Dynasties of ChinaSouthern SongSouthern Song lineage
Xiangxing · Reign 1278—1279
The last emperor of the Southern Song was besieged by the Yuan army in Yashan. After the failure of the naval battle, Prime Minister Lu Xiufu threw himself into the sea and died for his country.
Zhao Bing is Duzong's son, his mother is Yu Xiurong, and Duanzong's younger brother. He was granted the title of King Guang. After Duanzong ascended the throne, he was granted the title of King Wei. Duanzong died of illness in Suizhou in April 1278, and the ministers wanted to disperse. Lu Xiufu said, "Emperor Duzong still has a son, how can he be replaced?", so he supported him to the throne, adopted the era name Xiangxing, and Yangtaihou was in charge of the government. In June, the imperial court moved to Yashan in Xinhui and built a military palace. Zhang Shijie arrayed more than a thousand warships on the sea. In February 1279, Yuan general Zhang Hongfan launched a general attack, and the entire Song army was wiped out. Lu Xiufu carried Zhao Bing on his back and threw himself into the sea. Yangtaihou and a large number of soldiers and civilians subsequently died for the country, and Southern Song was destroyed.
PoliticsGuizhou ascended the throne
In April, Duanzong died of illness, and Lu Xiufu and others supported Zhao Bing to ascend the throne and adopted the era name to Xiangxing. In June, because it was difficult to hold on to Guizhou, the imperial court moved to Xinhui Yashan and built a palace and military houses as the last stronghold.
PeopleWen Tianxiang was captured
Wen Tianxiang, who moved to Guangdong in December, was captured by the Yuan army in Wupoling, Haifeng, and attempted suicide by taking medicine. In the first month of the following year, he was escorted by Zhang Hongfan to the Lingding Ocean with the boat master, and he wrote, "Since ancient times, no one has died, and his loyalty will be remembered by history."
MilitaryBattle of Yashan
On the sixth day of February, Zhang Hongfan launched a general offensive. Zhang Shijie used iron cables to connect more than a thousand warships into a single formation. After being surrounded by the Yuan army and cut off water, the entire line was defeated. Lu Xiufu threw Zhao Bing into the sea on his back, Yangtaihou and a large number of soldiers and civilians crossed the sea one after another, and Southern Song perished.
Lasting legacyYashan is located in present-day Yamen Town, Xinhui District, Jiangmen City, Guangdong. There are memorial buildings such as Yashan Temple and Ciyuan Temple built there.
PeopleZhang Shijie was martyred
Zhang Shijie led more than ten warships to break out of the encirclement. After learning about Emperor Bing's death, he still tried to establish a new clan and raise the emperor again. On the way, he encountered a hurricane on the sea surface of Pingzhang Mountain, and his ship capsized and drowned.
He presided over government affairs in the exiled court. Even on the ship, he still wrote "University Chapters" every day to lecture and read to the young emperor. When Yashan was defeated, he first sent his wife and children into the sea, and then carried Emperor Bing on his back and crossed the sea to die for his country.
The son of Han Dynasty Hou Zhang Rou, Yuan dynasty was the marshal of the Mongolian Han army. In 1278, he led his army south to pursue the exiled Song Dynasty and defeated the Song army at Yashan. It is said that he carved a stone on Yashan "Here is where Zhang Hongfan destroyed the Song Dynasty."
Duanzong’s biological mother. Before the fall of Lin'an, she fled south with the two kings. After Duanzong came to the throne, she was revered as the queen mother and listened to the government together. After hearing the news of Emperor Bing's death after the defeat at Yashan, he threw himself into the sea and died for his country.