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Chapter 156: A Review of Emperors and Scholars of the Song Dynasty

【Understand the emperors of the Song Dynasty in one breath, history of the Song Dynasty】

This was a highly prosperous dynasty in Chinese history, with its GDP accounting for 22.7% of the world's economy at the time. There was no eunuchs' monopoly of power, no warlord separatism, Confucianism was revived, science and technology boomed, and the population grew rapidly. It had 18 emperors and lasted for 319 years.

In this video, let us look at the events of the Song Dynasty emperors in chronological order.

The Song Dynasty lasted from 960 to 1279 AD, succeeding the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms and preceded the Yuan Dynasty. It was divided into two stages: the Northern Song Dynasty and the Southern Song Dynasty. Historians have described it as "the culture of the Chinese nation, which evolved over a thousand years and reached its peak during the Zhao Song Dynasty."

In 960 AD, Zhao Kuangyin, a general of the Later Zhou imperial army, seized the throne through the Chenqiao Mutiny and established a new dynasty. Because Zhao Kuangyin did not have his own title or fief, he named the new dynasty Song after the place where he had served as an official.

During Zhao Kuangyin's reign, he completed the unification of most of the country based on the strategy of first the south and then the north, and first the easy and then the difficult.

In order to avoid the chaos of separatist regimes and eunuchs' autocracy in the late Tang Dynasty, Zhao Kuangyin adopted the policy of emphasizing culture over military power and strengthened central power. He solved the situation in which local military governors had their own troops and were independent since the middle of the Tang Dynasty through two rounds of wine to release military power.

Zhao Guangyi reigned for 16 years. One night, he had a great time drinking with his younger brother Zhao Kuangyin, but he was found dead the next morning at the age of 50. This is the origin of the story of "Candle Shadow and Axe Sound".

After Zhao Kuangyin's death, the throne was inherited by his younger brother Zhao Guangyi. During his 22 years in office, Zhao Guangyi used political means to force the King of Wuyue and the forces that ruled Zhangzhou and Quanzhou to surrender.

Later, he personally led an expedition to Taiyuan and destroyed the Northern Han, ending the separatist situation of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. During his reign, he adopted the policy of governing the country and controlling the generals, which made the Song Dynasty go further and further on the road of respecting culture and suppressing military power. He also sent troops twice to try to recover the lost Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, but was defeated by the Liao Kingdom both times. From then on, the Song Dynasty began to take a defensive stance against the Liao Kingdom.

In the Battle of Gaoliang River, Zhao Guangyi was hit by two arrows in the thigh. His injuries never healed, and eventually his condition worsened and he died in the Wansui Hall. After Zhao Guangyi's death, his third son Zhao Heng inherited the throne.

At the beginning of his reign, Zhao Heng appointed wise ministers, worked hard on government affairs, and started the Xianping Reign. Under the persuasion of the pro-war Prime Minister Kou Zhun, he personally led an expedition to defeat the Liao army and reached the Chanyuan Alliance, which brought a hundred years of peace between the Song and Liao countries.

After 25 years in power, he died of illness in Yanqing Hall in Kaifeng at the age of 55.

The fourth emperor of the Song Dynasty was Emperor Renzong of Song, Zhao Zhen, who was known as a good man. Zhao Zhen was only 4 years old when he ascended the throne, and because of his young age, the Empress Dowager had been ruling the country from behind the scenes.

During the reign of Zhao Zhen, the first Song-Xia war broke out. After three years of hard fighting, the two sides signed the Qingli Agreement. The Liao Dynasty took the opportunity during the Song-Xia war to force the Song Dynasty to increase the amount of annual tribute, which is known as the Qingli Increase in Coins in history.

Zhao Zhen reigned for 42 years, the longest reigning emperor of the Song Dynasty. During this period, he launched the Qingli New Deal, hoping to carry out reforms, but was eventually forced to stop because of the overwhelming opposition.

He died of illness at the age of 54, but Zhao Zhen did not leave any direct descendants. Instead, he handed the throne to his adopted son Zhao Shu.

Although Zhao Shu was not the biological son of Song Renzong, the throne was still in the bloodline of Zhao Guangyi. However, although Zhao Shu had the fate of being an emperor, he did not have the blessing of enjoying life. He died of illness after only four years as emperor.

