Author: Xu Yunhui
In October 925, after the Former Shu Emperor Wang Yan was disgusted by the three thousand rouge powders in the harem, the image of a beautiful woman with a thousand charms and endless charms appeared in front of him from time to time. Wang Yan's heart was itchy, and he ordered "Xing Qin Prefecture" to be relived with Yan Chengxiu, the wife of Wang Chengxiu, who was guarding Qin Prefecture.
The successive exhortations of the courtiers did not dispel his absurd thoughts, but Wang Yan insisted on going his own way, formed a condolence group of the imperial court, and drove to Qinzhou. As soon as the team arrived in Zitong, they suddenly had the ominous omen of "strong wind and house pulling wood". Wang Yan was still confused and ignored the advice of his subordinates to continue to move forward. As everyone knows, the 60,000-strong army of the Later Tang Dynasty has knocked on the gate of the Former Shu Kingdom and is rushing towards him with the momentum of destruction and decay...
First, easy to get into position
Easy to get will not be cherished! Wang Yan's performance after taking the throne fully proved this truth.
Wang Jian, the founding emperor of the Former Shu Dynasty, had 11 sons, but the throne mysteriously fell into the hands of the youngest son, Wang Zongyan: the eldest automatically relinquished the position of prince because he fell from his horse at an early age and fell into a lifelong disability, the second brother was deposed as a mutiny after being made crown prince, the third brother was listed as the first candidate because of his appearance very similar to his father, but in the end he died, the old eight died violently at a critical moment, and the other princes were equally qualified and overwhelmed. Therefore, Wang Yan, who "had a big mouth, his hands over his knees, and his eyes and ears", relying on his distinguished and peculiar appearance and various interests to weigh, in 913 AD, "became the crown prince with the favor of his mother." ”
In June 918, Wang Jian died. The 19-year-old crown prince Wang Zongyan succeeded to the throne the next day, changed his name to Wang Yan, and began to stage a scene of extravagance and lasciviousness.
Second, extravagance and lasciviousness
Wang Yan was "young and absurd", delegating power to eunuchs and courtiers, and indulging in sexual pleasure himself. During the period of "fengqi mother (Empress Dowager Xu) and Concubine Xu (Imperial Concubine's aunt) traveling together on Mount Qingcheng and stationed in the Shangqing Palace", he spent a huge amount of money to order all his entourage to change into a new Taoist costume of "crowning a golden lotus flower, dressing and painting clouds, and looking like a god". Wang Yan originally had a lot of literary talent, "quite knowledgeable, able to be a flashy word", at this time he could not help but itch, and created a Ganzhou song "self-song, and make everyone in the palace harmonious." ”
After tasting the sweetness, Wang Yanle did not tire of this, and from then on, "the harem wore a golden lotus crown and dressed in Taoist clothes," and after getting drunk, he took off the flower crown, let the bun naturally hang down to his cheeks, and applied red fat powder on the face, "the number 'drunken makeup'", which attracted the Chinese people to flock to it. ”
Strange costumes still could not satisfy Wang Yan's heart of always pursuing excitement. Inspired by the "Precariousness of the High Yu Crown" in "Leaving the Troubles", he ingeniously wrapped the usual turban into a strange style of "its shape like a cone", and wore it on his head to show it all over the palace, which attracted the inner palace to follow suit. He likes to "travel to the folk in micro-clothes", wearing such a tapered hat is too conspicuous, so after leaving the palace, "it is good to wear a big hat".
Because the people generally like to wear the "dangerous brain hat" that can only cover the top and drop off the head, as long as Wang Yan, who wears a big hat, appears outside the palace, the people can "recognize it with the big hat." Wang Yan felt that the people's "dangerous brain hat" was both ugly and ominous, and simply ordered that it was forbidden to wear it, "because everyone in the country wore a big hat." ”
He built Xuanhua Garden in a big way for himself and his courtiers to enjoy. After getting tired of playing, he ordered the construction of the Yishen Pavilion, "drinking with the foxes and women day and night." Sometimes playing from sunrise to the moon is not too addictive, simply "followed by candles" to continue to enjoy.
