Everyone in the world knows that Yue Fei is loyal to the country and resists Jin Wei Song, but he doesn't know that if it weren't for Zhao Go's 12 gold medals, Yue Fei might have led the army to attack Huanglong Mansion. In the eleventh year of Shaoxing (1141), the Yuejia army won successive battles, all the way north, and had reached the foot of Bianjing City. The Golden Vulture was frightened and wanted to abandon the city and flee. At this time, the morale of the Song army was like a rainbow, and the Jin army was defeated and retreated, and it seemed that it was just around the corner to recover the Central Plains and defeat the Jin State in one fell swoop. However, at this critical moment, Song Gaozong Zhao Gou ordered Yue Fei's class to return to the dynasty. If it weren't for this decree, how would history have been rewritten? Can Yue Fei really lead the army to attack the Huanglong Mansion? If he succeeded, what would be the fate of the Southern Song Dynasty? What are the twists and turns in this story?
1. The historical background of Yue Fei's Northern Expedition
The historical background of Yue Fei's Northern Expedition can be traced back to the Jingkang Revolution at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty. In 1127 AD, the Jin soldiers went south to break through Bianjing, the Northern Song Dynasty perished, the two emperors of Huiqin were taken into captivity, and the Central Plains fell into the rule of the Jin people. Zhao Gou ascended the throne in Lin'an (now Hangzhou) and established the Southern Song Dynasty regime, known as "Nandu" in history.
The Jin dynasty faced a dilemma of domination after occupying the Central Plains. Due to the lack of troops, the Jin people adopted the strategy of "ruling the Han with the Han" and supporting the Han puppet regime to manage the Central Plains. They successively established puppet regimes such as the puppet Chu and the puppet Qi in an attempt to stabilize their rule. However, this style of rule did not completely eliminate the Han people's will to resist.
In this situation, Yue Fei rose in troubled times. He came from a humble background, joined the army as a teenager, and quickly rose to prominence with his outstanding military talent. Yue Fei knows the importance of recovering the Central Plains and fighting against the Jin people, and always has the ambition of "serving the country with loyalty". He trained elite soldiers, made many military exploits, and gradually became the mainstay of the Southern Song Dynasty army.
However, Song Gaozong Zhao Go's attitude was completely different from Yue Fei's. After Zhao Gou succeeded to the throne, he always had concerns that he would be forced to give way to the exiled Emperor Huiqin after recovering the Central Plains. Therefore, he adopted a strategy of passive defense and advocated peace with Kim in order to protect himself. This attitude directly influenced the military policy of the Southern Song Dynasty.
In the tenth year of Shaoxing (1140), the Jin army once again marched south, and the troops attacked the Southern Song Dynasty in four ways. Jin Wushu led the main army to Bianjing and easily captured the former capital of the former dynasty. The rapid southward movement of the Jin army made Zhao Gou, who was originally immersed in reluctance and stealing peace, panic. At this critical juncture, he had to summon Yue Fei to go out and order him to lead his army to resist the Jin soldiers.
After Yue Fei received the order, he immediately led his army north. He adopted flexible and mobile tactics, avoided the real and made up for the false, and successively conquered Yuzhou, Changshui, Yingchang and other places. Yue Fei's military talent was fully demonstrated in this series of battles. He is good at using surprise weapons to win, often winning more with less, so that the Jin army will be defeated.
Special mention should be made of the Battle of Yuncheng. In this battle, Yue Fei led 50,000 cavalry to engage in a fierce battle with the main army of the Golden Vultures. The Jin army's proud "kidnapping horse" troops were defeated in front of the Yuejia army. Yue Fei commanded the soldiers to hold long-handled swords and axes, cut the cavalry up, cut the legs of the horses, broke the iron cavalry of the Jin army, and annihilated more than 15,000 enemies in one fell swoop. This victory not only dealt a blow to the arrogance of the Jin army, but also greatly boosted the morale of the soldiers and people of the Southern Song Dynasty.
At the same time, other anti-Jin generals such as Han Shizhong, Zhang Jun and others also achieved good results on their respective fronts. They recovered Yuzhou, Bozhou and other places respectively, further reducing the space for the Jin army's activities. What is even more exciting is that some loyal militiamen who insisted on resisting Jin in the occupied areas also took advantage of the situation and raised the banner of "Yue" one after another, expressing their willingness to accept Yue Fei's commander.
