West Lake, as the most popular lake in China, has attracted the attention of literati and literati throughout history for thousands of years, and has written countless excellent poems. Among them, there is a poem that has been passed down to this day: “The green mountains outside the mountains and the buildings outside the buildings. When does West Lake stop singing and dancing? The warm wind makes tourists drunk, only turning Hangzhou into Bianzhou.” The poet Lin Sheng’s poem “Inscription of Lin’an Mansion” vividly and sharply reveals the spiritual state of the rulers of the Southern Song Dynasty who lived in a state of mediocrity and lack of ambition. “. The Southern Song Dynasty, as the most economically developed dynasty in Chinese history with high levels of ancient technological development, foreign trade, and openness, has always been criticized in military diplomacy. During the long process of resisting foreign invasion, the Southern Song court was always passively beaten and ultimately unable to escape the fate of downfall. However, the heroic resistance of the residents of the Southern Song Dynasty is commendable and inspiring, creating miracles in world military history.
In 1141 AD, after the Shaoxing peace talks between the Song and Jin dynasties, the powerful minister Qin Hui began to oversee the court’s affairs. From the departure of the ruling minister to the appointment and removal of local state officials, it was mainly up to Qin Hui. He first forced the chief minister Zhang Jun to resign, leaving no ministers in the court to compete with, and then promoted those who were flexible and easy to control. However, Qin Hui was worried about his rights being threatened, and the ministers in the court often left after reading the month or half a year. To prevent some ministers from advising Emperor Gaozong, Qin Hui also appointed confidants and control consoles, fully controlling power and public opinion. Afterwards, Qin Hui devoted his energy to corruption and plundering. He openly opened the door and accepted bribes, making the enemy wealthy and foreign treasures. He died on the doorstep, liking corrupt officials and having a history of corruption. As a result, corrupt officials were rampant and the people became increasingly impoverished. At that time, the Southern Song Dynasty’s treasury was empty and the finances were tight, However, Qin Hui’s family wealth accumulated through various means was several times more than that of the main treasury of the Southern Song Dynasty, the Left Treasury. In the Southern Song Dynasty, the Qin family was wealthy and powerful, and Qin Hui’s adopted son Qin Xi and his grandchildren held high positions. They all favored the old party and rose in power, surpassing Cai Jing of the Northern Song Dynasty at that time. Zhu Xi even said that the imperial examination was only for Qin people, and Emperor Gaozong could not change it.
Peking University Institute of History – Fan Guoqiang: According to records from Southern Song Dynasty, when Emperor Gaozong of Song begged for peace with the Jin people, the Jin people made an extremely domineering and unreasonable demand that he not be appointed as prime minister without guilt. Qin Hui was a symbol of peace between the Song and Jin dynasties, and if he was dismissed, it would mean that the Song side tore up the peace agreement, which was something Emperor Gaozong of Song dared not dare or would not do.
The Jin people were held in high esteem by Qin Hui, who held the court for more than ten years and was deeply despised by the common people. As a result, in 1155 AD, after Qin Hui’s death, the world celebrated with wine and coincidentally, even Tian Fuyelao raised his hand. However, Emperor Gaozong had another concern that the Jin people’s representative in Song had already died, so whether peace between Song and Jin could still be maintained. Therefore, Emperor Gaozong decided to appoint Qin Hui’s followers such as Shen Ji, Mo Qi Xie, and Tang Situi as officials to show the Southern Song Dynasty’s continued desire for peace. Qin Hui’s immediate death was a fortunate event for the Southern Song court, but as L ü Zhong mentioned in the Chronicles of Events, despite Qin Hui’s death, Bai Hui still survived, and the political situation remained sluggish and corrupt. Although Emperor Gaozong continued to consult with Jin, he understood that it was only a matter of time before Song and Jin went to war again. At this time, Emperor Gaozong had no children and had to put the establishment of a reserve on the agenda.
Professor Li Yongxian from the History Department of Sichuan University: At the age of 22, Zhao Gou’s mental illness and physical defects were known to the court officials. At that time, a county magistrate of Shangyu County risked his life and personally wrote a letter to Emperor Gaozong of Song, hoping that he could choose one from the legitimate lineage of Emperor Taizu of Song as the heir to the throne.
