pjbooks Chapter 71 Cao Yijin
Chapter 71 Cao Yijin
"As Zhang Chengfeng became increasingly decadent, a new figure gradually emerged in the power center of Dunhuang, namely Cao Yijin."
"The Cao family was not prominent. In the early days of the Zhang family's Guiyi Army, he only held some low-level positions in the army. After that, the internal political turmoil of the Guiyi Army caused great damage to the three major families of Zhang, Suo and Li."
"But as the saying goes, opportunity favors the prepared mind, and Cao Yijin used this as a ladder to success."
"Besides his own abilities, Cao Yijin's promotions were mainly achieved through political marriages."
"He first married Zhang Yichao's granddaughter, who was also Suo Xun's daughter, and then he married a woman from the same clan as Zhang Yichao's wife, née Song."
"This operation transformed Cao Yijin, who originally came from a humble background, into a rising star who connected the three major families of Suo, Zhang, and Song."
"Cao Yijin not only worked hard on himself, but also arranged marriages between his sisters and daughters with more than ten powerful families in Dunhuang over several decades. As a result, his career advancement was very smooth until he became the Chief Secretary of Shazhou."
A Ming Dynasty soldier: Good heavens!
A scion of a prominent family in the Song Dynasty: On the importance of in-laws
……
"During the previous Uyghur campaign, Cao Yijin gained a very high reputation in the army because of his abilities. In addition, with the support of his marriage with the Zhang family and the local powerful clans, he was pushed by the people to take charge of the government."
"He looked around and knew that Dunhuang was now truly isolated, with no one to rely on, and even survival was a problem. The only way was to keep a low profile, play the role of a little brother, and then pretend to be weak to take advantage of the situation."
"In the late summer of 914 AD, Cao Yijin officially took over the command of the Guiyi Army from Zhang Chengfeng, marking the beginning of the Cao family's Guiyi Army era in Dunhuang during the Tang Dynasty."
"And they will continue to protect the peace and tranquility of the people on this land, only their theme has changed from returning to survival."
"Therefore, after Cao Yijin came to power, he appeared very mild-mannered to the outside world. Through his continuous efforts, he finally managed to marry the daughter of the Khan of the Uyghurs of Ganzhou."
Li Erfeng of the Tang Dynasty: ...
A playboy from the Song Dynasty: To be honest, he really knows how to find a wife!
A peasant boy from the Ming Dynasty: I got all this way through arranged marriages!?
.....
"Cao Yijin eased the hostile relations between Jinshan Kingdom and Ganzhou Uyghur through a political marriage, and also alleviated the military threat facing the Guiyi Army."
"Shortly thereafter, Cao Yijin decided to submit to the Later Liang dynasty, which had usurped the Tang throne and established its own state, and pay tribute. He abandoned the principles that the Zhang family's Guiyi Army had long adhered to, and took advantage of the opportunity of a marriage alliance with the Uyghurs of Ganzhou to obtain the consent of the Uyghur Khan, so that the envoys to the Later Liang could pass through Ganzhou to the east."
"However, upon arriving in Liangzhou, the envoy was plundered by the Wumo tribe and was unable to continue eastward. Just then, he encountered the Liangzhou governor of the Later Liang dynasty and learned of Cao Yijin's desire to submit."
When the news reached the ears of the Later Liang emperor, he was overjoyed that the Guiyi Army, these tough guys, would actually send people to surrender on their own initiative!
"In 918 AD, the Later Liang Dynasty sent an envoy to Dunhuang and promoted Cao Yijin to the rank of Grand Master of the Palace. To commemorate this moment, Cao Yijin ordered people to smash the Gongde Cave, which was later numbered 98 in Mogao Grottoes, and to paint most of the civil and military officials of the Guiyi Army on it."
"In the following years, both the Ganzhou Uyghurs and the Central Plains dynasty fell into chaos. Until 924 AD, when the news of the change of emperor in the Central Plains reached Hexi, Cao Yijin simply sent envoys to the court to pay tribute together with the new Uyghur Khan. The people in Dunhuang also lived a peaceful life."
A spoiled brat from the Song Dynasty: This is too chaotic!
A scion of a prominent family in the Tang Dynasty: Doesn't this illustrate the importance of unification?
…………
"However, only six months later, the Uyghur Khan was replaced again, this time with Di Yin, the commander-in-chief from the previous campaign."
"Because the relationship between the two sides had been extremely bad before, the Guiyi Army regarded Di Yin as an enemy, and Di Yin was no exception."
"For the sake of its transit interests in the Hexi Corridor, Di Yin restricted the Guiyi Army from expanding eastward and ordered checkpoints to be set up everywhere in Ganzhou to prevent Guiyi Army envoys from passing through."
"But! He didn't consider that the Guiyi Army was no longer the same as it used to be, nor did he consider whether the increasingly weakened Uyghurs could withstand the Guiyi Army's attack."
In November 924 AD, Cao Yijin decided to personally lead an eastern expedition against the Uyghurs. Faced with the fierce attack of the Guiyi Army, Di Yin was caught off guard and could not resist, so he had to abandon the city and flee.
"Di Yin, who had fled far away, became more and more unwilling and angry. He immediately reorganized his elite troops and prepared to counterattack. In 925, Cao Yijin received a letter from Suzhou for help, and the Guiyi Army and Di Yin's army fought a decisive battle at Yumen Pass."
"Di Yin's army was defeated, and the Ganzhou Uyghurs were severely weakened. In this battle, the Guiyi Army was finally able to vent the anger that had been accumulating for thirteen years, and the road to the Central Plains was reopened for the Guiyi Army."
"In the decades that followed, Cao Yijin sometimes employed his traditional skill—marriage alliances—to strengthen ties with neighboring regimes, thereby restoring stability to the long-turbulent Hexi Corridor and the Western Regions."