In the tenth month of the lunar calendar, Suicheng was already extremely cold. When the garrison soldiers climbed up the city tower early in the morning to gaze, the mountains and fields were filled with Liao soldiers. The garrison soldiers hurriedly reported to the defending generals. Fortunately, the defending general of Suizhou was Yang Yanzhao, the border inspection commissioner of Baozhou, known as Yang Liulang. Yang Yanzhao was faced with three unfavorable factors: the small size of the city, weak military preparedness, and a large army pressing on the border, causing panic among the people. In addition, the cold weather and freezing earth at this time would inevitably affect the combat effectiveness of the army. As the city was about to be breached, at a critical moment of life and death, the defending general Yang Yanzhao came up with a quick idea and gathered all the middle-aged men in the city to prepare water transportation tools. It was the harsh winter season when drops of water turned into ice. Yang Yanzhao ordered the defending army and the people to water the city wall. The soldiers and the people were busy all night, and thick ice armor formed on the city wall. The next day, as usual, the Liao army came to attack the city and found that Suicheng had turned into a transparent ice city, shining brightly in the daytime. The Liao army suffered heavy losses in this battle, and the whole country’s army could not take a small Suicheng. Suicheng seemed like a copper wall and an iron wall, becoming a genuine iron Suicheng. This is the famous Frozen Suicheng in history, and the Battle of Suicheng was just one of hundreds of battles during the Liao and Song dynasties. The war between the Liao and Song dynasties will continue until both sides form an alliance.
Why did so many wars break out between Liao and Song dynasties? The sixteen states of Yanyun, located in the northern areas of Beijing, Hebei and Shanxi provinces today, were the inherent territory of the Central Plains Dynasty. However, under the political situation of the five dynasties and ten states, Shi Jingtang, the late emperor of the Jin Dynasty, ceded the sixteen states of Yanyun to Qidan in order to get the support of Qidan and seize the throne. Since then, the territory of Qidan has expanded to the line of the Great Wall. After the sixteen states of Yanyun were ceded to Qidan, Qidan seized the Yanshan Mountains and controlled the Great Wall pass. The Central Plains Dynasty lost the natural defense line with northern nomads, and North China Plain has no danger to defend, exposing itself to the cavalry of northern minorities. Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures are equally important to Khitan.
Professor Zhao Dongmei from Peking University: The influence of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun on the Khitan Empire must have been significant. You can imagine that they have obtained such a vast piece of land that originally belonged to the agricultural ethnic group, and that land was once inhabited by farmers and cultivators. Therefore, they have obtained a foundation for the development of agriculture, which is very important for their national economy. From a strategic perspective, the Great Wall belongs to them. For the Khitans, it is truly about advancing, attacking, and retreating, and defending.
Both the Central Plains Dynasty and the Liao Dynasty considered themselves the legitimate owners of the region, therefore, wars between the Later Zhou, Northern Song, and Liao were inevitable. During the reign of Emperor Shizong of Later Zhou, a large-scale Northern Expedition recaptured the southern regions of Yingzhou, Mozhou, Ningzhou, as well as Yijin Pass, Waqiao Guan, and Yukou Pass. Emperor Shizong’s recapture of the southern regions laid the groundwork for the competition between the Song Dynasty. Emperor Taizu of Song adopted a defensive strategy of containment against Liao, covering up when coming and not pursuing when going, in order to avoid large-scale direct confrontation with Liao. However, Emperor Taizu of Song did not give up his ultimate goal of recapturing the Yanyun region. He set up a sealed pile warehouse and stored the gold and silk confiscated by various separatist forces here, accumulating them and preparing for the Northern Expedition by redeeming them.
Gaoliang River Bridge Site, Beijing
Emperor Taizu of Song inherited the will of Emperor Taizu and carried out two northern expeditions, but both of them ended in failure. The Battle of Gaoliang River in the fourth year of Taiping Xingguo was exceptionally brutal, and Emperor Taizu of Song was even more in a state of embarrassment. He fled alone to Zhuzhou and was spared. In the third year of Emperor Yongxi’s reign, Emperor Taizong of Song intended to clear the humiliation of the Gaoliang River and sent three armies to the north again. They were also defeated and returned home. The old general Yang Linggong was surrounded by the Liao army, and his entire army was destroyed. He was also captured by an arrow. In the Liao camp, Yang Ye remained steadfast, ran out of food for three days, and devoted himself to the country. The once invincible general, unfortunately, fell to the Liao camp.
