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Text: Yanyan
Edited by Yeon-yeon
Preface
Qin Hui, a traitor who was spurned in history, not only framed the national hero Yue Fei after returning to the Song Dynasty, but also bent on seeking peace with the Jin State, becoming the bearer of infamy through the ages.
But is there something else behind all this? What was the motive for his move? Is he really a spy planted by the Jin State in the Song Dynasty? Or do you have unknown pains and forced choices?
What is Qin Hui's true face, and are his various actions treacherous or loyal?
Loyal minister Qin Hui: The transformation from the court to the cage
Qin Hui before the Jingkang Revolution was an admirable image of a loyal minister. He was born in the late Northern Song Dynasty, and was brilliant and well-read since childhood. After entering the imperial court, Qin Hui was quickly reused with his talents.
However, at that time, the Northern Song Dynasty court had already accumulated deep shortcomings, and in the face of the threat of the Jin State, the government and the opposition were still immersed in a false sense of security. Qin Hui saw this danger.
In the first year of Jingkang (1126), he played the Song Qinzong many times, emphasizing the importance of strengthening the guard and consolidating the city defense. His recitals are meticulous and sincere, but unfortunately Song Qinzong failed to pay attention to it.
Above the court, Qin Hui also repeatedly opposed the weak decision of the imperial court to cede land and seek peace. He made a generous statement and urged the imperial court to rise up and defend the country. At this time, Qin Hui was undoubtedly a loyal minister with backbone and foresight.
However, the wheels of history run over mercilessly. In the second year of Jingkang (1127), the Jin soldiers broke through Bianjing, and the two emperors of Huiqin became prisoners. Qin Hui and other ministers were not spared and were exiled to the Kingdom of Jin. This experience of captivity became a turning point in Qin Hui's life.
In the cage of the Jin Kingdom, what kind of psychological changes did Qin Hui experience? Was it humiliation and fear that smoothed his edges, or did he have the desire to survive in a desperate situation? We have no way of knowing.
But what is certain is that this once upright and loyal minister began to show a very different attitude towards the Jin people. He became inflammatory, ingratiating himself with the golden man everywhere. This transformation made him stand out from the crowd of captives and was appreciated by the Jin people.
The Mystery of the Song Dynasty: A Strange Escape and Ambiguous Identity
When Qin Hui was gradually reused in the Jin Kingdom, the situation in the south was also changing. With the support of his ministers, King Kang Zhao Gou ascended the throne in Yingtianfu and established the Southern Song Dynasty regime.
In order to completely destroy the Song Dynasty, the Jin Dynasty sent troops south. At this critical moment, Qin Hui actually became the staff officer of the Jin general Wan Yanchang and participated in the military campaign against the Southern Song Dynasty. He even wrote a letter of persuasion in Chuzhou in an attempt to break the morale of the Southern Song Dynasty.
However, in the fourth year of Jianyan in the Southern Song Dynasty (1130), an unexpected news came: Qin Hui escaped from the Jin camp with his family and returned to the Southern Song Dynasty.
This sudden turn of events has raised many questions. Qin Hui claimed that he had killed the Jin soldiers who were watching, snatched the boat and fled back. But is this claim really credible?
At that time, the imperial court had different attitudes towards Qin Hui's return. Some people were skeptical of his rhetoric, believing that a person who was highly regarded in the Kingdom of Jin could easily escape.
What is even more suspicious is that Qin Hui not only successfully escaped, but also returned to the Southern Song Dynasty with his family safe and sound. Isn't that going too well? However, Qin Hui was not alone in the DPRK.
Fan Zongyin, the prime minister at that time, had a close relationship with Qin Hui and took the initiative to guarantee him. Fan Zongyin's support undoubtedly paved the way for Qin Hui's return to the Song Dynasty. But where does this close relationship come from? Is it based on old friendships, or is there some other unknown reason?
The path to power: from participating in political affairs to being under one person
After returning to the Southern Song Dynasty, Qin Hui displayed amazing political wisdom. He was keenly aware of Song Gaozong's thoughts, and put forward the strategy of dividing and ruling the north and south of the country "if you want the world to have nothing to do, the south is from the south, and the north is from the north".
This proposition is in the hands of Song Gaozong. In fact, Song Gaozong only wanted to consolidate his rule at this time, and did not have much interest in recovering the lost territory and welcoming back the second emperor. Qin Hui's suggestion not only shows his accurate grasp of the situation, but also the key to his rapid ascension.
Song Gaozong praised Qin Hui's talent and soon promoted him to the position of governor of the government. It didn't take long for Qin Hui to become the prime minister of the dynasty and a very popular minister.
However, what Qin Hui did after he came to power made people have to doubt his true intentions. He did not think about the strategy of strengthening the country, but wantonly formed parties for personal gain, and excluded dissidents. In particular, the suppression of the main battle faction is even more eye-catching.
