jingzong

Yeluxian

Liao Jing Zongye and Lu Xian

(September 1, 948 to October 13, 982)

Ming Ji

He was born in linhuangfu (now Balinzuoqi, Inner Mongolia) in Shangjing. The fifth emperor of Liao Dynasty (969-982), the second son of Yelu Ruan.

In his childhood, he experienced the change of Xianggu mountain, lost his parents, was weak and sick, and was raised by his uncle Liao Mu Zong. When Emperor Mu Zong of Liao Dynasty was killed, he ascended the throne and became emperor. He was honored as emperor tianzan and was named Baoning. In the face of the severe political crisis in China, we should carry out reform, bring order out of chaos, recruit talents, appease the royal family, care about the government and strive for governance. The system of eldest son succession was established to avoid disputes over the throne. They fought back the "Yongxi Northern Expedition" of the Northern Song Dynasty and launched the war of waqiaoguan and Mancheng to attack the Northern Song Dynasty. The scope and effect of the Sinicization reform laid the foundation for the overall prosperity of the Shengzong period. In the later period of his reign, the political affairs were mostly entrusted to empress Xiao Chuo.

In September of the fourth year of qianheng (982), he died of illness in Jiaoshan palace of Yunzhou (today's Datong City of Shanxi Province). He was named emperor Kangjing of Xiaocheng and was buried in Qianling.

Overview photo source: cctv12 Liao King Zongye statue of Lu Xian

Life of the characters

Early experience

Yeluxian, also known as Xianning, was born in the second year of Tianlu (September 1, 948). He was the second son of emperor Shizong of Liao Dynasty. His parents died in the huoshendian rebellion when he was four years old. He was killed in danger and later saved. However, it also left the root of the disease. His cousin, Liao Mu Zong, was raised in Yongxing palace. Although he was drunk and killed repeatedly, he got up because of his incompetence. As yeluxian grew up, a group of civil and military ministers gathered around him, secretly planning to take back his father's throne. However, because of its secret plot, it was not noticed by Emperor Mu Zong of Liao Dynasty.

One day, yeluxian and Han kuangsi discussed the current affairs of the dynasty. Yeluxian came forward to stop them. Yeluxian realized that he would never talk about the current affairs.

On February 21, the 19th year of Yingli (969), he entered the palace to meet emperor Mu Zong of Liao Dynasty. Liao muzong said: "my nephew has grown up and can hand over the government to you. On the 22nd, Emperor Mu Zong of Liao Dynasty was killed by his attendants. Yeluxian led the flying dragon maid Li, his attendants Xiao Siwen, and the South Council privy envoy Gao Xun, and led thousands of cavalry to rush there. In the same month, with the support of Khitan and Han ministers, yeluxian ascended the throne, honoring emperor tianzan, and changing his year name to Baoning, which was called liaojingzong. Since then, the throne of the Liao Dynasty has been spread to the end of the Liao Dynasty, even to the Western Liao Dynasty. This had a direct impact on the completion of feudalization and the establishment of the eldest son inheritance system in Liao Dynasty.

Master of ZTE

After Jingzong ascended the throne, he carried out a series of reforms, which laid the foundation for the later heyday of liaoshengzong. First of all, we should adopt a policy of tolerance to political opponents to ease the contradictions of the ruling upper class. For example, he pursues and respects Yelv Lihu as emperor and does not kill his political enemies wantonly. The second is to appoint Yelu Wuzhi, Yelu Xianshi, Gao Xun, Guo Chong, Yelu Xiuge, Yelu Sha and other good officials and generals to rest with the people and accept admonitions with an open mind. Three Qing Dynasty officials, criminal law relief. Restore dengwen drum court, so that the people have a place to redress grievances, to appease the people.. As a result, the internal political stability, the prosperity of agriculture and animal husbandry, the war against the Song Dynasty slightly prevailed. Jingzong was the leader of the revival of Liao Dynasty.

