The Grandeur of the Great Song III: The Xining Reforms

One of the books in the “Elegant Song” series. This is a three-book series totaling 600,000 words. In a light and engaging style, it explores the inner worlds of emperors, scholars, and generals of both the Northern and Southern Song, with a focus on human nature and individuality. The Song dynasty did not execute people for submitting memorials, and remonstrance officials could report matters based on hearsay, making this the era when Chinese scholars were most active under feudal rule. Such a permissive political climate allowed the creativity of scholar-officials to flourish as never before, producing figures with strikingly distinct personalities: Su Dongpo’s open-mindedness, Wang Anshi’s impractical idealism, Sima Guang’s solidity, and Kou Zhun’s lofty bearing, among others. This third volume begins with the capture of the two emperors Huizong and Qinzong. It follows the Southern Song’s retreat south and the eventual fall of the Song regime, portraying the wealth of Jiangnan, the conflicts and blending of different peoples, and the integrity of Chinese scholars represented by Yue Fei, Wen Tianxiang, and Lu Xiufu.