Zhu Youjian is Huizong's son?

  (This article is re-posted from the internet)

  Thanks to Liu Lanfang's serial storytelling, Yue Fei is a household name in China. Recently, the Ministry of Education had nothing better to do and perhaps wanted to learn from Japan's example of revising textbooks, so they removed Yue Fei from his pedestal as a national hero, sparking widespread criticism online and offline, making General Yue popular once again.

  Both the novel and historical records say that Yue Fei died due to Qin Hui's frame-up. Qin Hui was jealous of Yue Fei's repeated great achievements, so he persuaded Emperor Zhao Gou to issue twelve golden plaques to summon Yue Fei back to the capital, then framed Yue Fei for rebellion and had him killed in prison. At that time, another general Han Shizhong went to ask Qin Hui: "What crime did Yue Fei commit?" Qin Hui said: "Although the letter between Fei's son Cloud and Zhang Xian is unclear, the matter itself does not exist."

  "Mo Xuyou" means maybe there is, or possibly have, in other words, there is no evidence. Han Shizhong heard this and naturally disagreed, saying: "How can the three characters 'Mo Xuyou' convince the world?"

  Here's the translation:

  It's a bit strange here. Qin Hui wanted to put Yue Fei to death, and he must have had a deep grudge against him. Why didn't he fabricate some evidence? The three words "Mo Xuyou" couldn't even deceive Han Shizhong, a military general, so how could they convince the world? As the saying goes, "If you want to frame someone, what's the worry about not having enough excuses?" Qin Hui was a scholar with a wealth of knowledge, and it would have been easy for him to fabricate some evidence to frame Yue Fei. Why did he have to say something as ridiculous as "Mo Xuyou", which has become a laughingstock for centuries? Could there be an ulterior motive behind Qin Hui's three words? Was he trying to tell Han Shizhong that he wasn't sure if Yue Fei was guilty or not, and it wasn't even his idea to kill him? But if it wasn't Qin Hui who wanted to kill Yue Fei, then who was it? The conclusion can only be one: Emperor Zhao Gou.

  If it were in the Ming Dynasty, during the Chongzhen era, emperors killing high-ranking officials was a common occurrence. Yuan Chonghuan and Xiong Tingbi were killed without any clear reason. However, since the Song Dynasty's Taizu Zhao Kuangyin, there has been a glorious tradition of not indiscriminately killing high-ranking officials. Moreover, Zhao Gou was not a foolish person, but rather a ruler known in history as "the master of the middle revival", who governed the Jiangnan region with great order and discipline. If Zhao Gou wanted to kill Yue Fei, he must have had compelling reasons that made it unavoidable.

  Some people say that Zhao Gou killed Yue Fei because Yue Fei wanted to "welcome back the two saints", bringing back Zhao Gou's father and brother who were captured by the Jin army. This would have made Zhao Gou's position unstable. However, looking at history, when Zhao Gou issued 12 golden plaques to recall Yue Fei, his father Huizong had already been dead for several years. Although there was still a brother Qinzong, between brothers, the eldest son should be established as the heir, but his brother had messed up the country and was even captured, what "virtue" could he claim? Moreover, his brother repeatedly sent people to deliver messages to Zhao Gou expressing loyalty, saying: As long as you bring me back, I will be content with being a commoner, I absolutely won't compete with you for the throne.

  Some people say that Zhao Gou killed Yue Fei because Yue Fei opposed the peace talks and was a die-hard warlord. The principle that one must be able to fight in order to negotiate is something that Zhao Gou could not have failed to understand, so how could he have abandoned his military power simply for the sake of negotiations? If Yue Fei had disobeyed orders and launched a private attack to disrupt the peace talks, then executing him would have been understandable. But Yue Fei had already obediently withdrawn his troops and handed over his military command. Why was it still necessary to kill him? At that time, Han Shizhong, another famous general who fought against the Jin dynasty alongside Yue Fei, also firmly advocated for continuing the war effort. Zhao Gou recalled both of them at the same time, but only stripped Yue Fei of his military command, while Han Shizhong remained a high-ranking official with a generous salary, living a happy life.

  Here is the translation:

  When Zhao Gou first met Yue Fei, it was when he had just ascended to the throne. At that time, Yue Fei was probably only a low-ranking officer. Historical records say that at this time, Yue Fei submitted a memorial of several thousand words, which roughly said: "I wish Your Majesty would take advantage of the enemy's unguarded moment and personally lead the six armies across the river to the north. Then the soldiers will be inspired, and the Central Plains can be recovered." However, Zhao Gou was not a bold person, and Yue Fei wanted him to personally lead the troops into battle, so how could he agree? Therefore, he dismissed Yue Fei from his post on the grounds of violating regulations by submitting a memorial out of turn.

