Summoning of the Great General of the Great Qin Empire

Chapter 224

Li Yuanhao was born in Lingzhou (now Lingwu, Ningxia) on the fifth day of May (June 1003th in the Gregorian calendar) in the sixth year of Xianping (6) of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty, into a family of party nobles. [7] The year after he was born, his grandfather Li Jiqian was killed in a battle with Pan Luozhi, the leader of the Liugu Tribe of Tubo, and died of serious injuries. His father Li Deming succeeded him as Xiazhou (today's Jingbian County, Shaanxi Province). The troops who were determined to be in trouble stayed behind.Afterwards, Li Deming pursued the policy of "alliance with the Liao Dynasty and the Song Dynasty", which enabled the Li regime in Xiazhou, Dangxiang, to develop rapidly in a peaceful environment.

Li Yuanhao, who was still in his prime, could not understand his father's policy of harmony with the Song Dynasty, especially his economic and trade relations with the Song Dynasty.Once Li Deming sent an envoy to the Song Dynasty to exchange horses for goods, but because the things he got did not meet his wishes, he beheaded the envoy in a rage.Li Yuanhao was very dissatisfied with his father's behavior, and said to his father: "Our soldiers used to be able to engage in pommel horses. Now it is not the best policy to exchange unnecessary items. Now that we have killed the envoys, who is willing to be used by us?" What about it?" Seeing that his only son, who was only over 10 years old, had such insight, Li Deming valued it very much.

Li Yuanhao in his teenage years had a round face. Under his piercing eyes, his nose was raised with an eagle hook, and his resoluteness carried an awe-inspiring and inviolable demeanor.He is of medium build, but he looks tall and majestic, with a heroic spirit.He usually likes to wear white long-sleeved clothes, a black crown hat, and bows and arrows.He often took more than a hundred cavalry to go out, riding on a fine horse, with two standard bearers in front of him, followed by the guards and infantry with Zhang Qing's canopy.Yuan Hao read military books when he was young, and he couldn't let go of the popular military books such as "Field Battle Song" and "Taiyi Jinjian Jue" at that time. He concentrated on studying and mastering its essence.He is quite talented and proficient in Chinese and Tibetan languages.He also understands Buddhism.He is especially devoted to legal works on governing the country and the country. He is good at thinking and planning, and often has unique insights into things.All of these have made Li Yuanhao a talent with strategy in writing and courage in martial arts.

Among the border generals of the Song Dynasty, there were various legends about Li Yuanhao's appearance, appearance, and knowledge.Border commander Cao Wei was stationed along the border in Shaanxi. He had long wanted to catch a glimpse of Li Yuanhao and sent people around to find out his whereabouts.I heard that Li Yuanhao often walked to Yanbian Que City and waited several times in the hope of meeting him, but he could never see him.Later, he sent someone to secretly draw a picture of Li Yuanhao. When Cao Wei saw his appearance, he couldn't help but exclaimed: "What a hero!" He also foresaw that he would become a border trouble for the Song Dynasty in the future.

In September of the third year of Song Zhenzong's Dazhong Xiangfu (1010), after Li Deming was named the King of Xia by the Liao Dynasty, he mobilized tens of thousands of people to build a palace on the Aozi Mountain in the northwest of Yanzhou (now Yan'an, Shaanxi), which stretched for more than 20 miles. , extremely luxurious and magnificent.Once when he went on a tour from Xiazhou to the palace in Aozi Mountain, the "big chariot Fangyu Lubo Yiwei" (that is, the guard of honor) seemed to be similar to the emperor of the Song Dynasty.In the ninth year of Dazhong Xiangfu (1016), Li Deming "used the imperial system" and posthumously posthumously his father Li Jiqian as "Emperor Ying Yun Fa Tian Shen Zhi Ren Xiao Zhi Dao Guang De Guang Xiao Emperor", "Temple Name Wu Zong".

