Shi Miyuan (simplified: 史弥远, traditional: 史彌遠, pinyin: Shǐ Míyuǎn, jyutping: si2 nei4 jyun5) was the chief councillor of the Song court at Lin’an. He never appeared in person, but the Jin counted on him to keep the Song from allying with the Mongols.
Biography
The Jin envoy’s message
When Genghis Khan sent Tolui south to seek a Song alliance against the Jin, the Jin made Yang Kang their imperial envoy to stop it (ch. 16). Held captive at Returning Clouds Manor on Lake Tai, Yang Kang gave Mu Nianci his envoy’s gold seal and asked her to take it to Chancellor Shi in Lin’an: if any Mongol envoy reached Lin’an, he was to be refused an audience and beheaded at once, by secret order of the Jin emperor. Mu Nianci refused to go (ch. 13). Wanyan Honglie later asked Yang Kang what Chancellor Shi had said, and Yang Kang answered that he had not yet been to Lin’an (ch. 16). Only because Yang Kang had been captured on Lake Tai did the Song court not kill Tolui on Jin orders; even so, fearing the Jin, it left him in the guest house and put him off (ch. 25).
When Yang Kang claimed to the Mongols that a Song officer had killed Guo Jing, he said the man had probably acted on Shi Miyuan’s orders (ch. 25).
The Loyalty Army
Shi Miyuan was in power when the Lin’an court, delighted by Li Quan’s victories over the Jin in Shandong, named Li Quan commander-in-chief of Jingdong Circuit and gave his troops the name Loyalty Army, with their headquarters at Chuzhou (ch. 40).
Behind the scenes
Historical basis
Shi Miyuan (1164–1233) was a real Southern Song statesman. He took part in the plot that killed Han Tuozhou in 1207, made peace with the Jin, and served as chief councillor from 1208 until his death, under Emperor Ningzong and Emperor Lizong.
See also
- The Legend of the Condor Heroes characters
- Han Tuozhou — His predecessor as leading minister
- Yang Kang — The Jin envoy who sought his help