Peking University Institute of History – Fan Guoqiang: So he decided to select children from the imperial family of Emperor Taizu, who were one generation lower than Emperor Gaozong of Song, and adopt them in the palace. One was named Zhao Bocong, and the other was named Zhao Bojiu. Later, they were renamed Zhao Yuan and Zhao Jian respectively.
He couldn’t decide who to benefit from, and after much deliberation, he came up with a beauty scheme. He gave each of them ten palace maids. Zhao Yuan’s teacher, Shi Hao, saw the emperor’s intentions and warned Zhao Yuan to maintain self love. A few days later, Emperor Gaozong of Song summoned twenty palace maids for medical examinations, and the ten given to Zhao Yuan were all perfect. Zhao Yuan, with his good reputation for not being close to women, won the final victory. In 1160 AD, Emperor Gaozong of Song officially issued an edict to appoint Zhao Yuan as the prince, conferred the title of Jianwang, and changed his name to Wei. At this time, Zhao Wei was already 34 years old.
Mao Liya, Department of History, Sichuan Normal University: Why did Song Gaozong choose this time when he had not confirmed the identities of the two princes for over 30 years.
Peking University Institute of History – Fan Guoqiang: First of all, his fantasy of wanting to be parent-child has been shattered. Secondly, Qin Hui and his mother, who returned from the Jin Dynasty, both died one after another.
Mao Liya, Department of History at Sichuan Normal University: There is also a very important background, which is that Emperor Wanyan Liang of the Jin Dynasty is about to ignite the war of invading the Song Dynasty.
Wanyan Liang, also known as Di Gu Na in the Jurchen era, launched a coup and proclaimed himself emperor in 1149 AD. This person was deeply influenced by Han Chinese cultural ideology and had a strong sense of orthodoxy. He believed that only by achieving the unification of the north and south could the Jin Dynasty be considered legitimate. Now he believed that the timing was ripe and that the southern invasion was inevitable. In September 1161 AD, Wanyan Liang led his troops southward. In just three months, the Song army collapsed without fighting. Wanyan Liang’s journey was unstoppable and invincible, but he never expected that someone would change his fate of southern invasion. Yu Yunwen, then a scholar in the Southern Song Dynasty, was on the sixth day of November. He was ordered to come and gather stones to comfort the troops, but he did not expect that this time he would shoulder the fate of the entire Southern Song Dynasty. Faced with the precarious situation where the Jin army was about to cross the river and there was still no commander-in-chief at Caishi, Yu Yunwen stepped forward and took the initiative to serve as the commander of the river defense. The current situation is very critical, and the Song army’s river defense force only has 18000 people. How to confront the 170000 strong Jin army. Yu Yunwen mobilized and organized troops to resist the Jin army’s attack, formulated a combat plan, and targeted the weakness of the Jin army, which was not accustomed to water warfare and had weak ships crossing the river. Yu Yunwen used well-equipped and strong naval forces as the main force to fight fiercely in the river, using strong force to defeat the weak, causing the Jin army’s ships to be destroyed and unable to dock. Finally, he turned the tide and defeated the Jin army. However, Wanyan Liang did not expect to be defeated by a literati. In addition to his anger, he later heard that Wanyan Yong had declared himself emperor in Liaoyang. There was a strong army before, and there was internal turmoil after that. At this moment, Wanyan Liang made an astonishing decision and ordered the Jin army to cross the river within three days, otherwise they would be executed. On November 27th, Wanyan Liang was killed by his subordinates, and the entire Jin army retreated northward.
The Jin Palace Site in Xicheng District, Beijing
Today in Beijing, there is still a ruins called Jinzhongdu. In December 1161, it was here that the newly enthroned Jin Shizong registered. His first act upon ascending the throne was to pacify his army and negotiate peace with the Southern Song Dynasty. Now, the initiative of the situation is in the hands of the Southern Song Dynasty. However, at this time, Emperor Gaozong can no longer withstand the fright. The confrontation with Jin left him in a dilemma, both physically and mentally exhausted. The following year, he left the throne to his chosen heir, Zhao Xuan, and went to become the pleasure seeking Emperor. Zhao Yi, also known as Zhao Wei, was Emperor Xiaozong of Song. As soon as he ascended the throne, the young Zhao Yi vindicated the Yue Fei case and further dealt with other wrongful cases framed by Qin Hui. His purpose was very clear and he did not want to continue to favor the southeast. But for decades, the imperial court had been occupied by the moderate faction and the military was exhausted. The country was declining day by day, and Emperor Xiaozong was clear that in order to resist foreign aggression, he must first stabilize the domestic situation. As a result, Emperor Xiaozong began a series of reform measures. In terms of domestic affairs, he drew lessons from Qin Hui’s abuse of power, paid great attention to the selection of prime ministers, strictly guarded against allies, increased paper currency in finance, sold official land, reorganized military operations, and reactivated some talents who advocated for resistance. After achieving results in domestic reform, Emperor Xiaozong’s next step was to resist foreign aggression.