In the summer of the tenth year of Dazhong Xiangfu (1017), someone reported to Deming that a dragon was seen on Hot Spring Mountain in the north of Huaiyuan Town (now Yinchuan, Ningxia). Li Deming thought it was an auspicious sign and sent officials to Huaiyuan to sacrifice. The plan to move the capital to Huaiyuan.He put forward the reason for moving the capital to him through the mouth of others: "Xiping's local customs are honest and honest, but it lives in four places. I can go, and the other can come. It's not like Huaiyuan. There is Helan in the northwest, the Yellow River surrounds it in the southeast, and Xiping is its place. The situation is convenient, and it will be the cause of all ages. The situation has repeatedly been suspended, and the gods and men agreed to cooperate, and it is urgent to build a new capital to inherit the destiny." The reason for moving the capital is very sufficient and reasonable, plus the destiny. No one dared to object.So Li Deming sent Minister He Chengzhen to Huaiyuan to be responsible for the construction of the capital.Huaiyuan Town was changed to Xingzhou (now Yinchuan City, Ningxia), and the capital was officially established.

In May of the sixth year of Tiansheng's reign (1028), Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty sent Li Yuanhao to attack Ganzhou (now Zhangye, Gansu).The Uighur Khan of Ganzhou fled at night and the first battle in Ganzhou was successful.After Li Yuanhao captured Ganzhou, he adopted the tactic of attacking from the east and attacking from the west, and sent out surprise troops to raid Xiliang (now Wuwei, Gansu).Cao Xianshun, king of Guazhou, a branch of the Shazhou Uighurs (now Dunhuang, Gansu), affiliated to the Ganzhou Uighurs, surrendered to Li Deming and returned to Guazhou (now Anxi, Gansu).At this time, Li Yuanhao was made the crown prince, and Li Yuanhao's biological mother, Wei Mu, was made the queen.In the seventh year of Tiansheng (1029), Li Deming asked the Liao Dynasty to marry Yuan Hao. Xingzong of Liao named his daughter Princess Xingping and married Yuan Hao.

In the first year of Song Renzong Mingdao (1032), Li Deming died, and Yuan Hao succeeded to the throne, actively preparing to establish a country and proclaim himself emperor.In order to consolidate the rear and punish Tubo 唃siluo for returning to the Song Dynasty, he launched an attack on Hehuang Tubo in July of the same year and captured Maoniu City (now Datong County, Qinghai).In the second year of Song Renzong's Jingyou (1035, the first year of Yuanhao Guangyun's reign), Li Yuanhao took advantage of Zongsiluo's civil strife and sent troops to attack Zonggedai Xingling Zhucheng Walled City, encircled Qingtang City, and fought against Zongsiluo's general An Ziluo , Fighting hard for more than two hundred days.When Li Yuanhao withdrew his troops to cross the Zongge River, he was defeated by Anzi Luo's army and fled.

In December of the same year, Li Yuanhao personally led an army to Hehuang, where he was defeated again by Jisiluo.In December of the following year, when Li Yuanhao defeated the Hexi Uighurs, completely occupied the Hexi Corridor, and wanted to take a peek at Longshu, he feared that the Song Dynasty would use the Tubo tribes to plan his way out, so he led a large army along the Agan River, defeated the Qiangs in Lanzhou, and marched Maxian Mountain (now north of Lintao, Gansu Province) will build a town guard in Wachuan to cut off the passage between Tubo and Song Dynasty.At this time, civil strife broke out in Zunsiluo, Li Yuanhao took the opportunity to bribe the industry, and lured the mastermind and leader of Mozhijiao, Yingcheng Yulong, to join him.Yulong in Yingcheng led more than ten thousand people to surrender to Yuan Hao, and later married his daughter to Li Yuanhao's son Ning Ling (named Liang Wang) as his wife.After Li Yuanhao escaped from the protracted battle with Anziluo, the general of the Tongsiluo tribe, he led his army to attack the Uighurs in Guazhou to the west, reached Shazhou, and returned to occupy Suzhou (now Jiuquan, Gansu).So far, Li Yuanhao has completely controlled the Hexi Corridor and ended the Ganzhou Uighurs' rule over Hexi.

After Li Deming's death, Liao Xingzong Yeluzong sent Xuanhui Nanyuan Envoy, Shuofang Jiedu Envoy Xiao Congshun, and Panzhou Observatory Envoy Zheng Wenyu to Xingzhou to make Li Yuanhao King of Xia.In the Song Dynasty, Yang Gao, a doctor of the Ministry of Industry, and Zhu Yunzhong, deputy envoy of protocol, were appointed as chief and deputy officials to inform Li Yuanhao. To dispose of the abbots and fall envoys, Jue Xiping Wang.However, Li Yuanhao was not interested in the titles of Song and Liao. When he received the envoys of the Song Dynasty, he did not respect the Song Dynasty with courtesies, and he did not bow down to the imperial edict bestowed by Song Renzong.Reluctantly accepting the edict, he was angry in his heart, looked around at the left and right ministers and said: "The king made a big mistake, there is such a country, and the ministers worship others!" And taking advantage of the opportunity of hosting a banquet for the envoys of Song Dynasty, it was reported after the banquet that forging The sonorous sound of sharpening weapons created a mental deterrent for Song envoys; in terms of etiquette, they deliberately made things difficult for Song envoys, with the intention of angering the Song Dynasty and provoking troubles.

