Empress Xiao played by Tang Yan
A strong woman
Speaking of strong women in Chinese history, we can name many people:
Empress Lü, Empress Feng, Wu Zetian, Xiaozhuang, Empress Dowager Cixi, and Empress Xiao.
Everyone here has left a strong mark on history.
Although they are women, they do not allow their eyebrows to be shaved.
When we have time, we will talk about these characters one by one.
The protagonist we talk about today is Empress Xiao.
Empress Xiao almost became her personal and unique title:
When we mention Empress Xiao, the first thing we think of is her.
"Descendants"
Regarding Empress Xiao, we can see a lot of figures about Empress Xiao in a TV series that was broadcast not long ago.
Empress Xiao, played by Tang Yan, has achieved basic respect for historical facts.
There is also a TV series, we can also see the figure of Empress Xiao, that is, "Yang Family General".
Loyal Tory Yang Family General
This TV series is almost a childhood memory of our generation.
As I learned more and more about history, the mistakes in this TV series were gradually exposed.
Although Yang Jiye and others were very powerful, the Liao lord and Empress Xiao were not so faint.
Especially Empress Xiao, who was a generation of strong women.
Regarding Empress Xiao's deeds, she was completely castrated in the Yang family.
Now the perspective returns to Empress Xiao.
Empress Xiao's real name was Xiao Yanyan, and her father, Xiao Siwen, was the prime minister of the Liao State and indeed a descendant.
These historical facts are reflected in the TV series.
What does "hou clan" mean?
That is, women basically become queens.
This custom is the result of political marriage.
It also reflects the embodiment of some nomadic customs left by ethnic minorities while completing feudalization.
This habit dates back to the time of Taizu Yelü Apaoji.
It is well known that the Khitans are also composed of many nomadic tribes.
Although Apaochi unified the Khitan tribes, there was still considerable autonomy between the tribes.
This is different from the Han Chinese in form, but in essence the same.
They are all sharers of the fruits of victory.
Therefore, in the territory of the Liao Kingdom, Yelü and Xiao were two nobles who stood side by side.
It can be seen from this that Xiao Yanyan was born into a top tycoon.
The trajectory of her life was almost predestined before she was born.
Map of the confrontation between the Northern Song Dynasty and the Liao
Reorganize the mountains and rivers
The story of Xiao Yanyan and Han Derang, we do not know whether it is true or not.
Or the degree of development we don't know to what extent.
But one thing is perhaps certain, Xiao Yanyan chose to marry Han Derang after Shangfu, which is naturally more political than love.
Xiao Yanyan's husband was Emperor Jingzong of Liao.
Yelü Xian was put on the throne by Siu Siwen.
This person is more than feminine and masculine.
Jeroboam
Therefore, in the internal affairs of the Liao State, when he was still alive, Xiao Yanyan was involved in a lot.
Ye Luxian died before he was thirty-five, but Xiao Yanyan was not even thirty.
At this time, the Liao state lurkers a huge crisis.
To sum it up in one word, it is that feudalization has not yet been completed.
At this time, the Liao state was troubled by internal and external troubles:
The internal worry is that the domestic power ministers are not lost, they have a good heart with the emperor, if not a heart, then the country will be in danger of splitting at any time.
In terms of external troubles, it is naturally the Northern Song Dynasty. Although the Northern Song Dynasty advocated peace, it even spent money to buy peace.
But at this time, the Emperor of the Liao Dynasty was newly mourned, and the Emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty at that time was Song Renzong, how could he give up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Moreover, at that time, although the Liao state had already occupied the sixteen prefectures of Yanyun, the economic center and even the political center of the Liao state were still far north.
These political conundrums have plagued a regime that is no longer a new one.
Xiao Yanyan faced this situation, and she also handed over her answer sheet.
Faced with domestic courtiers, he chose to marry a Han bureaucrat.
Han Derang, a Han Chinese
Han Derang was by no means from a cold family, and he also had a certain political influence in the Liao State.
The Liao state's "north-south official" system is the embodiment of the Han power group that has to be paid attention to.
