History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 255: Silang Visits His Mother
【Silang Visits His Mother】

Han Yanhui was from Youzhou, the second generation of an official, his father had been a governor in Jizhou, Ruzhou, and Shunzhou. Han Yanhui was intelligent and well-educated, so he showed extraordinary talent at a very young age, and was appreciated by Liu Rengong, the then governor of Youzhou Lulong Army, who called him as his staff.

After Liu Shouguang captured his father and seized power, Han Yanhui was also given important positions. When Liu Shouguang was at the end of his rope, he sent Han Yanhui to the Khitan to ask for Khitan's support from the south.

When Han Yanhui met Yelü Abaoji, he bowed but did not kneel.

Perhaps it was because the inferiority complex of the "Northern Di" was touched that Yelu Abaoji flew into a rage and accused Han Yanhui of being disrespectful. Not only did he refuse to send troops to help Liu Shouguang, he also detained Han Yanhui and made him a horse herder.

Han Yanhui would rather be a horse keeper on the grassland than bow down to the grassland overlord. The young Han Yanhui was determined to pay tribute to "Su Wu herding sheep".

Behind every successful man, there must be a virtuous woman. Zhu Wen, Li Keyong, and Yelü Abaoji are no exception. The woman standing behind Yelü Abaoji is called Shulü Ping, who is Yelü Abaoji's cousin and wife. This woman is not simple, and her wonderful story will be scattered in the following text.

When Shulü Ping heard that Han Yanhui bowed and refused to kneel and was punished to be the horse keeper, she immediately ran to Yelu Abaoji and said that Han Yanhui was mighty and unyielding, and was a rare and virtuous person. He should be used to help you conquer the world, so why did you let him go?

Yelu Abaoji's anger subsided, so he summoned Han Yanhui again, and treated him with respect and courtesy, and talked with him calmly about the past and the present. After a few words, Yelu Abaoji praised him and said that Han Yanhui was a gift from heaven! So he treated Han Yanhui well and kept him as his counselor.

In the subsequent foreign attacks (against the Dangxiang, Shiwei, etc.), Han Yanhui repeatedly came up with brilliant ideas and made numerous contributions.

Han Yanhui, who had lived outside the Great Wall for a long time, missed his homeland very much. He often expressed his feelings in poetry and essays, and his infinite attachment to his hometown was revealed between the lines. So Han Yanhui made a major decision - to rebel and return home.

Han Yanhui took the opportunity to escape back to the Central Plains. At that time, Youzhou had been incorporated into the territory of the Hedong forces, so Han Yanhui defected to Li Cunxu.

A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. Han Yanhui was ostracized and framed by his old colleague Wang Jian.

Wang Yan and Han Yanhui had worked together under Liu Rengong in Youzhou. They were old colleagues and they had a very similar experience: Wang Yan was sent as a friendly envoy to Fengxiang by Liu Rengong to make friends with Li Maozhen. When Wang Yan arrived at Taiyuan Prefecture in Hedong, Liu Rengong betrayed Li Keyong and announced his withdrawal from Hedong. So Li Keyong intercepted Wang Yan, the envoy of Youzhou, and persuaded him to work for Hedong because he admired his talent. Wang Yan flatly refused and said that he would never betray his old master and must return to Youzhou to report.

Li Keyong was furious and ordered him to be thrown into prison to await his fate.

"Brother, I was wrong..." Wang Yan's attitude immediately changed 180 degrees. He apologized to Li Keyong very sincerely and accepted the appointment from the Hedong Group very appreciatively.

A man who knows the current situation is a hero. Wang Yanjunjie has stayed in Hedong Group since then.

As has been emphasized many times in the previous article, although the Hedong Group conquered Youzhou by force, its mass base was very weak and it was very dependent on the "native gang" of Youzhou. To rule Youzhou with You, to put it bluntly, it needed guides, traitors, and "Youzhou traitors." Therefore, a large number of former Youzhou officials, including Wang Yan, who were highly respected, won the favor of the Hedong Group, especially Wang Yan, who was the first generation of "Youzhou traitors" who switched to Hedong during Liu Rengong's period. They were the most trusted and most worthy agents and political vases.

When Liu Shouguang and his son were captured by Li Cunxu, Li Cunxu ordered Wang Yan to draft and make a "Lu Bu". However, Wang Yan, a talented and learned comrade, did not know what a "Lu Bu" was and did not dare to ask, so he could only inquire privately.

Someone who understood told him that it was to announce the great victory, to tell the world that we had defeated the big bad guy, and to write it on a large piece of cloth, hold it up, and let the onlookers watch.

"Oh...it's just scolding. I'm good at it." Then, Wang Jian's ideas flowed like a fountain, his words flowed sweetly, and he finished the essay in one go.

The original text of this "Proclamation" is not found in historical records. It is only recorded that "it was drafted without reservation, and the righteous men regarded it as rare."

In other words, Wang Yan had no respect for his former master, the Liu father and son. He was extremely rude and sarcastic. Perhaps it was just that he did not swear. As a result, Wang Yan gained a large number of black fans and was despised by the world.

Wang Jian is really the same person as Li Xiaoxi who betrayed Liu Shouguang, and he just survived by luck.