Before officially proclaiming himself emperor and establishing the country, Li Yuanhao adopted a series of new cultural measures.First of all, the surnames Li and Zhao "given" to the Tuoba clan of the Dangxiang royal family in the Tang and Song Dynasties were abolished, and the surname was changed to "Weiming clan", and he was renamed Yuxiao and "Wuzi".In the second year of Mingdao (1033), Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty changed the Jianyuan Mingdao of the Song Dynasty to "Xiandao" to avoid his father's taboo. The following year, it was changed from Jianyuan Kaiyun to Guangyun.In March of the year of Gai Yuan Xian Dao (1032), Li Yuanhao issued a "bald hair order" to the Dangxiang tribes in the territory.

He was the first to bald himself, that is, shaved the top of his head, and wore heavy rings in his ears.All the people of the tribe were forced to implement it within a three-day period, and those who disobeyed would be executed.For a while, the party members and the people competed for baldness.In terms of clothing, Li Yuanhao "dressed in white and narrow shirts, with a felt crown in red, and a red ribbon hanging behind the crown".Officials dress according to their ranks.The common people are only allowed to wear green clothes to distinguish between noble and humble.

Secondly, after he succeeded to the throne, he began to create a script to record the language of the Dangxiang people, namely Xixia script.While he was still in the army, he also personally planned and presided over the work of creating text, and ordered minister Nori Renrong and others to compile and interpret it into 12 volumes.Some historical records call it "Fan Shu".Li Yuanhao ordered it to be published as "Guozi", and all records should be recorded in Tibetan script.The "Fan Ziyuan" was also established to teach learning and promote its use.Documents sent to and from the Liao and Song dynasties were written in two languages.In addition, Li Yuanhao disapproved of the fact that the original ritual and music system of the Dangxiang people was deeply influenced by the Tang and Song Dynasties.

He said to his minister Yeli Renrong: "The king makes rituals and music, and the way is suitable for the people. Fan custom puts loyalty first, and fighting is the service. If the tapes of the Tang and Song Dynasties are complicated, I have nothing to do." He is determined to reform and advocates Guide the reform of rites and music with the spirit of "loyalty first, fighting first" and emphasizing practical results. In various occasions such as "good and bad luck, guests, ancestral sacrifices, and swallow enjoyment", "the nine bows of the ceremony are three bows, and the five tones of music are changed." For one tone".Simplified the ritual and music system, and ordered to follow it, and those who did not obey it would be killed.

Before Li Yuanhao established the country and proclaimed himself emperor, he had already started a series of constructions in terms of political and military systems.The establishment of political institutions is basically modeled on the system of the Central Plains.In May of the second year of Li Yuanhao's reign (1033), Xingzhou was promoted to Xingqing Prefecture and established as the capital.Li Yuanhao imitated the official system of the Song Dynasty and established a set of central and local official systems that were similar to the Song Dynasty.Li Yuanhao attached great importance to the construction of the army. After obtaining the Hexi Corridor, he set about rectifying the army and building a formal military system on the basis of the original tribal military organization.For example, the age of adults, the organization of "copying", the tasks and conditions of "main army" and "support"; the equipment and facilities of the army; mainly infantry and cavalry, supplemented by artillery, "capturing troops", and guards Multiple arms such as pro-military.

