In the long river of Chinese history, there is a name that shrouds the sky of the late Tang Dynasty and the fifth dynasty like a haze - Zhu Wen. This peasant rebel general from a humble background climbed to the pinnacle of power step by step with his amazing military talent and bottomless scheming methods. Like a sharp dagger, he pierced the last heart of the Tang Empire and ended this great dynasty that had been glorious for nearly three centuries. However, Juwen's ambitions go far beyond that. On the ruins of the fall of the Tang Dynasty, he established the Later Liang Dynasty, ushering in a new era of turmoil in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. How did Zhu Wen rise from an obscure pawn to a generation of founding emperors? And by what cruel means did he clear the way to the throne?
The rise of Juwen
Zhu Wen, whose name is Quanzhong, was born in 852 A.D. in Dangshan, Songzhou (now Dangshan County, Anhui Province). His rise to prominence can be called a historical masterpiece full of legends.
Zhu Wen came from a humble background and lost his father at a young age. In order to make a living, his mother took the three Zhu Wen brothers to Liu Chong's house in Xiao County. In this environment under the fence, Zhu Wen had a difficult childhood. The grinding of life has tempered his will, and also cultivated his keen observation and adaptability.
In 874 AD, the Huangchao Rebellion broke out, and the peasant revolt that swept the country provided Zhu Wen with the opportunity to change his fate. 22-year-old Zhu Wen resolutely joined the Huangchao army and began his military career. With his extraordinary courage and military talent, Zhu Wen made many exploits on the battlefield and was soon appreciated by Huang Chao.
At the end of 880, Huangchao's army invaded Chang'an, and Zhu Wen was appointed as the pioneer envoy of the southeast camp and the assassin of Tongzhou, becoming an important general under Huangchao. However, the world was unpredictable, and two years later, Tongzhou fell under the siege of the Tang army. Zhu Wen repeatedly asked Huang Chao for help without success, and after weighing the pros and cons of the rebel army, he made a major decision to change his fate.
In 882 AD, Zhu Wen offered Tongzhou and led the entire army and people to surrender to the Tang Dynasty. This move not only preserved his own power, but also won the favor of the Tang court. Tang Xizong was overjoyed when he heard the news, not only added an official to the knighthood, but also gave him the name of "full loyalty", hoping that he could be loyal to the Tang Dynasty wholeheartedly. However, history is often full of irony, and this name of "Quan Zhong" eventually became the biggest irony of Zhu Wen's usurpation of Tang Jianliang.
After surrendering to the Tang Dynasty, Zhu Wen made many military exploits in the process of exterminating Huangchao, and his power grew day by day. Ostensibly attached to the imperial court, he continued to expand his power in the name of exterminating the rebels. In fact, Zhu Wen had already buried the seeds of ambition deep in his heart, secretly planning the great cause of usurping the throne and standing on his own.
In 888 AD, Tang Xizong died, and Tang Zhaozong Li Ye succeeded to the throne. At this time, the Tang Dynasty was already in decline, and the prestige of the imperial court was gone. The feudal towns in various places were divided into self-respecting, among which the Qin Zongquan was the most tricky. Qin Zongquan occupied Caizhou as emperor and became the most powerful rebel force in the Central Plains.
Tang Ting was unable to crusade, so he had to pin his hopes on Zhu Wen. Zhu Wen seized this golden opportunity, and in the name of crusading against Qin Zongquan, he continued to expand his territory and enrich his troops. He successively conquered the prefectures of Bian, Song, Bo, Cao, and Zheng, and gradually extended his sphere of influence to the vast areas north of the Yangtze River, the Huai River, and the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, becoming the most powerful warlord in this region.
At the same time, Taiyuan's Hedong Jiedu enabled Li Keyong to rise in the north and become Zhu Wen's biggest competitor. The two went back and forth and started a protracted battle for hegemony. This battle is not only a test of the military talents of both sides, but also a complex political game.
Zhu Wen is well versed in the way of power and strategy, and on the one hand, he fights openly and secretly with Li Keyong, and on the other hand, he constantly co-opts other feudal towns to isolate Li Keyong. He also skillfully took advantage of the contradictions between the imperial court and Li Keyong, and repeatedly slandered the imperial court, which made the relationship between Li Keyong and the Tang court deteriorate day by day.
In this battle for supremacy, Zhu Wen showed amazing military talent and political skill. He is good at seizing fighters, and has repeatedly given Li Ke a fatal blow at critical moments. At the same time, he also knows how to keep his head in obscurity, temporarily avoid the edge when his strength is not as good as the opponent, and wait for a better opportunity.
After years of fighting, Zhu Wen finally gained the upper hand in this battle for supremacy. He not only succeeded in curbing Li Keyong's expansion, but also gradually encroached on Li Keyong's sphere of influence. By the end of the 890s, Zhu Wen had become the most powerful feudal town in the north, laying a solid foundation for his future usurpation of Tang Jianliang.
Take control of the court and eradicate dissidents
As Zhu Wen's power in the north grew, he set his sights on the crumbling Tang court. In 901 AD, Juwen seized a golden opportunity. At that time, the eunuch Liu Jishu and the prime minister Cui Yin competed for power, which led to the intensification of contradictions within the imperial court. Tang Zhaozong was placed under house arrest by eunuchs in the Huaqing Palace, and the situation reached a stalemate for a time.
Zhu Wen took the opportunity to "save the driver of King Qin", led the army into Chang'an, and successfully rescued Tang Zhaozong. This move not only won Zhaozong's trust, but also allowed Zhu Wen to gain a greater voice in the imperial court. However, this was only the first step for Zhu Wen to take control of the imperial court.
After rescuing Zhaozong, Zhu Wen did not immediately return to his fiefdom, but remained in Chang'an, and in the name of "protecting the emperor", he actually began to take full control of the imperial court. He first targeted the eunuch group that had long controlled the government.
In 903 AD, Zhu Wen set up an ambush outside Chang'an City, and suddenly launched an attack while the eunuchs were escorting Tang Zhaozong out of the city. In this well-planned operation, Zhu Wen's army annihilated a large number of eunuchs, including Liu Jishu, in one fell swoop. This operation is known in history as the "Hu Killing Order" incident, marking the complete elimination of the eunuch power that has controlled the government for hundreds of years.
Immediately afterward, Zhu Wen disbanded the Shence Army, which was controlled by eunuchs, further weakening the military power of the imperial court. These two moves were very clever, eliminating potential threats within the imperial court and winning the support of the scholarly class, paving the way for his subsequent actions.
However, Juwen didn't stop there. He knew that in order to completely control the imperial court, it was not enough to get rid of the eunuchs. There were also a number of loyal and important ministers in the imperial court, and their existence was undoubtedly the biggest obstacle to Zhu Wen's usurpation plan.
As a result, Zhu Wen began a purge of important officials in the imperial court. He first put a group of important ministers under house arrest in the name of "protection". Subsequently, he used the excuse to kill many court ministers, including Prime Minister Cui Yin. Some of these ministers were directly executed, while others were forced to commit suicide. Zhu Wen's series of actions made people panic within the imperial court, and no one dared to oppose his will.
In order to further strengthen his control over the imperial court, Zhu Wen proposed to move the capital to Luoyang in 904. He claimed that Chang'an's remoteness was not conducive to defending against foreign enemies, while Luoyang's location in the Central Plains was more suitable as a national capital. In fact, this was a strategy adopted by Zhu Wen in order to bring the Tang court within his sphere of influence.
Although Tang Zhaozong knew Zhu Wen's intentions, he was powerless to resist. Under Zhu Wen's strong demands, Tang Zhaozong had to agree to move the capital. In the winter of 904, the imperial court began a difficult journey to move the capital. This move of the capital was not only a change in geographical location, but also symbolized the de facto end of Tang rule.
After moving the capital to Luoyang, Zhu Wen's control became even more unscrupulous. He deployed heavy troops inside and outside Luoyang City, called to protect the emperor, but in fact it was to monitor and control. Although Tang Zhaozong was still the nominal emperor, he had actually become a puppet in the hands of Zhu Wen.
Zhu Wen's ambitions did not stop there. He knew that as long as Tang Zhaozong reigned for one day, he would always be a stumbling block on his road to becoming emperor. At the end of 904, Juwen finally showed his fangs. He sent someone to secretly strangle Tang Zhaozong, and then killed the empress He.
