Chapter 143 Five Capitals System
Qing Dynasty, the 28th year of Kangxi's reign.

The Liao Dynasty, as a formal regime established by a nomadic people and lasting for more than 200 years (excluding the Western Liao Dynasty), has always been one of the reference objects of the Qing Dynasty.

The Liao Dynasty's system of dividing the north and south and different systems for Han and Tibetan people also had certain reference value for the Qing Dynasty's governance of the world. However, the Qing Dynasty's policies had already been formed before, and the overall situations of the Qing Dynasty and the Liao Dynasty were different. Therefore, the Liao Dynasty's practices could not be applied.

However, since entering the Pass, the Manchus, or the Bannermen, have been assimilated into the Han culture at a very fast speed! Especially in the capital and Shengjing.

Ming Dynasty, Yongle period.

"The landlord class, it is indeed the landlord class. So this is how the word 'class' is used?" Zhu Di thought. This was the first time he saw the application of this unknown meaning in the sky since he discovered the unknown meaning of the word 'class'.

This obviously does not refer to any official rank, but rather to the name of the landlord group. So, in the so-called class struggle, this "landlord class" will participate?
If there is a landlord class, there will obviously be a "non-landlord class". What exactly is this group like?

[Another manifestation of "divide and rule" is the Liao Dynasty's multiple capital system.

Unlike the five capitals that were eventually formed, by the time of Yelu Deguang, the Liao Dynasty had only three capitals: Shangjing, Nanjing, and Dongjing. The establishment of these three capitals also reflects the concept of governing according to different regions and customs. For example, Nanjing Youzhou was a capital dominated by traditional Han forces.

On the other hand, Yelu Deguang did not forget the imperial examination, which was a core of the "Han system". After taking over the Yanyun area, he followed the old system in the early years of Huitong and implemented the imperial examination in the Yanyun area.

The impact of this system is enormous. It means that the Han people in the Yanyun area can still have a ladder of promotion in the same way as before, without having to go to great lengths to change themselves and completely abandon everything old.

Yelu Deguang also demonstrated his positive attitude towards the Yanyun region and Han culture through an action, which was to accept Han people's etiquette and clothing.

The official attire of the Liao Dynasty included the imperial robe, the imperial robe, and the court robe, and Yelu Deguang redefined the rules for these three.

Among them, the national dress is "national dress for the northern class, Han dress for the southern class, each according to their convenience"; the court dress is "national dress for the empress dowager and ministers facing north; Han dress for the emperor and ministers facing south".

As for the chariot and clothing, they were not decided until Yelu Deguang destroyed the Later Jin Dynasty. "The emperor and the Han officials in the south wore Han clothing; the empress dowager and the Khitan officials in the north wore national clothing. Their Han clothing was the legacy of the Jin Dynasty during the Five Dynasties."

In addition, Yelu Deguang also "ordered that Khitan people who were appointed to Han official positions should follow Han rituals and be allowed to marry Han people."

(The Liao Dynasty was truly a unique dynasty.)
(Yes, the Liao Dynasty is a dynasty that cannot be ignored in history.)
Song Dynasty, Kaibao period.

Although he didn't want to admit it, Zhao Kuangyin still held a positive opinion of the basic system of dividing the north and the south established during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Liao.

He hated the Liao Kingdom, but he also admitted that it was precisely this division between the north and the south, as well as the attitude of respecting Han culture and clothing and being willing to share some power with the Han ethnic groups, that allowed the Liao Kingdom to develop to its present state and keep the Yanyun region basically under the rule of the Liao Kingdom.

If the Liao Kingdom had been brutal, or if, although not brutal, it did not share power with the Han Chinese tribes in Yanyun and did not give them opportunities to advance, the Yanyun region would have long been unstable under the Liao Kingdom's rule. The local tribes might have pushed Yanyun back to the Song Dynasty.

The Liao Dynasty not only gave Han people the opportunity to take the imperial examinations and other promotion methods, but also set up a special southern official position to house Han officials, which satisfied the needs of many people. Furthermore, Yelu Deguang fully demonstrated his respect for Han culture. The emperor and his southern officials wore Han clothing, and Khitan Han officials intermarried with Han people...

In fact, Zhao Kuangyin had been praying secretly, hoping that the Liao emperor and Khitan nobles in the north would one day suddenly realize that only the Khitans were their real family members, and then eliminate all the power of the Han people in Yanyun... Then, it would be his chance for the Song Dynasty.

Although the possibility is not high, it does not stop him from praying and blessing.

Tang Dynasty, Zhenguan period.