King Zongshou of Jia could not stand his brother's absurdity, and once advised him to manage the "social and state affairs" well at the nine-day banquet of Xuanhua Garden, but Wang Yan ignored it, and his brother "spoke and wept, as for repeatedly." Wang Yan was finally a little moved, but several courtiers explained to him: "King Jia is talking about wine, he likes to drink, and when he is drunk, he loves to cry!" "Wang Yan is relieved" because of the humorous ridicule. When the courtiers saw that the emperor had such an attitude, they "mocked the king with slow words." When the Civil and Military Officials saw the Emperor's brother entering the court and fell into a humiliated end, "He was a loyal and righteous minister. ”
3. Selling officials and knights
The empress dowager and the empress dowager who sent Wang Yan to the throne of God were very unhappy to see their share of living happily. Due to their identity and age, they could not participate in Wang Yan's absurd circle, but they were not willing to be busy in vain. Therefore, the two sisters decided to imitate the story of the Han Ling Emperor selling the official Andejue, and to auction wang Yan publicly for all official positions "below the history of self-assassination".
Wang Yan promised that he would be responsible for providing resources, and his mother and aunt would be responsible for the auction. After the news came out, the rich people at all levels of the government and the public were excited, and as long as the imperial court announced that there was a shortage of people for an official position, "there must be several people fighting together." The empress dowager's sisters sat on the profits and let their official positions be "obtained by those who have more money", and earned a bowl full of money.
The empress dowager and the empress dowager suspected that there was always a quota limit for selling officials and lords, and they still could not make money at will. So add it up again and come up with a shortcut to making money. They asked Wang Yan to issue an edict announcing that the government would set up hotels and shops around the city's major transportation routes and cities to facilitate the people's business travel. Then, they contracted all the newly built buildings and halls, took the opportunity to fill their own pockets, fought for the interests of the people, and tried their best to loot the people's fat and people's ointment.
Wang Yan's mother and son joined forces to accumulate wealth, pit business and harm farmers, and disrupt finance. Upward and downward effects, officials at all levels do everything possible to expropriate and violently. Former Shu was already sitting on the crater.
Fourth, labor hurts the people and money
After spending days in the capital, Wang Yan suddenly had a whim, wanting to see if the world was wonderful outside, and at the same time deter the disgruntled ethnic minority armed forces along the way. Therefore, he imitated the Sui Emperor to go down to Jiangnan and ordered a huge fleet to tour the north. After careful preparation, Wang Yan was dressed in gold armor, wearing a beaded hat, holding a bow and arrow, standing majestically on the flagship, leading the fleet from Chengdu. The fleet is connected from end to end, hunting with flags, and the armor is distinctive, stretching for up to 100 miles.
The fleet stopped and went on a sightseeing tour for more than four months. Officials from Langzhou (阆州, in present-day northeastern Sichuan Province) heard the news and hurriedly requested Shengshang to inspect Langzhou. Wang Yan was in the middle of the river and led the fleet down the river, but when he saw the river, "the dragon boat was painted and the river was reflected", which opened the eyes of the people along the way. However, in order to pat the emperor on the ass, Langzhou officials transferred all the expenses incurred by the emperor in Langzhou to the prefectures and counties along the way, and the prefectures and counties were naturally apportioned to the people. The people dared to be angry but did not dare to speak, and they were "sad and resentful."
After the absurd and shameless Wang Yan arrived in Langzhou, he still remembered Hunting Yan. There is a beautiful woman surnamed He in Langzhou City, who is happily preparing to marry her husband's family. When Wang Yan saw it, he was shocked, snatched love with a horizontal knife, robbed him as a concubine, and pretended to "give his husband a hundred horses" as compensation. This fiancé is also a seed of infatuation, and after losing his beloved wife, he is full of grief and indignation, "a mourning pawn." ”
Fifth, the wind and rain are coming
Wang Yan was able to relax in shu, the key was that the central plains were still frequently in war, and the Tang dynasty was beyond the reach of the whip. After Emperor Zhuangzong of Tang suppressed Later Liang Zhuwen, he sent his envoy Li Yan to visit Former Shu.
Li Yan saw that Chengdu was "rich and prosperous", but Wang Yan was a person who could only eat, drink and have fun, and entrusted "the government of the military state to people." The clumsy disciples of the Hui Dynasty played Tang Zhuangzong: "Wang Yan is stupid, Zong Bi, etc. are always his military handles, but he benefits the family wealth, does not sympathize with the people, the monarch is up and down, but the business is poor and luxurious." He suggested that Emperor Zhuangzong of Tang quickly march into the army, "With the expectation of the courtiers, as soon as the soldiers came, the wind disintegrated." ”
Emperor Zhuangzong of Tang was deeply impressed, so he "had the heart of Pingshu" and began to vigorously prepare for a large-scale conquest of Former Shu.
Former Shu courtiers were not all wine bags and rice bags, and Dongchuan Jiedu made Song Chengbao worried about Later Tang's tiger eyes, and repeatedly offered a plan to Wang Yan: "Tang Guo's army is strong, if you don't plan early, you will save it later?" He requested that five hundred warships be built along the river in Jiazhou, five thousand sailors be recruited, and that they take the initiative to take offensive defenses and keep the enemy out of the country. Wang Yan, who was immersed in pleasure, thought that he was purely worried about the sky, worried about others, and ignored him.
What is even more heinous is that the eunuch Wang Chengxiu was deeply favored by Wang Yan because he was handsome and quite good at playing tricks, and "often flattered his master with evil and treacherous things". Wang Yan went to Wang Chengxiu's mansion many times to drink and have fun with him. In the meantime, seeing that Wang Chengxiu's wife Yan Shi "had a beautiful color", he drunk Wang Chengxiu and had an affair with Yan Shi. In order to appease Wang Chengxiu, Wang Yan appointed him as an envoy to the Tianxiong Army in Qin Prefecture (present-day Tianshui, Gansu).
6. Beggars surrender the kingdom
In September 925, Li Jiquan, the eldest son of the Later Tang Zhuang sect, and guo Chongtao, the famous general, "general 60,000 soldiers to cut down Shu." The Tang army carried less than ten days of military food to cut down Shu, and although Wang Chengxiu, who guarded the gate of the country, "held the sharp troops in Tianshui", he directly surrendered his weapons and surrendered without raising his blade. Li Jiquan was very puzzled: "Living in a big town and supporting strong soldiers, why don't you refuse to fight?" Wang Chengxiu replied shamelessly, "Fear the king God Wei Er!" ”
As soon as Wang Chengxiu surrendered, the gates of the Later Shu kingdom opened, and the Tang army "surrendered to all the prefectures and towns they went", so they took grain on the spot and attacked and advanced, and the Later Shu generals rushed to surrender.
At this time, the imperial court condolence group led by Wang Yan had just arrived in Miangu (present-day Guangyuan City, Sichuan) from Zitong, and suddenly heard the news of the murder of Tang Shi entering its territory, Wang Yan was frightened and, ordered Wang Zongbi and others to hold on to Miangu, and sent Wang Zongxun and others to lead troops to rely on Tang Shi, and fled back to Chengdu with the imperial court condolence group.
The Tang army was like a broken bamboo, "Everywhere you go, the prefectures and counties will fall." After Wang Zongxun and the others arrived at the front line, they heard that the Tang army was unstoppable, and they were frightened to "look at the wind and retreat", and let the Tang army soldiers drive straight in without bloodshed.
Wang Yan was horrified on the way back to Chengdu, and after hearing the news that Wang Zongxun and others had fled without a fight, he became angry and ashamed, "Emperor Zhaozong and others. When Wang Zongbi received the edict, he dismissed it, but instead conspired with Wang Zongxun and others to first "send money to Tang Shi" and then simply surrender to Tang en masse.
When Wang Yan fled back to the outskirts of Chengdu breathlessly, because the Uighur guards around him fled all the way, he also saw "Hundred Officials and harems greeting the Seven Mile Pavilion." In order to show the imperial might, he breathed evenly, ordered the palace ladies to change into military uniforms and pretend to be Uighur guards, and arched themselves into the capital with great vigor. Early the next morning, Wang Yan summoned his courtiers to discuss countermeasures at the Hall of Civilization. The courtiers had nothing to do, and the monarchs "wept relatively." ”
At this time, Wang Zongbi, who had already surrendered to Tang, returned to Chengdu as the vanguard of the Tang army, arrested and killed a number of political enemies, and cut off their heads and put them in wooden boxes to give Li Jiquan a letter of surrender. When Wang Yan saw that the general trend had gone, his heart was like ashes, so he had to "beg for surrender on the table." ”
Li Jiqiang marched to the Shengxian Bridge in the north of Chengdu, but saw houshu "hundred officials ban under the bridge, Yan riding on the line of public opinion, plain clothes and white horses, leading sheep, grass ropes tied to the head, the face tied to bibi, and the public opinion (carrying the coffin) in the back." Li Jichao "dismounted from his horse and was blessed", and Guo Chongtao personally untied the rope on Wang Yan's body, causing the coffin to be burned to show that he accepted surrender. Wang Yan was grateful to Shu Zero, "Lead the pseudo-hundred officials northeast dance thanksgiving." Li Bi, Bai, Wei Wang, Chongtao, and Li Yan all answered the prayer. ”
Wang Yan surrendered, declaring the demise of Later Shu. Later, from the time Tang sent troops to the destruction of Hou Shu, it took only 75 days to create the myth of "the ease of using soldiers since ancient times, there has never been such a thing".
7. The dead are exterminated
Wang Yan, his mother, wives and concubines, and courtiers were escorted to Luoyang as spoils of war. Accept Tang Zhuangzong's arrangement. Emperor Zhuangzong of Tang stated in black and white on the edict that the safety of the lives of all descendants of Hou Shu was absolutely guaranteed, and he also took pains to "list the land and seal" Wang Yan as a prince and continue to enjoy the preferential treatment given by the imperial court.
Wang Yan was elated and led thousands of people, including the clan's former ministers, to the fiefdom, and arrived at Qin Chuanyi in early April 926.
The Lingguan Jingjin cut the grass and removed the roots, and repeatedly advised Wang Yan and his party to be killed. Tang Zhuangzong thought twice, adopted the suggestion, and sent an envoy to Qin Chuanyi to convey the holy will of "destroying his clan". Wang Yan and his party of thousands of people were immediately killed, and their blood stained Qin Chuanyi.
Before the empress dowager was executed, she looked at death as if she were returning home, and shouted at Tang Zhuangzong to the east: "My son led the whole country to surrender, but instead ended up being exterminated!" As an emperor with a single word, you have 'abandoned your faith and righteousness'! I firmly believe that you are in trouble too! More than ten days later, Tang Zhuangzong was killed by random arrows in a fierce battle because he doted on the lingguan and provoked a mutiny.
Wang Yan's concubine Liu Shi (劉氏) had "sideburns like clouds and color", and the executioner took pity on Xiang Xiang and planned to keep her alive. Liu Shi Dayi said awe-inspiringly: "The family and the country are lost, and righteousness is not humiliated!" "Resolutely lead the neck to be killed."
When Wang Yan died, he was only emperor for 9 years, only 28 years old. His father Wang Jianqian worked hard to establish Former Shu, which can be described as a wise and divine martial art. After Wang Yan ascended the throne, he was "arrogant," "extravagant," "good wine, and happy games," neither repairing internal affairs, nor consolidating border defenses, and he gave the splendid rivers and mountains laid down by his father to others, willingly became the king of the subjugated country to survive, and finally ended up with the sad end of a country that broke the family and died in a ruined name, making a vivid annotation to the famous saying that "Yi Yu can die" in Ouyang Xiu's "Preface to the Biography of Lingguan".
【About the author】Xu Yunhui, male, graduated from the Department of Chinese of Yunnan Normal University in 1984 and is now a senior lecturer at Baoshan No.1 Middle School Education Group in Yunnan Province. He has published two monographs and published more than 600,000 words in literary journals at or above the provincial level.
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