I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 292 Self-destruction of the empire, truly deserved.

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The Liao Dynasty originally had five capitals: Upper Capital, Middle Capital, Eastern Capital, Western Capital, and Southern Capital.

Back then, when Zhao Yu personally led the expedition, he recovered Liaoxi Capital and all its subordinate prefectures and counties, and renamed it Yunzhong Prefecture.

At that time, the five capitals of the Liao Dynasty were reduced to four.

When the Jin Dynasty rose to power, it first captured Liaodong (Tokyo) and renamed it Jin Nanjing. Not long after, it captured Liaoshangjing (Upper Capital). It did not immediately make any major changes to its name and continued to use the old name "Shangjing Linhuangfu". However, it had changed from Liaoshangjing to Jinshangjing.

As a result, the Liao Dynasty was left with only two capitals, namely Liao Zhongjing and Liao Nanjing, the latter of which had already been seized by Zhao Yu, who also took away the prefectures of Yi and Zhuo.

Most rulers, faced with such a situation, would at least be deeply worried and work diligently to restore national prestige and reverse the decline, if not strive to improve the situation. However, Yelü Yanxi seemed completely oblivious to the imminent impending doom of the Liao Dynasty. He remained immersed in hunting and pleasure trips, spending his days with his hounds and indifferent to state affairs. He remained lost in his illusory imperial dream, unwilling to awaken. In his world, the Liao Dynasty was still a vast and militarily powerful empire, and he remained the arrogant and invincible monarch.

Many Liao ministers, gazing upon their monarch who was indulging in pleasure and lacking ambition, were filled with worry and helplessness. Some sighed, while others grieved in secret, knowing full well that the dynasty was on the verge of collapse and that a single pillar could not hold it up.

In the imperial court, the passionate speeches and voices that once advocated for change have gradually faded into silence, replaced by a deathly stillness.

Occasionally, loyal ministers would step forward and earnestly offer advice, but they would only be met with a laugh or perfunctory response from Yelü Yanxi.

In these turbulent times, the people of Liao were also suffering immensely. Heavy taxes, coupled with frequent wars, led to the abandonment of farmland and widespread misery. Displaced persons were everywhere, cries of despair echoed across the land, and the air was thick with the deafening wails of grief.

Meanwhile, high-ranking officials, noble families, wealthy households, and magnates sold their property and took their families with them, either fleeing south to seek refuge with the Song Dynasty or surrendering to the new Jin ruler in the north. They only wished to preserve their lives in this chaotic world and continue to enjoy wealth and honor.

For a time, the people of Liao were filled with fear and panic, and the country was on the verge of collapse.

Those once loyal generals and soldiers gradually lost faith amidst repeated defeats and disappointments. They began to doubt whether this pleasure-seeking monarch could lead them to restore the glory of the Liao Dynasty. With this question in mind, they either surrendered to the Jin Dynasty or competed with Yelü Yanxi, the fleeing emperor, in an escape race.

Against this backdrop, a group of Khitan nobles, led by Yelü Taheli, asked Yelü Yanxi to contact the Song Dynasty and request that the Song Dynasty mediate the war between Liao and Jin, so that Liao could catch its breath. Some of them even proposed returning the five prefectures of Yan, the three prefectures of Pingluanying, as well as the areas that the Song Dynasty had always wanted to recover, such as Juyong Pass, Gubeikou, Songting Pass, and Yuguan Pass, to the Song Dynasty. Then they would borrow troops from the Song Dynasty to wipe out the Jin Dynasty in one fell swoop and recover the lost territories.

Xiao Sese had two sisters, and she was the second oldest. Her eldest sister married Yelü Taheli, and her youngest sister married Yelü Yudu.

Initially, Xiao Sese was given to Zhao Yu by Yelü Yanxi to vent his anger, while the son Xiao Sese bore to Yelü Yanxi, Yelü Aoluwo, remained in the Liao Kingdom and was later enfeoffed as the Prince of Jin by Yelü Yanxi.

