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In modern warfare, spies play a vital role and often determine the fate of the war. Many people may mistakenly think that espionage is only in modern times, but in fact, similar operations can be found as early as the Xia Dynasty in China. There is a record in the "Zuo Chuan", "Handmaid Ai Spy", in which the meaning of "spy" is "counter-espionage activities within the army". Since then, this concept has evolved and passed down from generation to generation, and has had a profound impact on wars throughout history.
From the first appearance of the Xia Dynasty to the successive dynasties, China's espionage gradually evolved into an important element of war. During the Chu-Han War, Chen Ping came to Chu Camp with 40,000 gold assigned by Liu Bang, and successfully created differences within Xiang Yu by bribing some generals and spreading rumors, which eventually led to Xiang Yu being defeated by Liu Bang and killing himself on the battlefield. Subsequently, in order to effectively manage and use spies, successive dynasties even set up special institutions, such as embroidered messengers in the Han Dynasty, brocade guards in the Ming Dynasty, and so on.
However, according to historical records, the era of the establishment of special espionage agencies in the Han and Ming Dynasties was not the period when espionage activities were most frequent. The largest espionage campaign occurred during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, because the political chaos during this period provided more opportunities for spies to display their talents. For example, Zhu Wen used the help of spy Ma Jing to preemptively retake Tang Zhaozong, thus breaking the stalemate and eventually returning Tang Zhaozong to himself. This example is only the tip of the iceberg of espionage during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, and the actual situation is more complex and intense.
One of the most prominent examples is Gao Jixing, who successfully used spies to weaken his rivals. The story takes place in 927 AD, when Ma Yin sent an envoy to Later Tang as a courtier, and then Emperor Mingzong of Tang Li Siyuan accepted Ma Yin's submission and granted him the title of King of Chu. But soon after, Ma Xisheng forged Ma Yin's order and killed Ma Yin's adviser Gao Yu. Gao Jixing, also known as "Gao Laizi", sent spies to Southern Chu in an attempt to drive a wedge between Ma Yin and Gao Yu. However, this time the dissociation scheme failed, because Gao Yu's status in Ma Yin's mind was too high, so that Ma Yin did not believe the rumors.
Gao Jixing was not willing to fail and continued to wait for opportunities. When the opportunity came, he again sent messengers to Southern Chu to spread the same rumors, accusing Gao Yu of being the greatest threat to Southern Chu. This time, Gao Jixing's scheme worked, because Ma Yin had gradually handed over power to his less capable son Ma Xisheng, and their trust in Gao Yu gradually weakened. So, Ma Xisheng seized the opportunity, forged Ma Yin's order, and killed Gao Yu. Gao Yu's death triggered a chain reaction that led to the decline and civil strife of Southern Chu, which was eventually destroyed by Southern Tang.
Gao Jixing excelled in the use of spies, but he may not have expected that his descendants would also lose Jingnan due to espionage intervention. Zhao Kuangyin was a ruler who excelled at using spies, and after unifying the Central Plains, he turned his sights to Jingnan. Despite the incompetence and turmoil of Jingnan's ruler Gao Baoxuan at the time, Zhao Kuangyin adopted a cautious strategy and sent Lu Huaizhong as a spy to Jingnan to gather intelligence. Lu Huaizhong drew up a detailed topographic map and sent it to Zhao Kuangyin.
However, Zhao Kuangyin did not rush to launch an attack, because he believed that "the division is unknown". He avoids unnecessary conflict, but opportunities quickly arise. Meng Chang, the ruler of Jingnan, sent spies to contact the Northern Han Dynasty in an attempt to confront Zhao Kuangyin. This news was conveyed to Zhao Kuangyin by a spy of the Northern Han Dynasty, so that he knew of his opponent's plans. Zhao Kuangyin immediately formulated a military plan and successfully eliminated Jing Xiang, further expanding his sphere of influence.
To sum up, during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, China's espionage activities were frequent and important. The reason why Zhao Kuangyin has been able to win repeatedly is because he knows how to use spy warfare, and although he was almost separated by enemy spies, he detected the situation in time and was able to avoid falling into a trap. Another reason is that there are many talents under Zhao Kuangyin, and there are many people who are proficient in spy warfare, such as Lu Huaizhong.
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