In the early Song Dynasty, the main territory was in the Central Plains and Jiangnan. In the Song Dynasty, we could only stick to the south of the Huaihe River. During the Northern Song Dynasty, there were Liao and Xixia in the northwest. At that time, although the Northern Song Dynasty was at war with both sides from time to time, in fact, the Northern Song Dynasty was always in a weak position in the battle, and it was difficult to cause great trouble to both sides. Because the attribute of developing military power was used to develop other aspects in the Song Dynasty, trade has always been a proud industry in the Song Dynasty. At that time, it was not only a military struggle, but also a trade war with Xixia and Liao.

Once the three parties in the Northern Song Dynasty went to war, they stopped exporting porcelain, tea and other necessities to the two countries. After all, the Song Dynasty was basically self-sufficient, so the tripartite struggle would eventually turn into peace. The court in the Northern Song Dynasty was divided into two factions: the main battle and the main and main factions. The main faction and the main faction are generally literati, and the power of the literati in the Song Dynasty is generally greater than that of the military attache, and military commanders are always excluded.

Vigorously develop economy and culture

Although the military strength of the Song Dynasty was worrying at that time, the economic and cultural level was really developed and a lot of wealth was accumulated. At that time, the population of the Song Dynasty exceeded 80 million, accounting for 15% of the world population, and the annual revenue of the national treasury of the Song Dynasty also exceeded 82 million taels of silver, which was unmatched by any dynasty in China. Economic strength is also an important part of national strength. In the late Ming dynasty, because there was no money, the court could not handle some emergencies and went directly to the country, but in the Song dynasty, it was different. Although the Song Dynasty was bullied by Xixia and Liao countries, it was only a loss of money after the defeat, and it was impossible to get rid of the country.

Historically, how did a country make a balanced decision? When its military strength is strong, it often causes local forces to compete with the central government. But if it deliberately weakens its military strength, it will be invaded by foreign forces. The policy of valuing literature over martial arts did play a certain role in the prosperity and stability of the Song Dynasty, but the ultimate result of an extreme policy would only be a fiasco. It can be said that the Song Dynasty flourished and declined, emphasizing literature over martial arts.