Jia Rudao in the late Southern Song Dynasty was a controversial figure. His reform measures, aimed at bureaucrats, landlords, and military generals, led to sharp internal contradictions, which was one of the reasons why he was regarded as a traitor by later generations. However, another reform he implemented, the "Intention Law", inadvertently changed the fate of the Southern Song Dynasty.
The "Intention Law" was a special accounting supervision of military expenditures used in the course of the Song-Mongol war, mainly for military generals. For the illegal expenditures, the military generals were required to reimburse them, and the convicted generals were sent to prison for punishment. At first, the original intention of the law was to rectify the corruption in the army. However, many people believe that Jia Rudao is a measure taken to suppress dissidents who hold military power and support military generals who are close to him.
Under Jia Yidao's governance, the people's hearts began to disperse, and the morale of the army was low. Even if his cronies were kind to him, they would still be punished. His iron-fisted methods finally forced Liu Quan, the general of the Southern Song Dynasty, to rebel. Liu Cheng felt that it was difficult to protect himself, and finally rebelled against the Song Dynasty and surrendered to Mongolia, igniting the fuse of the Battle of Xiangyang.
However, we can't just see Jia Yidao as a traitor or a ****. Although his series of reform measures intensified internal contradictions, they also bought a certain amount of time and space for the Southern Song Dynasty. He has a certain positive significance for the rectification of corruption, the improvement of the morale of the army, and the rectification of the state's finances.
In the midst of the anger, we should think more deeply about why Jia Yidao's reforms failedWas his iron-fisted method really suitable for the Southern Song Dynasty at that time?Should we reflect on the fate of the Southern Song Dynasty and reformers like Jia Yidao?
In the process, we may be able to find some answers, and perhaps some enlightenment. In any case, the story of Jia Yidao is a tragic song in the history of the Southern Song Dynasty, which is infuriating and thought-provoking.