The rise of the prince

Chapter 626 Khitan People (It has nothing to do with the plot, so you can ignore it)
After the two took orders, they began to recruit people. Li Xingzhou patted Xiao Hongqi on the shoulder, "This time it's up to you."

"Don't worry, my lord, I will never make a mistake, I remember it clearly!" Xiao Hongqi said with firm eyes.Li Xingzhou nodded, and gradually realized that Khitan people and Central Plains people have different concepts.

The Khitan people do not have the "loyalty" thought that is so important in the Central Plains.

They respect the strong, prefer people who treat them well, and they don't have so many constraints on love and hatred, and they dare to love and hate.

The most famous example is Empress Dowager Xiao. After the death of Emperor Jingzong of the Liao Kingdom, he left a will to let his young and beautiful Empress Xiao (about 26 years old) take charge.

Empress Xiao likes Hanchen Han Derang. When Liao Jingzong was there, Han Derang was also Liao Jingzong's confidant. Troops, also known as Yuzhang Qinjun, Huangwei, the elite of the Liao army), can be said to be infinitely honored and favored, and they are almost extremely human officials.

Han Derang also devoted himself to Liao Jingzong. After his death, he also assisted his son and queen with all his strength, advocated reforms, and made the Liao Kingdom a new look. He lived up to Liao Jingzong's kindness to him.

But there is one thing. After Liao Jingzong died young, Empress Dowager Xiao and Han Derang went in and out of the same car, and they did not shy away from meeting envoys at the same table. Han Derang's regular wife.

Empress Dowager Xiao is a woman who can embody the character of the Khitan people very well.From the Liao people's point of view, it's nothing. It's normal for a widow to find another husband after her death.Empress Dowager Xiao's political skills and Han Derang's talent also brought the Liao Kingdom into its peak period of glory.

At that time, when the Northern Song Dynasty heard the news, they felt that the court was filthy and chaotic, and the Liao Kingdom would definitely be in chaos and the Liao Kingdom would perish!
So I felt that the opportunity had come, and launched an unprecedented war against Liao Dynasty. The troops from all walks of life were close to 20. As a result, in the final stage of the decisive battle, the Empress Dowager Xiao personally conquered and defeated the Song army at Qigou Pass. The famous Yang Ye, who was praised by later generations The old man, who was adapted by the storyteller into the prototype of the general of the Yang family, died in this battle.

This battle directly determined that Liao Kingdom became the overlord of East Asia, Song, Xixia, Goryeo and many other neighboring countries surrendered, and there was no country that could compete with it.Later, in order to avenge the Northern Expedition of the Song Dynasty, Empress Dowager Xiao also invaded the Northern Song Dynasty five times throughout her life, each winning or losing.

Empress Dowager Xiao is the person who best embodies the Khitan people's character of daring to love and hate, and to be happy with kindness and hatred.

It was precisely because of this that Li Xingzhou also understood why Xiao Hongqi stood up to help him without hesitation at this time.

To put it bluntly, when Xiao Hongqi was at his most desolate and almost starved to death in Kaiyuan, he was the one who saved him and did business with him. When he narrowly escaped the war in the Liao Kingdom and fled to Jingguo, he was the one who took him in and gave him food and clothing. , to give him a way out.

For Xiao Hongqi, whoever treats him well, he treats them well, it's that simple and clear, there is no need to talk to him about the righteousness of the family and the country, or any extravagant things.

In fact, this kind of thought has always been the mainstream thought in the Central Plains.

Especially in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period, it was particularly obvious during the period of Qin, Han, Sui, and Tang. It is very common to find another master and choose the master to vote for.

Not to mention the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period, the Han Dynasty, and the Three Kingdoms, the top military generals of the Tang Dynasty, such as Su Dingfang and Li Jing, all came from the hostile camp, and they can still be reused without any morals. burden.

But after the Song Dynasty, this kind of behavior would bear a lot of moral pressure. The Chinese nation seemed to be pinched by an invisible big hand in an instant. Han Chen, Han Derang, etc., were all called dogs by later generations.How can you not be loyal to the emperor and the Song Dynasty?

In particular, Song Jiang in "Water Margin" is very vivid in his description of this incomprehensible or even suffocatingly distorted "loyalty" value, which is also euphemistic, ironic and implying helplessness.

