Emperor Dayou, Zhao Xiun: The Last Imperial Struggle of the Southern Song and the Tragic Narrative in the Continued Records of the Grand Historian

Brief Introduction

Emperor Dayou, also known as Zhao Xiun (1234–1274), was the final emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty. The son of Emperor Lizong and younger brother of Emperor Duzong, he was born in Lin'an (present-day Hangzhou) in the first year of the Duanping reign (1234). He ascended the throne in 1274, changing the reign title to "Dayou" at the age of 14. His reign lasted barely more than a year. Facing the imminent threat of the Yuan army and the collapse of state power, he chose to surrender to the Yuan Dynasty in the second year of Dayou (1276). Accompanying the Imperial Preceptor, Dragone (Drogön), northward, he was eventually poisoned in Zhen-ding (present-day Zhengding, Hebei Province), at the age of 23. As the symbolic end of the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhao Xiun’s life condenses the violent upheaval of dynastic transition and the helplessness of individual fate against the current of history.

Core Knowledge Points

1. Hasty Accession and Regency

In 1274, Emperor Duzong of Song died without an heir. The powerful chancellor Jia Sidao installed Duzong’s younger brother, Zhao Xiun, on the throne as Emperor Dayou. Because Zhao Xiun was young, Jia Sidao effectively controlled the court's governance. At this time, the Southern Song faced the advancing Mongol army from the outside and the dominance of powerful ministers from the inside; the political situation was extremely turbulent. Zhao Xiun’s accession was not based on sufficient political preparation but was the result of the power struggle among the regents.

2. The Metaphor of the "Dayou" Reign Title

The reign title "Dayou" implies "protected by virtue and grace," originally intended to pray for the favor of the heavens. However, the course of history proved ironic. During the Dayou period, the Southern Song lost its Yangtze River defense line, and Lin'an (present-day Hangzhou) finally fell. This period marked the key node where the Southern Song moved from merely surviving to its actual demise. Although technically the Southern Song imperial lineage continued until the Battle of Yashan, the surrender of Lin'an in the second year of Dayou is considered the actual end of the Southern Song as an independent political entity.

3. The Decision to Surrender and Subsequent Fate

In early 1276, the Yuan army reached the walls of Lin'an. With Jia Sidao imprisoned and the pro-war faction led by Chen Yizhong unable to turn the tide, Emperor Dayou, under the guidance of Chancellor Chen Yizhong, Liu Mengyan, and others, decided to surrender. Zhao Xiun was captured by the Yuan forces and later sent to Dadu (Beijing), where he was granted the title "King of Guangling." His younger brother, who later became Emperor Gong of Song, ascended the throne in Zhaoqing. Zhao Xiun, however, was detained in the north until his death in Zhen-ding in 1276 (historical records vary slightly, but he is generally considered to have died during the Yuan Zhonghe era in the late 1270s).

Connection to the Continued Records of the Grand Historian

Although the Continued Records of the Grand Historian primarily records history from the late Northern Song to the late Southern Song, its entries stop at the end of the Jiading reign of Emperor Ningzong (1224) and do not directly cover the detailed chapters concerning Emperor Dayou's reign (1274–1276). Nevertheless, understanding Emperor Dayou’s historical situation requires reliance on the late Southern Song political ecosystem depicted in the Continued Records:

1. Foreshadowing of Power Politics by Ministers: The Continued Records details the monopolization of power by strong chancellors such as Shi Miyuan and Han Tuozhai, as well as the weakening of imperial power. This political tradition of "weak emperor, strong ministers" provided a deep institutional background for Jia Sidao’s dominance and Emperor Dayou’s status as a puppet. Reading the book makes it clear why the imperial power lacked the capacity for independent decision-making during times of crisis.
2. Context of the Song-Mongol War: The latter half of the Continued Records (particularly the "Later Annals") meticulously sorts out the diplomatic and military interactions among the Song, Jin, and Mongol parties, including the failure of the Kaixi Northern Expedition and the history of the Southern Song paying tribute to the Mongols. These records explain why the Mongols could quickly turn southward after destroying the Jin, as well as the long-term internal Southern Song debate between "northern expeditions" and "seeking peace," providing the remote causes for the military failures during the Dayou period.
3. Dilemma of the Scholar-Official Class: The book provides in-depth portrayals of the choices made by Southern Song scholar-officials under different political climates (such as factional struggles and border threats). The split within the court between the pro-peace faction (such as Liu Mengyan) and the pro-war faction (such as Wen Tianxiang and Zhang Shijie, though not fully recorded in the Continued Records at the time, their spiritual lineage can be traced back to it) at the time of Emperor Dayou’s surrender was the ultimate manifestation of the intense conflict between "avoiding calamity" and "loyalty and righteousness" in Southern Song political culture revealed by the work.

Conclusion

Although Emperor Dayou, Zhao Xiun, had an extremely short reign and lacked practical achievements as a politician or military strategist, his role as a historical witness is crucial. By combining the Continued Records of the Grand Historian's analysis of the accumulated political vices of the late Southern Song, we can more deeply understand that the fall of Lin'an in the second year of Dayou was not accidental, but the result of the accumulation of multiple political, military, and diplomatic crises over decades. Zhao Xiun’s tragedy serves as a footnote to the fate of the individual before the grand laws of history.