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In the first year of Xiande (954), the 32-year-old Chai Rong became the Emperor of Later Zhou, and in the face of the chaos of the world and the division of the masses, he set the grand ambition of "ten years to open up the world, ten years to feed the people, and ten years to taiping". After that, Chai Rong recuperated internally and opened up territory to the outside world, making the Later Zhou increasingly rich and powerful. In the sixth year of Xiande (959), Chai Rong died of illness at the age of 37 and left with regret that he had not been able to dominate the world. Chai Rong was a rare Ming emperor in the Five Dynasties, laying a good foundation for the Northern Song Dynasty to end the chaotic situation of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. If Chai Rong lived for another thirty years, whether he could unify the world, the captain would tell you in detail.
First, the uncle adopted the son
Chai Rong
Chai Rong was the son of Chai Shouli and lived with his aunt Chai and his uncle Guo Wei in his early years. At that time, Guo Wei had no sons, and when he saw his nephew Chai Rong, he was gentle and diligent, so he adopted him as his adopted son. In the twelfth year of Tianfu (947), Liu Zhiyuan repelled the Liao army, established the Later Han Dynasty, and made the general Guo Wei a privy councillor. With the help of his adoptive father Guo Wei, Chai Rong was able to enter his career and serve as a general of the left guard.
In the second year of Qianyou (949), Chai Rong followed Guo Wei out of the town of Yecheng. In the third year of Qianyou (950), Emperor Yin of Later Han, dissatisfied with the dictatorship of the auxiliary chancellor, killed Guo Wei and Chai Rong's family members who remained in Kaifeng, and also sent someone to kill Guo Wei. Guo Wei was forced to rebel, and finally killed Emperor Yin of Later Han and established Hou Zhou.
Guo Wei
After Guo Wei ascended the throne, he made his adopted son Chai Rong the envoy of Tanzhou Jiedushi. Chai Rong enforced strict law in Danzhou and developed production, benefiting the people. In the third year of Guangshun (953), Guo Wei finally made up his mind to pass the throne to Chai Rong, so he made him the Yin of Kaifeng Province and the King of Jin.
Second, repel the Northern Han Dynasty
Later Zhou and the Northern Han Dynasty
In the first year of Xiande (954), Guo Wei died of illness, and Chai Rong took the throne as emperor. In order to avenge the destruction of the country, the Northern Han Dynasty joined forces with the Liao army to invade Houzhou. Chai Rong summoned his ministers to discuss countermeasures and proposed that he wanted to march in person, but the chancellor Feng Dao strongly opposed this. However, Chai Rongli was out of the crowd and insisted on personally enlisting. The Zhou and Han armies fought at the Battle of Gaoping. The Zhou general Fan Aineng and others were afraid of the enemy army and even collapsed without a fight.
Zhao Kuangyin
Chai Rong immediately killed Fan Aineng and others, and the morale of the Zhou army was greatly boosted, repelling the Han army and winning a great victory. The Battle of Gaoping dealt a heavy blow to the Northern Han Dynasty, making it no longer a threat to the Later Zhou. Chai Rong found that there were great problems in the army during the Battle of Gaoping, so he reformed the military system, recruited strong men to join the army, and eliminated the old and weak. Chai Rong's reform greatly improved the combat effectiveness of the Zhou army and laid a good foundation for the end of the chaos of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms in the Northern Song Dynasty.
Third, reform and the southern expedition
distant
In the second year of Xiande (955), Chai Rong opened up political discourse and issued an edict to seek meritocracy, on the one hand, ordering the hundred officials of the Shang Dynasty to nominate a sage each, and the person who recommended him should be responsible for the person who recommended him, on the other hand, he opened a branch to collect scholars and select talents; economically encouraged the fleeing people to return home, and the sooner the people returned home, the more they could restore more of their original land; militarily strengthen border defenses to prevent the Liao army from invading, and also sent troops to conquer Houshu and seize Qinzhou and Fengzhou; religiously suppress Buddhism, demolish Buddhist temples, and force monks and nuns to return to their customs. Chai Rong's reforms have greatly improved the chaotic situation in the past five generations, and also enabled the economy of the Central Plains to recover and develop.
Later Zhou Dynasty Southern Tang
Soon Chai Rong launched a major campaign against Southern Tang, and with the help of Wu Yue and Jingnan and other separatist regimes, the Zhou army won many battles and repeatedly forced Southern Tang to seek peace. Finally, in the fifth year of Xiande (958), Later Zhou completely seized the land north of the Yangtze River of Southern Tang, and forced Southern Tang to submit to Later Zhou. Later Zhou's attack on Southern Tang dealt a heavy blow to Southern Tang, causing Southern Tang's strength to be greatly reduced and no longer posing a threat to Later Zhou.
