From Records of the Crane Forest: “Jingxiang is the backbone of the realm, and Xiangyang is its heart.”
In 1127, the Northern Song fell. Wang Ximeng, a member of the imperial family, held the Twin Dragon Seal as he ascended the throne in Xiangyang, inheriting the Song dynasty and changing the era name to Restore Vengeance.
After leaving the Imperial City Prison, Wang Ximeng served as an official of the Chengdu Circuit in the capacity of a prince (1116–1127). He worked to develop the Shu brocade trade, recruit talent, and advance firearms technology.
At the time, the Song court was controlled from within by the powerful eunuch Liang Shicheng and the eunuch faction led by Tong Guan. Outside the palace, corrupt ministers Cai Jing, Wang Fu, and Li Yan held sway, alongside officials such as Li Bangyan and Gao Qiu.
Anyone would have felt pity for the fates of Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qinzong of Song.
Yet in 1120, the Song formed the “Alliance on the Sea” with the Jin against the Liao, while the Liangshan Marsh and Fang La rebellions erupted between 1119 and 1121, gravely weakening the Song. The Jin broke their alliance and invaded the Song in force.
In the end, the Song dynasty was struck by the Jingkang Disaster.
Wang Ximeng stepped forward. After five years of development, he used the resources of the Chengdu Circuit to build up the military industry and establish the Song's firearms corps, holding back the entire Southern Song realm almost single-handedly.
When the Northern Song fell in 1127, he sailed downriver from Chengdu to Jiangling, then rushed to Xiangyang. Holding the Twin Dragon Seal, he stood atop Xiangyang's walls and sang in grief:
“The shame of Jingkang remains unavenged. When will the hatred of your subjects be ended? Drive the chariots forward and crush the gaps in Helan Mountain. Let our proud ambition feast on the flesh of the northern invaders, and our laughter quench its thirst with their blood. We shall set things right from the beginning and reclaim our lost lands, then present them at the palace gates.”
He swore to take his revenge to the death. From then on, the emperor would defend the nation's gates, and the ruler would die for his state. He changed the era name to “Restore Vengeance.”
