The Liao Dynasty was a dynasty established by the northeast region of China, a dynasty that coexisted side by side with the Northern Song Dynasty. During the heyday of the Liao Dynasty, it took the sixteen prefectures of Yanyun in one fell swoop, and even humiliated the Northern Song Dynasty, and finally signed the Alliance of Liaoyuan. This period coincided with the reign of Empress Xiao Yanyan of Liao, who is known as Empress Xiao, and she reused the sage Han Derang, and the Liao Dynasty was very prosperous at that time.
There was such a woman, her aunt was Empress Xiao Yanyan of Liao, and her uncle was Han Derang, a powerful and powerful minister. It can be said that thousands of pets are set in one. She enjoyed the glory in the first half of her life, and was crowned empress of Qi Tian, and in the second half of her life, she was tortured and finally killed by the later empress. She is the protagonist of today's story, "Empress Qi Tian" Xiao Bodhisattva.
People familiar with the culture of the Liao and Song Dynasties know that the Liao State's aggression against the Song Dynasty has never stopped, and after taking Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures, it has gone all the way south to the city of Liaoyuan. Thanks to the then chancellor Kou Zhun's recommendation that Song Zhenzong's imperial conquest be carried out, he stopped the iron horse of the Liao army under the city of Liaoyuan. In the end, the covenant was signed, and the Liao and Song dynasties became brotherly states, and the Song gave the Liao coins every year.
At that time, the ruler of the Liao state was not simple, the emperor was the Liao Shengzong, but whether it was military affairs or local intelligence, it was all held by empress Xiao, the empress dowager of the dynasty. Empress Xiao had been in power since the former emperor Liao Jingzong was ill in his later years, and was very well versed in government affairs, reusing the sage Han Derang, exerting great efforts to govern, and rectifying the rule of officials, and the Liao Dynasty at that time achieved unprecedented prosperity.
Empress Xiao was Brother Xiao's aunt, and Han Derang was Brother Xiao Bodhisattva's uncle. It can be said that Brother Xiao Bodhisattva is a down-to-earth aristocratic origin and has been pampered. According to Empress Xiao's instructions, Xiao Bodhisattva was elected to the palace at the age of 12. As soon as she was elected to the palace, the original empress was demoted to a noble concubine by Empress Xiao, and Xiao Bodhisattva naturally became an empress.
At that time, Han Derang was the favorite minister of the DPRK, and with excellent political achievements, the ministers of the DPRK did not dare to say anything. Xiao Bodhisattva was also very beautiful, graceful, cheerful and kind, which made Emperor Liao Shengzong Yelü Manjushri very fond of him. The relationship between Brother Xiao Bodhisattva and Yelü Manjushri is very good, and although there is such a relationship as Empress Xiao, the two are still very affectionate
After that, Xiao Bodhisattva also gave birth to two princes for Liao Shengzong, and Liao Shengzong also reached the age of age and began to personally govern, and Xiao Tai retired to the second line. Liao Shengzong and Xiao Bodhisattva were still in love, and during this period, Liao Shengzong rarely accepted concubines. Under the administration of the Liao Shengzong, the national fortunes of the Liao State were also getting better and better. It can be said that this is the most beautiful period of Xiao Bodhisattva's life, and Xiao Bodhisattva brother is even more carefree in the harem.
But unfortunate things soon followed, and settling down in the palace was not an easy task. The two princes born to Brother Xiao Bodhisattva died one after another. This not only brought a huge blow to Xiao Bodhisattva's spirit, but also made her position in the palace extremely unstable. However, Brother Xiao Bodhisattva, who had been free and happy in the harem, did not act for a long time, and she was still fantasizing about manjushri's love.
At this time, Emperor Shengzong of Liao had entered the age of establishment, and he had no heirs to inherit the throne. Empress Xiao was also very anxious to see it, after all, she could not let the future shizi succeed to the throne at a young age. Therefore, under the instructions of Empress Xiao, Emperor Taizong of Liao also began to elect a harem. In this way, Empress Xiao's maid Xiao Yunjin was selected into the harem.
Xiao Yunjin was also very beautiful, and was also favored by the Liao Shengzong, and soon gave birth to a son for the Shengzong, and this child was named the crown prince, and Xiao Yunjin was also crowned as a yuan concubine. However, Emperor Shengzong of Liao still loved Brother Xiao Bodhisattva, and he gave the prince born to Concubine Xiao to raise so that Brother Xiao Bodhisattva would remain in power in the future. And Brother Xiao Bodhisattva naturally returned to the original happy time.
Brother Xiao Bodhisattva is also very fond of the children who have inherited, and has always regarded them as his own. But the more this happened, the stronger the yuan concubine's hatred for Xiao Bodhisattva's brother became. Because Brother Xiao Bodhisattva not only seized his own position in the future, but also took away his own flesh and blood, he was determined to take revenge on Brother Xiao Bodhisattva in the future. However, Brother Xiao Bodhisattva was completely unaware of Princess Yuan's thoughts.
Empress Xiao died long before Princess Yuan gave birth to a crown prince. Brother Xiao Bodhisattva's uncle Han Derang also died a year later. The sudden death of his closest relative left Xiao Bodhisattva alone, and Liao Shengzong was also busy with the sudden political affairs of the DPRK and China. Although the crown prince, later Emperor Xingzong of Liao, was raised by Xiao Bodhisattva, he always knew that his biological mother was Concubine Yuan.
In fact, Liao Shengzong also felt ashamed of YuanFei, so he was more tolerant of Yuanfei's behavior. The Yuan Concubine had been supporting her henchmen in the palace, and Liao Shengzong had also turned a blind eye to it. Brother Xiao Bodhisattva didn't actually know that her situation was not very good, but even if she noticed it, she couldn't do anything about being pampered since she was a child. Because she was still deeply in love with her husband Liao Shengzong.
Soon after, Emperor Taizong of Liao also died and died, and his crown prince Emperor Xingzong of Liao succeeded to the throne. Before Manjushri died, he specifically instructed the Yuan Concubine not to harm Brother Xiao Bodhisattva. At this time, the Yuan Concubine had already fallen into power, and she began to interfere in the government affairs following the example of the previous Empress Xiao, and established herself as empress. However, Princess Yuan did not have the political acumen of Empress Xiao, and the chickens and dogs in the wilderness were restless.
This was the time when the Liao Dynasty turned from prosperity to decline, and Xiao Bodhisattva also began to suffer bad luck. How could Xiao Bodhisattva, who was originally spoiled and habitual and born with a golden spoon, be able to fight xiao Yunjin, a concubine born of a palace girl? Princess Yuan established herself as Empress Dowager Fatian and deposed the original Qitian Empress Xiao Bodhisattva. Later, Xiao Yunjin was still not happy, did not listen to the instructions of the former emperor Liao Shengzong, and killed Xiao Bodhisattva.
The rise and fall of the Liao Dynasty had a lot to do with the deformed current regime of power. Xiao Bodhisattva was just a weak woman who had no one to rely on, and she had undoubtedly become a poor political victim. Her life and death may not have been cared about by the end, but it implies that the Liao Dynasty has gone into decline, and the Yuan Concubine can't even accommodate a Xiao Bodhisattva brother, how can she run the government well?
But then again, if Brother Xiao Bodhisattva could have been stronger, not relying on his aunt Empress Xiao and his uncle Han Derang, and not pinning all his hopes on his husband, Yelü Manjushri, would the outcome have been better? Sometimes, it is better to ask for others than to seek oneself, and only if your own ability is strong enough to be at ease that you will not be counted by others in the future.