Introduction

The Great Wall stretches for thousands of miles, yet not a single person stands guard. The beacon towers are overgrown with weeds. The heroes of the Central Plains, like mad dogs with bloodshot eyes, tear at each other incessantly over a piece of bone. Unbeknownst to them, beyond the Great Wall, a gray wolf has once again risen, baring its gleaming teeth towards everyone's throats

The various ethnic military leaders from regions such as Lingnan, Huguang, Lianghuai, Wuyue, Fujian, Jiaozhi, and Shaanxi either took the opportunity to rebel and establish their own states, or superficially submitted to Zhu Wen while secretly maintaining their own military power. Zhu Wen, due to the illegitimacy of his rule and his limited capabilities, was unable to put a stop to this.

Meanwhile, the various Khitan tribes beyond the Great Wall swiftly began their unification and integration, gradually revealing the outline of a brand new steppe empire

The brief prosperity of the Later Tang was swiftly brought to an end. Various forces that had declared allegiance to the Later Tang once again broke away. The military governors, holding significant power, engaged in constant conflict with one another. Different factions within the same force frequently resorted to arms against each other. Locally, the powerful and wealthy acted with impunity, killing the common people as if they were sheep. ... White bones lay exposed in the fields, with not a single rooster crowing for a thousand miles ... Locally, the powerful and wealthy acted with impunity, killing the common people as if they were sheep. ... White bones lay exposed in the fields, with not a single rooster crowing for a thousand miles ...

Yelu * Tu * Shulü Abogei's son, Yelu Deguang, who was not yet twenty years old, displayed remarkable talent. He first led his troops to plunder the northern regions of Jizhou, then attacked the Huabei, and subsequently advanced eastward, annihilating the ancient state of Bohai, which had a history as long as that of the Tang Dynasty

In the year 926 AD, Li Congxiu's sworn brother, the general Li Siyuan, led troops to invade Luoyang, where he gathered the remains of Li Congxiu from the ruins. At the urging of the officials, he ascended to the throne and changed the era name to Tiancheng

In the same year, the governor of Fengxiang, Prince Li Maozhen of Qi, joined forces with the governor of Hedong, Prince Li Keyong of Jin, and the governor of Xichuan, Prince Wang Jian of Shu, to raise an army against Liang, vowing to restore justice for the late Emperor of Tang.

Since the Sui Dynasty, China has been unified for over 300 years, but it has once again been plunged into the abyss of division and turmoil by military men

Li Siyuan had lofty ambitions and intended to end the chaos that had persisted for twenty years, striving to govern effectively. However, he was illiterate in Chinese characters and could not review the memorials submitted from various regions, thus having to entrust state affairs to powerful ministers and local military leaders

In the year 907 AD, Zhu Wen forced the sixteen-year-old last emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Li Zhu, to abdicate. He ascended to the throne in Kaifeng, establishing the state of Liang.

In the face of the chaotic and shattered Central Plains, Yelü Deguang suddenly realized that a heaven-sent opportunity lay before him

In the year 923 AD, the Shatuo general Li Cunxun, son of the Jin king Li Keyong, destroyed the Liang dynasty and announced the restoration of the Great Tang, establishing the capital in Luoyang, historically known as the Later Tang.