The famous Battle of Hongshui ended with Chu's victory and Song's defeat. However, one of Song Xianggong's thighs was hit by an arrow during the battle. Mu Yi and others escorted Song Xianggong to retreat to the northwest to see how far away from the battlefield it was. Then he asked the imperial physician accompanying the army to pull out the arrow for Song Xianggong and apply medicine for the arrow wound. It turned out that Song Xianggong was hit by a poisonous arrow.
Song Xianggong was seriously injured and had no time to be sent to Yongqiu, the capital of the country, more than a hundred miles away from Hongshui for treatment. He was sent to an ancient city in the Song Dynasty about thirty kilometers away from Hongshui. Because this city is adjacent to Suishui River in the south, it was called Suicheng at that time. The old site is on the west side of Beihu in present-day Sui County.
After Song Xianggong was placed in the official palace of Suixian County to recover from his injuries, his maids and children also came here. At the same time, more than ten imperial doctors came to diagnose and prescribe medicine for Song Xianggong, apply erbium and feed him decoction and powder. Two months later, although the wound had not healed, the condition had improved.
Unexpectedly, in the spring of the following year (forward 637 years), Song Xianggong's wound was infected. The pus and blood flowed uncontrollably, the severe pain could not be stopped, and his body gradually became swollen and his breath was weak. Later, it turned out that all kinds of medicines were ineffective, causing chest tightness and diarrhea.
One day, at the third watch of the night, Song Xianggong felt that he was panicking, dizzy, and his body was heavy. He felt unconscious for a while, then sober and clear. He thought to himself that he would not be in the world for long. Under the light, Song Xianggong looked at the room full of people, sighed, and finally looked at Da Sima and Mu Yi and said: I regard the older people in the Chu army as brothers, and do not regard them as enemies in my mind. I was benevolent and righteous to them and refused to harm them. I didn't expect that they would actually attack me! After that, he closed his eyes slightly.
Everyone shed tears after hearing this. Some said: The king is so kind at heart. Some people say: The king is too kind and benevolent. At this time, the wind started blowing outside the house, and there was silence in the house.
Song Xianggong opened his eyes, looked around the room again, and said: I followed the example of my late king, King Zhou, to be benevolent and righteous to others, and wanted to do something great, but I couldn't do it. After saying that, he sighed and tears rolled out of the corners of his eyes. Then, he said: I think this is a geomantic treasure, and I fell in love with this place. After my death, my body should not be transported back to Yongqiu, but buried on the mound in the southeast of the city! After saying that, he gasped.
After a while, Song Xianggong’s face glowed red. Mu Yi knew that this was a flashback, and hurriedly asked people to put on Song Xianggong's shroud, but before he could put on the clothes, he only heard the sound of phlegm in Song Xianggong's throat, and he stopped breathing and left. There was a cry in the room. The north wind howls, the flowing water weeps, and the people of Song mourn.
According to Song Xianggong's will, Mu Yi ordered people to build a coffin and bury him while digging a grave on the mound. He chose an auspicious day and buried him in the grave. After that, a temple was built in front of the tomb of Song Xianggong. Three of the main halls face north and south and are built with blue bricks and yellow glazed tiles. Inside the main hall, a long case is placed against the north wall. In the middle of the case is a sacred tablet with the title of Song Xianggong, the King of the Song Dynasty, written on it. In the temple, there are dedicated personnel to guard, offer incense and offer sacrifices.
Therefore, Suicheng was called Xiangyi, and later, it was also called Gongzhou, Suizhou, and Suixian.
There are many legends about why Song Xianggong, the king of Song Dynasty, was buried in Suixian County. Some say that Song Xianggong's ancestral home is Sui County, and he was buried in Sui County, which is a return to his roots; others say that Song Xianggong visited Sui County many times before his death. He felt that Sui County had beautiful scenery, pleasant climate, hospitable people, and outstanding people, so he loved it. Go to Suixian County; some say that when Song Xianggong was sent to Suixian County in a military chariot after being injured, he fell into a coma along the way. When he passed by the mound where he was later buried, he suddenly woke up and saw a magnificent scene in front of him. In the palace, an old man with a white beard walked up to him, held the palace with his hand, and said to Song Xianggong: King, this is your destination! These legends alone make people feel how wonderful, magical and charming this place is!
Vicissitudes of life have changed dramatically, and the ancient city has been destroyed. The surviving people moved around the mound where Song Xianggong was buried, rebuilt their homes, and rebuilt cities. Men still farmed and women weaved, doing business and working, so as to continue future generations.
Who knows, there will be unforeseen circumstances in the sky, and misfortunes and fortunes will happen to people. One day, the Yellow River burst, and the yellow water rolled southward, swallowing up the newly built Xiangyi City, which was about sixty miles away from the ancient Yellow River Road. In an instant, the city sank two feet deep into the ground and turned into a lake.
Strangely, the tomb of Song Xianggong and the mound where it is located have not subsided and have become islands in the lake. However, the temple in front of the tomb of Song Xianggong collapsed and became a ruin, and the temple visitors were nowhere to be found. Later, people called this island Song Xianggong Ling Island, or simply Song Xianggong Ling.
The coffin is sealed. The merits and demerits of Song Xianggong will be judged by history and the people will make their own comments