After the "Ox and Wine Meeting" incident, the prestige of Khitan Khan Yaonan Qinde fell off a cliff, making the already precarious rule of the Yaonan clan even more precarious, and the generalissimo with military power increasingly threatened the Yaonan clan's throne. . Soon after, Yaonan Qinde Khan passed away, and Yelu Abaoji, the leader of the Yelu clan of the Diela tribe who was also the general marshal (Yili Jin) and Yu Yue (equivalent to the prime minister), was elected as the Khitan Khan.
According to Khitan tradition, the Khan should be jointly elected by eight "adults" for a three-year term. However, after Yelu Abaoji ascended to the position of Khan, he served for three consecutive terms without changing the election for nine years.
This made the Khitan nobles dissatisfied and asked Yelu Abaoji to follow the old system so that everyone could have the opportunity to indulge in khan addiction.
What is surprising is that among these "oppositions", there are not only the "adults" and nobles of the seven tribes, but also among the Yelv clan of Abaoji's Diela tribe. Even Abaoji's brothers conspired to overthrow him. .
Abaoji's younger brothers launched a total of three rebellions, known as the "Brothers' Rebellion" in history, which dealt a heavy blow to the Khitan nation.
In the process of putting down the "Brothers' Rebellion", Abaoji showed amazing generosity and kindness and did not kill his brothers who repeatedly made trouble. Of course we can say that Abaoji has a kind heart and cares about brotherhood, but it also reflects from the side that Abaoji has not established absolute authority at this time, and his political power is not enough to support him to kill and eradicate dissidents.
As expected, the leaders of the other seven tribes launched a rebellion. They hijacked Abaoji and forced him to give up his position as Khan. Abaoji had no choice but to hand over the flags and drums symbolizing the authority of the Khan (canonized by the Tang Dynasty). At the same time, he asked to build a city separate from the Han refugees he had managed for many years.
Abaoji was asking for exile, and the leaders of the seven tribes did not want it. They thought this was an opportunity to marginalize Abaoji, so they readily agreed.
During the long-term campaign, Abaoji absorbed many Han people from the Central Plains, many of whom were well-read poetry and books. Abaoji did not discriminate against the Han people like other tribal leaders, but was very willing to make friends with them and actively learned the culture of the Central Plains. Han Chinese counselors often offered suggestions. In the process of Abaoji seizing the Khitan throne and even proclaiming himself emperor and establishing the country in the future, the Han counselors played a vital role.
The place Abaoji chose was fertile and had salt ponds. Abaoji actively developed the economy and handed over the salt produced to the leaders of the Seven Ministries. The leaders of the Seventh Department were short-sighted and thought that this was the protection fee that Abaoji took the initiative to hand over, so he was very happy. Everyone laughed and accepted it.
Soon after, Abaoji said that when drinking water, don’t forget the well digger. You seven tribes only know the benefits of salt, but you don’t know that salt has an owner. Do you think this is appropriate? Do you feel embarrassed if you don't give me any meaning?
The leaders of the seven tribes felt embarrassed, so they brought beef and fine wine to the Yanchi to have a party. As a result, Abaoji was not interested enough, so he ambushed all the leaders of the seven tribes, and unified the eight Khitan tribes.
This is the Khitan version of "The Gathering of Cows and Wine". He studied under Liu Shouguang, who is better than his master. According to records, this was the plan of Shu Luping, Abaoji's wife.
It took Yelu Abaoji and his good wife Shuluping, with the help of their supporters, more than ten years to gradually achieve the substantive unification of the eight Khitan tribes.
From this point of view, the Khitan people's "more than ten years of not violating the border" has little to do with Liu Rengong's surprise attack on Zhaixingling, setting fire to the pasture, and the cattle wine meeting. At least it is not the decisive factor. It was Yelu Abaoji who was busy with internal affairs and completed the Khitan's In the transition to centralized power, there is no time to look south.
Yaonan Qinde Khan died at the end of the third year of Tianyou's reign in the Tang Dynasty (906). The following year, in the fourth year of Tianyou's reign in the Tang Dynasty (907), Abaoji became the Khan. In the same year, Zhu Wen usurped the Tang Dynasty.
Here is the continuation of the previous article. Abaoji sent an envoy to visit Zhuwen of the Later Liang Dynasty and recognized the legitimacy of the Later Liang Dynasty.
Before that, Li Keyong from Hedong first got in touch with Abaoji. The two met in Yunzhou and swore an oath to each other as brothers. This was the second sworn relationship between the two. The first time was when Liu Rengong betrayed Li After Ke Yong and Li Keyong conquered Youzhou and were defeated in the Papaya Valley.
The two sworn brothers drank and chatted happily and agreed that when winter comes, they will jointly raise troops to attack Zhu Wen.
Li Keyong entertained Abaoji warmly for more than half a month, and gave him generous gifts of gold, silver and jewelry when leaving. Abaoji also responded with 3,000 horses and tens of thousands of livestock as gifts.
However, after Abaoji and Li Keyong separated, he immediately established diplomatic relations with Zhu Wen's back Liang, betraying the alliance with Li Keyong. Li Keyong hated this very much, and the Khitan people's betrayal became one of Li Keyong's three greatest hatreds in his life.
Regarding Yelu Abaoji's betrayal, most opinions only stay on the surface of historical records, and they are biased against the "barbarian Rongdi", believing that betrayal is the consistent face of the ugly barbarians in Fanbang.
Just like the previous analysis of Nanzhao's invasion of Annan Prefecture in the Tang Dynasty, we must examine Nanzhao from Nanzhao's perspective and understand Khitan from Khitan's perspective. In fact, Abaoji's betrayal had its inherent political logic.
This logic has been reflected above. Abaoji first came to the throne and was faced with many internal crises. He urgently needed recognition from internal and external forces. This was very similar to Zhu Wen, who were both looking for political allies.
How can we obtain the approval of the Eight Tribes of Khitan? According to the usual practice, of course, he must be canonized and appointed by the suzerain country and the heavenly kingdom of the Tang Dynasty. This is the legal authority of the Khitan Khan. Nowadays, the Tang Dynasty has perished and was replaced by Zhu Wen's Back Liang. Therefore, the focus of the Khitan people is to examine the legitimacy of the Back Liang.
From a legal perspective, Houliang was abdicated by the Tang Dynasty in accordance with laws and regulations and in accordance with relevant procedures. Regardless of whether there was coercion or not, in short, there was a formal edict from the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty and a set of solemn rituals were adhered to. From a legal perspective, Houliang is legal. Inherited the country of Tang Dynasty.
Judging from the actual situation, the vast majority of political forces in the Central Plains generally recognized the legitimacy of Hou Liang, and they all named Hou Liang Zhengshuo, changed their reign titles to Hou Liang, and accepted the canonization appointments of Hou Liang.
Therefore, from the perspective of the Khitans outside the Great Wall, Houliang was the legitimate Central Plains dynasty after the Tang Dynasty, the Celestial Empire. The canonization of the Later Liang Dynasty is the "orthodoxy" generally recognized by the Khitan people.
Therefore, Abaoji urgently needed the recognition and support of Hou Liang in order to gain supreme authority among the eight Khitan tribes. Whether it is Zhu Wen, Li Keyong, or other feudal vassals, whoever can represent the Central Plains is my friend, Abaoji.
Taking the recognition of the Central Plains dynasty as the ruling legal principle of the grassland peoples was the real motive of Abaoji's "treachery".
