Zi Zhi Tong Jian

Chapter 53
【Translation】

When Zhang Xun first defended Suiyang, he had only 400 soldiers under his command, but there were tens of thousands of people living in the city. Every time Zhang Xun saw someone, he would ask his name. Later, he knew everyone in the city. .Has experienced a total of more than 12 battles, killing as many as [-] bandits.Zhang Xun led his troops not to follow the ancient art of war, but ordered his generals to teach them to fight according to their own strategic principles.Someone asked why, and Zhang Xun said: "Now we are fighting against the Hulu. They scattered and reunited, changing constantly, and sometimes even within a few steps, the army's strength will vary. Therefore, it is necessary for the generals to cultivate The ability to deal with emergencies in a short period of time, if they are asked to ask the generals from time to time, I am afraid that the opportunity will be delayed, and it will be too late. All this is because they do not know the changes in the use of troops. So I let the soldiers be able to Knowing the general's mind, the general can also grasp the emotions of the soldiers in time. In this way, the general can command the soldiers to fight as easily as the hand uses its own fingers. The soldiers and generals can understand each other, and the troops can fight independently. Is this not the case? Is it good?" Since the battle with the rebel army, all the equipment used for defending the city and the weapons used in combat have been captured from the rebel army, and the guards and soldiers have never repaired or manufactured it themselves.Whenever there is a fierce battle, some soldiers will retreat. At this time, Zhang Xun will stand on the ground and say loudly to the soldiers: "I will never leave this place. Please go back for me and continue to fight against the bandits." After listening to them, no one dared to retreat any more, and stepped forward one after another, fighting to the death with the bandit army, and eventually they were able to repel the bandit army.Zhang Xun is sincere and sincere, open-minded, adaptable to situations, and often wins by surprise.Moreover, the orders are strict, the rewards and punishments are clearly defined, and he can share the joys and sorrows with the soldiers, so the soldiers under him are willing to die for them.When Zhang Hao, the Jiedu envoy of Henan, heard that Suiyang was in danger, he led his troops to rescue day and night. Also raised troops to rescue.And Lu Qiuxiao was always arrogant, so he didn't obey Zhang Hao's order.When Zhang Hao led his troops to Suiyang, Suiyang City had been captured for three days.Zhang Hao then summoned Lu Qiuxiao and ordered him to be beaten to death with sticks.

[Comment and Analysis]

Zhang Xun led more than 6000 people to defend Suiyang City, while the rebel general Yin Ziqi led 13 people to attack the city. The difference in strength between the two sides was huge.But under such circumstances, Zhang Xun still led his army to defend Suiyang City for ten months.During these ten months, a total of more than 400 battles were fought, killing 12 rebels.Zhang Xun, Xu Yuan, Nan Jiyun, Lei Wanchun and others were eventually captured and killed. Later Tang Suzong praised them and moved their portraits into Lingyan Pavilion.This was an extremely tragic war. The soldiers and civilians in Suiyang City had reached the point of desperation. They had no food to eat, so they had to eat bark, rats, and even humans.Even at this point, no one rebelled.At that time Xu Shuji was in Qiaojun, Shangheng was in Pengcheng, and He Lanjinming was in Linhuai, all of them supported Suiyang.Nan Jiyun was sent to seek help from He Lan Jinming, but He Lan Jinming supported his troops and refused to save them. It was these selfish people who ruined the lives of thousands of soldiers and civilians in Suiyang City!

Huang Chao Uprising
[Original text]

Emperor Xizong of Tang Dynasty Gongdingxiao Emperor Qianfu Two Years

Wang Xianzhi and his party Shangjun captured Puzhou and Caozhou, and there were tens of thousands of people.The Tianping Jiedu envoy Xue Chong sent troops to attack him, but was defeated by Xianzhi.

Huang Chao, the injustice man, also gathered thousands of people to answer Xianzhi.Both Chao Shao and Xianzhi are engaged in smuggling salt. Chao is good at riding and shooting, likes to be a hero, and has a rough study of books and biography. Those who re-accumulate fight for their return, and within a few months, there are tens of thousands of people.

In the third year of Qianfu, Wang Xianzhi attacked Qizhou.Pei Wo, the governor of Qizhou, was also promoted as a Jinshi when Wang Duo Zhiju.Among the thieves, Wang Liao wrote books for Xianzhi.Wu made an appointment with Xianzhi, and promised to be an official for him to collect troops without fighting; Liao also said that Xianzhi promised to keep the promise.Wu Nai Kaicheng Yanxianzhi and more than [-] people from Huang Chao's generation entered the city, bought wine, and bribed them with big old goods to show their appearance.The prime ministers said a lot: "The first emperor did not pardon Pang Xun, and he was punished every year. Today, the little thief in Xianzhi is not as good as Pang Xun. He pardons his crimes and removes his officials, so he will benefit from traitors." Wang Duo insisted and agreed.He used Xianzhi as the guardian of the Zuo Shence army and supervised the censor, and sent the envoy to sue him, which was awarded by Qizhou.

