Yue Fei the Hakka General

[teoh@cs.utk.edu]

>From chungyn@mozart.collective.com.au Wed Apr 16 10:33:54 1997
From: CHUNG Yoon-Ngan <chungyn@mozart.collective.com.au>
Subject: Yue Fei the Hakka General

[moderator:  Chhiang ki yit-fun to fhakka@asiawind.com Tou Chhiah !]


   Yue Fei the Hakka General
                            
   Zhao Kuang Yin was a commander in chief of the armed forces of the
Later Zhou Dynasty (951AD to 960AD). In 960AD he was ordered north to 
stop the incursion by the Liao army. At that time northern China was
occupied by the Liao people who were originally lived in the Liao River 
Valley in present day Southern Manchuria.
 
   Zhao Kuang Yin and his army arrived at Chen Qiao a small suburban 
town north east of Bian Jing (present day Kaifeng city in Henan province).
They camped there for a few days. Those generals under his command
decided that he should become the Emperor as the present Emperor was only 
a seven years old boy. Whether Zhao Kuang Yin like it or not they put a
yellow robe on him and proclaimed him the Emperor. Zhao Kuang Yin refused 
to wear the yellow robe. For three times his generals made him to wear the
yellow robe and become the new Emperor. Each time he refused. But 
eventually he was persuaded by his subordiants. Thus he became the emperor. 
He named his empire the Song Dynasty (960AD to 1279AD). He was known as 
Emperor Tai Zu3 (reigned 960AD to 976AD).

   Seven generations later in 1100AD Hui Zong became the Emperor of the 
Song Dynasty. It was during his reign that the Song empire started to 
decline. The financial situation of the country was in bad shape. Its
administrations were in a mess. Yet Emperor Hui Zong continued to spend 
a lot of money on his hobbies which were painting and creative arts 
as he was a born artist. He also maintained a luxurious Court. In the
process it further strained the country's revenue.

   During that time there lived a tribe called Jurched in present day 
northern Manchuria in the upper basin of Song Hua Jiang (Sungari River) 
which was part of the domain of the Liao. They had risen to power and 
they rebelled against their ruler, the Liao. They established their own 
dynasty known as the Jin Dynasty (Golden Dynasty). In 1153AD they moved 
their capital from Manchuria to Yan Jing (present day Beijing city in 
Hebei province).

   A new dynasty like Jin could easily defeated the Liao, Emperor Hui 
Zong thought that his army could do the same. So he formed an alliance
with the Jin hoping that, together, they could destroy the Liao. He 
wanted to regain the sixteen border prefectures previously lost to the 
Liao in 963AD. 

   The Jin attcked the Liao from the East and the Song from the south. 
The Jin army had no troble to overrun the eastern part of Liao. But the
Song armies were beaten by the Liao. Knowing that the Song was weak the 
Jin marched southward into the Song territory. The Song could not stop
them. In consternation, Emperor Hui Zong abdicated in favour of his elder 
son called Hang who was crowned as Emperor Qin Zong. But the Jin hordes
continued riding south.
 
   In 1126AD the Jin captured Kaifeng, the Song capital. The two Emperors, 
Hui Zong and his son the newly crowned Emperor Qin Zong were still in the 
city. They did not escape fast enough from the blitze-kreig of the Jin. 
They were captured by the Jin and became prisoners.

    The numbered nineth son of Hui Zong called Guo continued to resist the 
Jin. The following year in 1127AD Guo crowned himself as Emperor Gao Zong 
the numbered tenth Emperor of the Song Dynasty. He established his capital 
in the southern city of Lin An (present day Hangzhou city Zhejiang 
province).
   
   Yue Fei (1103AD to 1142AD) was born in a poor farmer family. His 
father died when he was very young. It was at the time that the Jin 
from the Northeast were conquering the South. Yue Fei joined the Song 
army and rose to the rank of a general. He was a fanatical patriot. When 
he was just a young boy he loved his country dearly. His mother tatooed
thses four words on his back,
 
   "Jin Zhong Bao Guo" 
 
which meant Loyalty and Patriotism. He compiled a motto which was, 

   "Huan Wo He Shan"  

which meant Return My Country. He swore that 
he would recapture the lost territory in the North and free the two Emperors 
held in captivity by the Jin. Yue Fei organized a northern expedition army. 
and marched northward. He recaptured a vast territory from the Jin.
 
   When Emperor Gao Zong crowned himself as the Emperor he was tormented 
day and night by two matters. First, he was afraid that his elder brother 
Emperor Qin Zhong and his father would be released by the Jin. He would 
have to give up the throne in favoure of either of them.

