History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 512 Shi Jingtang's Struggle 7
The Liao Empire implemented the "Five Capitals" system. Some people say that there were five capitals, but in fact it is more accurate to interpret it as one capital and four secondary capitals. This was also modeled after the Central Plains (Tang Dynasty) to find several backup capitals for the national capital. Usually, the establishment and activation of these "political backups" are regarded as a shift in the national strategic focus.

For example, the "Five Capitals" of the Tang Dynasty: Zhongjing Chang'an, Dongjing Luoyang, Xijing Fengxiang, Beijing Taiyuan, Nanjing Chengdu. These place names are all hot cities with a high appearance rate, and they are all regional political cores, transportation hubs, and economic centers.

The Khitan set Youzhou as "Nanjing" and Yunzhou as "Xijing". The lands of the "Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun" occupied two places among the "Five Capitals of Liao", which was enough to show the Khitan people's determination and perseverance in managing the Central Plains Han area.

Dingzhou Yiwu Army borders the "Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun" and is a bridgehead for the Khitan forces to continue to interfere in the Central Plains.

Shi Jingtang also knew this, so he politely declined and gave the reason: According to our Central Plains system, the Governor is promoted to the Training Envoy, the Training Envoy is promoted to the Defense Envoy, and the Defense Envoy is promoted to the Jiedushi. We must proceed step by step and gradually. Please send Comrade Wang Wei over here first to be a Governor, and then be promoted to the Jiedushi step by step.

Yelu Deguang was furious. The system of the Central Plains? Rules? How dare you say such things? Then let me ask you, how many ranks and levels do you need to rise from a military governor to an emperor?

While Shi Jingtang sent envoys to visit Khitan, bribed all the powerful dignitaries and spoke a few good words for them, he also took the correct approach: he hurriedly appointed Wang Tingyin, the governor of Zhangde Army in Xiangzhou, as the governor of Yiwu Army in Dingzhou.

Wang Tingyin is the grandson of Wang Chucun. Wang Chucun was originally the governor of Yiwu Army in Dingzhou. After his death, his son Wang Gao succeeded him. Wang Chuzhi launched a mutiny, drove away his nephew Wang Gao, and became the governor of Dingzhou. This story can be understood as the Jingnan Campaign of the Ming Dynasty. Wang Chuzhi is equivalent to Zhu Di, and Wang Gao is equivalent to Zhu Yunwen.

Therefore, from the perspective of human ethics, Wang Chucun's grandson (Wang Tingyin) has a more legitimate right to inherit Dingzhou than Wang Chuzhi's son (Wang Wei).

Moreover, Comrade Wang Tingyin was transferred at the same level, from Jiedushi to Jiedushi; while Wang Wei was not even a governor, but was promoted to a department-level cadre from a grassroots clerk. This was indeed a big step and it was easy to make mistakes.

Shi Jingtang was indeed a veteran in the political arena and an old fox in the officialdom. He resolved the Dingzhou crisis without any major incidents.

"Then...you are not allowed to do that again in the future."

"My real father taught me."

3. Friends from all over the world

The diplomacy of the Later Jin Dynasty during Shi Jingtang's reign was relatively simple and peaceful, because no one could afford to offend it. During Shi Jingtang's reign, the Later Jin Dynasty maintained relative peace with various political entities.

3.1 Later Shu
In March of the second year of Tianfu (937), Shi Jingtang sent an envoy to visit Hou Shu to inform him of the change of dynasty in the Central Plains. The title of the letter was "The Emperor of the Great Jin Dynasty sends this letter to the Emperor of the Great Shu Dynasty". Its content was roughly as follows:
"There are many troubles in the Central Plains, and great resentment and hatred continue to arise. Zhu is unrighteous and the emperor is not close to him. Shatuo betrays his loyalty and the heaven is disappointed..." In a word, Zhu Wen and Li Keyong are both worthless, so we are separated from each other, each ascending the throne and forming a tripartite situation. Afterwards, Shi Jingtang expressed his hope that the two countries of Jin and Shu would be good neighbors and live in peace.

