When the Northern Song Dynasty fell, a shameful "sheep ceremony" made Empress Zhu have to choose to commit suicide. What exactly is the "sheep ceremony"?
And how did the humiliation lead a noble queen to end her own life?
In that dusty history, what kind of national hatred and family hatred are buried?
First of all, where is the origin of the withering of the Northern Song Dynasty?
In 960 AD, the Northern Song Dynasty was established, and Zhao Kuangyin's uneasiness on the night of seizing power doomed various problems later. As the commander of the forbidden army, he relied on military power to usurp the throne, however, the beginning of the military seizure of power made Zhao Kuangyin always wary of the generals behind him.
In order to prevent the generals from plotting mutiny, he frequently transferred border generals and implemented harsh laws, which led to low morale in the army.
In his later years, the suspicion of military generals eased slightly, but it was already too late. The coming to power of the second-generation emperor Zhao Jiong made matters worse. Zhao Jiong's emphasis on literature over military force led to a sharp decline in armaments, a trend that continued into the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, plunging the Northern Song army into a trough.
Then, what is hidden behind the covenant at sea?In the first half of the 10th century, the Liao State invaded the Northern Song Dynasty several times, but during the Taizong period, the two sides reached a consensus on long-term peace through the alliance of Tanyuan on the sea.
However, peace is built on strength.
In the middle of the 11th century, the Jin Dynasty rose, and Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty secretly formed an alliance with the Jin State to join forces to destroy the Liao. However, the Jin army saw through the weakness of the Northern Song Dynasty and began to plot south to attack the Song Dynasty.
In the Battle of Jingkang, the Northern Song Dynasty army was defeated, the second emperor was captured, and the dynasty was overthrown.
In the shame of Jingkang, Empress Zhu faced a desperate situation, and the sheep ceremony became the final humiliation.
After the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty, the concubines and princesses of the second emperor were also captured. In the process of being escorted by Jin Bing, they suffered endless ** and destruction. And the sheep ceremony is the last cruel mockery of these women by the Jin people.
The ritual of having them naked in sheepskin, being pulled and toyed with by the golden soldiers, and being ridiculed by the crowd, was a heinous act of barbarism.
After this humiliation, Empress Zhu chose to commit suicide in order to preserve her dignity and became the last guardian of dignity.
Finally, Empress Zhu's fierceness contrasts sharply with the weakness of the second emperor.
On the occasion of the destruction of the country, countless people committed suicide to protest, but the second emperor chose to steal his life. This kind of cowardice and selfishness has made future generations deeply regret and indignant. The lesson of the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty is tragic and profound, if a country lacks the strength to protect itself, no matter how developed its civilization is, it will not escape the fate of being wiped out.