Zhang Xiqing, Director of the Institute of History and Culture at Peking University: According to historical records such as the “Biography of Yang Ye” in the Song Dynasty, Yang Ye had seven sons, but the most famous ones were two. One was Yang Yanyu, who died in battle with Yang Ye at the mouth of Chenjiagukou during the Northern Expedition of Yongxi. The other was the very famous Yang Yanzhao. When Yang Ye attacked Yingzhou and Shuozhou, Yang Yanzhao was the vanguard. Despite arrows piercing his arms, he still fought tirelessly.
Zhuxian Town, Kaifeng City, Henan Province
The heroic deeds of the Yang family generals have always inspired future generations. Zhuxian Town, ten kilometers south of Kaifeng, is one of the four famous towns of the Song Dynasty and also one of the birthplaces of Chinese woodblock New Year paintings. Zhuxian Town woodblock New Year paintings mainly focus on historical famous generals, and the content about the Yang family generals is also the main theme of woodblock New Year paintings. Through the rich and simple lines of colors, we can still see the swords and swords of the former battlefield. Yang Liulang was actually the eldest in his family. He was intelligent, brave, and skilled in battle. He led his officers and soldiers to repel hundreds of attacks by the Liao army, which made the Liao army tremble with fear. The Liao people believed that Yang Yanzhao was descended from the stars of the Six Heavenly Langs, so they called him Yang Liulang. However, although the Yang family generals were brave, they could not change the overall situation of the war. The failure of the two Northern Expeditions led the ruling group of the Northern Song Dynasty to abandon their proactive defense strategy and begin implementing comprehensive defense deployments.
In the distant northern grasslands, the Khitan people, under the governance of Emperor Shengzong of Liao and his mother Empress Dowager Xiao, reached their peak. However, the Liao Dynasty, which corresponded to the Northern Song Dynasty’s shift from defense to defense, began to shift from defense to attack. The Liao people could not sit idly by and watch the Song people build a large army on the border. They looked down on Yan and Yun, and the Liao Dynasty began to adopt an offensive strategy. The sixteen provinces of Yan and Yun were betrayed by Shi Jingtang, which was a shame for the people of the Central Plains. However, for the Khitans, the seizure of the Guannan region, which had been part of their territory for decades, by Emperor Shizong of the Northern Zhou Dynasty was also a shame. This occurred in the Battle of Suicheng in 999. It is just the prelude to the Liao Dynasty’s large-scale invasion to the south. Due to the unresolved border issue between the Liao and Song dynasties, exploratory local wars occurred from time to time, and even greater storms were brewing between the two countries.
In 1004, the conflicts and contradictions between the Song and Liao dynasties erupted. In September of that year, Liao Shengzong Yel ü Longxu and his mother Empress Dowager Xiao personally led a large army to invade the south, opening the curtain of the Battle of Chanyuan. The Marshal of the Liao Army was the Shun King Xiao Talin, who once captured the Song general Yang Linggong alive in Shuozhou. He had outstanding military achievements and became the soul figure of the southern invasion. In September of that year, due to the endless war, it seemed particularly long. The Liao army split into two long routes, with 50000 soldiers from the west route, targeting the Kelan army of the Northern Song Dynasty. On the 28th of the leap month, the Kelan army merged with reinforcements from the provinces and Dai provinces to fight against the Liao army, which defeated the Liaoxi army. More than 200000 Liao soldiers from the east route broke through the Song army on the north bank of the Tang River on the 15th of the leap month. On the 22nd of the leap month, the Khitan Emperor Ye defeated the Song army on the north bank of the Tang River. L ü Longxu, together with his mother Empress Dowager Xiao and the commander-in-chief Xiao Talin, attacked Dingzhou. Afterwards, the Liao army divided into three routes, moving towards the areas of Gaoyang Pass, Qizhou, and Wuqiang along the way, harassing Dezhou, Oasis, and Binzhou in the southeast, and using these two routes to restrain the periphery of Guannan. Along the way, they made every effort to capture the strategic location of Guannan – Yingzhou.
Professor Zhao Dongmei from Peking University: If we look at the situation on the battlefield, the Liao Dynasty had a deep suspension army. In this situation, his supply money cannot keep up, and there is also an important symbol. We say that the Liao army was a deep suspension army, and he did not take down any important strategic points, nor did he take down any big cities. He walked around the largest town in Dingzhou, and then he tried to capture Hejian, which is Yingzhou, and fought extremely badly.
The Liao army encountered stubborn resistance from the Song army in Yingzhou, and even monks and nuns participated in the defense battle, which is the famous Yingzhou Offensive and Defense War. The Liao army attacked the city day and night, and the sound of drums and horns spread throughout the four fields. Torches illuminated the dark night like daylight. Empress Dowager Xiao and Emperor Shengzong of Liao personally went to battle, beating drums to cheer and commanding the army to bravely attack the city. After the war, the Song people seized over a million pieces of armor, lost soldiers, poles, and plaques. More than 30000 Liao soldiers who attacked Guannan died and returned without success.
The victory in the Battle of Yingzhou was not enough to relieve the danger of the Northern Song Dynasty. When Empress Dowager Xiao and Emperor Shengzong of Liao attacked Yingzhou, Xiao Talin turned to the periphery and broke through Qizhou on the 14th, heading south. This shocked the Song court. The Liao army, which had repeatedly suffered setbacks, did not retreat but advance. Despite being attacked on both sides, the entire army penetrated deep and was about to approach the Yellow River bank of Chanzhou. Chanzhou was the gateway to the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty and also the last line of defense against the Khitan. The decisive battle between the Liao and Song dynasties will take place in Chanzhou.
Liu Pujiang, a professor at Peking University: After the loss of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, the natural military defense line along the Great Wall was gone, so the North China Plain was flat, so if the Khitan cavalry went south, there was basically no effective defense means in the Northern Song Dynasty, so if the city of Chanzhou was lost, and the Khitan cavalry was about to cross the Yellow River, it would be equivalent to opening the gate.
The beacon fire spread nine times a night, and soon the news of the Liao army’s massive invasion reached the middle ear of Emperor Zhenzong of Song. The court was shocked, and Emperor Zhenzong quickly summoned his courtiers to discuss countermeasures. However, during the meeting in front of the palace, there were two opposing opinions, the main battle and the main peace. The main peace faction was represented by Wang Qinruo and Chen Yaosuo, and the political advisor Wang Qinruo was from Jiangnan. When he heard of the Khitan invasion from the south, he immediately secretly requested Zhenzong to move the capital to Jinling. However, his fellow minister, Chen Yaosuo, was from Shu, so he secretly requested Zhenzong to move the capital to Chengdu, facing a critical moment of life and death in front of the enemy. Is it to give up or firmly defend? Moving the capital means giving up the vast Central Plains, and China will once again face a situation of northern and southern separatism, which Emperor Zhenzong of Song did not want to see. He turned his attention to the representative figure of the main battle faction, Kou Zhun, who believed that the emperor was divine and powerful, and the generals and ministers were harmonious, If Your Majesty can lead a personal expedition, the enemy should naturally retreat. If you abandon the ancestral temple and move far to Jiangnan and Shu, it will inevitably lead to the collapse of the people’s hearts, and the world of the Great Song Dynasty cannot be preserved.
Kou Zhun’s words made Song Zhenzong’s blood boil. He remembered Taizu’s wish to establish a sealed pile depot for the Northern Expedition, the humiliation of the Gaoliang River, and the suffering of the frontier and the people’s lives. Finally, Song Zhenzong strengthened his determination to lead a personal expedition. The Northern Song Dynasty regarded Chanzhou as the last line of defense against Liao, and the emperor was about to personally rush to the forefront of the battlefield. Just when Emperor Zhenzong of Song decided to personally go to Chanzhou to supervise the war, he received a letter of peace from the front line. This letter came from the Liao army camp and conveyed the intentions of the highest ranking Khitan Empress Dowager Xiao. However, the letter did not come from Empress Dowager Xiao, but from a person named Wang Jizhong.