"Therefore, this system of combining the north and the south is one of the core systems of the Liao Dynasty." Li Shimin affirmed that Emperor Taizong of Liao set such a tone, and with the recognition and development of various forces, the subsequent Liao Dynasty would certainly not abandon this way of governance halfway and instead adopt another one completely.

The important officials of Zhenguan also expressed their approval and appreciation for the system constructed by Liao Taizong Yelu Deguang. Although they were from a different ethnic group, this set of political systems was the cornerstone for the stable development of the Liao Dynasty in the future, and Yelu Deguang, who truly implemented such a system, did have outstanding achievements - yes, Yelu Deguang, although Liao Taizu Yelu Abaoji also adopted this method in practice, it was Yelu Deguang who truly turned it into a system.

[In addition, Yelu Deguang also had many Han officials whom he valued.

For example, Han Yanhui served as the Minister of State Affairs, and was "appointed to decide all domestic and foreign affairs"; Han Yanhui's son Han Deshu was also highly valued, and was appointed General of the Left Yulin Army before he even reached adulthood, and was later promoted to Special Advancement and Grand Marshal; and there was Zhao Siwen, yes, the same Zhao Siwen who was related to Empress Dowager Shulü's amputation of her wrist, who served as the Governor of Nanjing, Jiedushi of Lulong Army, and other posts.

In addition, after Zhao Dejun and Zhao Yanshou surrendered to Liao, they were initially detained. After Zhao Dejun died, Zhao Yanshou was appointed again, first as Jiedushi of Youzhou and Prince of Yan, and later as Zhengshiling and Privy Envoy.

(This disloyal and unfilial Zhao Yanshou will die in a foreign land sooner or later.)
The early years of the Han Dynasty.

This was somewhat beyond Liu Bang's expectations - Zhao Dejun died, but Zhao Yanshou could still be reused by Yelu Deguang and become an important part of the Liao Kingdom's southern officials?
This guy is not a loyal minister. Well, although loyalty is not too demanding in the Five Dynasties, Zhao Yanshou is not just disloyal. He dreams of becoming the emperor of the Central Plains.

But after a moment of surprise, Liu Bang changed his mind and felt that it was not impossible to appoint Zhao Yanshou.

In any case, Zhao Yanshou finally reached a high level in the Later Tang Dynasty. No matter how many connections and personal relationships he had, he still had some ability to a certain extent. Moreover, as an official of the Later Tang Dynasty, he should have been able to find some connections when he carried out political activities with Shi Jingtang's Later Jin Dynasty to push the Liao Dynasty to get what it wanted.

As for wanting to become the emperor of the Central Plains… this idea will certainly not be realized by him. But if he is used well and makes him think that there is a chance, then Zhao Yanshou’s self-consciousness and work level may be further improved, and it is very likely that he can help the Liao Dynasty gain further benefits in the Central Plains. Khitan, the second year of Tianzan.

Yelu Abaoji didn't care whether Yelu Deguang used Zhao Yanshou or not. If he was useful, he would use him. If he was not useful, he would just get rid of him. After all, he was a Han minister, not a Khitan noble who would really threaten the emperor's life and death.

Moreover, after serving as his important minister for many years, Han Yanhui secretly ran back to Later Tang because he missed his hometown, and then ran back again. He was not dissatisfied or suspicious of him for this, and continued to use him as usual - although this Zhao Yanshou was obviously not comparable to Han Yanhui.

Therefore, he just said with relief: "Yanhui is a talented person. He has always been able to formulate the most suitable policies for the Han people in my Khitan. Yao Gu was right to use him. And his ancestral home seems to be in Youzhou area, right?" If so, then Han Yanhui would be more suitable to handle the affairs of the Han people in Yanyun in the south.

Shulü Ping said: "It should be the Youzhou area. It is indeed suitable for him to take charge of Han affairs." She was also very pleased with Yelu Deguang's series of measures. He not only ensured the foundation of the Khitan grassland, but also did not miss the development opportunity of the Central Plains. He was calm, cautious, sharp and decisive.

As for the Han ministers who were reused, Han Yanhui goes without saying, and his son Han Deshu can also be used - besides, this is also to tell those Han ministers that the emperor will not forget their descendants; as for Zhao Siwen, although according to what was said in the sky curtain, he spoke when he was dealing with the opposition forces that day, but in the end his goal was achieved, and it can be seen that Zhao Siwen does have certain talents, so just use him.

[Although not obvious at the time, Zhao Yanshou did help Yelu Deguang accomplish great things in the future.

Apart from political means, in terms of economics, Yelu Deguang was also very clear about the key points of the Yanyun region.

He strongly supported the restoration and development of farming in the Yanyun area, and also promoted the increase of agricultural population in the original territory of Khitan.

