solid and rare! Indah "Three Men of the Whole Festival" composed the "Tale of the Dead Festival", and Wang Yanzhang was the first person. More than a hundred years after Wang Yanzhang's death, Ouyang Xiu twice went to Huazhou to serve, visited the local Iron Gun Temple, saw Wang Yanzhang's portrait reverently worshipped, and made "Portrait of Wang Yanzhang" to praise and commemorate this famous loyal and courageous man.