[The Death of Guo Chongtao 6 Self-Rescue]
A big tree attracts wind, holds more power and possesses more resources, which will inevitably create jealousy and robbery. It is difficult for those in high positions to avoid becoming the target of public criticism. Moreover, as mentioned above, Guo Chongtao's behavior is not tactful and worldly. , making countless enemies.
Faced with the slander and frame-up by eunuchs and actors all day long, Guo Chongtao also felt deeply uneasy.
Guo Chongtao was once very proud and wanted to confront the eunuch head-on. But he forgot one thing. Since ancient times, almost all civil servants who were tough with eunuchs had a bad end, because the referee (emperor) favored the eunuchs. This was an unfair competition.
After several battles, Guo Chongtao woke up in time and saw through the rules of the game: the power of the eunuchs was the emperor's puppet and tool. The eunuchs' arrogance and domineering came from the emperor's tacit connivance. The emperor wanted to use the eunuchs to help him do some dirty things. Things like purging civil servants... To be tough with the eunuchs is to be tough with Li Cunxu.
Therefore, Guo Chongtao immediately changed his thinking, from confrontation to co-optation, showing weakness and favor to the eunuch forces.
Guo Chongtao repeatedly petitioned to reduce the power in his hands and distribute it among the eunuchs. This move is tantamount to bribing the eunuch group. However, it had little effect. The eunuchs showed no appreciation and continued to attack him mercilessly.
Guo Chongtao was really frightened, and he called his close associates to discuss it, saying that he should simply resign from all positions in the central government and go to the local areas to do some peace and quiet so that he could provide for himself in his old age.
At that time, Guo Chongtao had a high status, serving as a general and a prime minister. In the central government, he was the privy envoy and minister, and he also did the job of prime minister in name only; in the local area, he was the governor of the Zhenzhou Chengde Army. The real power in his hands is almost comparable to that of Li Cunxu, and he is powerful in both the government and the public.
His cronies shouted no, saying that once you leave the center, you will be chased and intercepted by the eunuchs, who will make trouble for you. By then, you will not even have the strength to resist, and you will have no choice but to be slaughtered.
After discussion and discussion, the staff believed that Guo Chongtao had just made great contributions to the empire and was busy with work. The central court could not do without Guo Chongtao for a while, and the emperor was not yet suspicious of him, so it was appropriate for Shangshu to resign at this time. The emperor will definitely not approve it. In this way, playing hard to get will not only keep your official position, but also gain a reputation to avoid treacherous people.
Guo Chongtao believed this deeply, so he sent three memorials and insisted on resigning as privy envoy. As expected, Li Cunxu "disobeyed the imperial edict". Next, Guo Chongtao will use his second trick.
At that time, Li Cunxu wanted to turn his concubines upside down and canonize Xiao Liu as queen, but was unanimously resisted by the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty; another incident happened, Li Cunxu COS Liu Sou, and led Li Jizhen to form a group to play with Xiao Liu, and Xiao Liu was furious The incident of beating Li Jiji, the daughter-in-law beating her grandson, made the grandmother Cao very angry. The emperor's family was just like ordinary people's families. Empress Cao hated Xiao Liu even more and clearly opposed Li Cunxu's appointment of her as queen. Li Cunxu faced unprecedented resistance.
Therefore, Guo Chongtao followed the advice of his cronies and made a 180-degree turn on the issue of appointing a queen. He changed from his previous firm opposition to firm support. He actively used his political energy to force the puppet prime minister and civil and military officials to They jointly requested the emperor to appoint Xiao Liu as the queen as soon as possible and preside over the main palace.
Guo Chongtao's intention was obvious, to please Li Cunxu and Xiao Liu. With the help and support of the emperor and queen, the eunuchs and actors had nothing to fear.
Guo Chongtao is very stupid and naive, and his plans are broken. He has been engaged in political power all his life, but he has ignored the basic principles of political games: don't talk about emotions, everything should be oriented by interests.
Mr. Liu will not be grateful to you unless he can benefit from it. If killing you would benefit her, she would wield the knife without hesitation.
Without Guo Chongtao's help, Xiao Liu would not have been able to become the queen, and it was Xiao Liu who ultimately issued the order to kill Guo Chongtao. This is something.
In short, at that time, Guo Chongtao did gain Li Cunxu's favor.
Guo Chongtao also used the third tip while the heat was hot, "Reciting the Twenty-Five Pros and Cons of Current Affairs", carefully analyzing the current situation and giving reasonable suggestions, pointing out the correct path for the country's next development.
Li Cunxu was very pleased with Long Yan and thought that Guo Chongtao was really a rare loyal and wise minister. Even when he petitioned for the appointment of Xiao Liu as the queen, he must have considered the prosperity and stability of the country and the long-term peace of the empire, and could never be mixed with personal gain.
Since we cannot resign from our central positions, we must resign from our local positions. So in the third year of Tongguang (925), when the Khitans went south to harass, Guo Chongtao took the opportunity to resign from the post of Jiedushi.
At that time, Li Cunxu planned to let Li Siyuan and Guo Chongtao exchange towns, with Li Siyuan going to Zhenzhou to resist the Khitan, and Guo Chongtao going to Bianzhou.
Guo Chongtao used the strategy of killing two birds with one stone. He praised Li Siyuan as a rare general and he was the only one who could resist the Khitan. He must be allowed to stay in Hebei and not return to the central government. At the same time, he insisted on Jiedu, saying that he was both a general and a prime minister, and his status was extremely high and he could enjoy it. This life is enough for me to have the glory and wealth I never dreamed of. Now that I have been in charge of the Privy Council, I will not dare to covet the military governor even if I die. Besides, I am in the capital and can only lead the military governor from a distance. I cannot fulfill the relevant obligations and delay it. local development…
Li Cunxu was very moved and said, "I know that you are loyal to the empire and that you are not self-interested but only benefit others... But your contribution is too great. If we hadn't followed your advice, how could we have destroyed the Rear Liang Dynasty?" It's just a military envoy, so don't refuse.
Three firm words, three requests to stay.
But Guo Chongtao was resolute, and Li Cunxu was at a loss. He asked him if he was too little, "Then what do you want? Tell me, and I will satisfy you!"
“I just want your majesty’s legacy to last forever and be passed on to all generations!”
Li Cunxu simply shouldn't be too moved. In the end, after Guo Chongtao's repeated pleas, he finally resigned from the post of Jiedushi.
In addition, when taking command to conquer Shu, Guo Chongtao returned another favor and deepened his friendship with a nobleman.
This noble man is Meng Zhixiang. It was precisely because Meng Zhixiang resigned in fear of disaster that he recommended Guo Chongtao to the organization, which opened Guo Chongtao's highlight moment. Now, when Guo Chongtao was at the height of his power, and when he was ordered to attack Shu, he solemnly recommended Comrade Meng Zhixiang to Li Cunxu, and presented Meng Zhixiang as the military governor of Xichuan (it was only a pre-sale, the army that defeated Shu had not yet left Luoyang), and recommended the candidate for prime minister—— Zhang Xian, Li Qi, Cui Jujian.
He resigned from local governors and reduced the enviable and hated power in his hands; blocked the rumors of the eunuch group; curried favor with the queen's power; curried favor with the emperor; consolidated political allies... Guo Chongtao thought he was out of danger.
That's it?
Guo Chongtao still failed a little bit. He overestimated his popularity and underestimated the shamelessness and despicability of the eunuchs. The eunuchs said that Guo Chongtao must not be allowed to leave Shu alive.
