Emperor Xiaozong was the eleventh emperor of the of China, and the second emperor of the Southern Song. His personal name was Zhao Shen. He reigned from 1162 to 1189. His temple name means "Filial Ancestor".
Xiaozong was the 7th generation descendant of , the founder of the Song Dynasty. He was found after lost his only child and heir and thus ordered the administration to look for all the descendants of the imperial family all across southern China .
Xiaozong was the second son of Zhao Zicheng , known posthumously as Prince Xiu Anxi , who was a sixth cousin of emperors Gaozong and . Zhao Zicheng was the son of Zhao Linghua , known posthumously as Duke of Qing , who was a fifth cousin of emperors and . Zhao Linghua was the son of Zhao Shijiang , known posthumously as Marquess of Huayin , who was a fourth cousin of . Zhao Shijiang was the son of Zhao Congyu , known posthumously as Marquess of Xinxing , who was a third cousin of . Zhao Congyu was the son of Zhao Weixian , known posthumously as Duke of Ying , who was a second cousin of . Zhao Weixian was the second son of Zhao Defang , known posthumously as Prince Kanghui of Qin , who was a first cousin of , and the second surviving son of .
Xiaozong's mother, titled Princess Xiu , was from the Zhang family.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Emperor Guangzong of Song
Emperor Guangzong 宋光宗 was the 12th Emperor of Song China. He was born with the name Zhao Dun 趙惇. His temple name means "Bright Ancestor".
He gave the city of Chongqing its present name, meaning 'Double Celebration'. According to Xu Wei, the Nanxi style of theatre began in his reign. He listened to some treacherous officials and dismissed popular military leader Xin Qiji. He was forced to give up his throne in 1194 by his grandmother, the Grand Empress Dowager, as he refused to attend the funeral procession of his father, . He died in 1200 near Shaoxing, Zhejiang.
He gave the city of Chongqing its present name, meaning 'Double Celebration'. According to Xu Wei, the Nanxi style of theatre began in his reign. He listened to some treacherous officials and dismissed popular military leader Xin Qiji. He was forced to give up his throne in 1194 by his grandmother, the Grand Empress Dowager, as he refused to attend the funeral procession of his father, . He died in 1200 near Shaoxing, Zhejiang.
Emperor Ningzong of Song
Emperor Ningzong 寧宗 was the 13th emperor of the Song dynasty who reigned from 1194-1224. His temple name means "Tranquil Ancestor". His reign was noted for the cultural and intellectual achievements. In particular, Zhu Xi wrote some of his most famous works during this period.
On the political side however, Emperor Ningzong saw his government being plagued by rising inflation that threatened the economy and the military advances by the Jurchen people from the north. In 1279, Khubilai Khan established the Yuan dynasty, an empire that would in less than sixty years after Ningzong's death eliminate the whole of Southern Song dynasty and bring all of China under Mongol domination.
On the political side however, Emperor Ningzong saw his government being plagued by rising inflation that threatened the economy and the military advances by the Jurchen people from the north. In 1279, Khubilai Khan established the Yuan dynasty, an empire that would in less than sixty years after Ningzong's death eliminate the whole of Southern Song dynasty and bring all of China under Mongol domination.
Emperor Lizong of Song
Emperor Lizong 理宗 was the 14th emperor of the of China, and the fifth emperor of the Southern Song. His personal name was Zhao Yun . He reigned from 1224 to 1264. His temple name means "Reasonable Ancestor". Although a descendant of Song founder Emperor Taizu and henceforth considered a part of the Zhao Song royal family, Lizong was not in line to succeed to the throne as his family held no political status. Shi Miyuan, who was a chancellor for many years collaborated with the Dowager Empress Yang and brought Zhao Yun to the throne.
Lizong's long reign of forty years did little to improve the predicament Song China was in at the time. Lizong was uninterested in governmental affairs and for the first decade of his rule he delegated matters into the hands of his ministers notably Shi Miyuan who acted as a de facto ruler in the absence of the Lizong Emperor. After Shi's death in 1233, Lizong assumed full authority briefly but again quickly abandoned the responsibility of ruling and delegated matters to his prime minister Ding Da Quan in order to pursue personal enjoyment. It was said that Lizong frequented brothels as well as invited prostitutes into the palace which was vehemently opposed by his loyal ministers.
Notable events during Lizong's reign included the demise of the in 1234 that was obliterated by the joint forces of the Mongols and the . However in 1259, the Mongols turned against the Southern Song. The Song was forced to capitulate and ceded all the territories north of the Yangtze River to the Mongols. In 1279, the Mongols would eventually conquer all of China.
Lizong died childless and he was succeeded by his nephew, .
Lizong's long reign of forty years did little to improve the predicament Song China was in at the time. Lizong was uninterested in governmental affairs and for the first decade of his rule he delegated matters into the hands of his ministers notably Shi Miyuan who acted as a de facto ruler in the absence of the Lizong Emperor. After Shi's death in 1233, Lizong assumed full authority briefly but again quickly abandoned the responsibility of ruling and delegated matters to his prime minister Ding Da Quan in order to pursue personal enjoyment. It was said that Lizong frequented brothels as well as invited prostitutes into the palace which was vehemently opposed by his loyal ministers.
Notable events during Lizong's reign included the demise of the in 1234 that was obliterated by the joint forces of the Mongols and the . However in 1259, the Mongols turned against the Southern Song. The Song was forced to capitulate and ceded all the territories north of the Yangtze River to the Mongols. In 1279, the Mongols would eventually conquer all of China.
Lizong died childless and he was succeeded by his nephew, .
Emperor Duanzong of Song
Emperor Duānzōng was the penultimate emperor of Southern Song Dynasty of China who died in childhood and reigned from 1276-1278. He was also known as Lord Establishing-Nation . Born Zhào Shì , he was the child of . He became Prince Ji in 1274 and Prince Yi in 1276. Enthroned at Fuzhou on June 14, 1276, his reign had the era name of ''Jǐngyán'' . His temple name means "Final Ancestor".
Duanzong's younger brother was captured after Lin'an was invaded by the Mongols in 1276. Duanzong, along with another one of his younger brother Bing, escaped to Fujian and established the seat of the government in Fuzhou. In 1278, the Mongol forces were about to breakthrough Song's last line of defense and Duanzong was forced to flee. Accompanied by minister such as Lu Xiufu, Duanzong boarded a ship and fled to the province of Guangdong. He temporarily stayed in Hong Kong, with the Sung Wong Toi in Kowloon City commemorating this event.
In March of 1278, while fleeing from the Mongols, Duanzong fell off a boat and almost drowned himself. After his rescue, he became ill and died a few months later at Gangzhou.
He was succeeded by his younger brother, .
Duanzong's younger brother was captured after Lin'an was invaded by the Mongols in 1276. Duanzong, along with another one of his younger brother Bing, escaped to Fujian and established the seat of the government in Fuzhou. In 1278, the Mongol forces were about to breakthrough Song's last line of defense and Duanzong was forced to flee. Accompanied by minister such as Lu Xiufu, Duanzong boarded a ship and fled to the province of Guangdong. He temporarily stayed in Hong Kong, with the Sung Wong Toi in Kowloon City commemorating this event.
In March of 1278, while fleeing from the Mongols, Duanzong fell off a boat and almost drowned himself. After his rescue, he became ill and died a few months later at Gangzhou.
He was succeeded by his younger brother, .
Emperor Taizu of Song
Emperor Taizu , born Zhao Kuangyin , was the founder of the Song Dynasty of China, reigning from 960 to 976.