  Yue Fei had no choice but to join Zhang's army and start over. Yue Fei led by example, with strict military discipline, and repeatedly achieved great victories. However, Zhao Gou did not hold grudges, and in the autumn of the third year of the Shaoxing era, he summoned Yue Fei for an audience and personally wrote the characters "Jing Zhong Yue Fei" (meaning "Yue Fei's loyalty is pure") on a flag to bestow upon him. He appointed Yue Fei as the commander-in-chief of the Zhen Nan army, the Jiangnan West Route Riverine Defense Commissioner, and later changed his title to Commander-in-Chief of the Shen Wu Hou army, still with the title of Commissioner.

  Interestingly, Yue Fei had four characters on his back: "Jin Zhong Bao Guo" (meaning "Exhausting loyalty to report to the country"), which is very similar to "Jing Zhong".

  Thus began the honeymoon period between Zhao Gou and Yue Fei. As the youngest high-ranking general in the army at that time, Zhao Gou cherished talent and promoted Yue Fei beyond the usual ranks.

  According to the Song Shi, in the fourth year of the Shaoxing era, "Wuzhu and Liu Yu joined forces to besiege Luoyang, and the Emperor personally wrote an order for Fei to lead his troops to relieve the siege. The fake Qi had already driven 5,000 cavalrymen to press against the city walls. Fei raised the 'Yue' character flag and the 'Jingzhong' flag, and the Jin army was defeated in one battle... Zhao Gou had already considered Yue Fei as his own trusted general, bypassing others, personally writing the order himself, showing how high his trust in him was. Yue Fei also truly gave him face, defeating the Jin army soundly.

  In the fifth year of Shaoxing, "he entered the imperial court and was granted the title of Marquis of Wu Chang County; he was appointed as the Military Governor of Fei Town, Ning, Chongxin Army, and the Governor of Hubei Road, Jingzhou, and Xiangyang. His mother was also granted the title of Lady of the State." At just over twenty years old, he had already become a marquis, and his mother had been enfeoffed as a lady of the state. This still wasn't enough, "Fei asked to resign from military duties due to eye disease, but was not allowed; instead, he was promoted to Junior Preceptor and advanced to Duke." Yue Fei said that he had an eye condition and didn't want to lead troops anymore, but Zhao Gou not only did not allow him to resign but also promoted him in rank and title. Within a few months, he was promoted from marquis to duke, which can be said to be a rare honor. It was also in this year that Zhao Gou's father, Emperor Huizong, died in the prison of the Jin State.

  In the sixth year of Shaoxing, "Flying into the palace, he presented a memorial: After Xiangyang was recovered, no supervisor was appointed, and the prefectures and counties had nothing to rely on for inspection. The emperor followed his advice, appointing Li Ruoxu as the governor of Jingxi South Road, concurrently in charge of transportation and law enforcement, and also ordered that the officials of Hubei and Xiangyang Prefecture from the governor down to the judges be evaluated for their merits or demerits, allowing Fei to promote or demote them at will." The officials of Hubei were appointed by Yue Fei as he pleased. It seems that Zhao Gou truly trusted Yue Fei and was not afraid that Yue Fei would take advantage of the situation to install his own private power, nor did he suspect that Yue Fei would rebel. "After his mother's death, an edict was issued ordering him to return to duty, but Fei escorted her coffin back to Lushan, repeatedly petitioning to be allowed to observe the full mourning period, which was not permitted. Repeated imperial orders were issued urging him to take up his post again, and only then did he resume command." Ha ha, this is the second time Yue Fei wanted to throw in the towel and quit, after his mother died, wanting to accompany her spirit. Zhao Gou naturally did not want his own protégé to resign, issuing repeated edicts ordering him to continue with the revolution. It seems that this Zhao Gou was also an impatient person, either repeatedly issuing edicts or repeatedly sending out twelve golden plaques.

  In the seventh year of Shaoxing, "When he entered the palace, the Emperor asked him calmly: 'Have you obtained a good horse?' Fei replied: 'I have two horses. They eat several dou of hay and beans every day, and drink a bucket of spring water. However, if they are not fine and clean, I will not accept them.' When riding, at first they do not gallop very fast, but after traveling 100 li, they suddenly become swift. From noon to dusk, they can still travel 200 li. After removing the saddle and armor, they do not pant or sweat, as if nothing had happened. This is because they have great endurance without being greedy, and their strength is abundant without seeking to show off. They are indeed talented horses for long-distance riding. Unfortunately, they died one after another. The horse I am riding now eats only a few sheng of food every day, and does not choose between grains or springs. As soon as the reins are grasped, it gallops hastily, and after traveling 100 li, its strength is exhausted and it pants heavily." This passage further illustrates that Zhao Gou and Yue Fei had an extremely close personal relationship, to the point where they could discuss anything freely. "Appointed as Taiwei" - he was given a high-ranking official position, equivalent to that of Gao Cu's at the time. "Listen to Fei's orders, as if I were present myself." This means that lower officials were ordered to obey Yue Fei just like they would obey the Emperor himself, and the trust had reached an unprecedented level.

