In the spring of 1112 AD, Emperor Tianzuo of the Liao Dynasty was drilling ice and fishing in the Huntong River (Heilongjiang). The first fish caught by the Liao Emperor held a banquet to reward the various tribes, which was called the Head Fish Banquet. At that time, the leaders of various Jurchen tribes would all come to attend, and Wanyan Aguda also represented the Wanyan tribe in this banquet. At this banquet, the leaders of each tribe not only presented local products to Emperor Tianzuo, but also offered songs and dances to cheer him up like a dancer. However, Aguda did not prepare any songs and dances. If he refused the request of the Liao Lord in person, it would mean that he might bring about a fatal accident.
The Changbai Mountains Jilin Province
It is known as Changbai Mountain, the highest mountain in Northeast China. The Jurchen people have always regarded it as their birthplace. Early Jurchen people lived in Northeast China for generations, and the ancient Sushen people were their ancestors. Sushen people established close ties with the Central Plains for a long time. The Zhou people believed that Sushen was their northern territory, and during the Later Han Dynasty, Sushen was called Yilou. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, it was called Wuji. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, it was called Mohe. The Liao and Song people called them Nuzhi or Jurchen. During the reign of Emperor Shengzong of Liao, some of the attached Jurchen people were moved to the east of Liaoyang in Tokyo and incorporated into the Liao Dynasty. Ji, known as Mature Jurchen, was born and lived in the Jurchen tribe in the Heilongjiang and Changbai Mountains, and is known as Sheng Jurchen. But Sheng Nuzhen was not included in the Liao dynasty. There were about 100000 people scattered in the valleys along the Hu River, with thousands of small and large tribes. They were independent and known for their fighting spirit, but their scattered forces constrained their development. In the mid Liao Dynasty, the Sheng Nuzhen people gradually united and formed several larger tribal alliances, among which the Wanyan tribe was the most powerful. Wanyan Aguda was a member of the Sheng Nuzhen Wanyan tribe, and his father Qiulibo was once the leader of the Wanyan tribe. When the Wanyan tribe gathered in the Ashe River basin east of Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, and accused the father of Li Bo, Wugunai, of serving as the chieftain, the Wanyan tribe had already conquered the birth Jurchen tribes such as Baishan, Tongmen, Yehui, Yelan, Tugulun, and Wuguo. The Liao Dynasty appointed him as the military governor of the birth Jurchen tribe. Afterwards, the Impeachment Libo extended his influence to areas such as the upper reaches of the Hulan River and Mudan River. Although Sheng Nuzhen was not included in the Liao nationality and maintained the customs and system of his own tribe, he submitted to the Khitan and regularly paid tribute to the Liao Dynasty. At this time, although the power of the Wanyan tribe had gradually become stronger, it was still far from being able to compete with the Liao Dynasty and often suffered from its humiliation.
Professor Li Guizhi from Central University for Nationalities: This is related to his status, because he is a subordinate of the state. Since he is a subordinate of the state, he must bear corresponding obligations to his suzerain country. So, if there is anything he likes in your place, he will naturally take it. In the early stage, it was contributed from the perspective of tribute, so when there is more demand in the later stage, he will have to take it. If the demand is not good, he will have to seize it. Therefore, in this situation, he will naturally be subjected to some extortion and even oppression from the Liao Dynasty.
This is a type of raptor, mainly produced in the areas of the Jurchen tribe. It is fast and aggressive, and the Jurchen consider it a symbol of their own tribe. He is Hai Dongqing. While Haidongqing brings glory to Sheng Nuzhen, it also brings endless disasters and shame.
Li Zhongwen, President of Jilin Falcon Culture Inheritance Association: Haidongqing is the best among eagles, and among eagles, Haidongqing is the best. You can even chase after it. Haidongqing mainly grasps swans, which are very fierce. It can’t catch anything else, only Haidongqing can. He will fight in the air. After driving the swan down, the eagle can only chase after it. Before the swan flies away, Haidongqing does not need to chase after it. Haidongqing can dive down and shoot the swan down.
