【Big Cleansing】
In order to further consolidate his power, Huang Chao issued an edict: All civil and military officials of the Tang Dynasty should register with Zhao Zhang and then resume their posts.
I thought they would come one after another and cross the threshold of Zhao Mansion. Who would have thought that the front door of Zhao Mansion would be deserted and deserted.
This is not a matter of simply not giving Huang Chao face, this is a very serious political incident.
Going to the Zhao Mansion to deliver a business card is a moment of standing in line. If you come, it means you recognize the legitimacy of Huang Qi's regime; if you don't come, it means you care about the old Tang Dynasty.
Huang Chao was furious and ordered the entire city to search for former Tang officials. Those arrested in the carpet search were: Prime Ministers Douluo and Cui Hang, former prime ministers Yu Cong and Liu Ye, Prince's Young Master Cui Jie, Yushi Zhongcheng Zhao Meng, Minister of Justice Li Pu, and Jingzhao Yin Litang.
Huang Chao finally revealed his true colors, took off his hypocritical mask, and ordered them all to be executed.
Former Prime Minister Yu Cong, who was born into a distinguished family, was upright and highly respected. He was persecuted because he refused to follow the "Baoyan Party" and was the main victim of the "Yu Cong Case". Not only was he a former prime minister, he was also a prince-in-law who married Princess Guangde (the daughter of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty). Therefore, Huang Chao hopes that Yu Cong can take a good lead and serve as the prime minister of Huang Qi's regime, setting a good example for the old officials of Tang Dynasty.
Yu Cong flatly refused and said solemnly: "As the prince-consort of the Tang Dynasty, how could I betray the Tang Dynasty and become a traitor? Huh, I would rather die than obey!" He then sacrificed his life for righteousness and died heroically.
His wife, Princess Guangde, angrily held the executioner's butcher's knife and said, "I am the princess of the Tang Dynasty, and I am willing to die with my husband!" So the couple were killed together. There is another saying that if Huang Chao did not kill Princess Guangde, the princess would go home and commit suicide to die for her country.
After killing these senior officials of the Tang Dynasty, they dug up the grave of Prime Minister Lu Xie, dragged out the body, cut off the head, and hung it in the market for public display.
Zheng Qi, the Minister of Construction (who will serve as supervisor), and Zheng Xi, a doctor in the Ministry of Finance, committed suicide and died for the country.
Subsequently, under the pretext of hiding a high-ranking official who had fled, Zhang Zhifang was arrested and the three clans were executed.
Zhang Zhifang is the number one representative of the "Old Minister Sect". When Huang Chao invaded Chang'an, he led the military attachés to Bashang to hold a welcoming ceremony.
Historical records say that Zhang Zhifang hid many old officials of the Tang Dynasty, including the above-mentioned Douluo, Cui Hang, Yu Cong, etc. He also secretly communicated with Xizong's exiled government and resistance officials, and also conspired to kidnap Huang Chao as an offering to Xizong...
Welcoming Huang Chao for the first time is a great traitor; hiding officials and conspiring to hijack Huang Chao is a great loyal minister. Is this Zhang Zhifang loyal or traitorous?
Let’s first look at Comrade Zhang Zhifang’s profile:
Name: Zhang Zhifang
Hobby: Hunting (I once lived in Luoyang, where the birds would make a lot of noise when they saw them)
Main family members: Father: Zhang Zhongwu (former Lu Longjun Jiedushi)
Work history: 1. Lu Longjun stayed behind (inherited his father's position)
2. General Jinwu (he did too many illegal things in the Lulong Army and defected to the court for fear of retaliation)
3. Youpushe, the Minister of Inspection (promoted because his father had made great contributions to the court)
4. Youyu Lin Tongjun (surrendered because of killing people, "sit down and flog King Wu's envoy for a small crime")
5. General Xiaowei (demoted due to abuse of power, dereliction of duty, and dereliction of duty)
6. Sihu Sihu joined the army (surrendered because of indiscriminate killing of slaves)
7. Yu Lin Tongjun (promoted because his mother went to the court to cause trouble)
8. Sima Kangzhou (surrendered because his subordinates were thieves)
9. General Zuo Xiaowei and General Zuo Jinwu (promoted in honor of their father’s merits)
Zhang Zhifang's official career has been ups and downs, and it is very obvious that every time he was promoted, it was because he had a good father - Zhang Zhongwu. Zhang Zhongwu quelled the rebellion of the Lulong Army, defeated the Uighurs, and made great contributions to the Tang Dynasty; at the same time, he also had a good mother who knew how to play tricks and roll around.
