Later Jin Records 1

In the first year of the Rousi Tuntan cycle, spring, first month, Xu Zhigao of Wu began establishing the Grand Marshal’s office, setting up its officials. The Tang emperor installed his son Li Chongmei as the Prince of Yong. During the Qianchun Festival, the Princess of Chang from Jin took leave of the emperor in Luoyang to return to Jinyang. The Tang emperor, drunk, said to her, “Why are you in such a hurry to go back? Are you planning to rebel with that fellow Shi?” After the princess returned, she told Shi Jingtang, who grew even more uneasy. In the third month, the Tang emperor appointed the Vice Minister of Personnel, Ma Yinsun, as Vice Director of the Secretariat and co-chief of the Chancellery. Ma Yinsun was cautious and weak-willed, lacking initiative in affairs; when handling matters in the Secretariat, he would only say, “Do not start anything, do not set precedents, do not open disputes,” earning him the nickname “Three Nevers.” While Shi Jingtang was in Luoyang, the Tang emperor frequently bestowed gifts of wealth and goods upon him; after he returned to Jinyang, the emperor again ordered gifts to be sent to him to reassure him. The Tang emperor grew suspicious of Shi Jingtang and often consulted his close ministers on how to guard against him. The Academician of the Duanming Hall, Li Song, and Lü Qi advised: “The Khitan are powerful, and the northern border is hard to pacify. Shi Jingtang is both a relative of the state and has long governed Hedong; it is better to placate him with kindness and trust, and also borrow the power of the Khitan to keep the north peaceful.” They proposed sending back the Khitan envoy, Cila and others, and using generous gifts to establish good relations with the Khitan. The Privy Councilor, Zhang Yanlang, also approved. The Tang emperor then ordered a draft of a state letter prepared to seek peace with the Khitan. Later, the emperor consulted the Hanlin Academician, Xue Wenwen, who said, “The late emperor destroyed the Liang and defeated the Khitan, his might shaking all under Heaven. Your Majesty has just ascended the throne; how can you bow to the Khitan and sue for peace? This will surely be despised by all quarters.” The emperor’s expression changed upon hearing this; he summoned Li Song and Lü Qi and rebuked them, saying, “Do you want me to humbly serve the barbarians?” The plan for peace with the Khitan was thus abandoned. Lü Qi was soon appointed Censor-in-Chief. Xu Zhigao of Wu appointed his son Xu Jingtong as Deputy Grand Marshal, in charge of the Marshal’s office affairs, and also appointed Song Qiqiu and others as staff members. The ruler of Min, Wang Chang, changed the era name to Tongwen. Ma Xigao of Chu was made the Military Governor of Wuping, stationed at Langzhou; he was lenient and kind by nature, winning the people’s hearts. The King of Chu, Ma Xifan, was wary of him, and his favorite minister, Pei Renzhao, slandered him, saying Ma Xigao was about to rebel. Taking advantage of this, the Southern Han sent Sun Dewei to attack the Chu border. Ma Xifan personally led troops to rescue. Ma Xigao’s mother, Lady Hua, tearfully greeted Ma Xifan and apologized on her son’s behalf. Ma Xifan was moved and treated Ma Xigao as before, but still moved him to Langzhou and appointed trusted men to control him. Gao Conghui of Nanping repeatedly urged Xu Zhigao to accept the Mandate of Heaven and proclaim himself emperor. Xu Zhigao outwardly declined, but in his heart had already planned to replace the Wu state. Shi Jingtang requested to be transferred from Hedong. The Tang emperor summoned his ministers to discuss this. Li Song was ill at home. Xue Wenwen said, “If Shi Jingtang stays in Hedong, he will certainly rebel; if he is transferred elsewhere, he will also rebel. Rather than letting him rebel from the stronghold of Jinyang, it is better to move him out.” The Tang emperor then appointed Shi Jingtang as the Military Governor of Tianping, moving him to Yunzhou; he appointed Song Shenqian as the Military Governor of Hedong and sent Zhang Jingda with an edict to urge the move. Shi Jingtang suspected the court intended to harm him and discussed with his generals and staff. Liu Zhiyuan and Sang Weihan advised him to hold Jinyang and seek aid from the Khitan; the Secretary, Yang Yanxun, and others also believed he should not act rashly. The Judge, Huangfu Yu, secretly reported the situation in Hedong to the court. Shi Jingtang then submitted a memorial saying: “The late emperor’s sons still live; Your Majesty is merely an adopted son and should not inherit the great line. Please abdicate in favor of the Prince of Xu, Li Congyi.” Upon reading the memorial, the Tang emperor flew into a rage, tore it up, issued an edict stripping Shi Jingtang of his official titles and ranks, and appointed Zhang Jingda as Commander of the Expeditionary Force, Yang Guangyuan as Deputy Commander, and sent An Shenqi, An Shenxin, and others with troops to punish him. Some in the Dingzhou army took advantage of the situation to rebel, but the revolt was quickly suppressed. Zhang Jingda advanced and encamped at Jin’an Village south of Jinyang. An Shenxin, An Yuanxin, An Zhongrong, and others, originally appointed by the court, all defected to Shi Jingtang one after another. Song Shenqian, appointed to take over Hedong, could not even enter its borders. The Military Governor of Tianxiong, Liu Yanhao, governed incompetently, earning the hatred of the army and people; the Commander of the Guard, Zhang Lingzhao, took advantage of the unrest to rebel and occupied Weizhou. In Wu, Xu Zhigao continued to expand his power, and many officials submitted memorials urging him to take the throne. The Tang army besieging Jinyang in the campaign against Shi Jingtang surrounded the city; all of