Li Zhongwen is the president of the Jilin Eagle Hunting Culture Inheritance Association. His family has been skilled in taming eagles for generations, and as an eagle tamer, he is proud to have a Haidongqing. He has not caught Haidongqing for many years, but he has never given up. Today, he plans to continue using a special method to capture Haidongqing. And 1000 years ago, it was not an easy task for the powerful officials of the Liao Dynasty to have a Hai Dong Qing. It is said that Hai Dong Qing could hunt swans several times larger than his own body. The Emperor of the Liao Dynasty would personally release Hai Dong Qing to catch swans when he pressed his bowl in spring. The Emperor of the Liao Dynasty was very fond of Hai Dong Qing, so its fame grew and it became a sought after object for many Liao Dynasty ministers.
Professor Li Guizhi from Central University for Nationalities: And many people, as long as they have the conditions, want to have a Haidongqing. At this time, Haidongqing not only serves as an assistant in hunting, but also as a symbol of falcon identity. It is even a symbol of the owner’s identity. Therefore, in this situation, the needs of the Liao Dynasty continued to demand, which was a heavy burden for the Jurchen people.
At this time, Sheng Nuzhen was in a stage of semi agriculture and semi hunting, with their expertise in summoning deer, shooting tigers, and fighting bears. Hai Dong Qing was their treasure, but the arrogant Liao Dynasty turned a blind eye and constantly demanded Hai Dong Qing from Sheng Nuzhen. Once, the Khitan border generals led troops to collect Hai Dong Qing and even forced Sheng Nuzhen to offer various items. The worst of them were envoys sent by the central government of the Liao Dynasty, known as Silver Angels. Every time they arrived, the Silver Angels asked young women who gave birth to Zhen Ren to accompany them to sleep. At first, they stayed overnight at the homes of middle and lower households, searching for unmarried female attendants. Sleep, later envoys frequently traveled, and married women were also called to sleep.
Professor Li Guizhi from Central University for Nationalities: For these ethnic groups in the Later Jin Dynasty, sexual behavior before marriage was not widely condemned, but not after marriage. Therefore, it is estimated that in the early period of the Liao Dynasty, some of the women they contributed and sent to them may have been unmarried and young girls. Later on, he said he had a crush on someone, and he could ask for it by name. In this situation, regardless of whether you are married or not, if he wants it, you can send it to him. This has aroused widespread dissatisfaction among the Jurchen people.
The humiliation of the Liao Dynasty deeply humiliated the Wanyan tribe, who were more eager to resist. However, in the face of the powerful Liao Dynasty, their resistance often brought greater disasters. They hoped for the arrival of an extraordinary hero to help them escape from the sea of suffering. Such expectations are so urgent, yet so long. Now, the wise and brave Wanyan Aguda has finally appeared, but with his own strength, he can turn the world around. Wanyan Aguda, born on July 1, 1068 AD, had a dignified demeanor and strong arms since childhood. Later, he went out to suppress the rebellion of Wuchun and Womouhan with his father, Impeachable Libo, and uncle Yingge, demonstrating outstanding military talent. Impeachable Libo predicted that only this child could solve the problems of the Liao Dynasty.
After several generations of struggle, the Wanyan tribe gradually became stronger, but faced increasingly greater difficulties. After impeachment, his younger brothers Po La Ge and Ying Ge successively became the new leaders of the Wanyan tribe, while A Gu Da became a capable assistant. They went on expeditions to the east and west, trying to unify the Jurchen tribe and form a strong joint force to deal with the Liao Dynasty. However, the internal division of the Jurchen tribe was still divided, and it was impossible to achieve unity in the short term. Ying Ge became the commander of the alliance for a long time, and the power of the twelve tribes was even stronger. However, the Tu Dan tribe of the Jurchen tribe formed an alliance of fourteen tribes, and the Ugu Lun tribe also formed an alliance of fourteen tribes. In addition, the Pucha tribe formed a seven tribe alliance. Three alliances joined forces to attack the Wanyanbu Alliance. In this situation, Yingge and Aguda had to take flexible measures, and the conflict caused by Hai Dongqing became increasingly intense, The Eagle Road, which transported Haidongqing, was often invaded by the tribes along the border. The Liao Dynasty attempted to use the Wanyan tribe to suppress rebellion and ensure the smooth flow of the Eagle Road. Yingge judged the situation and believed that it was a good opportunity to use the power of the Liao to pacify the various tribes on the Eagle Road and develop his own strength. The two hit it off as soon as possible. In the second year of the Shouchang reign of Emperor Daozong of the Liao Dynasty, Yingge, who was appointed as the commander of the Shengnvzhen Jiedushi, led his troops to clear the Eagle Road and rescued the Liao envoy.
