Song Dynasty (960-1279)
It is divided into two stages: Northern Song Dynasty (960~1127) and Southern Song Dynasty (1127~1279)
History of Northern Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty (960-1279) is an era in Chinese history that inherited the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms and started with the Yuan Dynasty. According to the changes in capital and territory, it can be further divided into the Northern Song Dynasty and the Southern Song Dynasty, collectively known as the Two Song Dynasties. In order to avoid the separatist rule of vassal towns and the chaos of eunuchs since the end of the Tang Dynasty, the Song Dynasty adopted a policy of emphasizing civility over military affairs. On the one hand, although it was poor and weak militarily and lost to its northern neighbors, it first envoyed Hui and Qin in 1127. The second emperor was kidnapped by the Jin people, forcing the Song Dynasty to move south. By 1279, the Song Dynasty was defeated by the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty in the Battle of Yashan. But relatively speaking, the Song Dynasty was also one of the most prosperous eras in terms of economy, culture and education in Chinese history. Confucianism was revived, the society was filled with the atmosphere of respecting teachers and teaching, science and technology developed rapidly, and politics were more open and clean. In the end, there were no serious problems in the Song Dynasty. The number and scale of eunuch chaos and local separatism, as well as mutinies and civil unrest are relatively rare in Chinese history. The famous historian Chen Yinke said: "The culture of the Chinese nation has evolved over thousands of years and reached its peak in the Zhao and Song Dynasties." There are quite a few people in Western and Japanese historians who believe that the Song Dynasty was the Renaissance and economic revolution in Chinese history.
At the beginning of the founding of the country
Zhao Kuangyin, Taizu of the Song Dynasty
The founding emperor of the Song Dynasty was Zhao Kuangyin, whose temple name was Taizu. He was originally a guard in front of the palace in the Later Zhou Dynasty. Due to his outstanding military exploits, he became Shizong's right-hand man in the Later Zhou Dynasty. After Shizong died, Emperor Gong who succeeded him was young, so Zhao Kuangyin had the ambition to become emperor. During the Spring Festival of the seventh year of Xiande, Zhao Kuangyin's party members created false information about the Liao attack. Fan Zhi, the prime minister at the time, urgently ordered Zhao Kuangyin to lead his army north to defend against the enemy. On the third day of the first lunar month, Zhao Kuangyin arrived at Chenqiaoyi. When he was sleeping soundly that night, he was covered in yellow robes by his subordinates, who shouted "Long Live Long Live" three times and supported him as the emperor. After the bureaucrats of the later Zhou Dynasty learned about it, they knew they had no choice but to face reality. Emperor Gong of Zhou was forced to abdicate. Song Taizu twice "released military power with a cup of wine", depriving the generals and local officials who held heavy troops of their military power, entrusting them with false posts, and replaced them with civilian officials to lead the army, concentrating all military and financial power to the central government. As a result, the Song Dynasty was able to avoid the situation of separatist vassal towns in the Tang Dynasty. However, this also resulted in limited local resources, which ultimately caused the Song Dynasty to repeatedly fail in foreign wars.
Song Zhenzong Zhao Heng
After Taizong died, Zhenzong Zhao Heng took over the throne. Zhenzong followed the Huang-Lao politics of the last years of Taizong and did nothing. Since Yongxi's Northern Expedition, the Liao Dynasty often looted and killed at the junction of Song and Liao. By the first year of Jingde (1004), it finally turned into a large-scale invasion of the Song Dynasty. Prime Minister Kou Zhun advocated the war of resistance. As a result, Zhenzong personally conquered the Song army. The morale of the Song army was greatly boosted. The Song army was in a stalemate with the Liao army at the gate of Chanzhou, and the Liao army was forced to sue for peace. After several negotiations, the two countries successfully negotiated a peace. The main content of the peace treaty is: Song Dynasty will give Liao 20,000 pieces of silk and 100,000 taels of silver every year. The two sides are countries of brothers. This peace treaty is known as the "Chanyuan Alliance" in history.
