Zi Zhi Tong Jian

Chapter 59 Late Jin Dynasty: The Rise of Khitan (2)
When Dejun went to Zhenzhou, Dong Wenqi led the recruiting of deputy envoys and invited them to go with him. He also said that there were few soldiers and he had to join Lubing in Heze;At that time, Fan Yanguang was ordered to station [-] troops in Liaozhou, and Dejun asked to join Wei Bo's army; Dejun together, is to stop.

Although the Khitan lord was in Liulin, his luggage, the old and the weak, were all at the mouth of Hubei. Every day it was dark to prepare for a hasty escape. However, Zhao Dejun wanted to rely on Khitan to take China. It's only a hundred miles away, and the sound and the question cannot communicate.Dejun Leibiao was an envoy for prolonging life and seeking success, saying: "The minister is now on an expedition, and Youzhou is isolated. If you want to extend life in Zhenzhou, it will be convenient for you to meet." Go to Zhenzhou! As soon as the thief is flat, do as you please." Dejun begged endlessly, and Tang Zhu said angrily: "Zhao's father and son insist on taking Zhenzhou, what do you mean? Gou Neng but Hu Kou, although they want to replace me , I am also willing, if you play with the bandits and invite the king, I am afraid that the dogs and rabbits will die." De Jun heard this and was not happy.

【Translation】

The first year of Tianfu, Emperor Gaozu of the Later Jin Dynasty (936 AD)
At the beginning, Zhao Dejun secretly had two intentions, trying to take advantage of the turmoil to seize the Central Plains in one fell swoop, and then asked the court to rescue Jin'an Village.The Emperor of the Later Tang Dynasty ordered him to go out of Daizhou from Feihu Road, go around Khitan, and attack the Khitan tribe. , the last emperor agreed to his request.Liu Zaiming, the governor of Zhaozhou and the commander of the northern battalion, led troops to defend Yizhou in the early days. When Zhao Dejun led his army through Yizhou, he ordered Liu Zaiming to lead his troops to follow him.Liu Zaiming is from Youzhou.

Zhao Dejun and his party arrived in Zhenzhou, appointed Dong Wenqi as the deputy recruiter, and invited him to participate in his actions.At the same time, he asked the imperial court to say that his troops were weak and Zelu's troops needed to come to join him; so he marched from Wuergu to Luzhou, and on October [-], he went to Luanliu.At that time, Fan Yanguang accepted the order of the last emperor to command [-] soldiers to garrison in Liaozhou, and Zhao Dejun asked to join forces with Wei Bo's army; The troops had already entered the bandit territory, and could no longer march hundreds of miles south to join Zhao Dejun, so they stopped like this.Although the Khitan lord stationed his army in Liulin, their luggage and old and weak soldiers were all at Hubeikou. Whenever the sun went down, they would tie up and stop, and they were always ready to flee in a hurry.However, Zhao Dejun tried to seize the Central Plains with the help of Khitan, so he arrived in Tuanbai for more than a month, but he still did not move. He was only a hundred miles away from Jin'an, but he could not communicate with each other.Zhao Dejun submitted several requests for the appointment of his son Zhao Yanshou as Chengde Jiedu envoy. He said: "The minister is currently on an expedition, and the situation in Youzhou is weak. I want Yanshou to guard Zhenzhou, so that it is convenient to go left and right. Respond." The Emperor of the Later Tang Dynasty said: "Yan Shou is fighting against the bandits, how can he have time to go to Zhenzhou? After the bandits are suppressed, he will naturally follow your request." Zhao Dejun asked tirelessly, and the Lord of the Later Tang Dynasty Then he said angrily: "Father Zhao and his son insist on getting Zhenzhou. What are their plans? If they can get rid of Hu Kou, even if they want to take my place, I will be willing. If they want to play with Kou Bing to threaten I beg your lord, I'm afraid you will end up with a dog and a rabbit being cooked." After Zhao Dejun heard these words, he was very unhappy.

