The Song and Song dynasties were an era of highly developed economy and culture in Chinese history, and the cornerstone of this prosperity was laid by Chai Rong during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Although Chai Rong was the highly praised first Ming monarch of the fifth dynasty, there was also a little-known young military genius during that period - Li Cunqing. Let's get to know this little-known figure in history today.
Li Cunmiao was born in the Shatuo ethnic group, a northern ethnic minority that rose to prominence in the late Tang Dynasty. The Shatuo people once set off a storm during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, separating the Tang dynasty and establishing the Later Tang Dynasty. And the founding emperor of this dynasty was Li Cunmiao's father, Li Keyong. Li Keyong made outstanding contributions to quelling the peasant war, and was appointed by the Tang Dynasty as the envoy of the Hedong Festival and named the king of Jin. With the strong military power of the Shatuo Tribe, he established the Hedong secession regime, and together with Zhu Wen, the king of Liang and Zhuwen, who was also rewarded, he began a twenty-year struggle between the Liang and Jin families.
In the vicissitudes of this era of separation, Li Keyong almost died in a "Hongmen Banquet" and formed a deep enmity with Zhu Wen. Zhu Wen and Tang established the Later Liang regime, and Li and Zhu never had the upper hand in their struggle, and finally died of depression under pressure. Before his death, Li Keyong made Li Cunqiao make an oath with three arrows, asking him to avenge him and conquer Zhu Wen, Liu Rengong and the Khitan forces.
After Li Cunmiao inherited the throne of King Jin, he showed his innate war wisdom, conquered the east and west, recovered Youzhou, beheaded Liu Rengong and his son, and expelled the Khitan army that went south. He destroyed the Later Liang founded by Zhu Wen, established the Later Tang Dynasty, and became the second founding emperor of the Five Dynasties period. Three years later, he sent troops to destroy the former Shu, unified the Yellow River Valley, and extended his power to the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.
However, despite the blood and courage that Li used to build a country in the first half of his life, he fell into an addiction that ran counter to his ambitions in the second half of his life. He ignored the government and politics, favored the servants, snubbed the heroes, and even listened to slander and unjustly killed the general Guo Chongtao. This series of actions caused him to lose the hearts and minds of the people, and many soldiers joined the rebel Li Siyuan along the way. In the war, Li Cunqiao was injured by an arrow and finally died young due to a bowl of milk.
Li Cunmiao, a figure who was expected to end the troubled times and unify the country ahead of schedule during the Five Dynasties period, eventually lost his family business due to his own indulgence and disorientation. His life may be half a life of blood and half a life of confusion, which is embarrassing. What should we say about this emperor?Leave a message to share your thoughts.