Yelü Bei () (899 – January 7, 937), also known as Yelü Tuyu (耶律突欲 or 耶律圖欲), posthumously honored Emperor Wenxian Qinyi () with the temple name Yizong (Simplified: 辽义宗, Traditional: 遼義宗), formally known as Renhuang Wang (人皇王, "imperial king of men") during his lifetime (including his period as the King of Dongdan), known as Dongdan Muhua () (931) and then Li Zanhua () (931–937) as a Later Tang subject, was the eldest son of Emperor Taizu of Liao, the founder of the Liao dynasty. He was declared successor to the Emperor Taizu in 916, but never succeeded to the throne. Rather, after the accession of his younger brother Yelü Deguang (Emperor Taizong), he fled to the Shatuo-led Later Tang dynasty, where he was killed in 937. Background Yelü Bei was born in 899, before the founding of the Liao dynasty. His father was the Yelü clan chieftain Yelü Abaoji, and his mother was Yelü Abaoji's wife Shulü Ping; he was their first son. He was described by the History of Liao as intelligent and studious in his youth, with a relaxed appearance and a loving heart. In 916, when Yelü Abaoji declared himself emperor of a new Khitan-led empire, known posthumously as Emperor Taizu, he created Yelü Bei his crown prince. When Emperor Taizu inquired of his attendants which god he should first offer sacrifice to as part of his becoming emperor, his attendants largely advocated offering sacrifices to the Buddha. When Emperor Taizu pointed out that the Buddha was not a Chinese god, Yelü Bei advocated offering first to Confucius. Emperor Taizu was pleased by the suggestion and built a temple for Confucius, having Yelü Bei offer sacrifices to him twice a year. Yelü Bei subsequently served as Emperor Taizu's forward commander in campaigns against the Wugu () and the Tangut tribes. Later, on incursions that Emperor Taizu made into the Chinese/Shatuo state Former Jin territory – specifically, Jin's Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing) – he left Yelü Bei in charge at his capital Linhuang Municipality (臨潢, in modern Chifeng, Inner Mongolia). It was during this time that Yelü Bei was said to have drafted a plan to conquer Khitan's eastern neighbor Balhae. As King of Dongdan In 926, Emperor Taizu decided to carry out the plans to conquer Balhae. In a campaign, he captured the important Balhae city Fuyu (夫餘, in modern Siping, Jilin). (This appeared