Conclusion to "The Harvard History of China: The Song Dynasty's Transformation": Over 1,000 years ago, the Song Dynasty emerged as the world's most advanced civilization. Its early emperors initiated China's transformation based on rationality, efficiency, foresight, and economic dynamism—in short, the most distinctive characteristics that ushered in modern capitalist society.
These innovative rulers relied heavily on an elite scholar-official class formed through a competitive civil service examination system. Because of their education and experience...
The Qing Dynasty is often praised for its "wise rulers," but a dynasty that only produced wise rulers and few virtuous and capable ministers is actually quite sad. I won't go into details; those who understand will understand.
The real shining point of the Song Dynasty was that it had many wise and capable officials, such as Wang Anshi, who was praised by Liang Qichao as a "perfect man".
Don’t be afraid of natural disasters, don’t follow the ancestors’ teachings, don’t be concerned about people’s words
If Wang Anshi's reforms had succeeded, China would have entered capitalism 1,000 years earlier, and there would not have been a "change that has not happened in three thousand years."
The sun and the moon reopened the Song Dynasty, which actually refers to the leader of the Red Turban Army in the late Yuan Dynasty, the Little Ming King Han Liner, who re-established the Song Dynasty.
Of course, this Han Song Dynasty had no inheritance relationship with the previous Zhao Song Dynasty. It is precisely because of this that it is called "Reopening the Great Song Dynasty", which means rebuilding the Song Dynasty and traditional Chinese civilization.
Because Han Lin'er was the Little Ming King, the sun and the moon were used to represent him, and it did not refer to the Ming Dynasty that later usurped the Song Dynasty.
The Song Dynasty regime established by the Little Ming King lasted for a very short time, but it represented the Han people's longing for their homeland at the end of the Yuan Dynasty.
Later, Zhu Baba murdered the Song emperor and usurped the throne, and the Han-Song regime died young.
To a certain extent, the existence of the Han Song regime was a banner for the people of the Central Plains to resist the tyranny of the Mongols at that time, and made an indelible contribution to expelling the Mongols and restoring the Han Dynasty.
Zhu Baba, who was a subordinate of the Han Song regime, established the Ming Dynasty by means of seizing power and usurping the throne, and his accession to the throne was not legitimate.
What’s funny is that some Ming fans don’t even understand the most basic history, yet they still mock Zhao Da for wearing the yellow robe.
But at least Zhao Da was a loyal and honest man, and treated the Chai clan with great favor. Zhu Baba's Ming Dynasty, on the other hand, was built entirely on the bloodshed of the Han and Song dynasties. Emperor Han Lin'er of Song was ruthlessly murdered.
The Mongols, and the Mongolian Empire. However, the Mongols rose to prominence very late. Before the Tang and Han dynasties, there were no Mongols, and they didn't rise to prominence until the Song Dynasty. So, how did the Mongols achieve success? It was the result of the fall of the Tang Dynasty and the separatist rule of feudal lords.
During the chaos of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, ethnic minorities took the opportunity to rise up, and the burden was left to the Song Dynasty. Therefore, it was best for the Mongolians to sit on the mountain and watch the fight between the tigers, watching the Jin and Song slaughter each other, while the Mongolians made the final blow, completely destroying the Han dynasty and plunging the Han people into the abyss of darkness.
There is a clear record in the sacrificial records of the History of Yuan Dynasty:
When the emperor passed away, the coffin was made of fragrant nanmu wood, split in half, with a human-like shape carved into it. It was narrow and long, just wide enough to fit a person. The coffin was embalmed with a mink coat and fur hat, and the boots, socks, belt, and bowl were all made of white leather. Two golden vases, one cup, and one bowl, dish, spoon, and chopsticks were also buried with the deceased.
After the burial, the body is bound with four golden hoops. The carriage is curtained with white felt and a green-edged nashishi, and the coffin is also covered with nashishi. A Mongolian witch, dressed in new clothes, rides a horse, leading a horse with a saddle and bridle decorated with gold, and a nashishi in a cage, known as the Golden Spirit Horse. Three times a day, sheep are offered as sacrifices. When arriving at the burial site, the excavated earth from the grave is formed into blocks and arranged in order.
After the coffin is lowered, it is covered again. If there is any remaining soil, it is placed elsewhere. Three funeral officials are stationed five miles away. Once a day, they cook a meal and offer sacrifices. They return after three years.
None of them mentioned human sacrifice. Ye Ziqi even used the ancient custom of human sacrifice and lavish burials as a counterexample, lamenting that the simple burials of the Yuan Dynasty were "unprecedented in ancient times" and were in line with the meaning of burying the body to rest.
Can the Song army be considered an army that defends the country?
If so, then why would later generations insult this army that defended the country and even give it some insulting nicknames? So many dead Song soldiers were just a row of numbers in the eyes of some later generations. The Battle of Yashan was so tragic, but some later generations thought it was deserved (these people must be mentally ill).
If not, then what are they...
"From Jiangxi to Hunan, regardless of the county or village, ashes were everywhere. Everywhere I looked, there was destruction, and nine out of ten houses were empty. When I asked why, I found out that the Jin army had not yet arrived, but the scattered soldiers had arrived first. After the Jin army left, the pursuing troops arrived, and the government soldiers and bandits looted together."
"At that time, the soldiers abducted many women, three or four of them, and brought them with them on their marches, calling them the old and the young. Han and Liu were changing garrisons in Jiankang and Zhenjiang, and then Liu moved to Chizhou, and Han again divided his army into Jiangning. Wang Xie went to Hunan; Yue Fei came from outside the Yangtze River to the imperial court, and immediately went to Jiujiang; Guo Zhongxun went to Mingzhou. The old and the young, together, numbered hundreds of thousands."
"After the Jin people recaptured Henan, the army of Zhang Qijun Wang arrived in the counties under Nanjing, often abducting wives and concubines of good people and seizing their property. Their cruelty was no different from that of the Jin thieves, and the people were completely disappointed."
"Wherever the king's army went, the cities and towns were emptied. When they captured Caizhou, they killed the people of Caizhou. When they entered Haizhou, they killed the people of Haizhou. When they seized Suzhou, they killed the people of Suzhou. This was often the case in western Beijing and the right side of Shaanxi. This is not what we call saving the people from danger."
In the year of Guihai, Han Huang, the Supervisory Censor, said: "I have been mistakenly ordered to go outside the lake. The suffering of the people should be reported to the emperor. From Jiangxi to Hunan, there is ashes everywhere, no matter the county or village. Everywhere I go, there is a ruin, and nine out of ten houses are empty.
When asked why, they found out that the scattered troops had not yet arrived, and that the pursuing troops had arrived after the Jin had left. The officers, soldiers, and thieves plundered together, searching every corner of the city and countryside.
The bandits have retreated, but the wounds are still raging. Officials, instead of seeking peace and stability, have become even more oppressive. Soldiers and generals are ruthless and seek only to punish and extort. The cries of the people are everywhere, and the people are demoralized. Is there something wrong with your brain? Wu is in mourning, drinking and merrymaking day and night, and playing ball with candles around ten meters, each candle costing tens of thousands of yuan.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It’s even more exciting later!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
