The six-dimensional pictures of emperors of all dynasties were exposed, and the ancestors panicked

Chapter 332 Tang Mingzong Li Siyuan
{At its peak, the Later Tang Dynasty controlled three-quarters of the country! If it had unified the country, it would have been the second Liu Xiu! The Guangwu of Tang!}

{Li Keyong: If I had known earlier, I should have used a crossbow to fire at the map!}

{It's not that there are not enough arrows left, it's probably that the last words were wrong. The first arrow attacked and destroyed Liu Rengong, Abaoji, and Zhu Wen. The second arrow worked hard to unify the country and rebuild the Tang Dynasty. The third arrow followed Taizong's example and rested to create Zhenguan again (dog head)}

{Li Keyong held 199 arrows and said, this is the Roman Empire (dog head)}

{It won't work. Even if the country is unified, the feudal lords have to be reduced. Li Keyong and his son have already compromised with the three towns in Hebei, especially Weizhou Town. You can search and you will know what group the Weizhou soldiers are.}
{Li Cunxu was not able to quell the Five Dynasties Rebellion. He was good at military strategy, but his civil governance was as poor as his military strategy!}

{The separatist regimes of the feudal lords are deeply rooted and they refuse to submit to the central government. Even the Shu region declared independence after just sending two military governors. If it is difficult to reduce the power of the feudal lords, it is doomed to be difficult to unify the country! }

{The Five Dynasties were full of martial virtues, and hundreds of people in a city dared to rebel. I don’t know what they were after. It seems that people were used to rebellion at that time, so that people at that time had no sense of the Mandate of Heaven, and they rebelled at the slightest disagreement.}
{A fly was found in the food in the military camp, and the guard shouted angrily: "You son of a bitch! You are rebelling!"}
{The Five Dynasties' rebellion was pretty much like this, it was pretty confusing anyway.}
{The emperor went to discuss something with the governor. The governor went back and thought: Does your majesty want to kill me?}

{Ya Bing: Marshal, you are rebelling!}
{Jiedushi: You won't let me live! You're rebelling! The guards took up their weapons and set out to plunder.}
{What if the Jiedushi said: Maybe there is a misunderstanding?}

{The soldier said: You are too cowardly! You are not worthy of being the commander! He was chopped off with a knife, and everyone appointed a new commander, and then said the same thing: You are rebelling!}
{New Jiedushi: ...rebellion!}

{Ordinary people in the Five Dynasties were either conscripted or robbed as military rations.}
{Compared to the Five Dynasties period, when the people were living in misery because of those arrogant and fierce generals, the Song Dynasty was pretty good. At least the people could live a peaceful life without having to worry about some madman suddenly coming to massacre the city.}
……

Great Qin.

Ying Zheng frowned as he read the long string of words.

Li Shimin was an emperor without any weaknesses. He was able to unify the country in the chaotic situation at the end of the Sui Dynasty by not just relying on his fighting skills.

However, these Five Dynasties were even more chaotic than the end of the Sui Dynasty. In such a situation, relying solely on fighting skills would not be enough.

Although we don't know who founded the Song Dynasty and when, this person should be well aware of how to adapt.

These five generations...

Ying Zheng stood up with his hands on his knees and walked slowly to the alchemy platform outside the hall.

The Qin warriors at the door knelt on one knee and saluted when they saw the emperor.

He shook his wrists slightly, then put his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky.

Generally speaking, frequent rebellions by soldiers and generals are considered treasonous.

But Ying Zheng saw another side...

The people are no longer "stupid".

If it were in the past, he would have walked away in anger and ordered that the matter should not be recorded in the world.

But now he is a little confused.

He felt that there was an inexplicable force that was pushing the world step by step away from "stupidity".

This is not something that can be prohibited by law, but...

"Human nature..."

Ying Zheng began to let his thoughts wander and think about a problem.

What is the essence of human nature?
He felt that the key to governing and controlling the world lies in this issue.

……

Later Tang Dynasty: Zhuangzong Period
On stage.

Li Cunxu, dressed in flowery clothes, took off the mask on his face and looked at the sky with flickering eyes.

"You said, I haven't achieved enough?"

"Why doesn't Tianmu comment on my achievements?"

Shanyou gathered his sleeves and said with a silly smile:

"Isn't it obvious, Your Majesty?"