Zhang Qingxi, Director of the Institute of History and Culture at Peking University: Wang Jizhong came from a military family. Due to his father’s death in battle, he was appointed as an official at the age of six. When Emperor Zhenzong of Song became the crown prince, the two had a close relationship and became close confidants of Emperor Zhenzong of Song. After Emperor Zhenzong ascended to the throne, Wang Jizhong’s promotion was even more rapid. In less than six years, he was promoted to the position of Deputy Commander in Chief of Dingzhou Road, one of the three major military regions of the Northern Song Dynasty. In the sixth year of Emperor Zhenzong’s Xianping reign, Wang Jizhong was defeated and captured in the Battle of Wangdu. Empress Dowager Xiao knew that he was a confidant of Emperor Zhenzong of Song. Take special care of him.
This letter did not come from Empress Dowager Xiao, but from Wang Jizhong, a surrendered general of the Northern Song Dynasty. Does it represent Empress Dowager Xiao’s true intention? If the letter was just a delaying strategy of the Liao Dynasty, the Northern Song Dynasty would miss out on a great opportunity. Chanzhou is adjacent to the Yellow River, and as the war continues, once the Yellow River freezes, the natural moat will become a passage. The Liao army’s iron cavalry can cross the ice, drive straight into the capital, and a letter will overturn the entire dynasty. Even Emperor Zhenzong of Song believed that the Liao army was so fierce that the idea of forming an alliance would be unbelievable. Faced with a serious situation related to survival, survival, prosperity, and defeat, the Northern Song Dynasty made two preparations. On the one hand, it prepared for war, and on the other hand, considering the actual needs of the Li people, the Northern Song also needed peace. Therefore, Emperor Zhenzong returned to the Liao Dynasty. Believe me, since I ascended to the throne and loved to support the people, I have not been willing to engage in military warfare and have always thought about pacifying the people. If the Liao side truly has the sincerity to negotiate, I should punish them.
Professor Zhao Dongmei from Peking University: At that time, there was a prime minister named Bi Shi’an. Bi Shi’an conducted an analysis and put forward two reasons. He said it was credible. He said the first point was that Wang Jizhong was trustworthy. Bi Shi’an was also the hidden residence of Emperor Zhenzong, who was the official before becoming the emperor. Therefore, he was very familiar with Wang Jizhong. He believed that Wang Jizhong’s character was definitely not a problem, as long as it came from his hands. In addition, Bi Shi’an had an inference that although the Liao army was heavily armed, he had not gained too much advantage on the battlefield so far. Therefore, he believed that Xiao The Empress Dowager will want to make peace.
The war between the Liao and Song dynasties seemed to have turned the tide. In October, the Song Dynasty sent a peace envoy, Cao Liyong, to the Liao Dynasty. While negotiating peace, the Liao Dynasty did not stop its southward invasion. When Cao Liyong arrived at the Tianxiong Army, it was the time when the Liao army launched a large-scale attack on the city. Due to doubts about the sincerity of the Khitan peace negotiations, he was obstructed by the commander of the defending army. Once the Liao Dynasty used peace negotiations as bait, bought time, and completed the military deployment of Chanzhou, it would be a fatal blow to the Song Dynasty. Chanzhou was divided into two cities, south and north, with the Yellow River as the boundary, known as the South City and North Fortress, connected by 49 floating bridges in the middle. Chanzhou was the largest city in history. Hejin, known as the key to the north gate and the guarantee of Heshuo, has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times. Now, the Liao and Northern Song dynasties will face each other in battle in Chanzhou. Whether it is war or peace, Chanzhou will leave a significant mark in Chinese history.
Zhang Xiqing, Director of the Institute of History and Culture at Peking University: The Liao Dynasty hoped to capture Chanzhou and achieve his goal of recapturing the southern region of Guannan. Another goal was to use war to force peace, using war as a means to force the Song Dynasty to sign a treaty. Emperor Zhenzong of Song was also in a sharp confrontation. He personally marched to the front line of Chanzhou, using war to deal with war, using peace talks to deal with peace talks, and using both war and peace talks to deal with the war and peace talks of the Liao Dynasty.
Emperor Zhenzong of Song dispatched peace envoy Cao Liyong from Kaifeng to conduct peace talks in Liaoying, which was not a passive waiting measure. Emperor Zhenzong of Song decided to personally lead the expedition, and at this time, Emperor Zhenzong was already prepared for both war and negotiation. When Emperor Zhenzong took power, he appointed the political advisor Wang Dan as the governor of Tokyo. Wang Dan was well aware of the danger of the war and the uncertain future. Before leaving the capital, he specially called the prime minister Kou Zhun to Emperor Zhenzong and asked how to deal with it if he could not receive a good news within ten days. Emperor Zhenzong remained silent for a long time, talking about the establishment of the crown prince. This actually arranged the aftermath, indicating the determination of the Northern Song rulers, officials, and soldiers to fight to the death against Liao.
