Let's talk about the conclusion first: if Yue Fei only restored the territory and did not welcome back the second emperor, even then he would still be brutalized.
When it comes to why Song Gaozong attacked Yue Fei, the core problem is that Yue Fei resolutely supported the battle and opposed the peace talks, which directly challenged Zhao's plan to negotiate a peace agreement with the Jin state. Zhao Xiang wanted peace not for the long-term consideration of the country, but for personal pleasure and hoped that he could live a comfortable life.
Song Gaozong's treatment of Yue Fei was also influenced by the policy of "attaching importance to culture and despising martial arts" set by Song Taizu in the early Song Dynasty. As Yue Fei's reputation grew in the war against the Jin state, Song Gaozong began to worry that he could not control such a powerful army and might pose a threat to the imperial power.
Song Taizu ascended the throne through the Chenqiao Mutiny, ending the war. After he came to power, he implemented the strategy of "releasing military power with a glass of wine", taking back military power from the hands of the generals, and changing it to civilian management, *** himself directly commanded the forbidden army, and established a political system that favored civilian officials.
Song Gaozong inherited this system and continued to promote civilian officials and limit military generals, which became the basis of his governance. At the beginning of the establishment of the Southern Song Dynasty, faced with many internal problems, Gaozong adopted the strategy of stabilizing the country first and then the outside world. Yue Fei was seen as an obstacle because of his repeated attacks on this delicate balance between imperial power and his subordinates, which eventually led to the tragedy.
During the Southern Song Dynasty, those displaced people who lost their homes due to the war were forced to revolt in order to make a living. The most famous of these was the uprising of Zhong Xiang and Yang Mo, which lasted for six years. Although eventually quelled, the revolt left Song Gaozong and other rulers feeling a great threat and panic.
For Song Gaozong, the continuous resistance of the domestic refugees put him in a dilemma, and he did not dare to go all out to fight to the death with the Jin State. If the Northern Expedition was won, the generals who controlled the army could pose a challenge to the imperial power, and even risk seizing it. If the Northern Expedition fails, coupled with domestic instability, the Great Song Dynasty may have to change hands. Therefore, he chose to negotiate peace with the Jin State, so that he could have spare forces to suppress the domestic turmoil and ensure that the Southern Song Dynasty's sphere of influence in Jiangnan could be maintained.
Song Gaozong ordered the execution of Yue Fei, the fundamental reason was that Yue Fei firmly supported the fight against the Jin State and vowed to regain the lost territory, which directly hindered Zhao Concept's plan to negotiate peace with the Jin State and sign the "Shaoxing Peace Conference".
Song Gaozong, who fled south to Jiangnan and inherited the throne after the "humiliation of Jingkang", was actually not an emperor with ambitions and national interests, but more in pursuit of personal pleasure. When Yue Fei first proposed to him the Northern Expedition to regain the lost territory, he was reprimanded by Zhao Gou on the grounds of "speaking beyond his authority", and it was obviously not reused.
Song Gaozong's attitude was that he would choose to fight unless the country's safety was at stake, otherwise he was more inclined to sue for peace. As a king who can even put the safety of his family members out of the way, he cares very little about the land and the people, and naturally he doesn't care about Yue Fei's life.
Yue Fei's actions touched Song Gaozong's sensitive nerves at several key points.
First of all, Yue Fei has won many military exploits and his status is rising day by day, which challenges the bottom line of the policy of "emphasizing literature over military force" pursued by Song Gaozong;
Secondly, Yue Fei recommended Zhao Ying to Gaozong as his heir, which touched the red line that military generals were not allowed to interfere in court politics and aroused Gaozong's dissatisfaction;
Moreover, due to his strict military discipline and profound popularity, Yue Fei formed a force that overrode the imperial power, which posed a threat to the imperial power.
Yue Fei took "taking the Central Plains directly and restoring the Han family" as his life pursuit, and won a high reputation, which directly touched Gaozong's tense nerves. After the successful peace talks between Qin Hui and the Jin State, Yue Fei became a nail in the eyes of Gaozong and an object that must be removed.
For Gaozong, Yue Fei's high prestige was what he feared and worried, and from the perspective of national interests, Yue Fei was undoubtedly loyal; But for personal power, Yue Fei's existence is a threat. For Gaozong, maintaining his own country and power, even if it is to bow to the Jin State and sue for peace, is the highest priority. Therefore, Yue Fei's tough anti-Jin stance became an obstacle that Gaozong could not tolerate, which eventually led to Yue Fei's tragedy.
Gaozong firmly practiced the principle of "valuing literature over military force" established by Taizu, which stemmed from his vigilance against the overflow of power of military generals during the Taizu period.
During the early reign of Emperor Gojong, there were many difficulties at home and abroad, the problem of internal displacement was serious, and the society was in turmoil. There were two major factions in the court, one in favor of war and one in favor of peace, in which the military generals preferred to solve the problem by force, while the civil servants advocated a peaceful solution, which was in line with the Song Dynasty's tradition of emphasizing civilian officials. Eventually, the peace-inclined side dominated the government. Gaozong himself was more inclined to seek peace in the Jiangnan region than to make a major northern expedition to regain the lost territory.
Yue Fei repeatedly challenged Gaozong's bottom line, causing doubts and distrust between the two sides. Yue Fei's high prestige among the common people, coupled with the fact that he had a powerful army, directly threatened the security of Gaozong's throne. When Gaozong decided to reconcile with the Jin Kingdom, Yue Fei resolutely opposed peace and became an obstacle in Gaozong's eyes, which eventually led to his tragic end.
Even if Yue Fei did not propose to welcome back the Second Emperor, his position and behavior were enough to make him a victim of the political struggle.