Siege of Bianjing

During the Xuanhe Period of the Northern Song Dynasty, the Empire was prosperous. However, the hidden dangers under the prosperous era had become an undercurrent. Internal crises such as financial difficulties, pertinacious military problems and vicious party disputes and external crises such as military threats from the Northern Liao and Jin Dynasties made the Empire increasingly unstable. In order to recover the Sixteen Prefectures as a strategic barrier, Emperor Huizong of Song Dynasty decided to unite Jin to destroy Liao. Although the Song-Jin Alliance gradually encroached on the Liao, the Jin took this opportunity to see the weakness of the Northern Song Dynasty. Besides, there were complex interest disputes between the two countries. Therefore, Jin turned to the south to attack the Song Dynasty. In 1126, the Jin army besieged Bianjing for the second time and occupied Bianjing in November. The Northern Song Dynasty collapsed suddenly, only three years after its prosperity. Based on the historical data on the standpoints of Song, Liao and Jin Dynasties, this book attempts to recover the historical process of Jikang Calamity, explore the deep causes behind the rise and fall of the Northern Song Dynasty, and the warning significance beyond the times. It traces back to the complete historical details of Jikang Calamity in the late Northern Song Dynasty, tells about the peace and war between the song, Liao and Jin Dynasties, focuses on the critical moment of the great changes in the history of the Northern Song Dynasty, and the causes and effects of the outbreak of the overall crisis of the Empire from inside to outside.