In 1234, the entire city of Lin'an was still immersed in the jubilation of Lianmeng's annihilation. In this ecstatic atmosphere, an even bolder idea gradually emerged - to regain the lost lands of Bianjing and Luoyang. This is a long-cherished wish of the Southern Song Dynasty that has lasted for hundreds of years, and it is also an opportunity to redeem the courage and dignity of the country. But the road to this goal is bound to be fraught with hardships and controversies. Supporters see this as a time to ride the bandwagon, but the opposition sees it as an immeasurable venture. On the balance of ideals and rationality, Emperor Lizong of Song finally pushed the imperial court on an unknown journey. Will this road lead to the glory of the homeland, or will it be a catastrophe that will never be restored?
1. Yanyun and Bianliang: The long-cherished wish of revenge and rejuvenation of the Northern and Southern Dynasties
Since the Song and Ding Revolutions, this land of the Central Plains has witnessed a tragic but contradictory history. The sixteen states of Yanyun in the north and the former capital of Bianjing in the south have long become the long-cherished wish and obsession pursued by the two dynasties for generations.
The Northern Song Dynasty was eyeing the sixteen states of Yanyun, and there were strategic considerations of security and reunification behind it. As the Central Plains Dynasty of Huayi, the Northern Song Dynasty was supposed to rule the whole of Xinjiang, so it launched several northern expeditions against the Jurchens in an attempt to regain this territory. However, every time you fall short, you can't end well. Until the later period, the Northern Song Dynasty was forced to unite with Mongolia to destroy the Khitan, but finally fell into the abyss of the country. Yanyun's dream was forever shattered.
In contrast, the Southern Song Dynasty's desire for Bianjing came more from the spiritual attachment and pursuit. Since Jingkang was forced to cross to the south, Bianjing has become the benchmark for the Southern Song Dynasty royal family to yearn for the restoration of the country. The Southern Song Dynasty had several times when negotiating with the Jin people, and strongly demanded to return to Kaifeng. However, whenever the opportunity is hazy, the Jin people are capricious, making Bianjing's dream far away.
Although the Northern Song and Southern Song Dynasty had different motives for their long-cherished aspirations for the two places, their enthusiasm and dedication to the land were identical. The long-awaited ideal finally dawned on the realization of Duanping into Luo. The Mongol army conquered Caizhou, and Jin Aizong was killed in battle, which was a decisive hammer. Song Lizong not only raised his eyebrows for capturing the bones of the Golden Emperor, but also rekindled his determination to recover the old capital.
As soon as the news spread, everyone in the government and the opposition was excited. After all, this is not only an important step for Zhongxing Dasong, but also an opportunity for the southerners who have been humiliated for a long time. Zhao Fan, Zhao Kui and others immediately put forward the idea of "guarding the river according to the Guan", calling for striking while the iron was hot and recovering the Central Plains in the Northern Expedition. The reasons are conclusive, and there are lessons to be learned. Although the opposition also bluntly said that the matter was risky, Emperor Li Zong had already made up his mind.
As a result, the Southern Song Dynasty dispatched troops and launched a large-scale northern expedition, hoping to re-incorporate the Central Plains into the territory in one fell swoop. The march route went straight to Bianjing, then to Luoyang, and finally achieved control of the defense line of the Yellow River at Tongguan. For the Song family, this was a great cause to revitalize the country, but at the same time, it was also an adventure beyond its means. The result? This will not happen overnight, it will have to go through difficulties and twists and turns...
2. Solidarity and opposition: the confrontation between idealism and realism
When the army was pressing, the government and the opposition should think twice about whether to go on the Northern Expedition. Camps for and against were formed in Lin'an City, and idealism and realism clashed fiercely in the court.
Supporting the Northern Expedition was naturally led by the young Emperor Lizong of the Song Dynasty. Ten years after ascending the throne, he first tasted the taste of holding power, and it was the best time to establish the great cause of Wang Shi when Fang was established. The recovery of the homeland is certainly a major driving force, but the emperor has a strong desire to revive the Great Song Dynasty in his heart. Looking around the palace day and night, don't you have the heart to revive and decline?
Joining forces with it are the main battle factions such as Zhao Fan and Zhao Kui brothers who are actively expanding their territory. They advocated striking while the iron was hot, accompanying the emperor's ambitions, and taking the victory of Lianmeng to destroy Jin as an opportunity to go north to seize Bianjing, Luoyang and Pass, and completely reverse the situation. Moreover, history often repeats itself, and the Jin people once "guarded the river" to turn the tide, shouldn't the Southern Song Dynasty follow this strategy? The reasons are conclusive, and the solidarity is overwhelming.
But there are also voices of opposition. Those who hold rational views, such as Shi Songzhi, Qiao Xingjian, Wu Yuan, Wu Qian, etc., are deeply skeptical of the idea of "recovering the Central Plains".
They believed that under the long-term war, the grain and grass in the Central Plains had already been annexed, and it was difficult to meet the material needs of the army. And even if Sanjing was captured by chance, the Southern Song Dynasty lacked cavalry mobility and was unable to hold the distant Yellow River defense line. Most crucially, sending troops north would undoubtedly anger the powerful Mongols, who would be difficult to deal with. All kinds of troubles are indeed justified.