Later, Kou Zhun gradually fell out of favor and was eventually dismissed. Zhenzong began to trust Wang Qinruo, a sycophant minister. Wang Qinruo was good at flattering people and knew that Zhenzong wanted to create an atmosphere of peace in the world, so he strongly advocated Zhenzong's enthronement. Wang Qinruo himself also joined forces with another prime minister Wang Dan to create many "auspicious" images in various places, which deeply inspired the Zhenzong. As a result, Zhenzong granted Zen status three times in the first year of Dazhong Xiangfu (1008). This has seriously depleted people's power.
After Renzong died, Yingzong Zhao Shu took over the throne. He is the grandson of Shang Wang Zhao Yuanfen, the younger brother of Zhenzong. In the seventh year of Jiayou's reign (1062), he was established as the crown prince. Yingzong suffered from many illnesses, and initially the affairs of the court were controlled by Empress Dowager Cao. It was only after May of the first year of Zhiping (1064) that Yingzong began to take charge. However, the Pu Dispute broke out half a month after the Yingzong took office, and the controversy lasted for eighteen months. The cause was Prime Minister Han Qi's request to discuss the issue of Yingzong's biological father. As a result, the court was divided into two factions. One faction believed that Yingzong's biological father, King Pu, should be called Huangbo, while the other faction believed that he should be called Huangkao. In the end, Empress Dowager Cao issued a decree calling Yingzong's father Huang Kao. That settled the dispute. But overall, Yingzong was still a promising monarch. He continued to appoint capable ministers from the previous dynasty, and also boldly discovered new talents.
Yingzong also attached great importance to the compilation of books. The writing of "Zi Zhi Tong Jian" was initiated by Ying Zong.
After the death of Shenzong, the Queen Mother Gao listened behind the curtain and strictly controlled the Zhezong Zhao Xu who had just ascended the throne. Empress Dowager Gao trusted the old party headed by Sima Guang and ignored Zhe Zong. As a result, a serious struggle between the old and new parties was triggered, for Yuanyou's party. After Zhezong came to power, he denounced the old party and gave credit to the new party, so the reform cause was continued.
The Shame of Jingkang
Song Huizong was a talented artist, but he was also the king who subjugated his country.
Zhezong left no heirs. After his death, his younger brother Zhao Ji came to the throne as Huizong of Song Dynasty. Huizong was fond of enjoying himself and had no interest in government affairs. Huizong was fond of pen and ink, painting, horse riding, etc. since he was a child. Zhao Ji leads a decadent life and likes to visit brothels. There was also a lot of construction work, and after listening to the Taoist priests, they built Longevity Mountain in the northeast corner of Kaifeng, which was later renamed Genyue. Genyue has a radius of more than ten miles, including Furong Pond, Cixi and other scenic spots. Inside there are pavilions, pavilions, birds and animals. Huizong also set up the Yingfeng Bureau in Suzhou to search for strange stones in the southeast, which were used for Huashi Gang, which aroused public resentment.
Huizong ignored the government affairs and handed over all government affairs to the six thieves headed by Cai Jing. In the name of restoring the new law, Cai Jing instituted a ban on party affairs and excluded dissidents. After the destruction of the Liao Dynasty, the land of Yanyun returned to the Song Dynasty, and the old coins given to the Liao Dynasty by the Song Dynasty were transferred to the Jin Dynasty. This is the maritime alliance. But the Song Dynasty army was severely defeated. Finally, the Jin soldiers plundered the population of Yanjing and seized the three prefectures of Ying, Ping, and Luan. In the seventh year of Xuanhe (1125), the Jin soldiers went south to attack the Song Dynasty in two groups. Zhao Ji was so frightened that he immediately passed the throne to his son Qinzong Zhao Huan. Qinzong was worried about gains and losses, and was undecided between war and war. Later, under desperate circumstances, Li Gang was appointed to defend Tokyo. Although they won the victory for a time, the Jin Dynasty did not give up and went south for the second time. In September of the first year of Jingkang (1126), Taiyuan fell. In November, the outer city of Kaifeng fell, and the Jin army forced Qinzong to go to negotiate peace. On the 30th day of the eleventh month, Qinzong was forced to go to Jinying to negotiate peace and returned three days later. The gold man demanded a large amount of gold and silver. Therefore, Qinzong ransacked the property in Kaifeng city. Kaifeng City was besieged by the Jin army. Diseases were prevalent in the city, and many people died of starvation and disease. On February 6, the second year of Jingkang (1127), the Hui and Qin emperors were deposed and demoted to common people. On the seventh day, Huizong was forced to go to Jinying. The Jin Dynasty established Zhang Bangchang and established a puppet regime called "Da Chu". The two Huiqin sects were plundered by the Jin people and brought to the Five Kingdoms City, which was known as the Jingkang Disgrace or the Jingkang Disaster in history. Huizong was named Hunde Gong, and Qinzong was named Chonghunhou. In the end, the two died in a foreign land called Five Kingdoms City.
