Preface
The fall of the Jin Kingdom was a profound pain in Chinese history, and this period of history was full of tragedy and tragedy. Before the fall of the Jin Kingdom, the imperial concubines were taken into exile and the royal family was displaced, which was undoubtedly a tragic ending.
However, how did this dynasty eventually come to an end? What kind of suffering and humiliation did it experience before its demise? How did the emperors and generals of the Jin Kingdom choose the unyielding path of preferring death to surrender? Let us delve into the tragic history of the Jin Kingdom before its demise.
1. The general trend has gone, and karma will be retribution
The year 1233 is destined to be an extraordinary year for the Jin Kingdom. This year, Jin Guo was like a giant beast on the verge of death, struggling with its dying. The fall of Kaifeng City is undoubtedly a fatal blow.
This once glorious imperial capital is now a sea of blood and corpses. Jin Aizong witnessed all this, and his heart must have been filled with grief and indignation. As the last emperor of the Jin Kingdom, he may have realized at this time that his dynasty has come to an end.
But even so, Jin Aizong did not give up. He fled south with his clan concubines, hoping to regain his strength elsewhere and make a comeback. However, shortly after they left Kaifeng, the city fell completely. More than 500 nobles and concubines of the Jin Dynasty once again encountered the bad luck of the Jingkang Revolution and were taken captive to the north.
It was a heavy blow. The fall of the Kingdom of Jin was like a snowball, getting bigger and faster. The once glorious Jurchen dynasty is now on the verge of collapse. Jin Aizong may have realized at this time that his dynasty has come to an end and can no longer be recovered.
Second, the dream is shattered, and the army is destroyed
After Jin Aizong fled to Gwanghwa, he did not give up his last hope. He soon got in touch with Wuxian, the defeated general of the former Mongolian army, and the two of them together "welcomed the mourning sect and made a comeback according to Sichuan and Shu". This is undoubtedly a good plan, after all, Wu Xian still has more than 100,000 soldiers and civilians under his command, which is enough to join forces with the Jin State to fight the enemy.
However, they were faced with a fierce general in the Song army - Meng Hui. The commander of the Song army, who was a general for four generations, was well aware of the terrain around Sichuan, Shu and Xiangfan. In the face of Wuxian's attack, he skillfully used the method of mountain warfare, causing heavy losses to the Jin army.
Seeing that the march was blocked, Wuxian mistakenly thought that Meng Hui's main force was stationed in Sichuan and Shu, so he made a desperate bet and turned to attack Xiangfan. Unexpectedly, this fell into Meng Heng's trap. The area around Xiangfan had long been heavily guarded, and Wuxian's army was completely wiped out in the Battle of Horse Shoe Mountain. Jin Aizong watched his last hope shattered, and he had to die in Caizhou, and this small city became his last base.
The battle was undoubtedly a major blow. The last hope of the Jin State was defeated by the Song army Meng Heng in one fell swoop. The army of martial immortals was destroyed, and Jin Aizong also lost the opportunity to make a comeback. At this time, Jin Guo was like a giant beast on the verge of despair, struggling with its dying.
3. The siege of Caizhou, killing horses for food
The Battle of Caizhou was destined to be the last battle of the Jin Kingdom. Although the small city was strategically located, it was limited in size and was soon surrounded by the Mongol and Song armies. The two armies engaged in a protracted offensive and defensive battle, with both sides exerting all their might.
In the city, the soldiers of the Jin army tried their best to hold the city. They knew that this battle was the last stubbornness of the Jin Kingdom. However, the small town of Caizhou had limited food rations after all, and soon began to struggle. In order to persist in resisting, Jin Aizong had to order all the war horses to be killed in order to replenish the army's rations. It was undoubtedly a difficult decision, but in the dilemma of the time, there was no choice.
Outside the city, the Song and Mongolian coalition forces were always ready to launch a general attack. The commander of the Song army, Meng Hui, and the commander of the Mongolian army, Chahar, became brothers, like a family. The division of labor between the two armies and the formation of a powerful siege force. They knew that this battle was the last chance for Xue Shijingkang, and they had to go all out.
This offensive and defensive battle can be described as extremely tragic. The soldiers of the Jin army in the city would rather die than surrender, vowing to fight for the dignity of the Jurchen nation. And the Song and Mongolian coalition forces outside the city also vowed to completely clear the last obstacle and shame Jingkang. Both sides did their best and engaged in a protracted struggle to the death.
Fourth, the Jurchens destroyed the country, and Jingkang was ashamed
In the first month of 1234, the city of Caizhou was finally lost. Although the geographical location of this small city is dangerous, it cannot resist the iron hooves of the Song and Mongolian coalition forces after all. The soldiers of the Jin army tried their last strength, but they still could not stop the enemy's attack.
Faced with the situation that the general trend has gone, Jin Aizong finally made up his mind to cede the throne to Marshal Wanyan Chenglin. At the same time, he also ordered his men to burn his corpse with fire to atone for the sins of heaven and earth. With that, he took up his knife and killed himself.
After hearing the news, the prime minister also jumped into the Ru River and was martyred. The newly enthroned Wanyan Chenglin was beheaded when the city was broken, and in this way, the two emperors of the Jin State both died on the battlefield, and would rather die than surrender.
The Song and Mongolian coalition forces took the remains of the two emperors respectively, and the city of Caizhou was covered with blood. In this way, the national fortunes of the Jin Kingdom were finally exhausted, and the century-old "Jingkang shame" was completely hated. A once powerful dynasty has come to an end.
This battle was the last fight of the Jin Kingdom. The soldiers of the Jin army swore to defend the last base area, but after all, they could not resist the iron hooves of the Song and Mongolian coalition forces. Jin Aizong finally chose to commit suicide, and his prime minister Hu Xiehu also followed him and died martyrdom. The new Wanyan Chenglin was beheaded when the city was broken, and the two emperors of the Jin State died on the battlefield in this way, preferring to die rather than surrender.
The Song and Mongolian coalition forces took the remains of the two emperors respectively, and the city of Caizhou was covered with blood. In this way, the national fortunes of the Jin Kingdom were finally exhausted, and the century-old "Jingkang shame" was completely hated. A once powerful dynasty has come to an end.
epilogue
The fall of the Kingdom of Jin is undoubtedly a suffocating tragedy. This once powerful Jurchen dynasty experienced great suffering and tribulation in its final year. But even so, the Jin people still chose the unyielding path of preferring death to surrender.
This kind of heroic courage in the face of death is precisely where the pride of the Jurchen nation lies. Even if the dynasty falls, the integrity of this nation will be immortal. It will be remembered by future generations, recorded in history, and become the last cry of a once glorious nation.