"Fear of the beachhead said trepidation, zero Ding Yangli sighed zero Ding, life since ancient times who did not die, leave Dan heart to take care of Khan Qing", this shocking ancient and modern poem comes from the last generation of the Southern Song Dynasty XiangWen Tianxiang, at the same time it has evolved into a symbol of the Chinese nation. Wen Tianxiang's experience was tragic, and he remained unmoved by the high-ranking Mongolian official Houlu and intimidation threats. In 1278, wen Tianxiang, then 42 years old, took a boat as a prisoner through the Zero Ding Yang, and then the poem that has been passed down through the ages appeared. So where is Zero Ding Yang? Where did Wen Tianxiang go after "crossing zero Ding Yang"?
From the map, the Pearl River meanders to the south like a blood vessel, forming a triangular water at the mouth of the Pearl River flowing into the South China Sea, with Dongguan City at the top and Hong Kong and Macao to the east and west, and the area between the three was called "Zero Ding Yang" eight hundred years ago, that is, Lingling Yang.
Figure- Lingling Ocean Location
Today, this area of water spanning the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is one of the most prosperous and developed areas in China, but in the last years of the Southern Song Dynasty, it was filled with the blood, tears and helplessness of the Song people. From the Central Plains to Guangdong, the Song Dynasty soldiers and civilians were chased all the way by the Mongol Yuan army, and the thousand-mile territory from north to south no longer had the place where the Zhao royal family could stand, but even if they had fled to the end of the world, the Mongols were still unwilling to let them go.
In December 1278, the Southern Song Dynasty minister Wen Tianxiang was captured in Haifeng, Guangdong, while Lu Xiufu and the little emperor were still organizing resistance at Yashan, Guangdong, and at this darkest moment, the Commander of the Mongolian Army, Zhang Hongfan, wanted to use Wen Tianxiang to persuade Lu Xiufu to surrender. At that time, the Great Song had no way to retreat, and the remaining 100,000 soldiers and civilians gathered thousands of warships to prepare for a decisive battle with the Mongolian army, facing the Song people who regarded death as a homecoming, Zhang Hongfan had no certainty of victory.
Located south of Xinhui District, Jiangmen City, Guangdong Province, Yashan Mountain shows that the route from Haifeng (Haifeng County, Shanwei City, Guangdong Province) to Yashan just passed through Zero Dingyang, and it was during such a journey that Wen Tianxiang wrote immortal poems using a pen and paper handed over by Zhang Hongfan.
Picture - Lingling Yanghumen Bridge
It is conceivable that the front is an upcoming decisive battle, along the way there are warships of the Yuan army assembling, looking at these enemy soldiers who are ready to destroy their own relatives, Wen Tianxiang's heart is so tormented and painful. In Meng Yuan's view, Wen Tianxiang's identity is too important, on the position he is the Song Dynasty Minister, on the prestige of the world is unparalleled, so as long as wen Tianxiang can be surrendered, it is tantamount to surrendering 100,000 male soldiers. To this end, the Yuan Dynasty did everything in its power, threatening and intimidating, sealing officials and making wishes, in short, whenever there was a glimmer of hope, it was useless. But in the end, the Mongols exchanged only one sentence: I can't defend my parents, but teach people to rebel against their parents, can I?
Figure-Location of the Battle of Yashan (in Yinzhou Lake)
I can't defend my parents, but I also have to teach others to betray my parents. Three months later, the Battle of Yashan broke out, the Great Song ceased to exist, Lu Xiufu sorted out his imperial crown, bowed to the young emperor three times and bowed nine times, jumped into the sea on his back to martyrdom, and then 100,000 soldiers and civilians committed suicide in the sea. At this time, Wen Tianxiang's heart was cold and dead, and he witnessed the demise of the Great Song as a prisoner, and he did not want to say anything more, allowing the shameless people to still lobby in his ears. Then the Yuan Dynasty escorted him to Dadu, waiting for him for five years to say one word: I surrender!
Picture - Overlooking the artificial island of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in the Lingling Ocean
Unfortunately, the Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty did not wait for this sentence, but Wen Tianxiang, who was in custody, became a spiritual example for the people of the country. Well, since you'd rather die than surrender, fulfill your timeless reputation! On January 9, 1283, Wen Tianxiang was escorted to the streets of Dadu (Beijing), where five years of black imprisonment caused him to be unable to distinguish things, and before the execution, Wen Tianxiang sorted out his clothes and crown, and then asked the onlookers: Where is the south? Countless people led the way, that was the direction of the homeland, Wen Tianxiang knelt down to pay homage, the people all shed tears, and then this famous minister of the ages died under the butcher's knife of the Yuan people.
Photo - Overlooking the Forbidden City
Wen Tianxiang died, but the spirit of Chinese survived forever, who has not died since ancient times, leaving Dan to take care of Khan Qing, once it was our eternal Great Song!