Yelü Bei

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Yelü Bei
耶律倍
Empress Shulü Ping

Yelü Bei (

Emperor Taizu of Liao, the founder of the Liao dynasty. He was declared successor to the Emperor Taizu in 916, but never succeeded to the throne. Rather, after the accession of his younger brother Yelü Deguang (Emperor Taizong), he fled to the Shatuo
-led Later Tang dynasty, where he was killed in 937.

Background

Yelü Bei was born in 899, before the founding of the

Shulü Ping; he was their first son. He was described by the History of Liao as intelligent and studious in his youth, with a relaxed appearance and a loving heart.[1]

In 916, when Yelü Abaoji declared himself emperor of a new Khitan-led empire, known posthumously as Emperor Taizu,

Buddha. When Emperor Taizu pointed out that the Buddha was not a Chinese god, Yelü Bei advocated offering first to Confucius. Emperor Taizu was pleased by the suggestion and built a temple for Confucius, having Yelü Bei offer sacrifices to him twice a year.[1]

Yelü Bei subsequently served as Emperor Taizu's forward commander in campaigns against the Wugu (烏古) and the Tangut tribes. Later, on incursions that Emperor Taizu made into the Chinese/Shatuo state Former Jin territory – specifically, Jin's Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing) – he left Yelü Bei in charge at his capital Linhuang Municipality (臨潢, in modern Chifeng, Inner Mongolia). It was during this time that Yelü Bei was said to have drafted a plan to conquer Khitan's eastern neighbor Balhae.[1]

As King of Dongdan

In 926, Emperor Taizu decided to carry out the plans to conquer

Longquan.)[6] Emperor Taizu set up a Dongdan Kingdom over the old Balhae territory, with its capital at Fuyu, and made Yelü Bei its king, with the title of "Imperial King of Man" (人皇王, Ren Huangwang), echoing the titles used by himself ("Imperial Emperor of Heaven," 天皇帝, Tian Huangdi) and his wife (Yelü Bei's mother) Empress Shulü ("Imperial Empress of Earth," 地皇后, Di Huanghou). He gave his second son (Yelü Bei's younger brother) Yelü Deguang the title of "Generalissimo Crown Prince" and made Yelü Deguang in charge of Linhuang, replacing Yelü Bei.[5]

Shortly after conquering Fuyu, however, Emperor Taizu fell ill and died while still at Fuyu. Empress Shulü took over effective leadership of the Khitan, and she and Yelü Bei began the trek of escorting Emperor Taizu's casket back to Linhuang, leaving one of Emperor Taizu's younger brother Yelü Anduan (耶律安端) temporarily in charge at Dongdan. Once then returned to Linhuang, she wanted to divert the succession away from Yelü Bei, as she had favored Yelü Deguang. However, formally, she called an assembly of the chieftains, along with Yelü Bei and Yelü Deguang, and stated to them, "I love both of my sons, and I do not know which one to make emperor. You can decide which one you wish to support by holding his rein." The chieftains, knowing that she favored Yelü Deguang, rushed to him and held to his rein. She thereafter declared him emperor (as Emperor Taizong). Yelü Bei, angry over this turn of events, took several hundred soldiers and wanted to flee to Later Tang (Jin's successor state), but was intercepted by Khitan border guards. Empress Shulü (now empress dowager) did not punish him, but sent him to Dongdan.[5][7]

Emperor Taizong, after becoming emperor, became suspicious as to whether his older brother intended to take back the throne, and therefore moved Dongdan's capital to Dongping (東平, in modern

Wu Taibo." He thus took his favorite concubine Lady Gao and his extensive book collection, got into a ship, and sailed to Later Tang.[1] In 930, he arrived at Later Tang's Deng Prefecture (登州, in modern Yantai, Shandong).[8] (Yelü Bei's wife Imperial Queen Xiao and his oldest son Yelü Ruan did not follow him to Later Tang, and Imperial Queen Xiao would subsequently continue to rule the Dongdan state until her death in 940, while Yelü Ruan would eventually succeed Emperor Taizong after his death (as Emperor Shizong).)[9][10]

As Later Tang subject

騎射圖 "Archer and Horse" attributed to Yelü Bei, National Palace Museum

During Emperor Mingzong's reign

In 931, Emperor Mingzong made Yelü Bei the military governor (

Wu).[11]

Despite his having fled to Later Tang territory and becoming a Later Tang subject, Li Zanhua continued to maintain communications with his mother and brother, often sending emissaries to them. The communication went the other way around, too, as when his grandmother

Grand Empress Dowager Yaonian died in 933, his mother and brother notified him of her death.[9]

After Emperor Mingzong's reign

Also in 933, Emperor Mingzong died, and was initially succeeded by his biological son

