In history, the dynasties that built the capital Jinling were short-lived dynasties, and their dead kings were often criticized by later generations. Such as Sun Hao, the empress of Wu of the Three Kingdoms, Emperor Wudi of Liang of the Southern Dynasty, and Chen Shubao, the empress of the Chen Dynasty.......
However, the demise of the capital Jinling Southern Tang is somewhat a pity. At its peak, the Southern Tang Dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period covered 35 prefectures, about part of present-day Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, Fujian, Hubei and Hunan provinces, with a population of more than 5 million. Compared with the countries divided at the same time, the Southern Tang Dynasty was strong and strong, with the establishment of imperial examinations and schools, and its culture was even more prosperous.
Li Yu was the last emperor of the Southern Tang Dynasty, the sixth son of the Southern Tang Dynasty, and was known as "Li Houlord". According to the traditional feudal concept and the imperial hereditary system, Li Yu had no intention of competing for politics, but because he was often suspected by the crown prince Hongyi, he was mentally depressed, and he witnessed the cannibalistic court bloody case, and he was even more terrified. In order to avoid the scourge of killing, Li Yu was lonely, passively avoided the world, and devoted himself to the study of calligraphy, painting, poetry and song.
History played a tragic trick on life, and Li Yu, who did not want to be the emperor, eventually became the lord of the Southern Tang state. As the monarch of a country, Li Yu also implemented benevolent measures, reduced taxes, and relaxed punishments, although it is an indisputable fact that the Southern Tang state was weak and the Song Dynasty was strong, but he did not want to forge ahead in the face of strong enemies, and tried to exchange the mercy of the Song Dynasty for condescension and concessions, and maintain the existence of the Southern Tang Dynasty. He endured humiliation and submission to the Song Dynasty, and Nagon called the clan, not only did not dare to call the emperor dignified, but even when receiving the envoys of the Song Dynasty, he had to take off the imperial robe and replace it with a purple robe. Li Yu thought that as long as he was obedient in everything, Zhao Kuangyin would spare the Southern Tang, but Li Yu only barely maintained power for 15 years.
In the autumn of 974, Zhao Kuangyin sent an envoy to ask Li Yu to go to Kaifeng, and Li Yu knew that there would be no return, so he deduced that he was ill and resolutely refused. In winter, Zhao Kuangyin's Song Dynasty troops crossed the Yangtze River and surrounded Jinling.
The following year, the Song army captured Jinling, and after Li Yu surrendered to the Song Dynasty, he led forty-five of his sons to accompany his troops north to Bianjing, the capital of the Song Dynasty, and began a sad, desolate, humiliating and remorseful life as a captive.
He was confined to a small building in Bianjing, guarded by soldiers at the door, completely deprived of his personal freedom, and could not meet guests privately without special permission. Zheng Wenbao, a former courtier school, wanted to see each other, but he also had to wear a kasa and dress up as a fisherman to see his face. What made him even more embarrassed was that his beloved wife Xiao Zhou was humiliated when she entered the palace.
Historically, it is not uncommon for the founding emperor to poison the former lord and the founding meritorious minister, but it is either the product of the imperial struggle or the minister's disobedience to control. However, at the beginning of the establishment of the Song Dynasty under Zhao Kuangyin, killing the lord of the country who surrendered to Cheng was not conducive to the stability of the political situation and the great cause of recovery in the future. Even after unifying the world, poisoning the former dynasty lord is not a clear move, even if it is done secretly, it is difficult to hide the glory of everyone, and in fact it becomes unnecessary.
In the third year of Taiping's rejuvenation, Zhao Guangyi went to the Chongwen Academy, accompanied by Li Yu and others. Zhao Guangyi said to Li Yu: "I heard that you like to read, and the books in the Chongwen Academy used to be the books of the Later Tang Dynasty, have you read them before?" “
Zhao Guangyi took this opportunity to tell Li Yu that you have become a prisoner of the Great Song Dynasty, and the people of the Southern Tang Dynasty, together with these vast thousands of books, are surnamed Song, which is a victory from reality to spirit, an absolute victory, and using this almost sarcastic way to mock Li Yu's former glory, rather than killing Li Yu, it is better to let him live than to die.
In fact, compared to Zhao Guangyin, Zhao Guangyi treats Li Yu well. After the surrender of the Song Dynasty that year, Li Yu wore a white gauze hat to treat the crime downstairs in Mingde, and Zhao Kuangyin, with his repeated summons, raised troops to resist and sealed him as a "marquis who disobeyed orders". Although he was exempted from the death penalty, "Marquis of Disobedience" was a very humiliating title. After Zhao Guangyi came to the throne, he changed Li Yu to the Duke of Longxi, and the marquis was promoted to the duke, and the treatment was improved and the insulting title was eliminated.
July 7, 978 AD, Qiqiao Day, also happened to be Li Yu's birthday. He ordered the singer to make fun in the small building, and sang "Poppy" with tears in his eyes: "When is the spring flower and autumn moon?" How much do you know about the past! Xiao Lou had another east wind last night, and the country could not bear to look back at the moon and the middle of the moon. The carved fence and jade masonry should still be there, but Zhu Yan changed. Q: How many worries can you have? It is like a river of spring water flowing eastward. Hearing the song, Zhao Guangyi was furious, thinking to himself, "I treat you like this, do you still have a dream of restoration?!" So someone sent a jug of birthday wine, and Li Yu drank it like a knife, his body convulsed, and he died of anger, ending two years and eight months of life as a prisoner and a 42-year journey in life. Shi said that what he drank was poison called "pulling medicine".
Therefore, there was no need for Zhao Guangyi to poison Li Yu. After Li Yu's death, his son Li Zhongyu was appointed as the Assassin of Yingzhou, and his grandson Li Zhengyan was appointed as the head of the interior. It can be seen that Li Yu is constantly dying himself.