Do you know how Yue Fei went from a slandered "traitor" to a national hero? In the long river of history, Yue Fei's name has sometimes been wronged and sometimes praised. From Yue Fei's death to his reputation, it took 84 years. How was Yue Fei rehabilitated? How did he leave a deep impression on the people and become a loyal hero in people's mouths? What is hidden behind this and what is little known? Next, let's find out and restore that magnificent history.
Yue Fei, a prominent military general of the Southern Song Dynasty, was known for his loyalty and bravery, but his life was full of dramatic turns. In the twelfth year of Shaoxing (1142), Yue Fei, who was known as a national hero, was framed by Qin Hui and others in a political struggle, and was executed on the charge of "intending to rebel" at the age of 39.
On the day Yue Fei was killed, the people of Lin'an (present-day Hangzhou) burst into tears, and his death made countless people saddened. And this tragedy also opened a long road to the restoration of Yue Fei's reputation.
After Yue Fei's death, the people's nostalgia and reverence for him have not been diminished by the government's suppression. On the contrary, his loyalty and sacrifice are increasingly celebrated. In Xixi Village, Hangzhou, some soldiers even took the risk of imitating Yue Fei's handwriting and wrote touching quatrains to express their sorrows: "After the twenty autumns of the Central Plains, the merit is too much and the work is not fully paid; Who is the reason why Dan's heart is like a stone? There are empty wandering spirits all over Kyushu. ”
Not only in Hangzhou, but also in the whole country, Yue Fei was commemorated secretly or openly, and they expressed their admiration for the hero and their hatred of the traitorous minister through various means, such as building temples and writing poems.
Although the imperial court tried to suppress these activities, the emotions of the people could not be suppressed. For example, in the twenty-fifth year of Shaoxing (1155), when Qin Hui died of illness, people wrote to ask for Yue Fei Zhaoxue, although Song Gaozong did not do anything, the people's voices shook the court again and again.
After decades, finally during the period of filial piety in the Southern Song Dynasty, Yue Fei was officially rehabilitated. This news is like a spring breeze and rain, which makes people who support Yue Fei feel a little comfort. But the real complete Zhaoxue was not until the twenty-second year of Chenghua in the Ming Dynasty (1486), when the local government built the Yue Wumu Temple, which could be regarded as giving Yue Fei a fair evaluation.
In this long process of rehabilitation, not only the Yue Fei family, but also countless ordinary people, who maintained their memory and respect for Yue Fei in various ways, even risking their lives. For example, it is recorded in the literature that some folk artists sang Yue Fei's deeds to the world through operas and songs, making Yue Fei's image more and more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. This kind of grassroots spread has actually greatly promoted the social atmosphere of Yue Fei's rehabilitation.
Yue Fei's loyalty and bravery have also become the subject of many literati and writers. The description of Yue Fei in Lu You's "Hairpin Phoenix, Red Crisp Hand" makes the image of this hero more profound for later generations: "The iron horse stands out from the knife and spear, and the fire flutters and the flag does not move and the smoke rolls out. Thirty fame, dust and earth, eight thousand miles of clouds and moons. These works not only beautify Yue Fei's heroic image, but also add a force to his rehabilitation in literature.
Yue Fei's road to rehabilitation was not all smooth sailing. During this period, many officials and scholars opposed Yue Fei's rehabilitation for the sake of self-preservation or other interests. But as time passed, Yue Fei's image of loyalty to the country became more and more apparent, and the public's support for him became more and more firm. This kind of tug-of-war between the people and the government finally won with the emotions of the people.
Especially in the Yuan and Ming dynasties, the evaluation of Yue Fei began to change significantly. The Yuan Dynasty posthumously presented Yue Fei many times, and the Ming Dynasty officially named him King Wumu and built temples for people to pay respects. Yue Fei's image has also changed from a misunderstood general to a symbol of national hero and loyalty.
As for the complete innocence of Yue Fei's reputation, it was during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty that the emperor at that time had a higher evaluation of Yue Fei's historical status and clearly pointed out that Yue Fei was a loyal minister, and this evaluation also became the general opinion of Yue Fei in later generations.
Such a change in historical evaluation is not only a personal rehabilitation of Yue Fei, but also a restoration and maintenance of historical justice. The restoration of Yue Fei's reputation shows that history is fair, and everyone will eventually be given a fair evaluation.
Yue Fei's life is an epic full of twists and turns. He fought for his nation with loyalty and bravery, and although he was once misunderstood and even extremely slandered, the wheel of history finally brought him back to his rightful place. Although it took 84 years from his death to his full reputation, it also witnessed the journey of a hero from controversy to national recognition. Yue Fei is not only an echo of history, but also a manifestation of the belief that justice and truth will never fade.