The Chenqiao Mutiny
2 min readA Porcelain Flowerpot Produced by the Junzhou Kiln，the song Dynasty The Junzhou kiln was noted for its unique technique of“glaze transmutation”-making iridescent chinaware by the irregular application of glaze.Its site waslocatedin resent yuxian county of Henan Province.
In 959，Chai Rong led a northern expedition against the Liao Dynasty，and won several victories insuccession.Unfortunately，when he was prepared to keep on pushing forward，he fell gravely ill and died soon after returning to the capital of Bianjing（present Kaifeng City of Henan Province），leaving behind a six-year-old son，Chai Zongxun by name，to succeed to the throne.
The following year，a rumor spread in the capital saying that there was going to be an allied aggression from the Liao and the Northern Han.By order of Chancellor Fan Zhi（911-964），Zhao Kuangyin led troops to march north.However，when getting to Chenqiao Station（present Chenqiao Town to the southeast of Fengqiu County of Henan），Zhao engineered a mutiny whilst his brother Zhao Guangyi（939-997）and adviser Zhao Pu（922-992，later becoming the chancellor）draped him with an imperial yellow robe.
Zhao Kuangyin thereby brought back the troops to Bianjing，and dethroned the little emperor Chai Zongxun.He thereby became the first emperor of the Song Dynasty.
Relieving the Generals of Their Commands at a Feast Obviously Zhao Kuangyin didn’t want his subordinates to follow his own example.So just one year after his enthronement，he divested the generals of their control of the army without the slightest hesitation.
Portrait of shi shouxin（928-984）
shi shouxin was a founder of the song Dynasty who had performed many meritorious deeds in war.
According to historical records，he suggested at a feast to Shi shouxin（928-984）and other founders of the dynasty that they should consider retiring after winning merit. He said,”Man’s life in this world is as brief as a glimpse of a white colt flashing past a chink in a wall. Why don’t you save up to buy estates for your children, and take good care of yourselves so as to fulfill your allotted life span? In that way, we shall have no mutual distrust, and isn’t it a great pleasure for all of us?”
The following day, the generals all petitioned Zhao to allow them to take off their armor and return to the land.