Ancestry and early life
His family was of fairly modest origins and cannot be traced back with certainty further than the late Tang dynasty. His ancestor Zhao Ting was an official who served in Zhuozhou, in Hebei near to where the family lived. His second son Zhao Ting and his son Zhao Jing also served as local officials in Hebei. Zhao Jing's son Zhao Hongyin decided against a civil career and became a military officer instead under Tang Zhuangzhong. Zhao Hongyin knew that in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period that it would be a military career that will lead to success. As a result, Zhao Kuangyin was trained in martial arts and in the art of war. Zhao Kuangyin started training ever since he was a child and from his childhood, Zhao Kuangyin showed strong preservence. It was once said that Zhao Kuangyin found an untamed horse to practice his archery skills. Unfortunetly, the horse didn't want Zhao Kuangyin on it and therefore threw Zhao Kuangyin off its back and onto the wall. Everyone was at first shocked because a normal person would be heavily injured after being thrown against the wall, but Zhao Kuangyin got right back up and chased the horse down. Eventually, the horse was subdued and Zhao Kuangyin was unharmed. After his father started to lose his position in the government , Zhao Kuangyin at the age of twenty-one decided to leave because he knew that with his father's position, he could not become successful in the current society. He would wander around various settings in society for two years, which would mold Zhao Kuangyin's broad view on social life. It was said that one day a Daoist at a monastery in Xiangyang saw that Kuangyin, despite his beggar-like dressing, had an unusual aura. Seeing the aura, he told him to go to the north where there were currently conflicts of war. The south is too stable for him to fight and become famous. He first went up north and went under Guo Wei's command, who served under Later Han. In 951, Guo Wei rebelled and created the Later Zhou. Because of his brilliant combat skills, Zhao Kuangyin was promoted to a Chief of the Palace commander. Because Chai Rong frequently met Guo Wei, Chai Rong noticed Zhao Kuangyin and his potential. Soon, Chai Rong placed Zhao Kuangyin under his command and a commander of the calvary units. Under Chai Rong, Zhao Kuangyin's rise to power begins because Zhou Taizu had no sons and Chai Rong is his adopted son. As a result, when Zhou Taizu died, Chai Rong became Zhou Shizong.
Period under Zhou Shizong
Zhao Kuangyin slowly rose through the ranks. His career really started at the battle of Gaoping against the alliance of the Northern Han and the Liao. This battle first started when Zhou Shizong just got on the throne and Liu Mindecided to work with Liao. In the initial confrontation, the right flank army, led by Fan AiNen, Liu Yanlang（劉延讓）, Mi Xin（米信）, Tian Zhongjing（田重進）, Pang Mei（潘美）, Zhao Guangyi , Shen Yileng（沈義倫）, Lu Xuqing, Zhao Pu（趙普）, Chu Zhaobu（楚昭捕）. Within a few years, Zhao Kuangyin completely controlled the Chief of the Palace units and even developed a set of officials under him with the people mentioned above. Soon enough, he was promoted to a Jie Du Shi, controlling the most military power under Zhou Shizong. Even though Zhao Kuangyin controlled the most powers, he still had two rivals-Zhang Yongde and Li Zhongjing（李重進） who are both Zhou Taizu's son-in-laws. Even though Zhang Yongde had a good relationship with Zhao Kuangyin, Zhao Kuangyin still had to eliminate Yongde's power to prevent him as a potential threat. In 959, after a trap set by Kuangyin, Zhang Yongde was demoted. After Zhang Yongde died, the last competent Second Zhou Emperor, Shizong also died, leaving an infant boy on the throne. Next up was Li Zhongjing, who lacked the people who could back him politically. As a result of this weakness, after the death of Zhou Shizong, Zhao Kuangyin was able to use his influence to transfer Zhongjing to the Yang Prefecture as a Jie Du Shi. With his two potential rivals out of the way, Zhao Kuangyin was now free to plan his coup. In 960, word reached the prime minister- Fang Zhi that Northern Han and Liao has once again allied with each other to invade them again. Without verifying whether this is true or not, Fan Zi sent Zhao Kuangyin to combat the alliance. After traveling 40 li, a "spirtiual" person claimed that he saw 2 suns fighting and that this meant the mandate of heaven is transfering onto Zhao Kuangyin. While this is one of those typical