War between Liao and Song Dynasties

Since 936, Emperor Taizong of the Liao Dynasty acquired the sixteen prefectures of Yanyun because of Shi Jingtang's sacrifice, all the rulers of the Central Plains have taken the restoration of Yanyun as their ambition.

In the sixth year of Later Zhou Xiande (959), Chai Rong, who won the southern expedition, took advantage of the internal affairs of emperor Mu Zong of Liao Dynasty to attack Yanyun in the north, including three states, three passes and seventeen counties, including keqiu, Mo, Ning, Yijin, waqiao and Nanguan. Shizong originally wanted to win Youzhou, but he returned in case of illness.

After the founding of the Northern Song Dynasty, song Taizu devoted himself to the south. Except for the northern Han issue, there was no conflict with the Liao Dynasty, and the two sides were generally harmonious. In the fourth year of the Taiping reign of Emperor Taizong of Song Dynasty (979, the 11th year of Baoning of Liao Dynasty), Emperor Taizong of Song Dynasty personally attacked Taiyuan and defeated the Han Liao army; he captured and burned Taiyuan, forced Liu Jiyuan, the leader of the northern Han Dynasty, and destroyed the northern Han Dynasty. After that, Emperor Taizong did not accept the admonition of the officials, and regardless of the objective reality of the long battle fatigue of the song army, he led the army to make a northern expedition from Taiyuan to recover Yanyun. As a result, yelusha and other Liao generals blocked Youzhou City, and yelushuege and others were defeated by Youzhou city. Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty was wounded by an arrow in the buttock and fled back in a bullock cart for the battle of the Gaoliang river. The northern expedition of Song Dynasty was defeated, and the relationship between Liao and Song Dynasty was broken. Since then, the Liao army has successively sent troops to attack and plunder the Song Liao border areas.

In October of 980, the second year of qianheng, Emperor Jing of Liao led the army to attack Song Dynasty, defeated song army in waqiaoguan, captured several song generals and killed many people. It's the war for waqiaoguan. After that, with the death of liaojingzong, the war stopped temporarily.

Passing away in years

Yeluxian was too frightened when he was young, so he was weak and ill. As a result, his Empress Xiao Chuo (from 953 to 1009, with a small name of Yanyan, formerly surnamed Xiao) became a political and military participant in the Liao Dynasty.

On September 24, 1984 (October 13, 982), yeluxian died in the palace of Yunzhou (today's Datong City, Shanxi Province) when he went hunting. He was 35 years old and buried in Qianling (today's Beizhen City, Liaoning Province) under the name of Jingzong. Yelulungxu, king of the Liang Dynasty, ascended the throne in a posthumous edict. Military and state affairs were subject to the Queen's orders.

In the first year of Tonghe (983), on the fifth day of the first month, he was honored as emperor Xiaocheng and the temple name was Jingzong. In the 21th year of Chongxi reign (1052), Jiashi was Emperor Kangjing of Xiaocheng.

Main achievements

Domestic policy

The Han officials were widely used in Liao Dynasty mainly in the period of Jingzong. After Jingzong ascended the throne, Gao Xun, the Han official who supported him as the emperor, was first appointed as the South Privy Council envoy, and then as the king of Qin. Han kuangsi, the son of Han Zhigu, an official of the Han Dynasty, was appointed to stay at home in Shangjing. Later, he was appointed to stay at home in Nanjing and was granted the title of King Yan. This shows that the Liao Dynasty has incorporated the Han officials into the central organ of the regime, because the left behind post in Nanjing was originally held by the Qidan clan, which is an important post. The appointment of Han kuangsi shows that the status of Han officials has been significantly improved.

Due to the reuse of Han officials, it greatly promoted the progress and efficiency of the political institutions, and also promoted the feudalization of the Qidan nationality. From then on, Liao entered the period of resurgence and began to stride forward to the heyday of Liao Shengzong. Just as emperor Gaozu laid the foundation for the rule of Zhenguan and Emperor Yongzheng laid the foundation for the prosperity of Qianlong.

