Hero Yue Fei Up and down

Author: Zhu Xianxiong
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-01-01
Features: In 1103, Yue Fei was born into a peasant family in Tangyin, Xiangzhou (now Tangyin, Henan). At the time of his birth, a large bird flew over the roof and chirped, so he was named Fei and styled Pengju. In his youth, his family was poor; he worked in the fields cutting grass during the day and studied with firelight at night, especially enjoying reading military books. Yue Fei was strong, quiet, upright, righteous, and incredibly brave, able to draw a 300-pound hard bow and a 960-pound waist crossbow in his teens. He could shoot arrows with both hands and was renowned for his spear skills, "invincible in the county." At the age of 20, he joined the army and served under the Anfu Commissioner of Zhending (now Zhengding, Hebei), but soon returned home due to his father's death. Two years later, he joined the Pingding Army of Hedong Road. In 1126, the Jin army attacked Bianjing, and the court was in turmoil. Emperor Qinzong's younger brother Zhao Gou, as the "Grand Marshal of the Imperial Army," recruited volunteer militia. Yue Fei joined his ranks and was promoted to Binyi Lang for his merit in leading 100 cavalry to kill thousands of Jin soldiers. Soon after, Zhao Gou assigned Yue Fei to the command of the veteran Zong Ze, who was sent to rescue Bianjing. However, Zong Ze hesitated and did not advance. When the Jin army captured Bianjing in April 1127, taking Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qinzong, along with thousands of courtiers and vast treasures, Zhao Gou ascended the throne in Nanjing's Yingtianfu (now Shangqiu, Henan), becoming Emperor Gaozong. Emperor Gaozong appointed Zong Ze as the governor of Kaifeng and the guardian of Dongjing. However, influenced by his favorite minister Huang Qianshan, he favored peace over war. Yue Fei wrote a letter denouncing the peace talks and urging a counterattack, but was dismissed for "exceeding his authority." Three months later, he joined Zhang Suo, the Anfu Commissioner of Hebei Road, who highly regarded him. He once fought against the Jin under Wang Yan and recovered Xinxiang by crossing the river. Due to conflicts with Wang Yan, he moved to Bianjing and joined Zong Ze again, winning consecutive victories against the Jin south of the Yellow River. The following year, the veteran Zong Ze, who had submitted 24 letters to Emperor Gaozong requesting the return of the capital, fell ill and died, shouting "Cross the river!" three times before his death. Yue Fei followed Du Chong, the new guardian of Dongjing, southward to Jiankang (now Nanjing, Jiangsu). In winter 1129, the Jin army, led by Wuzhu (also known as Zongbi, the fourth son of Emperor Taizhu of Jin), launched a major southward invasion, crossing the river and capturing Jiankang. Emperor Gaozong fled to the sea, accompanied by only a few ministers. Yue Fei was ordered to recapture Jiankang. He ambushed the enemy at Niutoushan in the south and sent 100 black-clad warriors to infiltrate the Jin camp at night, causing chaos and killing each other in their sleep. He seized enemy sentries to learn their retreat route and swiftly advanced to Jing'an Town, where he charged into the enemy ranks with his sword, killing countless soldiers. After recapturing Jiankang, he was promoted to the positions of Tong (now Nantong, Jiangsu) and Tai (now Taizhou, Jiangsu) Commanders, gaining recognition.
In 1130, the Jin supported the traitor Liu Yu to establish a pseudostate in Henan and Huibei, known as the Pseudo-Qi regime, to weaken the Southern Song Dynasty. They released Qin Hui, a former Song censor, to persuade Emperor Gaozong to submit and adopt a policy of northern and southern division. Meanwhile, Wuzhu led the main force to conquer Sichuan and Shaanxi, cutting off the Southern Song's supply lines. In response, the Southern Song Dynasty fortified the Jianghuai region and assigned Yue Fei to defend the line from Jiangzhou (now Jiujiang, Jiangxi) to Jingling (now Jingzhou, Hubei). He first suppressed rebel forces, bandits, and peasant uprisings, then recruited elite soldiers. Later, he launched three proactive campaigns, achieving decisive victories.
