In 1127, the Jin army trampled across the Great Wall, turning the splendor of Bianliang, the Northern Song capital, into a nightmare. Emperor Qinzong and his father, Emperor Huizong, were both captured and reduced to prisoners. The Northern Song fell, and the “Humiliation of Jingkang” was etched deep into the hearts of the people of the Central Plains.
Zhao Gou, Prince Kang and son of Emperor Huizong, shouldered the task of restoring the dynasty at a time when the nation’s very survival was at stake. With the support of patriotic Song loyalists, he eventually crossed the Yangtze south and founded the Southern Song, allowing the Zhao dynasty’s bloodline to continue by the thinnest of threads. Yet the Southern Song faced a grim situation from the moment it was established. The Jin were fiercely ambitious, bent on unifying the realm and destroying the Southern Song. They launched wave after wave of ferocious attacks, setting off decades of war between the Song and Jin.
The Jin’s ruthless ambition, their burning and looting, did not frighten the people and soldiers of the Southern Song. Instead, it awakened their courage and fighting spirit. To defend their homes and save their country, they waged a desperate struggle against the brutal Jin forces. The Song-Jin War gave rise to many heroes of unwavering loyalty and iron resolve, including Li Gang, Zong Ze, Yue Fei, Han Shizhong, Liang Hongyu, Li Qingzhao, Lu You, and Xin Qiji. They thought nothing of their own lives, standing against the Jin army’s blades and fighting to the death for what they believed in. Their fierce and noble spirit will be remembered for generations.
This book takes the rise and fall of the Song Dynasty as the background and describes many heroes, which touched me very much. Just like a friend of mine, he also faces many difficulties in life, but he can always face them bravely like the hero in the book. I especially hate those brutal golden soldiers. They burn, kill and loot, which is heartbreaking. However, this book also made me understand that the rise and fall of a country is closely related to everyone. We must learn from history and strive to make the country stronger.
I like this book very much