Yue Fei
4 min readBirth and Early Life
He was born into a poor tenant farmer’s family.His family village，Yue Village，was located in Tangyin County，Anyang Prefecture，Henan Province.
As a child，Yue Fei learned military strategy from reading Sun Tzu’s“Art of War”every night before he went to bed.This knowledge would help him later in life as a Song general.
Martial Training
His first martial teacher was a then-famous spear and sword master from the same county named Chen Guang.He began teaching Yue Fei spearplay when the boy was 11 years old.However，the book E Wang Shi，by Sun Qiu，states Chen Guang was hired by Yue Fei’s maternal grandfather，Yao Daweng，when the boy reached the Conferring Hat period of his life.His second martial teacher was the archer Zhou Tong，who taught Yue Fei archery.
Becoming proficient in warfare at an early age，Yue Fei narrowly escapedexecution after killing Cai Gui，the“Prince of Liang”，in the martial arts tournament of the Imperial Military Exams.
Military Record
Yue Fei did not join the army until 1122，but he quickly rose through the ranks to become a general in only six years.As a valiant and tactically astute general，Yue Fei led many successful campaigns against the forces of the Jin Dynasty.Takingadvantage of the difficulties which his opponents’cavalry experienced in the hilly terrain of Southern China，he was able to score victories although his troops were frequently outnumbered.His forces succeeded in regaining territory south of the Yangtze and Huai Rivers.He was also known for his strict discipline of his legions，forbidding them to pillage，even when facing the harshest of conditions.In all，Yue Fei participated in 126 battles and won them all.
Martial Arts
Yue Fei created his own fighting form with a spear，famously known as Yuejia qiang，and all soldiers trained in it.
Several other martial arts have been attributed to Yue Fei，including Yuejia quan（Yue Family Boxing），Wuji quan（Emptiness Boxing），Ying Jow Pai（Eagle Claw）
Xingyi quan（Form-Will Boxing），Fanzi quan（Tumbling Boxing），and Chuojiao quan（Feet-Poking Boxing），among others.
Poetry
He was a role model for followers of Confucian ideals and moral values，as well as being an accomplished martial artist and poet.
At the age of 30，Yue Fei wrote his most famous poem，Manjiang Hong.
This poem reflects the raw hatred he felt towards the Jin，as well as the sorrow he felt when his efforts to recoup northern lands lost to the Jin were halted by Southern Song officials of the“Peace Faction”.
Death
In 1126，several years before Yue Fei became a general，the militant Jurchen of the Jin Dynasty invaded the north of the country forcing the Song out of their capital Kaifeng and capturing the emperor of the time Emperor Qinzong who was sent into captivity in Manchuria.This marked the end of the Northern Song，and the beginning of the Southern Song Dynasty under Emperor Gaozong.
Yue Fei fought a long campaign against the invading Jurchen in an effort to retake the north of the country.Just when he was threatening to attack and retake Kaifeng，corrupt officials advised Emperor Gaozong to recall Yue Fei to the capital and sue for peace with the Jurchen.Fearing that a defeat at Kaifeng may cause the Jurchen to release Qinzong，threatening his claim to the throne，the emperor followed their advice.Yue Fei was ordered to return twelve times in the form of twelve gold plaques.Knowing that a success at Kaifeng could lead to internal strifeYue Fei submitted to the orders of his emperor and returned to the capital where he was imprisoned and where the traitor Qin Hui would eventually arrange for him to be executed on false charges.
Kneeling Iron Statues
Qin Hui could not find a reason to execute the captured Yue Fei and was about to release him.However，Qin Hui’s wife，Lady Wang，made the suggestion that since the emperor held absolute power，Qin Hui having the authority of the emperor，needed no reason to execute Yue Fei.He and his adopted-son，Yue Yun（1119-1142），were sentenced to death and executed on charges that were not proven but instead“could be true”.The phrase has entered the Chinese language as an expression to refer to fabricated charges.For their part in Yue Fei’s death，iron statues of Qin Hui，Lady Wang，and two of Qin Hui’s subordinates，Moqi Xie and Zhang Jun，were made to kneel before Yue Fei’s tomb（located by Hangzhou’s West Lake）.For centuries，these statues have been cursed，spat and urinated upon by young and old.