In order to meet the needs of war and military and political construction, it is convenient to deploy troops and generals. The establishment of a "military supervisory department" in the nature of the local military region is adopted to combine the military command organization with regional defense measures.Imitating the "Xiang" and "Jun" systems of the military units of the Song Dynasty, the whole territory is divided into left and right hatchbacks. There are a total of twelve supervisory divisions, each with a military name, a designated station, and a military leader, the commander of the army and the deputy commander. Army and supervising military envoys.Spread troops throughout the territory, focusing on guarding the capital Xingqing Mansion and defending Song and Liao.For the areas inhabited by Tubo and Uyghur in Suzhou and Ganzhou in the Hexi Corridor, the county was promoted to set up a mansion, and a heavy army was deployed to strengthen the rule.After Li Yuanhao succeeded to the throne, in just six years, he completed various preparations for the founding of the country. A party regime that "ends the Yellow River in the east, borders Yumen in the west, connects Xiaoguan in the south, controls the desert in the north, and covers more than ten thousand miles." Has taken shape.

On October 1038th of the first year of Yanzuo's ritual law (the fifth year of Song Jingyou, [-]), Li Yuanhao, supported by Ye Li Renrong, Yang Shousu and other trusted ministers, built an altar in the southern suburb of Xingqing Mansion and officially ascended the throne of the emperor. Known as Daxia (referred to as Xixia in history), it was changed to Yanzuo, the law of etiquette granted by Yuan Tian.He also enfeoffed all the officials, and pursued the posthumous titles, temple names, and tomb numbers of his grandfather and parents.Yeli was also granted the title of Empress Xiancheng, and his son Ningming was crowned Crown Prince.Harmonious Xiliang Mansion worships the gods.In the first month of the following year, Li Yuanhao, as a courtier, sent an envoy to Song Dynasty to make a statement to Song Renzong, recalling and commending his ancestors' relationship with the Central Plains Dynasty and their contributions, explaining the legitimacy of his founding and proclaiming himself emperor, and requesting the Song Dynasty to formally recognize him. title of emperor.

The response was predictable. The Song Dynasty was unwilling to recognize Li Yuanhao's throne, and issued an edict to "deprive the officials and ranks of the given surname" and stop the mutual market.The Song Dynasty posted bulletins on the border between Song and Xia, offering huge rewards to senior officials for arresting Li Yuanhao or offering his head.After Li Yuanhao found out the attitude of the Song Dynasty, he frequently sent spies to the border to spy on the military situation, and incited the party members and Han people in the Song Dynasty to attach themselves to Xia.He publicly cut off the envoys between Xia and the Song Dynasty, and sent the "Man's Book" to the Song Dynasty. In the "Man's Book", he accused the Song Dynasty of treachery and ridiculed the Song Army's corruption and incompetence.He also used the power of the Liao Dynasty to threaten the Song Dynasty, and finally expressed Xia Guo's willingness to reconcile with the Song Dynasty.Yuan Hao handed the "Book of Man" to the Song Dynasty in order to anger the Song Dynasty and attribute the responsibility for the war against the Song Dynasty to the Song Dynasty.The war between Xia and Song was finally inevitable.

From the third year of Yanzuo (the first year of Song Kangding, 1040) to the fifth year (the second year of Song Qingli, 1042), Li Yuanhao launched many attacks on the Song Dynasty. There were three large-scale wars: The battle of Sanchuankou near Yanzhou (now Yan'an, Shaanxi) in the first month of the third year of Yanzuo; the battle of Haoshuichuan in the Liupanshan area southeast of the Zhenrong Army (now Guyuan, Ningxia) in February of the fourth year; In the autumn of the second year (1042), the battle of Dingchuanzhai in the northwest of Zhenrong Army.The three major battles all ended in Li Yuanhao's complete victory.Therefore, after the great victory in Dingchuanzhai, Li Yuanhao was full of ambition and said, "I want to go to Weishui in person and directly occupy Chang'an!".

And when the news of the disastrous defeat of the Song Army on the battlefield reached Tokyo, Prime Minister Lu Yijian repeatedly exclaimed, "The first battle is not as good as the first, and it is terrible!" [9] Although Li Yuanhao's war against the Song Dynasty was victorious, it also brought Xia Guo Serious consequences came: For example, due to the outbreak of war, the Song Dynasty stopped the "year-old gift" of large amounts of silver, silk, and money to Xia; Directly economic benefits, food, silk, cloth, tea and other daily necessities in the territory are in short supply, and the prices are high.

Years of wars had depleted the Xia people's wealth, caused resentment, and intensified class and ethnic conflicts. People within the territory rebelled one after another, or fled to the Song Dynasty.By the end of the war, Xia's military strength was in a situation of "half the number of dead and wounded, and the people were trapped in a small gathering". It was very difficult for Li Yuanhao to launch another war.At the same time, Yuan Hao also realized that it was not easy to defeat the Song Dynasty with a vast territory and a large population.The strategic advantages of the Song Dynasty were beyond the reach of the Xia Kingdom.

