In 1162 AD, Emperor Gaozong of Song, Zhao Gouchan, abdicated to the throne and retired to the Deshou Palace. Since the Jingkang Rebellion in 1127 AD, Emperor Gaozong of Song had retreated all the way, and finally had no way to retreat. During the 35 years of Emperor Gaozong’s reign, it was a historical period in which the Song and Jin dynasties struggled to find a balance between peace and war. During this period, the Southern Song court relied on patriotic generals represented by Li Gang and Yue Fei, as well as the people’s indomitable efforts to fight and defeat the Jin army’s repeated fierce attacks, and finally saved half of the country. What kind of history did this go through? What about the conflict and conflict between peace and war?
The ancient city of Shangqiu, located in Shangqiu City, Henan Province, still retains many buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties. However, beneath the ancient city lies six historical capitals, including Nanjing City of the Northern Song Dynasty, which was then called Yingtian Prefecture. As the first monarch of the Southern Song Dynasty, Emperor Gaozong Zhao Gou officially ascended to the throne in Yingtian Prefecture. In the second year of Jingkang in the Northern Song Dynasty, in early April 1127, the Jin army led Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qinzong of Song to retreat northward. Puppet Emperor Zhang Bangchang lost his support and could only welcome the deposed and civilian Empress of Song Zhezong, Meng, into the palace. Meng learned that the emperor had been deposed in the early years and was living in the folk. The only remaining seedling of the royal family was King Kang Zhao Gou. They quickly sent someone to contact him and wrote a letter to let Zhao Gou inherit the throne. Emperor Gaozong rebuilt the Song Dynasty, also known as the Southern Song Dynasty, which was a direct continuation of the Northern Song regime.
Professor of History at Renmin University of China – Bao Weimin: Zhao Gou, he was the ninth son of Emperor Huizong. At the beginning, there was no doubt that this throne could not be his turn. Therefore, for him, he was like a prince of the royal family, who could have lived a peaceful life. However, in the end, Jurchen people arrived and stayed in the territory of the Song Dynasty after the Jurchen captured these two emperors, Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qinzong. Those who were within the original territory had the closest blood relationship with the Zhao family, of course, were the only ones with the highest status, as he was the son of Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qinzong. My younger brother, so theoretically, this throne will also fall on him, if this regime is established again.
Professor Zhao Dongmei from Peking University: From a broader perspective, at this time, Zhao Gou is the only candidate. His bloodline determines that he is the son of the emperor, and the only remaining son of the emperor. Moreover, even the common people need to raise Zhao Gou’s banner to resist aggression and organize the entire anti aggression campaign. Therefore, this is Zhao Gou.
When Emperor Gaozong of Song first ascended the throne, there was a turbulent situation in northern China. The loyal warlords and the two factions clashed fiercely and did not give way to each other. Emperor Gaozong openly appointed the warlord Li Gang as the prime minister, but secretly planned to flee south with the warlord Huang Qianshan, Wang Boyan, and others. Li Gang carefully planned, reorganized the military system, and restored military strength. Anti Jin volunteers in Hedong, Hebei gathered one after another, and the strength of the Song army rapidly increased. Good news continued to spread to the court, and scattered soldiers who took advantage of the fire were also suppressed by him. However, Emperor Gaozong ignored Li Gang’s various suggestions and even expelled him from the court. Li Gang only stayed in the position of prime minister for seventy-five days.
Professor of History at Renmin University of China – Bao Weimin: Zhao Gou ascended the throne in Yingtian Prefecture and Shangqiu, and appointed Li Gang as the defender of Kaifeng. At that time, Kaifeng was still under the control of the Song Dynasty, and he had submitted memorials more than ten times, hoping that Zhao Gou could return to the capital and go back to Kaifeng. During that period, his defense management of Kaifeng was also very successful. Therefore, during his tenure as defender, the Jin Dynasty did not send troops south, which was directly related to his guarding work in the Kaifeng area at that time. His life was somewhat tortuous, but this final experience, as a defender of Kaifeng, was the most glorious experience of his life. A stage of.
