If there was any time that history could have taken a radically different turn, it would have been during the time of these two generals in the Song dynasty.  Yesterday, while browsing the internet, I stumbled upon the biographies of these two great men on Wikipedia.  The lives they lived were inspiring, but the ends they received were heart-wrenching.  The only other person I know of in history which received a comparable death was Joan of Arc.

Having fought for more than thirty years, Yue Fei and Han Shizhong were at the point of besieging the enemy capital.  At this crucial moment, they received an order from the Emperor to withdraw immediately.  Delaying the order, and intent on reaching their goal, these two were then confronted with threats of having their families executed.  It was at this point that Yue Fei states, "Thirty years of effort now is wasted."  Reluctantly, they returned.  

On coming back, Yue Fei was imprisoned.  Under Han Shizhong's question as to under what charges, the advisor to the emperor replied, "Not necessary," as in, it is not necessary to say what these charges were.  "Later, Han was so outraged than he laughed and threw his helmet and sword, which were both symbols of the authority of a Chinese general, at him. He attacked the emperor and Qin Hui with these insulting words: 'They brought their nations into ruins, and there will no longer be any more able generals that will fight for the Song.' (Wikipedia)"

Soon, Yue Fei was executed, and Han Shizhong was relieved of his military duties.  He and his family, as well as Yue Fei's fled to the rural countryside, where they lived from then on.  

As I read this, I considered, Was there any way that things could have been different?  How could this tragedy have been avoided?  Ultimately, I could not see how.  Perhaps if these two great men lived in a different period, things may have been different.  The more I thought about it, the more I began to see that even though the Song dynasty would last for another 100 years afterwards, the fate of this dynasty was already sealed in the attitude held by those in leadership.  

For more on this, the studious reader should look into the way the northern Song dynasty ended.  The emperor of the southern Song was content with becoming emperor, after the two previous emperors were captured, and so, did not even seek to send reinforcements to help relieve the northern capital.  It was under this setting, that the general defending the northern capital lost the will to fight, and surrendered.  It was this same attitude which resulted in the order of Yue Fei's and Han Shizhong's withdrawal just as the enemy was about to be defeated.  Was such a dynasty worth preserving, with all the blood shed of countless loyal soldiers?

It is hard then to hold any loyalty to such a country ruled by cowards who are only interested in their own interests at the expense of others.  As more people become disillusioned, it becomes of little surprise how weak China was during the last century.  "There will no longer be any more able generals what will fight for the Song."

Updated on March 3, 2011
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