Hello, this is Civilization Journey, welcoming you to travel to 1004 AD.So this year in China is the first year of Jingde in the Song Dynasty. Will Zhao Heng be the emperor again?That's right, last year's reign was still Xianping.The reign name Xianping was used for a total of 6 years, from 998 AD to 1003 AD, and starting from this year, it was changed to Jingde.The name of our current porcelain capital Jingdezhen, yes, comes from this reign name.The omens at the beginning of the year were not good. Before the first month of the year, there were three earthquakes in the capital city of Kaifeng, and then there were earthquakes here and there across the country. This year turned out to be the year with the most recorded earthquakes in ancient Chinese history.

Of course, the most important thing this year is not this, but the war. The war between the Song Dynasty and the Northern and Liao Dynasties has been going on intermittently for five years. Both sides are well aware of it. It is just a small fight at the border.The military friction between them was just a prelude. Sooner or later, the grudges between Song and Liao would come to an end, and there would be a decisive battle.The decisive battle began in the autumn of this year, so what will it be like in winter?200,000 Liao cavalry had already broken through from today's south of Beijing and Xiong'an to Chanzhong on the north bank of the Yellow River.Chanzhou is today's Puyang, Henan Province. This place was also called Chanyuan in ancient times, and it was also the place where the famous Chanyuan Alliance was signed.So where do you think this is?That is, if the Liao army's cavalry crossed the Yellow River and traveled from Chanzhou to Kaifeng, the capital of the Song Dynasty, it would only take two hours to drive today, while the cavalry back then would only take one day, then the Song Dynasty would be in danger.

In this final decisive battle, both sides knew that he would come sooner or later and was destined to come, but when he really rolled over like a flood from the northern border, when all the dice were thrown, when both sides were allAll the hole cards are turned over, and when all the chips are pushed to the table.Wow.That kind of monstrous historical torrent is quite frightening. Everyone who is involved in it knows that if they make a choice accidentally, hey, they may be shattered to pieces.

Of course, we as descendants all know that although the two sides had a lot of momentum this year, they finally returned to the negotiating table and signed the famous Zen Alliance, creating a 120-year peace between Song and Liao.ah.In a word, the Song Dynasty finally withstood it, with no danger.The question then arises, why was the Song Dynasty able to endure such a difficult situation?So why is this result?More importantly, what does this result mean for Chinese civilization?Today we will refer to this issue and travel back to 1004 when Dasong Jingde Yuannian was born.

Okay, let’s go back to Kaifeng City in 1004 to feel the atmosphere in the Song Dynasty that year.You must know that the Song Dynasty has been at war with the Liao Dynasty for the past five years, and as the situation has developed this year, everyone knows that the decisive battle is getting closer, so it is no longer a matter of border war preparations.Even the arrangements of those in the decision-making center of the imperial court began to revolve around the final decisive battle.For example, regarding the selection of the prime minister, the prime minister we mentioned in the last issue was Li Hang, who passed away in July of this year.So who is the successor?Emperor Zhenzong promoted two people. One was Bi Shian, a respected old gentleman.There is another person you must know, the famous Kou Zhun.As for Kou Zhun, we will have a special program to talk about it in the future. Here is just a reminder, that is, Kou Zhun’s character is too bad. Huh, he is not like the folklore, he is a self-made man.Pistachio with comedic effect, speaks Shanxi dialect when he opens his mouth.No, Kou Zhun's character is special, just to the point of being inhumane.Song Taizong, the former emperor of Yin Dynasty, once had an evaluation of him, and he said it in such a way that the original words were like this, "The rat bird knows the benevolence and righteousness of the people."Just a mouse or a bird, you have some understanding of human feelings, not to mention you are a human being.Haha, you see how serious this statement is. Kou Zhun's character is not suitable for being a prime minister, but the reason why he still has this appointment is because he is about to go to war.

Before the formal appointment, Emperor Zhenzong asked another prime minister, the highly respected Bi Shian whom I just mentioned, who said it was a real headache. I heard that Kou Zhun's character was too strong and he acted a little emotionally. I'm afraid he is not suitable.When the prime minister asks for advice.Bi Shi'an said a lot of good things for Kou Zhun, but the core point was that now we are going to war with the Liao Dynasty, and we need talents like Kou Zhun at this time.

What talent?Bi Shian gave Kou Zhun a four-word evaluation, saying that he could handle big things.A war is imminent, and the candidate for prime minister cannot be the kind of bureaucrat who only handles administrative affairs step by step, but the kind of person who can make big decisions at critical moments.To put it bluntly, Kou Zhun is not a very good leader, but he is very strong in decision-making and dares to make decisions. Such a person is just right to be the prime minister at this time.Kou Zhun's appointment as prime minister was not an ordinary official appointment, but rather meant to form a wartime government.

Another piece of evidence is that shortly after the new prime ministers took office, Emperor Zhenzong gave an instruction to several of them, specifically instructing him to tell the two prime ministers that according to the system of this dynasty, military affairs should be under the jurisdiction of the Privy Council., is not your prime minister’s concern.But look what I do now?Now there is a major military intelligence report ahead. When I get it, I will give it to you Prime Minister first. If you have any opinions, you must put them forward. We cannot ignore the matter because of the division of labor between the civil and military affairs of the Privy Council. We mustLet's help each other.

It is said that the emperor of the Song Dynasty was very concerned about the separation of military and political affairs. It was basically a basic national policy of the Song Dynasty to establish civil and military checks and balances.But there is no way. At this time, the war is imminent, and there is not much to worry about. Everyone is working together on the same boat, so you can also feel that the central government of the Song Dynasty has vaguely formed a wartime physique.But even after making so many preparations, including psychological preparations, on October 24, 1004, it was a day that was converted into success.