Professor Li Guizhi from Central University for Nationalities: The Battle of Yinglu was actually a situation created by the Jurchen. It was based on the Liao Dynasty’s demand for the Haidongqing, and he went to tell the tribes on Yinglu that you had blocked Yinglu. I reported to Liang Chao that Yinglu was not accessible and Haidongqing could not come. So, I went to report to the Liao Dynasty that Yinglu was not accessible and Haidongqing could not come. So, in this situation, we have to go and fight, and then he spoke out. This is also how these tribes on Eagle Road spoke out, saying that in order to level Eagle Road, we must give birth to the Jurchen tribe’s military governor. In this situation, of course, you are my subordinate in the Liao Dynasty, so I wish you could go and conquer for me. He went forward and said that Eagle Road would be open. Therefore, in this situation, the Liao Dynasty not only cannot blame him, but also has to celebrate his achievements and reward him. In this way, he not only received a reward from the Liao Dynasty, but also strengthened his prestige and expanded his influence. Why wouldn’t he be happy to go to Eagle Road. As the Jurchen tribe continued to grow stronger, Aguda’s abilities gradually became apparent. In 1096 AD, after defeating other tribes, Aguda suggested that the leaders of other tribes in Yingge should be renamed as the Minister of War, making these tribes recognize the leadership position of the Wanyan tribe. Originally, each branch of the Shengnuzhen tribe had its own trust cards. Aguda suggested that Yingge deal with tribes that did not trust cards without authorization, which was an important milestone. As a result, the Wanyan tribe unified the orders of each branch and formed the Shengnuzhen tribe alliance led by the Wanyan tribe. The close cooperation between the Wanyan tribe and the Liao dynasty did not last long, and the Ashu incident became a turning point in the relationship between the Wanyan tribe and the Liao dynasty. Ashu was originally the leader of the Heshi Lie tribe and had already surrendered to the Wanyan tribe. However, in 1096 AD, when the Wanyan tribe advanced to suppress the Wendu tribe, Ashu led his troops to stop them. The Wanyan army launched a large-scale attack, and Ashu sought help from the Liao. The Liao Dynasty clearly did not want the Wanyan tribe to become stronger, so they sent envoys to demand that the Wanyan tribe withdraw their troops and return Ashu’s castle. The leader of the Wanyan tribe, Yingge, was forced to withdraw, but did not want to repay Ashu’s losses. So he ordered someone to secretly block Eagle Road, and at the same time, he also had someone report that if Eagle Road was to be opened, Yingge would have to do it, and this matter ultimately came to an end. However, the Liao Dynasty protected Ashu, which caused strong dissatisfaction among Sheng Nuzhen. Li Guizhi: At that time, when the Wanyan tribe went to conquer the Heshi Lie tribe, Ashu was defeated. After defeating him, he ran away and went to the Liao Dynasty. So, after he ran to the Liao Dynasty, did the Liao Dynasty keep him and support him to fight against the Wanyan tribe together? This situation of course also caused the Wanyan tribe’s dissatisfaction. So, he negotiated with the Liao Dynasty, and he demanded that the Liao Dynasty. He said Ashu was a traitor of the Jurchen tribe, so he called him the traitor Ashu. So he kept sending envoys, and he had to find an excuse. There must be a reason. So he said he demanded the return of the traitor Ashu. In 1103 AD, Yingge passed away, and Aguda’s brother Wu Yashu became the chieftain of the Wanyan tribe. Since then, the birth of Jurchen began to refuse Liao envoys to travel to Yinglu, citing the acceptance of traitor Ashu by the Liao Dynasty. However, in the face of the powerful Liao Dynasty, Sheng Nuzhen still had to endure a lot of humiliation. Anger and helplessness spread within Sheng Nuzhen, and Wan Yan Agu was deeply involved. He strongly felt these emotions. To become a true hero, he had to turn these emotions into strength and fight against the Liao Dynasty. This is Chagan Lake located on the front of the Songhua River in the western part of Jilin Province. The annual winter fishing is being held here, and this fishing and hunting culture originated in prehistory and flourished in the Liao and Jin dynasties. In the spring of 1112 AD, Emperor Tianzuo of Liao held a fish feast here, and Wanyan Aguda represented the Wanyan tribe to participate