Kaixi Northern Expedition

Timeline

1. 1206Lin'an · ZhejiangPowerful minister Han Tuozhou used the rehabilitation of Yue Fei to sideline the peace faction and pressed Emperor Ningzong to issue an edict of war against Jin, formally opening the Kaixi Northern Expedition. The court centrally coordinated the armies of Lianghuai, Jingxiang, and Sichuan, forming a multi-pronged offensive.
2. 1206Lianghuai front · LianghuaiSong forces launched major attacks along the Lianghuai and Jingxiang fronts, with Guo Jia and others advancing on Pizhou and elsewhere, gaining some initial successes. However, Jin counterattacks relying on city defenses and cavalry quickly exposed Song logistical and coordination shortcomings.
3. 1206Sichuan · SichuanSichuan pacification commissioner Wu Xi held major forces during the expedition, and the Song court relied on him to pin down Jin troops in the west. Wu Xi's growing power laid the groundwork for his defection to Jin the following year, and made the Sichuan front the most unstable link in the overall campaign.
4. 1206Multiple fronts on the Song-Jin border · ChinaBy late 1206, Song forces suffered successive defeats on all fronts and failed to achieve the strategic goal of recovering the Central Plains. Jin forces counterattacked, the Song court was forced to contract its lines, and the Kaixi Northern Expedition turned from peak to decline, creating conditions for subsequent peace negotiations and political purges.