Faced with the split between the government and the opposition, Song Lizong fell into a dilemma in his heart. He understands that reckless and reckless progress may lead to catastrophe, but as a generation of emperors, how can he give up his long-cherished wish for a hundred years? After repeated considerations, Emperor Li Zong finally made up his mind and issued a document in April 1234, officially kicking off the unprecedented Northern Expedition of "Duanping into Luo".
However, the march was difficult from the start. Shi Songzhi, the commander of the Jinghu Theater, openly opposed the dispatch of troops, not only refused to raise food, but also simply resisted and refused to obey the order under the repeated orders of the imperial court. The commander of the Sichuan Theater, Zhao Yanne, also learned from the atmosphere and was completely unmoved.
With so much resistance, the battle of Duanping into Luo can only be pinned on the Lianghuai War Zone. In May, Zhao Kui was ordered to command the army, and his brother Zhao Fan also took the lead in organizing logistics supplies, and the two brothers struggled to organize this difficult march.
On the one hand, there are expectations from the upper peak, and on the other hand, there are many obstacles from reality, and the Southern Song Dynasty is full of ambition, but also nervous, and embarks on a long journey to recover its homeland. The contradiction between ideal and reality is destined to continue to clash fiercely in the next journey...
3. Bianjing's Victory: A Dream Start to Recover the Old Capital
In June 1234, the army under the command of Zhao Kui marched north from Guide Mansion and started the Long March of the Northern Expedition of the Song Dynasty. There were many obstacles and difficult steps, but the long-cherished wish of "recovering the homeland" made the soldiers have the determination to fight to the death and have no hesitation.
Along the way, Zhao Kui was strategic, and adopted a surprise marching strategy many times, avoiding the strict precautions of the huge golden army. In mid-August, the Song army gradually moved to the west of Tongguan, which caught the Jin people off guard.
On September 6, the Song army quietly crossed the Yellow River under the cover of night and took advantage of the weakness to attack Bianjing. Emperor Lizong of Song in Lin'an was overjoyed when he heard the news, and hurriedly ordered people to gather reinforcements near Peng Ze, preparing to cooperate with Zhao Kui to break through the Song capital in one fell swoop.
In the early morning of September 8, the Song army's foot soldiers had already mixed into Bianjing City. The sudden attack made the defending Jin army embarrassed. A large melee broke out in the city around the city, and the two sides fought fiercely until noon, when the Jin army finally collapsed completely. Zhao Kui personally led the cavalry from the north gate and captured Yanfu Palace, the last base of the Jin people. Bianjing City, in this way, ushered in the change of hands of the protagonist in the bloody rain.
The Song army suffered heavy casualties throughout the battle, but in the end, Xiaojie won. Tens of thousands of gold people were killed, and 150,000 civilians were killed or injured in the chaos. But for the Song people, this was undoubtedly a major victory and a dream start to recovering their homeland.
The news of the victory spread to Lin'an like the Tiger Guard, and the entire capital rejoiced. Emperor Lizong of the Song Dynasty crowned Zhao Kui as the king of Fujiang, gave him the title "Youyong", and personally presided over the ceremony of restoring Bianjing as the "Beijing Master". The Song Dynasty, which regained Bianliang, immediately restored the attitude of a conqueror in the lost and regained Song capital.
In October, Zhao Kui led the Song army to continue northward, winning all the way, and conquering Luoyang and its surrounding important places first. During this period, the Central Plains was almost completely under the control of the Song people. There is a Song dynasty, and they all fell into the great joy of rejuvenating the country and raising their eyebrows.
This joy is not illusory. The return of Luoyang and Bianjing did lay the foundation for the reorganization of the Heluo Song Dynasty. In just a few months, the Song army's control area had reached as far as Henan and Shandong, and pushed its stronghold outside Tongguan Pass. Bianjing, which the government and the opposition had been looking forward to for a long time, once again became an important capital town after the reunification of the north and the south. The long-dormant political and cultural center was also launched. The reattachment of Bianjing is undoubtedly the most solid foundation for the Song dynasty to reign in the Central Plains.
After a hundred years of conquest, finally at this moment, the Song people started the great cause of revitalizing the Central Plains. However, this promising start will soon be overshadowed by reality.
Fourth, the siege of Luoyang: a lesson from miscalculation and insufficient preparation
As soon as the news of the Song army's Bianjing victory was returned, it encountered an unprecedented Waterloo. Although Zhao Kui had occupied Luoyang City, the Mongolian cavalry who were on guard launched a crazy counterattack at this time.
On October 20, 5,000 elite cavalry under Zhao Kui attacked from Luoyang and launched a surprise attack on the Mongolian army camp in Longmen. However, who expected that the Mongolian army had already taken precautions, not only laid ambushes, but also secretly dispatched a large number of reinforcements.
As soon as the Song army fell into the canyon encirclement, it was subjected to frantic fire from the Mongol company camp. The firepower was fierce, and the Song army was powerless to return to the sky. In just a few hours, the 5,000-strong army had suffered heavy casualties. Zhao Kui personally supervised the formation, trying his best to beckon the remnants to break through, but was shot and killed by a stray arrow. The Battle of Longmen turned into a tragic rout.
