Tang Dynasty Mingyue Song Dynasty Pass

Chapter 811 Taking Over Prince Xing’s Mansion

In the middle of the night in the capital of Southern Han, sporadic battles would occasionally break out. These were the remnants of the Southern Han army hiding in the dark, trying to launch surprise attacks and break out, but they unexpectedly encountered the Wu army and engaged in a series of short and fierce encounters.

However, these attempts at resistance ultimately came to nothing, as they were either completely wiped out or forced to surrender.

At dawn, the smoke of war finally dissipated. The two great generals of Southern Han, Guo Chongyue and Zhi Tingxiao, found their fate in the flames of war. They all died in the chaos. It was an honor to die, and they got what they sought.

Although their integrity is admirable, in the face of the tide of history, personal bravery is ultimately unable to shake the predetermined fate, and going against the general trend often leads to a tragic ending.

The sun shines on the walls of Xingwang Palace. This city, which was the capital of Southern Han yesterday, has now changed. The glory of Southern Han has become a thing of the past. It was conquered by the iron hoofs of Wu's army and incorporated into Wu's territory.

Su Chen left 150,000 troops to camp outside the city and only sent elite troops into this former imperial city to take over all key departments and important locations.

When Su Chen rode his horse slowly through the streets of the city, many people watched along the road. They were no longer afraid or terrified, and gathered on both sides, looking at the new master with curiosity or indifference.

"That's Su Chen. I'm a fan of his martial arts!"

"The greatest hero is one who serves his country and his people, and he really did it."

"This time he led his troops to destroy our imperial court, but I didn't hate him because the previous imperial court was too dark."

"That's right, Liu Xiong is incompetent and cruel, his policies are more ferocious than those of tigers and wolves, he deserves to be the king who destroyed his country!"

"The Liu family is finished, as long as it doesn't affect us ordinary people. I heard that the new policy implemented by the Wu Kingdom is very good for the people. Our good days are coming."

Many people were talking and whispering to each other, saying all kinds of things.

Su Chen had a gentle smile on his face. Surrounded by guards, he stepped into a former palace of the Liu royal family, which would temporarily serve as his general's residence.

As the imperial palace was unfortunately burned down by Liu Xiong, he had to choose this palace in the royal garden as his temporary residence so that he could summon and meet with the officials left over from the Southern Han Dynasty.

Before setting foot on this land, Su Chen already had a clear idea of ​​the loyalty and treachery of the ministers in the Southern Han Dynasty, and a detailed investigation report was placed on his desk.

He acted decisively and immediately ordered those treacherous officials to be imprisoned to appease the people, and at the same time confiscated all their illegal gains to enrich the country. As for those loyal and talented officials, he gave warm comfort and made it clear that Wu would adhere to the policy of prioritizing talents, and in the future they would not only be reused, but also shoulder the responsibility of managing the local areas.

Su Chen was not in a hurry to implement large-scale new policy reforms. Instead, he first focused on people's livelihood and ordered the opening of granaries to release grain to rescue those people who were struggling on the brink of starvation.

He adopted a tolerant attitude towards the local wealthy families and gentry, and did not suppress them easily. This move effectively stabilized the situation in the city and ensured a smooth transition during the regime change. In this way, the panic situation was appeased, and some shop owners boldly started business.

In the past, when the enemy army entered the city, they would burn, kill and loot, but the Wu army did not do so. They did not disturb the people, did not rob, and did not oppress the common people. Word of mouth began to spread, and many people welcomed the arrival of the Wu army even more.

Su Chen summoned a small number of officials from the three provinces and six ministries to announce his idea that the people of Lingnan would continue to govern Lingnan, but the Wu Kingdom would also send officials and garrisons to help govern. In addition, although Xingwangfu was no longer the capital, it was still an important city in Lingnan, and ports and shipping offices were opened here to increase trade links with Nanyang and Baiyue.

These ideas enlightened the officials of Southern Han, who found that Su Chen's thinking and insights were indeed unique. By increasing trade and taxation and taking a portion of the tax revenue, the people's taxes would be reduced by at least half compared to that of the Southern Han period, which is equivalent to one-third of the taxes previously imposed by the Southern Han Dynasty. This would alleviate the pressure on the people of Lingnan in the future.

At this time, Xiao Yi, the right servant of the Southern Han Shangshu, and Zhuo Weixiu, the secretary of the Zhongshu, were both found. They returned to the city and were also summoned by Su Chen.