In 1134, Yue Fei led his army from Jiangzhou to recapture the six prefectures occupied by the Pseudo-Qi regime, including Xiangyang. In Suizhou (now Suizhou, Hubei), his 16-year-old eldest son Yue Yun, wielding 80-pound iron hammers, led the charge. In Xiangyang, Yue Fei spotted the enemy's vulnerability—using cavalry to defend the riverbanks and infantry to occupy the open fields—and ordered his infantry, armed with long spears, to attack the cavalry, causing chaos and forcing them into the river. His cavalry then defeated the Pseudo-Qi main force. In just three months, he recaptured the six prefectures, secured the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, and opened a route to Sichuan and Shaanxi, turning the tide in favor of the Southern Song and boosting morale. At the age of 32, Yue Fei was exceptionally promoted to the position of Qingyuan Military Commissioner and enfeoffed as the Marquis of Wuchang, enjoying the same high honors as Liu Guangshi, Han Shizhong, and Zhang Jun. However, Emperor Gaozong strictly ordered him not to cross the boundary to expand the conflict, so he withdrew his troops to Ezhou (now Wuchang, Hubei) for defense, hoping for the day he could "lead a powerful army and cross the Qing River and Luo River."
By the end of the year, the Jin-Pseudo-Qi coalition advanced on Luzhou (now Hefei, Anhui). Emperor Gaozong issued an imperial decree ordering Yue Fei to move east to relieve the siege. With 13 cavalry under Niu Gao leading the way and displaying the "Yue" flag, the enemy was already (shaken). When reinforcements arrived, they chased the enemy for over 30 miles, causing Wuzhu's main camp far away to flee north. In summer 1135, Yue Fei suppressed the Yang Mo uprising in the Dongting Lake region and was enfeoffed as a feudal prince by the court. The Yue Army expanded significantly after recruiting rebel forces. The following year, the Yue Army launched a second northern campaign, recapturing strategically important areas southwest of Luoyang and destroying Pseudo-Qi supplies, approaching the Yellow River. However, due to the court's failure to supply troops, the campaign failed. Although promoted to Taishi, his ambitions remained unfulfilled. He composed the poem "Man Jiang Hong" to express his sentiments:
"Anger surges as I stand by the railing,
Rain pours as the night ends.
Looking up, I roar to the heavens,
My heart burns with fierce passion.
Thirty years of glory are dust and soil,
Eight thousand miles of journey are clouds and moon.
Don't let youth turn white in vain,
Only to grieve in sorrow.
The shame of Jingkang is yet to be avenged,
When will the loyal's hatred be extinguished?
Drive chariots to break the passes of Helan,
Eat the flesh of the barbarians, drink their blood with laughter.
When I gather the old realm,
I will face the palace gate."
In 1137, the Jin abolished the Pseudo-Qi, offering to return Henan and Shaanxi in exchange for peace and submission from the Southern Song. On New Year's Day 1139, Qin Hui, on behalf of Emperor Gaozong, knelt before the Jin envoy and accepted the Jin emperor's decree, concluding a peace treaty. Yue Fei strongly opposed it, submitting a memorial stating that peace was unreliable, and withdrawing four times the titles and honors granted to him due to the treaty, earning Qin Hui's resentment. (Indeed), the Jin army broke the treaty in May 1140 and launched a four-pronged invasion of the Southern Song. Emperor Gaozong, shocked, had to order each army to resist. Yue Fei launched his third campaign, sending one detachment to attack Henan and another to return to Hebei, while leading the main force straight toward Bianjing. In over 40 days, he recaptured key cities like Chenzhou (now Huaiyang, Henan), forming a three-pronged encirclement around Bianjing. In early July, Yue Fei stationed a small force of light cavalry at Yancheng, sending small groups to challenge the Jin army daily. Wuzhu advanced via a back route to within 20 miles of Yancheng, where he encountered the Yue Army. Yue Yun led the charge, fighting for dozens of rounds before securing victory. Wuzhu then sent his "Iron Pagoda" troops and "Twisting Horse" cavalry to attack. The "Iron Pagoda" troops, composed of over 3,000 heavily armored cavalry in double iron helmets, advanced in a wall-like formation, unable to retreat. The flanks were supported by 15,000 light cavalry, known as "Twisting Horses," who suddenly struck during intense battles. Yue Fei ordered his specially trained infantry, armed with "mazaos" and axes, to target the horses' legs, causing