In April 1163, in order to prevent the opposition from interfering, Emperor Xiaozong bypassed the three provinces and the Privy Council and directly issued the Northern Expedition edict to Zhang Jun and the generals. After receiving the edict of the Northern Expedition, Zhang Jun transferred 80000 troops, known as 200000. One route was Li Xianzhong leading to receive Lingbi, the other route was Shao Hongyuan commanding the capture of Hongxian County. Soon, Li Xianzhong came to the news of the conquest of Suzhou, which greatly encouraged Emperor Xiaozong and made him more ambitious to revive. However, he did not know that the contradiction between Li Xianzhong and Shao Hongyuan, the two generals at the front line, became increasingly fierce. The Jin army seized the opportunity to attack the city, and soon the Song army The whole line collapsed.
In the Battle of Fuli and the defeat of the Song army, Emperor Xiaozong’s determination to restore his homeland began to waver. In addition, Emperor Gaozong of Song, who had retreated to the Deshou Palace, repeatedly exerted pressure on him. He had to reactivate Qin Hui’s followers, and Tang Si retired as prime minister to negotiate peace with the Jin people. At the end of 1164 AD, the Song and Jin reached a peace agreement again, known as the Longxing Peace Agreement. The two sides agreed that the Southern Song Emperor would no longer be subservient to the Jin Dynasty and change the relationship between the monarchs and subjects to that of uncle and nephew. The border between the two sides returned to the situation before the southern invasion of Wanyan Liang, with the Huai River and Dashan Pass as the boundary. The Southern Song Dynasty changed the annual tribute to the Jin Dynasty to the annual coins, with a quantity of 250000 taels of The number of horses was reduced to 200000 taels each. You had the heart to restore the country and the strength to carry out the Northern Expedition, but unfortunately, there were no officials with a strong backbone. Emperor Xiaozong was greatly affected, and he began to waver between war and peace, ultimately leading to the downfall of the great cause of Zhongxing.
However, more than forty years later, someone put the Northern Expedition on the agenda.
Beigu Mountain, Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province
This is Gushan in the north of Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province. Among the historical landmarks of Zhenjiang, it may not be considered too prominent. However, over 800 years ago, a poet left a timeless masterpiece here, casting a layer of heroic chivalry over Beigu Mountain. Almost every tourist here will recite this ancient poem: “Throughout the ages, heroes have nowhere to find Sun Zhongmou, dance pavilions and singing platforms, and the wind and rain always blow away the wind and rain. The setting sun, grass and trees, ordinary alleys, and human beings once lived in slavery. Looking back to the golden age and iron horse, swallowing thousands of miles like tigers, Yuan Jia grass and grass, enfeoffment of wolves living in Xu, and winning the hasty Northern Expedition, for 43 years.” “Looking back, I still remember the beacon fire on Yangzhou Road. Under the Foli Temple, there is a scene of divine crows and drums. Who can ask, Lian is quite old and still able to eat.” At this time, Xin Qiji was already 66 years old. The year before, he was put back into use, He was once again appointed as the governor of Zhenjiang, guarding the key defense area of Jingkou. For him, who was full of ambition, this was a good thing, but at this moment, he was worried. Because Han Tuo Zhou, the current prime minister, actively planned the Northern Expedition together. In Xin Qiji’s view, the military strength of the Southern Song Dynasty was weak, and the Northern Expedition was not suitable at this time. However, Han Tuo Zhou believed that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Peking University Institute of History – Fan Guoqiang: At this time, the northern region was no longer dominated by the Jin Dynasty. In this year, Tiemuzhen unified the various tribes of Mongolia, which was a significant force for the Jin Dynasty. However, sending troops during the Southern Song Dynasty not only benefited from the shortage of Jin soldiers, but also earned the reputation of independent restoration.