This battle triggered the collapse of the Song army's Luoyang city defense. Losing the commander-in-chief, the rest of the army was in chaos and collapsed without a fight. Subsequently, the Mongol army launched a general attack on Luoyang, and the defenders in the city were impregnable and unable to resist after all.
On November 13, Luoyang was defeated and the city fell. Zhao Maoying and other generals fled in a hurry, full of devastation. Tens of thousands of officers and soldiers were strewn across the field, and civilians were displaced. After the war, the Song army could only hold on to Bianjing, but it was only a temporary delay.
On the whole, the root cause of this rout was the major miscalculation of the expedition to the Central Plains by the Southern Song Dynasty. The amount of expenditure has exceeded the financial resources and grain and grass supplies allocated by the Northern Army. Without the delivery of military food from Yuanshui, the main force of the Northern Expedition could not continue, and it simply did not have the strength to hold Guanzhong.
Coupled with the Longmen tragedy, the Song army lost all their hearts. Shenzhen is fighting alone, and any unexpected situation may lead to destruction. The Mongol cavalry came and went unhindered, and at that time they had already controlled the entire Guanzhong rear road.
In this predicament of being cut off from supplies and trapped in a lone army, the Song army was forced to abandon Luoyang. The defeat of the Dragon Gate has shown the uselessness of continuous fighting. And Luoyang City will eventually be self-defeating, and the loss of more new forces is undoubtedly an urgent need.
In this way, the Song army was defeated in Luoyang, and the entire Northern Expedition could not advance any further. Although Bianjing has been captured, it can only be used as a temporary base area. Seeing the Mongolian cavalry wandering through Kyushu in the Central Plains, the Song people had no choice but to temporarily stick to Henan, waiting for a more favorable opportunity.
The success of the past can now only turn into a regretful past. The ambition to recover the Central Plains was severely crushed, at least temporarily, by the forces of reality. After this heavy blow, the Song people had to judge the situation and reflect on the various miscalculations and sins of this battle...
5. The retreat of Henan: the end of the road to the revival of the Song dynasty
After the siege of Luoyang, the Song army was defeated and retreated, and finally had to abandon Bianjing and fully withdraw to China. This marked the complete failure of the Duanping into Luo movement and the end of the great cause of the Song dynasty.
On 15 December, after the Mongolian army was stationed in Luoyang, it immediately advanced southward. Long Xiang, Dou Zhi and other Song generals fortified in Pengcheng, Kaifeng and other places, but they were already unable to return to the sky.
On the third day of January, the Mongol cavalry approached Bianjing, and the Song army finally decided to abandon the city. On that day, the Song officials and their families were in a hurry to flee, and the Song Shou general had to set fire to the palace and run away on horseback. The next day, the Mongol army marched straight in and occupied the former Song capital.
What followed was the brutal looting and burning of the Mongolian army. The siege of Bianjing lasted for 15 days, and the local soldiers and civilians suffered heavy casualties. The whole city was scorched and reduced to ruins. This giant town once again became a victim of the Song and Mongolian rivalries.
After the loss of Bianjing, the Song army could only completely retreat to the area south of the Huai River and gather in the area around Pengcheng. On January 18, the Mongol army broke through the front and attacked the city of Pengcheng. The two sides launched a Jedi counterattack that lasted for more than half a year.
At the beginning of this fierce battle, Zhao Fan, the commander of the main army, was suddenly killed by an arrow. His younger brother Zhao Kui died in front of the Dragon Gate. The brothers in charge died one after another, and Song Junjun's heart began to waver.
However, even so, the entire Huai River front has never been broken. From May onwards, the Mongol army slaughtered cities and land, but could not be attacked. Because in the face of stubborn resistance, the main Mongol force was unable to cross the Huai River to fight the victory.
In the end, the two sides were at a stalemate, and the Mongols had no choice but to let go of their harsh words and order the Song dynasty to submit. Once the Mongolian army completely crosses the Huai, it will definitely affect more than a dozen provinces in the Central Plains, and the tragic situation when the Jin Dynasty fell will be staged again.
In the face of this coercion and temptation, Emperor Lizong of the Song Dynasty finally made a painful choice - in April 1235, the Song court agreed to the Mongol ultimatum and concluded the "Huaiyi Peace Treaty", completely abandoning the long-cherished wish of recovering the Central Plains.
North of the Huai River, all the lost land, including Bianjing, was unconditionally ceded. In return, the Mongols promised to keep the Song dynasty south of the Yangtze River and agreed to resume trade. This humiliating treaty undoubtedly announced the complete destruction of the Song court's long-cherished wishes.
In this way, the Duanping Luoluo movement ended in defeat. The bloody battle launched to recover the homeland and the Zhongxing Dynasty ended in the flames of war and the destruction of lives. Since then, the Song Dynasty has been unable to regain its strength, so it can only confine its territory in a corner of the south of the Yangtze River, waiting to be finally swallowed up by the wind and clouds of history...