Author: Xu Yunhui
A heart-rending wail flew out of the capital of Yuanzhou (present-day Wonju District, Guyuan City, Ningxia), causing passers-by to hear the sound of fear and cover their ears and run wildly.
This cry of pain was a rare fairy music in Wang Yansheng's ears, because it was the acoustic effect of his original torture: the local Party Xiangqiang people "have violated the Han law, Yansheng does not impose punishment", but "summons his subordinates to drink and feast, leads the offender to cut off his ear with his hand, chews it, and drinks it." The tortured were ripped off their ears by shengsheng, "bleeding and being covered, and the strands did not dare to move." Wang Yansheng "had several people before and after him", and the notoriety of eating people's ears raw spread throughout Wonju, which made "the Westerners fear it and dare not commit a crime." ”
Wang Yansheng has meritorious service in the town, but "never gives him a festival for life", is it because he is proud of his merits or is he cruel by nature?
(1) Outstanding military achievements
Wang Yansheng was a native of Shu, and after Former Shu was destroyed by Later Tang, he moved his family to Luoyang. He was "sexually cruel and powerful, good at fencing, and called 'Wang Jian'er'", and was recommended to the Later Tang court for his outstanding martial arts and bravery.
Shi Jingyao became emperor of the Khitan Dynasty, and after the destruction of Tang Jian, he succeeded to the throne of his nephew Shi Chonggui. Shi Chonggui had quite a backbone, and after he ascended the throne, he resolutely refused to submit to the Khitan and caused the Khitan army to suppress the territory. Shi Chonggui personally went to Liaozhou to fight, and recruited "brave soldiers" with edicts to enter the city with edicts to pacify the soldiers and civilians who were defending the city.
Wang Yansheng stepped forward and fought with the Khitan siege army for one night, successfully "breaking through" to complete the mission. However, due to the disparity in strength, Shi Chonggui's army was defeated and captured, and later Jin perished.
Wang Yansheng switched to the Northern Han Dynasty and fought alongside Guo Wei. After Guo Wei broke away from the Later Han Dynasty, Wang Yansheng followed Guo Wei to "behead the enemy Shuai Wang Zhang." "Guo Weibeng, Zhou Shizong Chai Rong took the throne, personally conquered Huainan.
Wang Yansheng first made battle achievements in "breaking the golden bull and water, and capturing" the pseudo-military academies Yan Chengwang and Fan Heng," and then from Li Chongjin to Wu Bing Yu Sheng Tang and beheaded two thousand ranks. He also attacked Yingzhou from Zhang Yongde and lower shucheng", and was promoted step by step by military merit. When Wang Yansheng became a dazzling general star, he was also pulled into the circle of friends by Zhao Kuangyin, the ambitious Envoy of the Return to the German Army and the Inspector General, and regarded as a confidant.
(2) Disobeying the Holy Order
On the third day of the first lunar month in 960, Zhao Kuangyin staged a farce of "yellow robe plus body" at Chen Qiaoyi, launched a peaceful mutiny, and cleverly seized the throne of Zhou Shizong, who was only seven years old. Zhao Kuangyin, out of guilt for seizing the orphans and widows, issued a military order before leading his troops back to Kaifeng: "Empress Dowager, Lord, I am all in the north, and the Ru generations must not be alarmed; the ministers are all shoulder to shoulder with me, and they must not be invaded; the treasury of the imperial court and the house of the scholars must not be plundered!" If you use the order, you will be rewarded, and if you violate it, you will be killed recklessly! ”
Wang Yansheng was entrusted with a heavy responsibility by Zhao Kuangyin because of his positive and outstanding performance in the mutiny, and returned to the Beijing Division as a forward force. Later Zhou Ma's deputy commander of the infantry army made Han Tong shocked to hear of the Chen Qiaoyi mutiny, and out of loyalty to the imperial court, he immediately summoned the forbidden army to defend the palace.
Wang Yansheng entered the city, "encountered Han Tong on the road", and even ignored Zhao Kuangyin's strict order that "the army must not commit any crimes when entering Beijing", and commanded the team to attack the forbidden army.