Based on the above reasons, Li Yuanhao tried to seek peace from the Song Dynasty.The important reason for the final negotiation between Xia and Song was the new changes in the relationship between Song, Liao and Xia during this period.Yuan Hao and Liao were "nephew's relatives" and pursued the strategy of relying on Liao to fight against Song; Liao used the confrontation between Xia and Song to bargain with Song, profited from it, and even obtained benefits from Song at the expense of Xia's interests, which aroused Li Yuanhao's dissatisfaction.At that time, there was a dispute over the territorial tribe between Xia and Liao, which caused the relationship to deteriorate and the alliance began to break down.Li Yuanhao felt isolated, and in order to avoid being attacked on both sides, he had to make peace with the Song Dynasty.

From the first month of the sixth year of Yanzuo's reign (the third year of Qingli in the Song Dynasty, 1043) to June of the following year, the envoys of the Xia and Song Dynasties had frequent exchanges for more than a year. After the salt ban, they bargained and finally reached an agreement on issues such as the changes in the capital market, the self-establishment of the reign name, and the naming of Wuzu as my ancestors, as well as all the major and minor issues.The Song Dynasty granted the Xia Kingdom 25.5 silver, silk, and tea every year, allowed the restoration of the market, and allowed the Xixia envoys to engage in business in the Song Jingchengguan Post.Li Yuanhao proclaimed his minister to Song Dynasty in the name of "Lord Xia". However, every time the Song Dynasty sent envoys to Xia State, they were only allowed to live in Youzhou (now Jingbian, Shaanxi), and they were not allowed to enter the capital of Xia State, so as to prevent Xia State from receiving Song Dynasty with courtesies. Envoy, maintain Yuan Hao's image of "the emperor and his country are at ease".

Yuan Hao was married to Liao from the time of his grandfather Li Jiqian.His father Li Deming asked Li Yuanhao to marry him for Li Yuanhao. In December of the ninth year of Song Tiansheng (the first year of Liao Jingfu, 1031), Princess Xingping, the sister of Liao Xingzong, married Li Yuanhao. Jue Xia Guogong, and named Xia King.Li Yuanhao has always been at odds with Princess Xingping, and Xia and Liao often have disputes over the defection of party members and tribes in the Liao border, and the relationship has become increasingly tense.During the Song-Xia War, Liao Xingzong wanted to blackmail the Song Dynasty because of the defeat of the Song Dynasty, which also contributed to the realization of the Xia-Song peace talks.At that time, Liao wanted to destroy the peace treaty between Song and Xia, but was rejected by the Song Dynasty. Liao Xingzong decided to send troops to crusade against Xia.

In October of the seventh year of Yanzuo (the 13th year of Liao Chongxi, 1044), Liao Xingzong led 10 cavalry, crossed the Yellow River in three routes, went deep into the Xia territory, and drove straight for 400 miles.Li Yuanhao led the left wing army to fight in the north of Helan Mountain, and was defeated and retreated to Helan Mountain.Li Yuanhao knew that he was invincible, so he apologized to Liao Xingzong and asked for peace.Li Yuanhao retreated three times in a row when Xingzong did not agree to seek peace, covering more than a hundred miles. "Every time you retreat, you will lose your land", cut off its food and grass, Liao Yin Xuhe.However, Yuan Hao deliberately delayed the time, and when the Liao army was in danger and starvation, he sent troops to raid the Liao camp, but was killed by the Liao army.

At the moment when it was difficult to separate, suddenly there was a gust of wind, flying sand and dust, and the sky was dark. The Liao army was blinded by the sand, and there was chaos in the formation.Li Yuanhao took the opportunity to storm the south wall of Desheng Temple where the Liao army was stationed, and the Liao army was defeated.Li Yuanhao's army captured Liao consort Xiao Huxuan and dozens of close officials. Liao Xingzong escaped with only a few cavalry.After Li Yuanhao won the battle against Liao, he immediately sent envoys to make peace with Liao, and at the same time offered prisoners to the Song Dynasty.It shows that Li Yuanhao is good at grasping the opportunity and has a certain amount of advance and retreat in dealing with the relationship between Song and Liao.

(End of this chapter)