Xiao Taihou has grown from a girl to a strong woman. What has she experienced in her life?

In the Twenty-four Histories, women often appear in the biographies of empresses. The biography of empresses is mostly in the first chapter. This arrangement is naturally not a coincidence. Although harem women can't do anything important in the eyes of the ancients, their social status is very high, so their ranking can be ahead of a group of civilian military commanders. However, some women, such as Xiao Taihou in the Liao Dynasty, really deserve to be listed here.

First, the Queen Mother Regent in Liao history

If you open the biography of Liao history and empresses, you will be surprised to find that all empresses look like Xiao. The Xiao family we want to talk about is the daughter of Xiao, the prime minister of the northern government.

In February (969), the 19th year of Mu Zong in Liao Dynasty, Mu Zong, who was unpopular, was assassinated by attendants. Subsequently, with everyone's support, Liao Shizong's second son Ye succeeded to the throne, that is, Liao, and changed to Baoning. Xiao, who supported the succession, was soon rewarded: his daughter Xiao was elected as the imperial concubine. In the same year, Xiao was promoted to queen. More than two years later, Xiao gave birth to Long Xu, the future Emperor of Liao Dynasty.

With a wise husband, a powerful father and a biological eldest son, Xiao seems to be an appropriate "winner in life". But it seems that God just doesn't want to see someone go well. In 982, Jing Zong died young at the age of 35. The burden of the whole Liao country suddenly fell on Xiao and these two "orphans and widows".

Second, the vicious and treacherous Xiao Taihou.

For the Queen Mother of Liao Dynasty, who had been regent for less than 30 years, all kinds of romance novels describing Yang Jiajiang's story were full of malice. Taking Biography of the Northern Song Dynasty as an example, the author portrays Xiao as an ignorant and vicious "classic villain" with outstanding invincible.

In the third episode, the author claims that Xiao's regent was the emperor she designed through the mouths of two completely fictional generals of Liao State, so she usurped power. In episodes 40 to 43, the author greatly exaggerates the war between Song and Liao, and describes Xiao as a timid little woman who lets everything arranged by the minister go.

Let's not talk about whether Xiao portrayed in Biography of Northern Song Dynasty is an inconsistent figure. It is the characters and plots used to highlight Xiao Chou in the book, and most of them are fictional content that has never been seen in history. Therefore, although the stories are well known to women and children, it is undoubtedly inappropriate to equate them directly with Xiao in history.

Third, the real political strong woman Xiao Taihou.

If the story is false, who is the real Xiao in history? In fact, the summary of Liao history is in place: "After the Ming Dynasty, I learned to govern the Tao, heard the good and followed it, so I exhausted my loyalty. Understand the military and political affairs, the battle of Ge Yuan, kiss the imperial army, refer to the three armed forces, reward and punish the people, and use their lives. Sheng Zong called Liao Sheng the king of the country, and later he learned a lot. "

When Jing Zong died young, it was not unexpected. Although Jing Zong was the warrior king of the Khitan, he was always sickly. After conferring the title of Xiao, the shrewd emperor began to take the initiative to let Xiao participate in politics to help him reduce his work pressure. It is precisely because Xiao had political experience before his death. Later, when she was less than 30 years old, with the support of everyone, she successfully served as the regent in Jing Zong's testamentary edict.

During his assistance, regent and even his return to the reign of Saint Zong, Xiao's achievements completely surpassed those of many emperors in the history of China. In selecting talents and appointing people, Xiao not only attaches importance to talents in an eclectic way, but also has a heart-to-heart relationship with officials, and even personally visited officials' homes for many times. With regard to slavery and taxation, while weakening the elements of slavery in Liao society, Xiao generously reduced taxes for the people, and even creatively "moved to different places to live in poverty". In terms of culture and education, Xiao imitated the Tang system and vigorously promoted Confucian education and imperial examinations ... After Xiao continued to promote the policy of benefiting the country and the people, some Song people living in the border areas of Song and Liao actually took the initiative to move to Liao.

Historians commented that Xiao was a key figure in advancing the feudal process of Liao State. Xiao highly praised the Han culture in the Central Plains, and Liao really needed more advanced Central Plains culture to develop itself, which led to her various policies of sinicization, which influenced the historical process of Liao. From the perspective of national integration, Xiao's actions undoubtedly added a lot of color to the integration of North and South.

In addition, in the twenty-second year of Liao Dynasty (1004), Xiao followed the holy clan, and finally forced the Northern Song Dynasty to form an alliance with him. Although from the perspective of the Central Plains regime, this alliance under the city is a shame. But it is undeniable that this agreement brought a hundred years of peace to Liao and Song Dynasties. Without this agreement, the economic prosperity, scientific and technological development and cultural development we often talk about in the Northern Song Dynasty are probably just a beautiful wish.

Therefore, although standing in the position of the Han regime in the Central Plains, "novelists" have their reasons to discredit Xiao. However, Xiao herself, especially her achievements, should not be forgotten or even blamed in turn. Xiao's "vassal loyalty" before his death should be respected behind him.