【War of Defeating Shu 2】
When the time came to September of the third year of Tongguang (925), there were significant changes between the two sides, and the contrast became more obvious:
Wang Zongyan, the Queen Mother, Concubine Xu, and his concubine, Concubine Xu, visited Qingcheng Mountain, Sanxue Mountain and other scenic spots, checked in many Internet celebrity classics, and left many popular poems, as mentioned above; at the same time, he was seduced by Wang Chengxiu And insisted on going to Qinzhou, thousands of miles away, to check in.
Li Cunxu discussed with the loyal ministers the plan of conquering Shu.
Based on its unique geographical factors, Shu has unique innate conditions in terms of separatism and dominance. Since ancient times, those who win the land of Shu can aspire to conquer the Central Plains if they advance, and settle in a corner if they retreat. Therefore, the Central Plains Dynasty also took great pains to govern Shu, and usually used two methods:
First of all, it is to divide its territory and weaken its power. For example, the Tang Dynasty divided this area into Xichuan, Dongchuan, and Hanchuan, referred to as "Three Rivers", and sent three military governors to guard it. Once the "Three Rivers" were unified under the leadership of the same person, they would inevitably compete with the central court. For example, Chen Jingxuan, Wang Jian.
Secondly, there are civilian officials stationed in the "Sanchuan" towns, such as Du Tai and Cui Anqian.
If it is a crusade against Shu, it is best to let a civilian official, such as Wei Zhaodu, take the lead.
But even so, there are still many people who occupy Shu or are falsely accused of separatizing Shu. There was Liu Bang at the end of Qin, Liu Bei at the end of Han, Deng Ai and Zhong Hui during the Three Kingdoms...
At the meeting, the eunuch Li Shaohong strongly recommended Duan Ning to take command because he accepted Duan Ning's bribe. He also said that Duan Ning was a unique genius, even Sun Wu and Wu Qi could not compare with him.
Guo Chongtao shouted no, saying that Duan Ning was a general who would subjugate his country. He was treacherous and insidious. He only knew how to flatter others and had no knowledge of military affairs. Who knew what Duan Ning was doing at the time? Who else knew better than us? We must not let Duan Ning take charge, this is just a joke!
After rejecting Duan Ning, the officials unanimously recommended Li Siyuan to take command.
Li Siyuan has followed Li Keyong for many years. He has rich combat experience and a high reputation in the army. He ranked first in the war to destroy Liang and became the new Great Wall in the war against the Khitan. Comrade Li Siyuan is enough to convince the public. , enough to take on the important task of conquering Shu... enough to replace Comrade Li Cunxu's heavy emperor's work.
In Li Cunxu's heart, anyone can enter Shu, even Duan Ning, but not Li Siyuan. But such heart-wrenching words can only rot in the stomach.
At the critical moment, Guo Chongtao helped Li Cunxu out of the siege, saying that the Khitan was at its peak and could not be resisted except by Li Siyuan, and Li Siyuan must not leave the Heshuo area.
Guo Chongtao had his own selfish motives for opposing Li Siyuan's entry into Shu, which we will mention later.
After denying Li Siyuan, Guo Chongtao proposed a suitable candidate for the commander-in-chief of the Conquest of Shu—Crown Prince Li Jiji.
This sentence coincides with Li Cunxu. The Crown Prince Li Jiji had no great achievements, and he was in the same situation as before he ascended the throne. After learning from his experience and lessons, Li Cunxu also deliberately sent Li Jiji to the battlefield to mix up his seniority and prestige. This time Defeating Shu is a good opportunity for gold plating.
According to the unspoken rules in the political circles of the Tang Dynasty, the crown prince will be blessed with the title of "Generalissimo of the World's Soldiers and Horses" to reap the fruits of victory, and the real contributions are made by his deputies.
"Baby is still young and cannot shoulder the burden of defeating Shu alone. He should find a capable deputy for him -" Li Cunxu glanced at Guo Chongtao, "There is no one more suitable than you."
Compared with Li Siyuan, Guo Chongtao is more worthy of the organization's trust. First of all, his qualifications, prestige, merit, etc. are enough to convince the public; secondly, he is not a royal family member, but a civilian official, which will not affect Li Cunxu's rule.
On September 10, the third year of Tongguang's reign (925), Li Cunxu officially appointed the crown prince Li Jiji as the commander-in-chief of the expedition against Shu (the commander of all camps in Xichuan). The actual work was completed by Guo Chongtao, and Li Jiji was only responsible for signing and going through the motions. .
On September 18, the main force of 60,000 troops left Luoyang and headed west.
In addition to this main force, Li Cunxu also appointed Jingnan Gao Jichang as the commander-in-chief of the Southeast Front Army, and led his troops westward along the Yangtze River to seize the three prefectures of Kui, Wan, and Zhong.