As soon as Li Gang left, Emperor Gaozong of Song fled by light boat and fast horse from Yingtian Prefecture to Yangzhou. Zhongze, who was nearly old, wrote 24 memorials in vain, requesting that Emperor Gaozong return to the Northern Expedition. In the end, he died of sorrow and anger. On his deathbed, he shouted three times, crossing the river, crossing the river, and crossing the river. The people of Kaifeng, who had suffered from the invasion of foreign tribes, were deeply saddened by the loss of such a famous anti Japanese general. They mourned for three days and wept incessantly.
Professor Zhao Dongmei from Peking University: In fact, there have always been differences in strategy in the Jin Dynasty. There are also factions within it, such as whether we should annihilate the Song Dynasty or just grab a handful and leave. In addition, when the war reaches a certain stage, are we only occupying the Yellow River, or are we going to the Huai River, the Yangtze River, or simply swallowing up the entire Song Dynasty? In fact, there has always been an internal conflict within him, and it is not a single entity.
The Jin people’s main warlord faction hoped to put the newly established Gaozong regime to death through a quick and decisive approach. Therefore, in the second year of Jianyan in the Southern Song Dynasty, in July 1128 AD, the Jin army once again invaded the south, and important northern towns such as Daming Prefecture, Xiangzhou, and Puzhou fell one after another. The governor of Jinan, Liu Yu, surrendered. At this time, the young emperor who had just ascended the throne, the 22-year-old Song Gaozong, entrusted all military and state affairs to the peace faction such as Huang Qianshan and Wang Boyan, while he indulged in pleasure and pleasure in the palace of Yangzhou. It can be said that the Jin army and iron horses had broken through the air, and laughter and joy were still imperceptible.
Professor Bao Weimin from the Department of History at Renmin University of China: We know these ethnic groups because history has shown such examples more than once. Although there are few people, they have strong combat effectiveness because they are a production organization that serves the entire people. They usually hunt, and this production organization is also a war organization. Moreover, the political power in our Central Plains region is becoming increasingly weak.
The commander of the Jin army, Wanyan Zonghan, also known as Guhan, had just occupied Xuzhou and sent 5000 cavalry to attack Yangzhou. In the third year of Jianyan, on the 30th day of the first lunar month in 1129 AD, this Jin army captured Sizhou, which shocked the Southern Song Dynasty. On the third day of the second lunar month, the Jin army captured the Tianchang army, which is now less than 150 miles away from Yangzhou in Anhui. Five hundred cavalry troops rushed non-stop towards Yangzhou. At noon, Emperor Gaozong of Song was hanging out with palace maids when his attendants suddenly rushed in to report the situation, causing him to put on his pants and run away.
Professor Bao Weimin from the History Department of Renmin University of China: In the Jin Dynasty, it was the leaders of the Jurchen ethnic group who were full of vitality. Whether it was institutional construction or economic development level, there may still be a gap between them and the Central Plains region. However, at least in terms of military strength, they were very powerful. In terms of politics as a whole, they had an enterprising spirit because their nation was in such a stage. For the emperors of the Song Dynasty, I think first of all, they were not born into the imperial family. They did not come from the people, nor did they have any enterprising spirit. In fact, it is impossible to say that they had any enterprising spirit, and so on. They are just a parent who gave such a large share of family property to them. His main task is to guard their family and business, which should not be so pioneering, and even look a bit lifeless.
Guazhou is located more than ten kilometers south of Yangzhou. If you want to escape, you can only cross the Yangtze River here. Guazhou Ancient Ferry is like a millennium old man, witnessing too many significant moments in Chinese history. Emperor Gaozong of Song, who was in chaos, hastily borrowed a small boat to cross the Yangtze River. On the surface, it seemed like his escape alone, but as the emperor, he probably didn’t know that his retreat had shifted the center of gravity of the entire world. Chinese history was also rewritten as a result. The military and civilians of Yangzhou were eager to avoid the enemy, pouring out the city and trampling it, resulting in countless deaths. On this day, the Jin soldiers entered Yangzhou, set fire to slaughter and plunder, and chased and killed more than 100000 people by the river, either buried underwater or killed by knives. Fortunately, all the victims were captured, and a large number of treasures and artifacts from the court. If it weren’t for Emperor Gaozong’s escape to Yangzhou, these tens of thousands of people would not have died tragically.
