Xin Qiji's Military Service and Northern Expedition Advocacy (1160s)

Timeline

1. 1161–1162Jiankang · Jiangsu ProvinceAround the Battle of Caishi, Xin Qiji led fifty cavalry in rising up behind Jin lines, pursued and killed the defector general Zhang Anguo, and crossed south to rejoin the Song. Emperor Xiaozong, impressed by his courage and strategy, summoned him and appointed him signer of Jiankang Prefecture, beginning his military-political career in the Southern Song.
2. 1163–1165Chuzhou · Anhui ProvinceXin Qiji served in Chuzhou, Jiangxi, and elsewhere, reforming armaments and training troops, and at times led units deep into Jin territory to raid. His pragmatic military style and decisive action stood out in the Southern Song's civilian-dominated military system.
3. 1164–1169Lin'an · Zhejiang ProvinceAfter the Longxing Peace Agreement, Xin Qiji submitted the Ten Essays on Beautiful Celery and other memorials detailing strategies for enriching the state, strengthening the army, and seizing opportunities to attack north. However, the court's peace faction held the upper hand, his strategies were largely unadopted, and he gradually moved from military staff to idle posts; his grand northern expedition ambitions were never realized.