emperor rumors, it did effectively spread around the army. Soon, the army started to wonder why they are fighting under a weak little child, who can't even command an army; therefore, some of the army started to think of Zhao Kuangyin as a potential new emperor. While Zhao Kuangyin pretended that he didn't know anything, he sent a secret message back to Kaifeng to tell Shi Soxing and Wang Senchi to prepare to open the gate in the case that there really is a coup. A few days passed by until one night Kuangyin became drunk. The next morning, all the troops , who haven't slept for the whole night, got their weapons and started yelling. Zhao Pu and Zhang Kuangyi, who were guarding the tent, saw the situation and went into the tent to wake up Kuangyin. When Kuangyin got out, all the troops yelled, "The army is without a master, we're willing to make commander the new emperor." Zhao Kuangyin allegedly reluctantly and only at the urging of his soldiers, took power in a ''coup d'etat''. News of the rebellion soon reached the court and chaos erupted. The only person who thought about a resistance was Han Tong, but he was killed by one of Kuangyin's generals when he reached home. With the gate open for Zhao Kuangyin, the troops soon got into the court and without too much resistance, Kuangyin controlled the whole court. Kuangyin did pretend that he was sad and forced by his troops, but before the prime minister-Fang Zhi- could say anything, one of Kuangyin's generals pointed a sword at Wang Zhi and said, "We're without masters. Today, we must have an emperor." After the officials looked at each other and knew it was hopeless to resist, they all bowed down. With the court under control, Kuangyin officially became emperor and declared the country as Song, named after the army he controls in the Song Prefecture. After the declaration, he placed the little emperor and the little emperor's mother at Xi Jing(西京）. Song Taizu also personally ordered that the Chai faimly is to receive the care of the Zhao faimly for generations.
Accomplishments
In 960, Song Taizu helped reunite most of China after the fragmentation and rebellion between the fall of the Tang dynasty in 907 and the establishment of the Song dynasty. The plan set during Zhou Shizong's period was to first conquer the North, then the South. During Taizu's period, there was a change in strategy. He would conquer all the small countries such as Shu, South Han, and South Tang. The exception was the strong Northern Han in the north at Taiyuan supported by the Khitans. Taizu's strategy was to first take the Southern territories because the South was weaker than the North as the Liao supported Northern Han.
In 968, Taizu personally led the army against the Northern Han. At first, Taizu tore through the defenses and placed Taiyuan under siege, but was ultimately forced to retreat after he stuck against the defenses of the Northern Han with the Liao cavalry coming in to support.
He established the core Song Ancestor Rules and Policy for the future emperors. He was remembered for his expansion of the examination system such that most of the civil service were recruited through the exams . He also created academies that allowed a great deal of freedom of discussion and thought, which facilitated the growth of , economic reforms as well as achievements in arts and literature. He is perhaps best known for weakening the military and so preventing anyone else rising to power as he did.
Throne transmission
He reigned for seventeen years and died in 976 at the age of forty-nine. Curiously, he was succeeded by his younger brother even though he had four living sons. This mode of succession was common among the nomadic peoples who lived in the north but it was not common in Chinese history. The traditional historical accounts place emphasis on the role Zhao Kuangyin's mother played in the decision which was made shortly after the Song Dynasty was proclaimed . So for nearly his entire reign, it was known and accepted that his brother would succeed him.
His temple name means "Grand Forefather".
Martial Arts
According to martial arts traditional lore, the Emperor Taizu created a -based fighting style known as ''Tàizǔ Chángquán'' . It is the core style of modern day . Whether he really did invent this style or if it even dates from this time is not actually known.
Emperor Taizong of Song
Emperor Taizong , born Zhao Kuangyi, was the second emperor of the Song Dynasty of China from 976 to 997. He was the younger brother of .
