While securing the core power of the central government, Li Congke is also peeling off the outer layer of the onion. As a ruler who takes the overall situation into consideration, Li Congke has prepared two masks, tenderness and ruthlessness. The attitude of politicians often depends on the needs of real interests rather than the true inner emotions.
2. Periphery
2.1 Fang Zhiwen
Fang Zhiwen, the military governor of Qingzhou Pinglu Army, was Li Siyuan's founding hero. When Li Siyuan was the commander-in-chief of the northern group army, Fang Zhiwen was his deputy (deputy capital deployment). At that time, Li Congke was still Fang Zhiwen's subordinate.
At a banquet, Li Congke drank too much and had a conflict with Fang Zhiwen. It seems that Li Congke has a habit of fighting after drinking, and the reason he had a grudge with An Zhongjie was because he beat An Zhongjie after drinking.
However, An Zhongjie chose to swallow his anger temporarily, received a punch, and ran away. As Li Congke's superior officer, Fang Zhiwen did not tolerate him and confronted Li Congke on the spot. Li Congke pulled out his saber, and Fang Zhiwen also pulled out his saber, "What's going on, boy, are you gesticulating?"
When Li Congke and Fengxiang raised troops, Fang Zhiwen discussed with his generals and planned to help Li Conghou to rescue him and help Li Conghou resist Li Congke, so he sent people to Luoyang to investigate the situation. When I arrived in Luoyang, I inquired: Li Congke became emperor.
But Fang Zhiwen was frightened. After thinking about it, Fang Zhiwen decided to give in to Li Congke, so he rushed to Luoyang from Qingzhou in person, carrying heavy gifts, and asked Li Congke not to remember the faults of others.
Of course Li Congke chose to forgive him, and the two met and laughed away their grudges. Li Congke treated Fang Zhiwen favorably, named him King of Dongping, and let him return to the town.
2.2 Suitong
When An Chongjiao framed Li Congke, he sent Yao Yanchou and Suo Zitong to lead troops to conquer Hezhong, and killed and silenced the important witness Yang Yanwen. After Li Congke came to the throne, he killed Yao Yanchou, but did not make it difficult for Suo Zitong, and still let him serve as the general of the Forbidden Army. However, Suo Zitong had lingering fears.
One day in August, after getting off work, Suo Zitong jumped from the Tianjin Bridge, jumped into Luoshui, and committed suicide.
When the news came, Li Congke was greatly shocked and gave him a posthumous gift as Taiwei.
Li Congke's real purpose in wiping out the "Rocket Faction" and his former enemies was to seize the power in their hands. Suo Zitong was just a general of the Forbidden Army and had little value to Li Congke, so Li Congke would show a broad mind to such an "enemy".
Abandoning personal emotions is a basic quality for politicians. Their emotions completely serve strategic intentions and interest orientation, that is, their emotional expression is only a tool, not a result.
Suo Zitong thinks too much. What a pity, what a pity.
2.3 Chang Congjian and Wang Jingkan
Chang Congjian was a ruthless man, a ruthless man who "scraped bones to cure poison" clearly recorded in official history, and paid tribute to the Second Master Guan. A butcher whose family had been butchering sheep for generations, he was strong, brave and fearless, and was good at using weapons. He joined Li Cunxu as a low-level officer. Whenever Li Cunxu attacked the city, Chang Congjian always acted as the "ladder head", rushing to the forefront of climbing the city wall, and gained the rank of commander-in-chief of the infantry.
When Li Cunxu was facing off against the Back Liang army, he saw a strong man in the Back Liang formation holding a big flag and walking in the formation. The morale of the Back Liang army was greatly boosted, while the morale of the Hedong army was depressed. Li Cunxu suffered from this, so he recruited soldiers to capture his banner. warrior. Chang Congjian enthusiastically signed up, but Li Cunxu was reluctant and did not approve it.
Chang Congjian's personality showed up and he directly disobeyed military orders and led a few close cavalry into the rear beam formation, much like Guan Yunchang's "Zhan Yanliang". I saw Chang Congjian shouting and galloping, and the Liang soldiers were so frightened that they backed away and even made way for a man in the alley. Anyone who was slower was immediately killed. Chang Congjian was like a tiger entering a pack of wolves, rushing left and right, chopping melons and vegetables. Like a violent storm, he snatches away his banner and returns it. The Hedong Army beat drums and cheered, and their morale was greatly boosted.