  Yue Fei and another marshal, Zhang Jun, had a falling out. "On the same day, he submitted a memorial requesting to be relieved of his military command, and wore mourning clothes. He recommended that Zhang Xian take over military affairs, and returned home to live by his mother's grave... The Emperor repeatedly summoned Yue Fei to return to duty, but Yue Fei firmly declined. The Emperor ordered the construction of a hut for him to live in until he died, which took six days. Yue Fei hastened to court to await punishment, but the Emperor pardoned him... The Emperor was overjoyed." This was the third time that Yue Fei had thrown down his gauntlet, and this time it seemed somewhat unreasonable. Quarreling with colleagues was a common occurrence, but how could he abandon the great cause of resisting the Jin Dynasty and saving the country just because the Emperor might have been biased towards him? Had Yue Fei suffered some major setback at this time?

  Eight years, "Life is good to see the Crown Prince at Zisheng Hall. He flew back and said with joy: The country has found a good person, the foundation of the revival of the enterprise, is it not?". Letting Yue Fei and the Crown Prince establish a close relationship, it seems that Zhao Gou is preparing to let Yue Fei be the trusted minister in the future. However, this Crown Prince is not Zhao Gou's biological son, but an adopted son. Zhao Gou may also have some kind of infertility syndrome. People with such symptoms are often psychologically abnormal, and Yue Fei's future days may be difficult.

  In the ninth year, "to restore Henan, a great amnesty... granted Kaifu ceremony of the three departments, Fei Li declined,... three decrees were not accepted, the emperor warmly praised and exhorted, then accepted." Continued to add officials and advance titles, concurrently serving as the mayor of the capital.

  For ten years, "Jin people attacked Gong and Bo, reported urgently, ordered Fei to rush to the rescue, and Fei sent Zhang Xian and Yao Zheng to respond. The emperor bestowed a letter saying: 'The method of setting up facilities is all entrusted to you, I will not measure it remotely.' This means that you can do whatever you want, and I have given you full power. It can be seen that at this time, Zhao Gou still had high trust in Yue Fei. However, this was only one year away from Zhao Gou killing Yue Fei. From high trust to having to kill him, it must be that some major event occurred during this year.

  Actually, Zhao Gou was a suspicious person. Even when he promoted Yue Fei to a higher position, he still wanted to test him. When Yue Fei was stationed in the countryside, "the emperor wrote a letter and gave it to Cao Cao, Zhuge Liang, and Yang Hu, three things were bestowed upon him." He wanted to see how Yue Fei would react. Yue Fei was an extremely intelligent person, "he pointed at Cao Cao as a thief and despised him", scolding Cao Cao severely, in order to prove that he wouldn't be like Cao Cao, passing Zhao Gou's test. However, Yue Fei wasn't someone who knew how to deal with people very well. In the past, when Qin Shi Huang sent his general Wang Jian to attack Chu State, Wang Jian first asked for a house and then asked for land. His subordinates were puzzled and asked him: "You have become such an important official, why are you still greedy for those small benefits?" Wang Jian smiled and said: "The king is a suspicious person, he gave me the entire army, but he definitely doesn't trust me completely. I just want him to know that I don't have big ambitions, I only love small benefits, so he can feel at ease." The Book of Chess says: If one does not give up small things, they must have a plan for bigger things. But Yue Fei was impeccable in his personal conduct, not greedy for wealth, not fond of women, and didn't have any concubines at home. When someone named Wu sent him beautiful women, he also rejected them. In his youth, he liked to drink, but after the emperor advised him once, he never touched wine again. The emperor wanted to build a house for him, but he refused, saying: "The enemy has not been defeated, how can I think about my own home?" He also said: "Civil officials do not love money, military officials do not fear death, and the world will be at peace." But you are a military general, Yue Fei, it's admirable that you don't fear death, but why don't you love money? Not being greedy for wealth, not fond of women, not building up your family property, not fearing death... what do you want then? A person without any flaws is terrifying. Therefore, Zhao Gou was probably also afraid in his heart.

  Yue Fei also had a major taboo, which was that his army was called the "Yue Family Army". At first, in the fifth year of Shaoxing, Yue sent Liang Xing and others to spread his benevolent intentions and recruit heroes from the two rivers... The flag they raised was marked with the character "Yue"... Even Jin commander Wu Ling Si Mou, who was known for being cunning, could not control his subordinates, but only instructed them saying: "Do not act rashly, wait for the Yue Family Army to arrive and then surrender." The army of the party and state can only be called the Zhao Family Army, how can it be called the Yue Family Army? Since ancient times, the hearts of emperors have been connected, so Zhao Gou must have been extremely displeased with this.