"No one has unified the world, no one has governed the world well, and no one has lasted long."

"Just like the three emperors of Liang, if that's the case, it doesn't matter whether each emperor is good or bad? They all died early~"

The actor flicked his sleeves and continued singing softly.

Li Cunxu looked at the sky, put on his mask, and a clear and melodious singing voice rang out.

"The Emperor ordered the Minister of the Central Secretariat to come!"

……

【Tang Mingzong Li Siyuan】

[A member of the Shatuo tribe, he was adopted by Li Keyong, the governor of Hedong, as a child and was given the name Siyuan.]

……

On the canopy.

The general wearing black armor led a hundred heavy cavalrymen and shot out from the Crow Army!
It was like a black whirlwind blowing into the enemy camp!

The black soldiers waved their long spears and shouted as they charged left and right in the enemy's formation!

As the long spear passed by, the arc-shaped blood line that was raised floated like rain over the military formation, a sea of ​​blood red, and unstoppable!

……

【Li Siyuan is one of the few wise rulers in the history of the Five Dynasties. 】

[In terms of military affairs, he had made outstanding contributions in the past when he followed Li Keyong in his campaigns.]

[His cavalry were like tanks, and were best at charging into battle, so Li Keyong named his cavalry "Hengchongdu".]

[In Li Cunxu's campaigns against Youzhou Liu Rengong, Khitan, and the Later Liang, Li Siyuan also made many outstanding achievements. He was present in almost every major battle.]

[During the Later Liang and Later Tang dynasties, Li Siyuan and his "Hengchongdu" became famous all over the world. ]

……

Big man.

Liu Bang licked his teeth, looking awkward.

Do you guys with the surname Li have any rules for fighting?

Why do you all like to emulate that reckless man Xiang Ji?

You are not a descendant of Li Shimin!

"Tsk, Nai Gong can't bear to see this!"

Wouldn’t it be better to just command the army well?
……

Datang.

Everyone in the hall blinked, the marching style of the man in the sky looked so familiar.

Li Shimin looked at the generals who were charging and fighting in the sky, and a surge of blood rushed to his heart!

Thinking back to the past, I was also so brave!

What a pity... I really want to lead troops to fight!
Thinking of this, Li Shimin couldn't help but glance at Li Chengqian who was looking at the sky.

If I don't let the crown prince govern the country, I...

Just as he was thinking about it, he suddenly felt a chill coming from among the ministers!
Li Shimin took a quick glance without changing his expression.

Wei Zheng was staring at him with his sharp eyes.

...country bumpkin...

……

Great Song.

"Tang Mingzong..."

Zhao Kuangyin looked at the sky and recalled the past.

"I was born in the second year of Li Siyuan's reign."

Zhao Kuangyi was a little confused.

Why is this so weird?

"You weren't even born then."

Nonsense! I'm twelve years younger than you!
"My father, as a general of the Later Tang imperial army, told me a lot about Emperor Mingzong of Tang..."

"The Battle of Qingshan made Emperor Mingzong of Tang famous throughout the world."

"In the Battle of Baixiang, he dominated the Liang army and captured two of the enemy's generals."

"We fought against Liu Shouguang, and moved our troops very quickly, taking over several states in a row."

"In the Battle of Deshengkou, he blocked the Liang army at the Yellow River, and used a clever strategy to attack Yunzhou and capture Wang Yanzhang."

"Then he led a thousand cavalrymen to rush to the Fengqiu Gate in Kaifeng, forcing the enemy to open the gate and surrender!"

Zhao Kuangyin looked at the sky and said with a smile:

"After ascending the throne, he ruled the country with kindness and generosity, and wars were seldom waged, and the harvests were plentiful..."

"What a pity, Chunqiu ascended the throne..."

"otherwise……"

……

[In April 926 AD, the sixty-year-old Li Siyuan succeeded to the throne in front of Li Cunxu's coffin.]

[Although he was born in the military, was illiterate, and his literary talent was not as good as that of Emperor Zhuangzong of Tang, his literary and political skills were beyond the reach of Emperor Zhuangzong.]

[It can be said that in the Five Dynasties period, in terms of personal qualities, deeds and achievements, he was ranked very high.]