[Original text]

In the leap month, Zhao Yanshou presented the edict and armored horse bow and sword given by the Khitan Lord, and deceived Yun Dejun to send an envoy to the Khitan Lord to make a good relationship with the Tang Dynasty, saying that he would lead the troops back to the country; He bribed the Lord Khitan, saying: "If you establish yourself as the emperor, please use your troops to Ping Luoyang in the south, and become a country of brothers with the Khitan; you may still allow the Shi family to always be in the east of the river." Dejun's soldiers are still strong, and Fan Yanguang is in the east. He is afraid that the states in the north of the mountain will invite him to return, so he wants Xu Dejun to invite him.

When the emperor heard this, he was terrified, and urgently sent Sang Weihan to see Lord Qifan, saying: "The great country raised righteous soldiers to save the orphans. In the first battle, the Tang soldiers collapsed. They retreated to the fence and lived as hard as they could. Zhao Beiping and his son did not Loyal or not, fearing the strength of a great country, and always harboring different ambitions, watching changes according to the army, not a person who favors the country with death, what is there to be afraid of, but believes in the false words of his birth, greedy for the profit of the last, and abandons the success of the doomed Huh! Let Jin conquer the world, and use up China's wealth to serve the big country, how can such a small profit compare with it!" The Khitan Lord said: "I see a rat catcher, if you don't prepare for it, it will bite his hand, and the situation is too big Enemy!" Confrontation: "Today's big country has choked its throat, and it can bite people!" The Khitan Lord said: "I don't have an agreement with Chongqing, but the strategy of the military strategist has to." Confrontation: "The emperor uses faith and righteousness The urgency of saving people, people all over the world are eyes and ears, but if they die twice or three times, the righteousness will not end! The emperor will not take it if you steal." Kneeling in front of the tent, from dawn to dusk, weeping and arguing.The Khitan Lord followed him, pointing to the stone in front of the tent, and said to the envoy of Dejun, "I have promised Shilang that this stone is rotten and can be changed."

【Translation】

In the eleventh month of intercalary, Zhao Yanshou presented to the imperial court the imperial edict, armor, horses, bows, arrows, swords, etc. from the Khitan Lord, falsely claiming that the envoy sent by Zhao Dejun sent a letter to the Khitan Lord, seeking reconciliation from the Khitan for the later Tang Dynasty, and persuading the Khitan Kingdom Let them bring troops back to the Later Tang Dynasty; in fact, he prepared another secret letter, and bribed the Khitan Lord with rich gold, treasures and silk, and said: "If you support yourself as emperor, please use the existing troops to pacify Luoyang in the south immediately. It is a brotherly country with the Khitan country; Shi Jingtang is still allowed to be a regular town in the east of the river." The Khitan Lord thought that he had penetrated into the enemy's territory, but Jin'an failed to capture it, Zhao Dejun's troops were very strong, and Fan Yanguang was to the east of him, so he was even more afraid of Taihang Mountain. The states in the north blocked his way back, so he wanted to agree to Zhao Dejun's request.

Later Jin Emperor was deeply frightened when he heard about it, and hurriedly sent Sang Weihan to see Yelu Deguang, Lord of Khitan, and persuaded him: "Your great country sent a large number of righteous soldiers to rescue Guwei, and only one battle disintegrated the Tang soldiers. After the fence, the food has been eaten up, and the strength has been exhausted. Zhao Dejun and his son are not loyal to Tang, do not believe in Khitan, they are just afraid of the power of the big country, and they have always had two intentions, and they have always held back their troops in order to spy on changes. They did not die for the country. How can you believe in their preposterous words, coveting petty profits, and abandoning the achievements that are about to be completed? And if the state of Jin is allowed to own the world, then I will spend all the wealth of the country How can these small profits be compared to paying tribute to a big country?" The Khitan Lord said: "Have you ever seen a rat catcher? If you don't guard against rats, you may be bitten on your hands, let alone Where is the enemy!" Sang Weihan replied: "Now that the great power has choked its throat, how can it bite again!" Lord Khitan said: "I don't want to destroy the previous agreement, it's just a strategist's strategy. It has to be like this." Sang Weihan replied: "The emperor rescued other people's distress with his faith, and the eyes and ears of the whole world will notice this matter. How can he be half-hearted and changeable, so that righteousness cannot be carried through from beginning to end? The minister privately I think the emperor really can't do this!" After that, he knelt in front of the tent and argued from morning to night, crying bitterly.The Khitan Lord had no choice but to obey him, and pointed to the stone in front of the tent and said to Zhao Dejun's envoy, "I have promised Shi Lang that I will not change my mind until this stone is rotten."