Professor Bao Weimin from the History Department of Renmin University of China: After arriving in Yangzhou, he and the two prime ministers at that time said the same thing. He believed these very incompetent two people and stayed in Yangzhou. As a result, the Jurchen people were still far away. The two prime ministers said the same thing. These very incompetent two people, he believed them and stayed in Yangzhou. As a result, the pursuit of the Jurchen people came down, which scared him and he fled overnight. It was the whole thing. I think his experience had a great impact on his heart. He was extremely afraid of the Jurchen army, and in his heart, he was frightened. This is.
Just as Gao Zong had escaped to the south, he didn’t even catch his breath when he encountered the only mutiny in the history of the Song Dynasty. In the third year of Jianyan, on March 5th, 1129 AD, a fully armed group of soldiers, led by generals Miao Fu and Liu Zhengyan, rushed straight to the palace. At that time, major generals such as Zhang Jun, Han Shizhong, and Liu Guangshi were all leading troops outside, while Emperor Gaozong was surrounded by few soldiers. Seeing the dissatisfaction of the military and civilians, Miao and Liu instigated a mutiny, first killing Wang Yuan and others who met the enemy but did not fight, and then forcing Zhao Gou to abdicate the throne to the three-year-old Crown Prince Zhao Fu, who would be in power from the sidelines of Empress Meng.
Bao Weimin: The transformation of Miao and Liu Bingbian was actually an internal conflict, because Emperor Gaozong suddenly became emperor from this prince. Of course, he did not have much management ability, which we can understand. Therefore, when he appointed someone he trusted, they must be someone who had a particularly close relationship with him. Who was that? That was the eunuch, and of course, the person who served as his guard. At that time, the head of a eunuch was named Kang Lv, and the head of his guard, the commander of the Metropolitan Bureau, was called Wang Yuan. He trusted these two people very much, but they were not really good people, so these two people caused public outrage because they were in a difficult situation. When fleeing, he even snatched things by himself. In short, many bad things happened. The commander led by Emperor Gaozong and the security guard around him expressed dissatisfaction with two generals, Mainly because they were dissatisfied with the eunuch leader Kang Lv and the governor Wang Yuan, they wanted to kill these two people.
After a series of ups and downs, Emperor Gaozong began to mature politically. Although others were cowardly, they were smart enough to balance the social psychology behind the main battle, the main and the two factions with his own private messages. He began to strike a balance between the main battle and the two factions, and it wasn’t until Yue Fei appeared that he had more capital to play like this.
Yuewang Temple, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province
The Yuewang Temple in Hangzhou is a temple dedicated to the hero of the Anti Jin War, Yue Fei. It is also a famous scenic spot in Hangzhou, attracting a constant stream of visitors. Yue Fei came from a family of hired farmers in Tangyin, Xiangzhou, and has been practicing martial arts since childhood. His strength is limitless, and at the age of less than 20, he can pull a bow of 300 pounds and open a waist crossbow of eight stones. In the first year of Jingkang, 1126 AD, the Jin army invaded the south. Yue Fei witnessed his brutality and was filled with righteous indignation. He resolutely bid farewell to his mother, wife, and children, and joined the fierce anti Jin struggle. On his back was the four characters of loyalty and service to the country that his mother Yao had tattooed for him. Yue Fei’s fame in World War I began with the famous station of Huang Tiandang. In the third year of Jianyan, in November 1129 AD, Wanyan Wushu broke through the natural danger of the Yangtze River and successively captured places such as Jiankang, Hangzhou, and Mingzhou. He followed Emperor Gaozong of Song to pursue and fight fiercely. Emperor Gaozong of Song was forced to float by boat and flee to Wenzhou, where he was accustomed to instigating. The Jin soldiers, led by Ma Chicheng, were not adapted to the terrain of rivers and lakes in Jiangnan. Coupled with the brutal killing and plundering of the Jin soldiers, they provoked strong resistance from the military and civilians of the Southern Song Dynasty. In February of the following year, Wanyan Wushu had to gradually penetrate the north. When he arrived in Zhenjiang, Han Shizhong, a famous anti Jin general, led more than 8000 naval troops to intercept and trapped 100000 Jin soldiers in Huangtiandang, a section of the river near Jiankang located in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The river network was dense and reeds were overgrown. The Jin soldiers were quite unfamiliar with this geographical environment. The two sides were at a stalemate for more than 40 days, and the Jin soldiers suffered repeated defeats, almost falling into a desperate situation. In the end, they relied on fire attacks to break through the encirclement. The Southern Song court ordered Zhang Jun to recapture Jiankang, but Zhang Jun was timid and did not dare to enter. General Yue Fei, without waiting for Zhang Jun’s orders, took the initiative to launch an attack. After half a month of fighting and killing thousands of enemies, Yue Fei regained his health by taking advantage of the victory, which shook the world.
