Yelu Deguang summarized the "Lessons of Three Loss" and came up with the twelve-character motto of using the Han to control the Han. It can be said to be hit the nail on the head, almost a routine for peaceful evolution, but it is a pity that he will never be able to realize it.
In fact, it was precisely because of Yelu Deguang's ferocity after he entered Bianzhou that the Central Plains people no longer had any illusions about the Khitan people. From then on, the Central Plains Han people shared the same hatred, and the hatred was deeply imprinted in their bones and has continued. It lasted for more than two hundred years until the fall of the Liao Kingdom.
So from this perspective, we can say that Yelv Deguang overdrawn the long-term interests of Khitan for his own selfish interests, which barely met the standards of a "traitor" and "Liao traitor".
In short, I personally think that it has mixed praise and praise. It is not mediocre, but it is not that great; it is not hateful, but it is not worthy of praise.
Upon hearing the news of Yelu Deguang's death, Zhao Yanshou immediately took action. He said to the people around him: "I will never return to the grassland!" So he led his army to Zhenzhou and planned to separatize Zhenzhou.
Zhao Yanshou suddenly mobilized his army, which panicked the leaderless Khitan soldiers and put them at great risk of collapse. At the critical moment, Yelu Ruan and several senior generals responded quickly and led the army to follow them and stationed in Zhenzhou.
Zhao Yanshou just wanted to take advantage of the chaos to separate Zhenzhou, and was not stupid enough to openly break with them. He had no legitimate reason to refuse them entry into the city, so he pretended to be happy and welcomed the friendly troops into the city to help defend. He said that he entered Zhenzhou first to guard against Liu Zhiyuan's sneak attack and to clear the roadblock for the Daliao army.
There was a tacit understanding.
Zhao Yanshou declared to the outside world that he was following Yelu Deguang's imperial edict to take charge of the affairs of the Central Plains, because he had promised me long ago that he would make me the lord of the Central Plains.
The keys to all city gates and warehouses in Zhenzhou were kept by Yelu Ruan. Zhao Yanshou sent someone to ask for them, but Yelu Ruan refused to hand them over.
Zhao Yanshou's cronies reported to him that in recent days, Khitan tribal chiefs and important leaders have often met privately to discuss, and something big might happen. Moreover, you were not notified of any of these secret meetings, which may be detrimental to you... Now, there are less than 10,000 Han officers and soldiers in the city. We'd better strike first!
Zhao Yanshou was hesitant. Even if these Khitans were eliminated, there was still the Khitan headquarters in the north where Queen Mother Shulu was stationed, and Liu Zhiyuan in Hedong in the south. He relied on the small town of Zhenzhou, plus more than 10,000 troops who were alienated from him. , what can you do?
On April 27, Zhao Yanshou issued a notice that he would formally fulfill the late emperor's (Yelü Deguang) edict on May 1, accept the congratulations of civil and military officials, and preside over the affairs of the Central Plains. Detailed standards for the "enthronement ceremony" were also formulated: the prime minister and the privy councilors knelt three times and kowtowed nine times on the steps, and the Jiedushi envoys and the following knelt three times and kowtowed nine times below the steps.
Prime Minister Li Song was scheming and believed that there must be other arrangements in the Khitan country. He advised him that if he had to take charge of the work, it was not impossible, but he must not hold any "enthronement ceremony".
Zhao Yanshou originally wanted to "false the imperial edict to ascend the throne", but he felt extremely guilty, so he accepted Li Song's suggestion and canceled the enthronement ceremony.
On May 1, Yelu Ruan held a Hongmen Banquet and invited senior officials such as Zhao Yanshou, Zhang Li, He Ning, Li Song, and Feng Dao to come to his home for the banquet. Everyone gathered together happily, talking and laughing, extremely relaxed and active.