He handed over the throne to his eldest son, Emperor Shenzong of Song, Zhao Xu. At this time, the Song Dynasty had fallen into a predicament of poverty and weakness, so Zhao Xu had to use the power of military power to force Wang Anshi to carry out the Xining Reforms, implement a large number of new policies, and send troops to attack Xixia and recover the five states.

However, under the constant pressure from the conservatives, the new policy began to falter. The Song Dynasty was defeated twice in the subsequent wars with the Western Xia, and Zhao Xu eventually died of depression at the age of 38.

Because of Zhao Xu's untimely death, the power of the government was controlled by the Empress Dowager Gao who was behind the scenes. The conservative forces once again came to the court. It was not until Gao's death eight years later that Song Zhezong Zhao Xu began to rule the country himself. The New Party was able to return to power, and at the same time, party struggles intensified.

During his 15-year reign, Zhao Xugong launched two wars against the Western Xia, eventually forcing them to surrender, but unfortunately he died young at the age of 25. His younger brother, Zhao Ji, became the new emperor of the Song Dynasty. This Song Huizong, Zhao Ji, was the artistic emperor who created the Slender Gold style of calligraphy.

Everyone is familiar with the story of his reign. He used imperial power to promote painting. When the Jin army was at the gates of the city, he abdicated the throne to his son Zhao Huan. In the end, both father and son were captured by the Jin army and taken to the north after the Jingkang Incident.

After the Jingkang Incident, Zhao Gou, the ninth son of Emperor Huizong of Song, ascended the throne in Nanjing and established a new government, which was called the Southern Song Dynasty. He appointed famous generals such as Yue Fei and Han Shizhong to resist the Jin army, and reached the Shaoxing Peace Agreement at the cost of giving up the old territory and paying tribute to the Jin Dynasty, which laid the foundation for the Southern Song Dynasty to be in a state of partial peace.

However, Zhao Gou believed in slander and executed Yue Fei. He appointed Qin Hui as prime minister for a long time and took the path of seeking peace with the Jin Dynasty. After 35 years in office, he abdicated the throne to his adopted son Zhao Shen and retired to the position of emperor emeritus, starting to enjoy his old age and lived to the age of 81.

What’s interesting is that Zhao Shen was the seventh-generation grandson of Zhao Kuangyin, and the throne of the Song Dynasty has since returned to the hands of Zhao Kuangyin’s lineage.

Zhao Shen rehabilitated Yue Fei's unjust case and began to recruit pro-war figures, determined to recover the Central Plains. The people's lives gradually became comfortable, which was known as the reign of Qian and Chun. After Zhao Shen had been emperor for 27 years, he also thought about the blessing of being the emperor emeritus, so he abdicated the throne to his son Zhao Dun.

When Zhao Dun first ascended the throne, he did have the idea of ​​making reforms, but he was so henpecked that he neglected state affairs, listened to slander, and alienated the emperor, which caused a political crisis in the Southern Song Dynasty.

After only five years in office, he exhausted his father's achievements and caused the Southern Song Dynasty to begin to decline. Soon after, Zhao Dun was forced to abdicate, and Song Ningzong Zhao Kuo inherited the throne with the support of ministers. He posthumously conferred the title of King of E on Yue Fei, stripped Qin Hui of his title, and focused on cracking down on the surrender faction.

However, during Zhao Kuo's 30 years in power, the government was controlled by Minister Han Tuozhou in the early period and by Empress Yang in the later period. He died of illness at the age of 57.

The 14th emperor of the Song Dynasty was Emperor Lizong of Song, Zhao Yun. During the first 10 years of Zhao Yun's reign, the royal power was controlled by the powerful prime minister Shi Miyuan, so Zhao Yun had to ignore government affairs and indulge in sensual pleasures. It was not until he was 29 years old that Zhao Yun began to rule the country himself.

He changed his previous attitude of indulging in pleasure, began to clarify the administration of officials, rectify the finances, adopted a series of reform measures, sent troops to form an alliance to destroy the Jin Dynasty, and was determined to be loyal to the Song Dynasty.

But in his later years, Zhao Yun began to indulge in a life of debauchery. The government fell into the hands of treacherous ministers such as Jia Sidao, and the country was in danger. After Zhao Yun died, because he had no children, the throne was handed over to his nephew Zhao Xie.

When Zhao Zhen succeeded to the throne, the Jin Dynasty had already perished and the army of the Mongol Empire began to march southward in large numbers. However, when the country was in crisis, Zhao Zhen handed over the military and state power to Jia Sidao, making the situation of the Southern Song Dynasty even more critical.