Yue Feisheng Temple, Jingjiang City, Jiangsu Province
The Yuefei Temple, located in Jingjiang City, Jiangsu Province, was built by Yue Fei before his death, hence it is also known as the Shengci Temple. In the fourth year of Jianyan’s reign, in 1130 AD, Yue Fei retreated from Taizhou to Jiangyin to replenish military supplies. Along the way, he encountered a large number of refugees who had been displaced between the Yangtze and Huai Rivers. He gathered these refugees and deployed troops to protect them in the area of Yinsha. The people felt grateful for his kindness and specially built a temple for Yue Fei to pay his respects. Yue Fei wholeheartedly cared for the people and declared that this was widely spread. Due to the resistance of the Anti Japanese Faction represented by Yue Fei, the Jin army’s attempt to quickly annihilate the Southern Song Dynasty through a comprehensive attack was difficult to succeed. Therefore, the Jin people adopted a strategy of using peace negotiations to assist in the attack and using rebellion to lure rebels. They changed their comprehensive attack to defending the east and attacking the west. To the east, they registered Liu Yu, the former governor of Jinan who surrendered to the Jin Dynasty, as their son emperor. They established a puppet Qi regime, took over the Huaidong, Huaixi, and Jingxi regions, established a buffer hell with the Southern Song Dynasty, and attempted to govern Han with Han. To the west, they concentrated their forces on attacking Sichuan and Shaanxi in order to control the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and create conditions for a roundabout encirclement of the Southern Song Dynasty. This was done by the main government. At the same time as the emergence of avant-garde figures like Yue Fei in the war faction, a heavyweight figure in the main peace faction also stepped onto the historical stage.
In the fourth year of Jianyan, in October 1130 AD, Qin Hui returned to the Southern Song Dynasty with his wife Wang Shi. Wang Shi came from a prestigious family, and Qin Hui was promoted by climbing his wife’s skirt. At first, the Jin army captured Kaifeng, and Qin Hui and his wife became prisoners of the Jin army. They quickly defected and surrendered, gaining the appreciation and appointment of the Jin people. From his actions during his reign, it can be seen that he had a considerable tacit understanding with the rulers of the Jin dynasty.
Professor Bao Weimin from the History Department of Renmin University of China: For Qin Hui and Zhao Gou, they were a community of interests. Qin Hui wanted to implement what he believed was the right policy, which was to seek peace with the Jin Dynasty. No matter how much humiliation I suffered, I wanted to preserve the southern region of Jiangnan, which is south of Huai’an. For Zhao Gou, his goal was also this, so they are both a community of interests.
As soon as Qin Hui saw Emperor Gaozong of Song, he suggested that both the north and south sides defend their territories, not invade each other, and give up their homeland and negotiate peace in exchange for the Jin Dynasty’s recognition of the Southern Song Dynasty’s favoritism. This proposal was in line with Emperor Gaozong’s intentions, and he immediately appointed Qin Hui as the Minister of Rites, arranging a diplomatic position for Qin Hui, implying that Emperor Gaozong seemed to know the details. In the first year of Shaoxing, in 1131 AD, Emperor Gaozong consecutively appointed Qin Hui as the Political Advisor and Right Chancellor.
Professor Zhao Dongmei from Peking University: Qin Hui is quite suspicious. Qin Hui was once a prisoner of the Jin people, and what is even more suspicious? When he and his wife fled back, they were still carrying their maidservants and household expenses. How could this be like running for their lives? To escape, it’s just a matter of being gentle, so it’s very likely that he was released by the Jin Dynasty’s peace faction. Once Emperor Gaozong decided on this surrender route and exchanged humiliation for peace, it was actually more convenient for him to trust Qin Hui to a certain extent, right? Moreover, Qin Hui could help him block many things.
Professor Bao Weimin from the Department of History at Renmin University of China: In terms of imperial power, the prime minister is strong, and imperial power is still stronger than the prime minister. He is not afraid of Qin Hui, but he is afraid of Jin, because Qin Hui represents a policy orientation. After I dismiss him, Jin will react and feel that your policy orientation will change. His problem lies here.