in this grand event. According to traditional customs, during the banquet, various tribal leaders would cheer for Emperor Tianzuo’s singing and dancing, but Aguda did not prepare any songs and dances. At this moment, Aguda had already made up his mind, disregarding the danger of his life. He was full of hatred towards Emperor Tianzuo and wanted to vent his anger for giving birth to the Jurchen. When Emperor Zuo requested Aguda to sing and dance to cheer him up, Aguda sat upright and refused in person. At the banquet, only he refused to dance for Emperor Tianzuo. Just because of this, he would bring disaster and even bring disaster to the entire Wanyan tribe. Emperor Tianzuo was very displeased, thinking that Aguda had great ambitions and would inevitably become a major threat to the Liao Dynasty in the future. The next day, Aguda was about to be killed, but the Liao Dynasty minister Xiao Fengxian did not even consider Aguda in his eyes, believing that there was no need to care about such a barbarian. With his persuasion, Aguda was able to save his life. When Aguda quickly returned to the Wanyan tribe, he refused the news of Emperor Tianzuo in front of him and quickly spread throughout various parts of the Jurchen Empire. This was unprecedented in the history of the Jurchen Empire, and Aguda thus became a hero of the Jurchen people. Shortly after Wu Yashu passed away, Aguda naturally succeeded him as the leader of the Living Jurchen Alliance, with great strength. Zhou Feng: Du Bo is extremely fierce, actually the Minister mentioned earlier. Minister Du is equivalent to the highest leader of the Jurchen tribe alliance. At that time, the Wanyan tribe was still unable to compete with the Liao dynasty. Aguda had just taken over and ordered his subordinates to build castles and weapons in various strategic areas, and accelerate the expansion of their own strength. Under Aguda’s leadership, every Jurchen had an inexplicable excitement, a little nervousness, and a lot of confusion in their hearts. What their leader wanted to do, as well as the Liao dynasty. The Liao dynasty’s military command noticed the changes in Jurchen and sent a special person to inquire. Aguda surrendered himself in danger to answer, but the Liao dynasty was not at ease and sent envoys to question. Aguda turned around and demanded that the Liao dynasty turn to interrogate them. The Jurchen traitor Ashu handed him over to them, which relieved the Liao Dynasty. In their eyes, Wanyan Aguda was still afraid that the Liao Dynasty would use Ashu to balance him. Since that was the case, the Liao Dynasty would not return Ashu. Li Guizhi: What should the Liao Dynasty say about him? How to put it? It is a traditional obligation that requires him to fulfill his obligations, and there are restrictions on his expansion of power. He trusts the Ashu who defected to the Liao Dynasty. In this situation, Ashu constantly demanded that the Liao Dynasty send troops to restore the part of his lost rights. Therefore, the Liao Dynasty did not listen to Ashu’s initiative to attack this Wanyan tribe, nor did it give up its power and control over the Wanyan tribe. However, the control at this time has actually had little effect. Aguda is now determined to resist the Liao Dynasty to the end. Aguda continued to send people to the Liao Dynasty to demand Ashu, but the result was predictable. Not only was he rejected, but he also suffered more shame. Aguda’s actions were not even visible to his subordinates, and the suppressed anger was boiling in everyone’s hearts. At that time, the Jurchen people also believed in shamanism and had a devout faith in the gods. On a day in September 1114, Aguda gathered more than 2500 brave men and held a solemn farewell ceremony, recounting the invasions and humiliations of the Liao Dynasty over the years. The suppressed anger and fighting spirit of everyone were also aroused, and they used the excuse of demanding the return of Ashu to march into Ningjiangzhou of the Liao Dynasty. But at this time, the 100000 strong army of the Liao Dynasty was rushing towards Chuhedian, not far from Ningjiangzhou. The ratio of the two armies was 1:27, which would undoubtedly create huge psychological pressure for the Jurchen army. In this situation, Aguda took a sudden attack. In order to stabilize and boost morale on the battlefield, Aguda used the Shamanist Dream Bu theory, which was most trusted by the Jurchen people. Aguda fully utilized the power of the shamanic gods on the battlefield, and