On November 20th, Emperor Zhenzong of Song personally launched an expedition, with various troops and horses gathering and vehicles rolling from the capital. At this time, 200000 Liao soldiers were facing the city of Chanzhou, and the attack and defense generals of Chanzhou were directly related to the life and death of the Song Dynasty. Just as the decisive battle was about to break out, an event related to the entire war situation suddenly occurred under the city of Chanzhou. Three days ago, the commander of the Liao army, Xiao Talin, led his personal soldiers to patrol the terrain. In the distant city tower of Chanzhou, there was a crossbow staring at him with a bed. On that day, Zhang Gui was on duty, and Zhang Gui was on duty. Zhang Gui led his subordinates to activate the most powerful weapon in the city of Chanzhou, the bed crossbow. Zhang Gui did not know that the person he was targeting was the commander of the Liao army, Xiao Tarin, and he did not know that this beheading operation would turn the tide of the war between the Liao and Song dynasties.
Professor Zhao Dongmei from Peking University: The bed crossbow has a double bow and a three bow crossbow. It seems that his strength is very strong, which is the strongest type of bed crossbow. According to the General Principles of the Martial Arts Classic, hundreds of people work together to pull it open, and at least a few people need to pull it together to pull it open. Therefore, it can be imagined that his strength is so great, and its range is also very far, 120 steps, and even some 300 steps. That is imaginable. At that time, that thing was a very impressive weapon.
Zhang Gui saw a crowd of people and horses on the distant mountain, and ordered his subordinates to secretly move their crossbows and aim at the people led by the Liao army. He then used a sledgehammer to smash the mechanism, and the strong crossbow immediately shot out. The strong crossbow hit Xiao Talin’s forehead. That night, Xiao Talin died in the army. The next day, the vehicle carrying Xiao Talin’s coffin arrived. Empress Dowager Xiao was heartbroken and left the court for five days. Xiao Talin was the main general of the Southern Expedition of the Liao army and had made remarkable military achievements. His death undoubtedly brought a heavy blow to the Liao army.
Zhang Xiqing, Director of the Institute of History and Culture at Peking University: At the foot of the city of Chanzhou, Xiao Talin was suddenly shot to death by a captive crossbow of the Song army, causing the Liao army to lose the soul of military command. His military power was severely damaged, morale was greatly weakened, and he was in a dilemma of being defeated by the main general. Xiao Talin’s death influenced the Song Liao war situation and accelerated the process of the Chanyuan alliance.
On the third day after the death of Xiao Talin, Emperor Zhenzong of Song arrived at the foot of the city of Chanzhou. The northern city of Chanzhou was narrow and close to the front line, and the defending generals on the front line requested Emperor Zhenzong to stop at the southern city, which was relatively safer. Emperor Zhenzong saw the smoke outside the northern city of Chanzhou rolling, and he also felt a little uneasy. At this time, the Song army in the northern city of Chanzhou was being fiercely attacked by the Liao army, and the soldiers urgently needed to improve their morale. They eagerly hoped that the emperor could personally visit the front line. On November 26, 1004, at the insistence of Kou Zhun and others, Emperor Zhenzong of Song personally visited the northern city of Chanzhou. And he stepped onto the front line of defending the city, standing in front of the army as the commander-in-chief of the country. For Emperor Zhenzong of Song, he only took a small step, but for the Song Dynasty, he took a big step. His appearance will completely change the situation of war. At the North Gate Tower, his followers raised the Yellow Dragon Flag for Emperor Zhenzong of Song, The Song army, who were far and near, cheered eagerly upon seeing the Huang Luo umbrella cover of the emperor. With a reputation of tens of miles and courage of a hundred times, Emperor Zhenzong climbed up the city tower to inspect the various armies, greatly boosting the morale of the Song army and making it possible for the Song and Liao to negotiate peace. With the death of Xiao Dalin, Liao had already fallen into a situation of advancing and retreating from the Wei Valley. Emperor Zhenzong’s visit to the northern city of Chanzhou made it even more difficult for Liao to ride a tiger.