Although Huizong made no achievements in government affairs, there is no doubt that his attainments in calligraphy and painting are unparalleled. Huizong's calligraphy and paintings both play an important role in the history of Chinese art. Huizong created the original thin gold style and attached great importance to calligraphy and painting. The status of the Hanlin Academy of Calligraphy and Painting has been greatly improved, and Zhang Zeduan, the famous painter and author of Along the River During the Qingming Festival, was promoted by it. Even his son Zhao Gou was influenced by it and became an outstanding calligrapher.
Jianyan Nandu
The Jin Dynasty captured many Song Dynasty clan members during the Jingkang Disaster, and Kang Wang Zhao Gou was one of them who slipped through the net. In the second year of Jingkang (1127), Zhao Gou went south from today's Hebei to Yingtianfu, Nanjing (today's Shangqiu, Henan) and ascended the throne as Gaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty, changing the Yuan Dynasty to Jianyan. After that, Zhao Gou went all the way from the Huaihe River and the Yangtze River to Hangzhou to restore the Song Dynasty and promoted Hangzhou to Lin'an Prefecture. In the first year of Shaoxing (1131), Lin'an was officially established as the capital, named "Xingzai" (accompanying the capital), and it was actually the capital. The Jin Dynasty also rushed southward, approaching Lin'an. Gaozong had no way to escape, so he had to escape into the sea and wandered along the coast of Wenzhou for four months. Due to the humid weather in the south and the heroic resistance of the soldiers and civilians of the Southern Song Dynasty, Wanyan Wushu, the commander-in-chief of the Jin Dynasty, decided to withdraw his troops and go north. When retreating north to Zhenjiang, the retreat was cut off by Song general Han Shizhong, and he was forced into Huangtiandang. The Song army surrounded 100,000 Jin soldiers with 8,000 troops. The two sides held a stalemate for forty-eight days. Finally, the Jin army opened a gap with fire attacks and was able to retreat. The Jin army was defeated by Yue Fei in Jiankang and never dared to cross the river again.
Among the "Four Generals of Zhongxing" in the Southern Song Dynasty, the most famous one is Yue Fei. Through the Northern Expedition, he seized the land controlled by the puppet Qi regime supported by the Jin Dynasty. However, Yue Fei's achievements were so great that he disagreed with Gaozong, which paved the way for his subsequent murder.
In May of the 10th year of Shaoxing (1140), the Jin people once again tore up the peace agreement and invaded the south. Due to the heroic resistance of the Song Dynasty soldiers and civilians, the Jin army's attacks in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Huaihe failed. In July, Jin general Wushu turned to attack Yancheng, but was defeated by Yue Fei. He turned to attack Yingchang, but was defeated again. The Yue Army took advantage of the victory and pursued it all the way to Zhuxian Town, which was only forty-five miles away from Kaifeng. The northern rebels also responded to Yue Fei. So much so that the Jin people lamented that "it is easy to shake the mountains, but it is difficult to shake the Yue family's army", and for a time they planned to abandon Kaifeng and cross the river to flee north. But at this time, Gaozong won twelve gold medals in a row to urge Yue Fei to send troops, and the achievements of the Northern Expedition were ruined. In the end, Yue Fei was killed on unfounded charges. In November of the eleventh year of Shaoxing (1141), the Song Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty reached the "Shaoxing Peace Agreement", and the two countries were bounded by the Huaishui River and Dashanguan Pass. The Song Dynasty paid tribute to Jin of 250,000 taels of silver and 250,000 bolts of silk every year.