Although this child no longer had his mother Xiao Sese's guidance, Empress Xiao Duoli still cared for him and nurtured him. Crucially, he was also very promising; at a young age, he earned a reputation for virtue in the Liao Kingdom, possessing deep compassion for the suffering of the people. He also inherited much of his mother Xiao Sese's qualities—intelligent, wise, and with a heart for the world. He seemed like a born sage, able to uphold his principles even in chaotic times, uncorrupted by the surrounding extravagance and decadence. He knew the nation was on the verge of collapse, and that his father, Yelü Yanxi's, indulgence in pleasure would hand over the empire painstakingly built by their ancestors. Therefore, he frequently offered advice. He often listened to court discussions, offering insightful opinions that astonished everyone present and impressed the court officials. He was like a ray of light in the dark sky of the Liao Kingdom; his existence brought a glimmer of hope to this land on the verge of ruin.

Yelü Yanxi had six sons, and it was still undecided who would be the crown prince.

As mentioned earlier, Yelü Yanxi's eldest son, Prince Zhao, Yelü Xinilie, was somewhat mentally challenged and could not possibly become the crown prince.

Yelü Yanxi's second son, Prince Liang, Yelü Yali, was born to a palace maid and had a weak background. When he was seven years old, Yelü Yanxi only had two sons and once considered making him the crown prince.

However, later, Xiao Sese gave birth to Yelü Aoluwo for Yelü Yanxi, and Consort Yuan Xiao Guige also gave birth to Prince Qin Yelü Ding and Prince Xu Yelü Ning for Yelü Yanxi.

Xiao Sese and Xiao Guige were both Khitan nobles, and their families wielded considerable power in the Liao Dynasty.

As a result, Yelü Yali, who had no powerful connections, had almost no chance of becoming the crown prince, especially after his mother died and he adopted Xiao Guige as his foster mother.

The situation was quite clear: the position of Crown Prince would most likely be chosen from Yelü Aoluwo and Yelü Ding.

Xiao Guige was Yelü Yanxi's most favored concubine. Xiao Guige's sister, Xiao Duolilan, was Yelü Yanxi's empress. Xiao Guige's brother, Xiao Fengxian, was Yelü Yanxi's most favored minister, serving as the Grand Councilor of the Liao Dynasty, and had a very close relationship with Yelü Yanxi.

Regardless of how influential Xiao Sese was in the Liao Kingdom in the past, she is now Zhao Yu's concubine, not Yelü Yanxi's.

Logically, under these circumstances, Yelü Ding's position as crown prince should be secure, right?

The problem is that Yelü Aoluwo's ​​reputation is significantly higher than Yelü Ding's.

The key point is that Xiao Sese only left the Liao Kingdom, she didn't die, and she even managed to climb the social ladder by getting close to Zhao Yu.

More importantly, the rise of the Jin dynasty, like a snake swallowing an elephant, ceded the northeastern part of the Liao dynasty, while the Liao dynasty suffered repeated defeats and was on the verge of collapse. At this time, the attitude of the Zhao Song dynasty, or rather Zhao Yu, became crucial.

It could even be said that Zhao Yu's attitude could determine whether the Liao Dynasty would survive or perish.

In this situation, would Zhao Yu support Yelü Aoluwo as the crown prince of the Liao Dynasty?

If that's the case, then Yelü would definitely not be able to become the crown prince of the Liao Dynasty.

Since ancient times, the greatest glory for the women in the emperor's harem has been for their sons to become emperor. It is only natural that a mother would side with her own son, so why would she side with someone else's child?

Although Xiao Guige was a kind person, she was not immune to worldly customs, which made her very distressed.

But Xiao Guige wasn't the most distressed person. The most distressed person was her brother, Xiao Fengxian.

Xiao Fengxian was the Liao Dynasty's most notorious traitor. Yelü Aoluwo, like his mother Xiao Sese, despised him and wished nothing more than to eliminate this treacherous minister who had brought ruin to the country. How could Xiao Fengxian possibly allow Yelü Aoluwo to become the crown prince?