Shi Jingtang’s sons and family members in Luoyang were killed. Yunzhou, Daizhou, and other areas also watched the situation cautiously, each uncertain. Zhang Lingzhao’s rebellion was suppressed and he was beheaded. Zhang Wandi and others subsequently rebelled and submitted to Shi Jingtang. Shi Jingtang sent Sang Weihan to seek aid from the Khitan, offering to acknowledge the Khitan ruler as father, to cede the sixteen prefectures of You, Ji, and others, and to pay an annual tribute of silk. Liu Zhiyuan believed that acknowledging vassalage was sufficient, without calling the Khitan ruler father, and that ceding territory would cause future trouble, but Shi Jingtang, anxious to break the siege, did not adopt his advice. In the eighth month, the Tang emperor mobilized troops from various circuits to reinforce. The Khitan first attacked Yingzhou. Zhang Jingda continued to besiege Jinyang. Liu Zhiyuan held the city defenses steadfastly, but food supplies within the city grew increasingly scarce. In the ninth month, the Khitan ruler led fifty thousand cavalry southward, reaching Hubei Pass. The Tang army sortied and suffered a great defeat, with extremely heavy casualties, and withdrew to defend Jin’an Stockade. They were then surrounded by the Khitan and the Hedong army. Upon hearing this in Luoyang, the Tang emperor was terrified and urgently ordered Zhao Dejun, Fan Yanguang, and others to rescue; some also advised him to personally lead the campaign, but he hesitated and could not decide. In the tenth month, the court ordered the requisition of warhorses and the recruitment of volunteer armies. Zhao Dejun, relying on his strong troops, harbored secret ambitions and sought to use Khitan power to secure the throne for himself, thus moving slowly. Liu Jingyan also rebelled in Yedu. In the eleventh month, Xu Zhigao of Wu accepted the ceremonial urging of the hundred officials to take the throne; the situation of replacing Wu became even more evident. The rebellions of Liu Jingyan and others were also suppressed. The Khitan ruler, outside Jinyang at Liulin, installed Shi Jingtang as the Great Jin Emperor. Shi Jingtang formally ceded the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, agreed to an annual tribute of three hundred thousand bolts of silk, and appointed Sang Weihan, Liu Zhiyuan, and others as his aides. Zhao Dejun and his son Zhao Yanshou secretly requested the Khitan to make Zhao Yanshou the emperor of China. The Khitan ruler was momentarily swayed, but Sang Weihan argued vehemently before his tent, saying that Shi Jingtang had already submitted first and had rendered great service; if he were abandoned, who in the future would trust the Khitan? The Khitan ruler thus refused. Long Min advised the Tang emperor to quickly relieve Jin’an Stockade, but the emperor did not adopt the plan. Danzhou also experienced a rebellion. At Jin’an Stockade, food ran out; the officers and men were starving and exhausted. The Deputy Commander, Yang Guangyuan, killed Zhang Jingda and led the troops to surrender. The Khitan ruler lamented Zhang Jingda’s loyalty to his duty and ordered him buried with proper rites. Daizhou, Xinzhou, and other areas successively submitted to Jin. The Tang emperor demoted Lü Qi and frequently changed generals and chancellors in a vain attempt to remedy the situation. Shi Jingtang and the Khitan ruler advanced south. Zhao Dejun and Zhao Yanshou met them in battle, were defeated, and captured by the Khitan. When the Tang emperor heard that the Jin army was approaching, he initially thought of fleeing to Weizhou but then returned to Luoyang; the capital was thrown into chaos. The Tang emperor fled to Heyang. Zhao Dejun and his son were sent to the Khitan empress dowager and subjected to humiliation. The Khitan ruler ordered Shi Jingtang to enter Luoyang from the south and sent Taziangwen and others with cavalry to escort him, also bestowing chariots, horses, vessels, and robes. Gao Hanjun submitted Jinzhou to Jin. The Tang emperor returned from Heyang to Luoyang and killed the Khitan general who had surrendered, Li Zanhua. Shi Jingtang reached Heyang. The Tang emperor ascended the Xuanwu Tower, gathered his clan and empresses, and set fire to himself, perishing. The Later Tang dynasty fell. Liu Zhiyuan entered Luoyang to pacify the army and people, forbade looting, arrested Zhang Yanlang and others, and confiscated the treasury for military use. After Shi Jingtang entered Luoyang, he issued a general amnesty, posthumously demoted the Tang emperor to commoner status, and ordered Feng Dao and others to welcome and attend to the empress dowager. Zheng Ruan, Yao Yi, and others were executed for their involvement in the murder of Shi Jingtang’s family; Zhang Xichong and others also received punishments. Mi Qiong killed Dong Wenqi and his entire family; Men Duo and others, due to old grudges, accused each other. Li Zanhua’s case was pursued posthumously; Zhang Lang, Lu Wenji, and many others were demoted. Zhou Gui declined the appointment as Commissioner of the Three Bureaus; Fang Zhiwen and others each received transfers or appointments. Shi Jingtang changed the name of Xingtang Prefecture to Guangjin Prefecture to signify the new dynasty’s mandate. Lu Wenjin, seeing the Central Plains in chaos, fled to Wu. Xu Zhigao continued to advance the abdication process in Wu; Li Decheng, Zhou Ben, and others submitted memorials urging him to take the throne, and within Wu, auspicious omens were continuously reported. The King of Goryeo, Wang Geon, taking advantage of Silla’s decline and Later Baekje’s internal strife, annexed their territories; various Eastern Barbarian states mostly submitted to Goryeo, which established two capitals, six prefectures, nine military commands, and one hundred twenty commanderies.