Emperor Guangzong of Song (30 September 1147 – 17 September 1200), third son of Emperor Xiaozong of Song and empress dowager Chengmuguo, was the twelfth emperor of the Song Dynasty (reigned 18 February 1189 – 24 July 1194). He reigned for 5 years, died at the age of 53, and was posthumously known as Emperor Xundao Xian Ren Ming Gong Mao De Wen Wen Shun Wu ShengZhe Cixiao.
In the seventeenth year of Shaoxing (1147), in September 1147, Yi Ugly was born in the palace of the domain (Guangzong designated this day as the Chongming Festival), belonged to xiang rabbit, and in the twentieth year (1150) he was given the name Zhao Huan,zong ascended the throne and was crowned king of Gong. In February of the seventh year of Qiandao (1171), he was made crown prince, when Emperor Xiaozong was made crown prince because of Zhao Wei's similar personality to his own, while at the same time Emperor Xiaozong expressed concern about whether the crown prince would perform well in future politics.
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In February of the sixteenth year of Chunxi (1189), Emperor Xiaozong ascended the throne and Emperor Guangzong ascended the throne, with the next year as the first year of Shaoxi. Song Guangzong was one of the more mediocre of all the emperors of the Song Dynasty, and he was 42 years old after he ascended the throne as emperor by his father Song Xiaozong. Song Guangzong was weak and sickly, did not have the ability to govern the country, listened to the rumors of traitorous ministers, dismissed Xin Shuyi and other ministers of the main war faction, and let the famous jealous woman and fierce empress Li Fengniang at that time interfere in the government, and Song Guangzong's own grasp of the government was constantly declining.
In the fourth year of Shaoxi, Emperor Guangzong summoned Jiang Teli, the governor of eastern Zhejiang, to the capital, but was strongly opposed by Liu Zheng, who then fled, and it was not until November of that year that Emperor Guangzong sent Jiang Teli back to his official position, leaving Zheng to return to the dynasty.
However, during emperor Guangzong's five-year reign, he basically continued the policy of Gaozong and Xiaozong to help the disaster victims, and was also able to crack down on the phenomenon of dereliction of duty by some officials, such as Chang Liangsun, the superintendent of the Wensi Yuan, who was not only deposed himself because of corruption, but also punished by Zhou Bida, the prime minister who recommended him. In terms of economy, the Huai River area continued to strictly implement the policy of paper money first in the Guangzong Dynasty, and all silver money was not allowed to enter the Lianghuai area.
Emperor Guangzong had always been at odds with Emperor Xiaozong, and after Emperor Xiaozong of Song abdicated the throne, he did not visit him for a long time, and in the fifth year of Xi (1194), Emperor Xiaozong of Song fell ill, and Emperor Guangzong of Song neither invited anyone to see a doctor nor visited Emperor Xiaozong, and even when Emperor Xiaozong died of illness, he did not accept the funeral.
Therefore, his cousin Han Nongxu and Zhao Ruyu, the privy councillor, forced Emperor Guangzong to abdicate with the permission of Empress Dowager Xian (Empress Xiansheng Cilie). Emperor Guangzong had no choice but to give way to the crown prince Zhao Kuo, and he himself lived idly in Lin'an Shoukang Palace, calling himself "Emperor Taishang". When the empress dowager presided over the funeral of Emperor Xiaozong of Song, Emperor Guangzong's second son Zhao Kuo (赵廣) the Prince of Jia ascended the throne as emperor for Emperor Ningzong of Song.
On the eighth day of the eighth month of the sixth year of the Qingyuan Dynasty (September 17, 1200), he died because Emperor Guangzong was too sullen and unhappy, and was buried at Yongchongling Tomb (Baoshan, 35 miles southeast of present-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang).