Summoning of the Great General of the Great Qin Empire

Chapter 214

And what was unexpected was that Wanyan Aguda was able to bring his old rival Yelu Abaoji, the founding monarch of the Liao Dynasty, out of the room.
When Yelu Abaoji was born, the Khitan aristocrats were fighting for the position of leader of the alliance.Abaoji's grandfather Yelvyunde was killed in the brutal political struggle, and his father and uncles also fled and hid.The grandmother, Empress Jian Xian, loved the newly born A Baoji very much, but was worried that he would be harmed by the enemy.

Therefore, they often hide him in other tents, smear his face, and prevent him from seeing outsiders.Yelu Abaoji was able to walk in three months and speak in a hundred days.Claiming to be guarded by gods on the left and right.Even in childhood, speaking is about state affairs.At that time, his uncle was in charge of state affairs, and he went to consult him if he had any doubts.

Abaoji has been smart and talented since he was a child.

When he grew up, he was tall and strong, ambitious and powerful in martial arts. "History of Liao" said that he was "nine feet long, plump at the top and sharp at the bottom, with a shooting gaze and a bow of three hundred kilograms." When his uncle Yelu Shilu came to power. , deeply trusted, Yeluyi was appointed as Tama Taoshali (guard officer) of Hende Jinyi Khan of Yaonan clan, and formed a personal bodyguard army.With this elite armed force, Abaoji quickly rose to prominence.He led the Tarma tribe (guard team) to defeat small neighboring tribes such as Xiaohuang Shiwei, Yuewu, Ugu, Liuxi, Bishaji, etc. After Abaoji's uncle was killed, Abaoji inherited his uncle's Yuyue (the status of only Second to the Khan, he was known as the "General Controller of Military and State Affairs" in history, higher than Yi Li Jin. He controlled the military and administrative affairs of the alliance, equivalent to the position of Prime Minister of the Central Plains Dynasty, and defeated the tribe of Yelv Shilu headed by Puguzhi. Powerful.He successively surrendered to Xiaohuang Shiwei and defeated the Yuewu, Wugu, and Liuxi tribes. He was praised by the people as "Azhu Shali" (Shali, "Lang Jun" in Khitan).

In the first year of Tianfu (901), Khan Chen Dejin came to the throne and served as Yili Jin (military leader) of the headquarters, specializing in conquests, and defeated Shiwei, Yujue and Xi Shuai.Enter the Dadie Lie Mansion and Yili Jin.

In 902 (the second year of the end of the Tang Dynasty), Yelu Abaoji sent 40 soldiers to the east of the river and the north of Dai, captured nine counties, and captured 95000 livestock, including countless camels, horses, cattle, and sheep.The city of Longhuazhou was built on the south bank of the Huanghe River, and the captured Han people were moved here.

In 903 (the third year of Tianfu), they attacked the Jurchens in the north and captured [-] households; they captured the Hedong and Huaiyuan armies in the south, captured Jibei (now northern Hebei), and captured the population and property before returning.After rising to Yue, he became the general manager of military and state affairs and became the actual manipulator of the tribal alliance.

In the fourth year of Tianfu (904), he crusade against the black car Shiwei, ambushed Tang Dynasty Lulong Jiedu envoy Liu Rengong's tens of thousands of troops in Pingyuan, captured the general and Liu Rengong's adopted son Zhao Ba alive, and took advantage of the victory to destroy Shiwei.In the second year of Tianyou (905), the Tang Dynasty was dying. At the invitation of Li Keyong, the Jiedu envoy of the Tang Dynasty, he led [-] cavalry to meet in Yunzhou (now Datong, Shanxi). They became brothers and agreed to discuss Liang together. Wang Zhuwen and Lu Long Jiedu envoy Liu Rengong, but in the end they did not keep the agreement because they had no profit.

Then, Yelu Abaoji attacked Liu Rengong, captured several states, and exiled all his people.

In February of the third year of Tianyou (906), Abaoji attacked Liu Rengong again. On his way back to the army, he attacked Xiren in Shanbei and broke him.Zhu Wen sent people across the sea to present book coins, clothes belts and treasures to make friends.In November, they sent partial divisions to crusade against the tribes of Xi and Qi, as well as the tribes of the Northeast Jurchens who had not yet joined, and defeated and surrendered them all.In December, Khan Hendejin died, and Abaoji was elected as Khan by his last order.

Yeluhelu and others persuaded him to enter.A Baoji declined many times, but later accepted the request.According to the traditional system, the position of the Khan must be re-elected every three years.A Baoji's goal is to establish a lifelong and hereditary system like the emperors of the Central Plains, so he refused to hand over the power when he served as Khan for three years. goal efforts.

In the first month of the first year of Kaiping (907), he was the leader of Khitan, that is, the emperor, and his mother Xiao was the empress dowager, and the empress Xiao was established.The northern prime minister, Xiao Shila, and the southern prime minister, Yelu Olisi, led a group of ministers to be called the emperor of heaven, and the empress was called the empress of the earth.A Baoji took the ninth tent of Chengyao Nian's family as the tenth tent, and his younger brother Yeludie Lidi as Yili Jin of Dielie Mansion, and appointed officials to lead the tribe.In February, the black car Shiwei was conquered, and eight of its tribes were conquered.In October, conquer the black car Shiwei and break it.

On the first day of the first month of spring in the second year of Kaiping (908), Abaoji received congratulations from officials and envoys from various countries in the main hall, and set up Tiyin officials for the first time to manage the affairs of the clan.In May, he ordered Yelu Sala to attack Karasuma and Heiche Shiwei.

In the third year of Kaiping (909), he ordered the emperor's younger brother Shelisu, Yili Jin Xiao Dilu and Cangzhou Jiedu envoy Liu Shouwen to defeat his younger brother Liu Shouguang.

In the fourth year of Kaiping (910), Xiao Dilu, the brother of the queen, was the prime minister of the Beifu, and the descendants were the prime ministers from then on.In October, the rebellion of Wumashan Xikuzhi, Chaladi, and Bode was put down.

In the fifth year of Kaiping (911), Abaoji personally conquered Xi in the west. The people of Xi believed that the land was dangerous and the road was far away, and rebellion was rare.The direction of this battle was imminent, so the troops were divided to attack Xi in the east, and they were also pacified.So there is a place for Xi and Qi.It reaches the sea in the east, Baitan in the south, Songmo in the west, and Huangshui in the north. There are five parts in total, all of which are included in the territory.
Abaoji's refusal to hand over the power caused dissatisfaction among other nobles in the family, because according to the custom, the khan implemented the family succession system, that is, after the Khan's position was transferred to the Yelu family, the khan would have to be an adult in this family If A Baoji does not give up his position, others will have no chance to be elected.In order to fight for the right to be elected, the brothers of Abaojiben's family first rose up to oppose him, and thus the historical "rebellion of brothers" occurred.There were three rebellions by the brothers.

The first time was in 911 A.D., in May of this year, Abaoji’s younger brothers Yelulage, Yeludiela, Yeluyindishi, and Yelu Anduan planned a rebellion. Anduan’s wife, Nianmugu, reported to Abaoji after learning about it. Abaoji couldn't bear to kill these brothers, so he climbed a mountain with them and made an oath to heaven, and then pardoned them, but demoted Yelulage as Yilijin of Dielabu, and made Nianmugu the wife of the state of Jin.

The brothers didn't appreciate it, and in the second year, under the leadership of Yu Yueruhadi, they rebelled again.In addition to the original few, the newly appointed brother Tiyin Yeluhua also participated.

In July of this year, Abaoji conquered Shubugu's tribe and asked Yelvrage to lead the army to attack Pingzhou (now Lulong, Hebei).By October, Yelu Lage captured Pingzhou and led his troops to block Abaoji's return, trying to force him to participate in the Khan's re-election meeting.Abaoji did not fight recklessly, but led his troops southward, and according to the traditional custom, he held a ceremony of burning firewood to pray to heaven in front of them, that is, the "burnt wood ceremony", and became Khan again.

This proves that he has been legally re-elected and re-elected, so that the brothers have no basis for rebellion.A Baoji quelled a rebellion without bloodshed, showing his superior resourcefulness.On the second day, all the brothers sent people to plead guilty to A Baoji, and A Baoji stopped pursuing them, and only ordered them to repent and start a new life.

Yes, the temptation of the Khan's throne is much greater than brotherhood. Less than half a year later, in March of 913 AD, the younger brothers rebelled again.This time a larger armed conflict took place.They first negotiated to support Yelvage as the new Khan, and then sent Yeludiela and Yelv Anduan to pretend to meet Abaoji, hoping to hijack Abaoji to participate in the Khan reelection meeting they had prepared.In addition to this tribe, the nobles of the Yishi tribe also participated.

Abaoji discovered their conspiracy, solved Diel and Anduan, and recruited a thousand cavalry from them, and then led the troops to hunt down Lage himself.Under the leadership of Yin Dishi, another force from the Lage sect went straight to Abaoji's palace, burned the luggage and tents, and took away the banners and drums that symbolized the Khan's power and the sacred tents of his ancestors.Abaoji's wife, Shuluping, guarded the big tent and led the troops to resist desperately. When the reinforcements came, they sent people to chase after them, but they only managed to recover.In April, A Baoji led his troops northward to pursue Lage. He first sent people to ambush and intercept him in front, attacking back and forth.

This time, the guards played an important role and finally defeated Lage, who threw the stolen tent on the road.A Baoji did not pursue immediately, but rested and reorganized his troops first, because he knew that Lage's subordinates would miss their hometown soon, and when their morale was low and they were unwilling to fight, they would win without a fight.In May, A Baoji led the attack and finally captured Rage.After three counter-rebellions, Abaoji basically wiped out the opposition forces of the family, but caused great damage to the tribal economy.There used to be tens of thousands of horses among the people, but now the common people have to walk when they go out.

After the opposition of this tribe was eliminated, the opposition of the other seven tribes of Khitan still existed. Under the banner of restoring the old khan election system, they forced Abaoji to abdicate the position of khan.A Baoji had no choice but to hand over his flag and drums first, agreeing to abdicate, and then set up a strategy to retreat.He said to the crowd: "I have been in the position of Khan for nine years, and I have many Han people under my command. I want to lead one to rule Seoul, can I?" Everyone agreed.

When they got there, A Baoji led the Han people to cultivate. There was salt and iron in the local area, and the economy was also very developed. A Baoji adopted his wife's plan after Shulu, and sent someone to tell the leaders of the tribes: "I have salt ponds, which are often used for the tribes. But everyone I only know that it is convenient to eat salt, but I don’t know that there is an owner in Yanchi, so you should come and reward me and my subordinates.” Everyone thought it was reasonable, so they came with cattle and wine, but they didn’t expect to be caught by A Baoji’s trick.A Baoji set up an ambush, and when everyone was drunk, he killed all the leaders of the tribes.

In the second year of Zhenming (916), Abaoji established the Khitan Kingdom and proclaimed himself emperor.The various ministries established the capital city, Huangcheng, which was later Shangjing, and built Confucius Temples, Buddhist temples, and Taoist temples in Beijing.After he established the country, he gradually took the clan as the prime minister of the Nanfu,
Formulate laws and promulgate official titles.The establishment of Yili Jin, the North and South Second Hospital of the Diela Department, became a later order.He also ordered people to make big Khitan characters to promote national culture.

So far, the Russian pronunciation of China is still "Khitan", which shows its great influence.At the beginning of his reign, he set up palace guard cavalry and prefecture and county tribal armies with his tribe, which became the main form of Khitan's army.He has great talent and general strategy, constantly conquered Khitan and Turkic tribes in order to develop, and actively participated in the political struggle in the Central Plains, invaded You, Ji and other important places, and supported Dongdan as his vassal.

"Taizu accepted Khan's Zen, and then established a country, conquering east and west, like breaking the dead." ("Liao History" Volume 2 "Taizu Ji").The various systems and scales he created laid the foundation for the later development of the Khitan Kingdom.

In the third year of Shenchu ​​(918), Abaoji built Xilou City as the imperial capital (later named Shangjing Linhuang Mansion, now Nanboluo City, Bahrain Left Banner, Inner Mongolia).In the fifth year of Shenchu, Tulu and others created Khitan characters with reference to Chinese characters.Later, Dieli, Abaoji's younger brother, created small Khitan characters with reference to Uyghur and Chinese.From then on, Khitan had writing, and the society developed faster.