When the Liao Dynasty mobilized the whole country to march 200,000 men to march south, the psychological impact it brought to the Song Dynasty's monarchs and ministers was still very great. Just look at the date chosen by the Liao Dynasty, October 24th. At the end of October, the autumn harvest in the Central Plains had already begun.Yes, alas, this is important. You think this means that the grain taxes paid by farmers have basically entered the government's treasury, right?Then the Liao army did not need to bring food and grass when they went south. They could just rob and fight at the same time. They could capture any city and open the government treasury, and that would be military food.

And if you calculate that it is the end of October now, the weather will get colder as it goes on. I think they have calculated that by the time the Liao army reaches the bank of the Yellow River, the Yellow River will have formed troops. The formation of troops on the Yellow River will not be a natural danger.Can we reach Kaifeng City?So this war situation was very urgent at that time. If you were in Kaifeng at that time and you were a member of the group of prime ministers, your information environment would be like this at the beginning. Let me describe it to you, that is, on October 31st, you will receiveIt was reported that Tang County, Hebei Province was attacked by 200,000 Liao troops. Within two days, from November 1st to 3rd, you received a report that something happened to the Weilu Army in Hebei, the Shengnan Army was in trouble again, and BeipingzhaiSomething happened again, and something happened in Baozhou. Everywhere was attacked by the Liao army. In less than a week, on November 7, you received another report that the Liao army had begun to join forces to attack Dingzhou in Hebei.
This is a big city debt. In less than a week, you received another report on November 13th that the Shanxi Blue Army had another enemy situation. Please note that it went to the west of the Taihang Mountains again.You don’t know how many people the Liao army has come?You see this is what happened in 20 days.A war is like this. Under the technical conditions at the time, all kinds of information came pouring in during the war. It was a bit like black mist rising into the sky. It was difficult to distinguish the true from the false.You are confused. How many routes did the Liao Dynasty send their army to?What exactly are the goals of the strategy?What is the tactical line?Which army has fought where?It's not clear what the outcome will be now, given the technical conditions at the time.

If you were the prime minister of the Song Dynasty, all you could feel for a moment was that from Langfang, Hebei Province in the north, Weifang, Shandong Province in the east, Puyang, Henan Province, in the south, and west of the Taihang Mountains in the west, refugees were everywhere in Shanxi, wailing all over the land.There is even a legend that the commander-in-chief of the Liao army, named Xiao Taling, ordered the massacre of all Song Dynasty men over 15 years old along the way. The mountains and rivers are in chaos. As a prime minister, or even as an emperor, can you not squeeze in?It is said that one night, five emergency military reports were delivered. It was said that emergency military reports should be sent to the palace immediately. Even if the emperor was already asleep at this time, he still had to wake up and ask the emperor to deal with it.
But at this time, because he was a soldier, there was already a prime minister on duty at night. So the prime minister on duty tonight was Kou Zhun. Seeing this situation, Kou Zhun said there was no rush. Don't disturb the emperor. Let's continue drinking and talking and laughing. Tomorrow morningBesides, are you really not in a hurry?No, the situation has reached a point where it is useless to rush.Sure enough, when Emperor Zhenzong went to court in the morning the next day, he heard that five urgent military reports had arrived at night and he was so anxious that he stamped his feet.Kou Zhun said, what should we do?Now we can only make a decision. You have to be in charge. If you dare to make such a decision, we will be able to settle this matter in a short time.When Zhenzong heard that he wanted to go on a personal expedition, he said that this was a big deal and he wanted me to go back to the harem and think about it seriously. Kou Zhun went up and grabbed his sleeve with a bang, and said, "If your majesty enters, I will not be able to see you."The big thing is gone.If you return to the harem today, you will definitely retreat. As long as you don't go on a personal expedition, the situation is over.

So what can you figure out from this detail?Kou Zhun didn't let the emperor get up to read emergency military reports the night before, and then drank heavily.It's not that he's not in a hurry, but the situation has developed to such a point that it's too late to analyze the military situation one by one and take action. In Kou Zhun's view, even now the emperor can't even return to the palace to take a nap. Think about it carefully.There is no time to think.We can only make a decision right now in the court hall with your golden words. This is the only time we, the emperor, can take charge of the government.But in the atmosphere at that time, don’t think that Kou Zhun had the final say in this matter.

In fact, the court at that time was abuzz with all sorts of controversies.The two prime ministers, Bi Shi'an and Kou Zhun, both advocated that the emperor should go to the front line personally, but at the same time there were other voices that advocated that the emperor should go wherever he went.In fact, the opinions are not unified. Let's talk about two people. One is the official deputy prime minister, Wang Wei. This person is very important in the history later. In the future, we will mention him repeatedly. It is Wang Qingru who advocatedThe emperor wanted to go to Jinling, which is today's Nanjing Privy Hospital, the highest military institution. The deputy chief was named Chen Yaosou. He advocated that the emperor go to the Western District and go to Chengdu.
In the past, when we paid attention to this historical material, we often thought it was necessary to tell a story. You see, there is a positive character, right?The selfless and fearless positive character Kou Zhun, then as the screenwriter, we have to match him with two cowardly negative characters, so that we can create a drama.Wang Qingruo happened to be from Jiangnan, so he wanted to trick the emperor into going to Jinling.Chen Yaosou is from Sichuan, so he wants to take the emperor back to Chengdu.You see, these are all reactions like small animals. Once frightened, they turn around and run back to their lair. This can reflect Kou Zhun's heroic spirit.This is the need to tell stories.Sure enough, Kou Zhun appeared again. Kou Zhun heard about it and stopped the escape in time.And he said something very domineering in front of the emperor and these two people, saying that whoever gave His Majesty this bad idea would have his head chopped off.This is a very famous historical anecdote.But today we are standing at the historical site of 1004, and let’s feel it again.