  However, being unhappy is one thing, and this matter was far from enough to make Zhao Gou decide to kill Yue Fei. So, what exactly happened during the year between Shaoxing 10 and Shaoxing 11?

  In Chinese history, the Song Dynasty's reign was the easiest to obtain. Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin, was originally a military officer without any intention or courage to rebel, but he had very good relationships with others and was probably a figure like Zhou Enlai. Suddenly, news came that Emperor Shiying of Later Zhou had died, leaving behind only a widow and an orphan. At that time, the revolutionary officers and soldiers thought that since ancient times, one emperor would have his own officials, this widow and orphan would definitely appoint their own trusted officials and drive us out to make way for new officials. So, they decided to support Zhao Kuangyin as the emperor. As a result, Zhao Kuangyin, who was drunk at the time, suddenly found himself wearing the emperor's clothes. The yellow robe was put on him, and there was no going back. In the end, he had no choice but to seize power from the Later Zhou Dynasty.

  Emperor Taizu of Song obtained his throne so easily that he became afraid, thinking that if others also learned this trick, his reign would be in danger again. So, he invited all the capable and experienced generals to drink with him. After three rounds of wine, Emperor Taizu burst into tears. The generals were surprised and asked him what was wrong. Emperor Taizu wiped away his tears and said, "If one day you also want to wear the yellow robe, I would have to kill you, but if I don't kill you, it's not good either. Why don't I just give you more money, and you can go back home and live a comfortable life? That way, you will be happy, and I will be at ease." This is the famous "dismissal of military power over a cup of wine" in history.

  The old generals all retired to become large landowners and did not have to worry about them rebelling. However, when foreign tribes invaded, they were caught off guard. Those who could fight had all retired? Therefore, the Song Dynasty had few internal worries but constant external threats, from the Liao, Western Xia, Jin, and Mongol dynasties. Anyone could bully the Song Dynasty.

  Emperor Gaozong of Song also obtained his throne easily, but it was not entirely legitimate. He was originally the ninth son of Emperor Huizong of Song, and his mother's status was not high, nor did he have any exceptional abilities. Originally, whether it was the eldest son, the most capable, or the most virtuous, none of these qualities applied to him. Furthermore, his father probably did not favor him much, so he was sent as an envoy to the Jin Dynasty. Other children were not willing to be sent as hostages, only him. Who knew that things would change? The Jin army attacked, and his father and brothers were taken captive by the Jin army. Emperor Gaozong escaped from the Jin camp and fled to Jiangnan, where he was supported by officials and became emperor. After all, he was the only imperial son they could find.

  The Song Dynasty's internal politics were relatively stable, but its external threats never stopped. The dynasty was constantly bullied by neighboring countries, and its military strength was weak.

  It's likely that Zhao Gou has always had a "illegitimate" complex in his heart. His old man, Huizong, was a sentimental and lustful person who had many children with different women. If one day one of his brothers came forward with their father's will and forced him to give up the throne, wouldn't that be a big trouble? Zhao Gou was worried, so he collected all sorts of secrets about his father and developed a unique hobby - he loved reading the biographies of revolutionaries from the Song Dynasty. The biographies of his grandfather and great-grandfather were completed by Zhao Ding in the fifth and eighth years of the Shaoxing era during his reign.

  However, what does the history of Old Zhao's family have to do with Yue Fei? Let's take a look at what happened in the years before and after Yue Fei's death:

  In the ninth year of Shaoxing, "In January, Zhao Rong, the governor of Suzhou, returned. In February, he was ordered to repair." It seems that Zhao Rong brought back some relics of Emperor Huizong, which suddenly made Emperor Gaozong want to revise his father's biography. However, Emperor Huizong was the first "small capitalist" emperor in Chinese history, who had achievements in painting and calligraphy, but was also good at flirting with women, and his governance was not commendable. Why was he in a hurry to write his biography? Did he hear some rumors and want to organize his father's negative materials? As a result, Emperor Gaozong stopped letting Zhao Ding write the party history and instead entrusted Qin Hui, who was trustworthy and had a strict mouth, to compile it.

  In the tenth year of Shaoxing, in the fourth month of summer, Han Shizhong, Zhang Jun and Yue Fei successively entered the palace to pay homage. In May, with Renchen, Shizhong and Jun were both appointed as officials of the Bureau of Military Affairs, while Fei was appointed as a deputy official of the Bureau of Military Affairs. In May, Zhang Jun and Yue Fei were sent to Chu State to inspect border defenses.

  After meeting the emperor, among these three anti-Jin marshals, Han Shizhong and Zhang Jun entered the central government, while Yue Fei only got an alternate position. It seems that Zhao Gou and Yue Fei's relationship began to cool down.

