Events unfold before, during, and after Guo Jing's last defense against the Mongols

[FeilongZ]

===> What are the events that took place before, during, and after the fall of Xianyang?

As a consequence, did the Mongols take over the whole China?

After the end of ROCH, the Mongols came back and took over Xianyang.

1. How many years after ROCH did the Mongols return and attack Xianyang again?

2. Where was Yang Guo?
He didn't try to gather thousands of martial artists to fight the Mongols and save his uncle, auntie, and their family?

3. Where were the old Greats?
Did they all died by this time or they were too scattered around the country to provide aid on time.

4. We know that Guo Xiang was wandering to look for Yang Guo and was not present at the time of the fall of Xianyang, so her life was spared.
Did GX returned home to look for her love ones or it was too risky because of the Mongol's occupation?

5. Why didn't YG meet up with GX at least one more time, especially after the fall of Xianyang?
It must have been heart wrecking for GX, since she lost all of her love ones.

===> My toughts:
GJ's patriotism toward his country was so great that he was willing to sacrifice himself for his country. And HR would also fight with GJ until death.

However, why didn't the couple have a plan to save the rest of their family and love ones.
Why let everyone sacrifice their lives?

This leads to the questions, why YG didn't gather thousands of his loyal martial artist friends to fight the Mongols and try to save everyone?
Or it was too late?
If YG wanted to save everyone, he would have of planned in advance.
Since YG had many friends and admirers who could relay him information, he doesn't need to be too involved with gathering any information he would like to know.

However, after the end of ROCH, YG and XLN left
Xianyang and disappeared from the world to have their peaceful time.
Anything that happens in the world would not be of their concern.

[Ken Cheng]

===> What are the events that took place before, during, and after the fall of Xianyang?

As a consequence, did the Mongols take over the whole China?

After the end of ROCH, the Mongols came back and took over Xianyang.

1. How many years after ROCH did the Mongols return and attack Xianyang again?

Thirteen years later.

2. Where was Yang Guo?
He didn't try to gather thousands of martial artists to fight the Mongols and save his uncle, auntie, and their family?

That's a damn good question.

3. Where were the old Greats?
Did they all died by this time or they were too scattered around the country to provide aid on time.

Likely all dead. Some were pushing 100 by the time ROCH ended, so dying of old age within thirteen years is not an unlikely or unreasonable fate.

4. We know that Guo Xiang was wandering to look for Yang Guo and was not present at the time of the fall of Xianyang, so her life was spared.
Did GX returned home to look for her love ones or it was too risky because of the Mongol's occupation?

It's said that she never saw her parents or her siblings again after leaving Seung Yeung Fortress to seek Yeung Gor.

5. Why didn't YG meet up with GX at least one more time, especially after the fall of Xianyang?
It must have been heart wrecking for GX, since she lost all of her love ones.

Goodness knows.

===> My toughts:
GJ's patriotism toward his country was so great that he was willing to sacrifice himself for his country. And HR would also fight with GJ until death.

However, why didn't the couple have a plan to save the rest of their family and love ones.
Why let everyone sacrifice their lives?

They were selfless heroes. They would defend their nation with their lives. However, given that the Heaven Sword and the Dragon Sabre were created to be heirlooms, the *intention* was probably that their children should survive (whether or not they were successful in ensuring that is a whole other matter).

This leads to the questions, why YG didn't gather thousands of his loyal martial artist friends to fight the Mongols and try to save everyone?
Or it was too late?

History. The Sung Dynasty had to end because it was the Yuan Dynasty's time to begin. Jin Yong was writing historical fiction. While he could fudge the exact details a bit, the basic facts of history must remain consistent.

Moreover, it really was time for the Sung Dynasty to end. It had its 300 years and had become increasingly unsustainable. Since the Sung leaders had not been doing their jobs well for quite a long while, it was time to let someone else have a try.

If YG wanted to save everyone, he would have of planned in advance.
Since YG had many friends and admirers who could relay him information, he doesn't need to be too involved with gathering any information he would like to know.

We don't know where he went after ROCH. He could have sailed to the Americas or gotten teleported to the moon for all we know.

