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The research object of this book is the political history of the Zhezong and Huizong dynasties of the Northern Song Dynasty (1085-1125). Starting from the political system and political culture, the author sorts out the complicated political evolution process in the late Northern Song Dynasty, trying to understand the characteristics of ancient Chinese dynastic politics. First of all, the book focuses on the major theme of "politics of scholar-bureaucrats" in the Song Dynasty, explaining the process of gradual alienation of its multi-level ideals in the political practice of the late Northern Song Dynasty. Secondly, from the technical and conceptual levels, it explains the flexibility and diversity of imperial politics in the late Northern Song Dynasty.

This book starts with the two topics of monarchical control and the political theory and practice of Taoism to analyze the characteristics of the Song Dynasty. The first part first extracted from historical materials the two basic models of ancient Chinese monarchy, "cardinal" and "entrustment," and then used the concept of "dual entrustment" to provide a new analytical framework for the political history of the late Southern Song Dynasty. The second part divides Taoist political theory into two parts: "Ming Ming De" and "Xin Min", and explores their influence on the political practice of the Southern Song Dynasty respectively.