  "On the seventh day of the seventh month, Wuwu year, Qin Hui presented and promoted several officials. On the fourth day of the sixth month, he was granted the title of Junior Protector. Zhang Jun was ordered to return to Zhenjiang to take charge of military affairs, while Yue Fei remained in the capital. Yue Fei had repeatedly received imperial edicts ordering him to withdraw his troops.

  Qin Hui's pen was indeed powerful, and within a year or so he completed the arduous task of revising party history. At the same time, he must have submitted a thick internal document that could not be shown to others, containing many state secrets. Zhao Gou did not know whether to be happy or afraid, but in any case promoted each member of the party history writing team by one rank.

  A few days later, there was the matter of Zhao Gou issuing 12 golden plaques to force Yue Fei to return to the capital."

  Yue Fei returned and immediately fell into bad luck: "On August 1, Yue Fei was dismissed... In September, Wang Jun, the deputy commander of the vanguard in Ezhou, reported that Zhang Xian, the deputy commander-in-chief, was plotting a rebellion in Xiangyang... In October, an imperial edict was issued to revise the Jade Register. Yue Fei and Zhang Xian were put on trial at the Supreme Court, with He Zhu, the Vice Minister of Justice, and Zhou Sanpi, the Minister of Justice, presiding over the case."

  This schedule is very interesting: Why did Zhao Gou immediately issue a golden plaque to summon Yue Fei back to the army after seeing Qin Hui's modification? After putting Yue Fei in prison, he immediately wanted to modify the jade disc. Is there any connection between Yue Fei and the royal family that can't be established?

  After Yue Fei was captured, Zhao Gou initially sent He Zhu to interrogate him. "Fei tore his clothes to show his back to Zhu, with the four characters 'zealously loyal and report to the country' deeply carved into his skin. After reading the truth, there is no left verification, Zhu clearly knew he was innocent." Yue Fei tore his clothes and showed He Zhu the four characters "zealously loyal and report to the country" on his back, and He Zhu immediately understood that Yue Fei was wronged. This section is also strange, as tattooing on the body was very popular at that time. As a judge, it's impossible to think that having a "loyal" character tattooed on one's body means being a loyal minister. The real process here should be that Yue Fei told He Zhu something highly confidential or showed him some extremely persuasive evidence, which made He Zhu believe that Yue Fei was innocent. However, Zhao Gou had already deleted these key points from the historical records, and reading about it now makes one feel puzzled.

  Yue Fei's back has four big characters: "Exhaust loyalty and report to the country". The wild history says it was Yue's mother who tattooed them, because she loved the country too much. Anyone who has been a mom can tell that this wild history is nonsense. Go to the hospital for an injection and take a look, it's all kids who haven't even started yet, and their moms are already teary-eyed. Can a mom take a big needle and stab her child to create a slogan? Even a stepmom wouldn't be able to bring herself to do that. Especially in ancient times, technology was backward, there were no disinfection measures, using needles to draw blood and then applying ink on top, if an infection occurred, tetanus or something like that, the child's life would be lost. Moreover, except for the character "zhong" (loyalty), at that time, only complex characters could be tattooed, with very complicated strokes, simplified characters wouldn't be implemented until 800 years later. A mom tattooing one or two needles might be okay, but to write four characters with over 40 strokes? Only a crazy old mom would be able to do that.

  Women are different from men, they can go crazy for love, go crazy for children, but it's rare to go crazy for the country. However, women may leave a mark on their child's body for love or fear of not recognizing them in the future, like Tang Sanzang's mother biting off his toe to recognize him later. But Yue Fei was already an adult when he left home, and even if he changed, it wouldn't change much, and his mother's appearance wouldn't change either, so why worry about losing each other in the future? Why leave a mark on his body? The answer is probably: hoping that one day, when Yue Fei sees his father, they can recognize each other as father and son.

  Some people might say, "No way! The history books say that Yue Fei's father, Yue He, was washed away by a flood." Haha, this is what Yue Fei's mother, Lady Yao, said herself. But did she actually see the body? Why are the words "serve the country with loyalty" left on Yue Fei's back? The most reasonable explanation is: when Yue Fei's parents were engaged, the token of engagement given by the man to the woman was a jade pendant with four hollowed-out characters: "serve the country with loyalty". Lady Yao took the jade pendant and heated it until it was red-hot, then pressed it onto her son's back. The sound of sizzling could be heard as the four characters were branded onto his skin. Yue Fei cried out in pain from the second-degree burn. His mother wept and said, "My child, serve the country with loyalty!"