Just as Yue Fei was preparing to take advantage of the victory to pursue and recover the Central Plains in one fell swoop, Song Gaozong Zhao Go's attitude changed again. He was worried that Yue Feigong would be high and that he would retaliate against the Jin, so he began to secretly collude with the Lord and Qin Hui to prepare to suspend the Northern Expedition. This contradictory attitude directly led to the later "Twelve Gold Medals" incident, which became a key factor affecting the success or failure of Yue Fei's Northern Expedition.
2. Yue Fei's military operations on the Northern Expedition
Yue Fei's military campaign on the Northern Expedition was one of the most glorious chapters in the history of the Southern Song Dynasty's resistance to Jin. After receiving the order from Song Gaozong Zhao Gou, Yue Fei quickly mobilized his troops and began his northern expedition.
The first thing that caught the eye was the victory of Yuncheng. In April of the 11th year of Shaoxing (1141), Yue Fei led 50,000 elite cavalry to engage in a fierce battle with the main force of the Jin army in Yuncheng (now Luohe, Henan). The commander of the Jin army, Wanyan Zongbi (i.e., Jin Wushu), poured everything he had and sent the most elite "kidnapping horse" heavy cavalry in the Jin country. This unit is known for its ironclad cavalry, which has been invincible on many occasions.
However, in the face of the Jin Army's powerful equipment, Yue Fei showed excellent tactical wisdom. He ordered his soldiers to carry long-handled knives and axes, and adopted a unique way of fighting. The officers and men of the Song army did not confront the enemy cavalry head-on, but skillfully interspersed in the enemy formation, slashing the cavalry up and the horse's leg down. This tactic completely disrupted the formation of the Jin army's heavy cavalry, causing its proud "Iron Floating Tu" formation to collapse in an instant.
The battle lasted a whole day, and in the end Yue Fei won a complete victory, destroying more than 15,000 enemies. This victory not only dealt a heavy blow to the main force of the Jin army, but also greatly boosted the morale of the soldiers and civilians of the Southern Song Dynasty. After the Battle of Yuncheng, Jin Wushu no longer dared to underestimate the combat effectiveness of the Yue family's army, and began to adopt a more cautious attitude.
Immediately afterwards, Yue Fei commanded the army in the Battle of Yingchang. After the victory in Yuncheng, Yue Fei predicted that the Jin army would not be willing to defeat and would likely launch a counterattack against Yingchang. To this end, he ordered his son Yue Yun to lead an army to Yingchang to support the defender Wang Gui there.
Sure enough, as Yue Fei expected, Jin Wushu led an army of 100,000 to launch a fierce attack on Yingchang. This battle was extremely tragic, Yue Yun repeatedly rushed and killed more than ten times in the enemy formation, and was wounded in many places, but he still gritted his teeth and persevered. Wang Gui also led the defenders to kill the enemy bravely and vowed not to retreat.
In this desperate struggle, the soldiers of the Yue family army showed an amazing will to fight. They were covered in blood, but the more they fought, the more courageous they became. Although the Jin army had the advantage of strength, under the stubborn resistance of the Yuejia army, it suffered heavy casualties and finally had to retreat in a hurry.
The victory in the Battle of Yingchang further dealt a blow to the morale of the Jin army, and at the same time consolidated the results of Yue Fei's army. This victory laid a solid foundation for Yue Fei's subsequent Northern Expedition.
Taking advantage of the victory, Yue Fei led his army to advance northward, and soon arrived at Zhuxian Town. Zhuxian Town is located in the southwest of Bianjing (now Kaifeng), only more than 40 miles away from Bianjing. Yue Fei's army had approached the ruling center of the Jin army, and the situation was very good.
In Zhuxian Town, Yue Fei's generals Zhang Xian, Xu Qing and others once again showed superb military talent. They led their army to defeat the thousands of Jin cavalry that were blocking, opening the way for the main force to advance.
At this time, the Golden Vulture was already frightened. The successive defeats made him deeply afraid of the Yue family's army. When he learned that Yue Fei's army had arrived in Zhuxian Town, he had the idea of abandoning the city and fleeing.
Yue Fei's Northern Expedition was a great success. From Yuncheng to Yingchang, and then to Zhuxian Town, Yue's army passed all the way and won victories. This series of military campaigns not only regained large swathes of lost territory, but also greatly shook the foundation of the Jin dynasty's rule.