Song Taizong became known as a hardworking and diligent emperor, notable for the reunification of China by conquering the powerful Northern Han. He personally led the campaign in 979 against the North, ordered to flood the cities by releasing the Fen River. In the end, Liu Jiyuan had to surrender.
He paid much attention to the wellbeing of his people and the Song dynasty became stronger. After becoming an emperor, he resumed many of the works left by Zhou Sizong including increasing agricultural production, enlarging the examination system, organizing encyclopedias/volumes of books, expanding the court system, and further limiting the military power of the jiedushi.
Having just conquered the Northern Han Dynasty in 979, Song Taizong wanted to carry the momentum into the campaign against the .
During the May of 979, Taizong started his first campaign from Taiyuan. At first, he easily took down Chuo Prefecture and Yi Prefecture. Inspired by the success, he also besieged Yanjing ; however, the siege was bogged down when the protector-Yelu Xuegu did everything to defend the fortress. At the same time, Yelu Xiuge came from the Gaoliang River . Taizong would order his army to combat the back ups. At first, he was told that the Liao army was suffering heavy casualties. Thinking that he has the whole battle under control, he ordered a full out assault, but Yelu Xiuge and Yelu Xiezhen came from two roads to attack. Xiuge would directly concentrate all his attack on Taizong and the base. Frightened, Taizong started to evacuate from the battle ground. During the evacuation, the Song army was split, and was obliterated by the cavalry of the Liao army. During the massacre, Taizong rode his horse toward the Yi Prefecture. Eventually, he returned safely under the protection of his generals. Because Taizong suffered an arrow injury, he was not able to ride the horse and had to sit in a carriage back to Ding Prefecture.
Soon, after recollecting his mind, Taizong ordered a retreat. While Taizong and the army was separated, the army was without a leader. This time, people suggested to make Song Taizu's eldest son - Zhao Dezhao - emperor. After hearing this, Taizong's suspicions were raised, eventually causing Dezhao to commit suicide. In addition, Taizong also suffered an arrow injury that would bother the rest of his life.
The significance of the Battle of Gaoliang River is that it was one of the first major factors that started to make the Song Dynasty turn into a defensive country. This early strong Song army suffered its first major and suffocating loss. At the same time, the incidence of Dezhao's potential coup started to worry Taizong. After the battle, Taizong completely ignored the words of his officials and personally reviewed the military situation and training, rather than ruling the country itself. Taizong would especially limit the military control and power of the imperial family and army.
After Liao Jingzong died in 982, the 12 years old Liao Shenzong succeeded; however, due to the young age of the Shenzong, Xiao Empress was the ruler. It was around this time period in 986 that Song Taizong, backed by the officials, launched his second campaign. Still having nightmares of the first campaign, he decided to stay at Kaifeng, but still directed the generals in combat . He split the army into 3 columns - East, Central, and West. The East was led by Cao Bing. The Central was led by Tian Zhongjing. The West was led by Pang Mei and Yang Ye. All 3 of these armies were to cooperate and take down Yanjing. Because the year was Yongxi Year 3, the campaign became known as the Yongxi Northern Campaign. At first, there were some victories, but each of the 3 columns battled on their own and lacked cooperation. Cao Bing would riskily attack by himself, leaving the other 2 armies behind. Though Cao Bing quickly took back the Chuo Prefecture , the lack of food support forced him to retreat back to the Zhuo Prefecture. Later, because of miscommunication between the Central/West Army with the East Army, the East Army again attacked the Chuo Prefecture. This time, the attack wasn't so lucky. Empress Xiao and Yelu Xiuge each led an army to support the Chuo Prefecture. Suffering heavy defeat, the East Army of Song was almost completely destroyed. Knowing that the failure of the East Army would affect the whole plan, Taizong had no choice but to order a retreat. He ordered Cao Bing to return, Tian Zhongjing to guard the Ding Prefecture, and Yang Ye and Pan Mei to guard four prefectures near the border. Following the defeat of the East Army, the Liao Army led by Yelu Xiezhen continued the