In 1206 AD, Han Tuozhou hastily launched a war against the Jin Dynasty, known as the Kaixi Northern Expedition. As Xin Qiji was worried, the Northern Expedition army was soon defeated by the Jin Dynasty. In November of the following year, Han Lian was killed by the pacifist Shi Miyuan, and his head was presented to the Jin people. Under the leadership of Shi Miyuan, the Southern Song Dynasty signed a peace agreement with the Jin dynasty’s signing family Jiading, and the age ratio was increased to 300000 taels of silver silk, with an additional reward of 3 million guan for the army. From then on, the court fell into the hands of Shi Miyuan, who controlled the court. His actions were similar to those of Qin Hui, and he chose people who could be easily controlled. The Taijian appointed a dedicated scholar who followed the rules of silence and suppressed dissenting opinions, causing the court and the public to use their words as taboos and cultivate a culture of favoritism. The officials he highly valued were either personal or personal, and some ridiculed him. Under the dictatorship of Shi Miyuan, Zhu Zigui was full of people from the Four Mings, who bribed public officials and cultivated a culture of favoritism, almost to the point where no official was corrupt, Political corruption leads to the corruption of the legal system, rampant punishment and imprisonment, and the world’s prisons are extremely cruel. Local officials often use prison litigation to get involved, extort bribes, and illegally use prison equipment. Illegal discrimination against the people is not uncommon, social conflicts are becoming increasingly acute, and people’s lives are very painful.
In 1233 AD, Shi Miyuan passed away due to illness, and Emperor Lizong of Song began to govern personally. However, at this time, the Southern Song Dynasty was already plagued by accumulated shortcomings and difficult to reverse. In order to reverse the political situation, the Emperor Guanzong implemented a series of reform measures, such as canceling the removal of officials from the imperial court, reducing the number of demoted officials, reducing the number of officials in power and technology, and implementing a strict promotion system. However, various supervisory departments either perfunctorily or passively resisted, and were basically unable to implement them. Internally, the rectification and reform ended in failure. Externally, the alliance with Mongolia and the suppression of the Jin dynasty will also usher in the final outcome.
Peking University Institute of History – Fan Guoqiang: After the fall of the Jin Dynasty, the next goal of Mongolia must be the Southern Song Dynasty. The Southern Song government was not unaware of the truth that the lips were lost and the teeth were cold. In the end, they embarked on the path of uniting Mongolia to eliminate the Jin Dynasty, which was more of a helplessness of choosing the milder of the two harms.
In 1206 AD, Tiemuzhen unified various tribes of Mongolia and held the Sudden Hulitai Conference at the source of the Wuxuan River, which was known as the Great Han Dynasty of Mongolia, with the title Genghis Khan and the country name Great Mongolia. The long period of chaos on the Mongolian grasslands came to an end. In 1211 AD, Genghis Khan swore to conquer the Jin Dynasty. By the end of 1213 AD, the Mongols had almost completely conquered all the territory of the Jin Dynasty north of the Yellow River. Afterwards, the main force of the Mongol army marched westward, and the Jin Dynasty was temporarily able to survive south of the Yellow River. The news quickly spread to the Southern Song court, and the old rival Jin Dynasty’s regime was in jeopardy. For the Southern Song Dynasty, it was a great news that the Jin Dynasty’s power was in danger. However, if the Jin Dynasty were to perish, the next goal of the Mongols would surely be the Southern Song Dynasty. The situation in the north had undergone earth shattering changes, and the high-ranking officials of the Southern Song Dynasty understood that it was time to adjust their strategy towards the Jin Dynasty. However, the Jin Dynasty had another challenge. Despite being vulnerable to the powerful Mongol army, the Jin Dynasty did not consider the Southern Song Dynasty and fantasized about obtaining compensation from the Song Dynasty to evade the sharpness of the Mongol army.
