History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 511 Shi Jingtang's Struggle 6
For example, he helped Shi Jingtang designate cabinet members.

When Shi Jingtang first established the country, the core leaders of the regime were almost all "pro-Liao", such as Sang Weihan mentioned above.

To be honest, these "pro-Liao factions" cannot be equated with "traitors". The reason why they are pro-Liao is not that they are "Liao-essentialists", but they are pragmatic and believe that improving relations between the two countries is in 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 made use of them. A big reason for this was that their political views were "pro-Liao". Before Shi Jingtang launched the uprising, they had suggested that Li Congke make peace with the Khitan.

Today, the country's master has changed, but the internal and external troubles it faces are no less severe than before. The situation is more severe than during Li Congke's period. Lu Qi and Li Song are also more determined to advocate good diplomatic relations with the Khitan.

We reiterate that although the political proposition of the "pro-Liao faction" is to serve the Khitan humbly and submissively, its core is to help the Later Jin Dynasty develop its strength, so-called keeping a low profile. And angry young people like Xue Wenyu, who unrealistically promote narrow nationalism, will only hit the stone with an egg. Please let Comrade Li Congke help you explain this painful lesson.

Shi Jingtang appointed Hanlin Academician He Ning as Academician of Duanming Palace. The position of Academician of Duanming Palace was not a very powerful position, and it could even be said that he had no real power. His job was just to help the emperor translate the memorials of the ministers, translate the classical Chinese texts into plain language, and tell the stories behind them.

Although the "translator" had no real power, he could often have close contact with the emperor, and his opinions or suggestions could be easily adopted by the emperor. Therefore, since Li Siyuan set up the position, the "Duanming Palace Scholar" has been the object of flattery by civil and military officials.

After He Ning became a scholar in the Duanming Palace, in order to maintain his reputation for integrity, he decided to close the door to visitors and hung a sign at the gate stating that he would not receive any guests.

Zhang Yi, the former Yaozhou militia official, wrote a letter to He Ning, saying that you are now sitting in the position closest to the emperor, and are the emperor's eyes and ears, listening and seeing for the emperor, and helping the emperor understand the outside world. How can you refuse all guests? Although being an official can avoid many unnecessary troubles, it will fail the emperor's trust and the country's expectations. I hope you will not seek fame and reputation and become a frog in the well.

He Ning immediately recommended Zhang Yi to Sang Weihan, saying that he was a talented person. Sang Weihan promoted Zhang Yi to the position of Zuo Shiyi (left picker of relics) in the Ministry of Personnel, a low position, but since he was in the central government, he could directly submit memorials to the emperor.

So Zhang Yi wrote a memorial to Shi Jingtang, pointing out that the Khitan had contributed to the establishment of the dynasty, so we must keep our promises in diplomacy and maintain friendship with the Liao, but we must also strengthen our own strength and always be vigilant against these barbarians.

Shi Jingtang praised Zhang Yi highly.

In fact, Zhang Yi's ideas are highly consistent with Shi Jingtang's spiritual world.

Shi Jingtang was not a masochist. His servility and submission to the Khitan were just imitations of Gou Jian, the King of Yue. Heaven will not fail those who work hard. After sleeping on firewood and tasting gall, the three thousand Yue troops were able to conquer Wu.

In the fifth year of Tianfu (940), An Yanwei, the governor of Taiyuan, came to Beijing to meet the emperor. Shi Jingtang spoke to him from the bottom of his heart and said many things from the bottom of his heart, saying that he valued loyalty the most and that the Khitans helped him out of righteousness, so he fulfilled his promise. However, they were greedy and demanded too much, and he was very satisfied that you could consider the overall situation and compromise.

An Yanwei replied: "Your Majesty serves the people with a humble attitude and generous gifts for the sake of the people of the world. How dare I say that I feel wronged!" This is a high emotional intelligence answer. Your Majesty is acting like a grandson for the sake of the people of the world. Your Majesty kneeled down alone, and the people of the whole country stood up, but the people of the whole country still pointed at your Majesty's spine and cursed him as a "dog traitor"...

These two sentences moved Shi Jingtang to tears, "It's hard to find a soulmate!"

This story also shows that even without the strong interference of the Khitan, Shi Jingtang would tend to favor the "pro-Liao faction" when selecting and appointing officials, especially provincial governors.

The Khitan's interference in the Later Jin cabinet was not limited to "giving a heads-up". Sometimes they directly "overstepped the level" to exercise the power of personnel appointment and dismissal, that is, the Khitan directly appointed and dismissed officials of the Later Jin Dynasty without going through Shi Jingtang or the Later Jin Ministry of Personnel.

For example, Feng Dao, Liu Shu and others were sent as envoys to Khitan and presented titles of honor to Yelu Deguang and Empress Dowager Shulü. Yelu Deguang then issued an edict to add Feng Dao the title of Grand Tutor and Liu Shu the title of Grand Protector, and the other accompanying officials were also rewarded.

Directly depriving one of the power to appoint and dismiss personnel is a serious violation of the sovereignty of the Later Jin Dynasty!

2.2.2 Local involvement
In addition to interfering with the formation of the cabinet of the Later Jin regime, Yelu Deguang also wanted to further encroach on the land in Hebei Province.

In the fourth year of Tianfu (939), Shi Jingtang moved Huangfu Yu, the governor of Yiwu Army in Dingzhou, to Zhaoyi Army in Luzhou. This move was related to the most serious political event during Shi Jingtang's time, which will be described in detail later.

As soon as Dingzhou became vacant, the Khitan father sent someone to tell Shi Jingtang: "Please let Comrade Wang Wei take charge of Dingzhou according to Khitan etiquette." (Please let Wei inherit the father's land, as is the law of our dynasty)
This Wang Wei was the youngest son of Wang Chuzhi. When Wang Dujiu usurped power (921), he fled to Khitan. His character "威" should be written as "威阝". The names of the sons and nephews of the brothers Wang Chuzhi and Wang Chucun are all single characters with "阝" as the radical, such as Wang Du, Wang Yu, and Wang Gao.

By the way, this is the "Khitan envoy who came to propose marriage" when the "Ugurhan horse" was sent in the previous article.

The so-called Khitan etiquette is the tradition of nomadic people. Different from the "primogeniture system" of agricultural civilization, nomadic people are accustomed to let the youngest son inherit the family business. Wang Wei happened to be the youngest son of Wang Chuzhi, the former governor of Dingzhou Yiwu Army, so Yelu Deguang used this as an excuse to propose that Wang Wei inherit his father's family business.

Wang Wei had lived in Khitan for eighteen years and had long been transformed by the Khitans into a "Jiao elite". Yelu Deguang made Wang Wei the governor of Dingzhou, which was actually to make Wang Wei the regional agent and use the Dingzhou Yiwu Army as a puppet of the Khitans, thus radiating the entire Heshuo region.

After obtaining the "Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun", Khitan carried out major administrative reforms within the country, upgrading Youzhou to "Nanjing" and Yunzhou to "Xijing".

(End of this chapter)