Chapter 52 Section 4 Changes in Song and Liao Relations

When Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin was alive, the Song and Liao dynasties were friendly neighbors for many years, and their envoys kept coming and going.So, why did the relationship between the two countries change after the death of Song Taizu?This also starts with the true purpose of Song Taizu's repair with the Liao Kingdom. Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin made a mutiny at Chenqiao, added a yellow robe, and established himself on behalf of Zhou. He formulated the policy of "first easy and then difficult, first south and then north" to unify China.Today, many historians criticize Zhao Kuangyin's policy, thinking that it should be difficult before easy, first destroy the Northern Han Dynasty, and regain Youyun Sixteen Prefectures.At that time, the sleeping emperor was in power in the Liao Kingdom. It is entirely possible for you to take advantage of his state affairs.But Song Taizu fought against those separatist regimes in the south.Those regimes are very corrupt and completely vulnerable.Li Yu, the Empress of the Southern Tang Dynasty, when the army of the Song Dynasty was under pressure, neither fought nor defended, neither died nor surrendered, and wrote lyrics all day long.Looking at this prospect, the country and the country were overthrown. I didn't want to be worthy of my father and ancestors, but shed tears to Gong'e.It is not a hero to destroy such an opponent. If these separatist regimes are compared with the Liao on the grassland, it is really a world of difference.During Song Taizu’s lifetime, he was unable to completely subdue the Ten Kingdoms. The Northern Han Dynasty, the only one in the north among the Ten Kingdoms, was a subordinate state of the Liao Dynasty and was covered by the boss.Of course, some historians believe that the economic center of ancient China shifted to the south after the Anshi Rebellion. At this time, the economic development level of the south has surpassed that of the north, so it was right for Song Taizu to unify the south.Only by unifying the south can we have a stable rear, but the opportunity for the Northern Expedition to Youyun has been lost.

Moreover, Song Taizu did a very interesting thing. He set up a closed pile warehouse, and put the annual financial surplus in it.What he saved was not money, but colored silk.He planned to redeem the Youyun Sixteen Prefectures with Liao after saving three to five million bolts of colored silk.When the time comes, tell Liao that it's useless for you to occupy this land, and you don't know how to manage it. Don't you just want to get something?I will give you three to five million bolts of colorful silk now, and you can return the Youyun Sixteen States to me.Emperor Taizu's idea was too naive, Khitan's occupation of the Sixteen Youyun Prefectures was not just for the sake of this little silk.Emperor Song Taizu also thought, if Liao does not agree, I will use these three to five million bolts of colored silk to recruit dead soldiers and crusade against Liao. Liao has 100,000 elite soldiers, and I will buy his head for twenty bolts of colored silk. A million horses is enough.So the Song Dynasty was saving silk there all day long, and in the end of Song Taizu's life, he did not tear himself apart from Liao.

When Song Taizu died, his younger brother Song Taizong succeeded him.How did Song Taizong succeed?The shadow of a candle and the sound of an axe, an eternal mystery.At that time, some people suspected that Taizong's throne had come from a wrong path.According to Song Taizong's own faction, it was Empress Dowager Du who asked Song Taizu once, why did you become emperor and win the country?Emperor Taizu of the Song Dynasty had a lot of blessings from the heavens. Our Zhao family ancestor’s grave has good geomantic omen and Ganoderma lucidum grows. Similar to this kind of saying, the ancestors are blessed with great blessings, the mother teaches well, and the sons and ministers respond to the sky, all kinds of sayings.The queen mother shook her head, you can become emperor because Emperor Shizong died young in the later Zhou Dynasty, you bullied the orphans and widowed mothers, and the acting emperor Gongdi Chai Zongxun of the Later Zhou Dynasty was only seven years old, so you can win the world.Our family finally has the world now, so don't let this kind of thing happen to our family.What if you have to leave early?Your child has not yet become a weapon. On the contrary, your younger brother Zhao Guangyi, the King of Jin, has followed you for many years. in his hands.It is said that Emperor Taizu readily agreed, and the throne was passed on to Emperor Taizong Zhao Guangyi.Of course, this is what Taizong and his group said, and there is no way to verify it.At that time, the three of them were present. No one could prove what the Queen Mother said and whether the Emperor Taizu agreed.Therefore, after Zhao Guangyi succeeded to the throne, everyone thought that his throne came unjustly.

Since everyone thinks that Zhao Guangyi's throne came unjustly, he has to find a way to rectify his name.How to rectify the name?Needless to say internally, anyone who dares to doubt me will go to accompany the late emperor. Aren't you loyal to the late emperor? Go follow the late emperor!The key is externally, I want to fulfill Taizu's unfulfilled last wish.When Emperor Taizu died, the south had been pacified, and Taizu had only two last wishes not fulfilled: first, the Northern Han Dynasty; second, Youyun Sixteen States.Emperor Taizong was about to fulfill these two last wishes of Taizu, so he led an army to destroy the Northern Han Dynasty in 979 AD.