353 AD
Zhang Zuo usurped power: saying that the emperor was risky and that rebellion needed to be cautious
In 353, the former Liang monarch Zhang Chonghua fell seriously ill, and Zhang Chonghua's brother Zhang Zuo plotted to usurp power.
Before Zhang Chonghua died, he personally ordered the conscription of the chancellor Xie Ai as a general of Wang, supervising various Chinese and foreign militaries, and serving as an auxiliary minister of Shizi Zhang Yaoling. However, Zhang Zuo, together with Zhang Chonghua's close ministers Zhao Chang and Wei Ji, hid Zhang Chonghua's warrant and kept it secret. After Zhang Chonghua's death, Zhang Yaoling succeeded to the throne. Zhao Chang tampered with Zhang Chonghua's warrants and appointed Zhang Zuo as an auxiliary chancellor, giving him the supervision of all Chinese and foreign militaries.
Zhang Zuo's goal was more than that, he also wanted to abolish Zhang Yaoling and replace him. Zhao Chang and others suggested that Zhang Yaoling should abdicate when he was young and let Zhang Zuo take the throne. Zhang Chonghua's mother, Empress Ma, had an illicit relationship with Zhang Zuo, and when she learned of Zhang Zuo's intentions, she agreed to Zhao Chang's suggestion and deposed Zhang Yaoling as the Marquis of Changning. Zhang Zuo established himself as the Pastor of Liangzhou and the Duke of Liang.
Zhang Zuo's seizure of power was a distribution of power between Zhang Zuo, Zhao Chang, and Empress Ma, without taking into account the interests of the Liangzhou surname and other clan members. The reason why the Zhang regime was able to divide Liangzhou was inseparable from the support of the liangzhou surnames, such as the Song, Zhang, and Suo clans. Their alienation from Zhang Zuo laid the groundwork for Zhang Zuo's final demise.
After Zhang Zuo ascended the throne, he raped Zhang Chonghua's concubines and executed the opposition, including Xie Ai. He was very strict in his administration, and many ordinary people were dissatisfied with his rule, and the surname of Liangzhou began to secretly leave the capital city of Guzang (present-day Wuwei, Gansu). Later, Zhang Zuo declared himself emperor, no longer using the last era name of the Western Jin Dynasty, Jianxing, and officially and publicly using the new era name Heping. Zhang Zuo claimed the title of empress, and in order to consolidate his power, began to purge local generals with heavy troops.
When the Eastern Jin dynasty general Huan Wen's Northern Expedition attacked Former Qin, Former Liang's Qin Prefecture Assassin Shi Wang Also sent troops to attack Former Qin's Chen Cang in response to Huan Wen, and at the same time sent someone to report to Zhang Zuo, saying that Huan Wen was good at using troops and his ambitions were difficult to guess. Zhang Zuo was worried that Wang Zhen would betray him and return to Huan Wen, so he sent someone to assassinate Wang Zhen. Wang Huan received the wind in advance and had to leave Former Qin. Zhang Ou (張瓘), the Assassin of Hezhou (河州, in present-day Linxia, Gansu), was also a key target of Zhang Zuo's attack. Zhang Ou was a member of the former Liang Zhang clan, and he had a lot of troops, and Zhang Zuo was very jealous of him. He first had Zhangye Commandery (張掖郡, in present-day Zhangye, Gansu) Taishou Suofu replace Zhang Wanzhen Shoupaohan, and then ordered Zhang Wan's army to suppress a rebellious Hu tribe in the territory, and also sent the generals Yi Hui and Zhang Ling to assist Zhang Wan in suppressing the rebellion, in fact preparing to attack him.
