Preface
In the long course of history, the struggle for power has often been a thrilling drama. When Li Congke usurped the throne, Emperor Min was killed, Shi Jingjiao was suspicious, and a power game involving the fate of the dynasty was brewing.
However, the most striking thing is the role played by Shi Jingjiao, who is left and right in the whirlpool of power and conspiracy, but is trapped by suspicion, and finally chooses to resist, but leads to an even greater disaster.
However, when the dust settles, how will we face those former dreams? Will we continue to sink or revive ourselves? This is exactly the dilemma faced by Li Congke, the late emperor of the late Tang Dynasty.
1. Ambition
In 934 AD, the Later Tang dynasty was in turmoil. The first emperor Li Siyuan died, and his adopted son Li Conghou succeeded him and was revered as Emperor Min. However, Li Conghou was still young, and the power of the court was actually controlled by the eunuch Meng Hanqiong and the powerful minister Zhu Hongzhao and others. For their own gains, they wantonly squandered the wealth of the country and increased the tax burden on the people.
At the same time, Li Congke is eyeing the tiger. He is the righteous son of Li Siyuan, and he has made great contributions under the command of the first emperor. Now watching the country weaken day by day, Li Congke's ambitions are also increasing day by day. He secretly planned and waited for an opportunity to move, and finally staged a mutiny in 934 AD, quickly captured Luoyang, and forced Li to flee from Houbei.
Li Congke's victory came too quickly, and Emperor Min Li Conghou was powerless to resist, so he could only take refuge in Shi Jingjiao, the envoy of Hedong Jiedu. But Shi Jingjiao saw the wind and took the rudder and imprisoned Li Conghou, which eventually led to him being poisoned by poisoned wine at the age of 21. Li Congke took the opportunity to ascend the throne for the late Tang Dynasty emperor.
After Li Congke ascended the throne, he couldn't wait to consolidate his dominance. He knew that in order to strengthen his foundation, he had to win the support of his soldiers. Therefore, he ordered that the soldiers who had made meritorious contributions in battle should be rewarded. However, this decision has set off a series of ripple effects.
Li Congke, whose treasury was empty, had to levy large taxes on the people to satisfy the rewards for his soldiers. This practice immediately aroused strong dissatisfaction among the people. They gathered in the streets and denounced the soldiers who were "fighting to the death for the Lord," accusing them of "being complacent" and ignoring the people.
This outbreak of public resentment made Li Congke feel unprecedented pressure. He realized that the foundations of his rule were in jeopardy. In order to stabilize the situation, Li Congke had to convene the prime minister to discuss countermeasures. Eventually, he decided to "live within the means" of his soldiers, drastically lowering the standard of reward.
However, this decision did not quell the discontent of the soldiers. They wrote satirical ballads that mocked Li Congke for "removing the Bodhisattva and erecting pig iron", implying that he replaced the benevolent Li Conghou and erected an iron-faced and selfless ruler. This boiling of public opinion undoubtedly cast a shadow over Li Congke's rule.
Second, lure the wolf into the house
At this critical moment, Hedong Jiedu made Shi Jingjiao start his own conspiracy. As the son-in-law of the former emperor Li Siyuan, Shi Jingjiao was suspicious of Li Congke's succession. He secretly probed Li Congke's movements and showed weakness to him so as not to be suspicious.
However, the southern invasion of Khitan soldiers and horses gave Shi Jingjiao an opportunity. While resisting the Khitan, he was also brewing his own plan for rebellion. When Li Congke transferred Shi Jingjiao to leave Hedong, Shi Jingjiao completely broke off the idea of staying and decided to ask the Khitan for help and overthrow Li Congke's rule.
Shi Jingjiao's decision is a huge risk. He not only had to pay tribute to the Khitan, but also treated the Khitan Emperor Yelu Deguang, who was ten years younger than him, as his father. More crucially, he promised to cede the entire Lulong Army and the states north of Yanmen Pass to the Khitan, just to get military support from the Khitan.
On the one hand, Shi Jingjiao had to make sure that the Khitan could actually send troops to help, otherwise his plan of rebellion would be ruined, and on the other hand, he had to try to convince his subordinates to accept this decision, which seemed to be detrimental to the interests of the country.
Some of Shi's subordinates did express concerns about the plan. They feared that once a large area of territory was ceded to the Khitan, it would become a major disaster in the Central Plains in the future. However, Shi Jingjiao insisted on his opinion, believing that only in this way could he gain the support of the Khitan and eventually overthrow Li Congke's rule.
At Shi Jingjiao's insistence, this plan was finally implemented. He sent a request for help to the Khitan Emperor Yelu Deguang, and promised to cede a large area of territory to the other party. Yelude was overjoyed when he heard the news, and immediately ordered the mobilization of a large army to the south, preparing to join forces with Shi Jingjiao against Li Congke.
This move also dealt a heavy blow to Li Congke's rule. As the son-in-law of the first emperor, Shi Jingjiao's rebellion was undoubtedly a great shame. What worries Li Congke even more is that the Khitan's military strength far exceeds his own, and once the two sides join forces, his rule may be unsustainable.