Emperor Gaozong of Song highly valued Qin Hui in the hope that he could make a difference in negotiating peace with the Jin dynasty. However, against the backdrop of the Jin dynasty’s rulers not giving up on the downfall of the Southern Song dynasty, although Qin Hui had repeatedly shown goodwill to the Jin dynasty, the results were minimal. The Jin people not only did not respond at all, but also continued to launch large-scale attacks on the Sichuan Shaanxi region, supporting the puppet regime established by Liu Yu, the former governor of Jinan in the Northern Song dynasty, with the support of the Jin state. This should not disappoint Emperor Gaozong of Song greatly. In the situation of seeking peace, he was afraid of the anti Japanese camp and the public opinion of the entire country. Emperor Gaozong dared not completely abandon the banner of resistance against the Jin dynasty. In addition, Qin Hui, who was appointed as prime minister for the first time, was caught up in a fierce struggle with the Left Prime Minister for rectification. His sinister intentions and tactics of forming cliques also aroused people’s vigilance. Therefore, in the second year of Shaoxing, In August 1132 AD, Qin Hui resigned from his position as prime minister, and Emperor Gaozong of Song even proclaimed to the court that he would not reuse Qin Hui.
Xiangyang Ancient City, Xiangyang City, Hubei Province
With the advancement of the Jin Dynasty’s strategy of defending the east and attacking the west, Xiangyang gradually became the focus of the Song and Jin dynasties due to its special geographical location. The various counties in Xiangyang guarded the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, and when going upstream against the river, they could enter Sichuan, and when going downstream, they could force Jiangsu and Zhejiang. They controlled Guanzhong to the north and pacified the Central Plains to the east. At that time, in the Northwest Theater Command, due to the commander Zhang Jun’s disregard for the enemy and reckless advance, the five major armies of Sichuan and Shaanxi in the Southern Song Dynasty suffered a major defeat. Fortunately, the commander of the main battle faction, Wu Jie, defeated the Jin army on the two routes of Heshangyuan and Xianrenguan, which made the defense of Sichuan and Shaanxi in the Southern Song Dynasty more stable. However, with the cooperation of the Jin army, the puppet Qi army had already occupied Xiangyang and other areas, which was equivalent to inserting a sharp blade into the soft abdomen of the Southern Song Dynasty, cutting half of the country in two, posing a serious threat to the Southern Song Dynasty.
In the fourth year of Shaoxing, in the spring of 1134 AD, Yue Fei, who had already served as the envoy for the establishment of the Jiangnan West Road, submitted a letter to the imperial court and six counties in Xiangyang. The area was a strategic location, and the restoration of the Central Plains was the foundation. The court adopted Yue Fei’s suggestion and ordered him to send troops to recapture Xiangyang. Emperor Gaozong of Song intended to seek peace through war and did not intend to launch a counterattack on the Central Plains. Therefore, in his edict to Yue Fei, he repeatedly emphasized that only the six commanderies should be recaptured, and that no troops should cross the border or use the Northern Expedition as a call. Otherwise, although he made remarkable achievements, he would be punished severely. Yue Fei’s victory in quickly recapturing the six commanderies of Xiangyang shook the court. After receiving the good news, Emperor Gaozong said that although I had heard that Yue Fei’s army was highly disciplined, I did not know how to defeat the enemy. This was also the first time that the Southern Song Dynasty had recaptured a large area of lost territory, and Yue Fei was appointed as the military governor.
Professor Zhao Dongmei from Peking University: In comparison, he has the shallowest qualifications among the four generals of ZTE, and his army is not the most, but his army is particularly capable of fighting.
