On the one hand, in discussing the historical struggle between the Jurchen Chin dynasty and the Han Chinese Sung dynasty, Nien says that if it weren't for the peace party in the Sung court (under Chin Kuei) recalling the border defenders (under General Yueh Fei), then "we could never have become the lords of the north."
他在敘述金、宋爭霸的歷史時講到，如果不是主張議和的秦檜害岳飛，下十二道金牌令固守邊界的岳飛回朝，使得南宋國運衰敗，「阮也無福氣稱霸北方」，他說。