Han Shizhong - The Second Invasion of The Jurchens

The Second Invasion of The Jurchens

In AD 1125, under its founder and perhaps its greatest leader, Wányán Āgǔdǎ, the Jin army destroyed the Liao Empire and swiftly destroyed the forces of Xi Xia and Goryeo (both allies of Liao), making them vassal states of the Jin Empire. That very same year, the Jurchens assembled a large coalition force consisting of Jurchens, Tanguts, Khitans and Koreans to launch a second invasion of China. Han was defending the city of Zhaozhou once again under General Wang Yuan(Chinese:王淵). After a few months of battle, the city's logistical supplies dwindled. Han asked for three hundred cavalrymen and, one night, made a surprise attack on the enemy encampment. This attack caught the Jurchens by surprise and they began to scramble and swing their swords on anyone they saw. By daybreak, many of them had trampled over one another; amongst those fatalities was the commander of the invading Jurchen force. The Jurchens had no choice but to retreat. Thus was the city of Zhaozhou relieved. Despite this victory, most other Song defending forces, again, were defeated, and the Jurchens even captured two Song emperors. In AD 1127, Han was given a thousand-man army to escort the crown prince(趙構, 亦称康王) to safety in southern China. He was checked by an army ten times larger but, once again, emerged victorious and forced the enemy to retreat. The crown prince who would become the Emperor Gaozong(宋高宗) successfully reached Henan(河南商丘), ascended the throne and established the Southern Song Dynasty. Shortly, the capital was moved to Yangzhou. Han persuaded Gaozong to recover the lost lands in the North, but Gaozong, content with simply being emperor, neglected his advice. Meanwhile, under siege, the Chinese general guarding the northern capital, Kaifeng(開封), was so angered that he felt ill knowing no reinforcements would be sent, and died shortly after. The city was surrendered shortly after, in 1128.