Listen to this articleA patriot who keeps his heart in the past
Overview
Chinese Name: 文天祥
English Name: Wen Tianxiang
Other Names: Yun Sun 云孙，Wen zhongliu 文忠烈，Wen Chengxiang 文丞相
Born: June 6, 1236
Died: January 9, 1283
Achievements:
Raise troops in Jiangxi and Guangdong to resist the Yuan Dynasty 在江西、广东举兵抗元
Would rather die than surrender after being captured 被俘后宁死不屈
Main Works:
Wenshan poetry collection 文山诗集
Guide book 指南录
Post guide指南后录
Brief Biography of Wen Tianxiang
Wen Tianxiang, a statesman and writer in the late Southern Song Dynasty, was a famous official against the Yuan Dynasty and a national hero. Together with Lu Xiufu 陆秀夫 and Zhang Shijie 张世杰, he was called the “three heroes in the late Song Dynasty 宋末三杰”.
Wen Tianxiang (June 6, 1236 – January 9, 1283), originally known as Yunsun 云孙, courtesy name Songrui 宋瑞 and Lushan 履善. He called himself the floating Taoist 浮山道人 and Wenshan 文山. Jiangnan West Road, Luling County 庐陵县, Jizhou 吉州(now Futian Town 富田镇, Qingyuan District 青原区, Ji’an City吉安市, Jiangxi Province 江西省).
In the 4th year of Baoyou 宝祐 of emperor Lizong of the Song Dynasty 宋理宗 (1256), Wen Tianxiang was 21, he became the number one scholar. At one time, he was in charge of the military equipment supervisor and the Quanzhi bachelor’s college. He was denounced for his outspoken rebuke of eunuch Dong Songchen 董宋臣 and ridicule of prime minister Jia Sidao 贾似道. He had several ups and downs and resigned at the age of 37.
In the 1st year of Deyou 德祐 (1275), the Yuan army went south to attack the Song Dynasty. Wen Tianxiang scattered all his wealth and recruited soldiers to protect the king. He was appointed as the emissary of Western Zhejiang and eastern Jiangsu and also known as Pingjiang Prefecture. When rescuing Changzhou 常州, he retreated to Yuhang 余杭 due to internal disharmony.
Later, he was promoted to the right prime minister and the secret envoy. He was ordered to negotiate with the Yuan army. He was detained for criticizing the Yuan commander-in-chief Boyan 伯颜 and fled on the way to the north. Not long after, Zhao Shi 赵昰, king of Yi 益王 ascend the throne in Fuzhou 福州, he participated in it and went to Nanjing prefecture to gather troops to fight against the Yuan Dynasty.
In the second year of Jingyan 景炎 (1277), he attacked Jiangxi 江西 again, and finally retreated to Guangdong 广东 because of the situation. In the first year of Xiangxing 祥兴 (1278), Zhao Min 赵昺, the King of Wei 卫王 succeeded to the throne.
After that, he was captured in Wupoling 五坡岭 and transferred to Yuandadu. He was imprisoned for three years. After repeated threats and inducements, he still vowed to die. In December of the 19th year of Zhiyuan 至元 in the Yuan Dynasty (January 1283), Wen Tianxiang died calmly at the age of 47. In the Ming Dynasty, he was given the posthumous title of “loyal and martyr 忠烈”
Personal Life and Major Contributions
Lead the army to protect the King
In the first year of Deyou (1275), the upper reaches of the Yangtze River were in an emergency, and the Song court ordered troops and horses to protect the king. Wen held the imperial edict and wept. He sent Chen Jizhou 陈继周 to lead the county’s heroes and Fang Xing 方兴 was sent to summon soldiers from Jizhou 吉州 (now Ji’an City 吉安市, Jiangxi Province 江西省). All heroes responded and gathered 10000 soldiers.
When the Song court learned about this, Wen was ordered to lead the army to surround the capital Lin’an mansion in the capacity of the appeasement envoy of Jiangnan West Road. His friend stopped him and said: “now the Yuan troops are attacking south in three ways, breaking through the capital and forcing the mainland. You send more than 10000 people to the capital to defend. This is no different from driving sheep and fighting tigers.”
Wen Tianxiang replied: “I also know that this is the case. However, the state has nurtured its subjects for more than 300 years. Once there is a crisis, no one of the soldiers in the world will be enlisted. I deeply regret that. Therefore, I overestimated my strength and sacrificed my life for the country. I hope that the loyal officials and martyrs in the world will rise up after hearing about this.”
Defeated and captured
In November of the third year of Jingyan 景炎, Wen Tianxiang was stationed in Chaoyang County 潮阳县. Chaozhou thieves Chen Yi 陈懿 and Liu Xing 刘兴 rebelled many times, which was a great disaster for the Chaoyang people. Wen Tianxiang chased Chen Yi away, caught Liu Xing, and killed him. In December, he hurried to Nanling 南岭. Zou Yu 邹洬 and Liu Zijun 刘子俊 set up troops from Jiangxi to attack Chen Yi’s followers again. Chen Yi then secretly colluded with Yuan General Zhang Hongfan 张弘范 to help and guide the Yuan army to attack Chaoyang.
Wen Tianxiang was having dinner at Wupoling 五坡岭 when Zhang Hongfan’s army suddenly appeared. All the soldiers were unprepared and hid in the weeds. Wen Tianxiang fled in a hurry and was caught by Wang Weiyi 王惟义, a soldier of the Yuan army. Wen Tianxiang swallowed the longnao 龙脑, but luckily he did not die. Most of his subordinates were captured and killed.
Wen Tianxiang was escorted to Chaoyang. When he met Zhang Hongfan, he refused to kneel down. Zhang Hongfan meet him with a guest gift and went to Yashan 厓山 with Wen Tianxiang, asking him to write a letter to summon Zhang Shijie 张世杰. Wen Tianxiang said: “I can’t defend my parents and teach others to betray their parents, can I?” Zhang Hongfan felt his benevolence and sent people to escort Wen Tianxiang to the capital.
Would rather die than submit or be humiliated
Wen Tianxiang had been in Yanjing 燕京 for three years. Kublai Khan 忽必烈 knew that Wen Tianxiang was always unyielding. He summoned Wen Tianxiang and said to him, “what are your wishes?” Wen Tianxiang replied: “Tianxiang is deeply blessed by the Song Dynasty. As the prime minister, how can I serve the two surnames? I’ll be satisfied with my death.”
When he was about to be executed, Wen Tianxiang was especially calm and said to the prison officials: “my work has finished.” After kneeling down to the south, he died calmly at the age of 47. A few days later, Wen Tianxiang’s wife Ouyang 欧阳氏 picked up his body and found that his face was like a living person. At this time, there were ten martyrs in Jiangnan on the execution ground. They risked their lives to deal with Wen Tianxiang’s funeral affairs.
