Song (960- 1279) Military Overview Part 5- Yue Fei- Return My Homeland: 宋代军事概要 5- 岳飞- 还我河山

"He was good at defeating the majority with a small number of troops. When he wanted to make a move, he would call all the commanders to discuss it. He would fight only after the plan was made. Therefore, he always won and never lost. He would not move when he met the enemy unexpectedly. Therefore, the enemy would say: 'It is easier to shake the mountain, than shake Yue Fei's army.' " -History of Song: Yue Fei

It was in calamity that Yue Fei came. When the old homeland was lost to invaders. When strife raised such a prodigious new crop of fighting men. From hayseed soldier to his nation's fighting salvation. -Only a gasp away from reclaiming an age that was lost.

This chapter will be focused on Yue Fei and his relentless march back home.

PART 4: READ HERE

HOMEFRONT

The Jurchen- Jin invaders made headlong forays into the northern Song heartlands in the 1120s. After utterly toppling the Khitan Liao, the Jin invaded the Song. In 2 major prongs, while the western prong was bogged down at Taiyuan, the eastern prong: led by the dynamic Prince Wolibu and Wuzhu made lightning strides and swiftly surrounded the unprotected Song capital of Kaifeng. At the time the Jin army was almost completely cavalry borne. This decade would mark the greatest extent of Jin conquests.

A New Enemy: Jurchen Jin Dynasty Tiefutu or "Iron Pagodas" 铁浮图. Alternately they were translated as "Iron Buddhas," encased almost completely in armor save their eyes and hands these cataphracts were a powerful fist of the Jin conquerors. Deployed in the thousands, their charges were devastating. 

Music: Northern Grasslands

Inseparable from the strife of this age. He was among a generation of heroes who rose during devastating calamity, and~ for a brief tantalizing spell, was his nation's fighting salvation. A steadfast commander with a keen mind for organization and discipline. Yue Fei's biography had became a Confucian parable- equal parts scholar and warrior, lent with much romance by his grandson Yue Ke in his《鄂国金佗稡编》 "Record of the Jin in Hubei" and steel manned by later Yuan dynasty editors in 《南宋书·岳飞传》"Book of Southern Song·Biography of Yue Fei". 

A RESTLESS YOUTH IN TWILIGHT

Yue Fei was born to a harsh life during the twilight of Northern Song in today's northern Henan (then southern Hebei 河北西路) bordering Shandong. The region suffered chronic flooding of the Yellow River and famine stalked in the spring of his birth year. Yue Fei's father Yue He's ancestors migrated there from Shandong, and the Yue clan farmed those lands for generations. According to fanciful accounts an owl's flittering wings were heard when he was born, therefore he was given the poetic Fei 飞 literally translated as "Flight."

His family was not well-off, and with a large population, Yue Fei and his immediate family had to leave to make a living. His youth was restless- and he worked in many occupations. Called “五郎” or "Fifth lad," he likely had 4 elder brothers. He also had a younger brother named Yue Fan. He was married at the age of 16 and had his eldest son 1 year later. The young Yue Fei not only worked on his barren family plot but also as a farmhand for the great landlord's families to earn extra income. By day he collected firewood and tended livestock and by night read prodigiously. 

Ecce Homo: It must be impressed how fundamentally plebian Yue Fei appeared. Despite many later portrayals which often rendered him in handsome romanticized lights, the real Yue Fei was plain in every respect. Broad faced, with pudgy round features, narrow eyes, and squat in stature, Yue Fei had the look of a typical provincial. Netizens had compared him to the comedian Yue Yunpeng who incidentally bore his exact 岳 family name. However precisely BECAUSE of his plainness, this ascension was not some lordly destiny or lineage, but one of arduous and consummate hard work. He got there because his deeds put him there.

He also worked as a patrolman 游徼 (equivalent to a deputy of a beat) in charge of apprehending thieves and fugitives, but he was restless and always frustrated. Between his arduous labor he spent his downtime drinking heavily and (despite poverty) read extensively. Because of the mass proliferation of the Song moveable type books were not prohibitively extensive to attain. 

Art by Forky Xu. Patrolman 游徼- were archers, and the lowest rungs of the Song security services. They were tasked with policing assigned beats and pursuing bandits and fugitives. They would not be armored. Below: Song garrison infantry: Song garrison troops were composed of voluntary recruits and often not high in quality- especially in open battles. Because the founders of the dynasty feared scheming generals the empire's defense was highly centralized with much of the power reserved in the imperial court. During the Northern Song, half of the empire's army of 1 million soldiers was stationed in and around the imperial capital of Kaifeng, with the best being elite palace guards and metropolitan armies. In times of war they would be rotated to troubled fronts. 

Song infantryman with simple lamellar armor. He stands by a variety of pole arms and carries a ring- pommeled cutting sword. They could alternatively be equipped like archers and crossbowmen. To his right a wide brimmed felt hat called Fànyáng lì 范阳笠- which were often worn by soldiers on campaign. Song infantrymen were volunteer recruits. They were not looked well upon in the scholar- dominated society. However owing to the defensive empire's lack of interest in prolonged foreign wars- they were often spared from long campaigns, instead they were posted and rotated to key garrisons and flashpoints.