"The emperor ordered the officials to encourage agriculture and sericulture, and teach spinning and weaving", and sent envoys to various provinces to inspect the development of agriculture. In the event of war, he also tried his best to ensure that agriculture would not be harmed. "The emperor ordered the conscription of soldiers from various provinces. Those who dared to harm crops would be punished according to military law" and "they were not allowed to stay for a long time, for fear of trampling crops."

The Yanyun area was originally an agricultural area, and the local people had their own ideas about how to grow crops and carry out agricultural production. However, in the environment of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, the biggest problem was actually the lack of stable production conditions. Conscription, taxation, and even the Yanyun area were prone to becoming a battlefield.

Since the founding of the Khitan state, it has long ceased to be a purely nomadic production. The emperor and his ministers have also developed a set of methods on how to deal with agricultural areas. Combined with the suggestions of Han officials, it can better solve the various problems originally faced by the Yanyun area.

Therefore, in general, after being annexed by the Khitan, agricultural production in the Yanyun area was gradually restored, and it was able to provide the Khitan with a stable supply of food and other supplies, including textile fabrics.

In addition, Yelu Deguang promoted the development of agriculture, including in the original Khitan territory, which gradually changed the view of agriculture within the Khitan and increased its attention. Although the Khitan did not change its original nomadic thinking, agriculture gradually became as important as nomadic.

This also corresponds to the political division between the north and the south and the dual-track official system, forming a dual economic system of nomadic and agricultural.

(This Yelu Deguang is much more powerful than Zhao Guangyi.)
(Song, Liao, and Xixia were also an era of the Three Kingdoms, which lasted longer than the Three Kingdoms of Wei, Shu, and Wu.)
Han Dynasty, the fourth year of Yuanshou.

Liu Che himself attached great importance to the economy. On the one hand, it was an indispensable part of the development of the Han Dynasty. On the other hand, if he wanted to conquer the Huns and strengthen central power, he needed a well-developed economy under his control.

Although he cannot be said to truly understand or even be proficient in some purely economic aspects, he is still very good at developing basic economics and achieving his goals through the combination of economics and politics.

Therefore, he is quite interested in the current economic system of the Liao Kingdom, no, or for the time being the Khitan Kingdom.

This unique economic form, which was developed by two generations of monarchs after the founding of the Khitan State and happened to be in the turbulent and chaotic environment of the Central Plains, was formed. At least it seems quite unique now. It is neither the purely pastoral economy of nomadic peoples like the Xiongnu, nor the agricultural economy that dominated the traditional Central Plains dynasties.

A dual track system?

The Khitans were nomadic people, and they had not yet completely assimilated into the Han culture. Grassland grazing was still their core business. So they should not be short of horses. Regardless of their quality, quantity would definitely not be a problem.
A large amount of land suitable for cultivation was converted to farming, and a stable source of food and grass was available, which could at least guarantee food and grass for part of the army and war. In any case, the stability of farming was higher than that of nomadic life. Of course, this did not rule out the fact that they still maintained the tradition of fighting and foraging.

Liu Che's eyes were a little green, not for anything else, but for the Khitan horses - they were all horses! Even if the quality might be worse, the quantity was up! If he had so many horses...

Song Dynasty, the first year of Kaibao.

The person who shared the same mood as him was Zhao Kuangyin.

The Song Dynasty is short of horses! Short of horses!

Since the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, the emperor had been in disgrace, and the horse management in various places had long been abandoned. "The pastoral supervisors in various states were mostly abolished, and the national horses no longer reproduced." Even though it seemed that the dynasties were constantly fighting each other, in fact, the war horses in the Central Plains had been interrupted.

As a general, he naturally knew the importance of horses - in the Liao Kingdom, each cavalryman had three horses, and everyone knew how to ride and hunt, making it a country on horseback, which was also an important reliance for the Liao Kingdom to exist. But what about the Song Dynasty?
Although the Song Dynasty also had cavalry, the number of war horses could not be said to be sufficient. Even ordinary horses that were not war horses were in short supply.

"Don't rush, don't rush this..." Zhao Kuangyin said to himself, calming himself down. The breeding and expansion of war horses is not a short-term thing, it requires the efforts of several generations. Now, he has laid a good foundation for the Song Dynasty. There are two hospitals in the central government, the left and right Feilong Hospital, and many horse ranches in the local areas. The next step is to select the right horse breeders and leave it to time.

However, when he mentioned this matter, he thought of the Dingnan Five States that became Xixia... The Dingnan Five States must not be lost! They cannot be allowed to become independent, the Song Dynasty cannot be without this piece of land.

(End of this chapter)