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Yue Fei | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Portrait of Yue Fei inLiu Songnian'sFour Generals of the Restoration. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Native name | 岳飛 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1103-03-24)March 24, 1103 Tangyin, Anyang, Henan,Northern Song dynasty | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | January 28, 1142(1142-01-28) (aged 38) Hangzhou, Zhejiang,Southern Song dynasty | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Allegiance | Song dynasty | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years of service | 1122–1142 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Battles / wars | Song–Jin wars | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 岳飛 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 岳飞 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Yue Fei (Chinese:岳飛; March 24, 1103 – January 28, 1142),[1]courtesy namePengju (鵬舉), was a Chinese military general of theSong dynasty and is remembered as a patrioticnational hero, known for leading its forces inthe wars in the 12th century between Southern Song and theJurchen-ledJin dynasty in northern China. Because of his warlike stance, he was put to death by theSouthern Song government in 1142 under aframeup, after a negotiated peace was achieved with the Jin dynasty.[2] Yue Fei is depicted in theWu Shuang Pu by Jin Guliang.
Yue Fei'sancestral home was in Xiaoti, Yonghe Village, Tangyin, Xiangzhou, Henan (in present-dayTangyin County, Anyang, Henan). He was granted theposthumous nameWumu (武穆) byEmperor Xiaozong in 1169, and later granted the noble titleKing of E (鄂王) posthumously by theEmperor Ningzong in 1211. Since his death and after the fall of the Song dynasty in 1279, Yue Fei is widely seen as aculture hero in China; he has evolved into a paragon of loyalty in Chinese culture.
A biography of Yue Fei, theEguo Jintuo Zubian (鄂國金佗稡編), was written 60 years after his death by his grandson, the poet and historianYue Ke (岳柯) (1183–post 1240).[3][4][5] In 1346 it was incorporated into theHistory of Song, a 496-chapter record of historical events and biographies of notedSong dynasty individuals, compiled byYuan dynasty prime ministerToqto'a and others.[6] Yue Fei's biography is found in the 365th chapter of the book and is numbered biography 124 in volume 365.[7] Some later historians includingDeng Guangming (1907–1998) now doubt the veracity of many of Yue Ke's claims about his grandfather.[8]
According to theHistory of Song, Yue Fei was named "Fei", meaning to fly, because at the time he was born, "a large bird like a swan landed on the roof of his house".[9]
TheChronicle of Yue, Prince of E of Song (宋岳鄂王年譜;宋岳鄂王年谱;Sòng Yuè È Wáng Niánpǔ) was written byQian Ruwen (錢汝雯) in 1924.[10]
Several sources state that Yue was born into a poor tenant farmer's family inTangyin County,Anyang prefecture,Henan province.[7][11][12][13] TheBiography of Yue Fei mentions a flood which displaced Yue Fei's family during his childhood, but his father survived. It reads,
After [the death of his teacherZhou Tong], [Yue Fei] would offer sacrifices at his tomb. His father praised him for his faithfulness and asked him, "When you are employed to cope with the affairs of the time, will you then not have to sacrifice yourself for the empire and die for your duty?" (侗死，溯望設祭于其冢。父義之，曰："汝為時用，其徇國死義乎。)[6][7]
Yue Fei's father used his family's plot of land for humanitarian efforts, but after it was destroyed in the flood, the young Yue Fei was forced to help his father toil in the fields to survive. Yue received most of his primary education from his father. In 1122 Yue joined the army, but had to return home later that year after the death of his father.[6] In ancient China, a person was required by law to temporarily resign from their job when their parents died so they could observe the customary period of mourning.[14] For instance, Yue would have had to mourn his father's death for three years, but in all actually only 27 months. During this time, he would wear coarse mourning robes, caps, and slippers, while abstaining from silken garments.[15] When his mother died in 1136, he retired from a decisive battle against the Jin dynasty for the mourning period, but he was forced to cut the bereavement short because his generals begged him to come back.[6]
Shuo Yue Quanzhuan gives a very detailed fictional account of Yue's early life. The novel states after being swept fromHenan toHubei, Yue and his mother are saved by the country squire Wang Ming (王明) and are permitted to stay in Wang's manor as domestic helpers. The young Yue Fei later becomes the adopted son and student of the Wang family's teacher,Zhou Tong, a famous master of military skills. (Zhou Tong is not to be confused with the similarly named "Little Tyrant" inWater Margin.) Zhou teaches Yue and his three sworn brothers – Wang Gui (王貴), Tang Huai (湯懷) and Zhang Xian (張顯) – literary lessons on odd days and military lessons, involving archery and theeighteen weapons of war, on even days.[citation needed]
