Raising His Nephew
Taizong raised Prince Bei's son as his own. Taizong’s nephew became the very model of a Khitan prince under Taizong’s tutelage. Taizong was also ambitious like his father, and wanted to expand Khitan's territory. After the defection of a Later Jin general, Taizong was able to conquer the Later Jin Dynasty in 947 after fighting a hard and bloody campaign. It was at this time that Taizong changed the dynasty name to Liao. Taizong died in China on this expedition, during which he was accompanied by his nephew.
Taizong reformed the political structures of the Liao dynasty. He set up North and South ministries, dealing with the tribes and the Han respectively. However, there were still many flaws in the government and army structure.
Following Taizong’s death in 947, Prince Bei’s son ascended the throne as Emperor Shizong despite the opposition of the Empress Dowager Yingtian.
Read more about this topic: Emperor Taizong Of Liao
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