he told everyone that the gods suggested that he send troops overnight. So Aguda decided to lead 2500 brave soldiers in a surprise attack. After the sound of drums shook the sky, the soldiers heard Aguda’s words and their morale immediately surged. Thousands of iron cavalry rushed straight to the Liao army’s base. The Jurchen army was like a wolf and a tiger, catching the Liao army off guard and collapsing one after another. In this battle, the Jurchen army captured countless Liao soldiers, as well as chariots, horses, and treasures. Aguda rewarded the officials and soldiers everywhere, and nearby armies returned one after another. Aguda’s troops had already exceeded 10000. Li Guizhi: After the Battle of Ningjiangzhou came to an end, the Liao Dynasty was shaken up and down because Ningjiangzhou was a military stronghold of the Liao Dynasty in the northeast, and it was also an important place for the exchange of trade between the Liao Dynasty and the Jurchen people. Therefore, once Ningjiangzhou fell, its defense forces in the northeast would be greatly weakened. In 1116 AD, Aguda incorporated the mature women towns of Tokyo and Nanlu into the rule of the aristocrats of the Wanyan tribe, ultimately completing the unification of the various Jurchen tribes. Soon after, Aguda proclaimed himself emperor in Huining Prefecture (Shangjing), established the Jurchen regime, and changed his reign to Shouguo. According to the “Annals of the Grand Ancestor of the Jin Dynasty”, in the first month of the first year of Shouguo, the Renshen Shuo day was celebrated, and the courtiers presented their honorific titles, which was the day of the emperor’s throne. It is evident that Aguda’s political power could last for a long time. Therefore, the Liao Dynasty used the name of Bing Tie and adopted its firmness. Although Bing Tie was firm, it eventually deteriorated and remained the same as Jin. This is why he positioned his country as Da Jin. After the establishment of the Jin Dynasty, Aguda’s political system still maintained the original characteristics of the Jurchen people, mainly continuing to implement the Bu Ji Lie system in the central government. Li Guizhi: The meaning of “Bu Jilie” is “official”. In regions like the Central Plains, there are many names for this official, but for the ethnic groups of Later Jin, his name is relatively few. He only has one name, which is “Da Bu Jilie” and “Xiao Bu Jilie”. Then the head of your department becomes “Bu Jilie”, which can also be called “Bojin”. The leaders of several departments are called “Du Bu Jilie”, which means “Da Bu Jilie”. However, at that time, there were many Jurchen departments that called “Da Bu Jilie”, and each department had a leader of various departments, each with a “Du Bu Jilie”. Wu Qimai was appointed as the knowledgeable Bo Jilie, also known as the Da Bo Jilie. Da Bo Jilie assisted the emperor in handling military and state affairs, foreign military use, engineering construction, foreign exchanges, and astronomical calculations. Under Da Bo Jilie, there were also Guo Bo Jilie, Hao Bo Jilie, and others who jointly assisted the emperor in handling political affairs. Aguda also strengthened the Meng’an Moke system in local areas, which is a system of military and political integration. Meng’an Moke was the original social organization of the Jurchen people, originating from military units established for the needs of plundering and hunting, and may also have originated from early rural communes. After the establishment of the Jin Dynasty, it gradually became institutionalized, with every 300 households being divided into one mu of grain and 10 mu of grain being divided into one mu of grain. During wartime, the army was unified, and during peacetime, agriculture was carried out. Li Guizhi: So this organization further organizes him in an orderly manner. Whether he is engaged in production in peacetime or leading troops in wartime, he has the corresponding organization and leader. Therefore, his command is more convenient, which not only enhances his combat effectiveness, but also gives him a better organizer and leader in peacetime production. This is Shibeiweizi Village, Xujiadian Township, Fuyu City, Jilin Province. There is an extremely precious cultural relic from the Jin Dynasty that is collected here. The Great Jin Dynasty was praised for its victory. This monument was erected by the fifth emperor of the Jin Dynasty, Emperor Shizong Wanyan Yong, to commemorate the outstanding leader