Therefore, if "Dream of Red Mansions" is the most culturally rich book among the four great classics, then "Water Margin" is definitely the one worth pondering and carefully reading.

No one thought about why they should be loyal to Da Song?And why are you not loyal to the Song Dynasty and want to vote for another country?Anyway, "loyalty" is at the fore, it's not justice, it's not righteousness, it's right for you to be loyal.

Han Derang has been honored and favored by the emperor of the Liao Kingdom since his father's generation, and he even joined the northern and southern privy envoys, leading the guards. After the death of the emperor, the young queen promised him to assist the little khan. This kind of treatment is not good for the Liao Kingdom , to be worthy of Song Dynasty, is that loyalty?

Zhang Yuan commanded Xixia to defeat the Song army in three battles, killed tens of thousands of Song army soldiers, and was worshiped as the country's prime minister, so he was scolded as a traitor for more than a thousand years, but what happened before he voted for Xia?

He repeatedly opposed the use of nonsense scholars as generals, and the use of warriors, but the emperor favored cronyism, and the civil society collectively suppressed him. In grief and indignation, he threw himself into Xia State, defeated the Song army led by scholars one after another, and then wrote mocking poems, It's his fault too?

If it was before the Song Dynasty, such a thing would not be surprising at all. It is normal for a good bird to choose a tree to live in. Most of the counselors of the Three Kingdoms switched jobs again and again. Most of Cao Cao’s core counselors defected from Yuan Shao. Most of the recruits come from various places, and Sun Quan and Liu Bei also have many capable people who change jobs from everywhere.

Han and Tang are similar. There were many powerful foreign generals in the Tang Dynasty, not to mention the Han Dynasty, not to mention the establishment of the country by Liu Bang. After that, there are still many princes. Many powerful generals choose their own masters. Seriously, the emperor has the ability, if you value it, then follow whoever he does.

But the strange thing is that you will find that after the Song Dynasty, this kind of behavior will bear a huge moral burden.In particular, the literature and stories of the Ming and Qing Dynasties do not write stories about how the generals and counselors discerned the Lord and chose a tree to live in. Originally, such stories would test people's standards and vision.

When it comes to the Three Kingdoms, people will only stare at two people, one is Zhuge Liang and the other is Guan Yu.

You see, Zhuge Liang is loyal, what a good man, Liu Bei handed over all the country to him, and he will not usurp the throne in the face of a mentally handicapped Liu Chan, he is loyal, all kinds of overtime work exhausts himself, loyal!We have to learn.

Look at Guan Yu's loyalty, being caught by Cao Cao was so kind to him and he ran back to steal Liu Bei, and specially arranged for him to "pass five passes and kill six generals" to show how difficult it was to come back, reminding everyone how loyal Guan Yu is.After Guan Yu entered the Wu Temple, he had been the title of the Wei Dynasty. He was granted the title of Marquis, and he was not granted the title for seven or eight hundred years. Zhao Kuangyin still felt that he was at fault, so he invited Guan Yu out of the Wu Temple.

As a result, after the Ming and Qing Dynasties, all kinds of emperors suddenly granted Guan Yu the duke and king all the way, and finally he was directly granted the status of Guan Sheng!
It means that those who are at the same level as Confucius and others are all saints. Tell the people in the world, you have to learn, you all learn from Confucius, and Guan Sheng should also study hard, learn Guan Yu, no matter what, no matter what, no matter your monarch The great "loyalty" spirit of loyalty.

A word of "loyalty" and a word of "family and country righteousness" can strangle people alive and strangle them to death, which is the most invisible form of persecution.

In comparison, Li Xingzhou appreciates the pre-Song model more, and Xiao Hongqi's more. He appreciates his clear love and hatred, and his love and hatred. The emperor of Liao is his emperor, but what did the emperor of Liao do for him? What did he do?
Treat him well, save him from the fire and water, it has always been King Pingnan, he thinks King Pingnan is worth his sacrifices, so he has no hesitation, this is a typical Khitan, once glorious in the north, dominated the empire in the north for 200 years, and It left the most profound mark on China, probably when Russian countries mentioned China they all called them Khitan people.

(End of this chapter)