【Because he witnessed how Emperor Zhuangzong Li Cunxu lost the world, Emperor Mingzong of Tang implemented a set of enlightened policies that benefited the country and the people. 】

[Expel the actors and clean up the palace. Punish the eunuchs and put an end to the evil.]

【Crack down on corrupt officials and calm the public anger. Reward honest officials and improve the relationship between officials and the public.】

[He refused to accept the beauty and released more than a thousand palace maids left by Li Cunxu out of the palace.]

[Only 100 "experienced palace maids" were left in the harem, 30 eunuchs of various levels, 20 people from the falconry, 50 imperial chefs, and 100 people from the music school band.]

[Among all the emperors, it is rare to see one who lives so frugally and has such a simple palace system. ]

[Advocating frugality and not extravagance, prohibiting Chinese and foreign ministers from presenting rare and precious toys. Abolishing the inner treasury and putting all tributes into the national treasury.]

【Reject the minister's suggestion to build a palace to reduce the burden on the people.】

[At the same time, an order was issued to strictly prohibit powerful bureaucrats from annexing land and bullying the people. ]

……

The period of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty
"The Master said: I have never seen anyone who loves virtue as much as he loves beauty. It seems that this emperor is beyond Confucius' expectations."

Liu Qi had a look of confusion and astonishment on his face.

"Father... this evaluation is too..."

Liu Heng looked at Liu Qi and once again felt that he had a long way to go.

"Qi'er, there are many people in this world who like to live a luxurious life, but few who like to live a simple life."

"But a simple and reasonable life is in accordance with the way of heaven and, in fact, in accordance with human nature."

Liu Qi's eyes revealed a clear and innocent look.

Liu Heng held Dou Yifang's hand, and the emperor and empress smiled at each other.

“Luxury, especially excessive luxury, is largely nothing but vanity and lack of morality.”

"The emperor pursued a luxurious life out of vanity, which revealed his inner spiritual deficiency everywhere."

“On the contrary, those emperors who were frugal by nature rather than deliberately showing it, had a sense of grandeur that led directly to the great way.”

"And Li Siyuan is that kind of person."

"The vast majority of people in the world cannot escape from human desires."

"Li Siyuan's ability to switch between movement and stillness shows that he is a man of great wisdom."

"It is not easy for a general who has killed countless people to suppress the impulse in his heart, just like a businessman who is good at business is actually weaker than ordinary people in resisting the desire for money."

“Those who embody the Tao are free and unconstrained; those who follow the will of Heaven travel with the Tao.”

"On the issue of governing the country, Li Siyuan has mastered the essence of Huang-Lao."

"As long as we can properly handle the trust issue between the court and the vassal states, and maintain the talent and virtue of our descendants."

"He will be able to revive the Tang Dynasty."

Liu Heng looked at the sky with regret in his eyes.

"But it's clear that he failed."

……

[Issued an imperial decree to abolish the local governments' extra taxes and levies in various pretexts and to unify taxation.]

[In order to prevent local officials from making profits, the central government was ordered to collect taxes and corvée labor, and local officials could only serve as auxiliary.]

【To encourage production, if a family lacks oxen for farming, the government will issue an imperial decree to allocate oxen for the people to farm.】

[The people were allowed to freely use iron tools and cast farm tools, and the government ordered people to select the best farm tool models from the government and let the people cast them according to the models.]

[Lift the ban on alcohol and allow the people to make alcohol. ]

[All of these measures are equivalent to abolishing the state's monopoly on the salt, iron and wine industries.]

[This is an economic model advocated by Confucianism since the Han Dynasty, which is equivalent to liberalizing the private economy.]

……

The period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty
Liu Che looked at the sky thoughtfully, looking up and down.

He roughly understood how this model worked.

It seems that a little bit of tax is taken from the people's transactions, and it accumulates into a lot.

but……

After thinking about the current situation of the Han Dynasty, Liu Che gave up this idea.

The national conditions are different and we cannot force integration.

But the opening of agricultural tools is something you can consider.

"Ask Sang Hongyang to come again."

……

【In the national inertia of "competing with the people for profit", Emperor Mingzong of Tang made an outstanding effort. 】

[He also always encouraged and commended ministers who dared to speak out and discuss political affairs.]