Gaozong appointed Qin Hui as prime minister. Qin Hui advocated resistance to the Jin Dynasty during the Jingkang period, but was later robbed by the Jin people. In October of the fourth year of Jianyan (1130), Qin Hui returned south. Because he pursued a surrender policy, he was in close agreement with Gaozong. Qin Hui became deputy prime minister in just three months after returning to the court, and became right prime minister in eight months. Because Qin Hui actively cultivated party members but was not very enthusiastic about peace negotiations, he was dismissed by Gaozong a year later. After resigning as prime minister, Qin Hui kept a low profile and waited for the opportunity to move. In May of the eighth year of Shaoxing (1138), Emperor Gaozong appointed Qin Hui as the right prime minister. After Qin Hui came to power, he persecuted officials who disagreed with him, married relatives, and made friends with internal ministers. Emperor Gaozong only acquiesced to Qin Hui's behavior. In the later period, Qin Hui's power was too great, which aroused Gaozong's vigilance. For example, Gao Zong personally issued an order to make Qin Hui's grandson lose the first prize. Qin Hui's power declined day by day. In the twenty-fifth year of Shaoxing (1155), Qin Hui was seriously ill. He planned to let his son take over the position, but Gaozong vetoed it, and he died soon after.
After Qin Hui's death, Emperor Gaozong attacked the remaining parties and re-employed surrender officials. Gaozong was infertile, so he chose his successor from two of Taizu's descendants, Zhao Yuan and Zhao Xu. In the end, Zhao Yuan won. In the thirty-second year of Shaoxing (1162), Zhao Yuan was established as the prince and changed his name to Zhao Shen. In the 31st year of Shaoxing (1161), Wanyan Liang, King of Jin Hailing, invaded the south, but was repelled by Yu Yunwen in quarrying. This incident made Gaozong want to withdraw. In June of the 32nd year of Shaoxing, the fifty-six-year-old Gaozong issued an edict to abdicate, and Prince Zhao Shen ascended the throne as Xiaozong. He himself was called the Supreme Emperor and lived in Deokshou Palace. Gaozong became the Supreme Empress and indulged in pleasures and spent a lot of money. On October 8, the fourteenth year of Chunxi (1187), Gaozong passed away.
Pianan Jiangnan
After Xiaozong came to the throne, he reformed the government and tried to restore it. The Song Dynasty relatively entered a prosperous period. Xiaozong vindicated Yue Fei's unjust imprisonment, appointed war-fighting figures, and determined to regain the Central Plains. In April of the first year of Longxing (1163), Xiaozong ordered Li Xianzhong, Shao Hongyuan and others to send troops to the Northern Expedition. Although the Northern Expedition was successful for a time, it failed after only 20 days due to the discord among the generals and the mentality of underestimating the enemy. After that, Xiaozong had no choice but to negotiate peace with Jin. In December of the second year of Longxing (1164), Song and Jin formally signed a peace agreement, which was known as the Longxing Peace Agreement in history. However, Xiaozong still wanted to restore the Central Plains and continued to rectify his armaments. However, due to the death of a group of war-fighting generals such as Yu Yunwen, the Northern Expedition came to nothing. In domestic affairs, Xiaozong actively rectified officialdom, eliminated redundant officials, punished corruption, strengthened centralization of power, and paid attention to agricultural production. Generally speaking, the internal political situation of the Song Dynasty has improved. After Gaozong's death, Xiaozong became increasingly indifferent to politics, and finally decided to give way to his son Zhao Dun, also known as Guangzong. However, Guangzong suffered from mental illness soon after he came to the throne. In addition, he was very unfilial to himself, which made Xiaozong very sad. In July of the fifth year of Shaoxi (1194), Xiaozong passed away.