Since 1217 AD, the Jin Dynasty has launched several wars of southern invasion, but the resistance of the Song army has shattered the illusions of the Jin Dynasty time and time again. The war lasted until 1223 AD, and the Jin Dynasty wasted a lot of military and material resources, but achieved nothing. In July 1227 AD, Genghis Khan died of illness in the army. Before his death, he left behind a fine by borrowing a route from the Southern Song Dynasty and adopting a roundabout strategy to eliminate the Jin Dynasty. In the following five years, Wokuotai sent several envoys to Nanjing, proposing to join forces to eliminate the Jin Dynasty. However, the Southern Song court has been debating and undecided. In 1232 AD, the Mongol army besieged and annihilated 200000 Jin cavalry and 150000 infantry at Sanfeng Mountain in Junzhou. This was a decisive battle, and the elite soldiers and generals of the Jin Dynasty were completely lost. At this time, the Southern Song Dynasty finally saw that the fall of the Jin Dynasty was imminent, so they ordered a return visit and agreed to jointly send troops to destroy the Jin Dynasty. In 1234 AD, the Jin Dynasty, which had been established for 120 years, was destroyed.
Mao Liya, Department of History, Sichuan Normal University: In the Southern Song Dynasty, the whole country was delighted to avenge a hundred years of war and shed the shame of Jingkang. At this time, the situation faced by the Southern Song Dynasty was almost the same as that faced by the Northern Song Dynasty after the Jin Dynasty conquered the Liao Dynasty. Mongolia’s next goal was definitely the Southern Song Dynasty.
In the second year of the fall of the Jin Dynasty, in 1235 AD, the Mongol army divided into three routes to invade the south, marking the beginning of the more than 40 year long Song Mongolian War. The first round of attack by the Mongolian army occupied the important town of Xiangyang in northern Hubei. Xiangyang’s strategic position was extremely important, not only connecting Dashan Pass to the west and the Huai River to the east, but also serving as a barrier for the important town of Jiangling in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. If Xiangyang is lost, Jiangling will be in danger, and if Jiangling is in danger, the danger of the Yangtze River will not be enough to rely on. In September 1238 AD, the Southern Song court appointed Meng Gong as the envoy for the establishment of the Jingxi and Hubei routes, and was ordered to recapture Xiangyang. Meng Gong fought steadily and continuously recaptured Yingzhou, Jingmen, and other places. In June of the following year, he successfully recaptured Xiangyang. The Mongol invasion to the south did not go as smoothly as imagined. In November 1241 AD, Wokuotai passed away, causing political turmoil in Mongolia and a slight slowdown in the offensive against the Southern Song Dynasty.
Peking University Institute of History – Fan Guoqiang: The internal turmoil in Mongolia was a rare opportunity for the Southern Song Dynasty. Southern Song generals such as Meng Gong and Yu Jie seized this opportunity and strengthened the defense forces of Jingxiang and Sichuan regions. However, their progress and efforts were constrained by various factors of the Southern Song court, and their ambitions were difficult to repay. They suffered from grief and anger, and the two eventually died of depression.
In 1251 AD, Mengge became the Khan of Mongolia, ending a decade long internal power struggle and once again igniting a wave of attacks on the Southern Song Dynasty. Wuhan, formerly known as Ezhou, is located in the center of China’s hinterland, where the Yangtze River and Han River intersect, connecting the east and west, and turning south and north. It has always been known as the thoroughfare of nine provinces. In 1259 AD, a major event that could change the course of world history occurred here. In September of that year, Kublai Khan led the Mongolian army to besiege Ezhou. The Southern Song Dynasty suffered a great earthquake, causing panic among the people in Lin’an. Once Ezhou was lost, the Southern Song Dynasty would lose its last barrier. In the midst of life and death, Emperor Lizong of Song urgently called for Jia Sidao to move to Hanyang and not rescue Ezhou. Soon after, Jia Sidao was appointed as the Right Prime Minister and Commander in Chief by the military, bringing together his military and political power.
Peking University Institute of History – Fan Guoqiang: Jia Sidao was originally a thug and scoundrel, but by chance, his half sister was elected to the palace and was deeply loved by Emperor Li, thus entering politics.
Professor Li Yongxian from the History Department of Sichuan University: So he still has a certain amount of talent, so when this famous general Meng Gong passed away, he personally recommended him to replace him in the memorial he wrote to the emperor before his death. Therefore, after Meng Gong’s death, Jia Sidao was actually in charge of the highest military commander in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
At this time, it was winter, and Jia Sidao was sitting in Ezhou, commanding the battle against Mongolia. He was very clear in his heart that the survival of the country was almost in his own hands. Since the confrontation with the Mongolian army, almost all of the elite soldiers and horses of the Southern Song Dynasty had gathered in Ezhou, which enabled Ezhou to remain invincible. The danger in the southeast was like a sudden threat. In this situation, he must consider how to break the deadlock between the two sides, and the most conservative strategy for now is to actively negotiate and buy time. This is a confidential letter sent from Kaiping. The sender is Kublai Khan’s wife Chahan. The letter states that Ali Buge is plotting to inherit the throne in the northern desert. Please return it as soon as possible. Jia Sidao pleaded for peace and gave Kublai Khan a legitimate reason to withdraw. The outcome of the negotiation was not important to him. Therefore, at the beginning of the bilateral negotiations and before specific terms were agreed upon, Kublai Khan led his army to lift the siege and return to the north.