Xiao Yi said: "I agree with General Su's proposal. This will make Lingnan more prosperous and the people's lives better. On behalf of the people of Lingnan, I would like to thank General Su for his kindness!"

Zhuo Weixiu also echoed, "General Su is so far-sighted, we admire him, and are willing to join the Wu Kingdom, not seeking high office, but just wanting to do more practical things for the people."

Upon hearing this, Su Chen nodded slightly. He was very happy with their statement. Only when he won the sincere allegiance of the Lingnan officials could he use them for his own benefit.

Next, Su Chen personally went to the granaries and inner treasury to check and found that a lot of gold, silver and jewelry were missing. After asking the reason, he learned that Liu Xiong had set fire to the palace and wanted to escape with the gold, silver and jewelry overnight, but was secretly taken away by the eunuch chief beside him.

"Arrange a naval team, led by a Du Yuhou, to go out to sea to track down Gong Chengshu's whereabouts!"

Su Chen couldn't help but find it absurd. The Emperor of Southern Han did not trust civil and military ministers, but only eunuchs. In the end, the chief eunuch betrayed him together with a group of eunuchs and palace guards, and ran away with gold, silver and jewelry.

The current ideas and concepts in Lingnan are more backward than those in the Central Plains and Jiangnan. Before the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, it was an uncivilized area with rugged roads, hot and humid weather, many miasma, and many insects and snakes. It was not easy to survive, so people were reluctant to go there. But in turn, these natural difficulties have become the geographical advantages of the area. As long as they can take root in Lingnan, it will be difficult for the northern population or the northern army to invade Lingnan.

During the reign of Emperor Zhaozong of Tang, the Tang Dynasty established the Qinghai Army in Lingnan as a vassal state. In 905 AD, Emperor Ai of Tang, Li Yu, appointed Liu Yin as the governor of the Qinghai Army, thus establishing the Liu family's hereditary rule in Lingnan. Liu Yin actually laid the foundation for the establishment of the Southern Han.

In 917 AD, Liu Yin's brother Liu proclaimed himself emperor and established three provinces and six ministries. Later, he changed the country's name to Han, which was known as the "Southern Han" in history. At this time, the composition of officials in the Southern Han regime was normal. Later, the Southern Han regime experienced the rule of Liu Yin, the third son of Liu, and Liu Sheng, the fourth son of Liu. When it came to the period of Liu Sheng's eldest son Liu Yan, the composition of officials in the Southern Han regime finally changed.

Liu Sheng, the Zhongzong of the Southern Han Dynasty, began to purge the court out of fear since he ascended the throne, which lasted for 11 years. He also killed all 15 of his surviving brothers and their clans. By 955 AD, all of the Liu royal family except Liu Sheng's branch were exterminated. During this period, he also slaughtered old meritorious officials and high-ranking officials, including the family of his confidant Chen Daoxiang, who also died in this purge. The important officials in the court were eliminated, and for a time, Liu Sheng had no one to use and no one dared to use, so he could only promote people he thought were his confidants.

In 950 AD, Liu Sheng appointed his personal maids Lu Qiongxian and Huang Qiongzhi as his attendants. Dozens of his favorite eunuchs also entered the palace, and the period of women and eunuchs ruling the Southern Han Dynasty began. Liu Sheng was not a fool. During his reign, the territory of the Southern Han Dynasty ushered in its heyday. He led his army across the mountains to the north and defeated the Southern Tang army and occupied Chenzhou. However, excessive martial arts increased Liu Sheng's self-confidence. He was complacent, and the whole country was extravagant. The regime became more corrupt. Liu Sheng once built a Colosseum similar to Rome and enjoyed fighting beasts. Ten years ago, in 958 AD, Liu Sheng died and his eldest son Liu Xiong succeeded to the throne.

When Liu Xiong succeeded to the throne, the imperial court could not be restored because of his father's purge. All the capable people were slaughtered, and the scholars of Southern Han fled one after another. There were almost no scholars available in Southern Han. In 960 AD, the eunuch Gong Chengshu bewitched Liu Xiong, saying that in order to maintain his rule, he could learn from his father and slaughter his brothers. Liu Xiong agreed with him, and then Liu Xiong's brothers were slaughtered. As a result, Southern Han was completely reduced to the world of women and eunuchs.

Su Chen smiled faintly. This absurd history has finally come to an end. What he did was also considered to be doing justice for the heavens.