Zhao Xie was emperor for 10 years and died in Lin'an at the age of 35. When his second son Zhao Xian ascended the throne, the Yuan army had already reached Lin'an. Not long after, Zhao Xian surrendered to the Yuan Dynasty and was sent to Tibet by Kublai Khan to study.

Wen Tianxiang and other ministers decided to support Zhao Bing as emperor in Fuzhou, with Zhang Shijie as deputy marshal and Zhao Bing as general commander, in an attempt to revive the country. At this time, a small part of the country was still under the control of the Song Dynasty, with an army of more than 20 soldiers, but they obviously underestimated the strength of the Yuan army.

Soon after, the last stronghold north of the Yangtze River was lost. The Song Dynasty rulers and ministers had to spend most of their time at sea, and the soldiers were far away from their homeland, their families were displaced, and they suffered terribly. The Song army had no choice but to fight the last battle at Yashan.

After the defeat at Yashan, Lu Xiufu carried the last emperor of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Bing, on his back and jumped into the sea at Yashan, and 10 soldiers and civilians also jumped into the sea to die for their country. The Song Dynasty, which lasted for 319 years, came to an end.

——"From this perspective, the territory is not very large, but it can still hold out until it's old, it's still pretty strong. It's a pity for the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun."

——"Due to congenital reasons, the Song Dynasty lost the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun and had no supply of war horses, which resulted in the need for infantry to carry cavalry forever. Therefore, the Song Dynasty was considered to be too weak militarily."

——"In fact, even if there were the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, the Song Dynasty would still be like this. Because the system is there, with literati in power, there has never been a strong military since ancient times."

——"It's a pity that all the emperors of the Song Dynasty who had great talents and strategies died too early."

——"You are wrong. Those who died too early were all emperors with great talents and strategies. Either they died early, or you were left without an heir. Who do you think did this?"

——"After the Song Dynasty, culture basically stagnated, and technology basically did not grow any further."

[Understand how prosperous the culture of the Song Dynasty was in one breath. History of the Song Dynasty, historical knowledge, culture of the Song Dynasty]

It is said that the Song Dynasty was a prosperous and talented dynasty. What kind of relationships existed between those well-known cultural figures? In this video, let us review the relationships between these figures over 319 years in chronological order.

In 960 AD, Zhao Kuangyin launched the Chenqiao Mutiny and established the Song Dynasty, also known as the Northern Song Dynasty. During the 167 years of the Northern Song Dynasty, it was an era represented by two generations of literary leaders, Ouyang Xiu and Su Shi.

In 967, the hermit poet Lin Bu was born. He never served as an official or married in his life. He only liked to eat plums and raise cranes. He regarded plums as his wife and cranes as his sons. Later generations called him Mr. Hejing.

Eight years later, Li Yu, the eternal poet of Southern Tang, was imprisoned and died of poison on the night of Chinese Valentine's Day. Before his death, he left behind the poem "Yu Meiren" with the words "How much sorrow can you have, like a river of spring water flowing eastward".

In 984 AD, Liu Yong, the poet who created the most ci tunes in the Song Dynasty, was born. He was also the first person to comprehensively innovate Song Ci. Five years later, Fan Zhongyan was born. He followed the principle of "worrying about the world before worrying about himself, and being happy after the world is happy" throughout his life. He launched the Qingli New Deal and promoted reforms. He was known as Fan Wenzhenggong, and his descendants were likened to Confucius Temple and the Temple of Emperors of all dynasties.

In 991 AD, Yan Shu was born. Yan Shu was famous for his poems in the literary world. His grandson Qi was the ancestor of the Northern Song Dynasty. 47 years later, Yan Shu would have a son in his old age, and gave birth to his seventh son, Yan Jidao. The father and son are the famous "Two Yans" in history.

The first generation of literary leaders in the Northern Song Dynasty, Ouyang Xiu, was born in 1007. His peers included Mei Yaochen, the founder of Song poetry, and Su Shunqin, who was also known as "Su Mei" together with Mei Yaochen.

Su Xun was born in 1009 AD, and 28 years later, he gave birth to Su Shi, the second generation literary leader of the Northern Song Dynasty. So Fan Zhongyan, who we are more familiar with, should be considered Su Shi's grandfather, while Ouyang Xiu is Su Shi's father.

