Song Court Debate over War and Peace

Timeline

1. 1130–1134Huainan front · HuainanLi Gang, Zhang Jun and others strongly advocated rebuilding the army and launching a northern expedition; generals Yue Fei, Han Shizhong, Liu Guangshi and others repeatedly checked Jin forces on the Huainan front. Court memorials mostly called for 'recovering the two palaces and restoring the Central Plains,' creating growing tension with Emperor Gaozong's desire to settle contentedly in the south.
2. 1134–1137Lin'an Prefecture · Lin'an PrefectureAfter Qin Hui became chancellor, court opinion shifted toward peace on the grounds of 'pacifying the state and protecting the ancestral temple.' Censors impeached war-minded ministers, Zhang Jun and others were dismissed, and proposals from Jin envoys gradually gained the upper hand.
3. 1137–1139Lin'an Prefecture · Lin'an PrefectureYue Fei and others continued submitting memorials requesting a northern expedition, and the remaining war-minded scholar-officials repeatedly remonstrated against ceding territory and making peace. But Gaozong and Qin Hui were determined to suppress the military commanders and push through peace; the debate ended for the time being with the peace party dominant.