Reappraising Shi Hao, the Prime Minister in charge of Yue Fei's Rehabilitation

This paper attempts to demonstrate the inappropriateness of the dichotomy between the war group and the peace group generally accepted by the historian circle over a long period of time while distinguishing the officials of the Southern Song Dynasty. Actually, there existed a capitulationist faction with Tang Situi as its representative, an adventurist faction with Zhang Jun as its representative and a realist faction with Shi Hao as its representative among the officials of the Southern Song Dynasty since the reign of Emperor Xiao Zong. It was risky for Emperor Xiao Zong to launch strategically decisive campaigns against the Jin State, as he decided soon after he came to power, without much ideological, political, military and organizational guarantee. After Shi Hao was appointed prime minister, he gave priority to redress the unjust, false and wrong cases concerning Yue Fei and others and appropriately decided to exert great efforts to build up the strength organizationally, ideologically, politically and militarily while waiting for opportunities to start strategically decisive campaigns. The paper argues that all the devastating groundless accusations against Shi Hao should be brushed aside.