bookrandom Chapter 1330: Liao Dynasty Politics
Chapter 1330: Liao Dynasty Politics
Chapter 1330: Liao Dynasty Politics
Liaoxijing.
As dusk fell, butter torches lit up one after another on the 72 watchtowers on the rammed earth walls of Xijing City. The wind blew through the cracks in the walls where the rammed earth from the Tang Dynasty and the bricks and stones from the Northern Qi Dynasty interlaced.
The Xijing City, which was operated by the Liao Dynasty for many years, was formed by the superposition of the outer wall of Pingcheng of the Northern Qi Dynasty and Yunzhou City of the Tang Dynasty.
At this moment, the bronze camel bells of "Yinghe" at the south gate suddenly rang out, and three Western Region merchant caravans were pouring in to the beat of the city closing drums.
The city was divided into four towers: the drum tower housed Khitan troops, the bell tower housed Han craftsmen, the watchtower housed the Uighur Maritime Customs Office, and the watchtower housed Xixia documents and archives. In addition, the city was dug up to store grain, which could sustain it for three years.
At this time, the fishy smell of tanned leather wafted from the northwest Qionglu area. Khitan craftsmen dipped the red-hot horseshoes into horse urine, and white mist rose slowly with a sizzling sound.
The kiln fires in the southeast Washefang turned the night sky orange-red, and Han craftsmen used the Xing kiln technique to outline spring water and autumn mountains on the Liao-style chicken comb pot.
The Uighurs monopolized the jewelry trade in the Western Regions and had a Manichean temple called the Hall of Light standing tall.
Due to the integration of Han and Liao customs, Han merchants in the city walked in the streets wearing brocade robes with left-side lapels and belts. In contrast, Khitan nobles imitated the Song Dynasty custom of wearing a straight-angled hat.
Today, the Khitan shamans held a ghost-shooting arrow ceremony in the West Gate Wengcheng. This time in Yongle City, the Song generals Xu Xi, Gao Yongneng, Qu Zhen and others who fought against the Liao army in Mizhi Village were all made into paper statues.
The Khitan shamans chanted something and shot arrows soaked in black dog blood at the paper-made images of Song generals.
In front of the golden tent of Orudo on the bank of the Sanggan River, a Saker Falcon flapped its wings on a pole; Khitan nobles sat on the ground, wearing right-angled hats, sharing roasted deer and pouring mare's milk from celadon cups into their mouths in big gulps.
Behind the table, a jade-handled silver knife was slowly stirring a bowl of roasted goose gizzards and milk porridge. The aroma of millet wafted quietly through the curly beard of the Liao ruler Yelu Hongji.
"Send the message to Yelu Ta, no!"
Yelu Hongji banged his knuckles on the table, stood up and returned to his tent.
Han officials Yang Zunxu, Dou Jingyong, and Wang Shiru were copying documents in the palace and handling government affairs sent from various capitals.
Soon Yelu Tabu also came in.
There were two Yelu Tabuyas in the Liao Dynasty. One was the son of Yelu Gaojia, who had been killed by the former prime minister Yelu Yixin who fled to the Song Dynasty.
Today's Yelu Tabu is the son of Yelu Renxian, the most famous minister of the Liao Dynasty. He is now the Northwest Road Recruiting Envoy of the Liao Dynasty. It was this man who went deep into Yongle City, covered the defeated Dangxiang Army under the Wuding River, and successfully counterattacked the Song Army.
"Let me tell you more about the battle at Yongle City! You can listen to it too."
After Yelu Hongji finished speaking, Yang Zunxu put down the work at hand.
"Yes." Yelu Tabu also explained in detail.
Yelu Hongji frowned and asked, "Are you saying that it was only after the Iron Forest was dispatched that the Song army was defeated?"
"Otherwise, the outcome is hard to predict."
"Yes, the Song army in Fuyan Road is more tolerant of hard fighting, which is not comparable to the situation under Chanzhou City back then. These people like Xu Xi, Qu Zhen, and Gao Yongneng are unknown, but their troops are actually stronger than Lu Huiqing in Hedong."
Yang Zunxu, the prime minister of the Southern Palace, said: "Among the various routes of the Song army in the north, the Western Army in Shaanxi is the strongest, followed by the Hedong Army, and then the Hebei Army."
"Among the Western Army, Xihe Road is the strongest, followed by Fuyan Road and Jingyuan Road, and then Huanqing Road and Qinfeng Road."
"This time, Tabu also encountered elite troops from Xihe Road and Fuyan Road under Yongle City, so it is not surprising that he won a narrow victory."
Yelu Tabu also said: "No matter what, these soldiers and horses have been trained with so much money and food and so many years."
"The Song people have been reforming for 20 years. They first conquered Qing Tang and now defeated Dang Xiang. In the future, they will compete with the Liao Dynasty for You Yan."
Amid the dripping sound of the copper clock in the corner of the tent, Wang Shiru suddenly coughed violently. He said, "This is absolutely true. I have been worried for many years. After listening to Yelu Tabu's words today, I am even more worried."
"The Song Dynasty has been constantly contacting the various Jurchen tribes through Goryeo and giving generous gifts to the Jurchen leaders. Over the years, they have never given up their desire to get involved in Youyan."
Yelu Hongji thought to himself that he had also tried hard after ascending the throne.
With the assistance of Han minister Yao Jingxing, Yelu Hongji increased the 547 articles of the Xingzong Chongxi Regulations to 789 articles, called the Xianyong Regulations, which added the crimes of prohibiting the monopoly of salt and iron and privately minting copper coins.
The intention was to allow Khitan nobles to apply Han laws.
