Anecdote of the Fifth Queen Mother

Chapter 27 Empress Dowager Xiao (5)
In 1004 AD, Empress Dowager Xiao and Liao Shengzong mobilized 20 troops to march southward.Although she encountered fierce resistance from the soldiers and civilians of the Northern Song Dynasty along the way, the queen mother adopted a tactic of avoiding the truth and bypassing the city defended by the Song army, and finally went deep into Chanyuan (Puyang, Henan) near the Yellow River, threatening Bianjing head-on.

When the Liao army went south, emergency documents from the frontier pass were sent to Kaifeng several times. The Song court was shaken, and the monarchs and ministers panicked.Only a few people, including the new prime minister Kou Zhun, advocated resistance. After Kou Zhun Xiaozhi's Chen Zou, Song Zhenzong decided to conquest himself, crossed the Yellow River, and barely reached Chanyuan.Song Zhenzong had no confidence and determination to fight against the Liao Dynasty, but because he was on the front line in person, the soldiers of the Northern Song Dynasty saw Song Zhenzong's yellow umbrella, their morale was greatly boosted, and they all rushed to fight first.At this time, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians from Hebei and Henan also gathered on the north bank of the Yellow River along the line of Chanyuan.Xiao Talin, the vanguard general of the Liao army, went to inspect the terrain outside Chanyuan City, but was shot to death by the Song army with a crossbow, which greatly frustrated the morale of the Liao army.The war between the two sides is in a stalemate, and there is a trend of "peace talks".

In fact, long before this trip to the south, the queen mother had two preparations. On the one hand, she used the excuse of claiming the land of Guannan to launch an active military attack on the Song Dynasty.The land of Guannan is the three passes and two prefectures obtained by Zhou Shizong's northern expedition to Khitan.On the other hand, Wang Jizhong, the surrendered general of the Northern Song Dynasty, was used to run between the Liao and Song Dynasties, giving off the wind of peace talks.When the Empress Dowager went south, she ordered Wang Jizhong to write a letter to Shi Pu, the guard general of Mozhou, and through Shi Pu tactfully explained the "peace agreement" to Song Zhenzong, requesting that the envoys sent by the Northern Song Dynasty could propose it so that the Liao Dynasty could take the initiative. bargain.

Song Zhenzong was originally a peacemaker. Although the military situation was obviously favorable to Song after he came to the front line, he still had no determination to resist the Liao Dynasty.Therefore, the information that Empress Dowager Xiao sought peace talks coincided with Song Zhenzong's wish.So Song Zhenzong sent envoy Cao Li to the Khitan army to discuss peace.Empress Dowager Xiao and Han Derang deliberately neglected Song envoys, trying to gain the upper hand in terms of momentum.They sat on the camel cart, set up a seat for the envoy of Song Dynasty under the cart, gave them food, and discussed peace matters while drinking.The Queen Mother said: "The land of Guannan was originally given to us by the Later Jin Dynasty. Zhou Shizong took it away, and now it should be returned to us." Cao Li said: "The story of Jin and Zhou, I don't care about it. If you ask for an annual payment Some gold and silk can be used as military resources, and I can consider it. If I want to cede the land, I am afraid that the emperor will not agree." The queen mother saw that Cao Li's tone was quite tough, and she was unhappy, so she looked annoyed: "You will not return my lost land. You don’t pay compensation, so is this your sincerity in the peace talks?! Go back, it seems that we must win or lose on the battlefield.” The first negotiation broke down like this.Cao Li rushed back to Song Fang Daying overnight and reported to Zhenzong in this way.

As soon as Cao Li left the camp, Empress Dowager Xiao ordered all the soldiers and horses to march into battle, saying that Song Fang had no discussion and sincerity.Immediately beat the drum and sound the horn, driving the army to kill Song Fang's camp.Song Zhenzong heard that the Liao army was fighting again, and hurriedly summoned Kou Zhun to fight against the enemy. Under the command of Kou Zhun, the Song army won the first battle and repelled the attack of the Liao army.Empress Dowager Xiao did not admit defeat and was ready to fight again.