[Original text]

Zhao Dejun and Zhao Yanshou headed south to Luzhou, and the Tang defeated soldiers followed them a little bit, and they returned Lu Long Qingqi, then commander-in-chief of the game, back to Yuyang.The emperor sent Zhaoyi Jiedu envoy Gao Xingzhou to return the food. When he went to the city, he saw Dejun and his son on the city. Walking Zhou said: "Your servant and the king's hometown song, dare you not give advice! There is no fighting millet to guard in the city, so why don't you welcome them quickly?" Drive." In Jiaxu, the emperor and the Khitan lord went to Luzhou, Dejun and his son greeted him at Gaohe, the Khitan lord comforted him, and the father and son worshiped the emperor on the head of the horse. words.The Lord Khitan asked De Jun, "Where is the silver saddle Khitan you bought in Youzhou?"Suo Dejun and Yanshou were sent back to their country.

When Dejun saw the Empress Dowager Shulu, she took all the treasures she gave and offered them in her field and house. The Empress Dowager asked, "Why do you go to Taiyuan if you are close?" Dejun said: "Follow the order of the Tang Lord." "You ask my son to be the son of heaven, what a lie!" He pointed to his own heart and said, "This must not be deceived." He said again: "My son will do it, and my precepts say: If King Zhao leads his troops north to Yuguan Taiyuan cannot be rescued. If you want to be the son of heaven, why don't you repel my son first, and Xu Tu is not too late. You are a minister, and you bear your master, you cannot attack the enemy, and you want to take advantage of the chaos to invite profit For this reason, why do you want to survive again?" De Jun's head couldn't be right.Then asked: "Where are the utensils and toys, where are the fields and houses?" De Jun said: "In Youzhou." The queen mother said: "Who does Youzhou belong to now?" Said: "It belongs to the queen mother." The queen mother said: "Then how can I offer it?" What?" De Jun felt ashamed.Since he was depressed and didn't eat much, he died after a few years.

【Translation】

Zhao Dejun and Zhao Yanshou fled south to Luzhou, and some of the defeated soldiers of the later Tang Dynasty followed them. Their general Shi Sai led Lulong's light cavalry back east to Yuyang.The ancestors of the late Jin Dynasty sent Gao Xingzhou, the governor of Zhaoyi, back to Luzhou to prepare food and grass. When he arrived at the city, he saw Zhao Dejun and his son in the city. There is not a bucket of corn in the city that can be used as the capital to stick to it, so it is better to rush to meet the chariot of the Emperor Jin." On the 3000th, the Emperor Gaozu of the Later Jin Dynasty and the Khitan Lord arrived in Luzhou together. Zhao Dejun and his son greeted them in Gaohe and had an audience. To comfort them, the father and son of the Zhao family visited the Emperor Gaozu of the Later Jin Dynasty in front of the horse, and then walked up to the Emperor Gaozu of the Later Jin Dynasty and said, "Are you well after we parted?"Lord Khitan asked Zhao Dejun, "Where are the silver saddle Khitan soldiers you set up in Youzhou now?" .Immediately afterwards, people ordered Zhao Dejun and Zhao Yanshou to be shackled and escorted back to the Khitan Kingdom.