of the Jurchen Empire, Wanyan Aguda, who made great contributions to the country. There are 815 Chinese character inscriptions on the front and over 1500 characters on the back. The Jurchen script was created by Wanyan Xiyin under the command of Aguda at that time, imitating the Liao and Han scripts. In 1119 AD, the Jurchen script was promulgated and implemented in the Jin Dynasty. This monument also records the most thrilling war of Aguda’s life. After his first victory, Aguda did not stop and the war against Liao continued. In 1115 AD, a shaman dance was once again performed in Aguda’s military camp. Previously, Aguda led his army to capture the military stronghold of Huanglong Prefecture in the Liao Dynasty. Emperor Tianzuo of Liao received news and personally led a 700000 strong army to Huanglong Prefecture, causing the soldiers of Aguda to once again feel strong pressure. Zhou Feng: Although the Battle of Huanglong Mansion was equivalent to a complete victory for the Wanyan tribe, the Liao Dynasty was immediately overwhelmed by a large army. At that time, it was said that the Liao Dynasty had a large army, claiming to have 700000 soldiers, and only 20000 soldiers with the Jurchen army. Therefore, Aguda faced a life and death test. This is a huge test. Aguda made up his mind and planned to fight against the Liao army. However, in real history, there were always many unexpected times before a war broke out, and the Liao army sparked internal strife. Yelv Zhangnu, the vanguard of the Liao and Jin dynasties, returned to the Liao capital and planned to establish another emperor. Emperor Tianzuo was forced to retreat. Two days later, the news of the retreat of the Liao army reached the army of Aguda, and everyone was extremely excited. According to the situation at that time, Aguda quickly made strategic arrangements. The enemy was outnumbered, and the troops were inseparable. The enemy’s Chinese army was the strongest, and the Liao lord would definitely be among them. If we concentrate our forces to defeat their Chinese army, we can achieve success. So, Aguda and his soldiers gathered together again, like sharp blades, piercing towards the core of the Liao army, and the entire line of the Liao army was defeated. This battle is another typical case in the history of Chinese warfare where less wins more. Li Guizhi: After the Battle of Huanglong Mansion, Agu Da’s goal changed. Originally, he established a country and became independent, breaking away from the rule of the Liao Dynasty. Now, he sees that he can not only become independent, but also develop and strengthen his own strength. Therefore, he made the destruction of Liao his goal. At this point, Wanyan Aguda had already gained an advantage, but it was far from the ultimate victory. The Liao Dynasty had a vast territory, and if the other party could unite and work together, their actual strength would far exceed that of Da Jin. Aguda never relaxed his vigilance. While rewarding his achievements, he strictly enforced military discipline and knew that human heart was the most important thing. He issued an edict to destroy the Liao army, and those who surrendered from all directions should be given preferential treatment. From now on, officials and civilians from the Liao ethnic groups of Khitan, Xi, Han, and Bohai, such as Nuzhi, Shiwei, Darugu, Wujia, and Tieli, who had surrendered or been captured by the army, and those who fled and returned would be considered guilty. Their chiefs would continue to serve, and in the newly occupied areas, Aguda announced the abolition of the Liao law and reduced taxes to reassure the people. The military strength, strengthened political control, and visionary strategies have created a great figure for a minority ethnic group, giving the Jurchen rule of Wanyan Aguda unprecedented power. In May 1120 AD, Aguda sent troops to capture the capital of Liao. Before attacking the capital, a Northern Song envoy happened to come. Emperor Huizong of Song hoped to cooperate with Aguda of Wanyan, launch a pincer attack from north to south, and jointly deal with the Liao Dynasty. This was undoubtedly very beneficial for Aguda and the Jin regime. But Aguda did not immediately agree. On the contrary, he brought envoys from the Song Dynasty to the capital of Liao, allowing the Song army to witness the Jurchen army’s devastating attack on the city, increasing the weight of negotiations. In July, the Dajin regime and the Northern Song regime reached a maritime alliance. The