The Upheaval of the Two Song Dynasties

This book traces the history of the confrontation between north and south, from the first lunar month of 1100, when Emperor Huizong, Zhao Ji, took the throne, to the 1141 Shaoxing peace agreement between the Song and Jin. It shows how the Northern Song Empire rose to prosperity, then plunged into decline and ultimately fell, while the soldiers and civilians of the Southern Song resisted step by step and eventually secured a foothold in the Jiangnan region. The book contains nine chapters covering Zhao Ji's accession, the Song alliance with Jin against Liao, the First Defense of Bianjing, the Humiliation of Jingkang, the founding of the Southern Song, the Jin invasion southward, the great battles in Sichuan and Shaanxi, Jin's alliance with Qi to attack Song, the Song counteroffensive, and the standoff between north and south. Grand in scope and tightly structured, this book tells the story in an understated style, relating from an objective perspective the stirring tragedy of soldiers and civilians fighting to the death as the Northern Song fell. It brings to life scenes that can either make readers leap to their feet in outrage, hair standing on end, or leave them heartbroken and sighing with regret. It portrays vivid figures including Emperor Huizong of Song, Zhao Ji; Emperor Gaozong of Song, Zhao Gou; Li Wanyan Zongbi; Li Gang; and Zhang Jun. Its accounts of treacherous ministers wreaking havoc at court in the Northern Song's final years, short-sighted rulers suffering repeated military defeats, and patriotic soldiers and civilians fighting the Jin to the death invite readers to reflect deeply on the rise and fall of order and disorder.