[He did not like to listen to flattery, and often summoned civil and military officials to "talk about the pros and cons of current politics" and asked them to give him a true reflection of the country's strengths and weaknesses. He accepted his ministers' loyal advice and never killed a single official who advised him during his reign.]

[An illiterate warrior of a foreign race can achieve something that 80% of the emperors cannot.]

【Tang Mingzong was proud enough. 】

……

{For a man who had been fighting on the battlefield for years, it was a great honor for the emperor to choose to benefit the people instead of pursuing pleasure. It was also a blessing for the people at that time.}
{I am illiterate, but the fact that I can do this is definitely due to my personal character, vision and wisdom.}
{At least his ability to govern the country is much better than Li Cunxu.}
{The uneducated Li Siyuan could also be a good king.}
｛Li Siyuan was not as good as Li Cunxu in military and literary terms, but he only needed to grasp one principle in governance, and it would be right to do the opposite of Li Cunxu.｝
{As expected, TV dramas cannot be trusted. The Bad Guys portrayed Li Siyuan as sinister, cunning, scheming, cruel, and power-hungry, and he would do anything to achieve his goals.}
｛Li Siyuan was one of the few emperors who always put the people first, placed the people in the most important position, and considered the people wholeheartedly.｝
{The author is really talking nonsense! Does he really think Emperor Mingzong of Tang was a good person?}

{In the year he succeeded to the throne, he ordered Zhang Jian, the commander of the Bianzhou Crane Control Command, and 3,000 others to guard Waqiao. The soldiers left the city and returned, burning and looting the market, and killing the acting governor and the magistrate Gao Ti. Li Yanrao, the commander of the cavalry and infantry, killed Zhang Jian and 400 other rebel soldiers. Then Li Siyuan ordered the Privy Councilor Kong Xun to govern Bianzhou, and executed 3,000 families of the soldiers.}
{In the same year, Yu Kehong, the commander of Huazhou, and others set fire to the city and started a riot. Li Siyuan issued an imperial decree to execute Kehong in the market. The entire camp of Zuo Chongya, the mastermind of Huazhou, was executed, and hundreds of officers and soldiers of You Chongya were also executed. The number of deaths must have been more than a thousand! }
{In March of the second year of Tiancheng, 3,500 guardsmen from Weizhou were dispatched to guard the Lutai Army to prepare for the Khitan. The guardsmen under Long Yao killed Wu Zhen, the deputy commander of Hebei Province, and the cavalrymen guarding Lutai killed the rebels, and only one or two out of ten escaped.}
{In April, Li Siyuan executed all the family members of the Lutai rebels who were in the camp. In Ye City, more than 10,000 people from 3,500 families were killed in the lime kiln, and the Yongji Canal changed color! }

……

Ming dynasty.

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and looked at the sky.

"Is this man sick? Didn't he also tell me why Li Siyuan did this?"

"Can't we kill people for violating military discipline? And we have to put them on display? You must be taking the wrong medicine!"

Queen Ma looked at it carefully and said with a little hesitation:

"It seems that... it involves the family too much, and they want to kill the whole clan at any time."

Zhu Yuanzhang picked up the green jade cup beside him and snorted coldly:
"These guards have been arrogant and reckless for a long time. Don't they know that we all prosper together and we all suffer together?"

"Isn't the wealth and fortune enjoyed by their families the lives and property of other people?" "Well done!"

……

[Although Emperor Mingzong of Tang was a wise ruler, he also had many faults. ]

[At first, he placed great importance on the Privy Councilor An Zhonghui and gave him full power over government affairs. But when he caused trouble that affected his position, he rashly killed him.]

[At the same time, the issue of succession had not been properly resolved. As a result, the second son Li Congrong took advantage of his critical illness to launch a mutiny.]

[Although this mutiny was eventually suppressed, it also became the cause of the struggle for the throne among the royal family members.]

【Then Meng Zhixiang, the governor of Xichuan, annexed the two Sichuans and established a separatist regime. He was powerless to suppress them and was at a loss as to what to do.】

[Li Yichao's defeat in attacking Xiazhou caused Xiazhou to realize the weakness of the Central Plains and gradually expand, eventually becoming the hereditary Western Xia Kingdom.]

……

Later Tang Dynasty: Mingzong Period
She was wearing a coarse linen robe and a wooden hairpin on her head.

