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Hello and welcome to the history of China.

Episode 108, General Disaster.

Last time we left the Tong Empire in the hands of the new Emperor, Dudzon, who had assumed the mantle of command following his father died Zong's death in 779,

and had immediately set about reforming the imperial policies of taxation to put its financial

books in the black for once.

Right out of the gate, his policies had proved to be a

smashing success and the central government had been in the fiscal year of

780 able to collect more than double the previous year's revenue. But Dazong's early successes would belie what was to come for him and his regime beginning

the following year.

And this time, we'll see that the destructive echoes of the Anlushan rebellion are still restless in Hebei almost 30 years later and are still able to pull the empire apart at it seems.

We start today then not in the capital, Chang'an, but instead up in the northeast, were the nominal Jedu-Shi Governor-General's,

but de facto autonomous warlords, who had once been on Lu Shan's very lieutenants, now have a stranglehold

over the whole region.

That term that I just used by the way, Jeduchez, was the official title of the office I've been referring to

...