Chen Yizhong
Duke of Xinguo Chén Yízhōng chancellor | |
|---|---|
| Monarch | Emperor Gongdi |
Chén Yízhōng (
Song Dynasty
.
Life
Raised in a poor family in
Grand Empress Dowager Xie (謝太皇太后), who held power on behalf of the underage Emperor Gong of Song
.
The Song army were defeated by the
era. A man named Han Zhen 韩震 suggested relocating the capital whereupon Chen personally murdered his family. Timid and afraid, Chen wavered between advocating war and suing for peace. Top scholar Liu Jiugao (刘九皋) and others wrote a letter criticizing Chen's mismanagement of his country's affairs in ten points. The letter claimed that the Prime Minister was a hesitant and vacillating army commander who could not direct his soldiers properly - "Zhang Shijie
's brave infantry are at sea whilst the navy is on the march". The indictment also stated "Chen's orders are inappropriate and we face defeat, his mistakes in governance of the country are neverending!". When Cheng learned of these accusations he quit his post and fled but his mother later persuaded him to return to the court where he became Minister of the East (右丞相).
In December of the same year, Chen despatched minister
Fujian Province and the government surrendered. Chen and Zhang Shijie
accompanied Emperor Duanzong to the sea when not long afterwards Chen again fled.
By the time of the destruction of the Southern Song Dynasty, Chen had already taken his wife and children to Champa (in modern-day Vietnam).
References
- Book of Song Chen Yizhong Biography