Dorozhand
Banned
Emperor Jinzong, though he brought the Song Dynasty to its height of naked power and prestige, laid the groundwork for the empire's fall. The military was over-stretched due to adventures in the north and south, and the nation's coffers drained. The court Mandarins had had enough of this, and he was overthrown in a secret plot. His replacement, the Emperor Anzong, was an incompetent ruler who delegated responsibility to the Mandarins and lived a life of lavish partying and general debauchery. He ordered the construction of a gigantic new palace in Kaifeng which cost the country dearly, and, at the advice of his ministers, allowed the military to languish. This did not bode well however, as the empire had been beset by enemies due to the militaristic reign of his predecessor, and soon barbarians were raiding the countryside with impunity.
After catastrophic flooding of the Yellow River, the peasants rose in revolt, which was allowed to go on almost unchecked, the Emperor believing that it would dwindle on its own. By the time it was finally crushed, the country was in ruins and nearly bankrupt. After this, Anzong was beset by a fit of madness (believed to have been late onset Schizophrenia) and demanded that the estates of nobles in Shandong (given land in the region by Emperor Xiaozong after the war against Liao) whom he believed were plotting against him, to be confiscated. The mandarins did not allow this to go through, but the nobles were so insulted that they rose in revolt. The leader of the rebellion, who had been named Prince of Lu by Xiaozong, declared himself emperor of the new Lu Dynasty, Song being seen to have lost the Mandate.
To make matters worse, Anzong had demanded exorbitant tribute in silver, jade, and slaves from Hujin, who, after he had humiliated a Jin delegation by forcing them to Kowtow no less than 40 times, declared war, defeating Song armies in the northern commanderies and crossing the Yalu into Liaodong.
Eventually, most of the Song army revolted, and after a civil war and the loss of the entire Liaodong Peninsula to Hujin, Emperor Taizu of Lu ruled the entire nation. He set about rebuilding the country and making peace with Korea, as well as restoring China's military strength and campaigning against barbarians in the north. His successors continued to build and expand, and conquered territories in the west, dominating the Silk Road and parts of the Tarim Basin as had the Tang Dynasty. The empire's capital was made the city of Qufu (capital of the ancient Lu state).
It was the Lu emperor Mingzong who accepted an Italian delegation under Alessandro De Luca, opening ties between Europe and the far east.
After catastrophic flooding of the Yellow River, the peasants rose in revolt, which was allowed to go on almost unchecked, the Emperor believing that it would dwindle on its own. By the time it was finally crushed, the country was in ruins and nearly bankrupt. After this, Anzong was beset by a fit of madness (believed to have been late onset Schizophrenia) and demanded that the estates of nobles in Shandong (given land in the region by Emperor Xiaozong after the war against Liao) whom he believed were plotting against him, to be confiscated. The mandarins did not allow this to go through, but the nobles were so insulted that they rose in revolt. The leader of the rebellion, who had been named Prince of Lu by Xiaozong, declared himself emperor of the new Lu Dynasty, Song being seen to have lost the Mandate.
To make matters worse, Anzong had demanded exorbitant tribute in silver, jade, and slaves from Hujin, who, after he had humiliated a Jin delegation by forcing them to Kowtow no less than 40 times, declared war, defeating Song armies in the northern commanderies and crossing the Yalu into Liaodong.
Eventually, most of the Song army revolted, and after a civil war and the loss of the entire Liaodong Peninsula to Hujin, Emperor Taizu of Lu ruled the entire nation. He set about rebuilding the country and making peace with Korea, as well as restoring China's military strength and campaigning against barbarians in the north. His successors continued to build and expand, and conquered territories in the west, dominating the Silk Road and parts of the Tarim Basin as had the Tang Dynasty. The empire's capital was made the city of Qufu (capital of the ancient Lu state).
It was the Lu emperor Mingzong who accepted an Italian delegation under Alessandro De Luca, opening ties between Europe and the far east.
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