The Mongol army retreated northward, and Jia Sidao immediately reported to the imperial court. The siege of Ezhou was lifted, the river was cleared, and the clan was in danger and restored to safety, which was a boundless rest for generations. However, he concealed the matter of peace negotiations and temporarily relieved the worries of national downfall. Emperor Lizong of Song became more extravagant and indulgent, completely entrusting the court to Jia Sidao. Jia Sidao, on the other hand, used the great victory in Ezhou as capital, and was arrogant and invincible. After Emperor Duzong ascended to the throne, Jia Sidao was respected as the prime minister for his achievements in policy making, and his power was even more prominent than that of Emperor Lizong’s late years. He drank and indulged in pleasure all day long, indulging in drunkenness and dreaming of death. At this time, the Southern Song Dynasty was already sick. Extremely incurable and incurable. In 1267 AD, after Kublai Khan seized the throne and cleared the internal turmoil, he launched a new round of war against the Song Dynasty. By 1273 AD, the Yuan army had successively captured the strategic stronghold of Fancheng. At the request of the court officials, Jia Sidao once again faced the Yuan army in Xiangyang. It was only a short decade since the last confrontation with Kublai Khan. The same opponent, Jia Sidao, decided to repeat his old trick and sought peace from the Mongolian army on the condition of paying tribute. However, after being refused, Jia Sidao had to reluctantly fight. In February 1275, the two armies engaged in a decisive battle in Dingjiazhou. Jia Sidao ordered Sun Huchen to lead 70000 infantry and stationed them in Dingjiazhou. He also ordered Xia Gui to lead 2500 warships and lay them on the river. He commanded his own rear army to station in Lukang, but the Mongolian army advanced both by water and land, with infantry and cavalry sandwiched between the shore. As a result, all three forces of the Song army were defeated. Jia Sidao saw that something was wrong and quickly fled to Yangzhou by small boat.
Peking University Institute of History – Fan Guoqiang: First battle failed, high-ranking officials fled, and Jia Sidao was dismissed by Empress Dowager Xie and exiled to another city. However, his reputation was too bad, and the people in the place where he was exiled refused entry. Later, at the Mumian Temple in Zhangzhou, Jia Sidao was killed by Zheng Hucheng, who was responsible for escorting him.
Although Jia Sidao died, the funeral bell of the Southern Song Dynasty also rang. In October 1275 AD, Boyan commanded the Mongolian army to divide into three routes and launch the final attack on the Southern Song Dynasty. However, at this time, the Southern Song Dynasty was torn between war and peace. The main battle faction, Wen Tianxiang, Zhang Shijie, and others, believed that if they could fight to the death in Lin’an, defeat the enemy, and then cut off the return route of the Song army in the two Huai regions, there was still room for national affairs. However, Empress Dowager Xie and Prime Minister Chen Yizhong refused to resist the war and sent multiple batches of envoys to seek peace with the Yuan army. After being rejected one after another, Empress Dowager Xie placed her hope in Wen Tianxiang and appointed him as the Privy Councilor, presiding over negotiations and going to negotiate with the Yuan army. In January 1276, Wen Tianxiang was captured. In February, the Yuan army entered Lin’an. In March, thousands of captured Emperor Gong and imperial officials headed north. By then, the Southern Song Dynasty had actually been destroyed.
Peking University Institute of History – Fan Guoqiang: After Wen Tianxiang was detained, he refused to surrender and sought an opportunity to escape while escorting northward. At this time, he still did not give up the resistance war.
Professor Li Yongxian from the Department of History at Sichuan University: However, with the help of Wen Tianxiang alone, the rebel forces he organized were quickly defeated. Therefore, in the end, the Southern Song court had actually reached the point of being in name only, and one Wen Tianxiang could no longer save the fate of the Southern Song court’s downfall.