At this time, Song Zhenzong heard the news of the victory, boarded the south city of Chanyuan, looked towards the north bank of the Yellow River, and wanted to enjoy the joy of victory.But looking from a distance, the Liao army was not in a mess because of the defeat.But seeing the flags fluttering with the wind, the camps were scattered all over the place in an orderly manner.Zhenzong was very surprised. He used to hear that Empress Xiao of the Liao Kingdom was able to fight against the three armies. She had a lot of martial arts, but she had never seen it in person. Looking at it now, she really deserves her reputation. It is rare to gain the upper hand in a battle with her. Let's stop fighting.So the original mentality of being a little timid to fight the Liao army was even more shaken at this time, thus virtually strengthening Zhenzong's determination to negotiate peace without fighting.After returning to the tent where he was staying, he summoned Cao Yong and told him that as long as he did not cede the land, he could pay a little more compensation, even if he lost 100 million a year to make a peace agreement, he would not hesitate to do so.Cao Li received the order and then went to the Liao camp. The queen mother was about to send troops when she heard that the Song envoy was ordered to come to discuss peace, and she was secretly happy.But she consciously refused to meet Cao Yong, and let Gao Zhengshi, the political affairs minister, negotiate directly with Cao Yong. The Liao side still insisted on the terms of the previous negotiation and refused to make any concessions.Only Chen Mingzhenzong was willing to use it and asked to see the Queen Mother.At this time, the queen mother felt that the time was ripe for an alliance, so she made a slight concession, after bargaining, finally reached an agreement, and the negotiation was successful.In history, this peace conference was called the "Chanyuan Alliance".

The peace agreement stipulated: (1) Song Zunxiao's Queen Mother was his aunt, and Liao Shengzong called Song Zhenzong his brother; (2) Song sent 10 taels of silver and 20 pieces of silk to Liao every year; Yizhou belonged to Liao, and Ying and Mozhou belonged to Song).Households in the two places are not allowed to invade each other, and the cities of the two dynasties are still repaired, and castles are not allowed to be built, and rivers are not changed; (3) If there are "thieves" who escape, they are not allowed to unilaterally take in and hide.

On December 1004th of the first year of Jingde (AD 22), the Song party first wrote this agreement into an oath, and transferred it to the Daliao Emperor Shengzong in the name of Emperor Zhenzong of the Great Song Dynasty.Affidavit Day: "...Together abide by integrity, piously worship Huanmeng...a far-reaching statement, dedicated to revenge." Liao Fang received Song Zhenzong's affidavit, that is, in the same month (Tonghe 1004, AD 58) On the twelfth day, Shengzong sent a letter to Song Zhenzong: "... I am not talented. If I dare to abide by this agreement, I would like to tell the world and swear to my descendants that if I stick to this alliance, the gods are extremely." ("Continued Zi") Zhitongjian Changbian "Volume [-])
So far, the half-century-long war between Liao and Song Dynasties for Yanyun ended in peace.

The "Chanyuan Alliance" is a major event in Chinese history, because in the history of ethnic relations in ancient China, the handling and maintenance of inter-ethnic relations in the form of peace treaties began with the "Chanyuan Alliance".Moreover, this form only existed during the confrontation between Liao, Song, Xia and Jin, and has not appeared again since then. After the "Chanyuan Alliance" was signed, a political situation in which Song and Liao confronted each other in the north and south was formed, and the Liao and Song parties obtained a period of relative peace.In the following 120 years, the two sides lived in peace, so the social productivity of the North and the South has been developed and improved.The public-private trade and economic exchanges between the north and the south showed a prosperous and lively scene.Since then, the two royal families in the north and the south have maintained good relations with each other. When there are festive festivals, both sides will either send letters or send envoys to congratulate. They are called brothers according to the age of the emperor, and the north and the south are like a family.