Because of this deliberate disparity- the imperial army was designed to easily overawe any internal rebellion or snip would- be rebellious generals in the bud. For this reason as a credit to internal security the Song warded off major conflagrations caused by rebel generals (which unraveled the Han and Tang) for its entire existence. However this policy also meant much of the garrisons were not of high quality and must rely on rescuing imperial army. Despite these factors- when placed in well entrenched positions these troops can achieve miraculous lopsided victories, such as those against the massive invasion personally commanded by Möngke Khan with the full backing of the Mongol Empire.

Music: Villages of Khitai

According to his grandson Yue Ke, despite not being born to scholars- but peasant farmers his ancestor thoroughly read the ancient classics of "Zou Zhuan," the "Spring and Autumn Annals," and Sun Tzu's "Art of War." Yue Ke's further insistance that Yue Fei was peer level to scholars was likely exaggerated, though due to the deep Neo- Confucian meritocratic nature of the Song society: it was natural Song farmers would innately be keen to send their children to village schools for upward mobility through education.

Song garrison troop. Village watches often provided a local defense force that can- when required, repel bandits and put down rebels, or buy time for the rescuing army. Patrolmen were archers and the lowest rungs of the Song security services, it was likely through this channel that Yue met his mentor. 

When Yue Fei was 19 years old, he learned archery from Zhou Tong, an old local folk hero and wandering martial artist who appreciated Yue Fei's studiousness and taught him everything he knew. From the old fighter Yue Fei learned to be an excellent archer and was reported to be able to shoot accurately from both his arms. However, Zhou Tong died a few years later, and Yue Fei was very sad about it. He would faithfully pay tribute to Zhou Tong's grave on the first and fifteenth day of every month, draw his bow and shoot three arrows in front of the tomb, and even sprinkle wine on the ground. When he became 20 that year the Song struck an alliance with the Jin (who at the time were rebels within the Liao empire) and coordinated an attack to destroy Liao together. Yue Fei was finally sent to the battlefield.

Music: Face What I Truly Am

THE LIAO IMPLODES

In the march against Liao, Yue Fei was able to glimpse the poor operations and muddled coordination of the Northern Song in war. While the Jin from within the Liao dealt a stunning series of staggering defeats against the Liao- the Song expedition made poor progress. Furthermore, with unclear Song imperial directives about the ultimate objectives, the Song commanders tarried, when the envious Emperor Huizong of Song saw that the Jin had rapidly captured 4 out of 5 of Liao's capitals and hesitantly ordered a Song invasion north the Liao defeated it. Then when the Liao heartland was completely taken, the Song tried another attack sending 2 poorly coordinated armies, again the Song army was defeated, because they did not rescue each other. 

The Dying Liao Rebuke: Song incompetence was such that even at the brink of collapse and complete disintegration the Liao were able to inflict continual defeats upon the Song. But then again, such bitter lessons would not be only felt by the Song. A small desperate prong of the Liao imperial family eventually fled west with many clans and reestablished themselves in the West in what is today's Xinjiang and the Fergana Valley called Western Liao- or "Qara Khitai." There, though broken, this ruined 2nd Liao rump state still inflicted a crushing defeat against the mighty Seljuk empire (who came for war with all of its Central Asian vassals and many emirs from the Middle East) so severely that it caused the Seljuks to collapse.

Early Northern Song guard's heavy armor. Compared to the height of the great Tang dynasty. Tang were able to field as much as 700,000 warhorses for its war efforts, Song some 200,000 during the height of Northern Song. Compared to its later Southern Song incarnation, this bumbling Northern Song still had FAR larger amount of cavalry at its disposal- including cataphracts. By the time Yue Fei and the next generation of Southern Song generals would wage their wars northwards, they had little cavalry at their disposal and often resorted to raiding horses from the northern Jin- backed puppet states or buy them from Tibet. 

At the time Yue Fei served under Liu Yu- in charge of Zhending in Hebei along the Song frontier, where Yue Fei was appointed as squad leader. However Liu Yu (and by extension Yue Fei) did not have the opportunity to fight on the frontline because the Jin had already overrun the Liao. After the war Yue Fei stayed in Hebei. When thousands of bandits ravaged the local townships, Yue Fei crushed them with 200 of Liu's cavalry thereby attaining his early promotion. Trouble soon arrived from home and Yue Fei was informed his father had passed- which according to Confucian tradition must be mourned for 3 years. 

And with the war concluded and Song and Jin victors (ominious) haggling over the partition of their new joint borderlands- and thereby sowing the seeds for the eventual Jin invasion of Song- for the time being the Song court ordered the demobilization of various armies. Yue Fei returned home an unemployed man and returned to his previous jobs, shifting between his tenant farming and as a house guard for great manors. 

Tenant Farmers: though Northern Song was the richest state in the world. From the middle- later periods large tracts of farmlands fell under the hands of large estates, and through nepotism at court many of the sons of these landowners became chief legislators and interior ministers (and encouraged by the conservative faction)- they were spared of much of the tax burdens: creating taxation blindspots. As such tax revenues began to decline and the already exhausted court place additional burdens on the peasants. Because of these crushing burdens many peasant revolts erupted and were repressed, then rose again at the tail end of the dynasty. A factor in why the like of Yue Fei worked as a tenant farmer and took additional jobs to survive.