Every time Zhang Zhifang was demoted, he earned it through hard work and strength. "Sexually violent and fond of hunting", lawless and prone to murder. It can be said to be full of bad things.
When Huang Chao invaded the capital, as General Zuo Jinwu, he not only failed to perform his duties and led his troops to resist, but instead led military attachés out of the city to welcome Huang Chao into the capital. This is a stain that will never be erased from the archives of his life.
There is a song to prove it:
"There was a young man named Zhang Zhifang in the village. He was good-looking and arrogant. He had a pair of beautiful big eyes and was a little bully with a silver spear. On the night when Huang Chao entered the city, he led his ministers to the Ba Bridge. The emperor, who had never knelt before, stood On Baqiao. Thank you for giving me your love and for taking me on the road to Chang'an. Thank you for giving me the reason to chop off your head."
Looking at what he did, it is hard for me to believe that this "Silver Gun Bully" would suddenly turn around and plot to assassinate and hijack Huang Chao.
In addition to Zhang Zhifang, former Dr. Taichang and current Imperial Academy scholar Pi Rixiu was also found to have an excuse to be executed. Pi Rixiu was one of the officials who followed Zhang Zhifang to Bashang to greet Huang Chao.
In addition, Yang Xigu, the representative of the "Old Minister Sect" among the "Four Founding Ministers", has also disappeared forever from historical records, and his whereabouts are still unknown. We can also speculate that he most likely died during this purge.
Through this great purge, the "Conglong Sect" occupied a dominant position in Huang Qi's regime and had absolute say; the "Jiangchen Sect" was in danger and only sought self-protection; and the "Old Minister Sect" almost disappeared .
Looking back at this great purge, there are too many doubts. For example, whether Yu Cong and others were hiding in Zhang Zhifang's home. Different historical records have different records, some are unclear, and some are contradictory.
Here, I will not list these doubts one by one. It's not that I'm lazy, but it's really not necessary. "Medical trouble case", "Yu Cong case", "Dengzhou please surrender"... Again, there are no cases that cannot be solved, only cases that dare not be solved.
Let’s call this great purge of the Huang Qi regime the “Zhao Mansion Registration Case”. This case is actually the case with the clearest context and clearest facts, but there are many doubts that arise. The simpler, the more complicated it becomes. It shows that the power of the mastermind behind the scenes is more powerful.
All these doubts are caused deliberately by the "Conglong Sect" to fish in troubled waters.
After all, from the search to the interrogation, all aspects are led by the "Conglong Faction".
Regardless of whether Zhang Zhifang participated in hiding or assassination operations, he will undoubtedly die. Because he is the number one figure in the "Old Minister Sect", and if the "Conglong Sect" wants to attack the "Old Minister Sect", Zhang Zhifang will definitely be at the top of the death list.
I firmly believe that Zhang Zhifang has never turned back.
The charges of hiding former officials of the Tang Dynasty and murdering Huang Chao were all made by the "Conglong Sect". Although there were many doubts and loopholes, this political conspiracy was still quite effective. This factional dispute in the Huang Qi regime ended with the overall victory of the "Conglong faction" and the complete defeat of the "Old Minister faction".
History books expressed sympathy and respect for the officials who died in this great purge. They had integrity and would rather die than become thieves. Perhaps out of disdain for the Huangchao Group, the political struggle behind this purge was intentionally or unintentionally ignored.
Huang Chao was unable to stop it and was happy to get his way. He adopted a tacit attitude towards the "Conglong faction", or in other words, used and encouraged the "Conglong faction" to expand the scope of the struggle, which truly evolved into a political purge and purified the revolution. Team.
At the same time, the newly enthroned Huang Chao was not idle. He mainly did three aspects of work to stabilize Huang Qi's regime:
1. Send powerful generals to garrison various fortresses and do a good job in military defense;
2. Send the number two figure Shang Rang to personally lead the elite to pursue Tang Xizong in the west and completely overthrow the Tang Dynasty;
3. Lobby various vassals and towns to gain support and recognition from all forces and isolate the Tang Dynasty politically.
The people of Chang'an ate pots of milk to welcome the rebel army. They believed in the political propaganda led by Shang Rang and regarded the Cao army as liberators.
Militarily unstoppable, politically united and unified, ideologically unified, the people's aspirations and expectations... Our Huang Qi regime is impregnable!
Is it what he wants?
