Text: Wang Deheng.
Although the first emperor of the Jin Kingdom, Wanyan Aguta, was on the throne, he did not act alone, and the succession of the throne was no exception. Inherit the throne, who doesn't want to pass the throne to their son?However, as the emperor, Aguta was unable to inherit the throne to his own son, which made him feel helpless. So, what kind of force forced Aguta to have to pass the throne to his younger brother Wanyan Wu begging?This is the power behind the emperor, the emperor does not rule the world alone, he must have a huge support behind him, and these forces must have their own core interests, and this core interest becomes the motivation for them to choose their heirs.
The forces around Aguta can be divided into two main camps: the pro-brother faction and the cousin faction. The pro-brother faction is eager to compete for the throne, while the cousin faction is trying to take advantage of the fire. This makes one wonder why there is such a disagreementThis involves the Jurchen inheritance system before the establishment of the Jin State: "The elder brother ends with the younger brother, and the strong is the king." "But not all brothers are eligible to inherit the position of patriarch, only children born to the chief's wife. Although this is a normal way to pass on the throne, it cannot be ruled out that some strong concubines will forcibly seize the throne, and it ultimately depends on who is stronger.
Aguta took over the duties of the patriarch from his elder brother Wu Yashu before the establishment of the Jin Kingdom. It stands to reason that Aguta should continue to pass on the position of patriarch to his younger brothers. The two younger brothers who are eligible to inherit are Wanyan Wu Qimai and Wanyan Xianye (Wanyan died early). However, in the face of the many reforms after the establishment of the Jin State, especially the reform of the inheritance system, it has become a sensitive topic of great concern. The pro-brotherhood naturally supported the traditional way so that the throne would be passed on in turn. And what about the cousins?There is also a preference for maintaining the traditional way, because in this way they will not be gradually marginalized by the increasing estrangement of blood relations.
The representative of the cousin faction was Akuta's uncle, Wanyan Sagai. Wan Yan Sagai's father, Wan Yan Impeacher, was originally the elder brother of Ah Guta's father, Wan Yan Impeachment Libo, but because of his lack of strength, he was deprived of his inheritance qualifications, and their family became a victim of the "strong man is king" system. Although Sagai's father lost the right to inherit, Sagai's grandfather, Wanyan Ugunai, did not treat them badly, and let them preside over the family affairs of the Wanyan Ministry, while Impeachment Libo was in charge of foreign wars. Therefore, after the founding of the country, Sakai became the "national minister" (national minister), that is, equivalent to the prime minister of the country. Sagai was a relatively low-key figure, older than Aguta, who died young, so people later did not know enough about him. However, among the "21 Heroes of Yanqing" of the Jin State, his status ranks first in the right hand, which shows the importance of his status.
Sagai had a strong brother and an even stronger son, who were also the founding fathers of the kingdom. The younger brother Wanyan Hulu is fourth on the right hand, and his son Wanyan Zonghan is second on the right hand. Wanyan Zonghan is the first general of the Jurchen clan, who once pacified the Liao State in the war and became the first general of the Jin State. Under the influence of Zong Han, Aguta's grandson Wan Yan Kang was able to be made the "Crown Prince" (Crown Prince). However, after Yan Kang ascended the throne, he abolished the Bo Ji Lie system, so that the throne could only be inherited within the family. This move caused an uproar in the Jin Kingdom, leading to the later rebellion between Wanyan Zongpan (Jin Taizong's son) and Zong Jun and Tart Lazy, which almost fell into the **. Fortunately, Wanyan Zongbi (Jin Wushu) intervened in time to stop all this, so that the Jin Kingdom ushered in a new stability.