History of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Chapter 796: The Death of Changle Lao 4
Even so, Feng Dao did not leave immediately, but stayed in the dormitory arranged by the Khitan for him. He promised to return home, but he did not leave. Whenever the Khitans came to urge him, Feng Dao always repeated Boss Jia's famous words, "I will return to China next week, definitely."

You have been staying like this for more than a month and still haven't left. The Khitans are getting anxious. The emperor has ordered you to leave. Are you going to disobey the order?

"Believe me, I'll be back next week, seriously."

Then, he reluctantly and lingered on his way back south. On the way, he hesitated, took a step and stopped twice, and stayed overnight when he came across an inn...

His entourage couldn't bear to watch this anymore, so they asked him, "We finally managed to leave the Northern Kingdom alive and return to the Central Plains. We only regret that we don't have wings under our ribs, but why... Could it be that you really love Khitan?"

Feng Dao said: "What do you know? Are our carriages and horses faster, or are the horses of the Khitan cavalry faster? If we act as if we are eager to return home, we will be caught and brought back within a day. Only if we show that we are unwilling to return home, will the Khitans feel relieved to let us go, and we can really return home."

Everyone suddenly realized that playing hard to get is the trick, and the old ones are the wisest.

For this story, let's briefly sort out the doubts and controversies:

The first is time.

According to the Old History of the Five Dynasties, Feng Dao left the Central Plains in the second year of Tianfu (937) and returned to China in February of the fourth year of Tianfu (939); while the History of Liao records that Feng Dao came to Khitan in September of the first year of Huihe (938) and was seen off in February of the second year of Huihe (9).

Secondly, it is Yelu Deguang’s attitude towards Feng Dao.

According to the Old History of the Five Dynasties, Yelu Deguang thought highly of Feng Dao and even wanted to welcome him outside the city. Fortunately, he was dissuaded by his ministers on the grounds that "the emperor has no etiquette for welcoming the prime minister."

However, in the History of Liao, there is no mention of this. It is only recorded that the border reported that Feng Dao and others came to present the title of honor to Yelu Deguang, so Yelu Deguang sent people to receive them; after arriving at the Khitan Palace, they were given a banquet in accordance with international practice, and then received in a regular manner. During the period, Feng Dao was given the title of "Guardian Taifu". It is also an international practice for the Celestial Empire to promote officials and titles to tribute envoys from foreign countries. The Tang Dynasty often gave envoys from neighboring ethnic minority regimes titles such as "Governor of So-and-so" and "General of So-and-so", and then held a farewell banquet...

Regarding Yelu Deguang's attitude towards Feng Dao, there is a small story below that will slap the "Old History of the Five Dynasties" in the face. I will keep it to myself for now and will discuss it later.

The question is, when did Feng Dao go there and when did he come back? Did he really experience the thrilling experience of "returning home next week"?

I picked out some very interesting historical materials:
"Old Five Dynasties History·Biography of Feng Dao":
"In the second year of Tianfu (937), the Khitan sent envoys to add the emblem to the Jin ancestor, and the Jin ancestor also presented the emblem to the Khitan..."

History of Liao:
"In June of the first year of Huitong (938), the Emperor of Jin was enthroned as the Yingwu Mingyi Emperor... In September, the border officials reported that Jin had sent the Minister of Works Feng Dao... to confer the title of the Empress Dowager... On the first day of the eleventh month, the prime ministers of the north and south and Yili Jin were ordered to go to the palace to give a banquet to the Jin envoy Feng Dao and others. On the third day of the eleventh month, the Emperor went to the Kaihuang Palace and summoned the Jin envoy..."

Obviously, the reason for this mission to Khitan was that Khitan gave Shi Jingtang a title of honor, and then Shi Jingtang cleverly bought one and got one free, not only giving a title of honor back to Yelu Deguang, but also giving a title of honor to Empress Dowager Shulü.

However, in terms of the specific time, the "Old Five Dynasties History·Biography of Feng Dao" says it was 937, and the "History of Liao" says it was 938. Which year is it? Don't worry, let's take a look at the "Old Five Dynasties History·Chronicle of Jin Gaozu":
"In August (938), Liu Xu, the Left Servant, was appointed as the envoy for the Khitan empress's enthronement ceremony, with Wei Xun, the Left Imperial Attendant, as his deputy, and Lu Chong, the Imperial Secretary, as the envoy for the Khitan empress's enthronement ceremony...

In October...the Khitan sent an envoy to present the imperial seal to the Emperor with the title of Yingwu Mingyi.

In February (the fourth year of Tianfu, 939), Prime Minister Feng Dao, Left Imperial Guard Wei Xun, and Deputy Minister of Rites Yang Zhaojian returned from Khitan envoys.

In March, Zuo Pushe Liu Xu and Jieshi Zhong Lu Chong returned from Khitan envoys..."

This is one of the reasons why Mr. Ouyang Xiu denounced the "Old History of the Five Dynasties" and wrote the "New History of the Five Dynasties" himself. The "Old History of the Five Dynasties" turned out to be a failure. In the "Biography of Feng Dao", it said it was 937, while in the "Records of Emperor Gaozu", it said it was 938.

