Another example is helping Shi Jingtang designate cabinet members.
When Shi Jingtang founded the country, almost all the core leaders of the regime were "pro-Liao faction", such as Sang Weihan mentioned above.
There is a saying that these "pro-Liao faction" cannot be equated with "traitors". The reason why they are pro-Liao is not "elite Liao elements", but from a pragmatic point of view, they believe that maintaining good relations between the two countries is in line with the The interests of the later Jin Dynasty, in other words, they "put the overall situation first."
Lu Qi and Li Song were Li Congke's think tanks. Shi Jingtang not only did not demote or exclude them, but instead reused them. A large part of the reason was that their political views were "pro-Liao faction". Before Shi Jingtang's uprising, The two of them once suggested that Li Congke become acquainted with Khitan.
Nowadays, the master of the country has changed, but the internal and external troubles it faces remain the same as before. The situation is more severe than that during Li Congke's time. Lu Qi and Li Song are also more determined to maintain good diplomatic relations with the Khitan.
We once again reiterate that although the political position of the "pro-Liao faction" is to serve the Khitan humbly and respectfully, its core is to help the later Jin Dynasty develop its strength, which is the so-called keeping a low profile and biding time. Angry youths like Xue Wenyu, who unrealistically promote narrow-minded nationalism, can only hit stones with eggs. Please let Comrade Li Congke help you answer this painful lesson.
Shi Jingtang appointed Hanlin bachelor and Ning as Duanmingdian bachelor. The bachelor of Duanming Palace was not an official with great authority, and it could even be said that he did not have any real power. His job function was only to help the emperor translate the memorials of the ministers, and to translate the classical Chinese text "It's so sad, what a pity it is" into the vernacular, and to translate the contents of it into the vernacular. Tell the story.
Although the "translator" has no real power, he can often have close contact with the emperor, and his opinions or suggestions can be easily adopted by the emperor. Therefore, since Li Siyuan set up the "Bachelor of Duanming Palace", civil and military officials have been vying to please him. object.
After He Ning became a bachelor of Duanming Palace, in order to maintain his reputation of integrity, he decided to thank guests behind closed doors and hung a sign at the gate stating that he would not receive any guests.
Zhang Yi, the former training officer of the Yaozhou regiment, wrote to He Ning. The main idea was that you are sitting closest to the emperor. You are the emperor's eyes and ears. You listen and see for the emperor, and help the emperor understand the situation in the outside world. How can you do that? Reject all guests? Although being an official can save you from many unnecessary troubles, you have betrayed the emperor's trust and the country's expectations. I hope you will not become a frog in a well just for the sake of fame.
He Ning immediately recommended Zhang Yi to Sang Weihan, saying that he was a talented person. Sang Weihan promoted Zhang Yi to his disciple Zuo Shiyi. His official position was not high, but when he entered the central government, he could directly advise the emperor on matters.
Therefore, Zhang Yi sent an edict to Shi Jingtang, pointing out that the Khitan had contributed to the founding of our dynasty, so we must keep our promises in diplomacy and maintain friendship with the Liao. However, we must also strengthen our own strength and always maintain vigilance against these barbarians. Be wary.
Shi Jingtang greatly appreciated Zhang Yi.
In fact, Zhang Yi's ideas are highly consistent with Shi Jingtang's spiritual world.
Shi Jingtang was not a bastard. He was groveling and submissive to the Khitan. He was just imitating the Yue King Gou Jian. If you work hard, God will not let you down. If you lie on the firewood and taste the courage, three thousand Yuejia can swallow Wu.
In the fifth year of Tianfu (940), An Yanwei, who was left behind in Taiyuan, went to Beijing to see him. Shi Jingtang confided in him and said a lot of heartfelt words, saying that he valued integrity the most and the Khitan people acted righteously, so I fulfilled the promise I made back then. However, they are greedy and demanding, but you can take the overall situation into consideration and compromise. I am very satisfied with this.
An Yanwei replied: "Your Majesty serves the people of the world with a humble attitude and generous gifts. How dare I say I feel wronged!"
This is the answer with high emotional intelligence. Your Majesty is pretending to be a grandson for the sake of the common people in the world. Your Majesty knelt down alone, and the people of the whole country stood up, but the people of the whole country still pointed at His Majesty’s spine and cursed him as a "traitor"...
Shi Jingtang was so moved by these two words, "It's hard to find a true friend!"
This story also shows that even without the strong intervention of Khitan, Shi Jingtang would tend to be "pro-Liao" when selecting and appointing officials, especially the officials of the feudal frontiers.
The Khitan's interference in the cabinet of the Later Jin Dynasty was not only limited to "saying hello", but sometimes directly exercising the power of personnel appointment and removal "over the top", that is, the Khitan directly appointed and removed officials of the Later Jin Dynasty, without going through Shi Jingtang, let alone the Ministry of Officials of the Later Jin Dynasty.
For example, Feng Dao, Liu Yu and others went to Khitan as envoys and presented honorary titles to Yelu Deguang and Empress Dowager Shulu. Yelu Deguang reduced their status and appointed Feng Dao as Taifu and Liu Yu as Taibao. The other accompanying officials also received rewards.
Directly depriving the right of personnel appointment and removal, this is a serious violation of the sovereignty of the later Jin Dynasty!
2.2.2 Get involved in the place
In addition to interfering in the formation of the cabinet of the later Jin regime, Yelu Deguang also wanted to further embezzle land in the Hebei region.
In the fourth year of Tianfu (939), Shi Jingtang moved Huangfu Yu, the Jiedu envoy of Dingzhou Yiwu Army, to Luzhou Zhaoyi Army. This move of the town involved the most serious political event during Shi Jingtang's period, which will be discussed in detail later.
As soon as a vacancy appeared in Dingzhou, the Khitan father sent a message to Shi Jingtang: "Please follow the Khitan etiquette and let Comrade Wang Wei take charge of the work in Dingzhou."
This Wang Wei was the youngest son of Wang Chuzhi. When his father was imprisoned in the capital and usurped power (921), he fled to Khitan. His "Wei" character should be written as "Wei Quan". The names of the children and nephews of brothers Wang Chuzhi and Wang Chucun are all single characters next to the character "坝", such as Wang Du, Wang Yu and Wang Gao.
By the way, this is the time when the "Khitan sent envoys to hire" the "Wugu Liangma" mentioned above.
The so-called Khitan etiquette is the tradition of the nomadic people. Different from the "eldest son inheritance system" of farming civilization, nomadic peoples are accustomed to inheriting the family business from their youngest sons. Wang Wei happened to be the youngest son of Wang Chuzhi, the former governor of the Yiwu Army in Dingzhou, so Yelu Deguang took this as an excuse to ask Wang Wei to inherit his father's family business.
Wang Wei had lived in Khitan for eighteen years and had long been transformed into a "Jing Liao element" by the Khitan people. Yelu Deguang asked Wang Wei to be the governor of Dingzhou. In fact, he asked Wang Wei to be the regional agent and used the Dingzhou Yiwu Army as the puppet of the Khitan people to radiate the entire Heshuo area.
After acquiring the "Sixteen Youyun Prefectures", Khitan carried out major internal administrative reforms, upgrading Youzhou to "Nanjing" and Yunzhou to "Xijing".