Fourth, go north to cut the Liao
Sixteen States of Youyun
In the sixth year of Xiande (959), Chai Rong personally sent troops to cut down the Liao in order to retake the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun that the Later Jin Hads ceded to the Liao Dynasty. The Zhou army marched north all the way, and the momentum was like a bamboo, frightening The Liaoning Prefecture Assassin Shi Wang Hong, the Waqiao Guanguan General Yao Neibin, the Yanzhou Assassin Liu Chuxin, and the Yingzhou Assassin Shi Gao Yanhui all surrendered, causing the Zhou army to directly attack Youzhou. Just as Chai Rong was preparing to take Youzhou with a single blow, he suddenly fell seriously ill and had to return to the court. Chai Rong died of illness at the age of 37.
Fifth, the possibility of unifying the world
Sejong is in Shuwei, Youwu Tao, and the Mandate of Heaven has a genus, the heir to the Hongye, not to break the Gaoping Array, more than a year to restore the Qin, Feng's seal, Jiangbei, Yannan, taken as a mustard, the god Wu Xiongluo, is the generation of the British Lord. Paying attention to political affairs, working tirelessly day and night, and abetting and defending adultery, there are many reasons. It is often said that Taizu cultivated the evil of the two kings, so that the righteousness of the king and the subject did not protect his end, so the emperor controlled Haojie, and if he lost it, he would say it clearly, and his merit would be rewarded, and the literature and martial arts would be used, and he would not accept his wisdom and cherish his grace. (History of the Old Five Dynasties, vol. 119)
During the eighteen-year reign of Muzong, he knew that the witches and demons were vainly accused, and the courtiers indiscriminately tortured and cut advice, which was not unknown. And the desolation is in the wine, and the hunt is tireless. The detection of the goose is out of date, and the punishment of adding a cannon soldering iron comb; the duck is very happy, and the order to remove the thorn face of the eagle square is removed. Rewards and punishments are disorganized, the government does not look at it, and it is addicted to killing. Elbow armpits, Yi Ya! (History of the Old Five Dynasties, Vol. VII)
Chai Rong was a rare Ming Emperor during the Five Dynasties period, and had made great achievements in the martial arts of Wenzhi, but unfortunately he died young, and if Chai Rong lived for more than thirty years, the possibility of establishing a unified imperial dynasty was very high.
Song Taizong
First of all, Chai Rong had to live for an extra thirty years, then he died in the thirty-sixth year of Xiande (989), when the Northern Song Dynasty had ended the situation of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms and confronted the Liao. The end of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms was ended by two brothers, Song Taizu and Song Taizong, who were Chai Rong's subordinates when Chai Rong was alive, and their abilities were weaker than Chai Rong's. If Chai Rong was there, ending the chaos of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms with his ability would certainly not be a problem, although he might not be able to destroy the Liao, but he would definitely be able to capture the Sixteen States of Youyun.
Secondly, if Chai Rong had lived for an extra thirty years, his achievements in the sixth year of his reign (959) would certainly have been greater. At that time, the Zhou army had won many battles and victories, and morale was high, and it was certainly no problem to seize Youzhou with one blow. Chai Rong would definitely use Youzhou as a base to continue fighting against the Liao, and it was only a matter of time before he regained the entire Youyun Sixteen Prefectures. After recovering Youyun Sixteen Prefectures, Chai Rong recuperated and accumulated strength, and his strength increased greatly in the later weeks. Whether the Zhou army can destroy the Liao in one fell swoop is difficult to say, but it will definitely have more advantages than the Northern Song Dynasty against the Liao.
Jeroboam
Again, Chai Rong's main opponent in establishing a unified imperial dynasty was the Liao Dynasty, when the Emperor of the Liao Dynasty was Liao Muzong Yelü Jing. But Yelü Jing was addicted to alcoholism, liked to sleep, ignored the government, and was known as the "Sleeping King". Yelü Jing reigned for eighteen years and watched the Later Zhou and Northern Song grow, so that the Northern Song Dynasty could successfully end the division of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms without worrying about the huge threat from the North. That Chai Rong lived for another thirty years, Yelü Jing was no match for him at all, and if he was stronger in the later Zhou, it was very likely that he would destroy the Liao Dynasty.
In the end, Chai Rong's ability to rule martial arts was outstanding, rectifying the rule of officials, reforming the military system, developing production, greatly improving the strength of the Later Zhou, and also crippling the Northern Han and Southern Tang, and winning the Liao, if he lived for thirty more years, he would certainly be able to make great achievements, and it was very possible to establish a unified imperial dynasty.