However, the truth will never escape our sharp eyes. With a little analysis, the truth will be revealed. The most valuable part of this book is here - it hurts:
Let me tell you the truth first:

In June 938, a Khitan envoy came to present the title of emperor to Shi Jingtang. The envoy should have arrived in the Later Jin Dynasty before August. After discussion among the officials of the Later Jin Dynasty, Feng Dao and others were sent to return the gift to the Khitan in August. Feng Dao and others arrived in the Khitan territory in September and stayed at the Khitan customs in accordance with the law (the border officials requested Yelu Deguang's instructions). Yelu Deguang sent people to greet them. They arrived in the Khitan capital on November 6 and began the ceremony of presenting the title of emperor.
In February 939, the Khitans sent Feng Dao and others back to their country with courtesy; Feng Dao returned to Bianzhou that month, while Liu Shu and others did not return until the next month (March).

In the Records of Emperor Gaozu, the order of the mutual offering of honorific titles was intentionally reversed, with Shi Jingtang first sending people to offer the honorific title to Yelu Deguang (August), and then the Khitan offered the honorific title to Shi Jingtang (October). The purpose of doing this was to flatter Shi Jingtang, as if Shi Jingtang was in control of the diplomatic initiative, and the Khitans followed closely... After all, this is Shi Jingtang's "Records", so it is understandable to beautify it a little bit.

Similarly, the story of Feng Dao's "returning home next week" only appears in the "Biography of Feng Dao", which is obviously a flattery of Feng Dao. The "Records of Emperor Gaozu" and the "History of Liao" both say that the delegation returned to China in February 939, and Feng Dao returned that month, while Liu Xu and Lu Chong were a few days late, returning in March. As for the "Biography of Feng Dao", which says that Feng Dao went on a diplomatic mission to Khitan in 2, it is obviously also to prolong his stay in Khitan, and the timeline was deliberately moved forward.

Another terrifying truth is that Feng Dao did go abroad in 937, but he did not "return home next week" but "go abroad next week", and he lingered on the land of his motherland for a year. I don't want to believe this is true.

Regardless of the truth, Feng Dao was ordered to go on a diplomatic mission to Khitan and was branded as a "traitor", which became one of his many "shameless acts".

2.3 The Stubborn Old Man
Yelu Deguang destroyed the Later Jin Dynasty and took control of Bianzhou. Feng Dao was ordered to come and meet Yelu Deguang.

Please see Yelu Deguang's true attitude towards him:

"De Guang blamed Dao for his inappropriate behavior towards Jin, but Dao could not answer." - New History of the Five Dynasties

This is far from the record in the Old History of the Five Dynasties that Yelu Deguang wanted to welcome Feng Dao to the suburbs, "his reputation was so great that it spread far and wide." Yelu Deguang started to scold him, "How did you assist the Jin Dynasty?" Feng Dao was speechless.

After scolding him, Yelu Deguang asked sarcastically, "How dare you come to pay homage to me?"

Feng Dao replied humbly and fearfully: "Without a city and without soldiers, how dare I not come?"

Seeing him showing weakness and pity, Yelu Deguang snorted coldly and continued to attack Feng Dao personally, "Who do you think you are, old man?"

Feng Dao replied even more humbly: "I am a foolish old man with no talent or virtue."

I am just an uneducated, immoral, stupid, useless old man.

In ancient times, "Laozi" was a derogatory term for older people, usually used to humble oneself or to refer to oneself. If you say this to others, it is equivalent to cursing. Yelu Deguang's "What kind of Laozi are you" is extremely disrespectful to Feng Dao. We can roughly translate it as "Who do you think you are, old man?" or "Who do you think you are, old man?"

It is difficult to hit a smiling person. After hearing what he said, Yelu Deguang finally laughed and appointed Feng Dao as his tutor. Feng Dao passed Yelu Deguang's interview and successfully became a senior official of the Liao Dynasty. From then on, he also established the infamy of "traitor".

So how did Feng Dao serve Yelu Deguang?

According to records, Yelu Deguang asked Feng Dao for advice on how to govern the Central Plains, asking him how to make the people of the Central Plains willingly accept the rule of the Khitans, and "how can the people of the world be saved?"

Feng Dao replied: "At this time, even Buddha cannot save the people. Only the emperor can save them."

Well-intentioned flattery. Feng Dao said that even if the Buddha came, it would not work, only you can do it. Yelu Deguang was very pleased.

At that time, Yelu Deguang's attitude towards the Central Plains was very tough and unfriendly, which aroused great resistance from the Central Plains people. Feng Dao taught him to love the people like his own children and not to hurt or abuse the Central Plains people, so that he would gain the favor of the Central Plains people.

We can certainly call Feng Dao a "traitor" and a "traitor" who served the puppet regime, but history has already given an objective and fair verdict:

"After that, the people of clothing and hats did not harm the barbarians, all because of the secret protection of Dao and Zhao Yanshou." - "Old Five Dynasties History"

"Everyone believes that the Khitan did not exterminate the Chinese, thanks to Dao's good words." - "New History of the Five Dynasties"

Before and after the Khitans came to rule the Central Plains, they also had fierce ideological struggles and discussed ways to rule the Central Plains. Among the options, destroying the Central Plains nation and changing their clothing, like the later Qing Dynasty, leaving their hair but not their heads... were also among the options. The Central Plains culture was at its most critical moment, and it was the secret help of Feng Dao and Zhao Yanshou that made Yelu Deguang finally give up this cruel and barbaric way and try to assimilate with a gentle method.

Zhao Yanshou was described in detail in the previous article. Yelu Deguang lied to him that after the Later Jin Dynasty was destroyed, he would be made the ruler of the Central Plains. Therefore, Zhao Yanshou made a great contribution in the war to destroy the Jin Dynasty, and had already entered the role in advance. He regarded the people of the Central Plains as his own people and secretly protected them.

(End of this chapter)