When Gao Jichang originally encouraged Li Cunxu to attack Shu, he said that if the later Tang Dynasty attacked Shu, Jingnan would be the vanguard. In fact, Gao Jichang also had selfish motives. He wanted to use the military power of the Later Tang Dynasty to regain the Jingnan homeland occupied by the former Shu, such as Kui, Wan, and Zhong.
Li Cunxu had a tacit understanding of this. No problem, everyone gets what they need.
However, the irony is that the 60,000-strong main force of the Later Tang Dynasty led by Li Jiji almost marched into Chengdu without losing any blood, singing triumphant songs all the way. Only Gao Jichang's partial division responsible for assisting them suffered defeats in a row and failed to gain an inch of land.
October.
Guo Chongtao ordered Li Yan and Kang Yanxiao to lead 10,000 infantry and 3,000 cavalry as vanguards to clear the way for the army. When we were marching to Baoji, a general named Chen Yi suddenly pretended to be ill and asked to stay to recuperate.
Li Yu, a Hanlin scholar who accompanied the army on the expedition, loudly rebuked: "Strive for it when there is a profit, and retreat when you see danger. The army is about to enter the enemy's territory. At this time, people's hearts are most easily shaken. Chen Yi should be executed for his crime!"
Killing once served as a warning to hundreds. From then on, no one dared to find a reason to retreat. The 60,000-strong army marched into Qianshu territory with high spirits.
At the same time, a mutated gardenia bloomed in the Imperial Garden of Qianshu (Fanglin Garden). This gardenia came from Qingcheng Mountain. It has six petals and is blue-red in color, which is rare in the world. In full bloom this month, Wang Zongyan was so happy that he summoned all civil and military officials to come to Fanglin Garden to enjoy the flowers together. Then, on October 4, Wang Zongyan left Chengdu and headed for Qinzhou amidst a lot of opposition.
On October 5, Wang Zongyan arrived in Hanzhou and received an urgent report from Wang Chengjie of Fengzhou: The army of the Later Tang Dynasty invaded our border!
Wang Zongyan looked up at the sky and gave a helpless smile, "These people have good intentions in order to prevent me from going to Qinzhou! When I come back from Qinzhou, I will decide whether to punish him for lying about military information based on my mood. .”
"What if... it's true?"
Wang Zongyan laughed "haha" and said frivolously: "That will just show the enemy how powerful we are!" and ordered to continue heading north.
On the way to Qinzhou, a group of crows suddenly stopped on the canopy of Wang Zongyan's yellow umbrella. The name was very sad. When passing by Zhang Aizi Temple, Wang Zongyan went to pray for divination in person and drew a lot. There were only four on it. The word - "Whoever defies heaven will suffer disaster".
Zhang Eizi is a legendary snake god in Shu. It is said that Yao Chang, the founding emperor of the Later Qin Dynasty during the Sixteen Kingdoms period, was inspired by it when he was in Shu. It is said that when Emperor Xizong visited Shu, Zhang Eizi appeared in the clouds and mist, showed his true body, and greeted Emperor Xizong. Emperor Xizong took off his sword. He was given it in the hope that it would help him put down the rebellion. Soon after, Huang Chao was executed, and Emperor Xizong sent people to bring many sacrifices to Zhang Eizi Temple to reward him for his "efforts in putting down the rebellion."
Faced with the instruction of "Those who defy heaven will suffer disaster" from Zhang Erzi, the number one spirit in Shu, Wang Zongyan still believed that this was a trick used by the ministers to admonish him, and he disapproved of it.
On the way to Qinzhou, Wang Zongyan, Chengdu governor Han Zhao, Hanlin scholar Li Haobi, and Zhongshusheren Wang Renyu were quite elegant, reciting poems and answering questions to pass the boring time.
Wang Zongyan wrote a poem:
"The crags of trees are surrounded by cold smoke, and the cold sky rises in the secluded path.
Look down at the Emei Mountains and see the top of the Huayue Mountains.
Driving around is not for fun, it is for worries.
This trip will involve a lot of climbing, and there are thousands of songs on the road. "
The entourage clapped their hands and praised him one after another. Wang Zongyan was delighted with Long Yan, and immediately ordered Wang Renyu to compose a poem to accompany it.
Wang Renyu then wrote a poem:
"Colorful banners blow through the cold smoke, and whistles sound for half the sky.
The yellow clouds give birth to horses' feet, and the sun shines on the top of the pine trees.
Sheng De'an is tired of customs, but benevolence fans are far away.
Asking about the future, it will take three thousand people to go here. "
In terms of word play, Wang Renyu must retain Wang Zongyan's "Heaven, Dian, Bian, Qian" at the end of the sentence. It must not be abrupt or far-fetched, but must have a certain artistic conception and logical rationality.
Traveling to Jianzhou, Wang Zongyan encountered another supernatural incident: in the middle of the night, he suddenly heard the sound of shouting and beating drums coming from the valley. It seemed that thousands of troops and horses were fighting fiercely. Everyone was shocked. Suddenly, a ferocious beast jumped out from the mountain forest, and was horrified. snatched one person from the crowd.