[-]. Building Zhongjing

There were five capitals in the Liao Dynasty, which are called Wujing in history books.Three of the five capitals were built on the basis of the old prefectures and counties.That is, Liaoyang Mansion in Tokyo (now Liaoyang City), Xijin Mansion in Nanjing (now Youzhou), and Datong Mansion in Xijing (now Datong City).The other two capitals were newly built on the grassland.Shangjing Linheng Mansion (now Nanboluo City, Bahrain Left Banner (Lindong), Zhaowuda League, Inner Mongolia), was built by Taizu Yelu Abaoji, and Taizong expanded it.It was the political center of the early Liao Dynasty.Zhongjing Dading Mansion (now West Daming City, Ningcheng County, Zhaowuda League, Inner Mongolia) was built by Empress Dowager Xiao and Shengzong.

After the Chanyuan alliance was established, Empress Dowager Xiao built a city on the former site of King Xi's Yazhang in Xiwuzhang Institute according to the needs of the social and economic development of the Liao Dynasty at that time.The new capital is surrounded by mountains and rivers, the land is fertile, and it is geographically located in the middle of the north where animal husbandry is the mainstay and the south where agriculture is the mainstay.Especially after the empress dowager's dismal management for decades from being the queen's assistant Jingzong to the proclaiming system of the dynasty, the status of agriculture in the social and economic field of Liao State has been rising day by day, and it has been able to keep pace with the animal husbandry economy. The natural environment is conducive to the development of agriculture.Therefore, the establishment of a new city here can take into account the political and economic development of the North and the South.

At the same time, the period of the construction of China and Beijing coincided with the period when the alliance was formed in the early Liao and Song Dynasties.In the winter and October of 1005 AD (the 23rd year of Liao Tonghe and the second year of Song Jingde), Song Ting sent the first yearly coin after the alliance.Khitan customs, Nabo in winter and summer (Nabo generally refers to the tent set up by the emperor when hunting in the four seasons).When the emperor went hunting, Khitan officials and some Han officials accompanied him, and held state affairs meetings with Khitan and Han ministers in Nabo in summer and winter.Therefore, there is no fixed location for receiving envoys, and most of them are held on grass.The Northern Song Dynasty was a court that directly inherited the cultural traditions of the Central Plains, and the rituals were well-prepared. Now the Empress Dowager and the ministers of the Liao court are reluctant to show simplicity.Moreover, the Empress Dowager and the ministers of the Liao court all claimed that they were descendants of Yan and Huang and belonged to the Northern Dynasty, so they could not deviate too far from the ritual format of the Song court.In addition, Zhongjing is close to the Central Plains, but does not deviate from Songmo, the birthplace of the Khitan nationality. It is a moderate place for Liao and Song exchanges.Therefore, it is of far-reaching significance for Empress Dowager Xiao to establish a new capital here.

统和25年（公元1007年）肖太后和辽圣宗命大臣从燕蓟之地选拔名匠，模仿汉都城长安和汴梁的模式和制度设计修建。1959年、1960年文物考古工作者对950年前的中京遗址进行了勘测发掘，证明了当时中京的规模相当可观。同时也证明了“辽代中期建设的中京城，是完全模仿北宋汴京开封城的制度”（《文物考古工作30年》）。

After Zhongjing was repaired, Empress Dowager Xiao and Shengzong began to move some government affairs and meetings into the capital for handling, and Zhongjing gradually became the political center.There are two halls in the inner city, the Martial Arts Hall of the Holy Emperor, the Cultural Hall of the Empress Dowager, and the Ancestral Temple of the Royal Family in the city. The Datong Inn was set up to receive the envoys of the Song Dynasty, the Chaotian Pavilion was used to receive the envoys of Silla, and the hotel was set up to receive the envoys of Xixia.