  So, what kind of person was Yue Fei's father? In the Song Dynasty history books, there are only a few words: "His father He was able to save food to help those in need. When someone invaded his land, he would give it to them; when someone borrowed money from him, he wouldn't ask for repayment." It just says that his father was a farmer, a kind and honest farmer. We know that Yue Fei's calligraphy was very beautiful, and his poetry had a good foundation, absolutely not like those military leaders who pretended to be elegant. The official history books say that Yue Fei "was young and had a strong sense of justice, was calm and quiet, came from a poor family but studied hard, especially liked the military strategies of Sun Wu." Unofficial history books say that Yue Fei was a tenant farmer of a landlord's family and hadn't read many books. As a son of a farmer who hadn't read much, it's not surprising that he became a military general, but where did his achievements in poetry and calligraphy come from? It must have been taught by his mother. To be able to teach such a child, Madame Yao must have come from a family of poets and scholars. In an era when people cared about social status, how could she have married an ordinary farmer like Yue He?

  It was mentioned earlier that Judge He Zhu was shocked when he saw the four characters on Yue Fei's back and thought he was innocent and not a rebel. If those four characters were branded on a jade pendant, and He Zhu had seen that jade pendant before, and knew Yue Fei's father, things would be easier to explain. But how could He Zhu know an ordinary farmer like Yue He? Even if he did know Yue He, it couldn't guarantee that his son wouldn't rebel, could it?

  The answer is only one, that Yue and Zhong are not farmers at all, but the old father of Zhao Gou, Song Huizong. Yue Fei was the half-brother of Zhao Gou's father. That piece of jade pendant for loyalty to the country is a royal family thing.

  Because Yue Fei was the brother of Zhao Gou, and had equal rights to the throne, and his talent and popularity were above those of Zhao Gou, Zhao Gou had no choice but to kill Yue Fei. Even if Yue Fei had no intention of rebelling temporarily, if Niu Gao Zhang Xian and others also played a trick on him by putting a yellow robe on him, and then used the liberation of the suffering people of Northern China to persuade him, Yue Fei would be unable to get off the tiger's back, just like his ancestor Zhao Kuangyin, he would have no choice but to rebel.

  Because Yue Fei was Zhao Gou's brother, Zhao Gou did not want to openly try him and wanted to keep it a secret. Throughout history, emperors killing their senior officials is nothing out of the ordinary, but killing brothers is different. Tang Taizong Li Shimin killed his brothers, Qing dynasty Yongzheng Emperor imprisoned his brothers, and they were all left with a bad reputation.

  Because Yue Fei was Zhao Gou's brother, after killing Yue Fei and Yue Yun, he felt guilty in his heart. Although the original plan was to execute the entire family for treason, Zhao Gou spared Yue Fei's wife and four other sons, only exiling them.

  Because Yue Fei was Zhao Gou's brother, Qin Hui felt that the crime was difficult to establish, and vaguely said "Mo Xuyou", fearing that if a crime was established, the flattering officials would flatter and scold Yue Fei's ancestors, which would be equivalent to scolding the emperor's ancestors.

  Because the jade pendant that was loyal to the country was a royal family heirloom, He Zhu saw the branding and was greatly shocked. It is estimated that he had seen this jade pendant before, or had seen its picture in the imperial household's account book. Since Yue Fei was an imperial prince, if he wanted to rebel, he would not have handed over military power. Since he did hand over military power, it means he had no intention of rebelling.

  Because Yue Fei was Zhao Gou's brother, and the jade pendant that read "serve the country with loyalty" was a royal family heirloom, Zhao Gou was shocked when he heard He Zhu's report and dismissed him from his official position. It seems that Huizong had a batch of jade pendants specifically for flirting with women, each engraved with different phrases such as "serve the country with loyalty", "dedicate oneself to the country"... Yue Fei's mother received the one that read "serve the country with loyalty", while Zhao Gou's mother got the one that read "dedicate oneself to the country" and later gave it to Zhao Gou. Zhao Gou, who was not well-educated, mistakenly put the two characters "dedicate oneself" on Yue Fei's flag.

  Because Yue Fei was the brother of Zhao Gou, his mother-in-law Yao Shi had to go to great lengths to conceal his origins. When someone in Yue Fei's army discovered this secret, Yue Fei's wife would immediately have that person killed without trial.

  So how did Prince Yue Fei end up in Tangyin County?

  The story goes like this: During the time of Emperor Song Huizong, there was a palace maid surnamed Yao in the imperial palace. In her thirties, she became pregnant with the emperor's child due to an accidental encounter. At that time, to ensure the purity of the royal bloodline, any time the emperor slept with a woman would be recorded by eunuchs in the emperor's daily log. The pregnant palace maid would also be recorded in the imperial family tree "Yu Di". Emperor Song Huizong was a romantic, and after a one-night stand, he left Yao a jade pendant with the inscription "Dedicate oneself to the country".