pursuit and attacked. The West Army led by Pan Mei met the Liao army led by Yelu Xiezhen at Dai Prefecture. Once again, the Song army was no match and had to retreat. At this time, the West Army led by Yang Ye and Pan Mei was in conflict. Yang Ye suggested that the West Army should retreat because the East and Central armies had already suffered defeats and lost the advantage, but most of the generals, particularly Wang Sen thought he was betraying the army since he used to be from Northern Han. Even though Yang Ye knew it wouldn't turn out well, Yang Ye still led the army due to the pressure of the other generals. Pan Mei was supposed back up Yang Ye when help was needed; however, when Yang Ye's army was trapped at the Chen Jia Gu , no help arrived. Eventually the whole army was trapped and destroyed. Once again suffering another defeat under Yelu Xiuke and Yelu Xiezhen, Song Taizong decided to withdraw the army once again in failure. This second campaign was mainly a failure because the three columns couldn't work together and lacked food. In addition, Song Taizong restricted the generals to a degree because the general game plan of how to combat the Liao was set by him. These failures prompted internal rebellions which were quickly suppressed. In 988, Empress Xiao again attacked the border, but this time around, Taizong merely ordered the generals to defend. From this point on, the Liao dynasty of the north would also continue to plague the Song dynasty in the ensuing centuries.
Seeing that he couldn't surpass his brother in the martial area, Song Taizong took a literary and cultural approach to try and build up his legacy. Song Taizong carried out many economic and literary reforms that were superior to that of Taizu's. Furthermore, Taizong also initiated many construction projects and created many important systems that were not included during Taizu's reign.
Song Taizong's accession to the throne have been shrouded in mystery, with claims that he murdered his elder brother, the Emperor Taizu and seized the throne. These allegations have not yet been proven as fact.
Taizong died in 997 after a reign of twenty-one years and was succeeded by his son. He was fifty-seven. His temple name means "Grand Ancestor".
Overview
Song Taizong became known as a hardworking and diligent emperor, notable for the reunification of China by conquering the powerful Northern Han. He personally led the campaign in 979 against the North, ordered to flood the cities by releasing the Fen River. In the end, Liu Jiyuan had to surrender.
He paid much attention to the wellbeing of his people and the Song dynasty became stronger. After becoming an emperor, he resumed many of the works left by Zhou Sizong including increasing agricultural production, enlarging the examination system, organizing encyclopedias/volumes of books, expanding the court system, and further limiting the military power of the jiedushi.
The two campaigns against the Liao Empire
Having just conquered the Northern Han Dynasty in 979, Song Taizong wanted to carry the momentum into the campaign against the .
During the May of 979, Taizong started his first campaign from Taiyuan. At first, he easily took down Chuo Prefecture and Yi Prefecture. Inspired by the success, he also besieged Yanjing ; however, the siege was bogged down when the protector-Yelu Xuegu did everything to defend the fortress. At the same time, Yelu Xiuge came from the Gaoliang River . Taizong would order his army to combat the back ups. At first, he was told that the Liao army was suffering heavy casualties. Thinking that he has the whole battle under control, he ordered a full out assault, but Yelu Xiuge and Yelu Xiezhen came from two roads to attack. Xiuge would directly concentrate all his attack on Taizong and the base. Frightened, Taizong started to evacuate from the battle ground. During the evacuation, the Song army was split, and was obliterated by the cavalry of the Liao army. During the massacre, Taizong rode his horse toward the Yi Prefecture. Eventually, he returned safely under the protection of his generals. Because Taizong suffered an arrow injury, he was not able to ride the horse and had to sit in a carriage back to Ding Prefecture.
Soon, after recollecting his mind, Taizong ordered a retreat. While Taizong and the army was separated, the army was without a leader. This time, people suggested to make Song Taizu's eldest son - Zhao Dezhao - emperor. After hearing this, Taizong's suspicions were raised, eventually causing Dezhao to commit suicide. In addition, Taizong also suffered an arrow injury that would bother the rest of his life.