Wang Zongyan was calm and calm, without fear, and ordered his officials to compose poems in memory.
Wang Renyu, a member of Zhongshushe, wrote a poem:
"The sword teeth, nails and tongue are bloody and hairy, and the hard work of looking at calculations will not stop.
He does not help the great dynasty to eliminate troubles, but only eats creatures on the road.
I am greedy for my household registration and have no tax of three cents or several cents.
Today the emperor went hunting in person, and he was well hidden under the dolomites. "
Li Haobi, a Hanlin scholar, wrote a poem:
"Yanxia sleeps on himself every year, how can all the living beings eat as much as they want?"
The number of minions and descendants is reduced, and the creek is deep and there are many bones.
The emperor's discipline is still being messed with, and the guests are poor and lonely.
It's no wonder that there is no trace of people in the long distance. He will be killed by the mountain king Leng. "
After Wang Zongyan read Li Haobi's work, he couldn't help laughing "haha".
When they reached Baiweiling, Wang Zongyan asked Han Zhao to compose a poem to commemorate it, and Han Zhao complied with the imperial edict:
"My king went on a hunting expedition to Anbian, and there were thousands of people who went to Qinting here.
There is a fire in the Qishan store on the road at night, and a bottle of cigarette smoke is sent out at night.
Although she is a goddess in Yunwu Gorge, she is an immortal when she crosses the Fengqin Tower.
The eight horses are like dragons and the people are like tigers, why worry about flying across the sky. "
This flattery is no longer tactful enough, it is all Wang Zongyan's favorite words. Wang Zongyan became very popular in poetry and wrote a poem to echo:
"First open the frontier towards God's force, and cut off four or five thousand of the border.
Look forward to the Longshan Mountain to garrison your swords and halberds, and behind you to lock up the beacon smoke at the Wu Gorge.
Prince Xuan still fights against his enemies with his own hands, but Yingzheng loves to learn from immortals in vain.
Thinking of looking for a scenic spot in Wei Palace, it is just as the orioles whisper in the blue sky at dusk. "
Qin Shihuang's horse is so weak, how can I, Wang Zongyan, be so happy and free!
Wang Renyu also wrote a poem and said:
"The dragon flutters and points to the extreme edge, and there will be two or three thousand at that time.
Climbing high up the mountain at dawn, I stepped on the rocks, braving the cold and intermittent smoke.
Self-taught the king of Han Dynasty to establish earthly world, unlike Zhou Mu who was fond of gods.
The people of Qin are unkind, and there is a different world in Guandong. "
Your Majesty, you can not only compare with Qin Shihuang, but also King Mu of Zhou!
Wang Zongyan arrived in Zitong not long ago, and an unknown recruitment event occurred again. According to historical records, "a strong wind came to the house". Relevant departments reported that according to scientific rules, such strong winds herald someone thousands of miles away who would conquer the country and become a vassal.
Wang Zongyan once again transformed into an atheist, "Our country has a vast land and vast territory. Strong winds and heavy rains are not normal natural phenomena? Don't be alarmed. Let's play music and dance." He responded by chanting "Wuxu Sun".
These poems were recorded in detail and passed down to later generations thanks to the "Wang's Witnesses", which recorded what the author saw and heard in a realistic style and became a valuable written documentary. The reason why one of it became Wang Zongyan's "Qinzhou Travel Notes" is because the author of this book was Wang Renyu, a member of Zhongshu.
Accompanying this strong wind was Li Jiji's message to conquer Shu.
In this message, Li Jiji did not offend the people of Shu. He also praised them as loyal and brave men. He compared them to Yang Xiong and Sima Xiangru in literature and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei in martial arts. They were protected by Shu. The two sages Xuanzong and Xizong were outstanding men and women, and they were all good, but - the gangster named Wang split the country and divided the territory, and his crime cannot be forgiven!
In the letter, Li Jiqi pointed out that any resistance by Wang Zongyan would be like a chariot with a mantis arm. This time when Wang Shi came, "the infantry stood as tall as mountains, the chariots and cavalry ran as fast as thunder, their vibrating voice shook the world, and their vigor shook the rivers and mountains." "We ask the military and civilians of Shu to assess the situation and not to go against the trend."
Finally, for those who returned from their lost ways, the Later Tang Dynasty offered generous conditions to induce the generals, soldiers and civilians of the former Shu to surrender, emphasizing the principle of "kill only the first evildoers and leave the rest alone". Anyone who could abandon the dark side and turn to the bright side would be generously rewarded. He also used Hou Liang as a negative teaching material to tell them not to try to resist in vain.
"Cefu Yuangui" contains the full text of Li Jiji's campaign against Shu, which is domineering and leaky. Those who are interested can go and appreciate it on their own.