Professor Zhao Dongmei from Peking University: Empress Dowager Xiao also has a balance when it comes to the relationship between Song and Liao. I believe in Empress Dowager Xiao’s strategic vision. She wants to solve the border issue between Song and Liao, and she doesn’t want to keep it unresolved for a long time. In this sense, I think Empress Dowager Xiao really wants peace. In the case where you can’t eat me and I can’t eat you, what is the best way? Peace talks.
Then at this time, the special envoy for negotiations of the Song Dynasty, Cao Liyong, was nowhere to be found. Empress Dowager Xiao waited patiently for the envoy of the Song Dynasty not to come, and coupled with the multiple defeats of the Liao army on the battlefield, the situation was developing in favor of the Song Dynasty. Empress Dowager Xiao then asked Wang Jizhong to take another leave of absence to convey the sincerity of the Liao Dynasty’s peace negotiations. Empress Dowager Xiao urged Cao Liyong to come to the Liao camp for peace talks as soon as possible, but she waited patiently but still did not hear from him. It turned out that the war was still ongoing, and the offensive of the Liao army had not decreased. The commander of the Tianxiong Army, Wang Qinruo, was worried about the fraud and refused to send Cao Liyong as an envoy. Empress Dowager Xiao and Emperor Shengzong of Liao had no choice but to order Wang Jizhong to revise the book for the third time, urging the Song Dynasty to dispatch another envoy from Chanzhou to quickly come and negotiate. Frequent hotline messages from the Liao side finally helped the Northern Song court understand the opponent’s urgent need for peace, On the one hand, Emperor Zhenzong issued an edict to Wang Qinruo, the commander-in-chief of the Tianxiong Army, urging Cao Li to use the north for peace talks. On the other hand, he delivered a handwritten edict to Wang Jizhong to express that the Northern Song Dynasty was willing to negotiate.
The Song Dynasty’s envoy for peace, Cao Liyong, who had been eagerly waiting for the Liao side, finally appeared in the Liao camp. The mother of Liao, Empress Dowager Xiao, was overjoyed when she saw Cao Liyong. Empress Dowager Xiao still insisted on returning the land of Guannan, which was the frontline of the Song Dynasty’s resistance against the Liao Dynasty. Once abandoned, North China would be defenseless. As a result, she was sternly rejected by Cao, and the peace talks reached a stalemate. The rulers and officials of the Liao Dynasty realized that any further delay in the war would be detrimental to themselves. The morale of the Song army was high, and reinforcements from all sides were about to arrive. However, if the whole country retreated from the southern invasion without any benefits, it was impossible to say. On December 1st, the Liao Dynasty dispatched Korean enterprises holding national documents to continue peace talks with Cao Li in the Song army camp. The situation at that time was favorable to the Song Dynasty, and the main battle faction, Kou Zhun, disagreed with the peace negotiations and deliberately proposed conditions that the Liao side could not accept. Firstly, they made the Liao state submit to the throne, The second is to reclaim the sixteen provinces of Yanyun that were occupied by the Liao Dynasty during the Five Dynasties period. Yang Yanzhao, the frontline commander, also wrote a letter, believing that the Liao army was located in Chanzhou, thousands of miles away from the northern border, and the people and horses were tired. As long as each major army held the key points, they could annihilate the Liao army. Emperor Zhenzong did not adopt the military strategy of Kou Zhun and Yang Yanzhao, but instead sent Cao Liyong to the Liao camp to negotiate peace. Before leaving, he told Cao Yong to meet the requirements of the Liao side as much as possible. In case of necessity, even if silver or a million silk were given at the age, Kou Zhun secretly summoned Cao Liyong, saying that although there were… Imperial decree, but you promised the Liao side not to exceed 300000. If it exceeds 300000, I will behead you.
Professor Zhao Dongmei from Peking University: It makes sense for Emperor Zhenzong of Song to negotiate, why is it reasonable? Although the battlefield situation at that time could have achieved a slight advantage, with the national strength of the Song Dynasty, if we say first, completely eliminate Khitan, there is no such power; It may also be difficult to retrieve the sixteen states of Yanyun for the second time; And third, taking a step back and saying that taking back the Great Wall defense line is enough; In addition, Emperor Zhenzong is also a very pragmatic person. He is not a brave person, nor can he be considered too cowardly. He is a pragmatic ordinary person.