At that time, a man named Wang Luan was good at magic numbers, and he told Zhang Zuo that Yi Xuan and Zhang Ling's army would not return after they set out, and he also counted the faults of Zhang Zuo's administration. Zhang Zuo then executed Wang Luan and exterminated his entire clan. After Zhang Ou learned the news of Wang Luan's execution, he realized that Zhang Zuo was ready to attack him. So Zhang Huan killed Sofu, who had come to guard The robe, and attacked the troops led by Yi Yu and Zhang Ling, who were rushing towards the robe, and defeated them. After Yi Hui and Zhang Ling fled in defeat, Zhang Wan led his army in pursuit, and the soldiers pointed directly at the former Liang capital Guzang.
At that time, the former Liang generals Song Chao and Song Cheng brothers had conflicts with Zhang Zuo because their brother Song Xiu (who had died at the time) and had always feared Zhang Zuo's retaliation. They are the representatives of the surname of Liangzhou. After they heard that Zhang Wan's march to Guzang, they also gathered more than 10,000 horses and marched towards Guzang. This also means that the Song clan of the Liangzhou surname began to stand in a clear position against Zhang Zuo.
After Zhang Wan approached Guzang, he passed on the county of Tanzhou to support Zhang Yaoling. When Zhang Zuo heard about it, he immediately killed Zhang Yaoling and ordered the capture of Zhang Ju and Zhang Song, zhang ju's two younger brothers in Guzang City. When Zhang Ju and Zhang Song learned of this, they recruited more than a hundred brave men in the city and opened the city gate to welcome the army of Song Chao and Song Cheng's brothers into the city. Zhao Chang, who had once supported Zhang Zuo, feared that he would be liquidated, and entered the palace to force Empress Ma to order Zhang Chonghua's younger son Zhang Xuanliang to be made monarch.
Yi Hui, who was defeated by Zhang Wan, entered the palace and killed Zhao Chang. After the Song army entered the city, Zhang Zuo ordered the soldiers in the palace to resist desperately, but the soldiers did not want to serve him anymore, and killed Zhang Zuo before they fought. Song Chao ordered zhang zuo's head to be cut off and zhang zuo's two sons executed. Song Chao and Zhang Ju supported Zhang Xuanliang as Liangzhou Pastor. After Zhang Wan entered the city, he elected Zhang Xuanliang as the King of Liang.
Conclusion: Zhang Zuo's usurpation of power was an important symbol of the former Liang regime's transformation from prosperity to decline, although Zhang Zuo was killed, the Former Liang regime was still in turmoil, and the struggle between the monarch and the courtiers rose and fell, so the national strength declined significantly, and was later destroyed by Former Qin.
What kind of hidden dangers did the former Liang Emperor Zhang Zuo's actions lay for the demise of Former Liang?
354 AD
Huan Wen's First Northern Expedition: Looking at Chang'an across the river
In 354, the Eastern Jin general Huan Wen led the first Northern Expedition.
After Huan Wen became a Han Dynasty, the imperial court added him the title of Grand General of The Western Expedition on the basis of the History of Jingzhou Assassination. Huan Wen's growing fame made the Sima royal family jealous. Sima Yu, the Prince of Huiji, strongly recommended the prestigious Yin Hao as the Assassin of Yangzhou, hoping to use him to balance Huan Wen.
Using Yangzhou to balance Jingzhou was a common means used by the Eastern Jin dynasty court. Because Yangzhou is very close to Jiankang. If there is a rebellion in Jingzhou, Yangzhou can play the role of arching and defending Jiankang.
However, Sima Yu misplayed the Ruyi card, because Yin Hao talked about Xuan, but the army was a layman. Huan Wen and Yin Hao grew up together and were very clear about how capable he was. Huan Wen felt that Yin Hao's control of military power was not a threat to him, so he did not obstruct it.
In 349, the Later Zhao emperor Shi Hu fell ill and died, and several of his sons fought for power and made a mess. Huan Wen saw that this was a rare opportunity for the Northern Expedition, so he wrote to request the Northern Expedition. The imperial court was afraid that Huan Wen's new merits would be more difficult to control, so it did not agree, but sent another important minister, Chu Qi, to recruit the governor and lead the Northern Expedition, which was defeated. Huan Wen later asked for war many times, but the imperial court did not allow it.
