Author: Zhao Xinfang
According to historical records, the first emperor to the last emperor in ancient China, a total of 2132 years, counting more than 490, the author believes that the emperor who replaced the temple test with the dice roll to determine the emperor of Yuanlang was definitely only the Liao Daozong Yelü Hongji.
Although he reigned for a long time, he did not care about the major affairs of the state, and his main energy was on hunting, fishing, and playing.
One day in the sixth year of Da'an (1090), the Liao's triennial imperial examination was held at the stage of the temple examination. The officials in charge of this work went to the Yangxin Hall where Emperor Daozong lived in Liao Daozong to report to him on the preparations for the examination and the details of the subsequent selection.
After listening to the Liao Daozong, who was enthusiastic about fishing, he said lazily: "Can't you handle such a small matter with your own hands?"
The officials who reported the work were anxious: The Son of Heaven presided over the temple examination, which is a rule handed down from the ancestors, how can we preside?
After some talking, Liao Daozong finally took over the "work", but he said: I definitely want to go to the "temple", but how to "try" is up to me, you can't talk too much...
As for how to conduct the traditional temple test, Liao Daozong actually has a number, and the influence of the advanced culture of the Central Plains on Liao is very deep, and he also did so in the early days. The emperor must do three "personally": that is, personally write the question, personally approve the volume, personally circle the point, and finally determine the candidates for the title, the list of eyes, and the exploration of flowers. The proposition is definitely related to the national economy and people's livelihood, because it is to select talents for the country.
It is a pity that today's Liao Daozong, contrary to his past practices, regards the fate and future of the country as a child's play, and moves the gambler's set to the palace examination field. He announced that the sons who participated in the temple examination would sit in groups of four, sit around a table, and decide the victory or defeat by rolling the dice. The first place with the largest number of points in each group is the first place, the first place in each group is gathered together and then the dice are grouped together, and so on, and the winner of all the people will personally point him out as the first place.
Using dice rolls to conduct the temple examination, the officials of the ceremonial department and the officials standing on both sides have never heard of it before, and they can't help but secretly cry bitterly, and they are busy kneeling down and playing: The method of the temple examination in the Central Plains has always been followed by the ancestors of our Great Liao, and has become the law, and it is possible to replace it with the method of rolling dice. Please think twice, Your Majesty!
Emperor Daozong of Liao was furious: The specific method of the temple examination was determined by Shuo, you agreed, and now you dare to disobey my orders?
When it comes to this, who dares to talk about it again? After a tense competition, Li Ruosi, a native of Jingjin (present-day Beijing), won the championship, and Emperor Daozong of Liao made him the first in the first rank, and on the spot gave the country the surname "Yelu" and changed his name to Yu.
(Yelü Hongji in the Eight Parts of the Heavenly Dragon)
Near Zhu Zhi Chi, near ink black, the Liao Daozong in his youth, because of his status as a crown prince, was surrounded by people who bragged and flapped their horses and became inflamed, and he who originally had a strong demeanor and a calm personality did not have long learning, and his evil thoughts and crooked tricks were increasing day by day.
He not only inherited the idea of worshiping Buddhism from his father, but his superstition greatly exceeded that of his father. He was not interested in doing political work, and his daily work was to chant Buddhist scriptures, often hold Buddhist scripture training classes, and personally give lectures on stage. The trainees who participated in the training course were monks and ministers of the Imperial Court. He studied buddhist scriptures very well, and wrote works such as "Praise of the Huayan Sutra" and "Five Hymns to the Huayan Sutra", and he issued an edict promulgating it throughout the country for the people of the whole country to study.
The worship of Buddhism has brought great importance to faithful Buddhist believers to the point of blind belief.
There was a Uighur named Baoli, who was promoted because he was affirmed by the Liao Daozong in his belief in Buddhism, and once he accompanied the Liao Daozong out hunting, accidentally fell off his horse, and was unconscious for a long time. When the child woke up, he made up a lie about going to the underworld and told it to the Liao Daozong. The Liao Daoist Sect was convinced, and the edict recorded the lies fabricated by The Child as a living teaching material for propagating Buddhism, and also promoted the Child to be the envoy of the Festival, becoming a member of the party.