two sides agreed that the Jurchen army would move directly from Pingdi Songlin to Gubeikou, and the Song army would arrive directly from Xiongzhou to Baigou, creating a pincer attack on the Liao dynasty to annihilate it. After the Liao dynasty was conquered, the six states and 24 counties under the jurisdiction of Yanjing would return to the Song dynasty, and the Song dynasty would hand over the annual coins given to the Liao dynasty to the Jin dynasty. The prelude to the comprehensive destruction of the Liao dynasty has already begun. In 1121 AD, Yel ü Yujian, the head of the Liao Dynasty, turned to the Jin Dynasty due to his family being killed by Emperor Tianzuo, and told Aguda all the internal and external realities of the Liao Dynasty. Aguda thus strengthened his determination to destroy the Liao Dynasty. He first took his younger brother Wanyan Gao as the commander and launched a large-scale attack on Liao. Before the army set off, Aguda specifically instructed that Liao’s politics were not strict, and people and gods were abandoned together. In order to unify China and foreign countries, he must be cautious in heavy military affairs, choose good strategies, reward and punishment must be carried out, food and pay must be inherited, do not disturb surrender, and do not indulge in capture and plunder. The Jin army must strictly abide by military discipline and not disturb the people. According to these policies, wherever the Jin army went, they were not strongly obstructed. Soon, the Jin army occupied the central and western capitals of Liao, and Emperor Tianzuo of Liao fled to Jiashan. Yelv Dashi and others supported Yelv Chun and established the Northern Liao regime in Nanjing, Liao. While the Jin army marched southward on a large scale, according to the maritime alliance, the Northern Song army launched a large-scale northward attack on the Liao army. However, what puzzled the Jin army was that the Liao army, which they had repeatedly defeated, repeatedly defeated the Song army in times of crisis. In the battle to attack Nanjing, the Song army was frightened when they were defeated and burned down their camp. They fled southward in a hurry, trampling on each other for more than a hundred miles. Seeing that the Allied army was so vulnerable, Wan Yan Aguda personally led the army southward. Before setting out, he ordered his younger brother Wu Qi to buy the supervision of the country. He ordered the officials and civilians to go to the capital, but the Liao lord did not obtain them, and the troops could not be taken. It is explicitly stated that capturing the Liao Emperor Tianzuo is his historical mission, and he also ordered that anyone who can surrender after the edict will be exempted from previous crimes, otherwise there will be no mercy for killing. In December 1122 AD, the army led by Aguda quickly captured Nanjing, and all officials of the Liao Dynasty who kowtowed and pleaded guilty were released. At the same time, a series of measures were taken to ensure the safety of the people. Li Guizhi: When Agu fought against the Liao Dynasty, he made several preparations. Firstly, he wanted to consolidate the victory he had already achieved. Therefore, he had already controlled the tribe within his territory, which was to give them some comfort so that they could settle down from this area. This is one aspect; In the process of foreign war, he also had a different way to boost morale and strengthen his allies. Therefore, he sent envoys to the Bohai people. After the Battle of Huanglong Mansion, he captured some Bohai people, and some surrendered. So he sent Bohai people to surrender the original Bohai people, along with this mature woman, using the method of surrender. In June 1123 AD, it was very exciting for Wanyan Aguda. He had a great ambition to capture Emperor Tianzuo of Liao with all his might. In his view, only by capturing the Lord of Liao could it mean the complete downfall of the Liao Dynasty and the complete victory of the Jin Dynasty. But this time, Aguda did not accompany him. Due to illness, he had no choice but to hand over military command to Yan Zonghan. He planned to return to Shangjing and continue his new journey after recovering from his illness. The corruption of the Northern Song Dynasty allowed Aguda to see new opportunities, so his vision had become even broader. For him, apart from the west, the more prosperous land in southern China was more attractive. Unfortunately, on August 28th of that year, when Aguda arrived