However, if Yelü Ding were to become the crown prince, the situation would be quite different. Yelü Ding was weak-willed and easily manipulated, and he was also quite dependent on his maternal uncle, Xiao Fengxian. If he were to ascend the throne one day, Xiao Fengxian could continue to rely on his status as a maternal relative to control the government and do whatever he wanted.

Comparing the two, Xiao Fengxian couldn't help but secretly ponder how he could lend Yelü Ding a hand in this struggle for the crown prince position, while also eliminating Yelü Aoluwo, a major threat to his heart.

At this moment, Yelü Taheli and others advised Yelü Yanxi to seek help from the Zhao Song Dynasty. Xiao Yu, the younger brother of Xiao Sese and the imperial son-in-law, even proposed to return the five prefectures of Yan, the three prefectures of Pingluanying, and the passes such as Juyong Pass to the Zhao Song Dynasty.

Xiao Fengxian seized the opportunity and secretly told Yelü Yanxi: "Taheli, Xiao Yu and others are colluding with the Song Dynasty to conspire to enthrone the Prince of Jin as emperor, attempting to make Your Majesty the retired emperor. If Your Majesty does not comply, I will surely lead troops to force Your Majesty to abdicate."

Yelü Yanxi was initially skeptical when he heard Xiao Fengxian's words.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Fengxian brought up the matter of Yelü Hongji sending a Liao envoy to poison Empress Dowager Xiao Liang and support Li Qianshun in taking control of Western Xia, implying to Yelü Yanxi that Zhao Yu might do the same thing.

Yelü Yanxi thought that Xiao Sese hated him to the bone and naturally wanted her son to replace him. If Xiao Sese whispered in Zhao Yu's ear, Zhao Yu might actually support his stepson to become the emperor of Liao.

Yelü Yanxi was most afraid of Zhao Yu. The thought that Zhao Yu might depose him or even kill him immediately made him panic. He hurriedly asked Xiao Fengxian, "What should we do?"

Xiao Fengxian said to Yelü Yanxi: "Strike first to gain the upper hand, and strike later to be controlled."

Heeding Xiao Fengxian's slander, Yelü Yanxi ordered the execution of everyone who had advised him to seek help from the Song Dynasty.

In fact, the reason why Yelü Taheli, Xiao Yu and others advised Yelü Yanxi to seek help from the Zhao Song Dynasty was because Zhao Yu had already sent envoys to Liaozhongjing.

Although Li Chuwen, sent by Zhao Yu, did not explicitly state that Zhao Yu was willing to return the more than one hundred Liao beauties that Wanyan Aguda had given him to the Liao Kingdom, he hinted to Yelü Yanxi and the Liao high-ranking officials that Zhao Yu had not touched these Liao beauties, but instead kept them well-fed and cared for in a safe place. He even went so far as to say that once the relationship between the Song and Liao dynasties improved, he would return these Liao beauties to the Liao Kingdom.

Upon hearing this, Yelü Taheli, Xiao Yu, and others felt hopeful that they could find their families. Furthermore, given the current situation, it was clear that only with the assistance of the Song Dynasty could the Liao Dynasty defeat the Jin Dynasty and recover its lost territories. Therefore, they supported the Liao Dynasty in seeking aid from the Song Dynasty, even offering to cede five prefectures in Yan, three prefectures in Pingluanying, and passes such as Juyong Pass in exchange for the Song Dynasty's support or even assistance.

In the eyes of Yelü Taheli, Xiao Yu and others, there was no path that could not be taken.

After all, didn't Shi Jingtang cede the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun to the Khitan in order to survive?
To be honest, although this earned Shi Jingtang eternal infamy, it also protected him for the time being.

Yelü Taheli, Xiao Yu, and the others may have felt reluctant, but they also understood that in this chaotic world, survival was the top priority.

Moreover, this move is merely a trade-off between space and time. Once the Liao Kingdom has recovered and rebuilt itself, there is no doubt that it may one day reclaim its lost territory.

Moreover, these areas originally belonged to the Han people, and now it's simply a matter of returning them to their rightful owners.

