In addition, although Li Shouzhen colluded with the "Pro-Jiu Gang" when squeezing out Sang Weihan, he was not a key member of the "Pro-Jiu Gang" after all. Like Liu Zhiyuan and Sang Weihan, he was a direct confidant of Shi Jingtang and a member of the "Pro-Jiu Gang". The main target of the "Gang" was only temporarily aided by his personal grudge with Sang Weihan.
The principle of "eating a rabbit to death and cooking a dog" is not only valid between countries, but also between people - especially in political struggles. It is also true everywhere. When Li Shouzhen killed Sang Weihan and breathed out the bad breath in his chest, he immediately became the next target of the "Kinjiu Gang", who was isolated and helpless.
In the extremely dangerous political field, don't rush to kill all your political opponents and enemies. As the saying goes, you must respect yourself by raising enemies. Sometimes, your enemy is just the person who blocks the gun for you.
Li Shouzhen's status gradually rose, and he repeatedly took charge of northern affairs, which aroused great dissatisfaction with the "Pro-Old Gang". Through various relationships, Li Yantao placed countless informants around Li Shouzhen, so that Li Shouzhen's every move outside was under Li Yantao's control. under surveillance.
On the surface, Li Shouzhen was submissive to Li Yantao, but secretly she was gnashing her teeth with hatred.
The biggest hidden danger of the Later Jin Dynasty was Shi Chonggui's arrogance as a soldier and his bottomless favor for the "Kinjiu Gang".
War is a powerful weapon to test a regime. Although it may not be fair, it is absolutely simple and crude, because under heavy external pressure, various internal hidden dangers will surface and interact with each other. Therefore, the direction of war is often not entirely determined by the comparison of military strength. Most of the time, it is more influenced by political factors.
Internal troubles in the Later Jin and Khitan broke out in this war, which brought life-and-death tests to their countries. The Later Jin Dynasty failed to withstand the test and was taken away by a wave. A figure appeared in the Khitan who turned the tide. Although the fate of the country was avoided, its vitality was seriously damaged.
At the beginning of the third battle, although the Khitan could not use the old routine of "blitzkrieg", they, with the help of Zhao Yanshou, used a more insidious and cunning trick: fake surrender.
In July, when Yelu Deguang gathered all the Khitan troops and prepared to march southward, Zhao Yanshou sent an envoy to establish a single line of contact with the Later Jin Dynasty, saying that he had changed his mind and planned to abandon the dark side and return to the embrace of the motherland.
The actual people in power in the Later Jin Dynasty, the "Kinjiu Gang", were convinced of this, especially Feng Yu, who ordered Du Chongwei to write a letter to Zhao Yanshou, promising that the court would disregard past suspicions and give him the most generous rewards.
Why were Feng Yu, Du Chongwei and other "pro-old gang members" so sure that Zhao Yanshou was not faking surrender?
Because they need him to surrender.
Throughout the dynasties, there has been no shortage of political upstarts such as the "Pro-Old Gang". They have an inherent disadvantage: lack of sufficient qualifications. There is no need to explain too much. Without this congenital defect, we would not be called "nouveau riche".
In order to make up for this inherent defect, the political upstarts usually behave more radically in politics, and their acting style tends to be broad-minded, drastic, and extremely subversive. They even do the opposite. In short, they just let the storm come. Being more violent and moisturizing things quietly is definitely not their cup of tea.
There are many reasons for this style, such as lack of experience in governing, neither a high degree of education nor a solid theoretical foundation, nor years of work experience, and lack of practical experience, so they are relatively young, but this is not the main reason, because There is a huge bureaucracy to support them. Even if they are mentally retarded, their staff and the civil and military officials in North Korea and China may not all be mentally retarded.
The main reason is that they need to be alternative and radical, emphasize their differences with the establishment, artificially create differences in factions and lines, be unconventional and sensational... In short, it is a political marketing.
For example, during war years, they will try their best to promote peace negotiations, and during peace years, they may try their best to clamor for war. It is the biological instinct of such political groups to make different voices.
Differentiation is a means for them to quickly accumulate reputation and gain the right to speak. Meritorious service is their most urgent political need.
Today's Zhao Yanshou is even more critical than Lu Wenjin at the time. He enjoys the title of king in Khitan, holds a high position of power, and has a large number of troops. Moreover, two generations of father and son have been in Youzhou for more than 20 years. They are familiar with the ground and have a certain mass base. . The addition of Zhao Yanshou in the Central Plains is not a timely help, but just the icing on the cake; while the lack of Zhao Yanshou in the Khitan is not to stop the boiling water, but to draw fuel from the bottom of the cauldron.
Therefore, if Zhao Yanshou can return to the Central Plains, the balance of war between Shanxi and Liao will be substantially reversed. This is definitely good news for later Jin.
Is it true that Zhao Yanshou returns?
The "Kinjiu Gang" considers not "how it is" but "how it wants to be". Feng Yu and others did not deduce the results from the evidence. Instead, they came to a conclusion first and then looked for evidence to supplement it. If there was no evidence, they created evidence. In short, it is self-deception. To this day, Western politicians also use this routine, whether it is Iraq’s laundry detergent or Syria’s White Helmets.
Moreover, in the eyes of the later Jin Dynasty, the evidence for Zhao Yanshou’s return to the country was conclusive and irrefutable:
First of all, the initiator of "Zhao Yanshou's Return to China" was the Later Jin Dynasty.
As early as a year ago, the Later Jin Dynasty sent someone to secretly contact Zhao Yanshou and persuade him to return to the embrace of the motherland. Zhao Yanshou also expressed his willingness to return to the country at that time, but the war was stalemate and he did not have time to discuss the specific details.
Now, with the Khitan defeated twice and the Jin victorious, Zhao Yanshou, a grassroots figure, has taken advantage of the situation and brought up old matters again, which is reasonable and reasonable.
Secondly, seeing that the Khitans were "all over" and the Later Jin Dynasty was rising, many Han surrendered generals in the Youyun Sixteen Prefectures expressed their intention to return to their motherland.
Liu Yanzuo, the governor of Yingzhou, wrote a secret letter saying that this year's floods had a serious impact on Hebei. The roads north of Waqiao Pass were almost paralyzed. The main Khitan force had returned to the northern grasslands. There were less than a thousand defenders in Yingzhou City. Army, ask the motherland to send troops to recover Yingzhou, and I will come to respond internally. The Khitan people are far away and cannot quench their thirst with water nearby;
Mozhou and others also have similar reports;
Murong Qian, the governor of Shenzhou, even presented the "Ying Mo Tu" to guide the later Jin Dynasty in attacking the north.
Therefore, the return of Youzhou Zhao Yanshou does not seem abrupt at all, but has a sense of historical trend that is the general trend and the people's will.
Finally, in the border friction after the Second Battle, the Later Jin Dynasty also had an advantage. Zhang Yanze defeated the remnants of the Khitan in Dingzhou, chased them for more than a hundred miles, beheaded more than 20 people, captured four generals alive, and seized two pairs of gold earrings, which were presented to the court. Liu Zhiyuan in Hedong reported that he defeated the remnants of the Khitan and annihilated more than 7,000 enemies.
