Study On Issues Of The Southern Tang Emperor Li Yu

Southern Tang was one of the most important countries in Five Dynasties and Ten States. Li Bian who was the first emperor of Southern Tang adopted policies to strengthen national power in several years such as encouraging agricultural production, recruiting talent, friendly exchanging with other countries, keeping a Low Profile. After succeeded throne, however, Li Jing acquiesced cliques struggled, refused to meet ministers and launched the war to neighboring countries. Because of Southern Tang lost the war and pay indemnity for Later Zhou dynasty, it resulted in financial deficit, economic crisis and exhausted troops. Simultaneously, Li Jing indulged himself every whim, hardly controlled power and choose successor.At the difficult time, Li Yu ascended the throne as emperor. Then he tried his best to delay Southern Tang subjugation.The whole life of Li Yu could be divided to four parts:as prince, crown prince, emperor, and prisoner. Despite the backgrounds of each period of his life is different, the essence of himself is the same, which is the self-interest self-value. When Li Yu was prince, he focused on reading to be rich in himself and developed interest to show himself. After his five elder brothers were all dead, he focused on landscape and never handling affairs to avoid suspicion. As Li Yu was crown price, he assisted emperor, showed extraordinary ability. At the time of emperor, Li Yu was full of confidence. He recovered policy which carried out in Li Bian period. He reformed political and economic policy to strengthen the centralized. Li Yu was kind of hero, personally adjudged case, reduced penalty, rewarded talent, reformed land system. Meantime, Li Yu tribute to Later Zhou dynasty, on the other hand, he rectified army and trained navy. Before Jinling city was occupied and covered people, he surrendered to Later Zhou dynasty with self-esteem. In the capital of Northern Song, Li Yu was alcoholism and wrote poem to express his emotion. He still maintained dignity as captive.Academia discussed Li Yu as follows:Was Li Yu cowardice to war? Did he organize army to resist Northern Song? Did he correctly adjudge Pan-li Case? Was Li Yu nominating Han Xizai proper? Why he obey his promises which never surrender? How did Li Yu die? Did Li Yu really adore Buddhism? What about Li Yu and his queen imprisoned in Northern Song?By carefully researching, we can confirm:at the beginning of Li Yu was emperor, he persisted the clear principles to struggle Northern Song. He not only prepared fully to fight Northern Song, but personally command battles. Li Yu was forced to surrender enemy in order to protect people. Two years later, when the last army of Southern Tang gave up armed, he was poisoned by Song Taizong. Li Yu always cared talent. Even like Han zaixi who lack of ability, Li Yu still put him in an important position. In Pan-Li Case, Li Yu adjudge it correctly. He was also proper deal with internal and foreign affairs. Though Li Yu worshiped Buddhism, he never addicted and handicapped affaires. There was a formation of a unity of contradictions in his possession by Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. It precisely reflected the Chinese culture "three religions" of the trend.Li Yu and his leadership of the Southern Tang, made outstanding contributions of heritage and spread the Chinese cultural. It reflected in cultural objects and cultural subject. He heritage the cultural object which saved a lot of books, collectibles, literature, calligraphy, painting. People neglected Li Yu inherited the subject of culture. Li Yu had inherited the self-concern from pre-Qin, and concerned the humanities tradition. He had a strong self-care and persuited to achieve self-worth by individual cared mass. He plotted his own unique aesthetic impact on aesthetics of Chinese Scholars Establishment. Li Yu had the unique position in the history of Chinese culture between Tang and Song dynasty. It affected academic after Song dynasty significantly.The reason of Li Yu whose historical imagination severely distorted, he failed to become the emperor of orthodox dynasty which his efforts ultimately failed. Most of his historical data of Li Yu and his country were destroyed; his image was smeared and down. He should become the outstanding figures in the cultural history of Chinese thought. But he was called a romantic poet, also featured as a "King of Song Lyrics". So it made people seriously distorted understanding of Li Yu. The misunderstanding guided the study of Chinese Thought and Culture history. Based on the research, this article criticized the current literary history by wrong guidance.How to correctly understand the historical position of Li Yu? How to establish the status of Li Yu's cultural history? How to treat Li Yu's literary works and Literary History? How to divide the research Li Yu of a reasonable stage? They are all the urgent tasks in new time and this work focus on. It is dependent on study of life of Li Yu.