In the 26th year of Tonghe (AD 1008), Lu Zhen of the Northern Song Dynasty was ordered to envoy Liao to Zhongjing, and he recorded his impressions of envoy Liao in the book "Chengshilu".In this book, he has many records of the urban construction, citizen customs, and etiquette of the Liao court in Zhongjing in the Liao Dynasty.When he recorded his visit to the Queen Mother Xiao, he wrote: "(December) 27th, from Xiye, to the third gate, named Riwenhuamen, saw the mother of the country in the Cultural Palace, set up a mountain shed, Zhang Le, The envoys from the Han Dynasty were promoted, and the officials of the Han Dynasty were seated as before. The mother of the country is about fifty, crowned with emerald flowers and jade, wearing yellow brocade and small outline robes, tied with white brocade belts, sitting on a square bed covered with brocade skirts Its feet. There are more than ten people waiting to be erected, all of whom are maidservants, with gold earrings, five-colored hair wrapped in a bun, purely dressed in colorful clothes, and tied with silk belts... Lingguan gave a speech before, and the article describes the two dynasties. The meaning of congratulations. The captive master (referring to Shengzong) sat on the west side, and all his old utensils were killed. The rest of the officials served wine, but he used a small jade goblet to honor his mother. On the 28th, the martial arts hall was resumed, It is also the birthday of the captive....The mother of the country is crowned with a green phoenix and a big crown, with sui tassels on the crown, hanging over the collar, and the phoenix is ​​floating. She is dressed in yellow brocade and green phoenix robes, and mink fur covers her feet. Red kitchen blankets are placed on the Erer hall, and the captives First of all, Gu Yutai poured a cup of wine to enter the mother of the country, paid homage, and reset.... On the first day of the first lunar month, the cultural hall was resumed, just like the previous ceremony...Then the kings handed in the wine, just like the previous ceremony, and the mother of the country also persuaded him three times The envoys of the Han Dynasty sent wine to the winemakers. On the fourth day, they had a banquet in the Hall of Culture. There were a hundred operas below the stage, and there were eight dancing girls.... On the eighth day, the envoys of the Han Dynasty bid farewell to the mother of the country in the Hall of Culture. Out of..." (Quoted from "Song Dynasty Facts Class Garden")
Looking at the above records at first glance, the etiquette is repaired, and the singing and dancing are peaceful, which seems to be the life of the royal family in the Central Plains.Although there are still traces of the customs of the grassland people, it is a big change for a nomadic and nomadic people to come to this point.This also shows from one aspect that the efforts of Empress Dowager Xiao and Hao Huayi to seek Sinicization have achieved great results.

[-]. The holy sect

Shengzong of the Liao Dynasty was named Longxu in Han and Manshunu in Khitan.He reigned for 49 years (AD 982-1031), which is equivalent to the eight years of Emperor Taizong Zhao Guangyi's Taiping Xingguo in the Northern Song Dynasty, and the period from Zhao Heng of Emperor Zhenzong of Zhongjing to the ninth year of Tiansheng Renzong Zhao Zhen.He was the longest reigning emperor among the nine emperors of the Liao Dynasty, and he was also a famous monarch in the Liao Dynasty who accepted the Han civilization deeply.During his reign, the Khitan society completed the feudal reform and reached its heyday, so the old historians called him the most prosperous generation in the history of the Liao Dynasty.However, "the holy emperor called the grand master, and the latter taught many lessons." ("Liao History · Empress Biography").

Some history books say that Empress Dowager Xiao is cruel by nature and loves to kill. This is not surprising, and there is no need to hide it for her.Because this bloodthirsty "nature" is inseparable from the cruelty of feudal political struggle.Open a feudal political history, where is there no trace of blood and tears between the lines, and which part is not a portrayal of corpses forming mounds?Therefore, Queen Mother Xiao can also be called an iron woman in feudal politics.However, she is a woman and a mother after all. Behind the cold face shaped by political struggle, she also has the same heart of nostalgia for her children as many loving mothers in the world.

(End of this chapter)