Conversely, if the Liao Dynasty did not receive assistance from the Song Dynasty, it would most likely be unable to retain the five prefectures of Yan, the three prefectures of Pingluan and Ying, as well as passes such as Juyong Pass. Either the Song Dynasty or the Jin Dynasty would certainly seize this opportunity to take over these regions.

Rather than passively letting the Song Dynasty or the Jin Dynasty seize these regions, it would be better to take the initiative to do a favor and gain the Song Dynasty's favor and assistance. Why not?

However, all these beautiful plans vanished due to Yelü Yanxi's suspicion and Xiao Fengxian's conspiracy. In his panic, Yelü Yanxi believed Xiao Fengxian's slander and thought that those ministers who advised him to seek help from the Song Dynasty were all treacherous people, so he ordered them all to be executed.

As a result, none of the Liao ministers who advocated for the Liao to seek help from the Zhao Song Dynasty, such as Yelü Taheli and Xiao Yu, escaped death; they were all killed by men sent by Yelü Yanxi and Xiao Fengxian.

Yelü Yanxi and Xiao Fengxian also wanted to send someone to kill Yelü Yudu, who was currently commanding 30% of the Liao army at the front line.

Unexpectedly, Yelü Yudu learned of the actions of Yelü Yanxi and his minister Xiao Fengxian before they could.

Yelü Yudu was related to Yelü Taheli and Xiao Yu, and his wife and daughters were also in Zhao Yu's hands. More importantly, he believed that the Liao Dynasty could only avoid destruction by receiving help from the Song Dynasty. Therefore, he supported the Liao Dynasty in seeking help from the Song Dynasty, and even supported returning the five prefectures of Yan, the three prefectures of Pingluanying, and the passes such as Juyongguan to the Song Dynasty.

Yelü Yudu thought that Yelü Yanxi and Xiao Fengxian would not let him go and would definitely send people to kill him. So he led more than a thousand of his trusted Liao soldiers northward, preparing to surrender to the Jin Dynasty.

Yelü Yudu had considered surrendering to the Song Dynasty, but firstly, he was closer to the Jin Dynasty than to the Song Dynasty, and whether he could succeed in surrendering to the former was uncertain, let alone the latter; secondly, he hated the incompetent ruler Yelü Yanxi and the treacherous minister Xiao Fengxian. They had forced him, a loyal minister who was originally loyal to the Liao Dynasty, into rebellion, making him a traitor. If he surrendered to the Song Dynasty, he might not have the opportunity to take revenge, but if he surrendered to the Jin Dynasty, he could return in the future and kill Yelü Yanxi and Xiao Fengxian.

Upon learning that Yelü Yudu had fled, Emperor Yelü Yanxi and his minister Xiao Fengxian immediately dispatched Xiao Xiamai, the Prefect of the Xi King's Palace, Xiao Degong, the Prime Minister of the Northern Palace, Yelü Diligu, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, and Xiao Heshangnu, the Governor of Guizhou, to lead their troops in pursuit of Yelü Yudu.

When Xiao Xiamai and his men caught up with Lushan, they discussed among themselves, saying, "Our lord believes Xiao Fengxian's words. Fengxian looks down on us. Yudu is a member of the imperial clan and a hero. He has never been willing to serve under Fengxian. If we capture Yudu, our party will all be Yudu in the future! It would be better to let him go."

So, after they returned, they lied to Yelü Yanxi, saying, "We couldn't catch up."

Seeing this, Yelü Yanxi and Xiao Fengxian reluctantly gave up.

Yelü Yudu's defection from Liao to Jin was a momentous event for Liao, Jin, and the Song Dynasty.

Putting aside the fact that Wanyan Aguda almost burst out laughing when he found Yelü Yudu, this treasure.

It is said that when Zhao Yu learned of this, he was so angry that his nose almost twisted out of shape. Even the usually good-tempered and shrewd Zhao Yu couldn't help but curse, "Yelü Yanxi, you big idiot! If you don't lose the country, who will...?"

……

(End of this chapter)