If Wang Qingruo and Chen Yaosou are the two people who suggested that the emperor run away from me just now, their suggestions are serious, and it is impossible for him not to be serious. They are both senior leaders, then what are they thinking in their hearts??It's just that I'm scared, I just want to go home, I just miss my mother, of course not.This is the interesting part of our Chinese history. Every Chinese is a part of a long, uninterrupted history.Chinese scholars like Wang Qingruo and Chen Yaosou can look at the facts in front of them and see some original historical prototypes in their minds.Their current choices are often replicas of choices that have been made historically.Wang Qinruo suggested that the emperor go to Jinling and Nanjing. What is this?Is this the Eastern Jin route?Yes, almost 700 years ago, when the Five Huns in the north were in chaos, Sima Rui of the Eastern Jin Dynasty had no choice but to move the capital to today's Nanjing, and then he established a firm foothold.So what if the emperor went to Chengdu?This is following the route of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, almost two hundred and fifty years ago, you know that, right?The Anlu Mountain Rebellion and the Anshi Rebellion were similar to today's situation. They were also attacked by ethnic minorities from the north, and they also came from Yuyangpigudong. So could the emperor escape by running to Sichuan?So now we hear that whether the emperor runs or not, or even more specifically where to run, is not just a suggestion for action, nor is it just a concern for the emperor's personal safety.

What's this?This is also a judgment on the current situation and future prospects.Whether we take the route of the Eastern Jin Dynasty or the route of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, this is an admission that this time, just like in history, we cannot win against the powerful enemy from the north. This is a judgment.So what do we do?We can only temporarily avoid the edge like the emperors of the Jin or Tang Dynasties and find a place to stand. This may be the best result we can achieve.Going one step further, we have the group of people represented by Wang Qinruo and Chen Yaosu. What is their judgment?The final decline of the Song Dynasty is probably unavoidable.

As hindsight, of course we can laugh at these people as pessimists, escapists, timid people, and miscalculations, but when we step back and think about it, well, is it definitely wrong?uncertain.Not to mention the great distance, more than 100 years later, Song Huizong and Song Qinzong, didn't they just fail to escape in time?Only then did they ruin the great rivers and mountains of the Northern Song Dynasty.Let's take another example. Emperor Chongzhen more than 600 years later, if he could move the capital to Nanjing in time, the subsequent results may be much better. For the Ming Dynasty, it is difficult to say whether to run or not to run. In this history, it is difficult to say what is right or wrong.

Next, we pretend to be like people like Bi Shian, Kou Zhun, Wang Qingruo, and Chen Yaozou. We are all at the historical scene in 1004.We also worry about Song Zhenzong and settle accounts for him. The decisive battle between Song and Liao is about to begin. So what are the chances of the Song Dynasty winning?Let's put it this way, if I also lived in the Song Dynasty in the first year of Jingde, if I had a deep understanding of this dynasty, if this was the end of October 1004, when the war just started, you would have to ask me to understandIf I make a prediction about the decisive battle between Song and Liao, there are probably two reasons why I might be very pessimistic. Let’s talk about it one by one.

Let’s talk about the first level first, which is obviously military martyrs. We all know that the territory of the Song Dynasty was smaller than that of the Han and Tang Dynasties, right?The west side is smaller and the north side is missing, but please note that this is not just a matter of area. If these two pieces of territory are missing, two important strategic resources will be missing.The missing area in the west is the Hetao area. If the area is lost, the Central Plains Dynasty will have no horse farms.

In the era of cold weapons, horses are of great importance. They are equivalent to tanks in modern warfare. They can not only increase firepower but also improve mobility.So in the Central Plains Dynasty, for example, the Tang Dynasty, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, the Tang Empire had 700,000 war horses.But by the time of Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty, there were only 210,000 war horses left because there were no good horse farms in the Song Dynasty.Now during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty, the number was even less, only 200,000 horses.The number of cavalry in the northern rival Liao Dynasty has remained above 300,000.And we can't just look at the quantity. Not only were there few horses in the Song Dynasty, but the quality was also poor. Many of them were Sichuan horses and Fujian horses, especially the Fujian horses, which were easily frightened.The quality of this horse is so poor that it cannot be used on the battlefield and can only be used for transportation.Do you think there are such varieties among 200,000 horses?Although the Khitan horses of the Liao army are not very good, they are very adaptable, not easy to get sick, and are very easy to grow. So overall, the Liao army's cavalry ability is indeed stronger than that of the Song army. ThisThis is the result of the small territory in the west.

Let's look at the north side again. There is also a large piece missing in the north side, and the consequences are even more serious.Where is this big piece to the north?I guess you should know that the Sixteen Weeks of Youyun and the Sixteen States are too complicated.In fact, you only need to remember two states.Youzhou?Is this this year’s Beijing?Yunzhou?This is Shanxi today.Hello Datong, you will know why the Sixteen Pillars of Youyun are important when you open the map, because it is the Gaier in the north of the North China Plain. The horizontal line is Yanshan Mountain and the vertical line is Taihang Mountain. This Gaier is the Sixteenth Pillars of Youyun Province..So if you imagine the Central Plains as a courtyard, what is it?This is the courtyard wall on the north side.

Therefore, since Youyun 16 Zhou was occupied by the Liao Dynasty during the Five Dynasties, the Central Plains Dynasty lost its natural protection and courtyard walls. It was not easy for the old Zhao family. Building a great Song Dynasty was equivalent to building a new home.Siheyuan.The north wall has never been there. This emperor has been in power for three times. Living in it, the drafty feeling is really uncomfortable.When do you think the Liao Dynasty will want to go to war?If you want to fight, once the cavalry crosses the border of Youzhou, there will be a large plain in front of them.Yes, once you rush to the bottom of the North China Plain, you can reach the bank of the Yellow River in a few days. After crossing the Yellow River, you will reach Bianliang. The geographical environment of the Song Dynasty was also too dangerous.Then why after the founding of the People's Republic of China did you want to regain the Sixteenth Province of Youyun?It is not only obedient, but also has political considerations such as restoring the hometown of the Han and Tang Dynasties. More importantly, it has a real need for military defense.
Now that you see that the Song Dynasty and the Liao Dynasty were at war, how could he be confident?If you want to fight Wu Ma, you can fight, but if you want to defend, there is no danger. This is an obvious military disadvantage.This is one level, and we can look at this issue in another level.When it comes to war, in addition to the hard power on display, you also need to build soft power, right?A very important one is morale.Generally speaking, morale will be higher in the anti-aggression war to defend the country.Because you came to rob me?Am I poor like you?An inch of rivers and an inch of snow, generally speaking, the Central Plains Dynasty will have such a morale bonus.Well, when it comes to the decisive battle between the Song Dynasty and the Liao Dynasty in 1004, the situation is more complicated as to whether the Song Dynasty had this morale bonus.The Song Dynasty does have a morale bonus for defending the country, but the terrible thing is that the Liao Dynasty opposite them also has it, which involves the understanding of the Liao Dynasty as a regime.