He strongly advocated peace with the Jin Dynasty, and even though the Jin Dynasty repeatedly tore up the peace treaty, he still adhered to this position. This kind of behavior has undoubtedly aroused the dissatisfaction of many people in the DPRK and China. For a while, Qin Hui was even in a difficult situation.
But the interesting thing is that whenever Qin Hui is in trouble, Song Gaozong will always come to his aid in time to reinstate him. Is this tacit understanding between monarchs and ministers simply a matter of knowing each other, or is there a deeper reason?
Northern Expedition Obstruction: The Driving Force Behind the Failure
In the tenth year of Shaoxing (1140), the Northern Expedition of the Southern Song Dynasty finally ushered in a turning point. Under the heroic struggle of Yue Fei, Zhang Jun and other generals, the hope of recovering the lost territory is getting bigger and bigger.
Zhang Jun conquered Bozhou, Wang Sheng captured Haizhou, and Yue Fei defeated the Jin army commander Wushu in Yuncheng. Seeing that the homeland of the Central Plains was about to return to the control of the Song Dynasty, the government and the opposition were all overjoyed.
However, at this critical moment when victory was in sight, Qin Hui suddenly advocated peace. Regardless of the overall situation, he tried his best to persuade Song Gaozong to stop the Northern Expedition.
What's even more puzzling is that Song Gaozong actually adopted Qin Hui's suggestion and issued twelve gold medals in a row to recall all the front-line soldiers. This decision was like a bolt from the blue, which not only stunned the front-line soldiers, but also made the hard-won gains go to waste.
When Yue Fei received the edict, he once exclaimed that "ten years of hard work have been burned". Indeed, these twelve gold medals not only extinguished the hope of recovering the Central Plains, but also ruined the great cause of rejuvenation of the Southern Song Dynasty.
Why did Qin Hui advocate peace at this time? Was it due to a misjudgment of the situation, or did it have ulterior motives? If he is really a spy who serves the interests of the Jin State, then obstructing the Northern Expedition at this time is undoubtedly a great achievement.
But at the same time, we can't rule out other possibilities. Perhaps, Qin Hui was worried that after the success of the Northern Expedition, the power of the main battle faction would increase greatly and threaten his position? Or, is he trying to cater to Song Gaozong's psychology of being partial to peace?
Yue Fei's Death: The Truth Behind the Strange Injustices Through the Ages
In the eleventh year of Shaoxing (1141), in order to completely remove the obstacles and promote peace with the Jin State, Qin Hui made a decision that shocked the government and the opposition: get rid of Yue Fei.
As the most outstanding general of the Southern Song Dynasty, Yue Fei not only made great achievements, but also was the spiritual pillar of the main battle faction. Qin Hui knew very well that as long as Yue Fei was still there, it would be difficult for the peace negotiation to be truly realized. So, he orchestrated a political conspiracy.
First of all, Qin Hui instructed the official Wan Qian to impeach Yue Fei. At the same time, he also instigated Zhang Jun to falsely accuse Yue Fei's subordinate Zhang Xian of rebellion. Under the pressure of these charges, Yue Fei and his son were escorted to Dali Temple. Qin Hui's intention is obvious: to attack the main battle faction and clear the way for peace talks.
However, Qin Hui obviously underestimated Yue Fei's influence among the people. In the face of many voices defending Yue Fei, Qin Hui simply threw out a ridiculous charge: "unwarranted". These three words have become synonymous with the most famous unjust cases in Chinese history.
Yue Fei's death is not only a tragedy for a patriotic general, but also a tragedy for the entire Southern Song Dynasty. It marked that the Southern Song Dynasty completely gave up its ambition to recover the Central Plains and embarked on the road of Gou'an and partial peace.
And Qin Hui became the initiator of all this and was nailed to the pillar of shame in history. However, when we look back on this period of history, we can't help but ask: Did Qin Hui really frame Yue Fei just for his own selfish interests? Or is there something else behind him?
If he is really a spy of the Jin State, then getting rid of Yue Fei, the number one enemy of the Jin State, is undoubtedly an important task. But at the same time, we also have to think: why did Song Gaozong agree to execute Yue Fei so easily? Is it just because of Qin Hui's one-sided words?
After the Yue Fei case, Qin Hui's power in the court reached its peak. In the next ten years, he controlled almost the entire Southern Song Dynasty government.
He suppressed dissidents, eliminated the main battle faction, and made every effort to implement the policy of peace negotiations with the Jin State. This kind of behavior has undoubtedly deepened people's suspicion that he is a spy of the Jin State.
epilogue
Qin Hui's life is like a complex puzzle, which still makes historians debate.
Is he really a spy of the Jin Kingdom? We may never get a definitive answer. But what he did undoubtedly had a profound impact on the fate of the Southern Song Dynasty.
The complexity of this historical figure reminds us of the need for a more holistic and prudent approach in judging history. After all, the truth of history is often more complicated than we think.