Ten years later, Zeng Gong, one of the Eight Great Masters of Tang and Song Dynasties, was born. He was known as Mr. Nanfeng. In 10, Wang Anshi was born. After becoming prime minister, he began to preside over the reform. Due to the exclusion of conservatives, he was dismissed and reinstated as prime minister many times. At the same time, he founded the Jinling New School and established his own style in the Northern Song Dynasty poetry circle with his elegant style, which was known as Wang Jinggong style.

Although Wang Anshi and Zeng Gong were more than ten years older than Su Shi, they were also figures of the same period. Su Shi's younger brother Su Zhe was four years younger than him. Su Shi had many disciples, including the first four scholars and the last four scholars. Among them, Huang Tingjian, one of the first four disciples of Su Shi, was born in 4.

Qin Guan was four years younger than him. Chao Buzhi and Zhang Lei, who were younger than him, were one year younger than him. They were all born in 4. Chen Shidao, another student of Su Shi, was also born in this year. Together with Li Yi, who came later, these six people are collectively known as the Six Gentlemen of Su Shi. These talents were more than ten years younger than Su Shi. It can be said that Su Shi was a key figure in the literary world of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Among the four scholars after Su Shi, Li Qingzhao's father Li Gefei was one of them. In 1084, Li Qingzhao, the most talented woman in history, was born and became the representative of the graceful school in the future.

In the last 27 years from the accession of Emperor Huizong of Song to the demise of the Northern Song Dynasty, Su Shi, Su Zhe and the four gentlemen of Su's school also died one after another. The literary world of the Northern Song Dynasty also suffered a devastating blow along with the demise of the court.

Li Qingzhao, who wandered southward, seemed to be a portrayal of people's lives at that time, and this background of the country's destruction and the family's ruin also gave rise to a group of poets who were both talented in literature and martial arts in the Southern Song Dynasty.

In 1103, Yue Fei, who was ranked first among the four generals who restored the Southern Song Dynasty, was born. He served in the army four times and led the Yue Family Army to the north to recover lost territory. His representative poem, "Man Jiang Hong·Nu Fa Chong Guan", is a famous patriotic piece that has been passed down through the ages.

In the two years before and after the Jingkang Incident, the four great poets of the Southern Song Dynasty, Lu You, Fan Chengda, Yang Wanli and You Mao, were born one after another. They would become the future leaders of the Southern Song literary world.

In 1140, Xin Qiji, the most powerful intellectual in the history of the Southern Song Dynasty, was born. However, just two years after Xin Qiji's birth, Yue Fei passed away. The most talented poet in both literature and martial arts during the entire Song Dynasty managed to support the entire dynasty.

In 1143, Xin Qiji's good friend Chen Liang was born. He was one of the main figures of the bold and unrestrained school of Song poetry. The Yongkang School he founded opposed peace talks and advocated resistance against the Jin Dynasty. Xin Qiji's "Pozhenzi" was written for him.

In 1155, Jiang Kui, another rare all-round artist after Su Shi, was born. He was known as Baishi Daoren and was proficient in poetry, prose, calligraphy and music. He never served as an official and spent his whole life in the underworld, living by selling calligraphy and helping friends, wandering around the world with his zither and flute on his back. He is also known as one of the top ten musicians in ancient China.

In 1190, Yuan Haowen, who wrote "What is love in this world? It makes us promise to be together until life and death", was born. He was the leader of northern literature during the confrontation between the Song and Jin dynasties, and a bridge between the Jin and Yuan dynasties in literature. He is respected as the representative of northern literature.

His poems are also the best in modern times, higher than those of the famous poets in the Song Dynasty. Not long after, Xin Qiji and Lu You passed away one after another. In 1236, Wen Tianxiang was born and became the last backbone of the Southern Song Dynasty.

In the last few decades of the Southern Song Dynasty, literary groups such as the Four Spirits of Yongjia and the Jianghu Poetry School emerged in the literary world. In 1278, the 42-year-old Wen Tianxiang was arrested, wrote "Since ancient times, everyone has to die, but I will leave my loyalty to shine in history" and then died calmly.

With the death of Zhao Bing, the last emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, who jumped into the sea at Yashan, 10 soldiers and civilians also jumped into the sea to sacrifice their lives for their country, and the 319-year cultural history of the two Song dynasties came to an end. Although I am in a low position, I dare not forget the worries of the country, and I have to wait until the coffin is closed to settle things. This is the last elegy of the Southern Song Dynasty.