Among the great generals of the Southern Song Dynasty, Yue Fei was the fifth general to be appointed as a military governor after Liu Guangshi, Han Shizhong, Zhang Jun, and Wujie. He was only thirty-two years old, and this battle fully demonstrated the strict discipline and bravery of the army led by Yue Fei, which earned him the nickname of the Yue family army. Thus, the Jin Dynasty’s policy towards the Southern Song Dynasty underwent a significant transformation from elimination to peace negotiations. In the eighth year of Shaoxing, at the end of 1138 AD, the Song and Jin dynasties reached a peace agreement, with the Yellow River as the boundary between the two sides. The Southern Song Dynasty submitted to the Jin Dynasty, offering an annual tribute of 250000 taels of silver and 250000 pieces of silk. The Jin side agreed to restore the puppet Qi’s jurisdiction. Henan, Shaanxi and other places, as well as returning the Zigong of Emperor Huizong of Song and Empress Zheng, as well as the birth mother of Emperor Gaozong of Song, Wei, because this year was the first year of the Tianjuan reign of Emperor Xizong of Jin, it was also known as the Tianjuan Treaty of Peace in history. The Song and Jin sides achieved temporary peace.
Professor Bao Weimin from the Department of History at Renmin University of China: He later became very humiliated because he was a vassal to the Jin dynasty. Throughout the history of China, the Han dynasty’s regime was a vassal to a nomadic regime. This was the only one that could have been more tough, but they did not. They would rather show a very low attitude than be humiliated. Of course, as individuals like Qin Hui and Zhao Gou, he had his own small plan. As long as he kept his position, for Qin Hui, I wanted to maintain this negotiating situation. My political status is gone, and for him, the position of prime minister is linked to policy, so to some extent, we have given up national interests.
After the peace negotiations between the Heavenly Family, Emperor Gaozong of Song immediately ordered the capital to be established in Lin’an. The Jin people showed their intention to favor the southeast and abandon the restoration of the old territory. However, at this time, a new power struggle emerged within the Jin Dynasty. Wanyan Zongpan and others formed a group, manipulating military and political power, and forming sharp conflicts with Jin Xizong and others. With the support of Wanyan Wushu, Jin Xizong executed Wanyan Zongpan and others on charges of rebellion. As a result, Wanyan Wushu gained momentum and opposed the return of Henan and Shaanxi as a condition for negotiating peace with the Song Dynasty. In order to regain Henan and Shaanxi, he forced the Southern Song Dynasty to accept more stringent negotiation conditions.
In the tenth year of Shaoxing, in May 1140 AD, the Jin Dynasty brazenly tore up the unfinished peace treaty, divided the army into four routes, and launched another large-scale attack on the Song Dynasty. At this time, Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty was already using Qin Hui as the right prime minister. The Jin people broke the treaty and invaded the south, giving Song Gaozong and Qin Hui a head blow. It seems that blindly bowing to seek peace cannot bring true peace. Fortunately, the main force of the Southern Song Dynasty’s main fighting faction never gave up fighting. The main force of the Jin army led by Wanyan Wushu was defeated by Liu Qi’s eight character army in Shunchang and retreated to Tokyo. Yue Fei took advantage of the situation and counterattacked, repeatedly defeating the Jin army, achieving great victories in Yancheng and Yingchang. Recovered the vast area of western Beijing. Command General Liang Xing and others to sneak across the Yellow River, penetrate deep into the rear of the Jin army, contact the Two Rivers Volunteer Army, and form a favorable situation of advancing east and west, flanking the Jin army in Tokyo from north to south, which led to Wanyan Wushu’s intention to abandon Tokyo. Just as Yue Fei was preparing to raise an army to recapture the Central Plains and launch a direct attack on the Huanglong Prefecture, he drank heavily with the various armies. In order to seek peace with the Jin Dynasty, the Song court forced Yue Fei to retreat, and the lost territory fell into the hands of the Jin army. A generation of anti Jin generals, Yue Fei, was also executed on unfounded charges.
After the second tug of war between the Song and Jin dynasties, Wanyan Wushu had to sit back at the negotiating table. Although the situation was almost overturned by Yue Fei, he still raised the price of the negotiation. In the eleventh year of Shaoxing, in November 1141 AD, Emperor Gaozong of Song fully accepted the conditions of Wanyan Wushu, and the negotiation was achieved. The contents of the negotiation included: 1. Sun Jin, the Crown Prince of the Southern Song Dynasty, defended his official duties; 2、 Determine the boundary between the Song and Jin dynasties as starting from the middle reaches of the Huai River in the east and ending at Dashan Pass in the west; 3、 The Southern Song Dynasty paid an annual tribute of 250000 taels of silver and 250000 pieces of silk to the Jin Dynasty, which was the extremely humiliating Shaoxing Peace Treaty in the history of the Southern Song Dynasty.
