The commanders and scale at Yamen

The battle's extraordinary scale came from the mixed composition of the Song fleet: a little over a thousand ships, mostly transports, carrying soldiers, officials, servants, civilians, and the child emperor. Roughly 200,000 people may have been on the Song side, mostly non-combatants, with tens of thousands of soldiers among them. The Yuan may have brought around a hundred warships and at least 20,000 troops. Yuan commander Zhang Hongfan was a distant relative of Song commander Zhang Shijie. Zhang Shijie had first served with Mongol forces before entering Song service, where he became a capable and loyal general. Zhang Shijie may have escaped with his remaining followers, although this alternative to the stories of his death at sea is speculation and his destination is unknown. Lu Xiufu was the senior Song minister who would carry the emperor into the sea after defeat. The approximate figures describe a refugee evacuation and a political last stand as well as a naval battle.