In order to hide people's eyes, Zhu Wen announced that Tang Zhaozong died of a violent illness. He also carefully arranged a grand funeral to show his "loyalty" to the Tang family. However, this funeral was nothing more than a smokescreen for Juwen to cover up his crimes.
After killing Tang Zhaozong, Zhu Wen established the 13-year-old Li Ji as the emperor, and he was the emperor of Tang Wai. The existence of this young lord is nothing more than Zhu Wen's preparation for his final usurpation of the throne. At this point, Zhu Wen had eradicated all the forces that might threaten his power one by one, clearing the way for him to finally usurp the Tang Dynasty.
As the saying goes: "Those who achieve great things are not informal", Zhu Wen's series of actions, although cruel and bloody, laid the foundation for him to finally establish the Later Liang Dynasty. But how long can such a regime, built on betrayal and killing, last?
usurped Tang Jianliang and opened five generations of troubled times
In 907 AD, Juwen finally showed his fangs. This year, in the name of the "Fengtian Revolution", he forced the 16-year-old Tang Emperor Li Jichan to give up the throne. This coup d'état, which had been planned for a long time, was quietly staged in Luoyang City.
Zhu Wen first sent people to control all the key points in Luoyang City, and then summoned his ministers to the Taiji Palace. In full view of everyone, he made a request to Emperor Tang Ai to force the palace. The young Emperor Wai was panicked in the face of this sudden change. He looked around, but found that none of the ministers dared to speak out against it. In this case, Emperor Wai had no choice but to take the edict handed by Zhu Wen with trembling hands.
The content of this edict had actually been prepared in advance by Zhu Wen's staff. In the edict, Emperor Tang Ai announced that Chan would give the throne to Zhu Wen on the grounds that "virtue is not worthy of the throne and he is overwhelmed by the heavy responsibility". Subsequently, Zhu Wen pretended to resign several times, and finally accepted the throne "reluctantly". This seemingly dignified Zen ceremonial ceremony was in fact an elaborate political farce.
In this way, the Tang Empire, which lasted for nearly three hundred years, came to an end in this farce. And Zhu Wen, the general of the peasant rebel army from humble background, finally got his wish, ascended the throne, and established the Later Liang Dynasty.
However, Zhu Wen's path to the throne was not all smooth sailing. Although he successfully usurped the Tang Dynasty, he failed to win the support of the world. Many local forces openly opposed Zhu Wen's rule, among which the Shatuo clique led by Li Keyong was the most powerful.
After Li Keyong usurped the throne of Zhu Wen, he immediately issued a document denouncing Zhu Wen's usurpation. He called on the righteous people of the world to jointly crusade against Zhu Wen and avenge the Tang Dynasty. Li Ke's inscription caused a strong reaction among the people, and many people responded to his call and raised troops to resist Zhu Wen's rule.
Faced with an embattled situation, Zhu Wen took a series of measures to consolidate his power. First of all, he set the capital of the country in Kaifeng, which is located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, with a superior geographical location, which is easy to defend and difficult to attack. At the same time, Kaifeng is also Zhu Wen's old nest, where he has a large number of loyal supporters.
Secondly, Zhu Wen vigorously promoted his cronies and handed over important military and political power to his cronies and family members. He also reused a number of capable ministers, such as Feng Dao, Jia Hui and others, to strengthen his control over the imperial court.
Militarily, Zhu Wen adopted a aggressive strategy. He personally led the army to conquer the rebel forces in various places, and successively put down the rebellions in Huainan, western Zhejiang and other places. In the confrontation with Li Keyong, Zhu Wen also showed superb military talent and thwarted Li Keyong's attacks many times.
However, Juwen's rule did not bring much benefit to the populace. In order to maintain the huge military expenditure, Zhu Wen adopted a policy of heavy taxation, which increased the burden on the people. At the same time, frequent wars have also caused people's livelihood to wither, and the people have suffered unspeakably.
In terms of cultural policy, Zhu Wen showed the vulgarity of a warlord of humble origin. He did not attach importance to culture and education, and even forbade private education for a time. This practice aroused strong resentment among the scholarly class, and made Zhu Wen's rule lack cultural legitimacy.
Zhu Wen's brutal nature has not been restrained in the slightest after he ascended the throne. He was extremely cruel to his opponents, killing at every turn. Even their own cronies, once they are slightly dissatisfied, will be severely punished. This brutal way of ruling made the people in the court panic, and the political situation was never stable.
After Zhu Wen established the Later Liang Dynasty, China entered the period of five dynasties and ten kingdoms. During this period, there were frequent regime changes and wars. Warlords from all over the country divided their territories and conquered each other. The entire Central Plains was plunged into chaos.
Although Zhu Wen established the Later Liang, his reign did not last long. In 912, at the age of 60, Zhu Wen was killed by his son Zhu Youqi in a palace coup. Zhu Youqi then established himself as the emperor, and was the late emperor of the Later Liang Dynasty.
Zhu Wen's death marked the beginning of the decline of the Later Liang Dynasty that he had single-handedly established. Over the next decade or so, the Later Liang dynasty underwent several coups d'état, and was finally destroyed by the Later Tang dynasty in 923.
Zhu Wen's life can be described as full of legends. He climbed from an unknown pawn to the throne step by step. However, his reign was marked with blood and violence, opening a turbulent new chapter in Chinese history.
Zhu Wen's historical evaluation
Zhu Wen's assessment of Chinese history has been a controversial topic. As a figure who rose from the peasant rebel army and eventually usurped the Tang Dynasty and established the Later Liang Dynasty, Zhu Wen's life was full of drama and contradictions.
In traditional historical narratives, Juwen is often portrayed as a brutal, treacherous usurper. This assessment stems mainly from the series of brutal methods he employed in the process of seizing power. For example, he killed Emperor Zhaozong of Tang and Emperor Ai of Tang, which is seen in the Confucian tradition as a great rebellion. At the same time, he was extremely cruel in his treatment of political opponents and opponents, killing people at every turn, even his own cronies.
However, if we step out of the traditional framework of moral judgment and look at it from a broader historical perspective, Zhu Wen's historical position is even more complicated.
First of all, the rise of Zhu Wen is itself a product of an era. In the turbulent era of the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, Zhu Wen was able to stand out from many competitors and finally ascend to the throne, which undoubtedly demonstrated his outstanding political and military talents. He is good at seizing opportunities and knows how to take decisive action when it matters most. For example, he took advantage of the contradiction between eunuchs and scholars to skillfully eliminate the power of eunuchs and win the support of the scholar class. This kind of political skill was undoubtedly the key to survival and success in the troubled times at that time.
Secondly, Zhu Wen's military talent cannot be ignored. He led his army to fight rebellions many times and showed superb command skills. Especially in the confrontation with Li Keyong, Zhu Wen repeatedly thwarted the opponent's attacks and kept his rule. This kind of military talent, in the turbulent period of the Five Dynasties, was undoubtedly the foundation of the country.
Moreover, Zhu Wen established the Later Liang Dynasty, although his reign was relatively short, but it objectively promoted the development of Chinese history. The establishment of the Later Liang marked the official end of the 300-year rule of the Tang Dynasty and the beginning of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in China. Although the political situation was turbulent, this period was also an important period of alternation of the old and the new, and cultural integration. Many new political, economic, and cultural forms were born during this period, laying the foundation for the later Song civilization.
At the same time, Zhu Wen's reign was not without success. During his reign, he took a series of measures to stabilize the situation, such as moving the capital to Kaifeng and reusing energy ministers. Although these measures failed to fundamentally change the fate of the Later Liang regime, they played a certain role in maintaining the social order at that time.
However, Zhu Wen's reign also had its own problems. His tyrannical rule and heavy taxation policy increased the burden on the common people and caused widespread discontent. His neglect of culture and education also made the Later Liang regime lack cultural legitimacy. These problems eventually led to the rapid decline of the Later Liang regime.
In the historical evaluation of later generations, Zhu Wen's image is often simplified as a "chaotic minister and thief". But in reality, his historical position is far more complicated than this simple assessment. He was both an ambitious usurper and a commander with outstanding military talents; He was both a brutal tyrant and a founding master of a new dynasty.
In modern times, with the advancement of historical research methods, the evaluation of Zhu Wen by scholars has begun to diversify. Some scholars have begun to re-examine Zhu Wen's historical position from multiple perspectives such as socio-economic and military strategy. They believe that the rise and reign of Zhu Wen reflected the complex social contradictions and changes in the power structure during the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties.
