In Chinese history, there is an intriguing and strange case: in 1142, Yue Fei died tragically. This tragedy is still embarrassing, and people have never been able to forgive Qin Hui for killing Yue Fei. However, there is a deeper historical connotation behind Yue Fei's death. Who killed Yue Fei? If Yue Fei's death is placed in the historical context of the entire Northern Song Dynasty, a new perspective may be found.
The Northern Song Dynasty is unique in Chinese history, and its existence is undoubtedly a miracle. Compared to other dynasties, the Song dynasty appeared mediocre and incompetent, and the roots of all this can be traced back to the founding emperor Zhao Kuangyin. Zhao Kuangyin's ascension to the throne was very different from that of other emperors, more like an accident than an elaborate plan to ascend the throne. This unexpected power filled him with anxiety and fear.
After Zhao Kuangyin ascended the throne, he adopted a unique way of governing the country: releasing military power with a glass of wine. The purpose of this decision is to concentrate the power of the military and civil servants into the hands of the emperor, so as to maintain his own centralized power. However, this overly centralized concept of governance led to mutual suspicion between monarchs and ministers, intrigue between civil officials, and undercurrents surging above the court, which accelerated the decline of the Song Dynasty and caused the tragic death of loyal ministers like Yue Fei.
As a hero of the Great Song Dynasty, Yue Fei has made outstanding contributions to the country and is deeply respected by the people. However, his rise caused extreme panic among the then emperor Song Gaozong Zhao Gou. Zhao Gou had a deep distrust of Yue Fei, who was uneasy about his status as a military general and influence. After weighing the pros and cons, Zhao Gou chose to put Yue Fei to death in order to maintain the stability of his royal power.
However, it is worth noting that Qin Hui is just a pawn used by Zhao Gou. What really drove Yue Fei's tragic death was Zhao Gou's excessive pursuit of power and distrust, as well as the governance culture of the entire Northern Song Dynasty. The major flaw of the Song Dynasty's concept of governing the country was that it overemphasized the centralization of power, weakened the power of loyal ministers, exacerbated the contradictions between the government and the opposition, and led to the continuous decline of the country.
In order to make a difference and develop, it is crucial to choose a platform with an advanced governance culture. Only in such an environment can an individual's ability be fully utilized, otherwise he will be buried by the trend of the times like Yue Fei. Yue Fei's tragedy is not only a historical case, but also a profound reflection on the importance of governance culture.
In today's society, how should we evaluate and choose the governance culture in which we live?