Li Siyuan, whose hair and beard were all white, held his knees and sighed.

Pingxiazhou was too impatient and did not investigate the geographical advantages.

The city wall of Xiazhou built by Helian Bobo was as strong as iron and stone, and could not be broken no matter how hard it was chopped.

The foundation of the city wall was extremely solid and could not be dug at all.

More than 40,000 Dangxiang cavalrymen were moving around in the wild, coming and going, with the purpose of plundering.

The government troops' food and horse fodder all depended on transportation from Guanzhong.

However, the mountain roads from Guanzhong to Xiazhou were dangerous and narrow, and it cost several strings of cash to transport a bushel of rice.

But Guanzhong had already been exhausted and was unable to supply
Yao Yanchou's 50,000-strong army besieged Xiazhou for three months, consuming countless food and fodder.

If the war lasts for a long time, we will face the crisis of running out of food and supplies at any time.

But Li Renfu secretly colluded with the Khitan. If Li Renfu and the Khitan joined forces, it would cause unimaginable harm to the northwestern border.

If the Hexi area fell into the hands of the Khitan, Guanzhong would be in danger.

If Guanzhong falls into the hands of Khitan, it will endanger the Central Plains...

"Time is running out..."

……

[In 933 AD, the elderly Li Siyuan suddenly suffered a stroke and did not see his ministers for more than a month.]

[In November of the same year, Li Siyuan's condition worsened, and his second son Li Congrong went to the palace to visit him. He heard crying and thought that Li Siyuan had died.]

[He then returned to the palace and led more than a thousand guardsmen, arrayed them at Tianjin Bridge and coerced the ministers to support him.]

[At this time, Li Siyuan, who had regained consciousness, ordered General Meng Hanqiong to lead the imperial army to attack Li Congrong, who was captured and killed.]

[When Li Siyuan heard the news that his son had been executed, he became more ill due to his grief and horror.]

【Li Congrong was demoted to a commoner, and his third son, Li Conghou, the Prince of Song, was recalled from Yedu. 】

[On November 26, Li Siyuan passed away in the Yonghe Hall of the Imperial Palace at the age of 67.]

……

Big man.

Liu Bang watched the next figure gradually appear on the sky curtain and sighed:
"Although it is only a vassal state, it is also a foreign emperor."

"But he is pure, kind, generous and loving."

"By using the Tang name, we can still preserve some of the Tang Dynasty's reputation. It would be a bit inconsiderate of the emperor not to give us some evaluation."

Lu Zhi sat aside and said calmly:
"Just you, please stop talking."

Liu Bang scratched his brows, smiled and said:

"Just complaining. He is a good emperor after all."

……

The period of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty
Liu Heng said with a hint of regret:

"When I ascended the throne, I was already sixty years old, but the people really depended on me to rest."

"Heaven doesn't give me longevity... How sad."

"If we have more time, maybe we can stabilize the world."

……

Period of Emperor Guangwu of Yanhan Dynasty

"There is no music or color inside, and no hunting outside."

"If eunuchs are not appointed, the inner treasury will be abolished."

"Reward honest officials and punish corrupt officials."

"A wise ruler."

Liu Zhuang looked at Liu Xiu with confusion in his eyes.

"Father...you are..."

Liu Xiu put his hands behind his back and said calmly:
"Give him, give the world, a glimmer of hope."

……

Datang.

Li Shimin straightened his body on the dragon throne and said loudly:
"Avoid sightseeing, keep the country safe; be quiet, keep the palace clean."

"A good harvest means fewer mistakes and a healthy body."

"Put down the troops and horses, and let no one fight."

“Although it is not the reign of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing, it is also a peaceful era.”

"Although Siyuan is a Hu, he pays attention to the world for the sake of peace and prosperity!"

"My Lords, can you be the Emperor of the Central Plains?"

"Can he be a wise ruler for the future generations of Li Tang?!"

All the ministers looked solemn and serious, bowed and said:

"Indeed! He can be a wise ruler of the Tang Dynasty!"

……

On the canopy.

The figure that had originally appeared slowly hid, and Li Siyuan's figure appeared again.

……

【Tang Mingzong Li Siyuan】

[Military achievements: He made great contributions in the war to unify the north. However, his miscalculation of Xiazhou's military power led to mistakes in the use of troops, which left serious consequences.