Our general point of view is this. When it comes to the farming civilization of the Sino-Vietnamese Dynasty, what is the reputation of the Northern Empire for nomadism?He doesn’t want land, right?Li Yuan, Emperor Gaozu of the Tang Dynasty, had a very famous saying, saying that these nomadic people were established to sacrifice money and then obey the imperial edict when it was difficult to seek wealth.What does it mean?You said these guys are interesting, but this one gets hurt when he sees the benefits, and gets involved when he sees the difficulties. He only steals some gold and silver when he wins. Why don't you show any shame or shame when you leave after losing?From Li Yuan's point of view, this seems a bit strange.

The words of Li Yuan of the First Qin Dynasty represent the faith of the farming people themselves. Why do they fight on behalf of the farming people?Just to fight for land?What is land?It is a very sacred existence to farmers.I rely on him for food and clothing, and I rely on him for raising my children. The hometown I have known since childhood is here, and the tombs of my ancestors are here.Behind the land issue, there are too many cultural and emotional factors for the farming people, so when fighting a war, there is a sense of sadness to protect the homeland and the country, which can also be transformed into combat effectiveness.But nomadic people have such feelings for the land.He doesn't talk about this.That's right, isn't it just to grab things after winning the war?If you don't run away after you lose, isn't it a mental illness if you don't run away?What's there to be ashamed of?This was the pastoral people of the past, but the Khitan and Liao dynasties that the Song Dynasty encountered in 1004 could not be modeled on this model.

The Liao Dynasty was not entirely a nomadic empire. It had developed the ability to manage both nomadic and agricultural civilizations at the same time. This is a big topic, and we will have to find a special episode to talk about it in the future.But today we only need to know one thing, that is, the people of the Liao Dynasty are not the kind of grassland people who seek wealth and lose their money. They have a strong sense of land and homeland. We also want land, and we want it firmly..

So if you look at the later negotiations between Song and Liao, what the Liao negotiators said at the table was not much recorded. The most important thing was this sentence, saying that we brought so many people to fight, and what we were seeking was to close the war.The land of the south, this is what I want.Where is the land of Guannan?Usually we talk about the sixteen states of Youyun, but specifically at this time, 14 states were in the hands of the Liao Dynasty, and two states were in the hands of the Song Dynasty, namely Yingzhou and Mozhou.It is today's Hejian and Renqiu in Hebei Province. The people of the Liao Dynasty thought that this was also our land. What you took away back then, I want to take it back now.So this time we mobilized our troops to come. If we can't take back this place, how will we explain to the people when we return to the country?Listen to this tone. How can it be that of a nomad?This land began to have obsessions, completely in the tone of a farming nation.So if you look at the Song Dynasty again, what did Song Zhenzong say in response?He said that I was also keeping the inheritance inherited from my ancestors, how could I dare to throw it away casually?If you are talking like this and insist on asking for land, then you have no choice but to accompany us and fight to the end.You see, both sides are emphasizing one concept over and over again at the negotiation table, saying that it’s not just me who wants this place, who else is behind me?There is an overall will behind me. The envoys of the Liao Dynasty emphasized my compatriots, and Song Zhenzong emphasized my ancestors.In short, both sides have the same intention. The territory is sacred and cannot be compromised. I have no room for negotiation. A war that starts like this can easily turn into an endless and cruel war.A conversation that starts like this can easily end up chatting to death, right?Regarding the historical momentum of the Central Plains dynasty, not only these two states, but the entire Sixteen Yongyun states are our hometown of the Han and Tang Dynasties.You are a people on the grassland. You should retreat to the north of the Great Wall and fend for yourself.

I don't care, but the question is, have you ever thought about this from the perspective of the Liao Dynasty?So what would they think of this land?Today we might as well pretend that we are the negotiators representing the Liao Dynasty, and we will come to the negotiating table of the Zen Yuan Alliance. Let’s think about how we will chat for them. I think there are probably a few items that can definitely be put on the table.on.First, please note that I am the envoy of the Liao Dynasty. First, the land of Youyun Sixteen Prefectures was not stolen by us Khitan people.Ours, and it's not for free. We helped Shi Jingtang become emperor. This is the reward for our work. This is what we earned with our blood and sweat, right?This is the first one. When did we get the second one?Youyun Sixteen Prefectures, that was the third year of Tianfu in the Later Jin Dynasty, 938 AD. Where?Where were you during the Song Dynasty?At that time, let alone your Song Dynasty, even the Zhou Dynasty who usurped the throne of your Song Dynasty had not yet come. The Song Dynasty of your old Zhao family only existed in 960 AD. I grew my eyebrows first, and you grew your beard later.Even if there is a dispute, it will be between us and the backward people.