In response to this crisis, Li Congke had to act. He first sent people to form an alliance with the Khitan, trying to divide the relationship between the fossil Jingjiao and the Khitan. But in the end, he gave up because of his concerns. Subsequently, he sent multiple troops to crusade against Shi Jingjiao, trying to solve the problem by force.
3. Internal and external troubles
While Li Congke was busy dealing with Shi Jingjiao's rebellion, another force from within also began to threaten him. This is Zhao Dejun, the envoy of Lu Longjiedu. Zhao Dejun is an ambitious figure. He secretly plotted to seize the Central Plains and refused to go to war with the Khitans. When Li Congke repeatedly urged him to go north to support, Zhao Dejun only acted with momentum and did not take substantive action.
This put Li Congke in a predicament of internal and external troubles. On the one hand, he had to deal with the attack of Shi Jingjiao and the Khitan coalition army; On the other hand, it is also necessary to guard against Zhao Dejun's internal threats. Under this double attack, Li Congke's situation is even more difficult.
In order to solve this crisis, Li Congke had to personally march north in an attempt to command the army. However, at this critical moment, he stopped because of timidity. The ministers persuaded him to continue to go north, but Li Congke said helplessly: "Don't say it anymore, Shi Jingjiao makes me tremble." "
This inner fear undoubtedly further weakened Li Congke's dominance. At the moment of this crisis, an unexpected news came - Meng Zhixiang, the ancestor of Later Shu, took advantage of the gap to seize many cities in the Later Tang Dynasty.
Li Congke was overjoyed, and he immediately ordered Li Zanhua to be appointed as the lord of the Khitan state, hoping to let Yelu Deguang return to his teacher. This is undoubtedly a very bold bet. If it can succeed, it may be possible to divide the relationship between the fossil Jingjiao and the Khitan, so as to get rid of the current predicament.
Unfortunately, this strategy did not work. The encirclement of Shi Jingjiao and the Khitan coalition army intensified, and Li Congke's army was defeated and retreated. In the end, Li Congke had to ask Shi Jingjiao for peace, but Shi Jingjiao had already become a member of the Khitan, so naturally he would not easily agree.
In this way, the Later Tang Dynasty began to accelerate towards the abyss of collapse under the double attack of internal and external troubles. Li Congke's ambition and greed doomed his rule to failure, and Shi Jingjiao's rebellion became the last straw that crushed the dynasty.
Fourth, under the nest
Faced with a double attack from inside and outside, Li Congke's dominance began to be in jeopardy. He looked depressed, just drinking and singing sad songs day and night, and he was apprehensive about Shi Jingjiao's threat. The ministers persuaded him to continue the northern expedition, but he said helplessly: "Don't say it again, Shi Jingjiao makes me tremble." "
This inner fear undoubtedly further weakened Li Congke's determination. He was no longer able to concentrate on the immediate crisis, and could only respond passively. In this case, the fall of the Later Tang Dynasty became inevitable.
At the moment of this crisis, an unexpected news came - Meng Zhixiang, the ancestor of Later Shu, took advantage of the gap to seize many cities in the Later Tang Dynasty. Li Congke was overjoyed, and he immediately ordered Li Zanhua to be appointed as the lord of the Khitan state, hoping to let Yelu Deguang return to his teacher.
It's a very bold bet. If it can succeed, it may be possible to divide the relationship between the fossil Jingjiao and the Khitan, so as to get rid of the current predicament. However, this strategy did not work. The encirclement of Shi Jingjiao and the Khitan coalition army intensified, and Li Congke's army was defeated and retreated.
In the end, Li Congke had to ask Shi Jingjiao for peace, but Shi Jingjiao had already become a member of the Khitan, so naturally he would not easily agree. In this way, the Later Tang Dynasty began to accelerate towards the abyss of collapse under the double attack of internal and external troubles.
Li Congke's rule was doomed, rooted in his own ambition and greed. He blindly pursued selfish interests and wantonly squandered national strength, which led to widespread resentment among the people. And Shi Jingjiao's rebellion became the last straw that crushed this dynasty.
This double attack of internal and external troubles also brought a fatal blow to the Later Tang Dynasty. Li Congke's ruling foundation was already in jeopardy, and Shi Jingjiao's rebellion put him in a desperate situation. In the end, this once powerful dynasty went to the abyss of collapse under the double pressure of internal and external difficulties.
epilogue
The temptation of power often leads to a loss of mind and ultimately a big mistake. The fall of the Later Tang Dynasty is a striking example. Li Congke's blind pursuit of personal interests and wanton squandering of national strength led to widespread resentment among the people, while Shi Jingjiao did not hesitate to betray the country and take refuge in foreign enemies for the sake of personal grievances.
The mistakes of the two people's decision-making, coupled with the double blow of internal and external troubles, finally caused this once powerful dynasty to collapse. We can see from this that the rise and fall of a country, in fact, depends on whether the ruler can restrain his selfish desires and truly think about the country and the people.
Only by abandoning one's own selfishness can we unite people's hearts, benefit the people, and truly achieve long-term peace and stability. This is also a profound lesson that future generations have repeatedly learned.
The wheels of history roll forward, but the weaknesses of human nature are always repeated. The fall of the Later Tang Dynasty sounded a warning bell for us: the temptation of power is endless, and only by governing the country with justice and benevolence can we truly win the hearts of the people and achieve long-term peace and stability of the country.