The Liao Emperor's Southern Campaign: The Dispute over Ten Counties South of the Great Wall and Geopolitics in Xuzi Zhi Tongjian

Brief Introduction

In the century of confrontation between the Song and Liao dynasties, the dispute over the "Six Prefectures South of the Great Wall" (typically referring to the six prefectures ceded by Later Jin to the Khitan, which the Liao called the "Six Han Prefectures" or generally referred to as the region south of the Great Wall) remained the core sensitive nerve in bilateral relations. The historical event known as "the Liao Emperor planning to personally lead troops south to demand the ten counties south of the Great Wall" primarily points to repeated military frictions during the Northern Song era in places like Jieqiao Bridge, Zhuozhou, or Yanmen Pass. These incidents prompted the Liao Emperor to mobilize heavy forces and advance southward, using the recovery of former lands or punishment for treaty violations as pretexts. This was not merely a simple territorial dispute; it involved the Song's adherence to the "Ancestral Laws" and the tension between ethnic identity and sinicization within the Liao Empire.

Core Knowledge Points

1. Controversy over Historical Legitimacy: The Liao dynasty insisted that the region south of the Great Wall was legitimate territory ceded to the Khitan by Shi Jingtang of Later Jin. Since the Song dynasty inherited the regime of the Five Dynasties, it should theoretically recognize this right. Conversely, the Song claimed that these lands were lost during the chaotic Five Dynasties period and that borders had been established through treaties such as the Chanyuan Treaty, thus refusing to return them.
2. Distinguishing "Ten Counties" from "Six Prefectures": The "ten counties" mentioned may refer to specific administrative units south of the Great Wall or a particular boundary dispute (such as the counties near Feihu Pass or Juyong Pass), or it may be a specific phrasing in certain historical records. In macro-historical studies, the core contradiction consistently revolves around the six prefectures—You, Ji, Ying, Mo, Xuan, and Ping—along with their subordinate counties.
3. Military Deterrence Diplomacy: The Liao Emperor "planning to personally lead the troops" reflects the Liao ruler's diplomatic strategy of showcasing military resolve by commanding from the front lines. This tactic of "using war to promote negotiation" or "using war to stop war" forced the Song court to make concessions on annual tribute and border demarcation.

Connection to Xuzi Zhi Tongjian

As an authoritative chronological history recording the early Northern and Southern Song periods, Xuzi Zhi Tongjian (Volumes 8 to 9, corresponding to the reigns of the Northern Song Zhenzong and Renzong emperors) details multiple crises between the Song and Liao.

* Contextual Restoration: The book records that in the years following the Chanyuan Treaty, whenever border raids or conflicts between diplomatic envoirs occurred, the Liao Emperor often accused the Song of treaty violations, demanding the return of certain lands or increased annual tribute. For example, during the Qingli era of Song Renzong, when Liao forces advanced south, the Song court, through the arguments of officials like Fan Zhongyan and Han Qi, ultimately resolved the crisis through political and diplomatic means.
Historical Value: Xuzi Zhi Tongjian* does not only record military actions but also emphasizes how the Song literati class sought a balance between "pro-war" and "pro-peace" stances. The edicts and memorials cited in the text reveal the court's contradictory psychology regarding the "lands south of the Great Wall": a desire to recover them coupled with a fear of all-out war.
Key Nodes: Searching entries in Xuzi Zhi Tongjian* regarding "Khitan border incursions" and "dispatching envoys with letters" reveals that when the Liao Emperor demanded territory, his rhetoric often mixed a self-serving logic of power with legitimacy arguments based on old treaties. This highlights the subtlety of Song diplomatic documents and the hardness of Liao ethnic policies.

In summary, the Liao Emperor's southern campaign to demand the region south of the Great Wall was a normalized form of geopolitical maneuvering in Song-Liao relations. Xuzi Zhi Tongjian provides rich primary source material, revealing the complex legal, military, and diplomatic interaction mechanisms behind this event.