The Actor Emperor

The Actor Emperor

Author: Jiang Junshan

Synopsis:

In the late Tang Dynasty, land was heavily concentrated in the hands of a few. More than half of the country's farmers had no land and wandered from place to place. Taxes and levies were crushing, the government was corrupt, and the ruling class lived in extravagant luxury. With natural disasters striking one after another, commoners struggled on the brink of death, driving them to rise up in revolt. This ultimately led to Huang Chao's great peasant uprising at the end of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Keyong was born into the Shatuo tribe of the Western Turkic Khaganate. His original surname was Zhuye, and his family had been Shatuo chieftains for generations. His father, Zhuye Chixin, was rewarded for his role in suppressing the Pang Xun Rebellion: the Tang emperor granted him the surname Li and entered him into the imperial clan register. Li Keyong led the Shatuo army south to suppress Huang Chao. He distinguished himself in the recapture of Chang'an and was appointed military governor of Hedong.

Li Keyong's son, Li Cunxu, excelled at riding and archery and was accomplished in both civil and military affairs. In the final years of the Tang Dynasty, he followed his father on campaigns across the land and earned many merits. After Li Keyong's death, he succeeded him as military governor of Hedong and inherited the title of Prince of Jin. Brave and skilled in battle, and a gifted strategist, he attacked Later Liang in the south, repelled the Khitan in the north, captured Hebei in the east, and annexed Hezhong in the west, making the State of Jin increasingly powerful. He founded Later Tang. During his reign, he destroyed Later Liang, annexed Qi, and conquered Former Shu. He loved theatrical performance all his life. After the person he loved most was assassinated, his personality changed drastically. In his later years, he neglected state affairs, allowed the empress to meddle in government, favored actors and eunuchs, and grew suspicious of and executed meritorious officials. This led to resentment among the military governors and disaffection among the soldiers, and he was killed during the Xingjiao Gate Incident.