The amber wheat fields of Henan, shivering against the massive stone lions of Song imperial roads and mausoleums. Such was the picture of the imperial heartlands and grain basket of these Central Plains. Aggressive reformers like Wang Anshi had tried to lower the tax burdens on the small farmers and make the state more holistic by giving state backed loans and price controls for the farmers but much of his progress were undone after his death. By the twilight of the Northern Song, the conservatives and reformers had feuded for 50 years. For the farmers, it was a hard living- but it was theirs.

Music: Black Cloud, Red Fire

CATACLYSM- BARBARIAN AT THE GATES

OP Model: LanKaiTang

When Yue Fei's mourning finished, in 1124 he rejoined the army still as a subordinate squad leader. However as with many meritorious individuals in history the chaos and calamity would propel him to the forefront of this age. It is also here that he waded into the larger timeline we have covered at the beginning. The beginning of the war with the Jin was also the beginning of Yue Fei as a commander. When Jin launched its sudden invasion and breached into the Song heartland near the capital Emperor Huizong in panic quickly fled the city and elevated his son as a replacement. 

Immovable as the Mountain: Heavy Song crossbowmen: deprived of critical northern pastures and lacking enough cavalry to ever equally contend against their cavalry- dominated foes: the Song compensated and found new solutions that stabilized their own playing fields. Song discovered massed armor piercing crossbowmen were the best remedy for waves of heavy cavalry. The weapon was extremely optimal in democratizing killing power. Song crossbowmen were drilled to hold their position as if they were line infantry. 

A "D" shaped stirrup hoop were added to the top of these bows and when fired from behind a wall of pavise in concentrated volleys. Not only were Song crossbowmen well protected by pavises and augmented with nearby archer units that complemented their slow rate of fire, Song crossbowmen were also well armored. Crossbows made of mulberry and brass crossbow in 1068 could pierce a tree at 140 paces. The powerful Divine Arm crossbow was reputedly able to shoot as far as 240 paces and effective at killing around 150 paces. 

To desperately sue for peace the court sent its prime minister as a hostage to the Jin and Huizong's son- the new Emperor Qinzong: under the sway of the defeatist wing of the ministers sued for peace agreeing to relinquish Shanxi and Hebei to the Jin as well as paying an exorbitant tribute. However this act of appeasement aroused furious anger from hardliners and commoners alike (many of them are relatives of the soldiers trapped at Taiyuan and still holding out) the hawks and the mob then surrounded the imperial palace and forced Qinzong to dispatch a rescuing army for the stranded garrison and purge the defeatists. 

Patron and Protector: Zong Ze: Song general who became a patron and ally of Yue Fei and a protector of Prince Zhao Guo (the future Gaozong Emperor of Southern Song) thereby playing a vital role during the final gasp of Northern Song and made Southern Song a reality. Zong Ze desperately tried to stabilize northern China after the Jingkang Incident and pleaded for Gaozong to return to Kaifeng and rule from the old capital.

According to his grandson Yue Ke in his "Chronicles of the Travels of the Prince of E" in 1126, Yue Fei- as a regimental leader attached to the Pingding Army was directed to scout for the incoming Jin army around Shouyang and Yuci, however his regiment stumbled upon the Jin earlier than the expected timetable. Yue Fei then snuck into the enemy camp at night and slew several Jin soldiers, and even spoke Jurchen and deceived enemy patrols and accomplished his mission. For this feat he was promoted to deputy lieutenant. 

This account has been called into question by modern historians such as Deng Guangming, an expert in Song, Jin, and Liao history, who noted that Shouyang and Yuci were already under the oversight of local Song garrisons and did not need the Pingding Army (which was largely administrative) 's help in the reconnaissance. He also point to the fact that Yue Fei did not learn Jurchen so calls into doubt the validity of him fooling the other Jurchen patrols. Other Song focused historians like Wang Zengyu however still supported Yue Ke's version saying that it was entirely plausible. 

Music: Two Hundred and Seventy Years in Vain

THE HEARTLANDS OVERRRUN

Wuzhu at his youthful prime twice instrumental in the Jin penetration into the Song imperial heartland and later on~ the break neck pursuit of Gaozong, here before Yue Fei's name was even made.

Regardless of Yue Fei's bold personal contributions, the overall Song rescue attempt to relive Taiyuan met disaster and was destroyed. Deprived of their relief, the Taiyuan holdout garrison was forced to surrender. After the larger Song host was broken, Yue Fei lost his military identification certificate in the chaos and instead rushed to report to the Song Hebei garrison commanded by Zong Ze where another guest also sought refuge- the 20 year old young Prince Zhao Gou (who would one day slip south and declare the Southern Song) he was a diplomat en route north to negotiate with the Jurchens. 

This limbo would be crucial since elsewhere- the Jin had breached into the Central Plains, under princes Wolibu and Wuzhu the Jin appeared again around Kaifeng and sacked Kaifeng and abducted the Song imperial court and ravished the capital in a sacrilege called the Jingkang Incident. The Song- it seemed, had been snuffed out to all the outside world but this camp.

To nearly all, Northern Song ended with the pillaging of its imperial capital, the enslaving of most of its imperial court, the rape and enslaving of its noblewomen and the abduction of 2 emperors. It was such a magnitude of victory that even the Jin themselves did not expect.