Guangzong was jealous by nature and did not trust the ministers around his father Xiaozong. Therefore, he became increasingly crazy two years after he took the throne. In July of the fifth year of Shaoxi, Xiaozong died of illness, but Guangzong still refused to mourn. Lin'an City was in chaos and the situation was unstable. The clan members Zhao Ruyu and Zhao Yanyu began to secretly plan to establish a new king. Finally, the Empress Dowager issued an edict, and Guangzong was enshrined as the Supreme Emperor. His son Zhao Kuo ascended the throne as Ningzong and changed his name to Qingyuan (1195). Six years later, Guangzong died. According to historical records, Ning Zong was "unintelligent" and had a low IQ. Ning Zong was controlled by two powerful officials - Han Yuzhou and Shi Miyuan. Although Ning Zong has a low IQ, he is generally considered a loyal master.
Internal and external troubles
In the early days of Ningzong, Zhao Ruyu was appointed prime minister. Zhao Ruyu himself has good political integrity. However, because it was illegal to serve as prime minister in the royal family, and Han Yuzhou fanned the flames, he was eventually dismissed from the position. However, people still miss him very much, and there are poems and essays in memory of him on the gate of Lin'an every day. In order to completely eliminate Zhao Ruyu's influence and exclude dissidents, Han Yuzhou banned the Qingyuan Party in the name of academics. Neo-Confucianism was called "pseudo-science", and many ministers in the DPRK and China who believed in Neo-Confucianism were opposed to Han Yuzhou. Han Zhou used this to expel all the scholar-bureaucrats who believed in Neo-Confucianism from the government.
In the sixth year of Qingyuan (1200), Han Zhouzhou lifted the party ban after seeing that Neo-Confucianism no longer posed a threat. However, the party was unpopular. In order to win over the scholars, Han Yuzhou used the name of the Northern Expedition to deceive people. In the second year of Kaixi (1206), Han Zhouzhou rashly launched the Northern Expedition, which quickly failed. The failure of the Northern Expedition made Han Yuzhou the target of public criticism. His political rival Shi Miyuan used this to form an alliance with the peace faction and the Korean opposition. The Jin people also made the killing of Han Kunzhou one of the conditions for peace talks. On November 3, the third year of Kaixi (1207), Shi Miyuan and others forged a secret decree and killed Han Yuzhou. From then on, the period of Shi Miyuan's dictatorship began. Shi Miyuan colluded with Queen Yang and took full power.
Ning Zong originally had eight sons, but they all died in infancy. So he made Zhao Hong, the son of King Yi, the crown prince. Zhao Hong was very dissatisfied with Shi Miyuan's dictatorship. Therefore, Shi Miyuan deposed Zhao Hong as the crown prince and appointed Zhao Yun as the heir to the throne. In the seventeenth year of Jiading (1224), on leap August 3, Ning Zong passed away. Zhao Yun succeeded him as Lizong. However, Shi Miyuan continued his dictatorship, and Zhao Yun also pursued the strategy of keeping a low profile.
Shi Miyuan died in October of the sixth year of Shaoding (1233). Lizong finally got rid of Shi Miyuan's shadow. The next year, Lizong changed his name to Yuan Duanping and implemented a series of reform measures, which is known as "Duanping Genghua" in history. Lizong dismissed Shi Miyuan's old party, and the government was improved for a time. At the same time, in the north, the Jin Dynasty was facing step by step pressure from Mongolia and faced the end of the country. The foreign policy of the DPRK was also divided into two groups. One group believed that the Mongols should be united to fight against the Jin; the other group believed that the principle of lip death and cold teeth and the lessons of the Maritime Alliance should be remembered to assist the Jin Dynasty and let Jin become the vassal screen of Song Dynasty.