What are you, the old Zhao family, talking to me about as a usurper?Talk about it?This is number two, right?Article 3: We are here not to do anything to you this time, but to get back the Mozhou of Yingzhou, which is the land of Guannan, that Chai Rong snatched from us in the following week.You people from the Central Plains used force to snatch it from me back then. I am taking it back by force today. There is nothing wrong with this logic. This is the third point.
Article 4 Speaking of war, hey, after you people of the Song Dynasty founded your country, our two countries fought two wars. Both times, you took the initiative to invade us, right?We are protecting our country, right?The first time was in 979, and the second time was in 986. These two times, it was not us who made the first move, but you who came to my house. What was the result?Shame on you, you lost both times.As an envoy, the envoy of the Liao Kingdom, I would like to summarize the so-called Guannan land in Yingzhou and Muzhou that we dispute. First, we obtained it through legal channels. Second, we did not get it from you.Third, what was taken away by force, we will take back by force this time.Fourth, you took the initiative to hit me twice, and I hit you once now. You are not at a loss, right?You took the initiative to hit me, you carefully prepared yourself, but I couldn't beat you. Now I am ready to take the initiative to hit you, and you still win.
The above two, three, and four points are all my own imaginary interpretations, but I estimate that even if such a statement did not appear on the negotiating table at that time, there must be such an idea.Fighting?The most important thing is to have a good reputation as a teacher. If you really want to be reasonable, look at the military and civilians of the Liao Dynasty, including me, the envoy, and I will be able to explain my reasoning.I have my confidence in fighting this battle.Since we mentioned the word morale just now, morale is an important spiritual force on the battlefield. Since we mentioned this word, we might as well take a deeper look.What had the greatest impact on the morale of the Song army in 1004?In fact, it was the two memorizations I just mentioned, one in 979 and one in 986, the two disastrous Northern Expeditions.In 979, Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty originally wanted to destroy the Northern Han Dynasty, and wanted to seize the Sixteen Youyun Prefectures in one go.Come on, it’s just one trip anyway, so we won’t make a second trip.The result was bleak. In the Battle of Gaolianghe, not only did the army collapse, but Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty was hit by an arrow in the leg. In the end, he had to sit on a donkey cart alone before running back.So now someone on the Internet has nicknamed Taizong, Gaoliang and Cha Shen.

You might say, well, I wasn’t ready this time.Tong Xi was careless.How do you explain it seven years later?The northwestern expedition in 986 was carefully prepared by you.The three armies marched north to conquer Liao. What was the result?It was still a defeat, and a worse defeat.General Yang Lao and his father-in-law Yang Ye died in this battle.If you say that these two defeats against Liao happened in the past 20 years, then let’s look further forward and deeper into history.Alas, the Central Plains Dynasty, alas, the results of the match against the Liao Dynasty have always been ugly.When we talk about the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms now, it seems to be Liang, Tang, Jing and Hanzhong. We think it is a continuous period. In fact, it is not. There was a very short period, specifically the Later Jin in the first half of 947 AD. That is, the Later Jin Dynasty of Shi Jingtang was destroyed, and the Later Han Dynasty was not there yet.Establish.So who is the master of Tokyo, Bianliang, or the Central Plains at this time?That's right, it's the Liao Dynasty.Yes, Yelu Deguang, Taizong of the Liao Dynasty, destroyed the Later Jin Dynasty and briefly became the emperor of the Central Plains.Although he later found that he could not do the job and could not govern the people of the Central Plains and evacuated, he created a precedent in history. The Liao Dynasty occupied the Central Plains. In the history of Great China, we must know the power of precedents..Let me give you an example to understand.For example, during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Wei Qing and Huo Qubing defeated the Xiongnu. Hey, tell me why this is so great, right?In fact, the specific result is not that important, because the Huns will come back in a few years, and the result will be wiped out.What's important?It sets a precedent.He told future generations that we, the farming nation, are not given free rein on the battlefield. Even if they have horses, and even if they come and go like the wind, we have a chance to win, and we are the kind of people who can leave the court and sweep holes to guide the royal court.We have a chance to achieve a complete victory over the grassland peoples. This is a valuable spiritual asset.

Then all the people in the Central Plains will know that no matter what situation we face now, even if we are defeated, or even defeated to the point of annihilation, it doesn't matter, we can still make a comeback, expel Dalu, and drive out the outside world.We just haven't done it yet, but historical precedent proves we can do it.The power lies here, this energy, the call of your energy comes from the depths of history, and it will always echo in the spiritual field of a nation.
When you look at historical materials from the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Southern Song Dynasty, the early Ming Dynasty, the late Qing Dynasty, and even the Anti-Japanese War, the story of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing is always mentioned repeatedly. It is not a story, it is the creation of history.The sense of power that precedent brings to future generations.We must mobilize and activate the power from the depths of historical national memory. This is the power of storytelling.Okay, let's go back to 1004. There is a precedent for fighting the Liao Dynasty in the memories of the Song Dynasty kings and ministers. But the opposite precedent is that we have never won in the past 20 years. We were completely conquered by others 50 years ago.Precedent is fatal, right?Whenever there is a precedent for anything, inner demons are planted in the minds of future generations.Yes, so as soon as the iron hooves of the Liao army cross the border, there will be a voice from somewhere in everyone's heart.

No way?Here we go again, is this a repeat of the precedent of the Five Husbands and the Rebellion of China, or a repeat of the precedent of the Anshi Rebellion?Or is it a repeat of the precedent that happened a few decades ago when Bianliang fell and the Liao people wanted to take over the Central Plains?You may not say this voice, but you will hear it in your heart.So now let’s look back. In the first year of Jingde in 1004, when the emperors and ministers of the Song Dynasty were facing the invasion of Liao Dynasty soldiers, they had worries, fears, and doubts in their hearts. Some people even suggested that they should temporarily avoid the front line and go to Jinling or Jinling.Chengdu.Is it understandable to have such a suggestion?The reason why we cannot criticize the ancients harshly is that if we cannot fully see the reality faced by the ancients and understand the models and precedents in the minds of the ancients, we will actually know nothing about their situation.Many of the accusations are frivolous, and in turn we don't have enough respect for their courage.