[Western Eccentric]

We don't know where he went after ROCH. He could have sailed to the Americas or gotten teleported to the moon for all we know.
....

I once think he might be go to the western region (which OYF live) since the maids of Lady Yang remind me about OYK concubine which quite skilled in martial arts and music..

[FeilongZ]

I started reading HSDS Chapter 1:
Great intro by Jinyong.
3 years after the end of ROCH, 19 years old GX is thinking of YG, and she meets the monk, Yueyuan.

I want to read HSDS to check if the author stated any events related to this thread.

[FeilongZ]

Thirteen years later.



That's a damn good question.



Likely all dead. Some were pushing 100 by the time ROCH ended, so dying of old age within thirteen years is not an unlikely or unreasonable fate.



It's said that she never saw her parents or her siblings again after leaving Seung Yeung Fortress to seek Yeung Gor.



Goodness knows.



They were selfless heroes. They would defend their nation with their lives. However, given that the Heaven Sword and the Dragon Sabre were created to be heirlooms, the *intention* was probably that their children should survive (whether or not they were successful in ensuring that is a whole other matter).



History. The Sung Dynasty had to end because it was the Yuan Dynasty's time to begin. Jin Yong was writing historical fiction. While he could fudge the exact details a bit, the basic facts of history must remain consistent.

Moreover, it really was time for the Sung Dynasty to end. It had its 300 years and had become increasingly unsustainable. Since the Sung leaders had not been doing their jobs well for quite a long while, it was time to let someone else have a try.



We don't know where he went after ROCH. He could have sailed to the Americas or gotten teleported to the moon for all we know.

@Ken Cheng:
Very well written.
I have learned a lot

[EdenResident]

They were selfless heroes. They would defend their nation with their lives. However, given that the Heaven Sword and the Dragon Sabre were created to be heirlooms, the *intention* was probably that their children should survive.

I think Guo Xiang was the designated survivor. Guo Fu was too old and kinda useless anyway. Guo Polu was a man like his father and those men won't run away. They will go down fighting. So in the end, Guo Xiang ended up with the Heaven Sword while the Dragon Sabre was released to the wild. They also made up stories and riddles to make the Dragon Sabre the more covetable of the two, drawing heat away from Guo Xiang.

[FeilongZ]

I think Guo Xiang was the designated survivor. Guo Fu was too old and kinda useless anyway. Guo Polu was a man like his father and those men won't run away. They will go down fighting. So in the end, Guo Xiang ended up with the Heaven Sword while the Dragon Sabre was released to the wild. They also made up stories and riddles to make the Dragon Sabre the more covetable of the two, drawing heat away from Guo Xiang.

Yes, I think it makes most sense for Jinyong to make GX as the survivor.
With her curious personality, she likes to wander the majority of the time and cannot stay in one place, which leads her to avoid the same fate that happened to her family.

She is also a very bright girl, similar to her mom, so carrying on the Guo's legacy is a very good choice by the author.

[FeilongZ]

Further thoughts:

For the majority of the story, patriotism was not YG's main concern.
Finding his father's death and true identity was one of his priorities.
His no. 1 concern was XLN.

In his younger years, I think he didn't have much concern with the Mongol's occupation and Wulin's as a whole.
His focus was mostly on XLN.

For instance, when JLFW and the Mongols tried to challenge the martial artists from Wulin, YG was totally not interested.
Then, he meet up with XLN, and the novel said, the two of them just moved to the corner and chatted and ignored everything. But then something happened and they were disturbed; therefore, YG got really angry and fought them.
So basically he fought those Mongols just because they disrupted his time alone with XLN, and not because he care what was going on with the world at that time.

During the 16-year interlude, YG was more mature and less selfish.
He did many deeds to help the people, he was involved during the killing of 2000 mongolians and setting on fire to their camp sites.
He also defeated JLFW during the final battle and killed Möngke Khan.
As a result, the Mongols retreated and the lives of many people were spared at that time.

YG could have done more to at least to save the rest of Guo Jing's family but that was how the author wanted to write after the ending of ROCH: the fall of Xianyang and a tragic ending for GJ and his family, which is somewhat based on history.

I think after the end of ROCH, YG deserved to have a peaceful life with XLN, free of worries or involvement with events of the world.