Yashan, Jiangmen City, Guangdong Province
This is the second time Wen Tianxiang has been captured and is currently being held in a prison in Lingdingyang. The officials of the Southern Song Dynasty have transferred the small court to Yashan and enthroned the eight year old King of Wei, Zhao, as emperor. Just now, Zhang Hongfan ordered him to write a letter to surrender Zhang Shijie.
Wentianxiang Temple, Beijing
At this moment, Wen Tianxiang was both worried, angry, and desolate. The country would not survive, and he was imprisoned. Nevertheless, his heart never gave in. He picked up his pen and wrote an earth shattering book, expressing his thoughts: “When hard work comes to an end, with only four stars scattered around, mountains and rivers shattered, wind and fluff drifting, life experiences fluctuating and rain hitting the ping, fear and trepidation on the beach, sighing and groaning in the sea. Since ancient times, no one has died, leaving a heart to shine on history.” Perhaps Wen Tianxiang knew in his heart that at this time, there was no hope of saving the country.
On the sixth day of the second month in 1279 AD, the Yuan army launched a total attack on Yashan from north to south. The Song army suffered a great defeat, and Prime Minister Lu Xiufu saw the situation was not good. He carried the last emperor of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Bing, and resolutely threw himself into the sea. Afterwards, more than 100000 residents with him also jumped into the sea and died heroically. According to Song history records, more than 100000 corpses floated to the sea after the war. After the rise of Mongolia, iron cavalry swept across the Eurasian continent, invincible. It took him 23 years to overthrow the Western Xia and 22 years to overthrow the Jin dynasty. These regimes were established through military means and once shook the world. However, the Mongol rulers and officials did not expect that it would take them a full 45 years to overthrow the Song dynasty.
Peking University Institute of History – Fan Guoqiang: Among all the opponents of the Mongol Yuan army, the Southern Song Dynasty resisted for the longest time and caused the greatest losses to the Mongol army. Even Mengge Khan died under the artillery fire of the Southern Song Dynasty. Although the Southern Song Dynasty was not good at attacking, it accumulated rich experience in defensive warfare through long-term confrontation with Jin, Liao, and Xia. In addition, the Song people invented gunpowder, which played a significant role in practical combat.
Professor Li Yongxian from the History Department of Sichuan University: The Southern Song army has always been a very strong military force in the world. However, he said that the opponents he faced were too strong, so in the end, he could not avoid the fate of being destroyed.
Although the politics of the Southern Song Dynasty were decadent and corrupt, the emperors were often incompetent and cowardly, and the officials were usually gentle and peaceful. However, the national policy of advocating benevolence and cultural governance also planted the seeds of loyalty, patriotism, and valuing reputation among the general public. Once the country was in a period of crisis and crisis, they would willingly serve the country with their generosity to death. Although they could not turn the tide, their tenacity also made the invaders pay a heavy price. As the Qing Dynasty scholar Zhao Yi said, in the autumn of trouble, they were still generous in serving the country. Shaoxing supported half of the wall, and Deyou died on the battlefield. Throughout history, they have sacrificed their lives for the country. These were the only ones in the late Song Dynasty, although they were not saved in defeat, they could not be considered as the retribution for nurturing scholars.
90 Seconds of History: Along the River during the Qingming Festival
Over 900 years ago during the Northern Song Dynasty, Kaifeng was once the largest and most prosperous city in China and also in the world. At that time, how the city was laid out, who lived in the city, and how people lived in this city, can only be restored through a painting today. Zhang Zeduan, who studied in Kaifeng in his early years, later began to learn painting. He spent four years observing the city, observing every person in the city, and finally painted a masterpiece that has been passed down for generations. The “Qingming Riverside Map” uses realism techniques to vividly and meticulously depict the bustling scene and rich social customs of the Northern Song capital Bianjing in a panoramic composition. Scenery, as depicted in the “Along the River during the Qingming Festival” in Kaifeng, the city towers are towering, the street markets are lined with houses, and there are silk and silk fabrics, incense and paper horses, and medical clinics, The five elements and eight works of fortune telling, such as fortune telling, are all busy and orderly, with pedestrians rushing back and forth one after another. gentry, merchants, monks, children of wealthy families, beggars, men, women, and children, as well as the three religions and nine streams, are clear at a glance. The Qingming Riverside Map has become an important clue for people today to study the social life of Bianjing at that time.
