Dynasties of ChinaSouthern SongSouthern Song lineage
Qiandao · Chunxi · Reign 1162—1189
The most accomplished monarch of the Southern Song, he rehabilitated Yue Fei and embarked on the Northern Expedition. After the failure of the Northern Expedition, he turned to rectifying internal affairs and created the "Government of Qian and Chun".
Zhao Shen, formerly known as Zhao Bocong, was the seventh grandson of Taizu in the Song Dynasty. He was born in Xiuzhou in 1127. After Gaozong's only son died in infancy, he was selected and adopted into the palace in 1132. After several inspections, he was established as the prince in 1160 and Crown Prince in 1162 with accession following abdication. Since Taizong in the Song Dynasty, the throne has been passed down in the Taizong line for more than 180 years, and has now returned to the descendants of Taizu.
When Xiaozong came to the throne, he rehabilitated Yue Fei, appointed Zhang Jun and other war factions, and launched the Longxing Northern Expedition in 1163. After Fuli was defeated, the Longxing Peace Treaty was concluded the following year, and the Song and Jin Dynasties were changed to the Kingdom of Uncles and Nephews. After that, he still paid attention to recovery, but focused more on rectifying the official administration, saving redundant expenses, stabilizing the currency value of Huizi, promoting social warehouses and other internal affairs, so that Southern Song entered the "Qian Chun rule" with political clarity and economic prosperity.
The Xiaozong Dynasty was also one of the most prosperous periods of Southern Song culture. Zhu Xi, Lu Jiuyuan, and Lü Zuqian gave lectures and debates, and famous poets such as Lu You, Yang Wanli, Fan Chengda, and Xin Qiji were active in the literary world. Gaozong passed away in 1187, and Xiaozong performed filial piety. In 1189, he abdicated to Crown Prince Zhao Dun and retired to Chonghua Palace. He died of illness in 1194.
Xiaozong is recognized as the most accomplished emperor of Southern Song. After he came to the throne, he rehabilitated Yue Fei and worked hard to recover. Although Longxing's Northern Expedition failed, he gained a more equal status through peace talks. Since then, he has been diligent in political affairs, used money prudently, cared for the people, and stabilized the currency value, making Southern Song's national power and culture reach its peak. However, due to the limitations of the Retired Emperor Gaozong and the country's power, he never realized his ambition to recover. In his later years, he was tired of politics and trusted others, which also laid hidden dangers for the chaos of the Guangzong Dynasty.
PoliticsSelected and raised into the palace
After Gaozong's only son Zhao Min died in infancy, he chose an adopted son from Taizu's descendants on the advice of ministers. The young Zhao Bocong was selected into the palace, raised by Zhang Jieyu, and inspected together with his other eldest son Zhao Bojiu.
Politicsaccession following abdication
In May, he was established as Crown Prince and renamed Zhao Shen; in June, he ascended the throne in Lin'an and changed his name to Longxing in the following year. After he ascended the throne, he was very filial to Gaozong and often went to Deoksugung Palace to pay his respects.
PoliticsRehabilitate Yue Fei
In July, an edict was issued to restore Yue Fei's original official position, and he was buried in Qixialing, West Lake with ceremony, and his descendants were appointed. In 1179, he was posthumously named "Wu Mu".
Lasting legacyToday, there is the tomb of Yue Fei in the Yue Wang Temple beside the West Lake in Hangzhou. In front of the tomb are the iron statues of Qin Gui, Wang Shi, Wan Qixi and Zhang Jun kneeling.
MilitaryLongxing Northern Expedition
Zhang Jun was ordered to supervise the Jianghuai troops in the Northern Expedition. Li Xianzhong and Shao Hongyuan captured Lingbi, Hongxian, and Suzhou. However, the two generals were at odds and were defeated by a counterattack by the Jin army in Fuli, and the Northern Expedition failed.
DiplomacyLongxing Peace Treaty
A peace agreement was made with Jin: Song and Jin were changed into the kingdom of uncles and nephews, the Song emperor no longer claimed vassalage, the annual currency was reduced to 200,000 silver and silk each, and the boundaries were restored to the old boundaries at the time of the Shaoxing peace negotiation. After that, the Song and Jin Dynasties maintained peace for more than 40 years.
PeopleXin Qiji offers suggestions
Xin Qiji, who returned to the Song Dynasty not long ago, submitted "Ten Discussions on Meiqin" to Xiaozong, analyzing the situation between the enemy and ourselves, and proposed a strategy for restoring the Central Plains; a few years later, he submitted "Nine Discussions" to chief minister Yu Yunwen, but neither was adopted.
EconomyHuizi demarcation
It is stipulated that the society will be divided into three years, and the issuance amount of each circle is limited to 10 million yuan, and the old ones will be replaced with new ones when they expire. Xiaozong used the inner treasury gold and silver exchange meeting many times to keep the currency value generally stable during his reign.