【Translation】

Tang Xizong Qianfu two years (AD 875)
Wang Xianzhi and his henchman Shang Junchang led the rebel army to capture Puzhou and Caozhou successively, and their team quickly grew to tens of thousands.Tang Tianping Army Jiedu envoy Xue Chong was ordered to send troops to crusade, but was defeated by Wang Xianzhi.

At this time, Huang Chao, the wronged person, also gathered thousands of people to respond to Wang Xianzhi.When Huang Chao was young, he and Wang Xianzhi both made a living by selling private salt. He was good at horseback riding and archery. In the action of the prefecture and county, we will walk in the east of Xiaoshan Mountain.The people could not survive because of the government's excessive expropriation, so they scrambled to go to Huangchao. In a few months, the ranks of the rebel army grew to tens of thousands.

In the third year of Qianfu (876 A.D.), Wang Xianzhi led troops to attack Qizhou.Pei Wo, governor of Qizhou, was a Jinshi selected by Wang Duo when he presided over the imperial examination.After Wang Duo was captured by the rebel army, he wrote a letter for Wang Xianzhi to recruit Pei Wo in the barracks of the rebel army, so that Pei Wo and Wang Xianzhi reached an agreement to restrain the army and stop fighting with it, and agreed to seek an official title from the imperial court for Wang Xianzhi .Wang Lian also persuaded Wang Xianzhi to agree to Pei Wo's request for a peace treaty.So Pei Wo opened the Qizhou city gate and invited more than [-] people, including Wang Xianzhi and Huang Chao, to enter the city, held a banquet, and presented a large amount of treasures to Wang Xianzhi and others to show his sincerity in making peace.Many prime ministers in the imperial court thought it was inappropriate to do so, saying: "The first emperor Tang Yizong did not pardon Pang Xun's crimes. He killed Pang Xun back then. Now Wang Xianzhi is just a reckless thief, and his power cannot match Pang Xun at all. Pardoning his crimes and giving him an official title will only encourage the rebellious arrogance of the traitor even more." Only Wang Duo insisted on asking to surrender Wang Xianzhi, Tang Xizong listened to Wang Duo's words and agreed to the surrender; he immediately appointed Wang Xianzhi as the Zuo Shence Army He held the teeth and supervised the censor, and sent the eunuch envoy to send the letter of appointment to Qizhou, and awarded it to Wang Xianzhi face to face.

[Original text]

Xianzhi is very happy to get it, congratulations to Liao and Oku.Before he retreated, Huang Chao felt that the officials were not enough, and said angrily: "The first ones made a big oath together and ran rampant in the world. Now we only take the officials and go to the left army, so that more than five thousand people can return home in safety!" First of all, the crowd is noisy.Xianzhi was afraid of public anger, so he refused to order.Qizhou was plundered, and the people in the city were half driven and half killed, and their huts were burned.Wo went to Ezhou, and the emissary went to Xiangzhou, but the shackles were detained by thieves.The thieves divided their army of more than [-] people from Xianzhi and Shangjun, and more than [-] people from the nest, each going back in its own way.

In the fifth year of Qianfu, Zeng Yuanyu defeated Wang Xianzhi in Huangmei, killed more than [-] people, chased and beheaded Xianzhi, passed on the head, and the rest of the party dispersed.

Before Huang Chao's attack on Bozhou, the rest of Shuai Xianzhi returned to him, and they pushed the nest as the main force.The nest attacked Yizhou and Puzhou.Since he was repeatedly defeated by the officers and soldiers, he left the Tianping Jiedu envoy Zhang Jianshu, please play it.The edict took Chao as the general of the right guard, and ordered Yunzhou to be disarmed.The nest did not arrive.

In the first year of Guangming, Ding Mao and Huang Chao fell into the Eastern Capital, and Liu Yunzhang, who stayed behind, led hundreds of officials to greet him;Yunzhang, the great-grandson of Nai.Tian Lingzi played thousands of people in Fang City to make up for the two armies.

【Translation】

Wang Xianzhi was very happy after receiving the letter of appointment, and both Wang Lian and Pei Wo came to congratulate him.Wang Xianzhi and others had not withdrawn from Qizhou at that time, Huang Chao was furious because the imperial court did not grant him an official title, and said to Wang Xianzhi, "I made an oath with you at the beginning, planning to run rampant in the world, but now you have obtained the official title of the imperial court alone. We are about to go to Chang'an to serve as an officer in the Left Army of the Forbidden Army, what should we do with more than 5000 brothers? Where are we going to live?" In anger, Huang Chao beat Wang Xianzhi with his hands, and Wang Xianzhi's head was injured, and the rest of the troops were noisy.Because Wang Xianzhi was afraid of the anger of his followers, he refused to accept the commission from the imperial court and ransacked Qizhou wantonly.Half of the people in the city were expelled from the city, half were slaughtered, and the houses of the residents were set on fire.Pei Wo, governor of Qizhou, fled to Ezhou in a hurry, and the envoy of the eunuch also fled to Xiangzhou in a hurry, while Wang Shao was detained by the bandit army.Afterwards, the rebel army divided into two groups, more than [-] people followed Wang Xianzhi and Shang Junchang along the way, and more than [-] people led by Huang Chao went north together.

(End of this chapter)