In the letter, Shi Jingtang used marriage as a bond to enhance the relationship. If the two countries follow the wife route, the relationship will be very close, which is a close relationship:
Meng Zhixiang married Li Keyong's daughter (some say niece), Empress Li, and later married Li Cunxu's concubine, Imperial Concubine Li, who gave birth to Meng Chang.

Shi Jingtang married Li Siyuan's daughter.

Let's sort it out slowly: Shi Jingtang's wife called Meng Zhixiang "uncle" because Meng Zhixiang married her aunt; so Shi Jingtang's wife and Meng Chang were cousins.

Therefore, Shi Jingtang called Meng Chang his brother-in-law, and Meng Chang called Shi Jingtang his cousin-in-law.

Shi Jingtang came all the way to send a letter to me, "recalling our old relationship". How close are we brothers! You are the son of my wife's father's godfather's son-in-law, so we are brothers!
In fact, this relationship is complicated enough, let alone if you look into it in detail, the two really have nothing to do with each other, at least not by blood.

Because Meng Chang's biological mother was Concubine Li, not Empress Li. If his biological mother was Empress Li, then Li Siyuan would be his half-real uncle. Why is it called a "half-real" uncle? Because Li Siyuan was Li Keyong's adopted son, not his biological son.

However, Meng Chang was born to Concubine Li, so Shi Jingtang was the husband of the daughter of Meng Chang's non-blood-related "mother" and non-blood-related "brother"... a cousin-in-law who was not related at all.

This is based on the assumption that Meng Zhixiang married Li Keyong's daughter. If he married his niece (i.e. Li Kerang's daughter), the relationship between the two would be even more far-fetched.

The greatest pleasure of this book is to sort out the ethical relationships of the characters, such as "the third uncle and the great-grandfather". It's quite interesting.

In short, Shi Jingtang took the initiative to talk to Meng Chang about family affection and acknowledged the political status of the Later Shu. Meng Chang was also happy with it and used the "enemy country etiquette" in his reply.

However, at the end of this year (937), the border guards of the Later Jin invaded Lizhou of the Later Shu and reached Jianmen Pass in one breath, but were repelled by Zhao Tingyin, a general of the Later Shu.

There is no relevant record of this military conflict in authoritative historical books such as the Old History of the Five Dynasties and the Zizhi Tongjian. Only one sentence is recorded in the Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms: "The Jin people invaded Lizhou and reached Jianmen. Zhao Tingyin led his troops to resist and repel them."

From this we can draw a preliminary conclusion: this military conflict should be a small-scale border friction.

Logically speaking, Shi Jingtang would definitely not order an "attack on Shu". We will also mention later that it was not uncommon for warlords to send troops without asking for permission from the central government during Shi Jingtang's period. In other words, perhaps Shi Jingtang did not know about the existence of this conflict from beginning to end, so it would not appear in "The Veritable Records of Emperor Gaozu". Those who participated in this conflict were not famous people, so there is not a single word about them in his "Old History of the Five Dynasties".

The military commander of Later Shu was Zhao Tingyin, a hero in the founding of the country, so he was recorded in the history books of Later Shu. However, due to its small scale and small impact, only a mere 16 characters were left.

In general, the Later Jin and Later Shu maintained overall peace and stability and achieved good neighborliness and friendship, which was in line with the common interests of the two countries and a win-win situation.

3.2 Romance of the Three Kingdoms

In the first month of the second year of Tianfu (937), just over a month after Shi Jingtang ascended the throne, he gave the governor of Tanzhou, Ma Xifan, the king of Chu, Gao Conghui, the governor of Jingnan, and the king of Nanping more fiefs and granted them the title of meritorious officials. He also gave the king of Wuyue, Qian Yuanguan, more fiefs and granted him the title of meritorious official, and later added the title of "Deputy Marshal of the Army of the World", which were all honorary titles.

(End of this chapter)