In 352, the imperial court sent Yin Hao to lead the Northern Expedition, but because of the disadvantage of his subordinates to appease the troops, it caused a rebellion, and the Jin army failed to subdue the rebellious troops, and he also lost more than 10,000 people, and Yin Hao withdrew. The following year, Yin Hao led an army of 70,000 people on the Northern Expedition, but as a result, because he squeezed out the Qiang general Yao Xiang under him, he finally forced Yao Xiang to rebel. Yao Xiang counterattacked, the Jin army was defeated, Yin Hao was so frightened that he left his weight and fled back, and the soldiers suffered heavy casualties. Huan Wen seized the opportunity to write a letter to impeach Yin Hao, and the imperial court was forced to degrade Yin Hao as a shuren.
Without resistance, Huan Wen finally began his northern expedition. The first Northern Expedition was in 354, and Huan Wen led 40,000 infantry to ride the Northern Expedition to Former Qin. At this time, Hou Zhao had been destroyed, and Huan Wen had fought several bloody battles and hit Guanzhong. Huanwen garrisoned Bashang, Chang'an is in front of you. At this time, according to Chang'an, it had been more than thirty years since it was attacked, and the nearby people had come to join them, and many old people had lost their voices and wept bitterly, and they did not expect to see the day of the officers and soldiers.
However, Huan Wen's first Northern Expedition stopped here. Huan Wen's army was short of food, and when the Former Qin army discovered this, it insisted on clearing the field, making it impossible for the Jin army to harvest local crops. The Jin army was short of food, so they had to retreat with more than 3,000 households in Guanzhong. The Former Qin army took advantage of the situation to pursue, and the Jin army was defeated and suffered heavy casualties. This time, although Huan Wen of the Northern Expedition entered Guanzhong, it was fruitless.
In 356, Huan Wen's Second Northern Expedition, this time targeting Yao Xiang, the qiang leader who had previously rebelled against the Jin Dynasty. At this time, Yao Xiang had already occupied Xuchang and besieged Luoyang, and when he heard that Huan Wen was coming, he immediately withdrew to meet the battle. Huan Wen personally put on armor to supervise the battle, Huan Wen's younger brother Huan Chong and the others fought bravely, the Jin army advanced in formation, and Yao Xiang's army was defeated. Zhou Cheng, who occupied Luoyang, came out and surrendered to the Jin army, which recaptured Luoyang. Before Zhou Cheng surrendered to Jin and then rebelled against Jin, Huan Wen moved more than 3,000 returnees, including Zhou Cheng, to the Yangtze River and Hanshui area. Huan Wen also visited the tomb of the former emperor, repaired the damaged parts, and arranged for people to stay behind, and finally returned to the dynasty.
Although Huan Wen's Second Northern Expedition was victorious and many lost territories were recovered, the Eastern Jin court did not have the heart to run the north, and Huan Wen did not consolidate the results of the battle, so soon after, Sili, Yuzhou, Qingzhou, Yanzhou and other places fell again.
Conclusion: Huan Wen's first two Northern Expeditions were nominally to recover lost territory, but in fact they were increasing their political weight for themselves and preparing for their usurpation. These two Northern Expeditions could have achieved greater results, but neither the Eastern Jin Dynasty nor Huan Wen had the intention of recovering the North, so the Northern Expedition was doomed to have little effect.
Huanwen Northern Expedition: The Military Limit of the Eastern Jin River Empire
363 AD
Zhang Tianxi launched a coup d'état: Countdown to the demise of Former Liang
In 363, Zhang Tianxi, a former Liang chancellor, staged a coup d'état and killed the former Liang monarch Zhang Xuanliang, proclaiming himself Liangzhou Mu.