However, just as Yue Fei was about to swing his army north and go straight to the Huanglong Mansion, an unexpected change occurred. Song Gaozong Zhao Gou suddenly ordered Yue Fei's class to return to the court. This order not only interrupted Yue Fei's great cause of the Northern Expedition, but also changed the historical trend of the entire Southern Song Dynasty.
3. The potential impact of Yue Fei's Northern Expedition
Although Yue Fei's military operations in the Northern Expedition were abruptly suspended, its potential impact was far-reaching and widespread. If Zhao Gou had not ordered the withdrawal of troops, but had continued to support the Northern Expedition, the possible impact would have been worthy of in-depth discussion.
First, the likelihood of reconquiring lost territory has increased considerably. Yue Fei's military talent and strategic vision were fully demonstrated in the Northern Expedition. From Yuncheng to Yingchang, and then to Zhuxian Town, Yue's army passed all the way and won victories. If we can continue to advance, it is not impossible to recover most of the Central Plains. Especially after the battle of Zhuxian Town, the Golden Vulture has already begun to retreat, and Bianjing is close at hand. If Yue Fei can take advantage of the victory to pursue and conquer Bianjing, then the situation of recovering the Central Plains will be completely opened.
Second, the continuation of the Northern Expedition would pose a great threat to the rule of the Jin dynasty. After the Jin Dynasty occupied the Central Plains, it was constantly facing the dilemma of domination. The strategy they adopted of "using Han to rule Han" did not work well, and the Han people's will to resist was never completely suppressed. The success of Yue Fei's Northern Expedition will undoubtedly inspire more Han people to resist. Especially wherever Yue Fei's army went, the people raised the banner of "Yue" one after another, expressing their willingness to follow Yue Fei to resist Jin. If the Northern Expedition continues, this trend may be further expanded, thus dismantling the ruling foundations of the Jin dynasty from within.
Moreover, the success of the Northern Expedition would greatly enhance the national strength of the Southern Song Dynasty. The Central Plains region has always been the economic and cultural center of China, rich in products and densely populated. If the Central Plains can be recovered, the Southern Song Dynasty will have access to a large number of human and material resources. This can not only enhance the military strength of the Southern Song Dynasty, but also provide a strong impetus for the economic development of the Southern Song Dynasty. In particular, the recovery of important cities such as Bianjing will bring huge economic and cultural capital to the Southern Song Dynasty.
In addition, the success of the Northern Expedition would further enhance Yue Fei's prestige. Yue Fei already had a high reputation in the army, and the soldiers were willing to follow him to life and death. If the Central Plains can be recovered, Yue Fei's prestige will reach a new height. He may become one of the most influential figures in the Southern Song court, and may even influence the political landscape of the Southern Song Dynasty.
At the same time, the success of the Northern Expedition will also greatly encourage the people's anti-gold forces. Under the rule of the Jin Dynasty, there were always large and small anti-Jin forces in the Central Plains. These forces are either hidden in the mountains and forests, or lurking in the cities, always looking for opportunities to resist. The success of Yue Fei's Northern Expedition will provide a strong support for these forces. They may respond in droves, forming a huge anti-gold movement.
It is worth noting that the success of the Northern Expedition could also change the political landscape of the entire East Asian region. The Jin Dynasty's sphere of influence was not limited to the Central Plains, but also included the Northeast and parts of the Northwest. If the Southern Song Dynasty could successfully go on a northern expedition and recover the Central Plains, then the rule of the Jin Dynasty would be seriously threatened. This could trigger a chain reaction that would affect neighboring regimes such as Liaodong and Western Xia.
Another potential impact is cultural. The Central Plains region is the birthplace of Chinese culture and has a rich cultural heritage. If the Central Plains can be recovered, the Southern Song Dynasty will have the opportunity to renew these cultural traditions. This is not only of great significance to the cultural development of the Southern Song Dynasty, but also has a far-reaching impact on the inheritance and development of the entire Chinese culture.
However, the success of the Northern Expedition may also pose some potential problems. For example, how to deal with the exiled Emperor Huiqin, how to resettle officials and civilians in the Central Plains, and how to rebuild the cities and farmland destroyed by the war were all challenges that the Southern Song court had to face.
In general, if Yue Fei's Northern Expedition can continue to advance and succeed, its impact will be all-encompassing, involving political, military, economic, cultural and other aspects. This could not only change the fate of the Southern Song Dynasty, but may even rewrite the course of the entire history of China.
Fourth, the process of Yue Fei's killing
Although the potential impact of Yue Fei's Northern Expedition was far-reaching, this anti-gold hero finally ushered in a tragic end. The process of Yue Fei's murder is a history of intrigue and betrayal.
In December of the eleventh year of Shaoxing (1141), just as Yue Fei led the army to victory, he suddenly received twelve gold medal recall orders from Zhao Gou of Song Gaozong. Although Yue Fei was puzzled, as a loyal general, he still chose to obey the order and lead the army to return to the court.
After returning to the dynasty, Yue Fei did not receive the reward he deserved, but was squeezed out and suppressed by Qin Hui and others. As the prime minister at the time, Qin Hui has always advocated peace with Jin, which is contrary to Yue Fei's main battle position. In order to eradicate this political opponent, Qin Hui began to orchestrate an elaborate conspiracy.
In the first month of the twelfth year of Shaoxing (1142), Qin Hui arrested Yue Fei and imprisoned him under the pretext of "rebellion". This so-called charge of "rebellion" was completely fabricated out of thin air. Qin Hui used his power to instruct Cheng Wan Qiao, the imperial historian, to fabricate a forged accusation, claiming that Yue Fei conspired with Zhang Xian and others to rebel.
Yue Fei was imprisoned in the prison of Dali Temple and endured all kinds of torture. The jailers followed Qin Hui's instructions and inflicted inhumane treatment on Yue Fei. They didn't give Yue Fei food to eat, water to drink, and even stripped him of his clothes in the cold winter. But even in such a difficult situation, Yue Fei still maintained a strong will and never pleaded guilty.
Seeing that Yue Fei refused to admit his guilt, Qin Hui resorted to even more despicable means. He sent someone to arrest Yue Fei's son Yue Yun as well, in an attempt to threaten Yue Fei into submission. However, Yue Fei remained loyal and unyielding, and would rather die than give in.
In the course of the interrogation, a rather dramatic event occurred. It is said that Li Gang, the official in charge of the interrogation at the time, was deeply sympathetic to Yue Fei's plight. During an interrogation, Li Gang deliberately spilled ink on Yue Fei's confession, thus giving Yue Fei a chance to rewrite the confession. However, Yue Fei did not take this opportunity to defend himself, but still insisted on his innocence.
Qin Hui saw that both soft and hard could not make Yue Fei succumb, so he decided to take more extreme measures. He instructed the jailers to torture Yue Fei in an attempt to break Yue Fei's will through physical torture. However, even in the midst of intense pain, Yue Fei still insisted on his innocence.
On December 29, the twelfth year of Shaoxing, Qin Hui finally made up his mind to get rid of Yue Fei. He made a statement to Zhao Gou, Gaozong of the Song Dynasty, claiming that Yue Fei's guilt was conclusive and that he must be executed immediately. Zhao Gou, perhaps out of fear of Yue Fei, or perhaps blinded by Qin Hui's lies, actually agreed to this suggestion.
Late that night, Yue Fei was secretly escorted to the Fengbo Pavilion on the shore of the West Lake in Lin'an (present-day Hangzhou). On this cold winter night, Yue Fei was hanged. It is said that before dying, Yue Fei looked up to the sky and sighed: "The sun is clear, the sky is bright, what a crime I Yue Fei has!" "
The news of Yue Fei's murder spread quickly, causing shock and grief among the government and the opposition. Many people shed tears over the tragic death of this anti-gold hero. However, under Qin Hui's high-pressure rule, no one dared to publicly speak out for Yue Fei.
Yue Fei's death was not only a tragedy for one person, but also a tragedy for the entire Southern Song Dynasty. His death marked the end of the Southern Song Dynasty's active anti-Jin policy, and also foreshadowed the future decline of the Southern Song Dynasty.
After Yue Fei was killed, Qin Hui also ordered the destruction of all documents related to Yue Fei's case in order to cover up the truth. However, the truth of history cannot be completely buried after all. In the history books of later generations, Yue Fei's loyalty and patriotism were fully affirmed, and Qin Hui became one of the most notorious traitors in history.