Jingkang Incident: the besieged city was captured by the Jurchens in less than two months. On January 9, 1127, the Jurchens broke through and began to sack the conquered city. Emperor Qinzong tried to appease the victors by offering the wealth of the capital. The royal treasury was emptied and the belongings of the city's residents were pillaged. Both Qinzong and his father the retired emperor Huizong were captured along with nearly all of the trapped 14,000 members of the imperial court- nobles, ministers and their extended families. The Jurchens then began to sack and pillage Kaifeng. The Northern Song dynasty- which had lasted 167 years came to an end. 

Jin Warrior: light Jin cavalryman: the Jin army was almost entirely mounted, accounting for their rapid continuous mobility. Each warrior was mandated to be able to fight in a variety of roles on horseback. Though many may recall the mental image of the iconic Iron Pagoda Cavalry etc- they only accounted for the heavy component of the Jurchens. At this time the Jin still relied on a large body of nimble horsemen. By this time they would have 10 years of arduous fighting experience against some of the fiercest foes in northeast Asia. Having rebelled in 1115, the Jurchens decisively overthrew their Khitan Liao overlords in a string of victories. Their commanders Wolibu and Wuzhu were suicidally bold in both wars against the Liao and Song.

Armored Fists: The Iron Pagoda Cavalry rode in several rows while light cavalry provided archery support from behind- acting as a charging maul and with the light cavalries supplementing their deadly charge. This arrangement was the reverse of the Liao, who often placed light horse archers in front as a screen for the heavy cavalry. 

Music: Riding Alone to Save the Prince

THE LAST IMPERIAL SPARK

With the imperial heartland sacked and Jin retuning with the Song imperial court in tow on their return- and having appointed their hostage Song Prime Minister as the puppet Emperor of a puppet state called Chu, the Jin pulled back from the ravished Kaifeng- the Song court, including both captured Emperor Huizong and Qinzong had to march on their feet. Many among the captured would die on the arduous journey. The survivors would be sold as slaves and servants to the Jin. 

For the Song holdouts in Hebei the situation became dire and unstable. The nation that they served had vanished, but they still held a single lone spark that would resurrect it: the prince Zhao Guo. Realizing that it was urgent to proclaim the existence of a Song claimant to stabilize the corners of the fallen realm, and also the parallel extreme danger of not letting Zhao Guo be captured, the army with Zhao Guo in tow hastily departed for the south. 

Some of the officers expressed strong opinions that the prince and the army should make for the damaged capital as fast as possible to stabilize the situation, while others strongly cautioned against this direct march and preferred detours lest the army was seen and caught by Jin armies- Zhao Guo opted the for latter option and avoided Jin activities, however he did dispatch Zong Ze and others to retake the capital.

Zong Ze's troops eventually confronted the Jin army across the Yellow River. One day, while Yue Fei drilled his soldiers in archery on the ice of the Yellow River, Jin cavalry attacked in large numbers. Although Yue Fei's troops had only a hundred cavalrymen, they counter charged the enemy and defeated the enemy with their small force. 

After the battle, Yue Fei was awarded the title of Bingyilang 秉义郎 (roughly translated as: "Deputy of Righteousness." the 46th rank of the Song's 53 military ranks.) Zong Ze's troops scored a great victory in Henan- retaking Kaifeng and laid the path open for Zhao Guo south. On June 1127, Zhao Guo declared himself emperor at Shangqiu in Henan- forcing the Chu puppet emperor to step down and commit suicide. At this time, Yue Fei was transferred under the command of Zhang Suo, a local Song loyalist commander and a member of the Imperial Guards. 

Under Zhang Suo Yue Fei's soldierly talents and command was appreciated and he was given the command of Zhang's Central Army. One month later, Zhang Suo ordered his commander-in-chief Wang Yan to lead Yue Fei and 7,000 soldiers to cross the Yellow River to fall upon the Jin army. Unfortunately for Yue Fei: his patron Zhang Suo was soon dismissed and exiled, and his specific command was abolished. 

During the ensuing march, Yue Fei strongly disagreed with Wang Yan, and his detachment broke away from Wang Yan. Instead he returned south and rejoined Zong Ze, who had become the chief governor of the capital at Kaifeng. For his disobedience, Yue Fei was sentenced to death by Wang Yan, but he was pardoned by Zong Ze and only exempted from office and waited for punishment. During this period of time Zong Ze wrote many letters to Zhao Guo (we shall refer to him by his temple name as Gaozong from now) - begging him to return to Kaifeng and rule from there with Gaozong rebuffing such pleas and instead opting to move south. Depressed, Zong Ze tried to desperately stabilize the Central Plains and soon died of illnes. Despite the loss of both of his 2 early patrons, Yue Fei is now sufficiently empowered with independent command: the fledgling would soar.

THE PROVING AGAINST REBELS- FOX PRETEND TO BE TIGERS 狐假虎威

"狐假虎威 "

“The Fox Borrows the Tiger's Prowess.”  - Chinese idiom

At the age of 25: Yue Fei's distinctions had earned him a sizeable command. In August of 1128, Yue Fei defeated a Jin army again at Sishui Pass and was promoted to Wugong Lang 武功郎 (the 35th rank.) Du Chong- the new governor of Kaifeng ordered Yue Fei and several other generals to eliminate the 3 armies of Zhang Yong, Cao Cheng, Wang Shan, etc, who initially presented themselves as rescuing patriots with their own warbands: and were recruited by Zong Ze: but with Zong Ze's death these armies had went rogue. 

