In a catastrophic military disaster, the Jurchen armies of the Jin Dynasty besieged and sacked Kaifeng, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty. The Jin forces captured Emperor Qinzong, his retired father Emperor Huizong, and thousands of imperial courtiers, artisans, and scholars, dragging them into captivity in Manchuria. This traumatic event brought an abrupt end to the Northern Song, forcing the remnants of the imperial court to flee south across the Yangtze River to establish the Southern Song Dynasty at Lin'an (Hangzhou).

The Jingkang Incident sent a profound psychological shockwave through the Chinese literary consciousness, deeply altering the tone of all subsequent poetry. The elegant, detached aestheticism of Northern Song verse was replaced by raw patriotism, historical trauma, and deep existential questioning of divine justice. Legendary female poet Li Qingzhao lost her vast collection of art and books during the chaos, transforming her poetry into a haunting, deeply personal exploration of exile, grief, and spiritual displacement.