  During the Song Dynasty, it was rare for the imperial court to kill high-ranking officials, but harem politics were a constant occurrence. The famous story of "the cat exchanged for the crown prince" is from the Song Dynasty. It tells how Emperor Zhenzong had no children and both Empress Liu and Consort Li became pregnant at the same time. The emperor decreed that whoever gave birth to a son would be made empress. However, Empress Liu was faking her pregnancy and bribed eunuchs to switch a cat with the skin peeled off for Consort Li's newborn child, claiming it was hers and accusing Consort Li of giving birth to a monster. Emperor Zhenzong was furious and banished Consort Li to the Cold Palace, where she remained until twenty years later when Judge Bao discovered her and brought her back to the capital, arranging for her to be reunited with her son. After Empress Yao became pregnant with the emperor's child, another consort who had no children came to negotiate with her, saying "After you give birth, let me adopt your child, and I'll make sure you live a good life." If she refused, the woman threatened, "You and your mother will not be able to walk away unscathed." Empress Yao was both afraid and angry, worried that this woman might also try to steal her son and harm her. Although she had to repeatedly agree on the surface, in her heart, she was thinking of other plans.

  "In the first year of Chongning, December... 76 palace maids were released from the palace." It just so happened that at the end of that year, the emperor was going to release a batch of palace maids. Madame Yao heard the news and used almost all her savings to bribe the eunuchs, mixed in with those palace maids, and left the imperial city. At that time, Madame Yao was already about seven months pregnant, fortunately it was winter, and she wore many clothes, so others couldn't easily notice. After escaping from Kaifeng Prefecture, Madame Yao feared that the concubine would send someone to chase her, and didn't dare contact her natal family, secretly living in a small shop. In the second year of Chongning, on February 14th, she gave birth to Yue Fei. When Yue Fei was about to be full moon, Madame Yao discovered that there were suspicious people lurking around, and hastily took Yue Fei to flee northward. They ran to the banks of the Yellow River in Tangyin County, just as a big flood was happening, and they couldn't cross. A kind-hearted person came over to ask, and Madame Yao made up a story about escaping disaster by sitting in a water vat. When asked what her child's surname was, she casually replied "Yao", but then felt it wasn't quite right, so changed it to "Yue (Medicine)".

  Madam Yao raised Yue Fei and gave him the name "Fei". The word "fei" means "to fly", but it also implies that he was not originally surnamed Yue. During the Xuanhe period, Yue Fei wanted to join the army and said to Madam Yao: Mother, Emperor Xuanhe is recruiting soldiers, I want to sign up. When signing up, I need to fill in my family members' names, what's my father's name? Madam Yao was about to say "Emperor Xuanhe", but after saying the two words "Xuanhe", she suddenly felt it wasn't right and changed her mouth to say: Your father's name is Yue He.

  Thinking that after her son joined the army, she might see her emperor husband who had been on her mind day and night, Mrs. Yao's blood was boiling, wanting Yue Fei to take off his clothes, and she herself burned the jade pendant red, patted it on Yue Fei's back, imprinting the four characters "dedicate oneself to the country". She also instructed Yue Fei that when he saw the emperor in the future, he must let the emperor see these four characters. Yue Fei agreed verbally, but his heart was a mess: why should I take off my clothes and show my bare back to the emperor?

  Later, Emperor Huizong of Song was captured by the Jin people, and Yao's heart was burning with anxiety. Every time she saw Yue Fei, she reminded him that he must "welcome back the two saints". At that time, the Song Dynasty often sent people to the Jin State to ask about Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qinzong. It is estimated that Yao also brought letters to Emperor Huizong, telling him that the palace maid who escaped from the palace had given birth to a son, who was now a general of the Song Dynasty, and must be rescued. That was in the fifth year of Shaoxing, Emperor Huizong received the letter and was shocked and delighted, and died of excitement. When the news came, Yao was heartbroken and died a year later. Before her death, Yao told Yue Fei about his life experience, and Yue Fei was greatly surprised to learn that his father was actually an emperor and had died in the hands of the Jin people. He himself was actually the brother of the current emperor and had equal rights to inherit the throne!

  Yue Fei felt his heart was in a mess. Zhao Gou was so weak and didn't seek to recover the lost land, the northern people were suffering greatly under the rule of the Jin army. If he himself became emperor, he would definitely be able to eliminate the Jin army and establish a rich and powerful Chinese empire. But Zhao Gou had been good to him and was his own younger brother, how could he bring himself to do it? The more Yue Fei thought about it, the more painful it became. Alas, forget it! So there is the story of Yue Fei throwing down his commander's tablet twice and not wanting to hold any official position again.

  Zhao Gou was still in the dark, refusing to let Yue Fei resign. Moreover, with the Jin army pressing at the border, Yue Fei had no choice but to lead his troops into a major battle against the Jin again.

  But as time went on, secrets always have a way of getting out. One of Yue Fei's subordinates heard some rumors and was immediately caught by Yue Fei's wife and killed to silence him. Gradually, Zhao Gou also heard some rumors.