5. Yue Fei's evaluation and influence in history
Yue Fei's tragic end did not obscure his glorious image in history. With the passage of time, Yue Fei's evaluation in history has continued to improve, and his influence has become more and more far-reaching.
During the Southern Song Dynasty, due to Qin Hui's high-pressure rule, the evaluation of Yue Fei was suppressed for a time. However, the people's admiration and nostalgia for Yue Fei have never stopped. Many literati and writers expressed their remembrance of Yue Fei through poetry and songs. For example, the famous poet Lu You once wrote the famous sentence "Wang Shi set the Central Plains Day in the north, and the family sacrifice did not forget to tell Na Weng", expressing regret for Yue Fei's unfinished business.
In the late Southern Song Dynasty, with the decline of Qin Hui's power, the imperial court began to gradually rehabilitate Yue Fei. During the reign of Song Xiaozong, Yue Fei's official position was restored, and his descendants were also praised by the imperial court. During the reign of Song Ningzong, Yue Fei was posthumously named King Wumu, which was the highest affirmation of his military talent.
After the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, Yue Fei's status was further enhanced. Although the Yuan Dynasty was founded by the Mongols, they had a respectful attitude towards national heroes like Yue Fei. Kublai Khan, the ancestor of the Yuan dynasty, even ordered a monument to be erected in front of Yue Fei's tomb, praising Yue Fei for his "loyalty". This kind of recognition across nationalities highlights Yue Fei's historical status.
During the Ming Dynasty, Yue Fei's image was further deified. Zhu Yuanzhang himself revered Yue Fei very much, he not only worshiped Yue Fei's tomb many times, but also ordered the establishment of Yue Fei temples all over the country, making Yue Fei the object of worship in the martial arts temple alongside Guan Yu. Historians of the Ming Dynasty also conducted a lot of research and records on Yue Fei's life and deeds, such as the detailed biography of Yue Fei in the History of the Song Dynasty.
Although the rulers of the Qing Dynasty were Manchus, they also paid tribute to Yue Fei. Emperor Kangxi once personally wrote an inscription for Yue Fei's tomb, praising Yue Fei for "being loyal to the sun and the moon and being famous in the universe". Emperor Qianlong included Yue Fei in the list of "loyal martyrs of the Zhao Dynasty", further affirming Yue Fei's historical status.
In modern history, Yue Fei's image has become a symbol of patriotism. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Yue Fei's story was widely praised to inspire the public's enthusiasm for the War of Resistance. Many anti-Japanese generals looked to Yue Fei as their role model. For example, the famous anti-Japanese general Dai Anlan once said: "My generation should follow Yue Wumu and serve the country loyally." "
Yue Fei's influence was not limited to the military and political spheres, but also had a profound impact in the cultural sphere. Yue Fei himself is an outstanding writer, and his lyrics such as "Man Jianghong" are still widely recited today. There are countless literary works about Yue Fei in later generations, such as the Yuan miscellaneous drama "Yue Fei Jingzhong Serving the Country" and the Ming Dynasty novel "The Biography of Jingzhong Yue", all of which played an important role in shaping Yue Fei's heroic image.
In folk culture, Yue Fei has become the embodiment of loyalty. There are legends and stories about Yue Fei in many places, such as "Mother-in-law's Tattoo", "Fengbo Pavilion", etc., although these stories may not be completely in line with historical facts, but they vividly reflect the people's admiration for Yue Fei.
Yue Fei's image also had a profound impact on the military thinking of later generations. His military talents and strategic thinking were widely studied and borrowed by later generations of generals. For example, when Qi Jiguang in the Ming Dynasty was training the new army, he mentioned many times that he wanted to learn the spirit of the Yue family's army. Jiang Baili, a modern military strategist, also wrote an article appraising Yue Fei's military talents, saying that Yue Fei's strategic thinking still has important reference value for modern military affairs.
In the field of education, Yue Fei's story has always been an important part of patriotic education. From the imperial examinations in ancient times to modern textbooks, Yue Fei's deeds are all indispensable content. By studying Yue Fei's story, generations of Chinese have been educated in the values of loyalty, bravery, and patriotism.
In addition, Yue Fei's image has influenced traditional Chinese values. The concept of "serving the country with loyalty" has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people to a large extent through Yue Fei's deeds. This value concept has had a profound impact on the formation and development of Chinese culture.