The History of China

The JURCHEN JIN reigns. Having decimated the Song Dynasty, Emperor Jin Taizong now deploys his merciless legions to seize military control of the Yellow River Valley.Only Prince Zhao Gou and his band of LOYALIST ministers stand against the rising tyranny, certain that the last scion of Zhao can yet restore a spark of hope to the fight.But the Loyalists have been exposed. As the Jin cavalry speeds toward Yintian Fu, the brave heroes mount a desperate escape....Historical Period Covered:1127-1130 CEMajor Historical Figures:Song Dynasty:Prince Zhao Gou, Prince of Kang (Emperor Gaozong of Song) [r. 1129-1162]Chancellor Li Gang [1083-1140]Yue Fei, LEGENDARY CHINESE HERO [1103-1142]General Zong Ze, He Tried [d. 1129]General Du Cheng, Brave Sir Du Cheng Ran Away... Bravely Ran Away, Away!General Han Shizheng, He Means BusinessJin Dynasty:Emperor Taizong of Jin (Wuqimai) [r. 1123-1135]Prince Wanyan Wuzhu, Commander of Jin Strikeforce [d. 1148]Zhang Bangchang, Puppet Emperor of Great Chu [r. 1129-1129] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Song Dynasty manages to epically pull defeat from the jaws of victory when it manages to twice goad its nominal ally, the Jurchen Jin, into a border war. The first time, it’s beaten so badly that it has to give up almost half of its northern holdings. But when even that’s not enough to quench Emperor Qinzong’s delusions of grandeur, he and his regime will pay with everything they have…Time Period Covered: 1125-1127 CEMajor Historical Figures:Northern Song:Emperor Huizong of Song (Zhao Ji) [r. 1100-1126, ret. Emperor 1126-1127]Emperor Qinzong of Song (Zhao Huan) [r. 1126-1127]General Tong Guan [1054–1126]General Wang Bing [d. 1126]Jurchen Jin:Emperor Taizong of Jin (Wuqimai) [r. 1123-1135] Prince Wanyan Zonghan (Nianhan) [1080-1136]Prince Wanyan Zongwang (Wolibu) [c. 1073-1133?]Zhang Bangchang, Puppet Emperor of Chu [1081–1127]Major Works Cited:Levine, Ari Daniel. “The Reigns of Hui-Tsung and Ch-in-Tsung” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol.05: The Sung Dynasty and Its Precursors, 907–1279. Part 1.Lorge, Peter Allen. War, Politics, and Society in Early Modern China, 900-1795Tao, Jing-shen. “The Move to the South and the Reign of Kao-Tsung (1127–1162)” in The Cambridge History of China, Vol.05: The Sung Dynasty and Its Precursors, 907–1279. Part 1.Various. the Accounts of Jingkang Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A very sexy Halloween edition...Stir Fry - 1:45Steel Skin - 4:15Silkworm - 5:35 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our third entry of Seasonal Spookiness for your unsettling aural pleasure.From Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (聊齋志異) by: Pu Songling1:25 - "The Girl in Green"8:30 - "A Very Sharp Sword"10:45 - "He Came Back"18:25 - "A Transformation"22:45 - "Mr. Miao"34:05 - "A Prank" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emperor Huizong’s Song Dynasty’s luck runs dry with a series of epic screw up that throw the whole system in disarray. War with the Tangut Xi Xia goes badly awry – and his generals won’t even tell him about it. And then rebellions start breaking out in the south – on by a millennialist death-cult led by a 12th century Jim Jones: Fang La… and another breaking out in the swamps and marshes of Liangshan, and led by Chinese Robin Hood of literary fame: Song Jiang. All of this will throw the Song military's carefully laid plans against the crumbling Khitan Liao into disarray, and make their would-be allies the Jurchen Jin wary of how reliable a partner the Chinese might actually be.Time Period Covered: 1103-1123 CEMajor Historical Figures:Emperor Huizong of Song (Zhao Ji) [r. 1100-1126]Chancellor Cai Jing [1047-1126]General Tong Guan, Commander of the Imperial Armies, eunuch [1054-1126]Fang La, lacquer farmer-cum-millenialist death-cult leader and rebel commander, mad as hell and not going to take it anymore [d. 1121]Song Jiang, Liangshan rebel commander, Leader Star of Destiny, “Timely Rain,” Haohan Hero [d. ca. 1123]"Chapter/Poetry Music" "Spring River Flower Moon Night" 古筝 - 春江花月夜 - played on guzheng Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To the north of Song China, sandwiched between Goryeo Korea and the invincible Liao Empire, a new force arises on the banks of the Black and Gold Rivers, that will shake the very foundations of All Under Heaven...Time Period Covered:1099-1123 CE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Wang Anshi out of the picture, Emperor Shenzong's ministers find to their horror that theg uy they thought was radicalizing the monarch... had actually be holding him back this whole time. Now there's nothing to stop Shenzong from fulfilling his lifelong ambition to conquer Western Xia... nothing, that is... except the idiocy of the commanders he'll put in charge of the operation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wang Anshi's heady, glorious dream at last comes crashing into the cold, mechanical reality of imperial bureaucracy, to everyone's chagrin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wang Anshi weilds his newfound power to implement, through his hand-picked Finance Planning Commission, a sweeping series of reforms aids at revitalizing that dynasty's sagging economy. They'll include a government loan program, new tax policies to pay for laborers, a rethink of the state's very relationship with commerce and traders, and a re-formatting of the empire's volunteer self-defense forces.Time Period Covered:1069-1073 CE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this first part of a mini-arc, southern provincial nobody Wang Anshi rises above his station and attracts both the curiosity and the attention of Emperor Shanzong and his court by laying out a bold new vision to lead the Song Dynasty out of its economic malaise before disaster inevitably strikes. But when neither Wang nor his critics are willing to give an inch on their principles, sparks fly...Time Period Covered: 1021-1070 CERelevant Historical Figures:Emperor Shenzong of Song (Zhao Xu) [r. 1067 - 1085]Wang Anshi, Economic Maverick [1021-1086]Sima Guang, Conservative Historian [1019-1086]Ouyang Xiu, "Old Drunkard" [1007-1072] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices