["Yang faction" saves the country]
Yang Fugong clearly realized that Zhu Mei was the big boss behind this farce, although he didn't hide much behind the scenes. Get rid of Zhu Mei, and all problems will be solved.
Therefore, Yang Fugong issued an A-level reward order: whoever kills Zhu Mei will be given the title of Jiedu Envoy of the Jingnan Army in Pizhou.
As soon as the reward order came out, Guanzhong was shocked. The soldiers of the Forbidden Army fought more bravely, such as Li Maozhen. And more importantly, Zhu Mei's men also had their thoughts.
Previously, Zhu Mei sent general Wang Xingyu to lead an army to pursue Xizong of Tang Dynasty. Wang Xingyu conquered Dashan Pass with overwhelming force, approaching the Datang Peak with overwhelming force. In the "Datang Summit Battle", he encountered the stubborn resistance of the Forbidden Army and suffered several defeats in a row.
Wang Xingyu convened a small meeting with his subordinates and said that if we did not fight well, we would definitely be blamed by Zhu Mei; but now, the court has offered a reward, and Zhu Mei’s head can be exchanged for the Jiedushi... Then we will not let the wealth go to others. Don't bother outsiders.
As soon as this statement came out, he immediately received unanimous support from his close followers.
Wang Xingyu immediately ordered his troops and horses and quickly returned to the capital.
Zhu Mei was overwhelmed by the complicated official duties. When she suddenly heard that Wang Xingyu and his troops had returned without permission, she couldn't help but became furious and said, "Tell him to get out of here!"
Wang Xingyu walked up to the hall and entered the room with his head held high, without greeting or saluting.
Zhu Mei was so angry that she slapped the table and yelled, "You actually withdrew the troops without my order. You want to rebel?"
Wang Xingyu smiled coldly and retorted, "Am I rebelling? I'm about to kill the rebels!" Following Wang Xingyu's order, the sergeants filed in and tied up the confused Zhu Mei rope. Without saying much, Use the knife to chop.
He held Zhu Mei's head high on a bamboo pole and patrolled the troops.
Zhu Mei was once a fighting hero. At that time, Zhu Mei was just a junior officer. She fought with the Huang Chaocao Army at Kaiyuanmen in Chang'an City. During the battle, Zhu Mei's throat was pierced by an iron spear (gun hole throat). Miraculously survived. After the war, Zhu Mei was promoted to the governor of Jinzhou, and later to the military governor of Xingning. Just a few years later, he was beheaded as a traitor to the country, which is really sad.
Wang Xingyu quickly hunted down and killed hundreds of Zhu Mei's cronies. Chaos ensued in Chang'an, and Wang Xingyu's troops burned, killed, and looted the city.
Since Huang Chao invaded Chang'an, the people of Chang'an have been in purgatory. They can no longer count how many times they have been looted. Major tribulations occur three to sixty-nine times, and minor tribulations occur every day.
The common people really can't squeeze out money and water, they have no money and no food... No, don't you still have clothes? Take them off!
Wang Xingyu's subordinates were so mad that they even spared the tattered clothes of the people. It was the middle of winter (the twelfth lunar month of the lunar calendar), and naked corpses frozen to death were everywhere on the streets of Chang'an. It was too horrible to see.
Under the protection of the puppet prime ministers Pei Che and Zheng Changtu, Li Yun led more than 200 puppet civil and military officials to flee into the river.
Wang Chongrong, the military governor of the National Protectorate Army (formerly Hezhong), warmly welcomed Li Yuan and his entourage into the city.
Close the door and behead.
At this point, less than three months after Li You proclaimed himself emperor, Wang Chongrong put his head in a wooden box and sent it to Xingyuan Mansion for reward.
【Durangneng's list】
Some people suggested that the prisoner dedication ceremony should be held as usual at the Nancheng Tower, with the emperor attending, hundreds of officials congratulating, a general amnesty, and universal celebration.
Some people objected, saying that Li You was different from Huang Chao. After all, he was from a royal family with the surname Li, and he was the third uncle and great-grandfather of the Holy Emperor. He was coerced by the gangsters. The most they could do was blame him for not being stubborn. According to the "Book of Rites", if a member of the royal family commits a capital crime, the king should wear plain clothes and not listen to music or watch singing and dancing. Now that Li You has been executed, the most appropriate way is to depose him as a commoner and let local officials bury his body. As for the prisoner presentation ceremony, we should wait for Zhu Mei’s death.
Tang Xizong agreed with the second statement. Li Yuan was deposed as a commoner.
There is no suspense about the subsequent liquidation work.
Catch them, kill them.
The edict: Xiao Yu, Pei Che, and Zheng Changtu, who served as prime ministers in the puppet regime, do not need to be escorted to Xingyuan Mansion. The execution will be carried out on the spot, and local people and army officers and soldiers will gather to watch and eat melons. Anyone who accepts the appointment of Li You and serves in the puppet government Officials at all levels must be killed without mercy.
One more thing needs to be said here:
In fact, Xiao Yu strongly opposed Li Yu's usurpation of the throne and refused to write a coronation memorial for Li Yu. He was demoted by Zhu Mei as the "Prince Taibao" and "stepped aside" in the pseudo-dynasty. After Li You officially proclaimed himself emperor, Xiao Yu claimed to be ill and fled to Yongle County, Shanxi Province, because Xiao Yu's younger brother was the county magistrate of Yongle County. However, he was still sentenced to be the core member of Zhu Mei's party members. His death and reputation were ruined, which was really unfair.
Isn't Xiao Yun the only one who has been wronged? Of course, we cannot rule out that some people were willing to rebel under Zhu Mei's instigation, but most of them were forced by Zhu Mei's power and failed to be "powerful and unyielding". To be fair, they are guilty, but the crime does not lead to death. .
Xizong made a long death list. Except for those who fled to Xingyuan Mansion with him, almost all the remaining civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty were on the list.
After fierce political struggles, bloody liquidation is inevitable, especially the battle for the throne. Everyone inside and outside the imperial court is in danger, because this list is always in a "to be continued" state, and is being updated and added with new content at any time.
At this time, few people will complain about the people on the list, especially when the liquidation is in progress. Because during this sensitive period, anyone who expresses injustice on behalf of the list, or even just shows mercy or regret, will be regarded as an ally of the list members and will be purged together.
At the end of the Han Dynasty, Cai Yong couldn't help but sigh when he heard the news that Dong Zhuo had been killed, and was immediately killed by Situ Wang Yun as a member of Dong Zhuo's party. He would lose his head just by sighing, let alone complaining on behalf of Dong Zhuo. Cai Yong, a famous official, calligrapher, and writer of the Eastern Han Dynasty. His daughter is more famous, Cai Wenji.
Now, Yang Fugong wants to use this opportunity to cleanse the political arena and eliminate dissidents. At this time, who dares to call out the injustice of the traitors?
Yes, Prime Minister Du Rangneng.
Du Rangneng was not afraid of danger, argued hard, and finally saved 70 to 80% of the people on the list (17 to 80 were spared).
This should be the late Tang version of "Schindler's List".
There are also not a few who have received awards.
Xizong fulfilled his promise and appointed Wang Xingyu as the governor of the Jingnan Army. At the same time, Li Maozhen was appointed as the military governor of Wuding Army; Yang Shouzong (the adopted son of Yang Fugong) was the military governor of Jinshang; Yang Shouliang (the adopted son of Yang Fuguang) was the military governor of Shannan West Road; and Gu Yanlang was the military governor of Dongchuan.
Those who deserved to be killed were killed, and those who deserved to be rewarded were rewarded. With the assistance of the "Yang faction" eunuch group, Xizong set off back to Beijing. Jiangshan Sheji is showing signs of recovery again.
However, there is one person who is more troubled. He is Fengxiang Jiedushi Li Changfu. He and Zhu Mei were originally a duo of stupid thieves who betrayed their good friends and jointly supported Li You to become emperor. They were the real initiators. Only because the spoils were unevenly distributed, he secretly communicated with Xizong and found his way back.
Although he stepped back from the brink in time, he did not make meritorious service. Zhu Mei was not captured by him, and Li You was not captured by him... Li Changfu's situation was very embarrassing.
Although Xizong made it clear that he would forget the blame, he was still uneasy, fearing that Xizong would counterattack after returning to Chang'an.
Li Changfu, who was so tangled up in everything, made an even more tangled move: detaining Xizong.
He did not dare to forcibly detain him, and his old comrade Zhu Mei was a lesson learned from his mistakes. Li Changfu's approach was more gentle.
"With heavy steps, the road back home is so long..." The song "Clouds of Hometown" is really suitable for the occasion. Chang'an seems to be the hometown that Xizong can never return to.
When Xizong's team passed through Fengxiang, Li Changfu insisted that Xizong stay in Fengxiang for a few more days on the pretext that the palace in Chang'an had not been completed yet.
Xizong was eager to return, but he could not refuse Li Changfu's enthusiastic invitation to stay.
Staying for a few days would prove the sincerity of the court regardless of past suspicions, so as not to arouse Li Changfu's suspicion. After all, the current imperial court can no longer withstand any disturbance.
How many days? How many days is it?
On March 18, the third year of Guangqi's reign (887), Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty came to Fengxiang and stayed there until June.
