Imperial Politics Past · Song Dynasty Records of 1127

Author: Li Yaping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: In 1127 AD, which was the second year of the Jingkang era of the Northern Song Dynasty and the first year of the Jianyan era of the Southern Song Dynasty, the Northern Song Empire fell, and the Southern Song Empire was proclaimed amidst turmoil. The Chinese people endured over a decade of warfare, bloodshed, and chaos. First, at the end of the previous year, the capital Bianjing (also known as Bianliang, today's Kaifeng) fell into enemy hands. In January, the Jin cavalry looted all the gold, silver, treasures, cultural artifacts, ceremonial regalia, and historical records from the capital. In February, the Jin people enthroned the former imperial Zhang Bangchang as the Emperor of Da Chu. Between March and April, the two emperors of our empire—Emperor Huizong Zhao Ji, who had been a retired emperor for over a year, and his eldest son, Emperor Qinzong Zhao Huan, who had reigned for only over a year—were both captured by the Jin cavalry and taken to Jin. Over 14,000 others, including imperial relatives, concubines, palace maids, civil and military officials, craftsmen, and performers, were also taken captive. The Northern Song Empire thus perished. This was a humiliation the Chinese people had never experienced before. From then on, "The Humiliation of Jingkang" was etched into the memory of China like a knife. The ninth son of Emperor Huizong, Prince Kang Zhao Gou, miraculously escaped and fled to Nanjing, which is today Shangqiu in Henan. On May 1st of that year, Zhao Gou proclaimed himself emperor in Nanjing, establishing the Southern Song Dynasty and changing the era name from the second year of Jingkang to the first year of Jianyan. At that time, Zhao Gou had just turned 21, becoming the tenth emperor of the Great Song Dynasty and the first emperor of the Southern Song, known in history as Emperor Gaozong. That year, the characters involved in this book had different circumstances. Some were considered responsible for everything that happened that year, while others had their destinies completely altered by the events of the year, sometimes in quite profound ways.