Ask where the hero is

Author: Feng Weilin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: First, the issue of the imperial heir. Yue Fei hoped to clarify it as soon as possible. He had repeatedly submitted memorials to Zhao Gou. This touched Zhao Gou's sore spot. Zhao Gou had sternly told Yue Fei, "Your words may be loyal, but holding heavy troops outside, this matter is not within your jurisdiction!" Since ancient times, imperial affairs have been beyond the interference of outsiders, let alone a military general in command of powerful forces? A few years ago, due to the pursuit of the Jin forces, Zhao Gou was terrified to the point of losing his ability to reproduce. His only son also died from a seizure after being startled by a palace maid knocking over a bronze cauldron. Zhao Gou had no choice but to select two imperial descendants as foster sons, but had not yet determined which one would inherit the throne. Just as he was undecided, the Jin people announced that they would allow Song Huizong to return and become the emperor. However, Song Huizong died in a foreign land shortly after. The Jin then proposed to support a member of the Song family's direct line as a puppet emperor to oppose the Southern Song. Zhao Gou was furious, and Yue Fei happened to be the one who "poked the right hole at the wrong time"!
Second, there were suspicions about Yue Fei's loyalty. Yue Fei had proposed to resign three times, which weighed heavily on Zhao Gou's mind. Once, he was suffering from an eye disease and wanted to return to Lushan for rest; the second time, his mother passed away, and he wanted to return to observe mourning; the third time, he had a disagreement with the prime minister Zhang Jun and felt upset, wanting to return to Lushan for rest. Zhao Gou, of course, did not approve, and instead made wild guesses, wondering if Yue Fei was amassing power for himself and threatening the court? Another major taboo for Yue Fei was his army being called the "Yue Family Army." The army of the court could only be called the "Zhao Family Army," how could it be called the "Yue Family Army"?
Third, Zhao Gou made a strategic adjustment, no longer planning to reclaim the lost lands but preparing to rule in isolation. Yue Fei was a military strategist, the commander of the army, and a staunch advocate of war, constantly calling for battles. Yet Zhao Gou was preparing for peace talks. "When the birds are gone, the bows are hidden; when the rabbits are dead, the dogs are cooked." This is the iron law of autocratic rule, and it was the primary reason Zhao Gou wanted to kill Yue Fei. Zhao Gou arranged for Qin Hui to sign two peace treaties with the Jin, and Yue Fei opposed both. Yue Fei said, "The Jin cannot be trusted, and reliance on peace talks is unreliable." To shut Yue Fei up, Zhao Gou acted contrary to his usual behavior, issuing an edict of general amnesty and lavishing rewards on those who opposed him, including Yue Fei. However, Yue Fei rejected the edict three times, saying, "Today's situation is one of danger, not peace, one of worry, not celebration." He even exposed Zhao Gou's past: "Recently, the order from the sleeping chamber was made, and it was said that your majesty's decision was firm. Why has it not been decided yet?"
When the Jin tore up the peace treaties and launched an attack on the Southern Song, they faced fierce resistance from Yue Fei and were relentlessly pursued by the Yue Family Army. The battle at Zhu Xian Town was particularly fierce, nearly costing them everything. This was something worth celebrating. But Emperor Zhao Gou used this war to make a fundamental judgment of the situation. He gathered his ministers and said, "The strategic situation between the two countries has now formed, and we have room for choice. The fatal threat from the Jin has decreased, so we should no longer provoke them. The risk of reclaiming the lost lands is too great to bear. It's better to give up the Central Plains." Being emperor is important, enjoying pleasures is important—leave the task of reclaiming the lost lands to the next generation! Trust that the new generation will replace the old.
"The Annals of the Song Dynasty" states: "Emperor Gaozong endured abandoning the Central Plains, so he endured killing Fei." So, all past ambitions and passion, all past promises and vows—just forget them all! If Zhao Gou was determined to give up the Central Plains, he had to kill Yue Fei. "Recalling the past, how heavily we relied on Fei,