For example, later Song Zhenzong was escorted all the way by Kou Zhun and others, and of course it was possible that he was dragged and dragged to the front line of the Song-Liao War.Not only did he come to conquer personally, but he also came to the front line of Chanzhou. He not only came to Chanzhou, but also crossed the Yellow River and came to the north city of Chanzhou.When the emperor's flag appeared on the city, when all the Song troops shouted long live, and the sound vibrated for dozens of miles, when the morale of the army reached its peak, at that moment, I believe that many people were presentIt brings tears to our eyes, but if we don’t understand the weaknesses, difficulties, and inner fears of the Song Army that I just mentioned, we will underestimate Song Zhenzong’s courage, and we will not be able to understand the hundreds of thousands of Song Army soldiers.Excited shouts, long live, long live, why are they shouting like that?We have talked so much about the history of the Song Dynasty in this paragraph. Alas, why did the final outcome of history actually involve the two sides shaking hands and making peace? Not only did the peace come unexpectedly, but it also lasted for 120 years. Why did the Song DynastyDid you hold it?This is the topic we are going to talk about next. Our pursuit of a better life comes from the opening of every extraordinary door.

Casa Emperor was born for love, linking the art of the family. Now we all know that the final result of the Song-Liao Chan-Yuan War was the signing of the Chan-Yuan Dream. Many people have an impression of this peace treaty, which is an alliance under the city.Moreover, the Song Dynasty paid the city alliance to give the Liao Dynasty 300,000 yuan a year, which sounded a bit like losing power and humiliating the country.We will analyze this topic in detail in the next issue of Journey to Civilization in 1005. After all, the official signing of the Zen Yuan Alliance will be next year.Let me just remind you that if two regimes compete for a piece of territory, you say this land is yours and I say this land is mine. In the end, we both have to go to war, but the final result isWhat?The territory belongs to you, you give me some money and I'll leave.So who won?Of course you win if you hold the territory, right?Isn't this an obvious truth?So regarding the Battle of the Chanyuan in the first year of Jingde in the Song Dynasty in 1004 and its result, the King of the Chanyuan, we can now basically draw a 12-character conclusion, which is that both sides were evenly matched, and the Song Dynasty had the upper hand in the strategic battle.

If you accept this conclusion, it would be strange. It took us so long to lose to the Song Army in the previous period. We had so many disadvantages, including strength, soft power, and mentality. So many disadvantages,In the end, why did Song Dynasty hold on and gain a slight upper hand?Of course there are many reasons. Here I will talk about an observation point of view, that is, the Song Dynasty at this time in 1004 has evolved into another national species, which is different from the powerful Han and Tang Dynasties that we are familiar with in history books.The Five Dynasties before the Song Dynasty were also different.

Let’s imagine what our favorite Han and Tang Dynasties are like?Just a decent big empire, what should it look like?From a military perspective, of course there should be a very powerful border defense army. I will destroy anyone who dares to mess with me.Isn’t there a saying like that?If you offend a strong person, you will be punished no matter how far away you are. If you provoke me, I will chase you to the ends of the earth to kill you.But sorry, logically speaking, Song Dynasty couldn't do it.Please note that he can't do it not from a strength point of view, but from a logical point of view. To put it bluntly, he doesn't want to do it.

Why?Because the national policy of the Song Dynasty would not allow such a powerful border defense army to appear, right?If you pursue the combat effectiveness of the army, there are many ways. For example, we can give generals the independent right to lead troops. You can lead your own soldiers, so that you can easily command them on the battlefield. You have the command power to make temporary decisions, and even have your ownThe power to collect military supplies on the spot will of course increase the army's combat effectiveness.

But what kind of general is that?Isn't that Fan Zhen?Isn't this kind of general another An Lushan during the Anshi Rebellion?Yes, after the troubled times like the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, the efforts of several generations of emperors of the Song Dynasty were that we should not have such generals and we should not have such an army. It was terrible.The historian Professor Zhao Dongmei has a very vivid statement in his book called Fa Du and the Heart of the People. He said that the border troops of the Song Dynasty not only had iron camps and running water cups, but also running water on top of the running ice.Guan'er, what's even more terrible is that the flowing ice and the flowing Guan'er are not water in the same river, they are always separated.Of course, such a border guard cannot pose a threat to the central government, but its combat effectiveness against foreign enemies will also decline, right?No way, do you want safety or efficiency in Dynasty?Do you want the stability of the country and the vision of peace, or the combat effectiveness of the army?You choose, this is an eternal contradiction.What to do?Such a large Song Empire faced a powerful enemy like the Liao Dynasty and could not produce strong generals. What should we do about national defense and security?This kind of historical pressure was too great, and he forced the military construction of the Song Dynasty to another path, turning the country of the Song Dynasty into another species.What road?To use an inappropriate analogy, the military construction of the Song Dynasty might have turned into a cheetah, but now it has turned into an elephant.My attack ability is not very good, but look at me, I'm thick-skinned, strong and deep, alas, you can't even touch me.

You have become such a species and have super strong defensive ability. You may say that this defensive ability is not also combat effectiveness?Is there any difference?This difference is quite big. On the surface, offense and defense are just two strategies for fighting a war, but behind them are two different strategic cultures.I have a book here, "Jingluo Youyan" written by Mr. Zeng Ruilong, which mentions the transformation of strategic culture in the early years of the Song Dynasty. This transformation is happening at all levels, from the country's political affairs to the specific military personnel.change.So what do you think the soldiers of the five generations before the Song Dynasty were like?If you want to gain support and prestige among the military community, you must be a good man, and you must be good at using weapons and weapons.He is highly skilled in martial arts, and his personality is that of a brave and ruthless hero.But after the founding of the Song Dynasty, the style of this general changed. For example, you may know that there was a founding general in the Song Dynasty named Cao Bin. Cao Bin participated in many major battles, especially the destruction of the Southern Tang Dynasty. Cao Bin was the commander.But we never hear about this guy.Cao Bin is like Lin Chong. He has a gun tied to his head and his head is cocked. Does he have any martial arts skills?What are the deeds he left in history?Emphasize that this person is honest, generous, benevolent and law-abiding. These qualities are the same as those of a scholar-bureaucrat.So you see that the styles of generals are changing, and of course more importantly, the style of war is also changing.