Cao Liyong went to the Liao camp and indeed acted according to Kou Zhun’s advice. The Liao Dynasty saw the envoys of the Great Song Dynasty with a firm attitude and no hope of seeking land. The current peace negotiations were also favorable to the Liao side, and finally agreed to form an alliance. This peace negotiation was the famous alliance of the Chanyuan in history. The oath of the Chanyuan alliance stipulated that the diplomatic relations between the Northern Song Dynasty and the Liao Dynasty were first confirmed. The Liao Song Dynasty was a brotherly country, and Emperor Shengzong of Liao was young and called Song Zhenzong his brother. In later generations, it was still based on age; The second is to delineate the border between the Northern Song Dynasty and the Liao Dynasty. The Liao side recognizes that the land in Guannan belongs to the Northern Song Dynasty, and the Liao Song border is restored to a pre war state of actual occupation. Both sides swear to defend their territories, punish each other for their crimes, protect each other’s agriculture, and do not add military facilities to each other; The Third Northern Song Dynasty annually presented the Liao Dynasty with Sui coins, known as military aid expenses, consisting of 100000 taels of silver and 200000 pieces of silk, which were delivered to Xiongzhou for delivery; The fourth party sets up negotiation venues with the border to carry out mutual trade.
Zhang Xiqing, Director of the Institute of History and Culture at Peking University: It ended the 25 year long war between the Song and Liao dynasties and maintained nearly 120 years of peaceful exchanges. This peaceful and stable situation played a positive role in the social and economic development and cultural prosperity of the Song and Liao dynasties. The Chanyuan League played a significant role in the political, economic, cultural exchange, and the integration and unity of the Chinese nation between the Song and Liao dynasties, forming a development.
In the year 1004 AD, a treaty under the city of Chanzhou dramatically resolved decades of enmity and grievances between the Song and Liao dynasties, turning war into jade and silk, opening up a century long peaceful situation. Following the establishment of the Chanyuan Alliance by Emperor Zhenzong of Song, he wrote poems expressing his aspirations and engraved them on stones before his class returned to Beijing, known as the Huiluan Stele, which witnessed the Northern Song Dynasty’s resistance against the Liao Dynasty and the formation of the Chanyuan Alliance.
Puyang Old City, Puyang City, Henan Province
Today, the old city of Puyang still retains its former neighborhoods and layout, while the four legged archway standing in the center is prominently inscribed with large characters, telling the status and history of this ancient city. The formation of the Chanyuan League, known as brotherhood, equal coexistence, and long-term and good relations, is rare in the history of the relationship between ancient Chinese border regimes and Central Plains dynasties, as well as between border ethnic groups and Central Plains ethnic groups. It is difficult for people nowadays to connect the Yunju Temple in Fangshan, Beijing with the city of Chanzhou on the banks of the Yellow River. Yunju Temple was once the actual control area of the Liao Dynasty, where a large number of stone carved Buddhist scriptures were collected. After the Chanyuan League, the landmark event of the prosperity of the Liao Dynasty’s culture and education was the re printing of the Yunju Temple stone scriptures, which had been interrupted by war. Emperor Shengzong of the Liao Dynasty continued to revise the stone scriptures. In fact, thanks to the Yanwu Xiuwen policy after the Chanyuan League, the development and integration of northern ethnic culture were promoted. Due to frequent exchanges between the Song and Liao dynasties, Emperor Tianyou of the Liao Dynasty even wrote these words on the silver Buddha cast at Kaitai Temple, wishing that future generations would be born in China. The Liao Dynasty accelerated the pace of learning from the Song Dynasty system and absorbing Han civilization. The phenomenon of convergence between Korean culture and Song culture began to emerge.
Liao Shangjing Museum, Balin Left Banner, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
The Bahrain Left Banner Museum houses a large number of cultural relics from the Liao and Song dynasties, some of which bear witness to the peaceful exchanges between the Song and Liao dynasties after the Chanyuan League. The passage of time cannot conceal the mutual trade and exchange between the two sides.
Bahrain Left Banner Liao Shangjing Museum – Wang Lihua: The Tianning Festival Silver Sting, also known as the Tianning Festival, is the birthday of Emperor Huizong of Song. This is the annual coin silver presented by local officials as tribute to Emperor Huizong of Song on his birthday. After the Battle of Chanyuan, this silver Sting was brought to the Great Liao Kingdom as annual coin silver. It originated from the Han city of Liaoshang, but in the early 1950s, we had already discovered more than fifty such annual coin silver on the market, which is in line with what we call the Chongxi Zeng coin in our history.
