In 884 years of Chinese history, the fourth year of Emperor Yuzong of Tang's reign, the famous Shangyuanyi Revolution took place. This event is full of puzzling and complex factors, but it is undeniable that it greatly influenced the trend of the late Tang and Five Dynasties periods.
First, the change of Shangyuanyi
The Shangyuanyi Revolution took place in the fourth year of Zhonghe, when the Huangchao rebel army was attacking Bianzhou, where Zhu Quanzhong was garrisoned by the late Tang Dynasty. Zhu Quanzhong was originally a bandit, but after the outbreak of the Yellow Nest Uprising, he joined the rebel army and was appreciated by Huang Chao for his abilities. However, Zhu Quanzhong later accepted the Tang Dynasty's recruitment, believing that he had a chance to become a member of the Tang court. Therefore, when Huang Chao attacked Zhu Quanzhong, Zhu Quanzhong felt that his own strength was invincible, so he asked the Hedong warlord Li Keyong for assistance. Li Keyong's army successfully repelled Huang Chao's attack, but after that Zhu Quanzhong had to entertain Li Keyong. The Shangyuanyi change took place in this context: it is said that at the banquet, Li Keyong's words angered Zhu Quanzhong, causing Zhu Quanzhong to attack Shangyuanyi at night and set fire to Li Keyong while Li Keyong was drunk. However, Li Keyong's subordinate Li Siyuan desperately protected Li Keyong and saved him from the disaster. Another theory is that Zhu Quanzhong may have thought that Li Keyong might become his rival in the future, so he tried to eliminate him before Li Keyong.
Second, the confusion of motivation
However, neither the former nor the latter can explain the motives of Shangyuanyi's change. First of all, Zhu Quanzhong and Li Keyong represent not only individuals, but also two groups of warlords. Did Zhu Quanzhong murder Li Keyong because of his offense? Although this logic is common in some novels and film and television dramas, it does not match the logic of the hero in reality. Second, the Huangchao Rebellion had not yet subsided, and Zhu Quanzhong was uncertain whether he would eventually be able to replace the Tang Dynasty and establish a new dynasty. He does not have the ability to predict the future, so logically, it is difficult for him to attempt to kill Li Keyong because of a momentary anger.
Third, the follow-up impact
In short, the change of Shangyuanyi is full of many complex details, and it is difficult to clarify the truth. However, it is undeniable that this incident had a profound impact on the situation in the late Tang Dynasty. Zhu Quanzhong's murder attempt led to a decades-long battle between the Hedong warlord clique and the Bianzhou warlord clique. Even after the fall of the Tang Dynasty, the Hedong warlord clique still fought against the Later Liang Dynasty, which was based on the Bianzhou warlords, and eventually overthrew the Later Liang Dynasty and established the Later Tang Dynasty. At the same time, Li Siyuan's heroic deeds in the Shangyuan Yi Revolution won Li Keyong's high praise, and he was given important responsibilities, laying the groundwork for the later rise of Li Siyuan in the Later Tang Dynasty. Without Li Siyuan's coming forward, he might not have received the weight that Li Ke used, and therefore would not have been able to overthrow Li Cunxuan's rule in the Later Tang period, which had an immeasurable impact on the development trajectory of the Later Tang.