Previously, Zhang Tianxi's nephew Zhang Xuanliang was named monarch, but he had been a puppet since he ascended the throne at the age of five, and the powerful ministers Zhang Wan, Song Chao, and Song Cheng successively came to power. Zhang Wan was a member of the clan, and the brothers Song Chao and Song Cheng were from the Liangzhou surname Song, and the two interest groups they represented maintained a delicate balance in politics.
Replacing Song Cheng's right Sima (who was in charge of commanding and managing the army), Zhang Yong was born in Liangzhou with the surname of Zhang, and he hated Song Cheng's dictatorship, so he raised troops to kill him and destroy his family. Zhang Xuanliang was forced to appoint Zhang Yong as the Central Protector (responsible for taking charge of the Forbidden Army and selecting military attaches). In order to balance Zhang Yong, Zhang Xuanliang also appointed his uncle Zhang Tianxi as the leader of the Central Army (and jointly controlled the Forbidden Army with the Central Protector Army), and let the two assist the government together. A new balance was struck between the clan members and the daimyō family.
After Zhang Yong ascended to the throne, the party fought against the same and killed dissidents indiscriminately, and many people hated him. Zhang Tianxi plans to get rid of him and take charge of the government alone. One day, when Zhang Tianxi and Zhang Yong entered the dynasty together, two of Zhang Tianxi's close associates, Liu Su and Zhao Baiju, attacked Zhang Yong, and as a result, Zhang Yong escaped the attack and escaped from the palace. Zhang Yong quickly led three hundred soldiers to attack the palace gate. Zhang Tianxi ascended to a high place and shouted to the soldiers outside, counting Zhang Yong's sins, saying that he would only pursue Zhang Yong and not others. The soldiers who followed Zhang Yong all ran away after hearing this, and Zhang Yong knew that the general trend had gone, and he killed himself.
After Zhang Yong's death, Zhang Tianxi eliminated Zhang Yong's party and family members and took sole control of the government. The political balance between the liangzhou surname and the members of the clan was broken, and Zhang Xuanliang was also under Zhang Tianxi's control. Zhang Xuanliang's mother, Princess Guo, realized that Zhang Tianxi was a huge threat to Zhang Xuanliang, so she wanted to unite with the chancellor Zhang Qin and others to get rid of Zhang Tianxi. The matter was later leaked, and Zhang Tianxi learned of Guo Taifei's plan.
Zhang Qin and the others knew that Zhang Tianxi was going to do something to them, so they had to commit suicide. Zhang Xuanliang was very frightened and offered to give way to Zhang Tianxi, but was refused. Zhang Tianxi wanted to seize power by force, but did not want any Zen concessions, and his close confidant Liu Su also advised him to stand on his own. One night, Zhang Tianxi led an army into the palace, killed Zhang Xuanliang, and announced that Zhang Xuanliang had died suddenly. After Zhang Xuanliang's death, Zhang Tianxi called himself Liangzhou Mu and became the former head of a country in Liang.
In order to maintain the internal political balance, Zhang Tianxi on the one hand let his close associates Liu Su and others participate in the government, and on the other hand, he reused the Surnames of Yin and Suo in Liangzhou. In addition, in order to enhance the legitimacy of his power, Zhang Tianxi used the era name of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and sent people to the Eastern Jin capital Jiankang to claim the eastern Jin Dynasty as a vassal. The Eastern Jin Dynasty court appointed Zhang Tianxi to assassinate Liangzhou and recognized Zhang Tianxi's rule over Former Liang. In order to win over Former Liang, the Former Qin emperor Jian Jian also sent someone to grant Zhang Tianxi the post of Pastor of Liangzhou.
Conclusion: Zhang Tianxi's coup d'état was a continuation of the civil unrest caused by Zhang Zuo's usurpation of power, and since then, Qianliang's political construction has not improved, so that the national strength has gradually declined; after Zhang Tianxi took the throne, he ignored the government and indulged in pleasure, resulting in Former Liang being destroyed by Former Qin.
Zhang Tianxi: An emperor who is good at "talk shows" and "makes a living" by his mouth