Yue Fei and Research on the Early Politics and Military of the Southern Song Dynasty

Author: Wang Zengyu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: Among the historical figures of the Song Dynasty, those with the greatest influence on the common people are Yang Ye of the Northern Song, Bao Zheng, and Yue Fei of the Southern Song. Yang Ye's historical records are quite scarce, while Bao Zheng is mainly known for his collected memorials. In contrast, Yue Fei's historical records are relatively abundant. However, from another perspective, apart from the distortion of history by Qin Hui and his son, there are still many significant gaps in the records of Yue Fei's life. Wang Zengyu has previously published Loyalty and Patriotism: A New Biography of Yue Fei and the Collected Annotations of the Eulogy to Yue Fei and Its Continuation. The former focuses more on narrative, while the latter emphasizes the punctuation, collation, compilation, and verification of historical materials. This book, from a scientific research perspective, emphasizes a systematic examination and analysis of Yue Fei's life and achievements. It also provides detailed research and discussion on the main deeds and crimes of Emperor Gaozong of Song and Qin Hui, making it easier for people to understand the era in which Yue Fei lived and the background of his tragedy. It serves as a complementary work to the previous two books. As for the second part of this book, it can also complement another biography, The Shameless and Tyrannical Song Gaozong. Qin Hui has borne the eternal infamy in the Chinese nation, which is well-deserved given his crimes and vices. However, compared to Emperor Gaozong, his crimes and vices still hold a secondary position. Song Dynasty historical records have largely concealed the evils of Emperor Gaozong and exaggerated his virtues. This book strives to objectively argue the dominant and subordinate roles of Emperor Gaozong and Qin Hui based on historical facts. According to historical analysis, Emperor Gaozong is undoubtedly the most evil emperor of the Song Dynasty. A nation cannot do without history, especially a civilized ancient country like China, where glory and shame coexist, justice and evil contend, and progress and regression coexist. In such a national history, people cannot learn everything from history, yet they must learn as many lessons as possible to serve as nutrients for national progress.