Overall, Zhu Wen played a highly controversial role in Chinese history. His life is full of contradictions and paradoxes, showing both the excellence of the individual and the ruthless side. For such a complex historical figure, we need to jump out of simple moral judgment and examine and evaluate from a more macro and comprehensive perspective.
Zhu Wen's influence on later generations
As a complex and controversial historical figure, Zhu Wen's life and the establishment of the Later Liang Dynasty were only a brief moment in the long river of time, but their influence was far-reaching and left a deep mark on many aspects.
First of all, Zhu Wen's usurpation of Tang Jianliang started the historical process of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, and this period became a special and important turning point in Chinese history. Although the political situation was turbulent during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, it was an important stage of the alternation of the old and the new, and the integration of cultures. During this period, Chinese society underwent profound changes that laid the foundation for the prosperity of the later Song dynasty.
For example, on the economic front, the commodity economy and handicraft production were further developed during the Five Dynasties period. During the reign of Zhu Wen, in order to maintain military spending, he vigorously pursued a pro-mercantile policy and encouraged commercial development. This policy was continued and developed in the later five dynasties, which eventually contributed to the prosperity of the commodity economy in the Song dynasty.
In terms of military system, the Later Liang Dynasty established by Zhu Wen followed the situation of separating feudal towns since the end of the Tang Dynasty, but at the same time began to try to reform this situation. He reused the Central Forbidden Army in an attempt to weaken the local military. This practice provided a reference for the later Song Dynasty's policy of "strong cadres and weak branches".
Zhu Wen's reign also had a profound impact on Chinese political culture. His usurpation of the throne as a warrior shook the traditional concept of "orthodoxy" to a certain extent. This pattern of regime change was repeated during the Five Dynasties period, which eventually led to a change in political culture. In the Song Dynasty, in order to avoid the dictatorship of the warriors, the rulers began to pay attention to the construction of the civil service system, which became an important feature of Song Dynasty politics.
In terms of culture, although Zhu Wen himself did not attach importance to culture and education, his reign was precisely the starting point of a new round of integration of Chinese culture. During the period of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, due to the frequent change of political power and the division of regions, local cultures began to exchange and integrate. This trend reached its climax in the later Song Dynasty, which formed a broad and profound Song Dynasty culture.
Zhu Wen's personal image has also been widely interpreted in later literature and art. In folklore and literature, Juwen is often portrayed as a treacherous, cunning, and ambitious villain. For example, in the Yuan miscellaneous drama "Emperor Tang Ming's Autumn Night Wutong Rain", Zhu Wen is portrayed as a sinister and cunning villain who plots to usurp the throne. This image has been used in later operas and novels, and has become a fixed character archetype in Chinese literature.
However, the historical image of Zhu Wen has begun to appear in new interpretations in modern times. Some historians began to re-evaluate Zhu Wen's historical position from the perspective of socio-economic and political systems. They believe that Zhu Wen's rise reflected the complex social contradictions of the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, and that his reign, although short-lived, objectively promoted the development of Chinese history.
Zhu Wen's story has also become an important material for later literary creation. For example, the famous writer Februaryhe's long historical novel "Zhu Wen" takes Zhu Wen's life as the main line and comprehensively shows the historical style of the five dynasties in the late Tang Dynasty. The novel not only attracted a lot of attention in the literary world, but also promoted a new public understanding of this period of history.
In the field of modern media, Zhu Wen's story has also been put on the screen many times. For example, the TV series "Zhu Wen" and "The Legend of the Tang Rangers" all use Zhu Wen as the main character, showing different sides of this complex historical figure. Although these works have been artistically processed to a certain extent, they have also allowed more people to understand this little-known history.
Zhu Wen's way of governing the country also provided a reference and warning for later rulers. His practice of reusing cronies and promoting capable ministers shows that a ruler needs to recruit talents. And his tyrannical way of ruling and the end of his death and the destruction of the country warn the truth that future generations will die of tyranny.
In the field of historical research, Zhu Wen and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period have always been the focus of academic attention. In recent years, with the excavation of new historical materials and the innovation of research methods, scholars' understanding of this period has been deepened. These studies not only enrich our understanding of Chinese history, but also provide new perspectives for exploring major historical issues such as social change and regime change.