In December of the fifth year of Shaoding (1232), Mongolia sent envoys to discuss cooperation between Song and Mongolia to attack the Jin Dynasty. Most of the ministers in the dynasty agreed, and only Zhao Fan opposed it. Lizong agreed to Mongolia's request, and Mongolia also promised to return Henan to the Song Dynasty after destroying the Jin Dynasty. But this was only a verbal agreement and no written agreement was left, thus laying the foundation for future troubles. After Jin Aizong learned about it, he also sent envoys to the Song Dynasty to make a strong statement, hoping to unite to fight against Mongolia, but Lizong refused. Lizong appointed Shi Songzhi to be in charge of extinguishing money.
In the sixth year of Shaoding (1233), the Song army captured Dengzhou. In May of the first year of Duanping (1234), Caizhou was captured, Jin Aizong hanged himself, and the Jin Dynasty was destroyed. Song general Meng Qi brought the remains of Jin Aizong back to Lin'an. Lizong enshrined the remains of Jin Aizong in the Taimiao Temple to comfort the spirits of Hui and Qin sects in heaven.
Destruction
Song Duanzong Zhao Shi and Zhao Bing were forced to flee south by the Yuan Dynasty army. They passed by a huge rock estimated to be about 300 tons in the Kowloon Peninsula of Hong Kong to rest. Later, nearby people were there On a huge rock that can accommodate more than 50 people, there are three Chinese characters "Songwang Terrace" engraved on it. After the fall of the Jin Dynasty, the Mongolian army retreated northward, leaving Henan empty. Lizong intended to seize the pass (Tongguan), guard the river (Yellow River), recover the three capitals (Kaifeng in Tokyo, Luoyang in Xijing, and Guide in Nanjing), and regain the Central Plains. In May of the first year of Duanping (1234), Lizong appointed Zhao Kui as the commander-in-chief and Quan Zicai as the vanguard, and issued an edict to send troops to Henan. On June 12, Quanzi regained Nanjing. On July 5th, the Song army entered Kaifeng. However, due to lack of food and grass, the Song army was ambushed by the Mongolian army when they attacked Luoyang, and suffered heavy losses. All Song armies were defeated across the board. Duanping's invasion of Luo failed. Song Dynasty suffered heavy losses in this battle. A large number of elite troops and supplies were wasted, which also provided an excuse for Mongolia to invade Song Dynasty later. After Duanping entered Luo, Lizong was indifferent to political affairs and indulged in sensuality, causing great damage to the government. Lizong's two sons died young, so in the end Lizong chose Zhao Qi, the son of his younger brother Zhao Yurui, as the crown prince. Because Zhao Qi's mother had taken abortion pills during pregnancy, Zhao Qi was born with a birth defect. In June of the first year of Jingding (1260), Lizong issued an edict to establish Zhao Qi as the prince.
On December 26, the fifth year of Jingding (1264), Lizong died and Zhao Qi came to the throne as Du Zong.
After Zhao Qi came to the throne, he ignored the government affairs and indulged in sensuality all day long. The right prime minister, Jia Sidao, was therefore in power. Jia Sidao formed cliques for personal gain and excluded dissidents. He spent all day playing with his wife and concubines in the Geling Villa. Because he was aggressive with crickets, people at the time called him the "Cricket Prime Minister." He forbade Du Zong to know about the frontline war. Three years after Xiangyang and Fancheng were besieged, Du Zong learned of this. In the second year of Duanping (1235), the Mongolian army invaded south for the first time and was repulsed. Unwilling to accept defeat, the Mongolian army invaded the south twice in September of the following year and in the third year, with its front almost approaching the north bank of the Yangtze River. Because the Song army fought bravely and defeated the Mongolian army, it once again thwarted the Mongolian army's attempt to cross the Yangtze River and move south. Then, under the command of the anti-Mongolian generals Meng Gong, Meng Ying, Yu Jie and others, the soldiers and civilians of the Southern Song Dynasty defeated the Mongolian army many times, forcing them to try to take a detour. In the first year of Kaiqing (1259), the Mongolian Khan Meng Ge was injured by a stray arrow of the Song army during the campaign in Hezhou and died in the army. His brother Kublai Khan was fighting with the Song army in Ezhou. After hearing the news, he immediately prepared to withdraw his troops in order to seize the position of the Great Khan. Jia Sidao took the opportunity to send people to negotiate peace with Kublai Khan to ensure peace. In this way, Kublai Khan returned directly to the north and established himself as Khan. In the seventh year of Xianchun (1271), Kublai Khan established his country in the Central Plains and named it Yuan. Du Zong passed away on July 9, the tenth year of Xianchun (1274), at the age of 35.