In the eyes of modern people, the Chanyuan Alliance was a city alliance signed during the war. The oath stipulated that the Song Dynasty would receive 300000 yuan in annual currency, which was equivalent to an unequal treaty for the Song Dynasty. However, people at that time did not think so because the Song and Liao dynasties agreed to be brotherly countries, with equal status and no humiliating status. Therefore, the annual gift of 30 silver and silk was not a tribute from vassal states, nor was it a compensation from defeated countries. For the huge war funds, 300000 yuan was just a drop in the bucket, less than one percent of the military expenses used for the war.
Jialing Binjia Bronze Mirror Liao Shangjing Museum
Flower Mouth Three Colored Butterfly Liao Shangjing Museum
After the Battle of Chanyuan, tea, porcelain, lacquerware, and other commodities from the Northern Song Dynasty were continuously imported into the Liao Dynasty. Salt and jade from the Liao Dynasty also appeared in large quantities in the markets of the Great Song Dynasty. From then on, the people of the border areas put down their swords, picked up hoes, and plowed on the long acres. On the main road between the Liao and Song dynasties, envoys came in a continuous stream. The Chanyuan Alliance brought more than a hundred years of peace to the Liao and Song dynasties, but it also brought negative impacts.
Zhang Xiqing, Director of the Institute of History and Culture at Peking University: The Chanyuan Alliance also brought some negative effects to the Song Dynasty. The main reason is that the rulers of the Song Dynasty had a one-sided impression that they could eliminate border problems and maintain peace forever through monetary redemption. Therefore, after the Chanyuan Alliance, the rulers of the Song Dynasty regressed in their national defense strategy, shifting from guarding the interior while neglecting the exterior to forgetting to fight and leaving troops, and neglecting military readiness.
The establishment of the Treaty of Chanyuan made the rulers and ministers of the Song Dynasty ashamed to speak of military readiness and extravagantly talk about peace, with the highest goal of compromise and peace. When negotiating peace with the Jin Dynasty, they even lost their national dignity and national dignity. This is something that future generations must be vigilant about. The ancients said that only by being able to fight can peace be achieved. War and peace are always interdependent. If it were not for Kou Zhun’s strength to exclude public opinion, without the imperial expedition of Zhenzong, without the bloody battlefield of soldiers, peace could not have arrived so quickly. In the Qin Dynasty, the moon was bright, and in the Han Dynasty, the people of the Long March had not returned, but the flying generals of the Dragon City were there, and Hu Ma was not taught to pass the Yin Mountain.
Historical facts have proven that strengthening national defense and enhancing national strength is the key to building a strong country and defending the country. After the Battle of Chanyuan, Yang Yanzhao stationed himself on the border for nearly a decade, maintaining border security and peace, and ultimately leading to a dead end. From then on, the history and legends of the Yang family generals complement each other. Through continuous enrichment and interpretation, the iron blooded man who was originally just a bloody battlefield has now merged with the unassuming Yang men female generals. History has created heroes, and later generations use legends to commemorate the heroic and heroic years of the heroes.
90 Seconds of History: Jointly Governing the World with Scholars
Zhao Kuangyin, the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty, deeply detested the tyranny of the military and the harm caused to the country and the people since the end of the Tang and Five Dynasties. In order to ensure the long-term stability of the country, he became the successor of later generations and established the basic national policy of valuing literature over martial arts. Subsequent emperors basically followed the concept of governing the country with literature. As a result, the Song Dynasty became the golden age of scholar official politics, and a situation where the Song Dynasty emperor and scholar officials jointly governed the world emerged. This made the economy, culture, and technology of the Northern Song Dynasty at the forefront of the world at that time, and the prosperity of the entire society was unparalleled. The outstanding scholar officials represented by Fan Zhongyan, who took the world as their own responsibility, became the most prosperous society at that time. The emergence of the situation of co governing the country with literati and officials, as a model for future civil officials, also led to an unprecedented peak in the discussion of cliques in Chinese history, which directly led to, The rapid failure of the Qingli New Policy and the fear of cliques became a psychological barrier that the Song Dynasty emperor could not overcome.