Unstable restoration- A Realm Still in Chaos: Song (Red) in the south and thinly held Song possessions in dark red. With Gaozong's declaration as emperor and the toppling of the puppet state of Chu, the central plains was briefly regained and Kaifeng restored. However it was mostly nominal and actual control extremely precarious. In the wake of the Jin terror many self- defense militias were organized- some eventually pledged loyalty to the new court while others became armies of armed roving bandits. 

Although imperial loyalists coalesced around Gaozong- the Song remnants were stretched thin and Gaozong had to deputize many patriotic militia bands for defense and offering titles to the leaders of such bands. The characters and quality of such bands varied greatly. 

Music: The Backyard Beast

YUE FEI SWINGS AGAINST CAO CHENG

Roving Terror: As with the fact great strife could forge great restorative patriots, strife could also spawn notorious bastards. Cao Cheng made his name by initially bringing his own warband to aid Gaozong, hoping to be opportunistically elevated. For a time he served under Zong Ze. However he soon broke off and became an extremely rapacious marauder leading a sizeable bandit army. Yue Fei dealt him a major defeat and drove him from the central plains, however in the south he became a nightmare to several southern regions. 

Yue Fei immediately took his army and fell on Cao Cheng's army, despite being significantly outnumbered Yue Fei was recorded in the "History of Song" to have personally led the battle with 800 men, holding only a bow in his left hand and a spear in his right hand, and then he charged into the enemy's formation. The rebel army was then scattered. For this Yue Fei was promoted to Wujing Dafu 武经大夫 (32th rank.) Then, Yue Fei was ordered to rescue Dongming County east in Shandong, which was also besieged by the bandits Du Shuwu and Sun Hai.

Art by Shuai Zhang: Wild South: Song era infantryman in campaign gear. He wears a rough coat over his armor and he wears a thatched raincoat made of straws called Suōyī 蓑衣, and carries a ring- pommeled cleaver sword. He wears a large wicker hat over his head. The wicker hat were frequently worn by southern river's fishermen, and even in the 20th century were still widely worn by soldiers during the Long March in the Chinese Civil War. 

By this era the roving rebel bandit armies were so numerous and brazen they managed to defeat several Song columns and captured their commanders: including Li Bao, one of the Song commanders alongside Yue Fei also tasked with putting down the rebel bandits. In the south- especially in the intersection of southern Anhui straddling Jiangsu and Jiangxi- according to "History of Song" some 500,000 such armed "bandit" rebels rapaciously sacked and raided townships in their path.

After stabilizing northeast, Yue Fei was promoted to Wulue Dafu 武略大夫 (31th rank) and sent southward to Anhui. He was temporarily appointed as the governor of Yingzhou (Anhui- bordering Henan.) Yue Fei then rescued Huaining Prefecture in southern Anhui (bordering Jiangxi,) which was besieged by Wang Shan- the 2nd rebel general he was tasked to put down, and was promoted to Wude Dafu 武德大夫 (28th rank) for which the full governorship of Yingzhou was granted to him. Thus far- Yue Fei had risen from a hayseed recruit to become a trusted imperial regional governor, in any other era would have been a storied career: however he would have little time to celebrate his success. Right in his wake, the tenuous Song Central Plains defense completely collapsed. 

HOME LOST IN WAKE- GAOZONG'S FLIGHT

In 1129: Wuzhu returned with a huge Jin army in his wake and overrun all of the Central Plains- Du Chong, the governor of Kaifeng was defeated on the field and he was forced to surrender with some 3,000 survivors. Northern China was lost and Gaozong- already in Anhui was forced to flee further south, first to Hangzhou~ where he survived a mutiny of his imperial guard army and was rescued by a cabal of loyalist generals, and then as Wuzhu crossed the Yangtze and raced east, Gaozong desperately boarded ocean going ships and had to sail onto the open sea. 

The Jin pursers then boarded their own ships and chased Gaozong more than 300 li by sea, however a Song fleet commanded by Song governor Zhang Gongyu forced the Jin to turn back. Wuzhu eventually took and sacked all of the major cities of Zhejiang: Hangzhou, Shaoxing, and Ningbo, then devasted the Zhejiang countryside with rapacious rape and pillage. 

1129: The Flight South: Jin (Gold) Gaozong's Flight (Scarlet) Song disjointed territories in remission (Sienna): In 1129, Jin invaded again in strength in all directions, several columns bore down across northern China and even managed to pierce into coastal eastern China and southeastern China. 

Finally: gratified, Wuzhu ordered a departure with a large Jin transport fleet carrying mountains of looted treasures and planned to sail northward using the Grand Canal. However on their returning trek, ^as covered in the previous chapter: their fleet was cornered by the Song loyalist general Han Shizhong's fleet.

Though the Song fleet was less numerous they were far larger ocean going ships and the Song- Jin fleet fought for (48 or 30) days on the river bulge north of Nanjing called Huangtiandang- and Han's wife lady Liang played drums to coordinate the soldiery. Eventually the Jin slipped away with an impromptu canal and firing fire arrows that burned Han's sails denying him pursuit. On land, Wuzhu's return was met again with Song vengeance. 

Yue Fei (during Gaozong's flight remained in Jiangsu on the northern bank of the Yangtze) found the returning Jin army in April, Yue Fei scored a major victory at Qingshui Pavilion, then the next month in May Yue led 300 cavalry and 2,000 infantry and defeated Wuzhu 15 miles north of Nanjing and captured Nanjing. In June 1130 Yue Fei coordinated with the supreme commander of the south Zhang Jun and defeated Qi Fang- a Song commander who had turned rebel and became a bandit in the region, using 3,000 soldiers. Qi Fang eventually surrendered. The Jin were gone for good in the south and the immediate vicinity between Hangzhou and Nanjing had been stabilized.