After years of practice, Zhou Tong enters his students into theTangyin County military examination, in which Yue Fei wins first place by shooting a succession of nine arrows through the bullseye of a target 240 paces away. After this display of archery, Yue is asked to marry the daughter of Li Chun (李春), an old friend of Zhou and the county magistrate who presided over the military examination. However, Zhou soon dies of an illness and Yue lives by his grave through the winter until the second month of the new year when his sworn brothers come and tear it down, forcing him to return home and take care of his mother.[citation needed]
Yue eventually marries and later participates in the imperial military examination in the Song capital ofKaifeng. There, he defeats all competitors and even turns down an offer from Cai Gui (蔡桂), the Prince of Liang, to be richly rewarded if he forfeits his chance for the military degree. This angers the prince and both agree to fight a private duel in which Yue kills the prince and is forced to flee the city for fear of being executed. Shortly thereafter, he joins the Song army to fight the invading armies of theJurchen-ruledJin dynasty.[11]
TheYue Fei Biography states,
When [Yue] was born, aPeng flew crowing over the house, so his father named the child Fei [(飛 – "flight")]. Before [Yue] was even a month old, theYellow River flooded, so his mother got inside of the center of a clay jar and held on to baby Yue. The violent waves pushed the jar down river, where they landed ashore ... Despite his family's poverty, [Yue Fei] was studious, and particularly favored theZuo Zhuan edition of theSpring and Autumn Annals and the strategies ofSun Tzu andWu Qi. (飛生時，有大禽若鵠，飛鳴室上，因以為名。未彌月，河決內黃，水暴至，母姚抱飛坐瓮中，衝濤及岸得免，人異之。-- 家貧力學，尤好【左氏春秋】、孫吳兵法。)[7]
According to a book by martial arts master Liang Shouyu, "[A]Dapeng is a great bird that lived in ancient China. Legend has it, thatDapeng Jinchi Mingwang was the guardian that stayed above the head ofGautama Buddha. Dapeng could get rid of all evil in any area. Even theMonkey King was no match for it. During the Song dynasty the government was corrupt and foreigners were constantly invading China. Sakyamuni sent Dapeng down to earth to protect China. Dapeng descended to Earth and was born as Yue Fei."[16]
TheBiography of Yue Fei states, "Yue Fei possessed supernatural power and before his adulthood, he was able to draw a bow of 300catties (400 pounds (180 kg)) and a crossbow of eightstone (960 catties, 1,280 pounds (580 kg)). Yue Fei learned archery fromZhou Tong. He learned everything and could shoot with his left and right hands."[7][17][10][16][18]Shuo Yue Quanzhuan states Zhou teaches Yue and hissworn brothers archery and all of theeighteen weapons of war. This novel also says Yue was Zhou's third student afterLin Chong andLu Junyi of the 108 outlaws inWater Margin. TheE Wang Shi records, "When Yue Fei reached adulthood, his maternal grandfather, Yao Daweng (姚大翁), hired a spear expert, Chen Guang, to teach Yue Fei spear fighting."[19][20]
Both theBiography of Yue Fei andE Wang Shi mention Yue learning from Zhou and Chen at or before his adulthood. The Chinese character representing "adulthood" in these sources isji guan (Chinese:及冠;pinyin:jí guàn;lit. 'conferring headdress'), an ancient Chinese term that means "20 years old" where a young man was able to wear a formal headdress as a social status of adulthood.[21][22] So he gained all of his martial arts knowledge by the time he joined the army at the age of 19.[7][18]
These chronicles do not mention Yue's masters teaching him martial arts style; just archery, spearplay and military tactics. However non-historical or scholarly sources state, in addition to those already mentioned,Zhou Tong taught Yue other skills such as hand-to-hand combat and horseback riding. Yet again, these do not mention any specific martial arts style. One legend says Zhou took young Yue to an unspecified place to meet a Buddhist hermit who taught him theEmeiDapengqigong (峨嵋大鵬氣功) style. This is supposedly the source of his legendary strength and martial arts abilities.[12][16] According to thirteenth generation lineageTai He ("Great Harmony")Wudangquan masterFan Keping (范克平), Zhou Tong was a master of various "hard qigong" exercises.[23][24]
According to historical records and legend, Yue had the four Chinese charactersjin zhong bao guo (traditional Chinese:盡忠報國;simplified Chinese:尽忠报国;pinyin:jìn zhōng bào guó;lit. 'serve the country with the utmost loyalty') tattooed across his back. TheBiography of Yue Fei says afterQin Hui sent agents to arrest Yue and his son, he was taken before the court and charged with treason, but
飛裂裳以背示鑄，有盡忠報國四大字，深入膚理。既而閱實無左驗，鑄明其無辜。
Yue ripped his jacket to reveal the four tattooed characters of "serve the country with the utmost loyalty" on his back. This proved that he was clearly innocent of the charges.[7]