"The king of Chu loves to have a thin waist, and many people in the palace starve to death", because the emperor believed in Buddhism, monasteries were built everywhere throughout the country, and incense was burned everywhere to worship the Buddha. According to the History of Liao. According to the Book of Daozong, during the more than forty years of the reign of Emperor Daozong of Liao, there were Buddhist activities almost every year. The number of monks in the Liao Dynasty increased dramatically, reaching 360,000 in the first year of Dakang (1075), or even entering the court, serving as officials such as the Superior Priest and Sikong, and there were fewer and fewer ministers of culture and military affairs who really worked.
In addition, Liao Daozong also loved Confucianism, but he did not really accept the benevolent morality and the idea of doing goodness advocated by Confucianism, but on the contrary, he became more brutal, so that loyalty and adultery were not distinguished, and he was repeatedly unjustly imprisoned.
(Empress Xiao Guanyin stills)
The love life of Liao Daozong and Empress Xiao Guanyin was still very happy at first, but later the adulterous Yelü Yixin obstructed it, and the blinded Liao Daozong gradually alienated Xiao Guanyin, and eventually forced Xiao Guanyin to commit suicide.
Yelü Yixin came from a humble background and began to approach Liaoxingzong's father, Liaoxingzong, as a small official, and with his ability to drill camps, he soon won the appreciation of Liaoxingzong. After Emperor Daozong of Liao ascended the throne, Yelü Yixin was even more highly valued, and he paid no attention to the government and politics, and only knew that Liao Daozong, who was playing around hunting, handed over all the military and political power to Yelü Yixin.
However, in the dynasty at that time, the empress and the crown prince were the two major obstacles to Yelü Yixin's power. Yelü Yixin used the hand of Emperor Daozong of Liao to frame the empress's mother and son by any means. Liao and Daozong had one of their greatest hobbies, which was to go out hunting alone. As an empress, she was very worried about the emperor's behavior, and advised him to go out with his followers, not too many times, and to focus on the government of the dynasty. When Emperor Daozong of Liao heard this, he thought he was teaching him a lesson and was very unhappy. Jeroboam took the opportunity to stir up their relationship.
Xiao Guanyin loves music and is especially good at playing the pipa. He can also write poems and fill in the lyrics, and likes to sing and sing with the palace official Zhao Wei. There was a maid named Shan Deng beside Xiao Guanyin. Shan Deng's brother-in-law was a disciple of Yerushalayim. Yelü Yixin came up with a poisonous plan, asking Shan Deng to ask Xiao Guanyin to copy one of his favorite poems of "Ten Fragrant Words", and then took this poem to the Liao Daozong to complain, saying that it was a Tibetan poem, indicating that the only relationship between Xiao Guanyin and Zhao Guanyin was warm, and fabricated many details to make false accusations. Emperor Daozong of Liao, who did not heed the advice of other ministers, exterminated Zhao and ordered Xiao Guanyin to commit suicide.
The dim-witted and ignorant Liao Daozong knew that at this moment, Yelü Yixin extended his black hand to the prince Yelü Yixin. One day someone reported that the Privy Counsellor had Xiao Susa and both deployed the Jerosa Assassin to prepare for rebellion and support the crown prince to ascend to the throne. Emperor Daozong of Liao immediately issued an edict to investigate, and there was no clue in the investigation. At this time, Yelü Yixin gave advice to the Liao Daozong, and issued an edict that all those who complained would be given heavy rewards, and they would certainly be able to find out. Soon after the edict was issued, someone actually turned himself in, saying that the prince had told them to kill Yerushalayim and install himself on the throne. Now I am afraid of sitting continuously, so I turn myself in.
Emperor Daozong of Liao reprimanded and imprisoned the crown prince Yelü Mao. Prince Yerushalayim's arguments were useless. Emperor Daozong of Liao later deposed the crown prince as a Shuren and imprisoned him in Shangjing. All the officials of the Prince's Mansion were killed, implicated in countless people killed, and the corpses were in the wild, it was the height of summer, and the smell was unbearable.
Emperor Daozong of Liao died at the age of seventy, and his reign was a watershed in the liao state from prosperity to decline.
(Stills of Liao Daozong and Empress Xiao Guanyin)
【About the author】Zhao Xinfang, pen name Zhao Shi, is a director of the Chongqing Miscellaneous Literature Association and a director of the Chongqing Nan'an District Writers Association.
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