   The second matter was that a much adored and highly respected general 
might grab the throne just like his ancestor the founder of the Dynasty 
Zhao Kuang Yin did 267 years ago.

    General Yue Fei and his northern expedition army were winning battles 
after battles. The Jin were being routed and pushed further northeast.
The Emperor of Jin was in panicked. 

   Down in the south Emperor Gao Zong was also in panicked. He was afraid 
that Yue Fei might conquer the whole of the northern territory and free
the two Emperors from the Jin.
 
   One of his ministers called Qin Gui who was the representative of the 
big landlords in the south.  Qin Gui was in favoure of making peace with
the Jin. He advised Emperor Gao Zong to contact the Jin and had
secret peace. Emperor Gao Zong accepted his suggestion and appointed him
as the Prime Minister. Secret peace talks were being held with the Jin.
 
   Meanwhile Yue Fei continued his march northward. Of course he did not 
know the skulduggery of the Emperor. A big decisive battle was about to 
take place at Zhu Xian Zhen about 20 kilometers away from Kaifeng the 
former capital of Song. Yue Fei never drink in his whole life. But in 
this occasion he ordered wine to be served at the dinner. He told his 
officers,  
   "We must march to Huang Long Fu to welcome back the two Emperors. 
    Then we shall celebrate and drink again".
  
Huang Long Fu (present day Nong An city in jilin province) was the city
wher the two Emperors were being held by the Jin.
During the feast Yue Fei composed a famous patriotic poem entitled 
"Man Jiang Hong" which even nowadays is still very popular among the high 
school students.
 
  Meanwhile the secret peace talks with the Jin were about to be 
concluded. Qin Gui, the Prime Minister advised Emperor Gao Zong to issue
edict ordering Yue Fei to avoid the decisive battle and pull back to the 
South. When Yue Fei received the first edict he ignored it thinking that
it was a hoax. But Emperor Gao Zong sent him twelve orders within one day. 
He had no alternative but to obey lest he would be charged for 
insubordination.
 
  Yue Fei and his northern expedition army were ordered back to the capital. 
The Emperor rewarded with great honests to all the generals who took part
in the northern expedition. Yue Fei was appointed as the deputy Minister of 
Defence. With this appointment Yue Fei was being stripped off as the 
commander of the northern expedition army.

   Yue Fei was a patriot and he did not know the intrigue of the Emperor
and Qin Gui the Prime Minister. He continued to urge the Song Court to
recapture the north and free the two Emperors. That was the last thing 
that Emperor Gao Zong wanted to do. Qin Gui told the Emperor that Yue Fei 
had to be eliminated and the Emperor agreed. Emperor Gao Zong ordered Yue 
Fei and his son Yue Yun to be arrested on charges of conspiracy to 
overthrow the Song Court. Father and son were tried for high treason. 
They were sentenced to death. They were being held as criminals in an old 
well. Qin Gui had them executed secretly.

   Yue Fei was extolled by patriots as a symbol of national resistance to
foreign domination. The patriots hated Qui Gui. They created a recipe 
called  "You Zha Gui" which meant deep fried Qin Gui in hot oil. It was a
popular cuisine specially for breakfast. Two rolls were deep fried in hot 
oil. The two rolls were supposed to be Qin Gui and his wife. They called 
it deep fried "Qin Gui and his wife".
 
   Generations later people shortened it to, deep fried Gui "You Zha Gui" 
because those with the surname of Qin would not like to eat the rolls that 
were named after their own surnames. So the surname Qin was omitted in the 
recipe. Since then we have been eating deep fried Qin Gui and his wife for 
about 854 years. Yet we do not know that Gui was the name of the Prime 
Minister who had murdered Yue Fei and his son Yue Yun during the Song 
Dynasty. People will continue to eat You Zha Gui forever.

The following is the comment by  Professor James Ou of 
University of North L.A., California, U.S.A.

Here is a couplet:

Ren2  Zi4   Song4  Hou4   Sao3   Ming2   Gui4
After the Song Dynasty people rarely named themselves Kui/Hui.

Wo    Dao4   Fen2   Qian2   Kui4   Xing4   Qin2
Standing in front of Yue's tomb, I am ashamed to have the surname Qin2.

History also recorded that Qin Kui's grandson, who was ashamed of his 
grandfather's deed bravely fought and died in a battle against the
Jin troops.

Song shu (history of Song Dynasty)
CHUNG Yoon-Ngan. chungyn@mozart.collective.com.au