For the Khitan nobility, he also chose the strategy of division and disintegration.
Such a thing as a power lord can only be constantly divided and disintegrated.
It was impossible to eradicate it, because the emperor could not be the commander of the light pole.
In the face of the Northern Song Dynasty's army, Xiao Yanyan also behaved unusually fiercely.
As soon as he made a move, he wanted Yang Jiye's life.
Yang Jiye was the pillar of the Northern Song Dynasty, and this battle fought against the Song Dynasty until its demise, and did not dare to take the initiative to take the yanyun sixteen prefectures again.
Comparatively speaking, perhaps the most important thing is that Xiao Yanyan strengthened the construction of Nanjing City (the construction of Nanjing City really began, that is, it began during the Xiao Yanyan period, which has many versions in the TV series, which is not enough to win trust).
The city of Nanjing is now Beijing and part of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun.
After the Khitan occupied the North China Plain, it also accelerated the process of feudalization.
Since then, the strength of the Khitan has greatly increased.
The Alliance of the Abyss
Go south to the Song Dynasty
In 1004, Empress Xiao launched a major campaign against the Song Dynasty.
Prior to this, the Northern Song Dynasty had two large-scale moves to cut down the Liao.
At that time, the civil unrest in Liaoning was not peaceful, so the Northern Song Dynasty may have tasted some cheapness.
But at this point, the Liao State was ready for everything and only owed the East Wind.
In contrast, in the Northern Song Dynasty during this period, the inheritance of the imperial throne had reached the hands of the third emperor, Song Zhenzong.
The Northern Song Dynasty in the hands of Emperor Zhenzong was rich.
But the emphasis on literature and light force is even worse.
Therefore, although the Northern Song Army had more than one million, the front-line battlefield was repeatedly defeated.
Therefore, the Liao army was like a bamboo all the way.
Song Zhenzong, who had beaten him, even wanted to move to avoid his sharp edge.
Fortunately, the Han scholars still have some backbone.
Kou Zhun stood up at this time, and he tried to block the relocation of the capital and encourage Emperor Zhenzong to march in person.
Although Zhenzong was cowardly, he also knew that he could not give away his ancestors.
After Zhenzong's front line supervision, the morale of the Song army was greatly boosted.
In this way, the tide of battle was slightly reversed.
In the end, under the advantage of the Song army, he chose to negotiate peace with the Liao state.
Signed the Alliance of the Abyss.
There are many theories about the Alliance of the Abyss.
I'll just say my point here:
The Alliance of Liaoyuan is a product of the balance of power of song and Liao.
Under the circumstances at that time, the Northern Song Dynasty could not eat the Liao, and the Liao could not eat the Northern Song.
After the signing of the covenant, although it increased the burden on the people of the Northern Song Dynasty, it was also this covenant that almost created a century of peace on the border between the two countries.
In the Song Dynasty, a country that emphasized literature over military force, this should be regarded as the best choice.
Empress Wu Zetian
Can you become the "second Wu Zetian"
Can Xiao Yanyan become the second wu zetian?
Definitely not.
Here we have to look at the background of Wu Zetian's claim to the throne:
She is not part of the Li family or a member of the Guan Long clique.
Her debut on stage was to take advantage of the contradiction between the Li family and the Guan Long group, which survived in the cracks.
After destroying the Guan Long Group, the Li family was also seriously injured.
So in this vacuum period, there must also be a spokesperson.
Wu Zetian only appeared at this time.
In other words, Empress Wei and Princess Anle after Wu Zetian, their wisdom and strategy are not inferior to Wu Zetian, but why did it end in disgrace?
Because the world is Li's world after all.
As for Empress Xiao, she was a Khitan nobleman herself.
At the top of power.
She could have the authority of Wu Zetian, but she could not establish an emperor like Wu Zetian.
She's just a spokesperson.
If you tear off the veil of the spokesperson and walk to the front of the stage, it is estimated that you will die without a place to die.
What do you think?
I am a young man in the countryside, an amateur history buff, dedicated to telling history in plain language that should be vivid and interesting. Every day, come and talk to you about history and our view of wild history.