I just saw a reader saying how the big-headed soldiers in the late Tang Dynasty were so educated and knew about the mutinies in neighboring provinces.
I gave examples in the chapter description.
In July of the second year of Changqing (822), the army in Bianzhou was in chaos and the generals were killed and the commanders were driven away.
An interesting thing happened at this time.
Dou Yi, the observation envoy in western Zhejiang, heard about the mutiny in Bianzhou in September and was very frightened. He was worried that the warriors in western Zhejiang would follow suit and cause rebellion, so he decided to "spread gold and silk to reward the soldiers."
His judgment was not unfounded, but was based on his experience and intuition as a front-line coach of a feudal town.
Sure enough, while Dou Yi was hesitating, the news had actually spread to western Zhejiang, and the warriors also followed suit and started to cause trouble.
It spread from Bianzhou to western Zhejiang in two months. Did the warriors have no news?
Never replace the warriors of the late Tang Dynasty with the warriors of other dynasties. They are completely two types of people.
The leading soldiers in the late Tang Dynasty received 2 hu of grain a month (1 hu = 108.32 catties), and a reward of about 10 coins and 10 bolts of silk every year. If there was a war or distant garrison, additional rewards would be given.
Clothing materials are sent out twice a year in spring and autumn.
There are regular competitions in the army, and prizes are given out every year to individuals with outstanding performance: twenty saddles and bridles each decorated with gold and silver, one hundred pieces of brocade, one hundred pieces of colorful silk, two hundred pieces of crimson and purple silk, and three hundred pieces of silk.
Horses, men's and women's brocade robes, silver pots and bottles, brocade mattresses, purple silk mattresses, etc.
Food and accommodation are provided in the army. When not training or going on an expedition, you eat 2 liters of rice and noodles a day (note, not 2 liters of grain, but rice noodles). When training or fighting, you eat 3 liters a day - this standard was not even achieved by the Northern Song Dynasty.
Not to mention the Ming Dynasty.
There must be wine and meat every month. Do you still remember the Jingyuan Mutiny? The Jingyuan warriors who went east to quell the rebellion were furious because they only had a meager meal, and shot arrows at the eunuchs who came to deliver the order.
The big-headed soldiers of the late Tang Dynasty were also deeply involved in politics.
Under the system of vassal-zhen separatism, pro-party cliques were firmly entrenched, married to each other, and the network of relationships extended in all directions.
A soldier carrying a gun at the city gate might have a relative serving as a yamen general.
As an example mentioned earlier, Hebei literati have a reputation for praising a certain family: "The book and the sword are both beautiful."
In fact, the situation in the north is similar, it’s just a matter of degree.
A large number of members of scholar families joined the army and became warriors. The proportion of literate soldiers in the late Tang Dynasty was higher than that of other dynasties.
Moreover, Da Tou Bing's family conditions are relatively good, and he shares the power of the vassal and town under the strong support of the pro-party, and his social status is very high. This is also a place that is significantly different from Da Tou Bing in other dynasties.
Their mental outlook is also very different from the soldiers of other dynasties. I read history books and found that many domineering words came from the mouths of the soldiers, not the generals, which shows that their mental outlook was unusual and their thinking ability was not weak.
This is actually a reflection of social status.
When a large number of scholar families join the army, it means that it is a good profession and relatively popular. Then even if he is a small soldier, he will not feel inferior and live a humble life, so that he will be overconfident and domineering.
And these people are quite cunning.
During Dezong's Jianzhong Rebellion, Jingyuan soldiers supported Zhu Si as emperor, but they did not listen to him at all and only made money themselves. The only people Zhu Si could really command were the Fangqiu soldiers from Youzhou and some of the people who took refuge with him.
Shen Cejun, do you think this is a scam? I was forced to become the emperor, but in the end, you were used as a backstop.
In the late Tang Dynasty, when the big-headed soldiers rebelled, the generals actually did not necessarily want to follow the rebellion, because they knew that if someone was not good, they would be the ones to blame, and all the benefits would be taken away by the lower-level warriors, which was a big trap.
The imperial court was also aware of the group of domineering warriors. These big-headed soldiers were the source of the rebellion, not the generals or marshals. So Wang Shi massacred Xuzhou Silver Sword Capital, and Luo Shaowei asked Bian soldiers to help kill Wei Bo's Yamen soldiers. The trouble was really
He is not a handsome general.