THE NEW GENERATION OF SONG GENERALS

A new age had began, and the Song- it seemed, would stay around for far longer than had seemed.

It will the the farthest Jin will ever reach in the south. Having nearly crushed the Jin vanguard in one fell swoop the Jin became much more cautious and the hunted Song court- in turn, was given a true chance to consolidate in the south in peace. The Song (now Southern Song) had lost its ancestral heartland- its tax revenue and population greatly diminished. But a serendipity is that now this new Song court is stuffed with many proven, capable commanders: many of them will be close colleagues and comrades in arms with Yue Fei. At this time this top tier of Song generals: including Han Shizhong 韩世忠, Liu Guangshi 刘光世, and Zhang Jun 张俊 (general) each possessed an army around 24,000 strong. At this time Yue Fei's army was only around 12,000 soldiers.

Instrumental Song generals: Han Shizong: Zhang Jun 张俊, and (spelled with a different character but same pronunciation in tone) Zhang Jun 张浚. Han Shizhong was arguably the best proven Song commander at this time, in his youth he proved a renowned warrior in battle against the Tanguts in the west. Afterwards in the southern wars Han infiltrated the fortified lair of the Manichean backed rebel Fang La alone- and personally captured him back to the Song camp- decapitating the rebellion in one fell swoop. When the Jin invaded he guarded Gaozong Emperor on multiple occasions and had close allies in court. He would one day also be a key ally of Yue Fei. Together Han and (later) Yue were among the best of the new generation of Southern Song generals and were given great initiatives in command.  

Zhang Jun- the general was a masterful anti- insurgency general and proved his worth in stamping down a litany of armed rebels and bandits inside the empire. After the flight to Hangzhou he would prove an instrumental ally to Yue Fei at court and sponsored Yue Fei's campaign and career. Then there was the 2nd Zhang Jun- the minister, the hawkish and revanchist minister (and one day Chancellor) - he was instrumental in saving Gaozong in Hangzhou from his imperial guard mutineers and after attaining power eschewed peace talks with the Jin and steered the Song for stabilization of all of the south and reconquest of the north

Zhang Jun- the general would be Yue Fei's most important sponsors. A masterful anti- insurgency general Zhang gained great favor and privileges when he and his army personally saved Gaozong during his desperate flight to board the fleets with the Jurchens hot on heels. Thereafter Zhang was appointed the governor of Zhejiang region and all generals subordinated to his oversight. By this point exorbitantly rewarded by the emperor in titles and privileges, Zhang Jun had a keen insight for talent and was also a clever politician. His esteem in Yue Fei lend much material and political support for Yue Fei during his northern march.

After stabilizing the foundations whereupon a new court could sprout in peace- Zhang Jun returned to court and praised Yue Fei as a remarkable talent. Yue Fei was promoted to the rank of Wugong Daifu 武功大夫 (27th rank) , Defense Commissioner, Pacification Commisioner of Tongzhou (eastern Jiangsu,) and governor of Taizhou (south central Jiangsu.) In the north- the Jin also began to change their overall strategy. 

Traitor: Liu Yu 刘豫; Instead of laboriously garrisoning northern China. The Jurchens opted to ruled it via Han puppets. Liu Yu was originally a former Song prefect in Shandong, however when the Jin armies arrived he murdered the Song commander in the area and surrendered to the invaders. Jin therefore made him the emperor of the puppet state of Qi whose entire existence was to act as a Jin buffer state and continue to invade the Song. Despite proclaiming their intention was to "restore peace" all under heavens, Qi enforced military conscription and crippling taxes across northern China. For almost a decade this deeply unpopular Quisling regime would send many invasions south.

Unwilling to repeat the previous east coast bound assault, the Jin instead shifted their angle of attack westward. What's more, instead of having to entrench down in northern China and have to share a long expansive border with the Song. The Jin raised another puppet state~ called Qi, staffed with a former Song minister turned traitor as its Emperor. Qi, or "Great Qi" would act a buffer and continuously send out invasions along the Song/ Qi border while Jin reserved their strongest forces into unstoppable mauls for penetration into Song passes. 

Music: Yin-Yang Adrift

LONG MARCH- RECOVERING THE SOUTH

With Gaozong's flight into the sea, the creation of a parallel dynasty of Qi, and the general chaos caused in the wake of the Jin warpath~ the Song faced rebellions across its landscape. Across several prefectures rebels declared independence and began to capture surrounding territories. Not just rebels, but many regional Song governors also made their ambitious bids and declared their own regimes. 

The Age of Uprisings: The Song around 1130. The Jin raised puppet state of "Qi" in black: consisting most of what was Central Plains. The Song (Scarlet) was severely strained, due to the constant relocation of the imperial court and the relentless Jin (Gold) pursuit, much of what would be the Southern Song were isolated and not in constant communication with the new imperial core. Several regions in the south thereby fell to powerful bandits and rebels. Though peasant uprisings had cropped up before the Jin invasion- as those done by Song Jiang (protagonist of "Water Margin") and Fang La: rebels in this era had became exponentially more powerful and numbered in hundreds of thousands. 