The wars in the Five Dynasties before the Song Dynasty were all about coming and going like the wind, and fighting quickly.The emphasis is on talking less nonsense and just do it if you don't accept it.The emphasis in field battles is whether a mule or a horse is drawn out and the outcome is judged.Haha, such a style of war.It sounds enjoyable, but to be honest, there is nothing you can do about it. The wars in the Five Dynasties did not have a good economic foundation. The legitimacy of those regimes was very weak, and the morale of the army fluctuated greatly, so if you wanted to fight, you could onlyUse fast to defeat fast, because the internal strength will not be so strong after a short period of time, so you can only use fast arrows.But in the battle of the Song and Liao Chanyuan in 1004, the Song army we saw completely changed into a different approach, turning into a very heavy defensive style.So what’s behind these two styles?It's because the resource structure needed for war has changed.That's right, what's the point of the offensive battle of rushing and fighting?In addition to troops and weapons, the most important thing is talented generals. This is the decisive factor, because the combination of elements on the battlefield is ever-changing and fighter opportunities are fleeting.Is what Yue Fei said good?The wonder of application lies in one mind.I didn't have any reason for this fighter's judgment, and I suddenly felt blessed. Now I felt that it was time to send troops. This is called being of the opposite sex, and I can't tell others.Therefore, victory in offensive warfare is essentially about converting the general's intellectual resources into combat effectiveness.But defensive war is different. Defensive war cannot be said to be unimportant, but the country's economic resources and the nation's technological resources can also be converted into combat effectiveness. Perhaps the latter is more important.

Let me give you two simple examples. As we said before, the reason why the Song Dynasty wanted to fight for the Sixteen Youyun States was because there should be natural dangers on our northern border, right?The Sixteen States of Youyun are natural dangers. What if they are gone now?The Song Dynasty had a lot of manpower, but it could not win without natural resources.It is hard to imagine that starting from 993 AD in the fourth year of Chonghua reign of Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty, the Song Dynasty actually built an artificial lake of 600 miles on the border of Song and Liao in the North China Plain. The scale of 600 miles is very large. Look at it.The length was from today's Baoding, Hebei to the seaside, which is today's Tianjin area.If you look at the wide area, the widest area is more than 100 miles away, and there are lakes layer by layer. The narrow area is also 8-10 miles away.People in the Song Dynasty called this kind of artificial lake Tangpo. This was a plain area, and they just dug trenches and dug ponds.In mountainous areas, trees are planted in mountainous areas, and some people plant trees, especially elm trees. The fortresses formed by elm trees are called Yusai and Yunsai, similar to Tangpo.

You heard that a piece of water or a tree can block the cavalry and horses coming from the north, but you can't rush forward.So if you look at the infrastructure mania, this is not given in vain. The Song Dynasty's demographic and economic advantages were transformed into combat effectiveness.We also mentioned a word before, technical advantage.Yes, technological advantages can also be converted into combat effectiveness.For example, the people of the Song Dynasty invented the method of digging wells to defend the city, so wouldn’t digging wells just provide some water?Yes, digging wells can not only provide water sources, but also have other uses. For example, in winter, the Song army could pour well water on the city wall. After it freezes, it will be difficult to climb up the city wall. This is correct.Bar?In the Battle of Suicheng in 999 AD, the famous Yang family general Yang Liulang and Yang Yanzhao used this method.

When I was listening to storytelling when I was a kid, there was this paragraph in the storytelling.In 1004 of this year, the Song Dynasty people also figured out a new way. During the battle between the two sides in Chanyuan, there was a battle called the Battle of Cangzhou. The ice cubes made from the water in the wells were simply used as stones.It’s easier to see if you’re going to dig stones again. This is technology.So what is the more critical technological advantage of the Song Dynasty people?It is the crossbow of the crossbow on the crossbow machine.You must know that crossbows are different from bows. If you want to use a bow and arrow well, you must have very good physical fitness and undergo long-term training.A general can draw Dorniu's bow, which is a very powerful personal ability.There is no need for a trip weapon. It has a trigger. You use your legs, waist, and hands to wind it. People with weak strength can easily master it, right?Or you can simply put it on beforehand if you have the strength, and use it on the spot if you don’t have the strength.

In this way, the population advantage of the Song Dynasty was brought into play. The largest crossbow machine actually required hundreds of people working at the same time to use it.And you would think that this crossbow machine is pre-strung, so as long as there is technical research and development capabilities, the upper limit of its power can continue to be exceeded, right?When it comes to attacking, no matter how strong you are, you still have trouble pulling away.The introduction of crossbows was endless. By 976 AD, the Song Dynasty had increased the range of one of the crossbows to 1,580 meters.What concept?1,580 meters range, this is a modern sniper rifle, that’s the range.So you see, if a country's military strategy is dedicated to defense, then its economic advantages and technological advantages can be transformed into combat effectiveness.In fact, looking back at the Battle of Chanyuan in 1004, the reason why the Liao Dynasty army did not win in the end was that after entering, it felt like they had been kicked against an iron plate.The reason why they were later willing to negotiate was because of these two reasons. The Song Dynasty's economic and technological advantages were transformed into combat effectiveness.