Professor Zhao Dongmei from Peking University: I think during the Shaoxing peace negotiations, your father’s revenge has not been avenged, and that revenge is something that happened just a few years ago. If you forget it all in twenty years, that person will become heartless. Of course, if you live in hatred all your life, it is quite frightening. But if you are like a goldfish, with only seven seconds of memory, then I think you are also non-human. Emperor Gaozong has a somewhat non-human appearance, and his father’s revenge is his own father. He took his mother back, and what kind of humiliation is that? Those princesses, imperial concubines, and this grudge should actually be remembered.
Professor Bao Weimin from the Department of History at Renmin University of China: The Shaoxing Peace Agreement was certainly signed in a form of extreme humiliation by the Southern Song regime. The key is its status. If the rulers of the Southern Song regime at that time could be more resolute, this standoff situation would still be able to be sustained. From the perspective of military power, in my own estimation, if Jin really wants to eliminate the Southern Song, it may not be so easy. If the Southern Song Dynasty were to fight back, like Yue Fei, waving his hand and shouting, it could reach Huanglong Prefecture. This is also the wishful thinking of later generations, and it is unlikely to cause such a conflict between the Song and Jin dynasties. Due to the unequal diplomatic relations, one of the biggest impacts of the Shaoxing peace talks was, of course, the peace it brought, From then on, the unequal relationship between the Song and Jin dynasties was established, which was one of the greatest historical influences of the Shaoxing peace talks.
Fengbo Pavilion, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province
Fengbo Pavilion was originally the name of a small pavilion in the Dali Temple prison in Lin’an during the Southern Song Dynasty. Dali Temple was the highest judicial organ of the court at that time. On December 29, Shaoxing 11, and January 27, 1142, Zhao Gou personally issued an order to kill Yue Feici in the Dali Temple prison in Lin’an. His son Yue Yun and his general Zhang Xian were executed in the bustling city of Lin’an.
This is the intersection of Qingchun Road and Hubin Road in Hangzhou. In 1993, during the comprehensive expansion and renovation of Qingchun Road, enthusiastic citizens called for the restoration of the Fengbo Pavilion site. However, no statue of Yue Fei was built here. Yue Fei joined the army at the age of 20, was killed at the age of 39, and fought his entire life in the front line of the anti Jin army. The Yue family army had strict discipline and was brave and skilled in battle, causing the Jin people to exclaim that it was easy to shake the mountains, but difficult to shake the Yue family army. In a letter to Qin Hui, Jin Wushu explicitly demanded that Yue Fei must be killed. Later, he was able to reconcile and become a famous anti Jin general who was unable to wrap his body in a horse’s clothing and died on the battlefield, but died on his own. The hand defended by the court, with its strong tragic color, has been hitting the hearts of the Chinese people for thousands of years, causing endless regret and sincere respect for him in future generations.
Professor Zhao Dongmei from Peking University: Yue Fei is too clean. He does not renew his concubines and is not greedy for money. You know, this is a violation of rules. It was said by the people of the Song Dynasty that when they talk about this, they make this general. Martial men should be greedy and foolish. The things they talk about integrity and honor are all aimed at civil officials. Those who do not constrain morality hope that these generals are greedy and foolish, and then they are easy to control. Yue Fei is not like a military general, nor a literati, and he is so young. In fact, there is a more important reason: Yue Fei has no personal relationship with Emperor Gaozong, and they have no personal relationship with each other. Personal trust has not actually been established.
Professor Bao Weimin from the Department of History at Renmin University of China: Regarding Yue Fei, there is probably the most discussion and controversy about who killed him, whether Qin Hui killed him or the emperor. Some people say Qin Hui killed him, while others say it’s not as simple as that? Qin Hui dare not kill and wait, right. In terms of administrative procedures, it is impossible to kill a general like Yue Fei, no matter how much power the prime minister has. It was impossible for the emperor to give orders and the prime minister to dare to kill a general during the Song Dynasty.
Emperor Gaozong of Song killed Yue Fei and seized the military power of the main faction. He was determined to express his sense of security to the Jin people, and even after Qin Hui’s death, he repeatedly warned his civil and military officials that the decision to negotiate peace with Jin was based on his own decision, and no one was allowed to raise objections to this matter and shake the established national policy while Qin Hui’s death occurred.