the enemy to fall and retreat. The battle lasted from afternoon to night, ending in a Jin defeat. Subsequent victories followed near Yancheng. In Yingchang (now Xuchang, Henan), he repelled Wuzhu's 100,000 infantry and 30,000 cavalry, leading to the collapse of the Jin army and Wuzhu's escape. Yue Fei submitted a memorial to Emperor Gaozong, declaring, "This is the moment for your reign to flourish and the day the Jin enemy must perish." He personally led the Yue Army to Zhuxian Town, just 45 miles from Bianjing, where he besieged Wuzhu with the help of rebel forces. A fierce general led 500 elite cavalry against 100,000 Jin soldiers. Wuzhu lamented, "Since I rose to power in the north, I have never failed as I did today." Yue Fei resolved to cross the river and reclaim Hebei, urging his generals, "Charge straight to Huanglong Fu and drink with you in victory!" However, Emperor Gaozong, intimidated by Yue Fei's overwhelming power, listened to Qin Hui's advice and ordered him to return temporarily, recalling all armies to their original posts. Yue Fei, determined to continue the northern campaign, submitted a memorial stating, "The times do not wait, and opportunities are rare." Emperor Gaozong, citing "the danger of a lone army," issued 12 imperial medals (red wooden tablets with black characters) daily, forcing Yue Fei to march 450-500 miles. Yue Fei, in tears, lamented, "Ten years of effort are wasted in an instant!" and was forced to withdraw.
Afterward, Wuzhu demanded the "death of Yue Fei" as a condition for peace. In 1141, Emperor Gaozong revoked the military authority of Han Shizhong, Zhang Jun, and Yue Fei, disbanding their armies. He ordered Yue Fei to serve as the Chief Secretary in Lin'an (now Hangzhou, Zhejiang). Soon after, Qin Hui incited Wan Qi, a right counselor, to impeach Yue Fei for "laziness after glory," leading to his dismissal. Later, Qin Hui framed Yue Fei and his son Yue Yun, along with general Zhang Xian, for treason, arresting them and putting them on trial personally. During the interrogation, He Zhong, the Censor-in-Chief, was deeply moved by the "Loyal to the Nation" characters (stitched) onto Yue Fei's back by his mother and pleaded for his innocence. The court then assigned Wan Qi to take over the trial. By the end of the year, the Southern Song and Jin concluded a peace treaty, establishing the border from the Huai River in the east to the Daxiangguan (now Baoji, Shaanxi) in the west. The Southern Song agreed to pay 2.5 million taels of silver and 2.5 million bolts of silk annually to the Jin and acknowledge subjugation, with the promise that "future generations would strictly uphold their loyalty."
On January 1142, Yue Fei was executed on the charge of "perhaps being guilty" (). He wrote, "The sky is clear and bright—why doubt it?" before drinking poison and dying at the age of 39. After his death, his family was persecuted, and five of his sons were either exiled to Lingnan or fled to Hubei and Hunan. Even his subordinates were punished. It was not until Emperor Gaozong abdicated and Emperor Xiaozong sought to boost morale that Yue Fei's honors were restored, and his remains were buried in accordance with ritual at Xixi's Qixi Ridge. During the reign of Emperor Ningzong, Yue Fei was posthumously enfeoffed as the Prince of E and a memorial temple was built in his honor.
Yue Fei lived a frugal life, refusing to acquire land or accumulate wealth for his descendants, avoiding profit-driven ambitions. In military strategy, he rejected the old practice of briefing generals with battle plans before campaigns and leaving decisions to the emperor. He believed that while battle plans were standard tactics, the key lay in commanders adapting to circumstances. He maintained strict discipline in his army, earning the reputation, "Freezing to death without demolishing houses, starving to death without looting." People said, "It is easy to shake mountains but hard to shake the Yue Family Army." During battles, he led from the front, sharing hardships with his soldiers and never taking credit for himself, earning the respect and sympathy of generations. Legends about Yue Fei abound, and their forms are diverse. In some places, fried dough sticks are called "youzhao hu (similar to Hui)." At Yue Fei's tomb in Hangzhou, statues of Qin Hui and his wife were cast with their hands tied behind their backs, kneeling before the tomb. Above the tomb gate hangs the couplet:
"Green mountains are fortunate to bury loyal bones;
White iron is innocent in casting treacherous ministers."