Later fictionalizations of Yue's biography would build upon the tattoo. For instance, one of his earliestMing era novels titledThe Story of King Yue Who Restored the Song dynasty (大宋中興岳王傳) states that after the Jurchen armies invaded China, young heroes in Yue's village suggest that they join the bandits in the mountains. However, Yue objects and has one of them tattoo the aforementioned characters on his back. Whenever others want to join the bandits, he flashes them the tattoo to change their minds.[25]
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The common legend of Yue receiving the tattoo from his mother first appeared inShuo Yue Quanzhuan, a historical novel. In chapter 21 titled "By a pretext Wang Zuo swore brotherhood, by tattoos Lady Yue instructed her son", Yue denounces the pirate chief Yang Yao (楊幺) and passes on a chance to become a general in his army. Yue Fei's mother then tells her son, "I, your mother, saw that you did not accept recruitment of the rebellious traitor, and that you willingly endure poverty and are not tempted by wealth and status ... But I fear that after my death, there may be some unworthy creature who will entice you ... For these reason ... I want to tattoo on your back the four characters 'Utmost', 'Loyalty', 'Serve' and 'Nation' ... The Lady picked up the brush and wrote out on his spine the four characters for 'serving the nation with the utmost loyalty' ... [So] she bit her teeth, and started pricking. Having finished, she painted the characters with ink mixed with vinegar so that the colour would never fade."[11]
However, the truthfulness of this legend is disputed by modern historians.[26] Documentation before the Qing dynasty record that Yue Fei had hired a tattoo artist to tattoo the four characters on his back. Such documentations appeared in Wumu Jingzhong Zhuan, a novel published in the Ming dynasty, while Shuo Yue Quanzhuan (General Yue Fei) was published in the Qing dynasty.
TheKaifeng Jews, one of many pockets of Chinese Jews living in ancient China, refer to this tattoo in two of their threestele monuments created in 1489, 1512, and 1663. The first mention appeared in a section of the 1489 stele referring to the Jews' "Boundless loyalty to the country and Prince".[27] The second appeared in a section of the 1512 stele about how Jewish soldiers and officers in the Chinese armies were "boundlessly loyal to the country".[28]
Southern Song era artist Liu Songnian (劉松年) (1174–1224), who was best known for his realistic works, painted a picture, "Four Generals of the Restoration" (中興四將).[29] The group portrait shows eight people – four generals and four attendants. Starting from the left: attendant, Yue Fei, attendant, Zhang Jun (張浚),Han Shizhong (韓世忠), attendant, Liu Guangshi (劉光世), and attendant.[30]
According to history professor He Zongli ofZhejiang University, the painting shows Yue was more of a scholarly-looking general with a shorter stature and chubbier build than the statue of him currently displayed in his tomb in Hangzhou, which portrays him as being tall and skinny. Shen Lixin, an official with the Yue Fei Temple Administration, holds the portrait of Yue Fei from the "Four Generals of the Restoration" to be the most accurate likeness of the general in existence.[31]
In hisFrom Myth to Myth: The Case of Yüeh Fei's Biography, notedSinologistHellmut Wilhelm[32] concluded that Yue Fei purposely patterned his life after famous Chinese heroes from dynasties past and that this ultimately led to his martyrdom.[6] Apart from studying literature under his father Yue He (岳和), Yue Fei loved to read military classics. He favored theZuo Zhuan commentary on theSpring and Autumn Annals and the strategies ofSun Tzu andWu Qi. Although his literacy afforded him the chance to become a scholar, which was a position held in much higher regard than the common soldiery during the Song dynasty, Yue chose the military path because there had never been any tradition of civil service in his family. Therefore he had no reason to studyConfucian classics in order to surpass the accomplishments of his ancestors or to raise his family's social status to the next level. His fourth generation ancestor, Yue Huan (岳渙), had served as alingshi (令使) (essentially a low-level functionary),[33] but he was never a full-fledged member of the civil service rank.[34] A second theory is that he joined the military in the hopes of emulating his favorite heroes.[6]
Scholars were always welcome in Yue Fei's camp. He allowed them to come and tell stories and deeds of past heroes to bolster the resolve of his men. This way he was able to teach them about the warriors that he had constructed his own life after. He also hoped that one of these scholars would record his own deeds so he would become a peer amongst his idols. He is recorded in saying that he wished to be considered the equal ofGuan Yu and other such famous men from theThree Kingdoms period. Yue succeeded in this endeavor since later "official mythology" placed him on the same level as Guan Yu.[6]
Yue was careful to conduct himself as the idealConfucian gentleman at all times for fear that any misconduct would be recorded and criticized by people of later dynasties. However he had his faults. He had a problem with alcohol during the early part of his military career. Yue drank in great excess because he believed it fitted the image of heroes of old. However once he nearly killed a colleague in a drunken rage, the emperor made him promise not to drink any more until the Jurchen invaders had been driven away.[6]
According toShuo Yue Quanzhuan, Yue had five sons and one daughter. TheHistory of Song records thatYue Yun (岳雲; 1119–1142) was adopted by Yue Fei at the age of 12[35] whilst others claim he was his biological son;[20] Yue Lei (岳雷), the second, succeeded to his father's post; Yue Ting (岳霆) was the third; Yue Lin (岳霖) was the fourth; and Yue Zhen (岳震), the fifth, was still young at the time of his father's death. Yue Yinping was Yue Fei's daughter. The novel states she committed suicide after her father's death and became a fairy in heaven. However, history books do not mention her name and therefore she should be considered a fictional character.[20] Yue Fei married the daughter of Magistrate Li in 1119 when he was 16 years old.[11] However, the account of his marriage is fictional.[20]
TheBiography of Yue Fei states that Yue left his ailing mother with his first wife while he went to fight the Jin armies. However she "left him (and his mother) and remarried".[6] He later took a second wife and even discussed "affairs" pertaining to his military career with her. He truly loved her, but his affection for her was second to his desire to rid China of the Jurchen invaders. Her faithfulness to him and his mother was strengthened by the fear that any infidelity or lacking in her care of Lady Yue would result in reprisal.[6]
Yue forbade his sons from having concubines, although he almost took one himself. Even though she was presented by a friend, he did not accept her because she laughed when he asked her if she could "share the hardships of camp life" with him.[6] He knew she was liberal and would have sex with the other soldiers.[6]
Though not mentioned in the memoir written by Yue Fei's grandson, some scholarly sources claim Yue had a younger brother named Yue Fan (岳翻). He later served in the army under his brother and died in battle in 1132.[20]
The son of an impoverished farmer from northern China, Yue Fei joined the Song military in 1122.[36] Yue briefly left the army when his father died in 1123, but returned in 1126.[37] After reenlisting, he fought to suppress rebellions by local Chinese warlords responsible for looting in northern China. Local uprisings had diverted needed resources away from the Song's war against the Jin.[38] Yue participated in defending Kaifeng during the second siege of the city by the Jin in 1127. After Kaifeng fell, he joined an army inJiankang tasked with defending the Yangtze. This army prevented the Jurchens from advancing to the river in 1129.[39] His rising reputation as a military leader attracted the attention of the Song court. In 1133, he was made the general of the largest army near the Central Yangtze.[40] Between 1134 and 1135, he led a counteroffensive against Qi, a puppet state supported by the Jin, and secured territories that had been conquered by the Jurchens.[41] He continued to advance in rank, and to increase the size of his army as he repeatedly led successful offensives into northern China. Several other generals were also successful against the Jin dynasty, and their combined efforts secured the survival of the Song dynasty. Yue, like most of them, was committed to recapturing northern China.[citation needed]
Stone Lake: The Poetry of Fan Chengda 1126–1193 states, "...Yue Fei ([1103]-1141)...repelled the enemy assaults in 1133 and 1134, until in 1135 the now confident Song army was in a position to recover all of north China from the Jin dynasty ... [In 1140,] Yue Fei initiated a general counterattack against the Jin armies, defeating one enemy after another until he set up camp within range of the Northern Song dynasty's old capital city, Kaifeng, in preparation for the final assault against the enemy. Yet in the same year Qin [Hui] ordered Yue Fei to abandon his campaign, and in 1141 Yue Fei was summoned back to the Southern Song capital. It is believed that the emperor then ordered Yue Fei to be hanged."[42]
Yue Ke (岳珂) states his grandfather had six special methods for deploying an army effectively:
In 1126, several years before Yue became a general, theJurchen-ruledJin dynasty invaded northern China, forcing the Song dynasty out of its capitalKaifeng and capturingEmperor Qinzong of Song, who was sent into captivity inHuining Prefecture. This marked the end of the Northern Song dynasty, and the beginning of the Southern Song dynasty underEmperor Gaozong.
