Shi Jingtang controlled the important stronghold of Heyang, allowing the Shanxi and Liao coalition forces to advance and retreat freely without being trapped by the Yellow River. He then sent a task force to guard Mianchi (west of Luoyang) to prevent Li Congke from escaping westward, and then slowly approached Luoyang. .
Li Congke summoned Song Shenqian and other senior generals to discuss the feasibility of personally conquering Heyang. It turned out that all the generals were busy submitting letters of surrender to Shi Jingtang.
This is so similar to the script from two years ago! At that time, Li Congke was traveling eastward, and the generals along the way came to seek refuge with him. Now, everyone has rebelled against his relatives, and all the generals have abandoned him. Like a tidal wave, it is unstoppable.
Li Congke knew that the situation was over.
It is said that when Li Congke withdrew to Luoyang, the people of Luoyang spontaneously went outside the east gate to greet him. Li Congke, who had been betrayed by his relatives and separated from his relatives, looked at his elders in the capital who were still loyal to him, and couldn't help but burst into tears, "weeping non-stop", it was over, it was over, it was over!
An elderly man advised: "I heard that when the previous emperors were in trouble, they always visited Shu in order to revive it. Your Majesty might as well follow the example of your ancestors and take refuge in Xichuan."
Li Congke raised his teary eyes and said: "In this dynasty (the Tang Dynasty), both Sichuan and Sichuan governors use civil servants, so Xuanzong and Xizong can avoid the invaders and stay in Shu. Now, the Meng family has long been honored in Shu, where can I escape?"
The people knelt down and cried bitterly, and Li Congke also entered Luoyang City crying.
Yes, at this moment, the world is so big, where is my place? Li Congke was desperate. At the last moment, he committed a feat that frustrated politicians often do - he burned his entire family on fire.
Since the self-immolation of Shang Zhou, countless warlords have chosen to end their lives by self-immolation at the last moment, such as Xuzhou Shipu in the late Tang Dynasty. Now, Li Congke has chosen to end his legendary life in this way.
Before his death, Li Congke warmly invited Yelvbei to self-immolate with him.
Yelvbei politely declined.
Later, Li Congke sent the eunuch Qin Jimin and the imperial envoy Li Yanshen to kill Yelvbei.
Yelvbei had been in correspondence with the Khitan since he came to Luoyang during the Ming Dynasty. At first, he only expressed greetings politely. After Li Congke usurped the throne, Yelvbei immediately informed the Khitans of the news, told the truth and truth in the Central Plains, and encouraged the Khitans to go south and take advantage of the situation.
Maybe Li Congke didn't know that Yelvbei, a high-ranking political refugee, was a high-level spy for the Khitans, but he still wanted to kill Yelvbei at the last moment. Use this extremely shameless method to retaliate against Shi Jingtang. You steal my kingdom, and I will kill your uncle!
Of course, Li Congke definitely did not kill his uncle for the sake of killing his uncle. He wanted to create a problem for Shi Jingtang.
Li Congke is too young. In fact, keeping Yelu Bei was the greatest revenge against Shi Jingtang and the Khitan people. Just imagine, if Shi Jingtang breaks through Luoyang and rescues Yelvbei, what should he do and send back to his hometown of Khitan? Kill?
Why did Yelvbei abandon the country and join the Tang Dynasty? Isn't it because he was jealous of Yelu Deguang, and after he came to the Later Tang Dynasty, he also presented Khitan maps, official seals and other items with political, symbolic and military significance to Mingzong Li Siyuan. How traitorous was his strength! Moreover, Yelv Bei was proficient in Sinology and Chinese law, and was good at governing the Han areas in the Central Plains. Whether he took the Khitan back or stayed in the Central Plains, Yelv Deguang was worried.
If Shi Jingtang deduced the holy will and secretly killed Yelu Bei, it would be like laying a thunderbolt for himself. Yelu Deguang could "avenge his brother" at any time, remove Shi Jingtang and set up another puppet.
No matter what Li Congke thought about it, in short, he sent people to kill Yelu Bei.
Li Congke's empress, Empress Liu, ordered people to pile firewood in the palace and prepared to burn the palace to the ground. The prince Li Chongmei stopped him, saying that after Shi Jingtang took control of Luoyang, he would definitely not live on the streets. If we burned down the palace, he would definitely mobilize people's power to build the palace. In the end, innocent people would be hurt. Before we died, , don’t put any more burden on the people!
As a result, Queen Liu gave up her plan to destroy the palace.
There are not many records about Li Chongmei in history. There are basically two things. One is to open the gates of Luoyang City and let the people flee instead of driving the people to the city and kill them all; the other is to reserve the palace for Shi Jingtang instead of burning both jade and stone.
It can be seen from this brief record that Li Chongmei was a popular successor to the empire. If he could successfully ascend the throne in the future, he should be a wise king and holy master.
Unfortunately, his life ended abruptly at this moment.
Concubine Wang De said to Empress Dowager Cao: "Although the matter is urgent, it is not hopeless. In my opinion, we'd better hide for a while and wait until our uncle comes." Empress Dowager Cao is Shi Jingtang's mother-in-law, and Shi Jingtang's wife is The biological daughter of Queen Mother Cao. Concubine Wang De planned to make use of this relationship to survive.
Empress Dowager Cao had always kept aloof from the world. When Li Siyuan was alive, she always tolerated Concubine Wang De. Unexpectedly, at the moment of life and death decision, Queen Mother Cao behaved particularly strongly.
Empress Dowager Cao said: "My family is here, how can I bear to have an only child? Sister, you can do it yourself." She regarded death as home.
Wang De Fei took Xiao Li Congyi and hid in the stadium to save their lives.
In 936 AD, on leap November 26, Li Congke, Empress Liu, Empress Dowager Cao, Prince Li Chongmei, and close relatives Song Shenqian, etc., carrying the imperial seal and other tokens, climbed to the north gate tower of the imperial city (Xuanwu Tower) and burned themselves to death.
The second generation of the "Five Dynasties", the "Later Tang", perished and was replaced by the Later Jin.
Li Keyong followed Fan's rites and adopted a wide range of sons. Anyone who was brave, good at fighting, and capable was recognized by him as his adopted son to win over. No one could tell how many adopted sons Li Keyong had. They formed a special combat force, designated the "Yorean Army", and many well-known adopted sons have served as leaders of this force (Year Army Envoys).
Among them, there are nine most famous adopted sons, such as Li Siyuan, Li Sizhao, Li Cunxiao, Li Cunxin, etc. Ouyang Xiu compiled a separate "Yi Er Zhuan" for them in "New History of the Five Dynasties".
Li Keyong relied on this group of adopted sons to conquer the country, and the ultimate destruction of the country was also due to this group of adopted sons, or the adopted son system. Li Siyuan, the adopted son of Li Keyong, ended the rule of Li Keyong's direct bloodline (Li Cunxu), and Li Siyuan's adopted son Li Congke ended the rule of Li Siyuan's direct bloodline (Li Conghou), eventually leading to the demise of the Later Tang Dynasty.
That night, Shi Jingtang entered Luoyang and moved into his old house. The troops of the Later Tang Dynasty disarmed and waited for their fate. Shi Jingtang comforted and comforted, and announced a pardon for all. He ordered Liu Zhiyuan, his confidant and favorite general, to be responsible for maintaining public security in the capital.
Luoyang City successfully completed the transfer of power, peaceful liberation, and order in the city.
