Emperor Gaozong of Song was the founding emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty and the only Song emperor to escape from the captivity of the Jin State after the Jingkang Revolution. During his reign, he fought many wars and peace negotiations with the Jin state, and finally established the basic territory and political order of the Southern Song Dynasty. However, in the first year of Chunxi (1162), he suddenly passed the throne to his adopted son Zhao Yang and became Emperor Taishang himself. This move caused future generations to wonder and discuss, what prompted him to make such a decision?
Some people believe that Zhao Zhi abdicated due to physical reasons, possibly suffering from impotence or other diseases. However, this statement lacks historical support and is inconsistent with Zhao's lifestyle after his abdication. According to historical records such as the "Compilation of the Meeting", after Zhao Shu abdicated, he still toured the mountains and rivers, spoiled the palace maids, and lived to the age of eighty-one. If he really has physical hidden dangers, I am afraid it will be difficult to do this.
A more convincing explanation is that Zhao Shu's abdication was due to psychological reasons, mainly stimulated and influenced by the southern invasion of Jin Guo's complete Yanliang. Yan Liang was the fourth emperor of the Jin Kingdom, and he was also a very ambitious and decisive monarch. During his reign, he repeatedly violated the peace treaty with the Song state in an attempt to eliminate the Southern Song Dynasty. In the thirty-first year of Shaoxing (1161), he personally led a large army to the south in an attempt to annihilate the Southern Song Dynasty in one fell swoop.
This war dealt a very big blow to Zhao Shu. Because in order to reach a peace agreement, he had paid a huge price, including giving up the opportunity to recover the Central Plains, killing Yue Fei and other loyal generals, appointing traitorous ministers such as Qin Huan, and enduring the insults and threats of the envoys of the Jin State. He originally thought that this would be exchanged for the stability of the Southern Song Dynasty and his own happiness, but the complete Southern invasion made him understand that everything he had done before was futile.
Zhao Zhi was very reluctant to admit and respond to Yan Liang's southern invasion, and had not been fully prepared before the outbreak of war. When the Jin army attacked, he even wanted to flee to Yue Min and other places for refuge, but was dissuaded by Prime Minister Chen Kangbo and others. Although the Song army later won victories in quarrying and other places, and Yanliang was killed by his own subordinates, Zhao had lost interest and confidence in becoming emperor.
He felt that being an emperor was too tired, bitter, and dangerous, and could not live as he wanted. He wanted to live a free and comfortable life, no longer have to worry about the threat of the Jin Kingdom, no longer have to listen to the persuasion of ministers, and no longer had to worry about the trivial affairs of the imperial government. Therefore, he decided to abdicate and let his adopted son Zhao Yang inherit the throne, and he became the emperor. Although he still had some interference in Zhao Nan's imperial government, he enjoyed his life as emperor tai shang.
After Zhao abdicated, the situation in the Southern Song Dynasty did not improve as a result, but more internal and external troubles appeared. During Zhao's reign, he held the third Shaoxing peace treaty with the Jin state, ceding more land and property, and causing popular resistance and dissatisfaction. After Zhao Yang's death, his son Zhao Xu succeeded to the throne, but he was soon deposed by Prime Minister Jia Xiandao and installed Zhao Wei's other adopted son Zhao Wei as emperor. In this way, the imperial power of the Southern Song Dynasty fell into turmoil and crisis.
It can be said that Zhao Shu's abdication was a wrong decision, which not only did not bring real peace and happiness to himself, but also did not bring real stability and strength to the Southern Song Dynasty. It reflects Zhao's incompetence and weakness as an emperor, as well as the decline and predicament of the Southern Song Dynasty as a state.