Yue fought a long campaign against the invading Jurchen in an effort to retake northern China. Just as he was threatening to attack and retake Kaifeng, officials advised Emperor Gaozong to recall Yue to the capital and sue for peace with the Jurchen. Fearing that a defeat at Kaifeng might cause the Jurchen to release Emperor Qinzong, threatening his claim to the throne, Emperor Gaozong followed their advice, sending 12 orders in the form of 12 gold plaques to Yue Fei, recalling him back to the capital. Knowing that a success at Kaifeng could lead to internal strife, Yue submitted to the emperor's orders and returned to the capital, where he was imprisoned and whereQin Hui would eventually arrange for him to be executed on false charges.[11]
There are conflicting views on how Yue died. According toThe History of China: (The Greenwood Histories of the Modern Nations) and other sources, Yuedied in prison.[12][43] TheChronicle of Yue, Prince of E of Song says he was killed in prison.[7]Shuo Yue Quanzhuan states he was strangled to death. It reads, "...[Yue Fei] strode in long steps to the Pavilion of Winds and Waves ... The warders on both sides picked up the ropes and strangled the three men [Yue Fei, Yue Yun, and Zhang Xian (張憲), Yue's subordinate] without further ado ... At the time Lord Yue was 39 years of age and the young lord Yue Yun 23. When the three men returned to Heaven, suddenly a fierce wind rose up wildly and all the fires and lights were extinguished. Black mists filled the sky and sand and pebbles were blown about."[11]
TheSecrets of Eagle Claw Kung Fu: Ying Jow Pai comments, "Finally, [Yue Fei] received the 'Twelfth Golden Edict' [from the emperor calling him back to the capital], which if ignored meant banishment. Patriotism demanded that he obey. On his way back to the capital he stopped to rest at a pavilion. Qin Hui anticipated Yue Fei's route and sent some men to lie in wait. When Yue Fei arrived, Qin's men ambushed and murdered him. Just 39 years old, Yue Fei like many good men in history, had a swift, brilliant career, then died brutally while still young."[44]
According toA Chinese Biographical Dictionary, "[Father and son] had not been two months in confinement when Qin Hui resolved to rid himself of his enemy. He wrote out with his own hand an order for the execution of Yue Fei, which was forthwith carried into effect; whereupon he immediate reported that Yue Fei had died in prison",[13] which meant that Qin Hui had Yue and his son executed but reported they both died in captivity.
Other sources say he was poisoned to death.[45][46] Still, a great number simply say he was executed, murdered, or "treacherously assassinated".[47][48][49]
After Yue's execution, a prison officer, Wei Shun (隗順), who admired Yue's character, stole his body and secretly buried it at the Nine Song Cong Temple (九曲叢祠) located outside the Song capital.[50]
Shuo Yue Quanzhuan states after having Yue Fei, Yue Yun, Zhang Xian arrested under false charges, Qin Hui and his wife, Lady Wang (王氏), were sitting by the "eastern window", warming themselves by the fire, when he received a letter from the people calling for the release of Yue Fei. Qin was worried because after nearly two months of torture, he could not get Yue to admit to treason and would eventually have to let him go. However, after a servant girl brought fresh oranges into the room, Lady Wang devised a plan to execute Yue. She told Qin to slip an execution notice inside the skin of an orange and send it to the judge presiding over Yue's case. This way, Yue and his companions would be put to death before the emperor or Qin himself would have to rescind an open order of execution.[11] This conspiracy became known as the "East Window Plot".[51] A novel about this incident, titledDong Chuang Ji (東窗記; "Tale of the Eastern Window"), was written during theMing dynasty by an anonymous writer.[52]
When confronted byHan Shizhong on what crime Yue had committed, Qin Hui replied, "Though it isn't sure whether there is something that he did to betray the dynasty, maybe there is." The phrase "perhaps there is", "no reason needed", "groundless", or "baseless" (Chinese:莫須有;pinyin:mò xū yǒu) has entered the Chinese language as a proverb to refer to fabricated charges,[53] which also means 'trumped-up charge', 'setup', 'frameup', or 'concocted charge' in English.