In the year (925, the fourth year of Tianzan), A Baoji led his army to conquer the Bohai Kingdom.In the following year, Bohai Kingdom was destroyed, renamed Dongdan Kingdom, and the eldest son Tuyu (Yelübei) was appointed King of Dongdan.

In the first year of Tianxian (926), in order to develop his power eastward, Abaoji also marched eastward to the Bohai Kingdom.Bohai is a regional ethnic regime in the northeastern region. Its politics and culture are superior to those of the northern ethnic groups. It is known as the "prosperous country in the east of the sea", but its national power has declined at that time.Abaoji concentrated all his forces and captured Fuyu City (now Nong'an, Jilin), the important town in the west of the Bohai Kingdom, and then besieged the capital Huhan City (now Tokyo City, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang). The king led hundreds of ministers to Kaicheng and surrendered, and soon unified the entire Bohai Sea. Border, Abaoji changed the name of Bohai to Dongdan Kingdom, which means East Khitan Kingdom.

Let the crown prince Yelubei be the king of Dongdan and manage the affairs of Dongdan. In this way, Abaoji expanded his power to the coast of Bohai Sea.At the same time, Abaoji set up government offices in the Heilongjiang and Wusuli River basins to implement actual management, thus ending the split situation in the Northeast since the end of the Tang Dynasty and reunifying it. communication is extremely important.In the fifth year of Tianzan (926), A Baoji died of illness in Fuyu (now Sipingxi, Jilin) ​​on his way to the Bohai Sea to return to the imperial capital. He was 55 years old.Posthumously the Emperor of Ascension to Heaven (one is the Great Sage Emperor), the temple name is Taizu.

In the second year of Tianxian (927), he was buried in the ancestral mausoleum (now southwest of Balin Zuo Banner, Inner Mongolia).

In the 26th year of Tonghe (1008), he was awarded the posthumous posthumous title of Great Sage and Great Tomorrow Emperor.

In the 21st year of Chongxi (1052), he was added the posthumous title of Emperor Damingshen Lietian.The second son, Yelu Deguang, succeeded to the throne as Emperor Taizong of the Liao Dynasty.

The evaluation of Tuotuo and others in the official revision history of the Yuan Dynasty "Liao History" is: "The first of Liao came from Emperor Yan, and the world is the country of Shenji. It is known from Qishouyun. Qishou was born in Anshan, the capital, and moved to the bank of Huanghe River. When it was passed down to Yali, the system was first established, and officials were set up, carved wood as a contract, and a hole as a prison, so that they would not stand on their own when they were blocked by Wuwu. Yali gave birth to Pidi. Generous and few desires, not strict but humanized, this is Su Zu. Su Zu gave birth to Salad, tried to challenge Huang Shiwei, and shot through several Zha, which is Yi Zu. Yi Zu was born with uniform virtue, and began to teach The people farmed crops, were good at animal husbandry, and the country was rich in Yin. He was the ancestor of Xuanzu. Xuanzu gave birth to Sasa, benevolent to the people and loved things. He first set up iron smelting and taught the people to cast drums. He was the ancestor of virtue, that is, the father of Taizu. It is Li Jin of Khitan Yaonian family, who is in charge of his political affairs. Shulan, the younger brother of Dezu, conquered Jue and Shiwei in the north, and Yi, Ding, Xi, and Yu in the south. He began to build boards, set up cities, and teach the people Planting mulberry and hemp, learning to organize and organize, has the ambition of all the people. The Taizu accepted the Khan’s Zen, and then established a country. Conquering the east and the west, it is like breaking the dead. From the sea in the east, to the quicksand in the west, and in the north. In the desert, the prestige is thousands of miles, and it has been two hundred years. How can it be just one day! Duke Zhou punished Guan and Cai, and there is no one who can do anything wrong. In the chaos of Gege and Anduan, Taizu borrowed it after his death and reused it. Is it not the measure of a king? The changes in Fuyu in the old history are also different!"

(End of this chapter)