Although there has always been a tradition among the Han royal family that men are superior to women, the northern minorities do not discriminate against women, which has created a good external environment for Xiao Yanyan to stay in history of qing dynasty. In addition, when Liao succeeded to the throne at that time, despite her efforts to make a big career, because of her poor health since childhood, military affairs depended entirely on Xiao Yanyan, and there were also ministers of the Han Dynasty, which created a political stage for her to board the Liao country. In 982, just a few years after he succeeded to the throne, Liao left a 30-year-old Xiao Yanyan and his 12-year-old son? That is, the later Emperor Shengzong of Liao died, and when he died, he gave him a testamentary edict and obeyed the queen's orders militarily. The following year, Emperor Sheng Zong of Liao acceded to the throne, and Xiao Yanyan was honored as the Queen Mother and Regent. In June 983, Emperor Sheng Zong of Liao led his ministers and gave Xiao Yanyan the title of "Empress Dowager Chengtian". As the Empress Dowager Chengtian, Xiao Yanyan has been in charge of military affairs, thus beginning the famous "Regency after Chengtian" period in Liao history. Although Xiao Taihou began her career of assisting Liao in governing the country in 13 from the time she was crowned queen, the death of Liao meant that she was no longer an assistant government, but directly entered the historical stage of Liao as a ruler. In this political environment of internal troubles and foreign invasion, smart and capable, she also developed a sense of fear. On the one hand, the internal affairs are not very stable, that is, the emperor's dominance has not been established, because Xiao Taihou has no brothers, so there are no consorts to use, and at this time, nearly 100 people of the royal family are in power, which can be described as all eyeing up; On the other hand, although the Northern Song Dynasty in the south was decadent, the thin camel was bigger than the horse, and its military strength should not be underestimated. Faced with this situation, she thought of a person, that is, Han Derang, a general who later established an immortal career for the Liao Dynasty.
The relationship between Han Derang and Xiao Taihou is far from the general relationship between monarch and minister. As early as 14 years old, the two sides had established the marriage relationship, but they were chosen as concubines by Liao before marriage, so this quasi-marriage relationship was forced to be interrupted. The death of Emperor Jing Zong of Liao Dynasty created conditions for the combination of Xiao Taihou and Han Derang. After some serious thinking, Xiao Taihou decided to remarry Han Derang. She knows very well that only with the help of Han Derang's military talent and strength can she control this complicated situation. So she sent a pigeon to kill Han Derang's wife, Li. From then on, Han Derang went in and out of Xiaoyan's tent without any taboo, and lived a de facto husband-and-wife life. Han Derang was also the father of Emperor Sheng Zong of Liao Dynasty. With Han Derang's loyal assistance, Xiao Taihou finally took control of the situation. Subsequently, she made great efforts and adopted a series of rectification measures. Culturally, the appointment of Han people, the use of Han imperial examinations, through this way to elect officials; In agriculture, actively reduce the tax burden of farmers and encourage farmers to reclaim cultivated land; Militarily, military discipline is strict and rewards and punishments are clear; After a series of reform measures, Liaoning developed rapidly. In A.D. 1004, Xiao Taihou sent troops to the south, but the Liao army evaded reality, bypassed the city held by Song Jun, and marched straight in. In the same year 165438+ 10, the Liao army successfully arrived in Yanzhou (now Puyang, Henan Province), which directly threatened Tokyo, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty. In the end, under the heroic resistance of the resistance faction headed by Prime Minister Kou Zhun, Liao's attempt to destroy the Northern Song Dynasty failed, but it signed a "Yuanmeng" with the Northern Song Dynasty, and it can get hundreds of thousands of silver from the Northern Song Dynasty for free every year.
Since this war, Xiao Taihou's influence has been greatly improved in Liao and Northern Song Dynasties. In the 27th year of reunification 1 1 month, Xiao Taihou returned the political power to Emperor Sheng Zong of Liao Dynasty, ending her decades-long regency career. Same? /kloc-in February, Xiao Taihou died of illness, and her glorious life came to a satisfactory end.