Emperor Ningzong

He was noted for the cultural and intellectual achievements made during his reign. In particular, Zhu Xi wrote some of his most famous Neo-Confucianist works during this period. However, Emperor Ningzong was known for his aversion towards the spread of Neo-Confucianism in his imperial court due to the influence of his chancellor Han Tuozhou and on the political side, however, Emperor Ningzong saw his government being plagued by rising inflation that threatened the economy and the military advances by the Jurchens from the north during the wars between the Song dynasty and Jurchen-led Jin dynasty. In absence of a son, he adopted a relative named Zhao Xun in 1197 who was only 6 years old. In 1198, Neo-Confucianism was banned for two years until the ban was repelled in 1202. == Song Invasion of Jin ==

As the Jin were weakening because of natural disasters, Ningzong's chancellor Han Tuozhou continually provoked the weak Jin by launching raids. War against the Jin was officially declared on June 14, 1206, by Han Tuozhou. The war was a disaster. Despite the Jin's weakness due to the natural disasters, it repulsed the Song attacks and even counter-attacked. To make things worse, Ningzong was not interested in the war effort and morale was low. There was not enough supplies and many of the army deserted. Wu Xi (吳曦; d. 1207), the governor-general of Sichuan, defected to the Jin in December 1206. This was bad, as Wu was holding the western front, however, Song loyalists assassinated Wu on March 29, 1207, before Jin troops could take control of the surrendered territories. Fighting continued in 1207, but by the end of that year the war was at a stalemate. The Song was now on the defensive, while the Jin failed to make gains in Song territory. The failure of Han Tuozhou's aggressive policies led to his demise. On December 15, 1207, Han was beaten to death by the Imperial Palace Guards. == Peace ==

A peace treaty was signed on November 2, 1208, and the Song tribute to the Jin was reinstated. The Song annual indemnity increased by 50,000 taels of silver and 50,000 packs of fabric. The treaty also stipulated that the Song had to present to the Jin the head of Han Tuozhou, who the Jin held responsible for starting the war. The heads of Han and Su were severed from their exhumed corpses, exhibited to the public, then delivered to the Jin finally ending the war. In 1210, the Mongols, formerly a Jin tributary, ended their vassalage and attacked the Jin in 1211. In light of this event, the Song court debated ending tributary payments to the weakened Jin, but they chose to avoid antagonizing the Jin. As the Mongols expanded, the Jin suffered territorial losses and attacked the Song in 1217 to compensate for their shrinking territory. The Jin continued attacking the Song until they agreed to a peace treaty and the Jin returned home. However, the Song would never regain their lost land. In 1220, Emperor Ningzong's adopted heir Zhao Xun died from dysentery. Zhao Xun was only 29 years old. Ningzong may have been poisoned. It is also worth mentioning that Ningzong was physically weak: his official portrait showing him as nearly emaciated, suggesting physical ailments of some gravity. He was succeeded by another relative named Zhao Yun as all of Ningzong's children died young. == The Emperor's woman ==

He was a good monarch but sickly at times and this allowed his wife the Empress Yang to exploit his inadequacies and become the de facto ruler of the Empire for nearly 30 years. ==Criticism on fiscal policy==

Ye Shi criticized the taxation system during the reign of Emperor Ningzong as a "ruthless extortion". He stated: Ye Shi pushed for fiscal conservatism, while many Confucian moralists supported fiscal expansion. ==Family==

• Empress Gongshu, of the Han clan (; 1165–1200) • Zhao Jun, Prince Chonghui of Yan (; 1196), second son • Zhao Tan, Prince of Bin (; 1200), third son • Empress Gongsheng, of the Yang clan (; 1162–1233), personal name Guizhi () • Zhao Zeng, Prince of Ying (; 1200–1201), fourth son • Zhao Jiong, Prince of Hua (; 1202), fifth son • Jieyu, of the Cao clan () • Princess Yuping () • Married Lin Cun () • Furen, of the Zhong clan () • Zhao Qi, Prince of Shun (; 1207), sixth son • Zhao Zhi, Prince of Shen (; 1207), seventh son • Unknown • Zhao Ji, Prince of Su (; 1208), eighth son • Zhao Zhi, Prince of Pi (; 1223), ninth son • Princess Qi (), first daughter Adopted Issue: • Zhao Xun, Crown Prince Jingxian (; 1192–1220) • Zhao Hong, Prince Zhaosu of Zhen (; d. 1225) • Zhao Yun, Lizong (; 1205–1264) == See also ==