MISSION- SECURING YANGTZE 

Although the Song still had authority in the far western regions in Sichuan and Shaanxi- all along the Yangtze rebels and bandits had obstructed Song communication between the court in the east and the west. It was up to Yue Fei to ran the entire Yangtze gauntlet putting down all rebel factions in his way. 

Rematch: By 1131 Cao Cheng's bandit rebel army had made this region their new domain- after having been driven out of the Central Plains by Yue Fei Cao Cheng's band ballooned with many rebels and marauders. Eventually nearly 100,000 followed his lead and raided and sacked several counties in the area. Remaining extremely opportunistic, whenever Cao met defeats in the field he tried to repledge to imperial service. Zhang Jun briefly tried to win him over by sending an envoy with an imperial edict to re deputize him and his men. However, dissatisfied Cao's 100,000 then broke away and continued their reaving with impunity. 

Music: Mischievous as Ever

In 1132: Gaozong dispatched Yue Fei to march west and destroy Cao Cheng. At that time, Yue's army had more than 12,000 soldiers. Yue Fei stationed 2,000 soldiers in Jizhou (now Ji'an City , Jiangxi Province) and used the remaining 10,000 soldiers to attack Cao Cheng's army. Undeterred, Cao Cheng and his roving horde made a lightning fast deep raid south into northern Guanxi- besieged and took several cities. Yue Fei pursued him, but after capturing several of Cao's spies he bribed them and sent them back with the false information to inform Cao that Yue Fei's army was exhausted and out of rations and supplies and had to withdraw. When Cao heard of this he was overjoyed and raced after Yue Fei's wake. Instead, Yue Fei circled around a nearby mountain and flanked Cao's army. The 2 armies fought and Yue Fei's forces were able to overmatch Cao's men. 

After this defeat Cao Cheng fled and took several other cities along his way. But Yue Fei did not relent his pursuit, with his generals taking 2 passes between them. 10 days later near Guiling County  (Guangxi) Yue Fei led 8,000 soldiers to scale up a nearby mountain and then fell upon Cao's unsuspecting camp below. With this further defeat, Cao Cheng fled south into northern Guangdong in Lianzhou county. Yue Fei sent his general Zhang Xian in pursuit and caused a rippling collapse in the Cao wake- capturing some 20,000 Cao soldiers and recruited them into Yue's cause. Exasperated with the compounding defeats, Cao turned north and slipped to Hunan. 

It was here that a major upset happened to one of Yue Fei's subcommanders. When Yue's general Han Shunfu 韩顺夫 broke through Cao defenses at Moye Pass with a victory: he became content and then decided to hold an indulgent celebratory feast, taking off his armor and saddles and used captured women as companions for drinking. However during his camp's revelry, a bold Cao commander named Yang Zaixing 杨再兴 made a suicidally brave attack and raced deep into Han's headquarters- personally cutting off one of Han's Shunfu's arm and killing him and Yue Fei's younger brother Yue Fan. 

Yang Zaixing 杨再兴: Utterly fearless and nightmarish in battle. Facing Cao army's complete collapse, one of his lieutenants did the unexpected- suicidally unexpected. While Yue Fei's general Han Shunfu was prematurely throwing a celebratory feast, Yang and a small band raced right into Han's headquarters and slew both Han and Yue Fei's younger brother Yue Fan then raced off.

With Cao Cheng utterly defeated Yang Zaixing fled in his separate direction and was captured. Yue Fei's subordinate commander Zhang Xian wanted to kill Yang, and Yang was brought up bound in ropes. However upon their meeting Yue ordered he be unbound and convinced Yang to pledge his loyalty to the country. Yang was deeply moved and pledged his loyalty to Yue- in time Yang Zaixing would become one of Yue Fei's best cavalry commanders. In may of 1132 Song general Han Shizhong completely pacified Fujian with 30,000 troops, destroying the former Song governor- turned- rebel Fan Ruwei and his rebel army in matter of days. Afterwards, Han marched west to Jiangxi and sent an envoy to persuade Cao Cheng to surrender. Cao Cheng took up the offer and together with his 80,000 soldiers marched back to Hangzhou and pledged loyalty to the Song court. The Cao rebellion was settled- with mercy and reintegration.

RENEWED DISCIPLE AND QUALITY

Heavy Southern Song dynasty infantryman in Bu Renjia armor with poleaxe. He carries a large 1 handed chopping blade as a side arm and is also armed with bow and a quiver of arrows. Because of the crippling disparity of war horses, the Southern Song army transformed its army into a strongly anti- cavalry focused one. Quality- rather than quantity was heavily emphasized and each soldier was valued more than they were from the previous era. Even many of Southern Song's crossbowmen were heavily armored and screened with armored archers.

During the Southern Song its soldiery received greater amount of armor and various type of military units were all assigned anti cavalry weapons such as the Zhanmadao or Horse Choppers. Because this generation of hawkish Southern Song generals nearly all proved their loyalty to Gaozong in one occasion or another, Gaozong afforded them great degree of autonomy and did not often peg them with the usual Cha Jinsi 差监司- court supervisors who often kept strict and reductive civilian oversight as was done in the previous centuries. 

Several other factors contributed to the increase in Song quality in this era: deprived of their former court monitors, the Song generals were given far greater operational freedom: and because many of their soldiery had to be trained from the ground up- there was fervent Esprit de Corps for each army. 