Evaluation level C, two points]

[Institutional construction: limit the power of Jiedushi and Inspectors to petition the judges, and order counties and towns to reject the tax increase requests of the vassal states.

It was ordered that if a Jiedushi was removed, his appointed subordinates should move with him instead of remaining in their old posts.

He ordered that military supervisors would no longer be appointed and that eunuchs would no longer be in charge of internal affairs.

It was expressly forbidden for court officials to interfere in local administration or recommend people to local governments. If found doing so, they would be dismissed and severely punished. Not only would the interferer be demoted, but the recommended person would also be exiled.

[Local officials are allowed to recommend talents, and regulations are made on the number of recommendations for each type of official as a criterion for assessment.

In order to ensure the quality of talent, a joint responsibility system is implemented to link the performance and achievements of recommenders and recommendees, creating a wave of recommending talents.

Every year, civil and military officials inside and outside the country are evaluated to select the best and punish the worst.

[Tribes such as the Dangxiang often sent inferior horses to the capital in the name of offering horses. The court paid for them according to the original price, provided them with food and lodging, and gave them rewards, which cost a lot.

Li Siyuan requested that horse trading places be set up in the border areas, and that the foreign tribes no longer be allowed to offer horses to the capital, in order to save expenses for the court.

[It was forbidden for Chinese and foreign officials to contribute hawks, dogs, and rare toys, and the frequency of Jiedushi's offerings was greatly restricted. It was explicitly forbidden for Jiedushi to collect taxes from the people in the name of offerings.

The monopoly on koji was abolished, and people were allowed to make it themselves, and autumn taxes were increased based on the acreage.

【Abolish the Mu Tax (Mu Tax was imposed on private farmland by Emperor Daizong of Tang Dynasty, on the pretext of urgent state needs, without waiting for the autumn harvest to mature. The tax was 15 yuan per mu for green seedling land, and 20 yuan per mu for land head, totaling 35 yuan per mu, commonly known as the Green Seedling Tax.)】

[Because the farm tools sold by the government were of poor quality and high price, people were unwilling to buy them, so the iron ban was lifted and people were allowed to make their own farm tools and pay 1.5 cents per mu for the tools.

Combined with the previous lifting of the ban on the monopoly of distilled yeast, the increase in land rent made up for the fiscal deficit.

Rating A+, score 4.5 points]

……

Later Tang Dynasty: Zhuangzong Period
Li Cunxu sat on a chair, fiddling with the mask in his hands.

The actors on the stage sang in a dragging voice, while Li Siyuan in the audience said nothing.

"I don't really understand..."

Li Cunxu supported his chin with his other hand, his eyes deep.

"I don't understand why Tianmu would give you a grade."

"I have been a soldier all my life. Although I have not unified the country, I have taken control of the Qin and Han dynasties."

Li Cunxu slowly stretched out his hand that was supporting his chin, and slowly clenched it into a fist.

"The whole world is within my grasp, so why can't I achieve anything?"

Li Siyuan, kneeling on one knee, looked up at Li Cunxu. The other party had a calm expression, but there was a hint of madness in his eyes.

"Your Majesty, I am illiterate and do not understand so many principles."

"But if you look at what Taizong did, you will know that a king has an invisible treasure, which is called benevolence and righteousness."

"Your Majesty, do you remember the words in the sky curtain? Guangwu of Tang Dynasty."

"But apart from recovering the empire, how is Your Majesty like Emperor Guangwu of Han?"

Li Cunxu withdrew his hand and lowered his eyes.

Li Siyuan slowly lowered his head and said calmly:

“You can conquer the world right away, but you can’t rule the world right away.”

"Emperor Taizong has already pointed out the way."

"It is your majesty who wants to go against the grain."

Li Cunxu looked at the mask in his hand and put it on his face.

He jumped up and went onto the stage.

"A leaf~falls~and plucks the pearl foil!"

"The scenery and things at this time are bleak~"

"The moon in the painted building casts a cold shadow, and the west wind blows the curtains!"

"Blow the curtain ~ think ~ about ~ the past!"

Li Siyuan remained silent.

The Tang Dynasty came to an end, but benevolence and righteousness will not.

……

[Diplomatic strategy: Envoys were sent to each other for pilgrimage and tributes were exchanged with the Liao Kingdom.

There were occasional cautious negotiations during this period, and both sides often crossed the border to plunder each other.

This is difficult to evaluate. Evaluation C, two points]

[People's livelihood and economy: A bucket of millet costs no more than ten coins. Grain is abundant every year, and weapons are rarely used. Compared with the Five Dynasties, the country is roughly well-off.

There are only a limited number of dynasties that can be described as "moderately prosperous".

During the chaotic Five Dynasties, it was a miracle that the country could achieve a "moderately prosperous" state, although it was only "roughly prosperous".

Evaluation level A, four points]

[Employing and identifying people: He was good at using political tactics, using the vacant position of prime minister to cause a dispute between two factions of ministers. After the stalemate, he elected a minister that no one was satisfied with as prime minister. After everyone disagreed, he appointed Feng Dao as prime minister.

The two complement each other in governing the world.

During his reign, the local warlords were basically peaceful, but the successive executions of Prime Minister Ren Huan and Privy Councilor An Zhonghui caused estrangement between the emperor and his ministers.

Rating: C+, 2.5 points]

[Influence on later generations: wise rulers of the Five Dynasties.]

He advocated the introduction of civil officials throughout his life, and specially opened the Duanming Palace, which recruited many scholars.

I hope that the world will move from the domineering feudal lords to the rule of culture. Rating C, 2 points]

[Total score: seventeen points]

……

Later Tang Dynasty: Mingzong Period
The golden light that descended from the sky enveloped Li Siyuan, who was in shock.

In the golden light, Li Siyuan raised his hand and looked.

The wrinkled hands were filling up with skin at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Choke!"

The golden light turned into feathers and dissipated.

Li Siyuan couldn't wait to pull out the sword from the wall. With the reflection on the sword, he could see his appearance clearly.

His originally old face regained the dignity of a man in his forties.

"why?"

After taking back the sword and feeling briefly happy, Li Siyuan's heart was filled with worry again.

He had few children and his sons were disloyal to him.

Even if it takes twenty years to govern the world, to whom can the throne be passed?

Or do I have a destiny to fulfill?

Li Siyuan was frowning and thinking hard, and the next moment, he understood what his "destiny" was.

……

[On November 933, AD, Song Wang Li Conghou rushed to Luoyang to hold a funeral for Li Siyuan and ascended the throne in front of the coffin.]

[Although Li Conghou had the ambition to bring peace to the world, he did not know the key to achieving peace. He was tolerant, weak, and lacked decisiveness.]

[Because of this, although he became emperor, the real power was in the hands of the "ministers of state" Zhu Hongzhao and Feng Yun. ]

[The two men urged Li Conghou to reduce the power of the feudal lords.]

[Li Siyuan's adopted son, Fengxiang Jiedushi and Lu Wang Li Congke, then rebelled and invaded the capital Luoyang in seven days. Li Conghou abandoned the city and fled.]

[On the third day of April in 934 AD, the fifty-year-old Tang Dynasty Emperor Li Congke took the throne.]

[After ascending the throne, Li Congke was also very wary of Li Siyuan's son-in-law, Shi Jingtang, the governor of Hedong, who had his own army in Taiyuan.]

[In 936 AD, Shi Jingtang was forced to move his capital to Yunzhou, and a large army was sent to besiege him.]

[Shi Jingtang deployed resistance while seeking help from Khitan, promising to regard Khitan leader Yelu Deguang as his father. After the success, he would cede the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun and pay tribute of 300,000 pieces of silk every year.]

[Yelü Deguang was overjoyed upon hearing the news and sent troops south. With the help of the Khitan army, Shi Jingtang crushed the siege and turned his troops towards Luoyang.]

[At this time, the Later Tang's military strength was still strong, but Li Congke was depressed. He drank and sang sad songs day and night and dared not lead his troops to fight, waiting for destruction.]

[Seeing this, the generals of various towns surrendered to Shi Jingtang one after another. ]

[In the intercalary eleventh month of 936 AD, Li Congke, along with Empress Dowager Cao, Empress Liu, and his son Li Chongmei, climbed up the Xuanwu Tower and burned themselves to death. The Later Tang Dynasty was doomed.]

(End of this chapter)