DiplomacyFan Chengda makes gold
Send Fan Chengda to envoy Jin to request the return of the land of the Northern Song imperial mausoleum. He took the risk to submit a private letter to Jinting asking for a gift, and returned home at the end of the festival. The poem "N & S of Zhouqiao is a sky street, and my father is waiting to drive home in his old age" fully expresses the thoughts of the Central Plains survivors about their homeland.
PeopleLu You joins the army in Nanzheng
At the invitation of Wang Yan, the Xuanfu envoy of Sichuan, Lu You went to Nanzheng, the front line, as a staff member and experienced military life firsthand. This experience became a recurring theme in his poetry, "The Iron Horse Dispersed in the Autumn Wind" recalls this event.
CultureGoose Lake Meeting
Lü Zuqian invited Zhu Xi and brothers Lu Jiuling and Lu Jiuyuan to meet at Ehu Temple in Xinzhou. The two parties debated whether learning should come first by "learning from Taoism" or "respecting virtue and nature". The distinction between Neo-Confucianism and Psychology was thus revealed.
Lasting legacyThe current Ehu Academy in Qianshan, Jiangxi was built to commemorate this debate.
Diplomacy"Answers from Beyond the Ridge"
Zhou Qufei, who once served in Guangxi, wrote "Lingwai Daida", describing the customs of Lingnan and the countries that communicated with China by sea, as far away as Dashi and Mulanpi further west, reflecting the vastness of overseas transportation at that time.
CultureRestoration of Bailudong Academy
When Zhu Xi learned about the Nankang Army, he restored Bailudong Academy in Lushan Mountain, gave lectures in person and formulated the academic rules "White Deerdong Academy Revealed", which became a model for academy education in later generations.
Lasting legacyBailudong Academy now exists at the foot of Wulaofeng in Lushan Mountain in Jiangxi Province. It is an important part of the world cultural landscape of Lushan Mountain.
SocietyPromote social warehouse law
Zhu Xi's suggestions were adopted and the social warehouse method he tried in Wufuli, Chong'an County was implemented in various places: purchasing and storing in good years, borrowing money in lean years, and only charging a small amount of interest on grain borrowing to relieve rural areas and curb usury exploitation.
PoliticsGaozong passed away
In October, Emperor Gaozong passed away. Xiaozong insisted on mourning for three years, and during this period, he allowed the Crown Prince to participate in political affairs to prepare for the abdication.
PoliticsabdicationGuangzong
In February, he abdication to Crown Prince Zhao Dun, claiming to be the Shouhuang Holy Emperor, and retired to Chonghua Palace. After Guangzong came to the throne, he was instigated by Empress Li and rarely came to greet her. The relationship between father and son deteriorated day by day.
PoliticsDied of illness in Chonghua Palace
He died of illness in Chonghua Palace in June at the age of sixty-eight. Guangzong claimed that he was ill and could not attend the funeral, which shocked both the government and the public, triggering the subsequent internal Zen of Shao Xi.
During the Gaozong period, he served as chief minister and commander-in-chief of the army and horses, and was instrumental in quelling the Miao and Liu rebellions. After Xiaozong came to the throne, he was appointed to preside over the Longxing Northern Expedition. After Fu Li's defeat, he still persisted in resisting the Jin Dynasty and died in 1164.
Xiaozong was the prince's teacher when he was the prince. After Xiaozong came to the throne, he served as chief minister. He petitioned Yue Fei to rehabilitate him. However, he opposed the hasty Northern Expedition and dismissed him because of disagreements with Zhang Jun. He later became prime minister again.
After the Battle of Caishi, Xiaozong's reputation was greatly improved. Xiaozong was promoted to Prime Minister Zuo, and later served as the Xuanfu envoy of Sichuan. He made an agreement with Xiaozong to conduct the Northern Expedition on both east and west routes. He died of illness in Sichuan before dispatching troops.
During the Xiaozong Dynasty, he served and gave lectures in the local area for a long time. He repaired Bailudong Academy and implemented the Shecang Law. He repeatedly wrote letters to state the current shortcomings and advocated "integrity and sincerity" as the basis for governing the country.
His courtesy name was Bo Gong, a native of Jinhua, Wuzhou. Together with Zhu Xi and Zhang Shi, he was known as one of the "Three Southeast Sages". He presided over the Ehu meeting to reconcile the differences between Zhu and Lu, and co-edited the introductory book "Jin Si Lu" with Zhu Xi.
He advocated "the heart is reason" and emphasized the original intention of invention. At the Ehu meeting, he criticized Zhu Xi's theory as "fragmented". Later, he lectured in Xiangshan, Jiangxi, and had many disciples.
Xiaozong successively served as governor of Jiangxi, Hunan, Fujian and other places, and founded the Flying Tiger Army in Hunan. Due to repeated impeachments, he lived in Daihu and Qianshan Laoquan, Shangrao, Jiangxi for a long time, and wrote a large number of poems.
After Xiaozong came to the throne, he was given a Jinshi background, but he was repeatedly excluded because he advocated the Northern Expedition. He once served in the army on the front line of Nanzheng, and later entered Shu. His poems are full of ambitions to restore the Central Plains, and he calls himself Fang Weng.