The forbidden army collapsed as soon as it touched it, And Han Tong turned the horse's head and ran home, and Wang Yansheng did not follow it and did not spare the horse. "Han Tong" rushed into its first place, but did not close the door. Wang Yansheng once again violated Zhao Kuangyin's military order that "the house of the shishu should not be plundered", and broke into Han Tong's home and killed him. Han Tong eventually "was victimized by Yan Sheng, and his wives died." ”
Zhao Kuangyin learned that the family of Han Tong, a close comrade-in-arms who had fought side by side and "tasted hardships and dangers together, and loved You Du", had all died under Wang Yansheng's sword, and "Taizu heard that Tong was dead, and Nu Yansheng was killed", which made him even more angry that he dared to violate the military order of "violating the law and wantonly killing Ru".
However, due to the urgent need to win people's hearts and use talents at the beginning of the founding of the country, they had to "hide their sins" and posthumously give Han Tong the "Zhongshu Order, and receive the funeral with courtesy". After educating Wang Yansheng in criticism, he still reused it.
(3) Soliciting bribes for external transfers
A few months later, Wang Yansheng was appointed as an inspector of the capital. Late one night, on the pretext of inspection, he boldly broke into the private residence of Wang Pu, the prime minister of the Four Dynasties, and said that he had specially visited the old seniors. When Wang Pu heard the news, his heart jumped out of bed and placed wine to entertain uninvited guests. Wang Yansheng said shyly, "Tonight's inspection is really sleepy, passing through your house, I have long heard of the great names of my predecessors, and I have come here."
Nagging, conspiring to get drunk. He shrugged off his cheeks and drank wine and ate meat, first praising the luxurious style of the palace with ulterior motives, and then knocking on the side to imply that he was willing to give up his wealth to avoid disaster, "with the intention of asking for bribes." ”
Wang Pu is an old fox in the political arena who has gone through four dynasties, how can he not hear his intentions? But he "tiger push grinding - do not eat this set", pretending to be deaf and blind and unable to understand, a strong persuasion to drink. Wang Yansheng unsuccessfully asked for a bribe and went away in sorrow. Wang Pu secretly played this matter to Song Taizu the next day, and Song Taizu was angry, and the new account was calculated together, and Wang Yansheng was expelled from the capital, first serving as the assassin of Tang Prefecture, then as the envoy of Shenzhou Regiment, the defense envoy of Defense Prefecture, and finally moved to Yuanzhou.
(4) The town guards the northwest
During his stay in Wonju, Wang Yansheng and other generals worked together to build the northwest copper wall "in preparation for Western Xia". Whenever the Western Xia invaded, Wang Yansheng and others "set up ambushes and cover-ups, and made more Kejie", so that the Northern Song Dynasty "had no worries about the northwest for twenty years." ”
In 974, Wang Yansheng fell ill due to overwork, enjoyed preferential treatment and returned to the dynasty as an official, and died of illness halfway through, "in the year 58." ”
After Wang Yan ascended to the saddle and made great contributions to the establishment of the Song Dynasty, he should enjoy the high-ranking official Houlu in the new dynasty.
However, he first recklessly violated the ban of Song Taizu to kill the Han Tong family, and then brazenly and openly demanded bribes from the elder king pu of the Four Dynasties, and then exterminated human nature and created lynching in Wonju, making him notorious. With the merits of Wang Yansheng, it is completely possible to obtain the "Jiedu (Jiedushi) at the same time as Shi Shouxin and other famous generals" at the same time. However, "Taizu killed Han Tong for his life and did not grant him the title of Jie Jie." ”
"History of Song" Yun: "Wang Yansheng killed Han Tong, although Taizu did not add guilt, but did not teach the festival for life", which is intended to "teach the descendants of the "teachings" not to be proud of their achievements, so as not to leave a lifelong regret because the tail is too high like Wang Yansheng!
【About the author】Xu Yunhui, male, graduated from the Department of Chinese of Yunnan Normal University in 1984 and is now a senior lecturer at Baoshan No.1 Middle School Education Group in Yunnan Province. He has published two monographs and published more than 600,000 words in literary journals at or above the provincial level.
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