Yelu Ruan's wife, Zhen, was originally a palace maid of the Later Tang Dynasty. As Han Chinese, Zhen and Zhao Yanshou were from the same hometown. They burst into tears and formed a deep friendship in a distant foreign country. In order to win over Zhao Yanshou, the Khitan people Let Mrs. Zhen recognize Zhao Yanshou as her elder brother, and the two of them usually treat each other as brother and sister.
While they were drinking heavily, Yelu Ruan said to Zhao Yanshou: "I, your sister, just came here from the grassland. Do you brothers and sisters want to meet each other?" With that, he took Zhao Yanshou into the inner room. Give way.
Zhao Yanshou was unsuspecting and stood up quickly, "I want to see you." Then he and Yelu Ruan entered the inner room.
Zhang Li, Li Song and others continued drinking and laughing in the outer room. After a while, Yelu Ruan returned to the wine table alone and announced calmly: "Zhao Yanshou conspired to rebel and has now been arrested."
Everyone was shocked and the scene was completely silent.
Yelu Ruan continued to explain: "When the late emperor was in Bianzhou, he secretly gave me a wooden sign, allowing me to preside over the affairs of the Southern Dynasty when necessary. But when he died, there was no more edict. Zhao Yanshou claimed to have some edict. , true audacity!”
Then an order was issued that all Zhao Yanshou's accomplices should be pardoned and no one should be held accountable.
The next day, Yelu Ruan accepted the congratulations from all the civil and military officials. Yelu Ruan suddenly pointed to his seat, smiled and said to Zhang Li, Li Song and others: "If Zhao Yanshou really sat here yesterday, then my armored cavalry would have surrounded this place. By then, I'm afraid you guys There is no way to escape death.”
Several people were so frightened that their faces were ashen and they were sweating profusely. They were secretly glad that they had persuaded Zhao Yanshou in advance to cancel the enthronement ceremony.
The sudden death of Yelu Deguang brought a serious crisis to the Khitan, which almost caused a civil war. It also gave Liu Zhiyuan a breathing space to clean up the mess in the Central Plains. It can be said that if Yelu Deguang had not died, Liu Zhiyuan might not have been able to establish the Later Han Dynasty.
In the Khitan itself, there was a powerful Queen Mother Shulu. However, almost all the Khitan troops were in the Central Plains and they were leaderless. The transfer of the Khitan's supreme power tested all the Khitan people.
In the face of this difficult problem, Comrade Yelu Ruan came into being.
Yelu Ruan is the eldest son of Yelu Bei and the eldest grandson of Yelu Abaoji. When Yelvbei abandoned the Liao Dynasty and joined the Tang Dynasty, he only took a Han princess with him, while leaving his first wife Xiao and his eldest son Yelu Ruan in Dongdan Kingdom.
Deep down in his heart, Yelv Deguang felt guilty for his brother Yelv Bei. His mother was partial to him, and she abolished the chief minister and established his wife, causing his brother to abandon his country and wander away from home. Therefore, Yelu Deguang took his nephew Yelu Ruan with him and regarded him as his own. Not only did he give him meticulous care in life, but he also took him with him on expeditions so that he could receive training and accumulate military merit and qualifications.
Later, before Li Congke set himself on fire, he sent people to kill Yelu Bei. Yelu Deguang was even more saddened by this, and couldn't help but burst into tears. He didn't expect that the farewell to Beijing would be an eternal farewell.
One time, Yelu Deguang came to a temple to pray for blessings. Looking at the murals, he suddenly thought about people. He said that the late emperor and his mother brought me and my brother here to give alms. Now, I am the only one who comes here to visit again. . As he spoke, he choked up, and with tears in his eyes, he wrote a poem himself in memory of his father and brother, and the pain of separation in life and death. All the ministers on the left and right were moved and cried bitterly.
After Yelu Bei's tragic death, Yelu Deguang treated his deceased brother's son even more favorably and used all his debts to his brother on his nephew Yelu Ruan.
