When the enemy soldiers overran the capital, a man escorted the emperor to the enemy camp to negotiate. He argued his case in defense of imperial dignity and cursed the enemy soldiers despite his life. The cursing did not stop until he was killed by cutting his neck and tongue.
This is a story of loyalty and righteousness during the Jingkang period of the Song Dynasty. The story of a loyal minister who sacrificed his life to save the country during the Jingkang Rebellion has been told for thousands of years. This minister was in the enemy camp and cursed the Jin soldiers until his death. In the end, he was honored by the enemy as the first loyal minister of the “Jingkang Shame”!
He was Li Ruoshui, a minister of the Ministry of Justice of the Northern Song Dynasty. There is a famous saying in the Guoyu: “The king worries about his subjects, and the king humiliates them to death.” Li Ruoshui’s life is the proof of this saying. In the first year of Jingkang (1126), Song and Jin were in a constant state of war and peace negotiations. Li Ruoshui was elected as a negotiating emissary and was summoned by the emperor.
His original name was Li Ruobing, but perhaps this name gave him too much of a lonely and cold feeling, so the emperor gave him the name “Ruoshui”, hoping that he could be as adaptable as water. After that, the name Li Ruoshui began to shine in history.
In the first mission, Li Ruoshui understood that the chancellor of the Jin Empire, Niihan, refused all the proposals of peace talks and insisted on the southern attack. During the second mission, the officials accompanying him saw the Song army stationed at the Yellow River panicking for fear of the Jin soldiers and discussing the need to flee by a small road. Li Ruoshui, however, said, “How can you follow their example? If there are really Jin soldiers, you can just repay your country with death today!” He also ordered to execute those who discussed to escape, which settled everyone’s heart.
The Jin soldiers’ attack became tighter and tighter, and even asked the emperor to go out of the city to meet them. By the next year, the Jin once again offered to see the emperor. At that time, the military strength of the Northern Song was not weaker than the Jin, but Song Qinzong was deceived by the main peacemaker’s treacherous ministers and was very fearful of the Jin. When the Emperor was worried, Li Ruoshui bravely came forward and said he was willing to escort the Emperor on his mission.
Who knows that the Jin people detained Qinzong, but also forced him to take off his dragon robe, replaced with Jin clothes. Han obedience to the Yellow Emperor “hanging clothes and the world ruled” appeared, its design contains the moral connotation of Han culture, in the Song Dynasty has become the national culture and spiritual heritage. As Confucius lamented, “Micro Guanzhong, my hair is left overlapping.” It can be seen how much importance the Han people attached to the Chinese costume. The behavior of the Jin people was a great insult to the Song Emperor.
Therefore, Li Ruoshui cried out in grief and anger, hugging Qinzong and cursing the Jin people as “dogs”, and he was beaten so severely that he fainted because he could not catch his breath. The Emperor respected Li Ruoshui’s character and wanted to recruit him, so he ordered, “Make sure that Li is not hurt.” Li Ruoshui was not moved, so he resisted by hunger strike.
The Jin soldiers on guard tried to persuade him, “Although you cursed, the minister of state was not angry. If you submit to him today, you will be able to enjoy glory and wealth tomorrow.” But he said righteously, “There are not two suns in the sky, do I, Li Ruoshui, have a second monarch?”
His servants also came to persuade him, “Your parents are old; if you are willing to submit, you will have a chance to go back to see them.” Li Ruoshui rebuked loudly, “A loyal servant serves his sovereign, but now there is only one death! When you go back, don’t tell my parents about my death right away, let my brothers tell them slowly!”
Ten days later, Muhammad summoned Li Ruohui to discuss with him about appointing another man as the emperor of Song. Li Ruoshui sternly opposed: “The emperor has already sinned for the sake of the people and surrendered his throne. Now the emperor is benevolent and filial, no fault, how can easily abolish?” Muhammad had another plan and blamed the Song Emperor for not keeping his promise during the peace negotiations. Li Ruoshui unceremoniously fired back, bluntly denouncing that Muhan was the most faithless person. He also said, “You are a giant thief and a robber, and you are not many days away from extinction!”
Li Ruoshui had iron teeth and every word was like a sharp sword stabbing at Muhan’s face. Muhan ordered his men to drag Li Ruoshui away. Knowing that he would be buried in the enemy camp, Li Ruoshui cursed more fiercely. He also said to a servant, “It is my duty to die for my country, but I have to drag you all into it!” The Jin first smashed Li Rushui’s mouth, and he spurted out blood and continued to curse incessantly. The Jin soldiers slit his throat and cut off his tongue, Li Ruoshui died at the age of 35.
During the Southern Song Dynasty, Li Rushui’s servant fled back to the court and described in detail his generous death. Song Emperor Gaozong was greatly moved and issued an edict to remember him: “Li Ruoshui’s loyalty and righteousness is unmatched by anyone else, and when I heard about it, I also cried for him!” He was posthumously appointed a high official and given the posthumous title of “Zhongmin”.
People who escaped from the Golden Kingdom also said that Li Ruoshui had no fear before he died, and he left behind a sad and desperate song: “Ask the sky, but the sky does not speak; loyal subjects die for the country, but what is wrong with death?” Everyone in the audience wept for him. The Jin people, who were in a hostile position, also changed from hatred to respect and praised his loyalty, “When Liao fell, more than ten people died in loyalty and righteousness, but there was only one person in the Song Dynasty, Li Ruo Shi Lang!”
Li Ruoshui went deep into the danger and pledged his loyalty to the emperor, so his deeds were included in the history book “The Biography of Loyalty and Righteousness”. When the country was in trouble, it was because there were many loyal officials like Li Ruoshui, who used their lives to serve the country with justice and loyalty, that the Song dynasty declined but did not die, and that the history and culture of the Chinese nation lasted for thousands of years!
(Reference: History of the Song Dynasty)
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