Finally, I will share with you the typical military chaos in Youzhou and Bianzhou for everyone to appreciate:
In July of the first year of Changqing (821), there was a military uprising in Youzhou, and the Jiedushi envoy Zhang Hongjing was imprisoned (the idiom of being illiterate comes from this person).
The Duke of the army recommended Zhu Tao's son Zhu Hui to be the remaining queen.
Zhu Hui said that I am too old, so you should find someone else and refuse to do it. Youzhou Wufu appointed his son Zhu Kerong as the remaining queen.
Zhu Hui: "..."
In May of the second year of Baoli (826), the army in Youzhou was in chaos and Zhu Kerong and his son Zhu Yanling were killed.
The rebel army appointed Zhu Kerong's second son, Zhu Yansi, as their remaining queen.
In August of that year, there was a military uprising in Youzhou, killing Zhu Yansi and more than 300 members of his family.
In January of the fifth year of Taihe (831), there was an army uprising in Youzhou. Jiedu envoy Li Zaiyi ran away, and the imperial court appointed Yang Zhicheng as his retainer.
In September of the eighth year of Taihe (834), there was an army rebellion in Youzhou. The Jiedu envoy Yang Zhicheng was expelled, and the rebel army appointed Yang Zhicheng's general Shi Yuanzhong as the rear guard.
In September of the first year of Huichang (841), the army in Youzhou was in chaos, Shi Yuanzhong was killed, and Chen Zhitai was promoted to the rear.
A month later, another rebellion broke out and Chen Zhitai was killed. The rebels appointed general Zhang Jiang to stay in the rear.
It was not until Zhang Zhongwu became the military governor that things became slightly more stable.
The military rebellion in Bianzhou mentioned above:
In the eighth year of Zhenyuan (792), Liu Xuanzuo, the military governor of Xuanwu, passed away. The imperial court sent Wu Zao to serve as military governor. The Xuanwu soldiers refused to recognize him and appointed Liu Xuanzuo's son Liu Shining as the remaining queen.
In December of the ninth year of Zhenyuan (793), the army in Bianzhou was in chaos. Liu Shining fled to the capital, and Li Wanrong, the head of the capital, stayed behind.
In July of the 10th year of Zhenyuan (794), there was a military rebellion in Bianzhou, and a miracle happened - Li Wanrong successfully suppressed it, and he reported it to the court, saying that it was instigated by Liu Shining.
In the twelfth year of Zhenyuan (796), Li Wanrong was seriously ill, and his son Li Dao took over his duties. Then a mutiny broke out. Deng Weigong, the Marquis of Yu, conspired with Ju Wenzhen, the supervisor, to arrest Li Wanrong and send him to the capital. Deng Weigong took charge of his post.
After staying, Li Wanrong died of illness.
In July of that year, the imperial court appointed Dong Jin, who was staying in the eastern capital, as the envoy of Xuanwu Festival. In November, Deng Weigong led 200 people to make a rebellion, which was discovered by Dong Jin and successfully suppressed. Deng Weigong was sent to the capital with weapons.
In the fifteenth year of Zhenyuan (799), Dong Jin died. Lu Changyuan, the marching commander, was appointed as the military envoy. The Bianzhou army was in chaos and killed him.
Han Hong took over as the governor of Xuanwu. After he took office, he first got along well with the warriors, then carefully observed the thorns and secretly wrote them down.
For example, every time there is a rebellion, whoever shouts the loudest, who is the best at connecting, and who has the most friends, makes a list of 300 people, and then mobilizes Songzhou soldiers to kill them all.
The Bianzhou warriors suffered a heavy blow, their momentum was curbed, and they became much more honest. Of course, we know that this was not to draw fuel from the bottom of the cauldron, but to stop the boiling water.
But before that, it was really too much. And killing also had a deterrent effect. When Han Hong entered the court, "no soldier dared to cheer in the city walls."
What's the meaning?
When the former unpopular Jiedu envoy left, the warriors would cheer and celebrate! And they would cheer on the top of the city. This scene is so beautiful, everyone can appreciate it for yourself.
After appreciating the misdeeds of military chaos in these two vassal towns, I think everyone has a little understanding of the spiritual outlook of warriors in that era, right?