at the Bu Du Le Xi Xing Palace, the Grim Reaper descended. At that time, Wanyan Aguda was on his way back to the capital when he saw the beautiful scenery and was filled with emotions. But at this moment, his magnificent life suddenly came to an end, and he died without realizing his ambitions, leaving the hero’s tears streaming down his face. The death of Wanyan Agu caused countless sighs, and his coffin was sent back to the capital for a grand burial the next day. This is the initial burial site of Emperor Taizu Wanyan Aguda, located in the southern suburbs of Acheng District, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, about 300 meters east of the Huining Mansion site in Jinshangjing. It is commonly known as the Zhanjiangtai in the local area. On the mausoleum, there is the Ning God Temple, also known as the Great Ancestral Temple. In order to protect the tomb, Acheng City built the Jin Taizu Wanyan Aguda Site Park in 1999. This is the most representative and well protected among the 17 tomb sites built by the Jin Dynasty. The tomb of Wanyan Agu, facing southeast, seems to be still paying attention to his unfinished business. The successor of Wanyan Aguda did not disappoint him, and they resolutely implemented the strategy planned by Wanyan Aguda in advance. Wanyan Aguda did not establish a system of inheritance for descendants. After Aguda’s death, his younger brother, Wu Qimai, who was highly skilled in Ban Bo, ascended to the throne. He was Emperor Taizong of Jin. During Aguda’s personal expedition, Wu Qimai had been in charge of the country, and everything was handled according to the old system of the dynasty. At this time, the Jin army was unprecedentedly strong. Emperor Taizong of Jin continued to target Emperor Tianzuo of the Liao Dynasty, who was already a traitor and struggling to survive. He was soon captured and the Liao Dynasty, established by the Khitan tribe, was destroyed. Not long after, when the incompetence of the Northern Song regime was fully exposed before the eyes of Emperor Taizong of Jin, he found an excuse to attack Song from the south, and they continued to maintain the shrewdness of the Wanyan Aguda era. Sharp and unstoppable in war. In a short period of time, he conquered the capital city of the Northern Song Dynasty, Kaifeng, and captured the father and son of Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qinzong of the Northern Song Dynasty. In this way, a situation of confrontation between the Jin, Southern Song, and Western Xia emerged in Chinese history. This is a legend in Chinese history. Starting from 1114 AD, Aguda led more than 2500 people to launch the first battle, and in 1127, the Northern Song Dynasty was destroyed. In just 13 years, a backward and primitive nation quickly overthrew the two major empires of Liao and Northern Song. The establishment of the vast Jin Dynasty largely relied on the success of its founder, Wanyan Aguda. As the “Annals of the Grand Historian of Jin” states, the Jin Dynasty lasted for ten to nine years, and the Grand Historian had no last resort for several years, with no remaining troops. He established a great cause and passed it on to his descendants.
90 Seconds of History: Prince Hailing Moves Capital
This is the ruins of Huining Mansion in Jin Shangjing, located in Acheng District, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province. It was the capital city of the early Jin Dynasty, and this great dynasty prospered from here. Now, it is covered in thick snow, and it is difficult to find the former ruins. The reason why it is difficult to find is not because of long-term disrepair or war damage, but because of the fourth emperor of the Jin Dynasty, Prince Hailing, Wanyan Liang. In 1153 AD, Prince Hailing of China, Wanyan Liang, believed that the Jin Dynasty had a vast territory and that a corner of the capital was not suitable. He planned to sign the capital from Shangjing to Yanjing. However, Prince Hailing’s move to Yanjing was strongly opposed by the Jurchen nobles at the time, and conflicts erupted. Prince Hailing quickly cut through the chaos and leveled the Huining Prefecture in Shangjing, which prevented the Jin royal family and nobles from returning to Shangjing. They had to follow Prince Hailing to sign for Yanjing, and Yanjing was renamed Zhongdu, which is now Beijing. The ruling center of the Jin Dynasty moved from the northeast to the Han region, marking the first time in Beijing’s history that it became the capital of a dynasty.