  In the ninth year of Shaoxing, "In January, Zhao Rong, the governor of Suzhou, returned to court. In February, an order was given to repair..." It is estimated that Zhao Rong brought back some relics of Emperor Huizong of Song, which may have included a letter from Empress Yao to Emperor Huizong. When Emperor Gaozong saw it, he was shocked and hastily dispatched his trusted official Qin Hui to inspect all the palace documents under the pretext of revising the Veritable Records of Huizong. These were old files from over thirty years ago, and many had been lost in the war. However, Qin Hui was a capable man and eventually found the Daily Record of Huizong, which included entries such as: "On x day of x month in the first year of Chongning, the Emperor visited Palace Woman Yao..." The jade disc should also have similar records, such as: "On x day of x month in the first year of Chongning, Palace Woman Yao became pregnant, and later her whereabouts were unknown."

  Zhao Gou paired up the days, which was exactly Yue Fei's age!

  Qin Hui then presented one of Yue Fei's poems:

  "The precious sword song. Dedicated to General Wu's southern expedition: I have a precious sword, deeply hidden and not yet revealed. Today, I hold it to present to the envoy of the southern expedition, purple clouds and green mist... Let you try this sword, can make the beacons and dust of the four seas disappear, and the people of all surnames sing and dance in praise of Tang Yao." Zhao Gou looked at it with even more suspicion: You, Yue Fei, are already a marshal, how do you still have an unexposed precious sword? Could this precious sword be referring to your own imperial status? "The people of all surnames sing and dance in praise of Tang Yao," this Yao is indeed a good emperor, but he abdicated the throne to Shun. What does Yue Fei mean by writing this, could it be that he wants me to abdicate the throne to him? This won't do, let's kill him quickly!

  "Rage fills my heart, I pace the battlements,

  Rain stops, I gaze up at the sky and let out a long sigh.

  Thirty years of fame and fortune are but dust and dirt;

  Eight thousand miles of road are but clouds and moonlight.

  Don't waste your time, for youth is fleeting,

  Empty sorrow will only make you old.

  The shame of Jingkang has not yet been avenged;

  When will the hatred of a minister be extinguished?

  I'll ride my chariot and break through the Helan Mountains pass.

  With a heroic spirit, I'll eat the flesh of the barbarians,

  Laughing and talking, I'll drink the blood of the Xiongnu.

  Let's start anew, gather up the old mountains and rivers,

  And present them to the imperial court."

  "'Wait for the whole country to be recovered,' I'm afraid this sentence has scared Zhao Gou again. You, Yue Fei, recovered the Jin State from half of China's territory, isn't that enough? You want to recover from the beginning, what does that mean? Are you going to recover me, Zhao Gou, together with it?"

  The second half of the poem, "Jingkang shame, still not snowed; minister's son resentment, when will it be extinguished" is also very interesting. Strictly speaking, this sentence does not match well. Jingkang is a year number and should be matched with a personal name or place name to be elegant. The two words "minister's son" are also somewhat forced. Is Yue Fei also hinting at something else here, referring to the double hatred of national shame and family feud? As a minister, he hates that his lord was captured; as a son, he hates that his father was imprisoned. Of course, the original draft of this sentence may have been: "Lord's shame, still not snowed; minister's son resentment, when will it be extinguished". Although the match is elegant, because the trace is too obvious, it became Jingkang shame. Some people say that this Man Jiang Hong was forged by later generations, and the reason is that Helan Mountain was in Western Xia at that time, far away from Jin Guo. How could Yue Fei make such a mistake when fighting against the Jin army? It should be Xing'an Ridge instead. In fact, if it were really a later generation forging under Yue Fei's name, there would definitely not be places that would arouse suspicion at first glance.

  Yue Fei used the term "He Lan Shan" here, which is not a mistake, but rather it shows that his ambition went far beyond just recovering the lost territories of the Song Dynasty and defeating the Jin army. He wanted to inherit the territory of the Han and Tang Dynasties and even eliminate the Western Xia State. What's more interesting is that Yue Fei also mentioned the Xiongnu in this poem. During the Song Dynasty, the Xiongnu had already migrated to Europe near the Danube River, so did General Yue have a mind to establish a vast empire spanning Asia and Europe? If Genghis Khan could do it over 100 years later, why couldn't General Yue? Yue Fei's military capabilities were not inferior to those of Genghis Khan, and the Song Dynasty's manpower and financial resources far surpassed those of Mongolia. Of course, history does not allow for hypothetical scenarios, but if Yue Fei's empire had succeeded, there would not have been a century-long period of chaos in China. Without the opportunity provided by this chaotic era, it is possible that the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan might not have risen to power either.

  Unfortunately, Yue Fei hesitated and despite his hesitation, he ultimately could not make up his mind to seize power from Zhao Gou. Instead, he was preempted by Zhao Gou. Yue Fei regretted it deeply, and before his death, he could only say "天日召召" (heavenly emperor's summons). He died without having rebelled, often making heroes shed tears - Alas, this Yue Fei!