| Meng Yu was an important political figure in the reign of Emperor Gaozong(高宗)of the Southern Song Dynasty.He was deeply involved in the financial,political,military,and diplomatic decision-making and practice of the Southern Song Dynasty in the early years of Shaoxing.However,due to the inglorious surrender to the Jin Dynasty in his late career,Meng Yu’s reputation fell into obscurity after his death.This paper attempts to supplement the lack of relevant studies on important figures in the early Southern Song Dynasty by collecting historical records to reconstruct Meng Yu’s life story.Meng Yu admitted to Jinshi and started his official life in the second year of Chongning(1103)of Emperor Huizong(徽宗)of the Northern Song Dynasty.Meng Yu served as Zhuanyunshi Officer(转运使)and Yingfeng Officer(应奉官)of Liangzhe Lu Province(两浙路)at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty.After Emperor Gaozong(高宗)came to the throne,Meng Yu was appointed as the Governor of Yintianfu(应天府),during which time he was ordered by Emperor Gaozong(高宗)to kill Chen Dong,a famous Public opinion Leader from Taixue(太学).After that,Meng Yu joined the central government served successively as Deputy Minister of Organization Department,Deputy Minister of Finance and Minister of Finance.He was appreciated by Prime Minister Lv Yihao When he was Deputy Minister of Finance because of his excellent financial ability.In October of the first year of Shaoxing(1131),Meng Yu served as Deputy Prime Minister,then he served as the Xuanfushi Officer of Fujian,Jiangxi and Jinghu Provinces(福建、江西、荆湖宣抚使),and with the help of his deputy Han Shizhong,he put down the rebellion in these Provinces.Between the second and the fourth year of Shaoxing(1132-1134),Meng Yu served as Deputy Military Chiefs of eight provinces and Deputy Prime Minister.After that,Meng Yu returned to the central Government to continue as Deputy Prime Minister and served as the top financial advisor,created the Zongzhi Department(总制司)and Zongzhi Tax(总制钱)which eased the financial difficulties of the Southern Song Dynasty.Meng Yu was pushed aside by Zhang Jun,one of the Prime Minister,and was dismissed as Deputy Prime Minister in the fifth year of Shaoxing(1135),after that Meng Yu no longer reused in the central government.In April of the ninth year of Shaoxing(1139),Meng Yu was sent to region of South Yellow River to take over the old land after the first peace settlement between the Song and Jin Dynasties,and he successively as governor of The West-Capital(西京)and The East-Capital(东京).Unfortunately,the the Jin Dynasty broke the peace settlementt and invaded Song Dynasty in the following year,Meng Yu,who had no troops to defend,had to surrender to the Jin Army.Two years later,Meng Yu was released back to the Song Dynasty as the Dynasties Song and Jin reached a second peace agreement,after that he was removed from all official positions and died soon as a common people.However,after fifteen years of deprivation,his honorary title and official rank were restored in the 27th year of Shaoxing(1157).Meng Yu himself has no biography or poetry,but he is often found in the documents of the early Southern Song Dynasty.Through numerous "fragments" to outline the image of Meng Yu’s which can supplement the lack of relevant research on important figures in the Southern Song Dynasty.On the other hand,because Meng Yu was deeply involved in the financial,political,military,and diplomatic decision-making and practice in the early Southern Song Dynasty,studying Meng Yu is helpful to understand the diversified transition during the two Song Dynasties. |