Li Conghou the Prince of Song (as Emperor Min).[12] In 934, Emperor Mingzong's adoptive son Li Congke the Prince of Lu overthrew Emperor Min in a rebellion and became emperor.[13] Li Zanhua was said to have secretly communicated to his brother Emperor Taizong the opinion that this was a good opportunity to invade Later Tang, although Emperor Taizong took no actions at that time.[1]

Throughout the years, apparently because of Li Zanhus'a presence in Later Tang and the fact that Later Tang had captured a number of important Khitan commanders, Empress Dowager Shulü had repeatedly sought

Shi Jingtang the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi) might rebel and enlist Khitan aid in doing so, had his officials Li Song and Lü Qi (呂琦) draft a plan under which such an alliance would occur – but then abandoned the plan.[2]

Later in the year, Shi Jingtang did rebel, and Later Tang forces was initially successful in advancing to Hedong's capital Taiyuan Municipality and putting it under siege. However, they were thereafter crushed by aid troops that Emperor Taizong himself commanded and trapped by Khitan forces at Jin'an Base (晉安寨, near Taiyuan). When Li Congke sought advice from his officials, Long Min (龍敏) suggested that he create Li Zanhua the Emperor of Khitan and send an army to escort him back to Khitan territory, to create a second front that Khitan's Emperor Taizong would have to deal with. Li Congke gave initial approval to the plan, but the more powerful officials opposed, believing the plan to be useless, and nothing eventually came of it.[2]

Eventually, Emperor Taizong created Shi the emperor of a new Later Jin (as its Emperor Gaozu), and Shi subsequently headed south, with Khitan aid, toward the Later Tang capital Luoyang. With Later Tang generals defecting to Later Jin in droves, Li Congke gathered his family and generals loyal to him to the palace, intending to commit suicide by burning down the palace.[2] When he summoned Li Zanhua, however, Li Zanhua refused to join the mass suicide, so Li Congke sent the officer Li Yanshen (李彥紳) to kill Li Zanhua. After the new Later Jin emperor entered Luoyang, he mourned Li Zanhua, posthumously created Li Zanhua the Prince of Yan, and had his body delivered back to Khitan.[1][2]

Titles (including posthumous)

While living

  • Crown Prince
    (皇太子, Huang Taizi) (916-931)
  • Imperial King of Men (人皇王, Ren Huangwang) (931-937)

Posthumous

Family

Consorts and Issue:

  • Princess consort Xiao (蕭氏; d. 940), a relative of Shulü Ping, honoured as Empress Duanshun (端順皇后)
  • Lady Xia (夏氏), a former concubine of
    Buddhist nun
  • Concubine Xiao (蕭氏; d. 951), a relative of Shulü Ping, honoured as Empress Rouzhen (柔貞皇后)
    • Eldest son Yelü Ruan (耶律阮; 919–951), later Emperor Shizong of Liao
    • Second son Yelü Louguo (耶律婁國; d. 952)
    • Third son Yelü Shao (耶律稍; d. 985), the Prince of Wu (吳王)
  • Concubine Da (大氏), of the royal clan of Balhae
    • Fourth son Yelü Longxian (耶律隆先), the Prince of Ping (平王)
  • Concubine Gao (高氏)
    • Fifth son Yelü Daoyin (耶律道隱; d. 983), honoured as the Prince of Jin (晉王)
  • Unknown
    • Yelü Abuli (耶律阿不里; d. 949)
      • Married Xiao Han (蕭翰; d. 949), a nephew of Shulü Ping

Ancestry

Yelü Salade
Yelü Yundeshi
Yelü Saladi
Yelü Abaoji (872–926)
Yaonian Tila
Xiao Yanmujin (d. 933)
Yelü Bei (899–937)
Shulü Weining
Shulü Shensi
Shulü Pogu
Shulü Ping (879–953)
Yelü Yundeshi
Lady Yelü

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h History of Liao, vol. 72.
  2. ^ a b c d e Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 280.
  3. ^ Academia Sinica Chinese-Western Calendar Converter.
  4. ^ Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 269.
  5. ^ a b c Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 275.
  6. ^ Bo Yang Edition of the Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 68 [926].
  7. ^ The History of Liao gave an account where it was Yelü Bei who voluntarily yielded the throne to Emperor Taizong, but that would appear to be inconsistent with his subsequent actions. See History of Liao, vol. 72.
  8. ^ a b Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 277.
  9. ^ a b History of Liao, vol. 3.
  10. ^ History of Liao, vol. 4.
  11. ^ History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 44.
  12. ^ Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 278.
  13. ^ Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 279.

References

  • Mote, F.W. (1999). Imperial China: 900-1800. Harvard University Press. pp. 49–54.
    ISBN 0-674-01212-7
    .
  • History of Liao, vol. 72.
  • Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 275, 277, 280.
Preceded by
Ae of Balhae
 Dongdan Kingdom
926–930 		Succeeded by
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