The four emperors of the Liao State are mentioned separately: Yelü Abaoji, Yelü Deguang, Yelü Nguyen, and Yelü Jing. It can be said that since Yelü Abaoji founded the Liao state (Khitan), the political situation of the Liao state has been in turmoil and civil strife, which has also caused the decline of the national strength of the Liao state. It was not until the emergence of the fifth emperor that the Liao state developed rapidly, and this emperor was also known as the central lord of the Liao state. His name was Jeroboam.
Speaking of Yelü Xian's lineage, there is one thing worth noting, that is, he is not the son of Yelü Jing, the fourth emperor of the Liao Dynasty, but the second son of the third emperor Yelü Ruan, whose grandfather is Yelü Bei, the eldest son of Yelü Abaoji, the grandfather of Liao Taizu. Jeroboam and Jeroboam were cousins.
The reason why Yerushalayim was able to ascend to the throne of God was due to the perennial dormancy during the Yerushalayim period, secretly accumulating strength. According to the "Liao Shi Jingzong Ji", due to Yelü Jing's indiscriminate killing and neglect of government, many courtiers were dissatisfied, and many ministers secretly turned to Yelüxian and gradually formed a political force.
Yelü Jing also seemed to be quite optimistic about Yelüxian's cousin, and once jokingly said to Yelüxian: "My son is an adult, and he can pay for the government." Apparently, however, Jeroboam did not believe what the cousin had said, and was more cautious, lest he be jealous of Jeroboam. Once, Yelü Xian discussed current affairs with the minister Han Kuangsi, but was stopped by Yelü Xianshi, which fully shows that this force is quite jealous of Yelü Jing.
In the nineteenth year of the Ying Calendar (969 AD), Yelü Jing was killed, and after Hearing the news, Yelü Xian immediately led the Flying Dragon Envoy Daughter Li, the Attendant Xiao Siwen, and the Southern Privy Councillor Gao Xun to enter the palace with the former ironclad cavalry, thus controlling the overall situation. The next day, the ministers who supported Yelüxian were persuaded to advance, and Yelüxian successfully ascended to the throne and became the fifth emperor of the Liao state, known as Liao Jingzong.
After Yelüxian succeeded to the throne, he immediately made large-scale adjustments to the top level of the Liao state. In addition to appointing a large number of able people, such as Yelü Wuqing, Yelü Xianshi, Yelü Hugo, and Yelü Sha, a policy of co-opting different political forces within the Liao State was also adopted, which gradually stabilized the political situation in the Liao State. At the same time, Yelüxian also reformed the rule of officials, appointed talents, and actively developed production, and in just a few years, the national strength of the Liao state was greatly enhanced.
With the stabilization of the internal political situation, Yelüxian gradually began to expand externally, and at this time Zhao Kuangyin also established the Northern Song Dynasty in 960 AD, and the contradictions between the two sides intensified due to the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. After Emperor Taizong of Song succeeded Zhao Guangyi to the throne, the two sides began a decades-long battle.
In the fourth year of the Taiping Revival of the Northern Song Dynasty (979 AD), Zhao Guangyi personally led an army of 100,000 into Youzhou, and Yelüxian concentrated the main force of the Liao state to meet the enemy, and a fierce battle broke out between the two sides along the Sorghum River. As a result, under the leadership of Yelü Hugo, Yelü Xieyi and others, the Liao army won a complete victory, the Song army collapsed completely, and even Zhao Guangyi, emperor Taizong of Song, had to flee in an ox cart. Since then, the Liao state has entered its heyday.
However, in the third year after the end of the Sorghum River War, Yelüxian died of illness at the age of Chinese New Year's Eve five, and the Liao state immediately entered the era of regency of the Yelüxian Empress Xiao Qilin. Under the leadership of Xiao Qi, the Liao state defeated the Song army many times, and the famous Yang family general Yang Ye, the first representative of the first generation, died at the hands of Xiao Qi.
Reference book: History of Liao