Additionally, most of the Southern Song generals were rigorous drill masters. Yue Fei and Han Shizhong were both strict in establishing reward and punishments and preferred to lean on their best meritorious units. Rewards were logical and punishments were clearly stipulated. In order to rally much of the general populace Yue Fei strictly forbade looting on the pain of death and would frequently pardon rival armies: choosing to instead enrolling talented officers and general soldiery into his patriotic cause. This dedication to quality- supplemented by trusted subordinate officers (whereupon all major decisions were discussed and clarified)- in an army that largely internalized their doctrine ensured that from the officer level to the individual soldiers, each was worth the count and trusted in their role.

Music: Villages of Khitai

Aside from the likes of talented officers like Yang Zaixing- Yue Fei's mercy extends to other rebels as well. Including the rebel general Zhang Yong 张用 (if recalled, ^ he was one of the 3 rogue rebels Yue was initially assigned to put down.) Yue initially defeated Zhang in the Central Plains, however: Zhang Yong- like Cao Cheng also escaped south and took over several cities in the south. At times, like Cao Cheng he also sued for peace- even receiving Song pardons and titles, and like Cao Cheng rebelled again. When Zhang Yong attacked Jiangxi Yue Fei personally wrote him a letter, which read: "You and I are from the same hometown. I fought with you in the battles of Nanxun Gate and Tielu Road. Now I am here. If you want to fight, I will go out. If you don't want to fight, then surrender." After receiving the letter, Zhang Yong was deeply moved and said: "Yue Fei is truly my elder" (honoring deference.) So he surrendered with his troops and truly pledged his loyalty to Song. 

It was in these examples that Yue Fei's humanity won without fighting, and he was able to edge near to his goals persuading fellow countrymen back to the fold. These acts of deliberate mercy would speak volumes and such reputation would greatly aid him in his further campaigns. For his decisive accomplishment, Yue Fei was promoted to the rank of Zhongwei Dafu 中卫大夫 (9th rank) and the honorific title of Chenxuanshi 承宣使 (envoy of proclamations) : after the victory over Cao Cheng, Yue's army doubled in strength to about 23,000~ 24,000 men, which was comparable to the largest armies of Han Shizhong, Liu Guangshi, and Zhang Jun. Though elevated, Yue Fei still was under the rank of the top tier generals like Han Shizhong who operated actively in the Anhui area.

In September of 1133, Yue Fei returned to Hangzhou and met with Emperor Gaozong for the second time. Gaozong personally wrote the four characters "Resplendent Loyal Yue Fei" 精忠岳飞 and embroidered them on a battle flag for future campaigns. Yue Fei took up the honor, the next year he would march his army north and embark on the 1st of 4 military expeditions north. There, he would secure the lynchpin of the Yangtze river and truly ensure that the south would be the Song's for centuries to come. He turned 30 year old that year.

It is also here that we must end the first chapter devoted to Yue Fei. It is my intention to be as detailed as possible and dive into the geological significance of regions, cities, armies, equipment, and commander profiles as much as possible and do not want the chapter to be impossible to load on slow PCs or have more casual readers bog down with just 1 endless chapter. We will return to the middle of Yue Fei's career in the next chapter, his repeated campaign operations and the enemies he faced. Stay Tuned. Yue Fei's career will go on to even more vibrant heights until its final climactic duel in the north against the best of the Jin army in the once- heartland of China.

Gate to the South: Xiangyang: the vital lynchpin of both the Han- and Yangtze river and by extension the guarantor of the security of the south. One day it would be Yue Fei's headquarters. Situated on an easily defended narrow strip of river valley behind a Y fork on the Han river, on its two sides stood impassable mountains, behind it to the south laid the lush farmlands of the Yangtze river basin. Whoever controls this gate of the south is able to keep the south secured in its flank and thereby ensure the safety of the only stretch of major farmlands in the southern interior. Whoever controlled this bottleneck will also have the initiative of invading north into the flatlands of the Central Plains.

Sneak Peek: The Pirate King of Dongting Lake: After Gaozong's flight in 1130- the wet lands of Hubei/ Hunan region along the vast Dongting Lake (lit. "Cavern Court" Lake- derived from a myth that a water dragon held an opulent court under it) that flows into Yangtze river- and for centuries serves as a mid way 5 point hub in the river- erupted in rebellion. Rebels like Yang Yao ruled the region with some 50,000~ 60,000 combat troops and a vast fleet of ships large and small: the largest 30 tower ships were vast and mult- storied with its own long rows of oars and over a thousand crew: the rest were composed of hundreds of smaller but extremely fast "sea eel ships" which were amphibious and powered by paddlewheels. Much of which will become Yue Fei's future navy.

Music: Mighty Descent

 Figure by QinyiErjian

The general is marching back with his army, back toward home.

Beiwei Cavalry 背嵬军: Yue Fei's elite vanguard cataphracts. Cobbled together with the precious captured war horses from the north. Well protected in armor and armed with a wide assortment of weapons including a polearm, bow and arrows, and 2 heavy sword shaped maces called jian (锏 "jiǎn"- Sword Breakers) they were the best of Yue Fei's elite Beiwei Army 背嵬军 (1 of 12 subordinate armies.) Eventually with Yue's dedicated anti cavalry infantry blocks able to overcome the best of the Jin field army.

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