History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 601: The Fall of the Later Jin Dynasty 4
Yelu Deguang was coming to Bianzhou, and Shi Chonggui planned to lead the Queen Mother, the Empress, and all the civil and military officials to welcome him in the suburbs. The relevant departments discussed the etiquette of welcoming him in the suburbs and decided to use the etiquette of the fallen country, that is, Shi Chonggui was naked, his hands were tied behind his back, he held a jade disk in his mouth, and led a sheep in his hand, and all the officials carried the coffin, waiting for Yelu Deguang's arrival in the suburbs.

However, Yelu Deguang refused and issued an edict to the civil and military officials of the Later Jin Dynasty, asking them to stay at their posts and not to panic. Everything should remain the same and the court system should follow the Han system.

The relevant departments also planned to "prepare a royal carriage" to welcome Yelu Deguang. The royal carriage is the emperor's carriage, which has a strong political color. Yelu Deguang also refused.

Yelu Deguang said that since ancient times, there have never been two emperors walking on the street. In fact, whether it is a welcoming ceremony or a surrender, as the supreme rulers of the two countries, the official meeting between the two will become a formal meeting, sending a strong political signal to the outside world, and this signal is something Yelu Deguang does not want to leak too early.

If Yelu Deguang recognized Shi Chonggui's rule, it would be tantamount to recognizing the continued existence of the Later Jin regime, and the Khitan army's control over the Central Plains would lose its legal legitimacy, and the Khitan's previous efforts would be wasted.
If Shi Chonggui's rule was ended and the Later Jin regime was overthrown, Yelu Deguang would face two choices: either choose someone else (such as Zhao Yanshou or Du Chongwei) and establish a puppet regime, or rule the Central Plains himself.

In fact, Yelu Deguang already had the answer in his mind. He wanted to rule the Central Plains himself. However, this would inevitably provoke a strong backlash from the Han people in the Central Plains. Although the Later Jin regime was already in name only, Yelu Deguang had not yet led a large army to station in Bianzhou and had not gained actual control of the Central Plains, so Yelu Deguang did not dare to show his trump card.

He had to first enter Bianzhou, appease the officials, conduct a comprehensive and thorough integration of the political and military resources of the Central Plains, and after gaining actual control over the Central Plains, announce the Khitan's ownership of the Han areas in the Central Plains.

Therefore, Yelu Deguang chose to avoid Shi Chonggui.

Yelu Deguang led his army all the way south. When he arrived in Xiangzhou, the cavalry went straight to Heyang to help him bring back an old friend. This person was Jing Yanguang, an old friend of the Khitan people. In order to prevent him from fleeing south to Huainan and west to Hou Shu.

When Yelu Deguang crossed the Yellow River and arrived at Fengqiu, north of Bianzhou, Jing Yanguang was escorted to the imperial court.

Yelu Deguang smiled coldly, "Not so awesome? Don't you have 100,000 swords? Where are they? The friendship between the two countries was destroyed and the two countries went to war, all because of your instigation! Do you admit your guilt?"

In a word, Jing Yanguang was classified as a Class A war criminal and was held fully responsible for the Jin-Liao War.

Jing Yanguang denied all the accusations and swore to heaven that he had never insulted the Khitan, nor challenged the great, glorious and correct Majesty. This must be a frame-up by a traitor who is lying to you that he is a puppy.

Yelu Deguang looked at him, "You are just fooling me. I think you will not give up until you see the Yellow River and you will not cry until you see the coffin. Come and meet your old friend."

After saying that, he called out an important witness—the envoy Qiao Rong.

Qiao Rong confronted Jing Yanguang face to face. Qiao Rong listed more than a dozen crimes of Jing Yanguang's "anti-Liao" activities, but Jing Yanguang denied them all. "No, you are talking nonsense, you are slandering me!"

Neither Yelu Deguang nor Qiao Rong were angry. Instead, they looked at him with a smile, then took out a piece of physical evidence and said, "Please start your performance." Jing Yanguang took a closer look and immediately collapsed.

This piece of physical evidence is the "confession" that Qiao Rong asked him to write. Back then, Jing Yanguang was arrogant and spoke nonsense to Yelu Deguang, saying that if you don't accept it, come and fight!

Faced with the ironclad evidence, Jing Yanguang had to admit, "I was wrong..." He confessed his anti-Liao facts. Every time he admitted something, Yelu Deguang would give him a bamboo stick. When Jing Yanguang was holding eight bamboo sticks in his arms, his spirit completely collapsed, and he prostrated himself on the ground with his face pressed against the ground. This posture is the legendary "prostrating oneself on the ground". He admitted to Yelu Deguang that his crimes were extremely heinous and unforgivable, and asked for death.

Yelu Deguang snorted contemptuously and ordered his men to lock him up with iron chains and take him back to Khitan to deal with him later.

The soldiers took Jing Yanguang to Chenqiao and asked him to stay at a civilian's house. Jing Yanguang took advantage of the night watchman's inattention and committed suicide out of fear of being punished.

On the 946th day of the twelfth lunar month in the third year of Kaiyun (), on New Year's Eve, all civil and military officials of the Later Jin Dynasty gathered at the Fengchan Temple in the east of Bianzhou City, preparing to welcome Yelu Deguang in the suburbs the next day.

The next day was New Year's Day, and Shi Chonggui spent the most unforgettable and painful Spring Festival in his life.

That morning, all the civil and military officials gathered in the north of Bianzhou City, turned around and bowed to Shi Chonggui in the city, wishing him a happy new year. Then, they changed into plain clothes and knelt in unison on both sides of the road, with their foreheads touching the ground, respectfully welcoming Yelu Deguang and waiting for his decision.

Yelu Deguang came slowly, wearing a mink hat, a mink robe, and soft armor, riding a tall horse. He said to those around him: "The master is ungrateful, what is the crime of the minister?" He ordered all the ministers to stand up and return to their original positions, and comforted everyone not to panic, and said some words of comfort.

Suddenly, a man in the crowd shouted in Khitan language, and everyone looked in the direction of the voice. Yelu Deguang smiled and waved at him, asking him to come closer, "Are you the legendary 'Monument without Words'? Well, you have already shown me your loyalty in Xingzhou, and I will never forget it." Then he appointed him as the Jiedushi of the Zhenguo Army.

This person was An Shuqian. His father was a general under Li Keyong. He initially followed Li Cunxu. During the period of Li Congke, he followed Shi Jingtang to the north to resist the Khitan. During the Later Jin Dynasty, he was appointed as Tongpingzhangshi and served as a Jiedushi in towns such as Xingzhou.

According to historical records, An Shuqian was handsome and well-mannered, but he was illiterate and had a rough and bad behavior. He was nicknamed "Meizibei" or "An Meizi". Although he was illiterate, he was fluent in Khitan, which made him an alternative talent.

When he was the governor of Xingzhou, he had secretly communicated with the Khitan and expressed his willingness to surrender. Now, in front of Yelu Deguang, he used his language skills to greet Yelu Deguang in Khitan, winning Yelu Deguang's favor and entrusting him with important tasks. An Shuqian immediately danced with joy, knelt down and kowtowed, then cheered and jumped back to the crowd, without any shame.

Yelu Deguang deliberately said in front of everyone that An Shuqian had surrendered when he was in Xingzhou. He was sending a signal to the civil and military officials of the Later Jin Dynasty: Don’t trust the people around you too much. Many of you have already secretly surrendered to me. Stop playing tricks on me!
(End of this chapter)