Okay, let's briefly review the entire war process, and you will understand the situation of the Liao army.The war broke out at the end of October. The vanguard force of the Liao Army first aimed at attacking the Weilu Army and Shunan Army of the Song Dynasty. If they could not defeat them, they could then fight the Peking War.If we still can't defeat them, it's better to take a detour and attack Baozhou and Dingzhou, which are two relatively large strongholds.Still unable to defeat them, the Liao army became a little anxious.Can I concentrate my main force and capture a big stronghold? Can I improve some morale? I can choose over and over again, but the chosen target is Yingzhou.Two hundred thousand troops were concentrated under Yinzhou City and they had to be captured.This is Hejian, Hebei Province, and today's Yingzhou. The people who fought in this battle were particularly miserable.How bad is it?It was Empress Dowager Xiao of the Liao Dynasty and Emperor Liao Shengzong of the Liao Dynasty who personally held drumsticks and beat drums to cheer under the Liaozhou City.The soldiers fought against me, but it was in vain. The Liao army lost 30,000 people, but they still failed to capture it in the end.You see, when we read history books in the past, when we read this paragraph, we often only noticed that Liu Jun was powerful. The cavalry rushed all the way to the foot of Chanzhou City. After crossing the Yellow River, it was the Kaifeng Variation.

If we are really at the historical scene in 1004, we know clearly that behind the Liao army, in the vast Hebei plain, the Song Dynasty did not lose any cities, and the army did not suffer any losses. Therefore, the deeper the Liao army goes, the more it will accumulate later.The higher the risk, the Song Dynasty might make dumplings.So when the armies of the two sides faced off in Chanzhou City, the emperors and ministers of Song Zhenzong in the city were naturally uneasy.But think about the emperor and the queen mother of the Liao Dynasty outside the city. How could they lie down if they felt so good?Of course, the one that finally defeated the Liao Army's Xinfang should have been the powerful crossbow machine we mentioned earlier.

During this war, the most famous crossbow shooting occurred in the entire history of ancient Chinese wars.It is said that one day, the Song army on top of Chanzhou City was hundreds of meters away, and they saw an official from the Liao Army coming to inspect the front line. Who cares who he is?, and then fired the crossbow once, which required dozens of people to handle the crossbow.

Such a coincidence, who is the commander in chief of this inspection?It was Xiao Tali, the commander-in-chief of the Liao army, and this arrow actually hit him directly in the forehead. He died that night after he was carried back.The battle hadn't even started yet, but the coach died first. This had a huge impact on the morale of the Liao army.So you see, from the Liao army's side, the failure to attack the city caused the Liao army to penetrate deep alone, and the death of the commander led to the collapse of the Liao army's morale.

These two events were the two most important turning points in the battle of Zen Yuan. One was also the two decisive factors that made the Liao Dynasty willing to return to the negotiating table.And where did these two factors come from?Haha, did you hear that one came from the combat power transformed from the economic advantages of the Song Dynasty?Did one come from the combat effectiveness transformed from the technological advantages of the Song Dynasty?At this time, let’s go back and see the war machine of the Song Dynasty, right?In the past few decades of Song Dynasty, it gradually evolved into another person. He changed from a dagger to a shield, and from a sharp-toothed cheetah to an unmoving elephant.

The Battle of Zen Abyss and its consequences, the Alliance of Zen Abyss, do you still remember the 12-word conclusion we talked about earlier?The two sides were evenly matched, with the Song Dynasty slightly gaining the upper hand.But in fact, I know that even if our current people agree with this conclusion, well, Da Song won by a small amount, even if he agrees, he will not feel excited at all.Why?Because it is unpleasant, what should it look like when a rising empire wins a war that we expect?There should be a fierce general like Huo Qubing, and he should have military exploits like destroying the Huns.It was so exciting to think back to the time when Huo Qubing invented the blitzkrieg of cavalry's long-distance attack, fighting a large detour, large penetration, and large annihilation.

Look at the Song Dynasty now, right?The one who only knows how to dig deep ditches, build high walls, and pour well water on the walls will do the same thing. The main one is the one who is strong in resisting attacks, like a puffed-up hedgehog.The enemy has lost his temper, and then haha, how about I give you some money?You go.What is this called displeasure in victory?Okay, the next episode will be in 1005, and I will focus on this topic with you.I just want to remind you one thing here, that is, as a descendant, we are often very clumsy as people, right?We certainly hope that our ancestors will have a glorious victory and push the boundaries of the empire forward.As a descendant, I will know that there is an exciting legend in my bloodline.

So it is very normal for netizens to say this now, but let me remind you, let’s imagine another identity. We are ordinary people. We are really ordinary people living in the Song Dynasty in 1004.We would rather, alas, drive the invaders out of our homes and then I can get on with my life.I still hope that won’t work, we must eradicate the weeds, we must chase them to the desert, our swords will be unsheathed, and we will satisfy the emperor’s ambition to expand the territory.

where?As an ordinary citizen, do you want this?Of course not, I want the former, I want to live my life.So why is there this difference in perspective?These two perspectives actually reflect a huge question, that is, what are the goals of the country?What are the country's goals?There have been different answers to this in Chinese history.Teacher Lin Hu specializes in the history of Song and Liao Dynasties. He is also the academic consultant of our program.He once said something in which he said that Chinese history was characterized by two returns. The first return was what do you think the Legalists stood for during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period?He regards the monarch's desires as the ultimate goal or even the only goal of the country, and everyone else is a tool.Such troubled times lasted for hundreds of years. It was not until the Han Dynasty, especially during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, that the first return of national goals was achieved.

There is a return to moral politics regarding the goals of national governance.Who is the emperor?The Son of Heaven was simply a representative of Heaven, a defender of the natural order.What is the main task of politics?It is to cultivate the sage morality in everyone's heart and to realize the good order of the entire society.This is a return to national purpose, no longer revolving around the monarch.Well, at the end of the Han Dynasty for the second time, another great turmoil came, and the country's moral goals were once again lost. Is the most typical one what Cao Cao said?I don't care how bad your character is or how big your flaws are, as long as you have talent, I will still use it.Yes, this is what happens in troubled times. The immediate interests are the priority. These generations of monarchs in the early Song Dynasty consciously promoted the second return of the country's moral goals. Isn't this progress?In the raging war of 1004, what you saw was more of the helplessness of the Song Dynasty, a stopgap measure, or a country's proactive turn and civilizational progress?In the next issue of 1005, we will discuss this topic and it’s time to thank you again.