After Du Zong passed away, his eldest son Zhao? ascended the throne. At that time, the rule of the Song Dynasty had entered a state of paralysis. In the spring of the first year of Deyou (1275), the Yuan army captured the important military towns of Anqing and Chizhou, threatening Jiankang, and the Yangtze River defense line collapsed. There was a great earthquake in the government and the public, and everyone from all walks of life hoped that Jia Sidao would go out to fight. As a result, the Song army was defeated. Jia Sidao was demoted and was killed by the prison officer Zheng Huchen on his way to his post. On November 20th of the first year of Deyou, Changzhou fell and the Yuan army carried out a massacre. Soon Pingjiang also fell, and people in Lin'an were panicked. On the fifth day of February in the second year of Deyou (1276), a surrender ceremony was held in Lin'an City. Zhao? Officially abdicated. But Zhao? His younger brothers Zhao Shi and Zhao Bing were protected by ministers and escaped from Lin'an. Zhao came to the throne in Fuzhou as Duanzong and changed to Yuan Jingyan (1276). However, internal struggles continued in the small court. In November of the first year of Jingyan, the Mongolian army approached Fuzhou. On November 15, court ministers Chen Yizhong and Zhang Shijie escorted Zhao Shi and Zhao Bing to escape south by boat. From then on, the small court could only travel by sea. towards. In the spring of the third year of Jingyan's reign (1278), the small court arrived in Leizhou. On April 15, Zhao Shi, who was only eleven years old, passed away. Lu Xiufu and other ministers supported Zhao Bing as emperor and changed the name to Yuan Xiangxing (1278). Under the fierce attack of the Yuan army, Leizhou fell and the small court moved to Yashan. The Yuan army, led by the Han rebel general Zhang Hongfan in the Southern Song Dynasty, followed closely behind and launched a general attack on Yashan. The Song army was unable to fight and was defeated across the board. Zhao Bing, along with Lu Xiufu and more than 800 people from the Zhao and Song royal family, collectively jumped into the sea and committed suicide. The world was not ashamed of Zhang Hongfan, so they erected a monument here to ridicule him with the words "Zhang Hongfan of the Song Dynasty destroyed the Song Dynasty here", and the Song Dynasty declared its complete demise here. The naval battle at Yashan was extremely brutal. It is estimated that one hundred thousand Song troops were killed in this battle, and the sea was full of corpses. Wen Tianxiang, who was in Yuanying, witnessed the tragic situation in person and wrote a poem: "When Jie came to the South China Sea, people died in chaos. The fishy waves broke the heart, and the strong wind blew the hair."
The Emperors of the Song Dynasty
p>Northern Song Dynasty:
Taizu (Zhao Kuangyin)
Accessed the throne in 960 AD and resigned in 976 AD
Born: 927 AD-- Died: 976 AD (reigned for 16 years)
Father Zhao Hongyin, Kuangyin liked to practice martial arts since childhood. In 960, he launched the "Chenqiao Mutiny" and established the Song Dynasty, known as the Northern Song Dynasty in history. After unifying the country, he established a new Military system to strengthen centralization. Died in 976. The temple name is Taizu. Since the founding of the Song Dynasty, Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin began his struggle to unify the country. The Northern Song Dynasty successively eliminated Jingxiang, Houshu, and the Southern Han Dynasty in 964, 965, and 970 AD, and defeated the more powerful Southern Tang Dynasty in 974. After that, local forces in Wuyue, Zhang, Quan and other places in Fujian "accepted land" from the Song Dynasty, gradually ending the chaotic situation.