The Later Zhou Dynasty (951-960) was the last dynasty in the Central Plains during the Five Dynasties period. The founding of the country was established in 951, by the Later Han Dynasty Taizu Guo Wei annihilation, the capital of Kaifeng Mansion, to the establishment of the Northern Song Dynasty in 960, after three emperors, only 10 years remained. After Guo Wei quelled the rebellion, his adopted son Chai Rong ascended the throne, exempted forced labor, rectified the rule of officials, and laid the foundation for the conquest of the Later Zhou Dynasty. However, Chai Rong's reign was short-lived, only five years, and his wise actions and ambitions were not fully realized, making people full of regrets about his life.
1. Succession and Emergence.
Chai Rong, born in Yaoshan County, Xingzhou in the twelfth year of Tianfu (947), has been a handsome since childhood, good at riding and shooting, and cautious and generous. After being adopted by Guo Wei as an adopted son, he was commanded by Tianxiong Yanei to make a name for himself. Behind Guo Wei, Chai Rong became the second emperor of the Later Zhou Dynasty. He performed his duties as a privy deputy and a general of the left prison guard, and showed extraordinary political talent.
In the winter of the third year of Qianyou (950), Emperor Yin of the Later Han Dynasty was suspicious of Guo Wei, resulting in the father and son being imprisoned and even in danger of being killed. At this moment of crisis, Guo Wei rebelled and killed Kaifeng in the name of "Qingjun side", and Chai Rong was ordered to stay in Yedu and preside over the affairs of Yedu. Guo Wei's decisive actions laid the foundation for the later founding of the country.
The following year, after the establishment of the Later Zhou Dynasty, Chai Rong worshiped the history of the assassination of Lanzhou as the prince, launched the governance of Lanzhou, and laid the foundation for his succession. In the third year of Guangshun (953), Chai Rong entered the Hajj and was named King of Jin, further enhancing his political status. Obviously, Guo Wei's trust and reuse of Chai Rong laid a solid foundation for his later political career.
2. The Battle of Gaoping and the Rectification of Military Discipline.
In the first month of the first year of Xiande (954), Guo Wei was seriously ill, and Chai Rong was awarded the title of Kaifu Yitong Third Division, Inspector Taiwei and Servant. In the next few years, Chai Rong improved the combat ability of the Later Zhou soldiers through changes to the forbidden army. He supervised the Battle of Gaoping, defeated the Northern Han army, and consolidated his position. After the war, he beheaded the soldiers who escaped from the battle, and at the same time rewarded the generals who had made meritorious contributions in battle, demonstrating his strict military discipline and fair reward and punishment system.
In March of the second year of Xiande (955), Chai Rong adopted Wang Pu's suggestion of "the way to conquer, starting from the change", and formulated the strategy of "first the south and then the north". Although Chai Rong failed to complete this plan, he had already laid a good foundation for the Northern Song Dynasty to unify the world during his reign. In the second year of Xiande (955), Chai Rong sent an army to the west to conquer Houshu, won a victory, and recovered Qin, Cheng, and Tier. The Southern Tang Dynasty conquered the Southern Tang Dynasty and won two consecutive victories, forcing the Southern Tang Dynasty to cancel the imperial title and cede the area north of the Yangtze River.
3. The Northern Expedition to Liao and the unfinished regrets.
In April of the sixth year of Xiande (959), Chai Rong personally led the army to the north to attack the Liao State and achieved successive victories. He was ready to take advantage of the victory to capture Youzhou, but suddenly fell ill and had to return to his division. Chai Rong, who has only been in power for more than five years, has shown outstanding political talent and military command ability.
However, in June of the sixth year of Xiande (959), Li Yun conquered Liaozhou in the Northern Han Dynasty, and Chai Rong relieved Zhang Yongde of his post after returning to Kaifeng, which provided an opportunity for Zhao Kuangyin to launch the Chenqiao Mutiny. In July of the same year, Chai Rong died of illness at the Kaifeng Long Live Hall at the age of Chinese New Year's Eve. His brief reign left many unfinished regrets, including the failure of the plan to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun to materialize.
Chai Rong, as the second emperor of the Later Zhou Dynasty, demonstrated remarkable political and military talent. However, his brief reign limited the fulfillment of his ambitions. If he can live for ten more years, maybe he will dominate the world, recover the sixteen states of Yanyun, and rewrite the chapter of history. His life was full of regrets, but it also left a deep mark on later history.
Chai Rong, as an outstanding monarch of the Later Zhou Dynasty, left a deep mark on Chinese history during his short but brilliant life. The article provides a detailed account of Chai Rong's political prowess and military wisdom, as well as the major events of his reign, but the life of this regrettable monarch also provides a lot for historians and readers to ponder.
First of all, the article starts with Chai Rong's up-and-coming and clearly outlines his growth trajectory. As Guo Wei's adopted son, Chai Rong not only inherited Guo Wei's political wisdom, but also showed outstanding talent in military affairs. However, his succession to the throne was not all smooth sailing, and in the face of the turbulent situation of the Later Han, Chai Rong not only succeeded in consolidating his position, but also achieved a crucial victory in the Battle of Gaoping, laying the foundation for the Later Zhou.
Secondly, the article provides an in-depth analysis of Chai Rong's outstanding political and military performance. During his reign, he exempted forced labor, rectified the administration of officials, and devoted himself to improving the overall level of governance in the Later Zhou. The victory in the Battle of Gaoping showed Chai Rong's military commander's talent, and the change of the law against the forbidden army further improved the combat effectiveness of the Later Zhou. This series of political and military moves laid a solid foundation for the short-lived existence of the following weeks.
However, the article also highlights the regret of Chai Rong's short reign. Although he made a series of notable achievements during his reign, due to the sudden illness of Chai Rong, he was unable to complete his plan to conquer the Liao Kingdom in the north, let alone recover the sixteen states of Yanyun in person. This also makes people wonder if Chai Rong can live for ten more years, whether he will be able to achieve his grand goal of dominating the world and recovering lost territory.
Finally, the article mentions Chai Rong's death and Zhao Kuangyin's Chenqiao Mutiny. Chai Rong reigned for a short time, but his death provided an opportunity for the later establishment of the Northern Song Dynasty. With the help of Chai Rong's death, Zhao Kuangyin successfully launched a mutiny and established the Northern Song Dynasty. This historical turning point also makes people lament that Chai Rong's life has left a profound impact, not only during his reign, but also in the historical development after his death.
On the whole, Chai Rong, as the second emperor of the Later Zhou Dynasty, his political and military talents were fully displayed in just five years. However, his passing is unforgettable for his unfinished regrets. Chai Rong's life is not only a witness to history, but also an outstanding representative of the turbulent period of Chinese feudal society and politics, and his deeds are thought-provoking.
Disclaimer: The above content information is ** on the Internet, and the author of this article does not intend to target or insinuate any real country, political system, organization, race, or individual. The above content does not mean that the author of this article agrees with the laws, rules, opinions, behaviors in the article and is responsible for the authenticity of the relevant information. The author of this article is not responsible for any issues arising from the above or related issues, and does not assume any direct or indirect legal liability.
If the content of the article involves the content of the work, copyright**, infringement, rumors or other issues, please contact us to delete it. Finally, if you have any different thoughts about this event, please leave a message in the comment area to discuss!