The peace talks in Shaoxing came at a great cost. The Southern Song Dynasty presented a large amount of wealth to the Jin Dynasty every year. Emperor Gaozong thought that giving so many benefits to the Jin people would lead to long-term peace, but he didn’t expect it to be just his wishful thinking. This peaceful situation only lasted for 20 years.
Professor Zhao Dongmei from Peking University: Due to strategic thinking, Emperor Gaozong did not have such vigilance at all. The Song Dynasty did not have it. I think the Song Dynasty, even up to the Southern Song Dynasty, was always under the strong military oppression of the northern ethnic minorities. It is this kind of strategic vigilance that the Song Dynasty has never been enough. We should be prepared for danger in times of peace. The Song Dynasty achieved the utmost level of vigilance in internal affairs, but in diplomacy and foreign relations, this vigilance was too poor.
In the 31st year of Shaoxing, 1161 AD, the Jin dynasty’s ruler Wanyan Liang, who had not yet died of the Song dynasty, led his army southward with great momentum. Emperor Gaozong trembled and quickly prepared a ship, but also prepared to flee. After being analyzed by Minister Chen Kangbo and tried his best to dissuade him, he temporarily stayed in Lin’an, but still ordered people to secretly prepare a large sea ship to escape. At this time, Liu Qi, a famous anti Jin general in his 60s, was full of weak soldiers in his hands. The Song army suffered repeated defeats in the Huai River region. In the 32nd year of Shaoxing, 1162 AD, thanks to the fearless literary minister Yu Yunwen commanding the remnants of the Song army, he successfully prevented the Jin army from crossing the Yangtze River with the help of the treacherous defense of the Yangtze River. Coupled with internal strife among the Jin people, the Jin lord Wanyan Liang was killed, barely causing the Jin army’s plan to annihilate the Southern Song Dynasty to go bankrupt. Perhaps it was this calamity that really made Emperor Gaozong of Song feel exhausted, so he abdicated to the throne and hid in the Deshou Palace to listen to fate.
Plum Blossom Stele, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province
Plum Blossom Stele – A famous landmark in the old city of Hangzhou, named after the Ming Dynasty painting Plum Blossom and Stone. It also records the history of the Deshou Palace in the Southern Song Dynasty, but unfortunately, the original stele no longer exists. The monument in Meishi Garden, located on Yousheng Guan Road in Hangzhou, was replicated in July 2007 based on the rubbings collected by the West Lake Museum. Under his feet is the northern palace wall of the Deshou Palace of the Southern Song Dynasty. The scale of the Deshou Palace and the exquisite architecture of the backyard gardens surpass those of the imperial palace. At the age of 80, Emperor Gaozong of Song abdicated to Emperor Xiaozong of Song, Zhao She, at the age of 55 and retired to the garden. According to him, I am tired. In the past, Emperor Taizu of Song reminded his descendants to always be wary of military intervention, but he forgot a more important thing. When foreign enemies attacked, they must defend the country, defend their homeland, forget about the danger of war, and forget about the tragic aftermath of war between the Song and Jin dynasties. The lessons of history cannot be forgotten.
90 seconds in history: biased southeast
The Southern Song Dynasty, as one of the most developed dynasties in Chinese history in terms of economy, ancient technological development, foreign trade, and openness, has always been criticized in military diplomacy. During the long process of resisting foreign invasions, the Southern Song court was always passively beaten and ultimately unable to escape the fate of downfall. Although the Southern Song dynasty’s politics were sluggish and corrupt, many emperors were incompetent and cowardly, and officials were usually civil and military friendly. However, the national policy of benevolence, benevolence, and cultural governance was advocated, and the seeds of loyalty to the monarch, patriotism, and importance of reputation were sown among the vast majority of the people. Once the country was in a state of crisis, those who generously sacrificed their lives often consciously served the country, although unable to save it. Amidst the raging waves, the indomitable spirit also made the invaders pay a heavy price. As the Qing Dynasty scholar Zhao Yi said, in the autumn of trouble, they generously served the country, with Shaoxing supporting half of the wall and Deyou dying on the battlefield, Throughout history, there have been many martyrs who sacrificed their lives for their country, but only in the late Song Dynasty. Although they were not saved in defeat, they could not be considered as non cultivators