Decades later, his grandson, Yue Ke (岳珂), had retrieved documentary evidence of his grandfather's achievements, and published an adulatory biography of him. In 1162Emperor Xiaozong of Song posthumously dissolved his unjust charges and rehabilitated his honours. For their part in Yue's death, iron statues of Qin Hui, Lady Wang, and two of Qin's subordinates,Moqi Xie (万俟卨) andZhang Jun (張俊), were made to kneel beforeYue Fei's tomb (located by theWest Lake,Hangzhou). For centuries, these statues were cursed, spat on, and urinated upon by people. The original castings in bronze were damaged, but later were replaced by images cast in iron, but these were similarly damaged. However now, in modern times, these statues are protected as historical relics.[54] There is a poem hanging on the gate surrounding the statues that reads, "The green hill is fortunate to be the burial ground of a loyal general, the white iron was innocent to be cast into the statues of traitors."[55] Emperor Xiaozong's court gave proper burial to his remains after Wei Shun's family revealed its location;[50] Wei Shun was then posthumously honored at Yue Fei's hometown at Tangyin County, and a statue of him was made standing at its Yue Fei Temple. A [tomb] was put up in his memory, and he was designatedWumu (武穆; "Martial and Stern"). In 1179 he was canonized asZhongwu (忠武; "Loyal and Martial").[13][56]
According to the novelXi You Bu, a satire ofJourney to the West, written in 1641 by the scholar Dong Ruoyu (also known as Dong Yue, 1620–1686), theMonkey King enthusiastically serves in hell as the trial prosecutor of Qin Hui, while Yue Fei becomes the Monkey King's third master (by teaching the latterConfucian methods). At one point, the Monkey King asks the spirit of Yue Fei if he would like to drink Qin's blood, but he politely declined.[52]
The two styles most associated with Yue areEagle Claw andxingyiquan. One book states Yue created Eagle Claw for his enlisted soldiers andxingyiquan for his officers.[57] Legend has it that Yue studied in theShaolin Monastery with a monk namedZhou Tong and learned the "elephant" style of boxing, a set of hand techniques with great emphasis onqinna (joint-locking).[44][58][59] Other tales say he learned this style elsewhere outside the temple under the same master.[12] Yue eventually expanded elephant style to create theYibai Lingba Qinna (一百零八擒拿; "108 Locking Hand Techniques") of theYing Sao (Eagle Hands) orYing Kuen (Eagle Fist).[44] After becoming a general in the imperial army, Yue taught this style to his men and they were very successful in battle against the armies of theJin dynasty.[12] Following his wrongful execution and the disbandment of his armies, Yue's men supposedly traveled all over China spreading the style, which eventually ended right back in Shaolin where it began. Later, a monk named Li Quan (麗泉) combined this style withfanziquan, another style attributed to Yue, to create the modern day form ofNorthernYing Jow Pai boxing.[44][60]
According to legend, Yue combined his knowledge ofinternal martial arts and spearplay learned from Zhou Tong (in Shaolin) to create the linear fist attacks ofxingyiquan.[12][61] One book claims he studied and synthesizedBuddhism'sTendon Changing and Marrow Washingqigong systems to createxingyiquan.[62] On the contrary, proponents ofwudangquan believe it is possible that Yue learned the style in theWudang Mountains that border his home province ofHenan. The reasons they cite for this conclusion are that he supposedly lived around the same time and place asZhang Sanfeng, the founder oftai chi;xingyiquan's five fist attacks, which are based on theFive Chinese Elements theory, are similar to tai chi's "Yin-yang theory"; and both theories areTaoist-based and not Buddhist.[63] The bookHenan Orthodox Xingyiquan, written by Pei Xirong (裴锡荣) and Li Ying'ang (李英昂), statesxingyiquan master Dai Longbang
... wrote the 'Preface to Six Harmonies Boxing' in the 15th reign year of theQianlong Emperor [1750]. Inside it says, '... when [Yue Fei] was a child, he received special instructions from Zhou Tong. He became extremely skilled in the spear method. He used the spear to create methods for the fist. He established a method called Yi Quan. Mysterious and unfathomable, followers of old did not have these skills. Throughout theJin,Yuan andMing dynasties few had his art. Only Ji Gong had it. (於乾隆十五年為"六合拳"作序云："岳飛當童子時，受業於周侗師，精通槍法，以槍为拳，立法以教將佐，名曰意拳，神妙莫測，盖从古未有之技也。)[64][65]