Zhao Dejun paid a visit to the Empress Dowager Shulu, the mother of the Lord Khitan, and offered all the treasures he brought and the confiscated fields and houses as tribute. The Empress Dowager asked, "Why did you go to Taiyuan recently?" Zhao Dejun said: " I am following the orders of the Lord Tang." The Queen Mother pointed to the sky and said, "You asked my son to support you as the emperor, why do you still lie?" Then she pointed to her heart and said: "This is not allowed. Deceived." Then said: "When my son was about to go out, I warned him: If King Zhao leads his army north to Yuguan, he will quickly lead his troops back, and Taiyuan does not need to rescue it. Since you want to be emperor, why not It's not too late to repel my son first, and then slowly plan. As a minister, you have failed your own monarch, but you can't attack the enemy, and you want to take advantage of the chaos to seek your own interests. You made such a move Things, what is the face of being alive?" Zhao Dejun lowered his head and was speechless.The queen mother asked again: "The utensils you donated are all here, but where are the fields and houses you donated?" Zhao Dejun said: "In Youzhou." The queen mother said: "Youzhou is now a Who does it belong to?" He replied: "It belongs to the Queen Mother." The Queen Mother said: "Then why do you still want to offer it!" Zhao Dejun immediately became more and more ashamed.From then on, he was depressed, unable to eat much food, and died a year later.

[Comment and Analysis]

Zhao Dejun and Zhao Yanshou are really ungrateful, treacherous villains with evil intentions!Later Tang emperor sent his father and son to attack Khitan, but Zhao Yanshou offered the imperial edict, armor, horses, bows and swords from the Khitan Lord, pretending that Zhao Dejun sent an envoy to send a letter to the Khitan Lord, seeking reconciliation for the later Tang Dynasty, and persuading The Khitan asked them to lead their troops back to the country; in fact, there was another secret letter, bribing the Khitan Lord with rich gold and treasures, asking to support himself as emperor.Zhao Dejun's overall plan was seen through by the Empress Dowager Shulu at a glance, and she herself was in vain.

Erhuang Jingtang
[Original text]

Later Jin Emperor Gaozu Shengwen Wuming Dexiao Emperor Tianfu First Year

Shi Jingtang sent an envoy to ask for help from Khitan, ordered Sang Weihancao to profess his vassal to the Khitan Lord, and asked him to honor him as his father. On the day of success, he would cut off Lulong Road and the states north of Yanmen Pass to him.Liu Zhiyuan remonstrated: "It's fine to be a minister, but it's too much to be a father. Bribe him generously with gold and silk, and be self-sufficient to send his soldiers. You don't have to give him land. I'm afraid it will become a disaster for China in the future. I regret it." Jing Tang Not from.Biao went to Khitan, the Khitan Lord was overjoyed, and Bai Qimu said: "My son sent an envoy than Meng Shilang, and it is true today, and this is also God's will." In order to reply to the letter, Xu Qi Zhongqiu poured out his country to help.

Zhang Jingda built a long siege to attack Jinyang.Shi Jingtang took Liu Zhiyuan as the commander of Ma Budu, and An Chongrong and Zhang Wandi surrendered their troops to Yan.Zhiyuan's method is selfless, caressing it as one, so people have no two minds.Jing Tang took the city and sat under the arrows and stones. Zhiyuan said: "Look at the high fortifications and deep moats of the elders. If you want to make a long-lasting plan, there is no other unique strategy, and it is not worth worrying about. I hope that Minggong will send out his envoys everywhere to manage foreign affairs. Defending the city is easy, Zhiyuan alone can do it." Jing Tang held Zhiyuan's hand, stroked his back and rewarded him.The Tang Lord envoy Lu Qi, a scholar of the Duanming Palace, went to the east of the river to reward the army. Yang Guangyuan said to Qi, "I wish to accompany your majesty, and I will be happy for the night. If the thief has no help, he will be at peace overnight; if he invites Khitan, he should let him in and let him go. The battle is broken." The emperor was very pleased.The emperor heard that Khitan Xu Shi Jingtang went to aid in Zhongqiu, and repeatedly supervised Zhang Jingda to attack Jinyang urgently, but could not go down.Every time there is a camp structure, it is worth the wind and rain, and the long wall is damaged by floods, and it cannot be closed. The city of Jinyang is in dire straits, and the grain storage is exhausted.

(End of this chapter)