However, this was opposed by the leaders of the eight tribes.
The son of the emperor's uncle Yelu Chongyuan killed someone because of a dispute over a pasture. According to the original rules, he should still pay a cow to atone his sin, but Yelu Yixin insisted on exiling him, which later led to the Chongyuan Rebellion.
The Chongyuan Rebellion dealt a heavy blow to the Liao Kingdom, which was caused by Yelu Hongji's overly radical approach to seizing power.
Afterwards, Yelu Hongji expanded the number of Han Jinshi candidates, selecting eight or nine people in each test, and created the first Jinshi test for Khitans, allowing them to answer questions in Khitan small characters.
In recent years, the military and state lords under the Liao Dynasty have massively occupied government farmland and taken the previously free Khitans, Han people, and Jurchens as slaves to graze and farm.
These leaders also united to oppose the Xianyong Regulations and demanded that Yelu Hongji abolish the law.
However, Yelu Hongji still withstood the pressure and refused to abolish the Xianyong Regulations. (In another time and space, the regulations had been abolished many years ago. Yelu Hongji had compromised with the vested interests in the country. Three years after the regulations were abolished, Yelu Yixin, who was the thug, was also killed.)
Yelu Hongji said: "At present, although the Liao Kingdom has sufficient funds, the people's strength is exhausted."
"Those who are Chinese should be Chinese. Only by implementing Chinese law can the Liao Dynasty have the only way out."
"You all think that the Song people are weak because they use Han laws, and are not a threat to the Liao Dynasty. The real threat to the Liao Dynasty lies in the north and south of the desert, and in the Tokyo Road!"
"So we easily negotiated peace with the Song people at Chanyuan, and received material resources from the Han people every year to fight east and west in exchange for peace on the border."
"But over the years, we have used the tribute from the Song people to buy Song people's products through the market, and even imported gold and silver every year to subsidize the Song people. We Khitan people would rather use the Song people's salt notes and Jiaozi than our own copper coins. Now even my imperial tent is filled with Han porcelain and the incense I burn is Han tribute!"
"Can we blame the Song people? No, it is precisely our Khitan nobles and leaders who are not ambitious. They keep the old laws and customs all day long and do not make progress. They enjoy everything the Song people pay tribute to, use the Han people's silk, cotton, ceramics and tea, and at the same time buy out a large number of people's fields and pastures, turning good families into slaves. Now half of our Great Liao's land is in the hands of these people, while it was only 30% during the time of the previous emperor."
"In less than 30 years, the Liao Dynasty will fall, not at the hands of the Song people, but at the hands of the Liao people themselves!"
At this point, Yelu Hongji panted heavily, his face grim. He hit the map hard with his gilded whip, startling the eunuch standing outside the tent.
The Liao officials said one after another: "We are ashamed that we cannot help your majesty."
Yelu Hongji said: "I am speaking these words to you, not to Yelu Po and his people."
"My uncles have changed. They have become submissive and determined to make peace with the Song Dynasty. This time, the Song Dynasty's rulers and ministers paid 700,000 tributes every year, thinking that they could get our Liao Kingdom to stand idly by against the Tanguts. They are all ecstatic. They have completely forgotten how Zhang Yue paralyzed us when he was prime minister two years ago and how he defeated 300,000 Tangut troops in Pingxia City."
"But can I blame them? I can't blame them. Now our Liao Dynasty has become like this. Yelu Po has disappointed me greatly in recent years. He has made contributions to our Liao Dynasty and was loyal to us. But after he became the Privy Councilor of the Northern Court, he changed. What's the most important thing about the hundred years of peace between Song and Liao? The reason why Song and Liao can have a hundred years of peace is because of the Dangxiang. Without the Dangxiang, how can there be peace! When Emperor Taizu used the golden arrow to crush the nine tribes of Shiwei, he never used a single copper coin from the Southern Dynasty!"
"Mr. Yang!" Yelu Hongji nodded at Yang Zunxu, "From now on, you will be the Privy Councilor of the Northern Court."
Yang Zunxu stepped forward and said, "I thank your majesty for your grace."
Yelu Hongji said: "What I want is ministers like Wang Anshi and Zhang Yue. They will make my Liao Dynasty completely adopt Han laws!"
"I intend to learn from the Tang Dynasty's political affairs hall system and establish a Nabo Political Council composed of the leaders of the eight major tribes, the five capitals, and the Han prime ministers, which will be held every spring and autumn."
"Use the annual output of the salt pond and the horse farm as reserves, and exchange them for salt and horse notes to solve the urgent domestic money shortage. And Yelu Tabu!"
"Chen is here!"
Yelu Hongji said: "I will station heavy troops in Yunneizhou and Qingzhou to prevent the Song people from encroaching on the Dangxiang!"
Yelu Tabu hesitated for a moment, then said, "Several states in Hexi of the Tanguts have been annexed by Aligu. If this continues, I'm afraid the Tanguts will not be able to survive."
Yelu Hongji said: "I know that the Tanguts still have to rely on themselves to survive, but my Liao will still support them."
"I still say the same thing. The Song people are not our biggest threat. The Great Liao itself is the biggest threat! Only by reforming the law, changing the old customs and using Han laws, can we save the Great Liao!"
"Send Yelu Xiang, the governor of Yongzhou, and Jia Shixun, the junior minister of the Ministry of Rites and the editor of the History Museum, as envoys to negotiate peace with the Song people and discuss the annual tribute!"
All the ministers agreed and then slowly withdrew.
The remaining candle in the tent stretched the emperor's shadow onto the wall of the tent where a picture of Taizu shooting a deer was painted.