The man "Ji Gong" mentioned above, better known as Ji Jike (姬際可) or Ji Longfeng (姬隆丰), is said to have trained in Shaolin Monastery for ten years as a young man and was matchless with the spear.[61] As the story goes, he later traveled to Xongju Cave on Mount Zhongnan to receive a boxing manual written by Yue Fei, from which he learnedxingyiquan. However, some believe Ji actually created the style himself and attributed it to Yue Fei because he was fighting theManchus, descendants of the Jurchens who Yue had struggled against.[66] Ji supposedly created it after watching a battle between an eagle and a bear during theMing dynasty.[67] Other sources say he created it while training in Shaolin. He was reading a book and looked up to see tworoosters fighting, which inspired him to imitate the fighting styles of animals.[61][68][69] Both versions of the story (eagle / bear androosters) state he continued to study the actions of animals and eventually increased the cadre of animal forms.[61]
Several other martial arts have been attributed to Yue Fei, includingYuejiaquan (Yue Family Boxing),Fanziquan (Tumbling Boxing), andChuōjiǎo quan (Feet-Poking Boxing), among others.[70][71][72] The "Fanzi Boxing Ballad" says: "Wumu has passed down the Fanziquan which has mystery in its straightforward movements."Wumu (武穆) was aposthumous name given to Yue after his death.[13] One Chuojiao legend states Zhou Tong learned the style from its creator, a wandering Taoist named Deng Liang (鄧良), and later passed it onto Yue Fei, who is considered to be the progenitor of the style.[70][73]
Besides martial arts, Yue is also said to have studiedtraditional Chinese medicine. He understood the essence ofHua Tuo'sWu Qin Xi (五禽戲; "Five Animal Frolics") and created his own form of "medical qigong" known as theBa Duan Jin (八段錦; "Eight Pieces of Brocade"). It is considered a form ofWaidan (外丹; "External Elixir") medicalqigong.[74]He taught this qigong to his soldiers to help keep their bodies strong and well-prepared for battle.[75][76] One legend states that Zhou Tong took young Yue to meet a Buddhist hermit who taught himEmeiDapeng Qigong (峨嵋大鵬氣功). His training in Dapeng Qigong was the source of his great strength and martial arts abilities. Modern practitioners of this style say it was passed down by Yue.[16]
According toShuo Yue Quanzhuan,Lin Chong andLu Junyi of the 108 outlaws inWater Margin were former students of Yue's teacherZhou Tong.[77] One legend states Zhou learnedChuōjiǎo boxing from its originator Deng Liang (鄧良) and then passed it onto Yue Fei, who is sometimes considered the progenitor of the style.[70] Chuojiao is also known as the "Water Margin Outlaw style" andYuanyang Tui (鴛鴦腿; "Mandarin Duck Leg").[78] In chapter 29 ofWater Margin, titled "Wu Song beats Jiang the Door God in a drunken stupor", it mentionsWu Song, another of Zhou's fictional students, using the "Jade Circle-Steps with Duck and Drake feet".[79] A famous folklore Praying Mantis manuscript, which describes the fictional gathering of eighteen martial arts masters in Shaolin, listsLin Chong (#13) as a master of "Mandarin ducks kicking technique".[70] This creates a folklore connection between Yue and Mantis boxing.
Lineage Mantis master Yuen Man Kai openly claims Zhou Tong taught Lin Chong and Lu Junyi the "same school" of martial arts that was later combined with the aforementioned seventeen other schools to create Mantis fist.[80] However, he believes Mantis fist was created during theMing dynasty, and was therefore influenced by these eighteen schools from the Song dynasty. He also says Lu Junyi taughtYan Qing the same martial arts as he learned from Zhou Tong.[81] Yuen further comments that Zhou Tong later taught Yue Fei the same martial art and that Yue was the originator of the mantis move "Black Tiger Stealing [sic] Heart".[81]
At the age of 30, Yue supposedly wrote his most celebrated poem, "Man Jiang Hong" ("Entirely Red River") with a subtitle of "Xie Huai" ("Writing about What I Thought"). This poem reflects the raw hatred he felt towards theJurchen-ruledJin dynasty, as well as the sorrow he felt when his efforts to recoup northern lands lost to Jin were halted by Southern Song officials of the "Peace Faction". However, several modern historians, including the late Princeton University Prof. James T. C. Liu, believe certain phrasing in the poem dates its creation to the early 16th century, meaning Yue didnot write it.[82]
Yue Fei is also the author of at least two other poems, "Xiao Chong Shan" ("Small Hills") and another "Man Jiang Hong" with a subtitle of "Deng Huang He Lou You Gan" ("My Feelings When I Was Climbing theYellow Crane Pavilion").
