This article recounts the Crow Terrace Poetry Case, a famous literary inquisition in the Northern Song. Su Shi’s poems criticizing political reforms were exploited, leading to his imprisonment. Saved by public appeals, he was exiled to Huangzhou, where he created timeless literary works. The case reflects fierce factional conflicts and the risks of outspoken…
This text traces the turbulent political shifts in the late Northern Song Dynasty, starting with Empress Dowager Gao’s regency after Emperor Shenzong’s death. It covers the Yuanyou Restoration, when conservatives led by Sima Guang abolished Wang Anshi’s New Policies. Factional splits among conservatives and Emperor Zhezong’s resentment followed, leading to the Shaosheng Restoration and…