Sky Curtain: The Overlord Charges into Battle, Shocking Emperors of All Dynasties

Chapter 356 Zhao Ji: I too will die for my country!

[Lu Xiufu, the Left Chancellor of the Southern Song Dynasty, knowing that he was powerless to reverse the situation and that there was no hope of breaking through the siege, had his wife and children throw themselves into the sea to die for their country. He then carried his eight-year-old son, Zhao Bing, and jumped into the sea to die for his country.]

After Zhang Shijie successfully broke through the encirclement, he intended to send a small boat to provide backup, but the boat was heavily surrounded by the Yuan army, and the backup was unsuccessful.

Upon learning of Zhao Bing and Lu Xiufu's suicide by jumping into the sea, he climbed the ship's tower, burned incense, and wept bitterly, saying, "This is the will of Heaven." Then the ship capsized, and he drowned.

Seeing this, the 100,000 soldiers and civilians on the warships also cried out and jumped overboard.

[The number of those who perished along with them reached over 100,000.]

Thus, the Southern Song Dynasty came to an end.

The fall of the Song Dynasty

The scene showed continuous shouts, and Lu Xiufu and Zhao Bing's figures disappeared at the bow of the ship, falling into the sea.

The Song soldiers beside him raised their banners high and shouted:

"Soldiers of the Great Song Dynasty, follow Your Majesty to the face of national crisis!!"

"The Great Song Dynasty will not surrender!!!"

One by one, figures plunged into the dark sea like dumplings being dropped into a pot, disappearing without a trace.

Women, children, palace maids, the old and young all wailed, their faces clearly illuminated by the firelight on the ship.

Tears fell onto the sea, followed by figures, one after another, crashing into the water.

"The Song Dynasty is gone!!"

In the sky, lines of white text streaked across the heavens, appearing exceptionally white against the dark sea.

"Respectfully seeing off the Emperor of the Great Song Dynasty on his journey!!"

Those who saw the sky seemed to have their hearts gripped, watching as one figure after another threw themselves into the sea to die for their country.

Those who saw the sky felt a sharp pain in their hearts and inexplicably wanted to cry.

Northern Song Dynasty,

"Our Great Song Dynasty has failed you all!!!"

Zhao Kuangyin was now weeping uncontrollably, pounding his chest with his fists.

What virtue or ability did the Song Dynasty possess to have so many people die for their country in its final moments?

And that child, Zhao Bing,

Zhao Kuangyin originally thought that the fall of the Southern Song Dynasty would be the same as that of the Northern Song Dynasty.

When he saw Emperor Gong of the Southern Song Dynasty surrender, his vision went black, and he almost fainted completely.

History is about to repeat itself in the Song Dynasty. The Song Dynasty will once again experience the same fate as the Northern Song Dynasty, being humiliated by foreign invaders.

However, Emperor Gong of Song was just a child, and it's understandable that a child would surrender.

Zhao Bing, however, straightened the back of the Song Dynasty after three hundred years of bowing, giving the Song Dynasty a final moment of dignity.

"Good child, why worry about being ashamed to see me? I should be thanking you!"

"Thank you for preserving the last vestiges of dignity for the Song Dynasty!"

Zhao Kuangyin's eyes were blurry with tears. Through the blur, he seemed to see Zhao Bing's appearance—so thin and small, yet with a similar air of strength between his brows.

The court officials and common people during the Song Dynasty, especially the pro-war faction during the Southern Song Dynasty,

Watching Zhao Bing jump into the sea, she almost fainted from crying.

"How unfair is Heaven! Our Great Song Dynasty has finally found such a wise ruler, why didn't Heaven give him time?!"

"It's too late, we're way too late!!!"

They had always longed for a wise and capable ruler to govern the Song Dynasty, and finally, their wish came true. However, the Song Dynasty was already on its last legs.

Emperor Xiaozong of Song, Zhao Shen, was practically grinding his teeth to powder; this was his descendant!

Just looking at that fierce appearance, he is quite similar to him and also to the Taizu Emperor. If he had been born a few decades earlier, or even said to be his son, how wonderful that would have been.

"My beloved Zhao Bing!!!"

Zhao Shen's eyes were bloodshot, his fists clenched, and he forced out a roar from the depths of his heart through gritted teeth.

"A northern expedition! I must launch a northern expedition!!!"

The long-dormant desire for a northern expedition in Zhao Shen's heart was rekindled; for the sake of the northern expedition, he would use all his strength.