Among Yue Fei's descendants was Yue Shenglong (岳昇龍) and his son theQing dynasty officialYue Zhongqi,[83] who served asMinister of Defence andGovernor-General of Shaanxi and Gansu provinces during the reign of theYongzheng Emperor. Yue Zhongqiconquered Tibet for the Qing during theDzungar–Qing War and attacked the Dzungars atÜrümqi in Xinjiang.[84][85] The Oirats were battled against by Yue Zhongqi.[86] Yue Zhongqi lived at theJi Xiaolan Residence.
Another notable descendant of Yue Fei wasYue Yiqin, aflying ace of theRepublic of China during theSecond Sino-Japanese War.[87]
In 2011, two Yue descendants, Yue Jun and Yue Haijun, with six members of their clan, protested Jiangning Imperial Silk Manufacturing Museum's Qin Hui statue, which indicates that even after centuries, the Yue family still hates Qin Hui and his conspirators for their ancestor's plight. It has been reported that male members of the Yue family were not allowed to marry anyone whose surname was Qin until 1949, and genealogical records attest that this rule was rarely broken prior to its nullification.[88] In 2017, it was reported that were 1.81 million descendants of Yue Fei in China, and the number of Yue Fei's descendants in Anhui alone has grown to more than 1,003,000.[89]
_5_2016_January.jpg)
Yue Fei's stature in Chinese history rose to that of a nationalculture hero after his execution.[90] Qin Hui, and in some cases Emperor Gaozong, were blamed by later historians for their supposed role in Yue Fei's execution and conciliatory stance with the Jin dynasty.[91] The allegations that Qin Hui conspired with the Jin to execute Yue Fei are popular in Chinese literature, but have never been proven.[92] The real Yue Fei differed from the later myths that grew from his exploits.[93] The portrayal of Yue as a scholar-general is only partially true. He was a skilled general, and may have been partially literate inClassical Chinese, but he was not an erudite Confucian scholar.[37] Contrary to traditional legends, Yue was not the sole Chinese general engaged in the offensive against the Jurchens. He was one of many generals that fought against the Jin in northern China, and unlike Yue Fei, some of his peers were genuine members of thescholarly elite.[40] Many of the exaggerations of Yue Fei's life can be traced to a biography written by his grandson, Yue Ke. Yue Fei's status as a culture hero strengthened in theYuan dynasty and had a large impact on Chinese culture.[94] Temples and shrines devoted to Yue Fei were constructed in theMing dynasty. A ChineseWorld War II anthem alludes to lyrics said to have been written by Yue Fei.[95]
He also sometimes appears as adoor god in partnership with the deityWen Taibao.[citation needed]
At certain points in time, Yue Fei ceased to be a national hero, such as in 2002, when the official guidelines for history teachers said that he could no longer carry the title. This was because Yue Fei had defended China from theJurchen people, whose descendants, theManchu people, are presently considered to be a part of theChinese nation. Therefore, concern for the "unity of nationalities" in China prevailed, as Yue Fei was seen as representing only one subgroup within China, and not the "entire Chinese nation as presently defined".[96] However, both theChinese Ministry of Education and theMinister of Defence deny such claims and still clearly address Yue Fei as a national hero of China.[97][98] TheChinese Communist Party also continues to treat Yue Fei as a national hero of China.[99]
TheROCSYueh Fei (FFG-1106), aCheng Kung-class guided-missile frigate of theRepublic of China Navy, is named after Yue.
The authorGuy Gavriel Kay cites Yue Fei as having inspired the character Ren Daiyan in his novelRiver of Stars (ISBN 978-0-670-06840-1), which is set in a fantasy world based on Song Dynasty China.
Yue Fei is one of the 32 historical figures who appear as special characters in the video gameRomance of the Three Kingdoms XI byKoei.[citation needed]
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