In order to completely change the chaotic situation in the period of muzong, Jingzong reformed the official administration. He asked Shi Fang, an official of the Han Dynasty, about the way of governing the country, studied the experience and lessons of ancient and modern dynasties, and then applied them to the practice of reform. In the process of implementation, Jingzong made clear rewards and punishments, boldly employed people, that is, "no doubt about anyone.". This makes all officials do their duty and dare not slack off at all. Many malpractices in the period of Mu Zong were quickly eliminated. In this way, with the joint efforts of the monarch and his ministers, politics began to show a clear atmosphere, and the national strength also increased, which was the main reason for winning the war with the Northern Song Dynasty.

It is also recorded in Jingzong's history of admonishment. In the late period of Jingzong's reign, Guo Pai wrote a letter to admonish mu Zongshi to reduce the number of hunting. He said that mu Zongshi was greedy for hunting and abandoned political affairs, resulting in great resentment. After ten years of expedition, the political situation is still not completely stable. Although the country has had bumper harvests year after year, its economy has not yet fully recovered. This is a good time to make every effort to govern. However, it is said that your majesty is also infatuated with hunting, so we should restrain our self-control and prevent the recurrence of the tragedy of Mu Zong. Moreover, there was a threat from the Northern Song Dynasty in the south. If they heard that his Majesty was infatuated with hunting, they would take the opportunity to go north. I hope your majesty will be able to restrain himself in time, put the country and the country first, and seek the prosperity of the country and the peace of the officials and the people.

Although Jing Zong did not fully adopt it, he appreciated Guo's attack. Because at this time, the Northern Song Dynasty had launched the war to recover Yanyun, and Jingzong was fighting with all his strength. He only restrained the hunting activities, but he could only wait until later to carry out the political construction wholeheartedly.

The process of Liao Jingzong's governing Liao state is also the process of his learning Han culture, summing up the experience of Han nationality's governing the country and applying military transportation to practice. It turned out that Emperor Taizong attached great importance to the development of agriculture. He not only supported the Han people to develop agriculture in the Han areas, but also allowed people to reclaim land and develop production where agriculture was suitable in grassland areas. In order to protect the agricultural production and prevent the intentional or unintentional destruction of Qidan people who did not have the habit of attaching importance to agriculture, liaojingzong ordered his followers not to trample on the crops at will, and ordered the troops to avoid the farmland when marching. The development of agriculture has greatly promoted the development of various kinds of economy and strengthened the national strength of Liao. While developing agriculture, liaojingzong also continued the practice of abaoji and tried to recruit talents, especially Han people. After obtaining the sixteen prefectures, a group of Han intellectuals were selected to govern the affairs of the prefectures, many of whom were capable talents. Liao Jingzong followed the Han Emperor's example and asked his subordinates to recommend talented people to be officials. Later, he issued an imperial edict to recruit talented people. If they were really outstanding in the assessment, they would be able to hold a very high position immediately. For example, he abolished the old Khitan custom in the marriage system in which the elder sister died and the younger sister continued. The Khitans who ordered to be officials of the Han nationality could freely intermarry with the Han nationality according to the customs of the Han nationality, which promoted the communication and further integration between the nationalities, and fundamentally closed the relationship between Khitan and the Han nationality.

However, the habits of Khitan people could not be fundamentally changed, especially when the Liao army went south to fight in the Central Plains. Because the Liao army had no logistics supply, the food and grass had to be solved on its own. Therefore, when the Liao army went to a place, it was bound to harass the people and seize food and grass, which made the Liao army strongly resisted by the Han people. With the loss of popular support, Liao's rule in the Central Plains was difficult to continue until his death

Chinese PinYin : Liao Jing Zong