Li Cunxu marveled at his bravery and gave him a generous reward instead of pursuing him for disobeying military orders.
"Capture the Array and Capture the Flag" is just an appetizer, the highlight is "Scraping Bones and Healing Poison".
One time, a stray arrow injured his leg, and the arrow cluster was deeply embedded in the thigh bone. He asked the military doctor to help him take it out. The military doctor said that he could only cut open his bone (the workman had no good medicine, so he wanted to cut his bone), and all the generals Thought it was impossible, Chang Congjian smiled easily and said, "Come here."
Without anesthetics, the bones had to be cut to extract arrows. Military doctors had no experience in this area and were hesitant to start. Chang Congjian was furious and yelled at the military doctor to take action quickly.
During the operation, both the left and right generals could hardly see anymore, but Chang Congjian was still able to chat and laugh with everyone (people with left and right vision seemed to be overwhelmed by the poison, but Congjian smiled calmly). It is simply the reincarnation of Guan Yunchang.
It can be seen from his daring to disobey military orders that Chang Congjian, a master of arts, was bold and unique, disobedient to discipline, and "violent and difficult to control." However, both emperors Li Cunxu and Li Siyuan were able to give him a wide berth and give him everything he needed. Green light. Li Siyuan once warned him to be a little restrained, otherwise if something big happened, he would really have to deal with him according to the laws of the country. Chang Congjian still went his own way, "Come to me."
Li Conghou sent him to lead an army to conquer Fengxiang, but his soldiers all turned against him and surrendered. The rout could not be stopped. On the way back, Chang Congjian was betrayed by his subordinates and was captured alive as a sacrifice to Li Congke.
Li Congke scolded him, saying that the army had abandoned the secrets and turned to the bright side. Why are you so stubborn and stubborn?
Chang Congjian showed no fear and replied calmly: "The victim dare not have second thoughts!"
Li Congke was moved by his loyalty, "At that time, Li Conghou was the emperor. You were loyal to the Lord and did your own thing. I don't blame you. Now, I am the emperor. I hope you can be as loyal to me as you were to the late emperor." Then Chang Congjian was appointed as the training envoy of Yingzhou regiment.
Wang Jingkan was captured together with Chang Congjian, but this man was not as strong-minded as Chang Congjian. After being captured, he took the initiative to admit his mistakes to Li Congke and beg for forgiveness.
Li Congke also released Wang Jingkan and allowed him to continue to serve as a general in the Forbidden Army.
2.4 "Fengxiang Sedan Carriage"
Wang Shi's troops approached the city, and Fengxiang City was about to be defeated. Comrade Yang Siquan initiated the initiative, and Comrade Yin Hui responded later and fired the first shot of rebellion. Before that, Li Congke appealed to his neighbors, but only Longzhou defense envoy Xiang Lijin responded sincerely and sent his aide Xue Wen to meet Fengxiang to discuss important matters.
For the time being, we collectively call them the "Fengxiang Sedan Carrier Sect". They were the ones who carried Li Congke from Fengxiang to Luoyang. For them, Li Congke fulfilled his original promise, promoted them one by one and made money, and rewarded them heavily.
At that time, Yang Siquan and Yin Hui were just low-level officers in the Forbidden Army. Now, Comrade Yang Siquan was promoted to the military governor of Pizhou Jingnan Army; Comrade Yin Hui was first promoted to the defense military commander of Qizhou, and then to the military governor of Yingzhou Zhangguo Army. .
An Congjin, who was in Luoyang to respond and kill Feng Yun, was promoted to Heyang Jiedushi.
Comrade Lijin was promoted to Minister of Defense of Longzhou and appointed as Jiedushi of Shaanzhou Baoyi Army.
Xue Wenyu was also promoted and reused as a direct bachelor of the Privy Council and became Li Congke's think tank. Xue Wenyu is also one of the most famous angry youths in Chinese history who misled the country. He perfectly interpreted what it means to be a "keyboard warrior" and a "patriotic thief", which will be mentioned later.
An Shenqi, the general of the Forbidden Army, was previously ordered to conquer Fengxiang. He led his troops to the front line of Fengxiang and surrendered. Therefore, he was granted the title of Military Envoy of Chuzhou and Hue Army, and was later transferred to the Military Envoy of Xingzhou.