Regardless of who this person is—whether they are a reformed official, a taxi driver from the Song Dynasty, or an ordinary person—

He'll use them all!

And then there's Xin Qiji, a genius certified by the heavens.

What rule that a reformed person cannot command troops?

The Song Dynasty was on the verge of being destroyed by foreign tribes, so where would all these rules and regulations be?

He insists on using it, and he'll fight anyone who tries to stop him!

What nonsense about the Jin Dynasty's supposed "little Yao and Shun"? I'm the one who's going to beat those "little Yao and Shun"!!

Qin Dynasty

Ying Zheng remained silent for a long time. Watching Zhao Bing jump into the sea, he felt a tightness in his chest.

"Zhao Bing's leap, just like Chongzhen's, straightened the back of the Song Dynasty, which had been bent for hundreds of years."

"In the end, the Song Dynasty ended in this way, which can be considered as fulfilling its integrity."

"Otherwise, if Emperor Huizong of Song had acted like that, the Song Dynasty might have truly become the most pathetic dynasty."

"The combined efforts of 100,000 soldiers and civilians to drown in the sea were truly heroic."

Ying Zheng remarked with emotion that the fall of the Han, Song, and Ming dynasties was all so resolute, upholding their integrity.

In contrast, there's simply nothing to say about the Great Qin Dynasty.

For other dynasties, one could talk about the events that occurred during the reigns of other emperors, spanning hundreds of years.

And what about his Great Qin?

What else can be said?

Unlike Zhao Ji, Zhao Bing did not surrender to the Mongols and choose to survive.

Zhao Bing's leap, with his young life, left the Song Dynasty with a reputation for fierce courage.

Otherwise, based on the Song Dynasty's performance alone, it would be enough to be nailed to the pillar of historical shame.

[Take Zhang Shijie, for example. Although his battle strategies were flawed and he lacked flexibility, he never surrendered despite repeated attempts by the Yuan Dynasty to persuade him to do so, and despite the high-ranking positions and generous rewards offered.]

[Lu Xiufu's leap was just like Zhu Youjian's martyrdom.]

His attitude is fine; the problem lies in his method.

Lu Xiufu and Wen Tianxiang were indeed controversial figures, and their relationship involved strategic conflicts after the Southern Song Dynasty.

[And Lu Xiufu was not, as some online sources claim, a minister comparable to Qin Hui before his martyrdom.]

His own abilities were not bad either; during his time in the Huaidong headquarters, he participated in planning the support for the Battle of Xiangfan.

After the Yuan army captured Xiangfan, many of the staff and officials of the military headquarters fled, with only a few, such as Lu Xiufu, holding out in Yangzhou and refusing to leave.

[Afterwards, he refused to surrender to the Yuan Dynasty with Empress Dowager Xie and instead supported Emperor Duanzong. Even while adrift at sea, he still upheld the rites of the Song Dynasty, performing the proper court etiquette with his official tablet, thus preserving the symbolic meaning of the dynasty's rites and laws.]

When Emperor Duanzong died, the officials were demoralized and almost fled. It was Lu Xiufu who persuaded them to stay and support Zhao Bing as emperor.

[Afterwards, he raised funds for the military and mobilized laborers, lectured Zhao Bing daily, educated the officials, mediated conflicts in the court, maintained order in the exiled court, and supported Wen Tianxiang in raising troops to resist the Yuan dynasty.]

[Lu Xiufu single-handedly managed all the internal affairs of the imperial court.]

We cannot classify Lu Xiufu as a person like Qin Hui simply because he once went to Mongolia to seek peace negotiations.

"The attitude is fine; the problem lies in the method?"

Zhao Ji repeated the sentence, as if it possessed some kind of magic.

Being captured by the Jurchens meant enduring so much humiliation, including the "sheep-leading ceremony," and having one's own wife and daughters forced to serve the Jurchens' lust.

He was the emperor; how could he endure such humiliation?

Zhao Ji mustered his courage and rallied his spirits.

Alright, it's decided. At worst, I'll sacrifice myself for my country!

That way, future generations won't have anything to say about me!

So, in what way should one die for one's country?

Suicide? That seems too painful.

Hanging? That seems a bit painful.

Poisoning, jumping into water, self-immolation, hunger strike, jumping off cliffs, etc.

Isn't there a less painful way to die?

The courage Zhao Ji had initially mustered quickly dissipated; the mere thought of those ways to die caused him immense pain.

Or perhaps I should not die for my country?

Anyway, the Song Dynasty hasn't fallen yet. At worst, I can abdicate early and then make a southern tour.