The significance of the Battle of Gaoliang River is that it was one of the first major factors that started to make the Song Dynasty turn into a defensive country. This early strong Song army suffered its first major and suffocating loss. At the same time, the incidence of Dezhao's potential coup started to worry Taizong. After the battle, Taizong completely ignored the words of his officials and personally reviewed the military situation and training, rather than ruling the country itself. Taizong would especially limit the military control and power of the imperial family and army.
After Liao Jingzong died in 982, the 12 years old Liao Shenzong succeeded; however, due to the young age of the Shenzong, Xiao Empress was the ruler. It was around this time period in 986 that Song Taizong, backed by the officials, launched his second campaign. Still having nightmares of the first campaign, he decided to stay at Kaifeng, but still directed the generals in combat . He split the army into 3 columns - East, Central, and West. The East was led by Cao Bing. The Central was led by Tian Zhongjing. The West was led by Pang Mei and Yang Ye. All 3 of these armies were to cooperate and take down Yanjing. Because the year was Yongxi Year 3, the campaign became known as the Yongxi Northern Campaign. At first, there were some victories, but each of the 3 columns battled on their own and lacked cooperation. Cao Bing would riskily attack by himself, leaving the other 2 armies behind. Though Cao Bing quickly took back the Chuo Prefecture , the lack of food support forced him to retreat back to the Zhuo Prefecture. Later, because of miscommunication between the Central/West Army with the East Army, the East Army again attacked the Chuo Prefecture. This time, the attack wasn't so lucky. Empress Xiao and Yelu Xiuge each led an army to support the Chuo Prefecture. Suffering heavy defeat, the East Army of Song was almost completely destroyed. Knowing that the failure of the East Army would affect the whole plan, Taizong had no choice but to order a retreat. He ordered Cao Bing to return, Tian Zhongjing to guard the Ding Prefecture, and Yang Ye and Pan Mei to guard four prefectures near the border. Following the defeat of the East Army, the Liao Army led by Yelu Xiezhen continued the pursuit and attacked. The West Army led by Pan Mei met the Liao army led by Yelu Xiezhen at Dai Prefecture. Once again, the Song army was no match and had to retreat. At this time, the West Army led by Yang Ye and Pan Mei was in conflict. Yang Ye suggested that the West Army should retreat because the East and Central armies had already suffered defeats and lost the advantage, but most of the generals, particularly Wang Sen thought he was betraying the army since he used to be from Northern Han. Even though Yang Ye knew it wouldn't turn out well, Yang Ye still led the army due to the pressure of the other generals. Pan Mei was supposed back up Yang Ye when help was needed; however, when Yang Ye's army was trapped at the Chen Jia Gu , no help arrived. Eventually the whole army was trapped and destroyed. Once again suffering another defeat under Yelu Xiuke and Yelu Xiezhen, Song Taizong decided to withdraw the army once again in failure. This second campaign was mainly a failure because the three columns couldn't work together and lacked food. In addition, Song Taizong restricted the generals to a degree because the general game plan of how to combat the Liao was set by him. These failures prompted internal rebellions which were quickly suppressed. In 988, Empress Xiao again attacked the border, but this time around, Taizong merely ordered the generals to defend. From this point on, the Liao dynasty of the north would also continue to plague the Song dynasty in the ensuing centuries.
Later reign after 988
Seeing that he couldn't surpass his brother in the martial area, Song Taizong took a literary and cultural approach to try and build up his legacy. Song Taizong carried out many economic and literary reforms that were superior to that of Taizu's. Furthermore, Taizong also initiated many construction projects and created many important systems that were not included during Taizu's reign.
Song Taizong's accession to the throne have been shrouded in mystery, with claims that he murdered his elder brother, the Emperor Taizu and seized the throne. These allegations have not yet been proven as fact.
Taizong died in 997 after a reign of twenty-one years and was succeeded by his son. He was fifty-seven. His temple name means "Grand Ancestor".
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