Fearing the tyranny, he surrendered to Hedong; he threw stones into the well and humiliated his former master by "revealing his writings"; he was jealous of the virtuous and capable and slandered Han Yanhui. This is the summary of Wang Yan's life. Ghosts and gods may not exist in the world, but karma does. Wang Yan disregarded his integrity and aroused public outrage, and in the end, he did not have a good end. His story will be presented later.

Wang Jian was still a popular figure around Li Cunxu, a senior consultant on Youzhou issues, and was deeply trusted. When he deliberately tried to frame Han Yanhui, Han Yanhui was powerless to resist. There were only two choices before him: die or leave. Han Yanhui chose the latter.

Han Yanhui applied for home leave from Li Cunxu, saying that he wanted to return to his hometown in Youzhou to visit his mother.

Passing through Zhenzhou on the way, Han Yanhui stopped by to visit an old friend, Zhang Wenli.

During the conversation, Zhang Wenli asked him what his next plans were.

Han Yanhui did not shy away from telling the truth, "Now, the entire north of the Yellow River has become the sphere of influence of Hedong, and it is impossible for me to serve as an official in Hedong. I have only one way out, return to Khitan."

Zhang Wenli's face turned pale when he heard this, and he said, "You betrayed the Khitan, how can you go and fall into their trap again? Aren't you afraid that Yelu Abaoji will kill you?"

Han Yanhui smiled and said confidently, "I am his right-hand man and he can't live without me. For him, I am his lost and found again. He is so happy that he can't bear to kill me."

Zhang Wenli sighed, "Whatever. Life and death are determined by fate, and wealth and honor are determined by God. Take care of yourself!"

After bidding farewell to Zhang Wenli, Han Yanhui first returned to his hometown in Youzhou to visit his mother, and then resolutely stepped into the Khitan territory.

As expected, when Yelu Abaoji heard that Han Yanhui had returned, he was overjoyed. He held his hand, patted his shoulders and back, and asked about his well-being, "I missed you so much!"

Han Yanhui's answer to his leaving without saying goodbye moved Yelu Abaoji to tears. According to historical records, Han Yanhui said: "Forgetting one's parents is not filial piety, abandoning one's monarch is not loyalty. Although I have fled, my heart is with Your Majesty. That is why I have returned."

Yelu Abaoji was so moved that he immediately gave Han Yanhui a Khitan name: Xialie (transliteration, meaning "come back" in Khitan). Not only did he not pursue Han Yanhui's previous crime of defection, but he gave him a greater official position and power, and valued Han Yanhui even more.

There is a little controversy over the translation of Han Yanhui's words. The focus of the controversy is who the "lord" in "abandoning the lord is not loyal" refers to. Most people interpret it as the old lords of the Central Plains - Liu Shouguang and Li Cunxu. They say that Han Yanhui meant that his mother and old lord were both in the Central Plains. If he did not go back to see them, he would be disloyal and unfilial, so he left without saying goodbye and went back to visit them to fulfill his wish.

I personally think that any translation of a sentence should not be taken out of context and should not be separated from the context. If we look at the whole sentence, the "Jun" should refer to Yelu Abaoji, and this sentence should be translated as: If I don't go back to the Central Plains to see my mother, I am unfilial; if I betray you, I am unfaithful. Since ancient times, it has been difficult to be both loyal and filial. I went home to visit my mother this time just to avoid being accused of being unfilial. In fact, during the days I was away, I have been missing you, Your Majesty!

In other words, Han Yanhui was strongly hinting to Yelu Abaoji: If I have to choose between loyalty and filial piety, I would rather stay by your side and be loyal than stay in the Central Plains and be filial. Your Majesty, you are closer to me than my own mother!

The classic Peking Opera "Silang Visits His Mother" tells the story of Yang Yanhui, one of the "Generals of the Yang Family" of the Song Dynasty. He was captured by the Khitan, lived in hiding for fifteen years, became the Khitan's son-in-law, and married the Liao Princess Tiejing. During a great war between Liao and Song, Yang Yanhui and Princess Tiejing tricked the Yanmen Pass open, went to the Song military camp to meet his mother Lady She, and then returned to Khitan.

It is said that Yang Yanhui in "Silang Visits His Mother" was artistically processed based on Han Yanhui's visit to his mother.

Yang Jiye, the old general in "The Generals of the Yang Family", was born in the Five Dynasties period. He first served the Northern Han regime (part of the "Ten Kingdoms"), and later surrendered to the Song Dynasty and became a famous general in the fight against the Liao Dynasty. The story of "The Generals of the Yang Family" has been processed and polished by later generations and has become a household heroic story. In addition to the above-mentioned "Silang Visits His Mother", other well-known ones include "Mu Guiying Takes Command" and "Twelve Widows Conquer the West".

In many literary and artistic works of later generations, descendants of the Yang family are often fabricated, such as the "Green-faced Beast" Yang Zhi in "Water Margin"; Yang Zaixing, a general under Yue Fei in "The Romance of Yue Fei"; and Yang Tiexin, Yang Kang, and Yang Guo in Mr. Jin Yong's works.

Towards the end of this book, the real "Yang Family Generals" in history will be restored.

(End of this chapter)