On August 16, the third year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty (1630), Beijing City. The streets of West Market were crowded, and tens of thousands of people took to the streets. Under the excitement of the crowd, there was also some pleasure in having a great revenge.
In their opinion, today is a great day. That big traitor Yuan Chonghuan who collaborated with the enemy and betrayed the country will be sentenced to Lingchi today.
As soon as the supervisor gave the order, the crowd exploded like a drop of water in a boiling oil pan. The executioner raised his knife and lowered it, and the people gathered to snatch the piece of meat. The person who grabbed it was drinking soju and swallowing it in large gulps, with an excited expression, as if he was crazy. The scene was scalp numbing .
This bloody and cruel Lingchi torture lasted for three days, and Yuan Chonghuan finally breathed his last. 3543 knives, the pain penetrated to the bone marrow. When the last knife fell, Yuan Chonghuan was left with only a skeleton without any flesh left.
This famous general who defended his family and country during his lifetime and served as a soldier died miserably and suffered infamy.
Yuan Chonghuan
Why is this so? Regarding this issue, historians have been debating endlessly.
Some people say that Yuan Chonghuan's death is closely related to his character, and that he brought about his own destruction; some say that he died in a partisan dispute, and others say that his death was because Chongzhen fell into the Jin Kingdom 's counterintuitive plan... .....
There are many of these, and they all have a certain truth.
It can be seen that Yuan Chonghuan's death was not caused by a single factor, but a mixture of historical and personal reasons.
So, how did this famous anti-Qing general in Ming history lead to death step by step?
Yuan Chonghuan
Joined the Army: The famous anti-Qing general
Yuan Chonghuan was from Wuzhou, Guangxi. Wanli Forty-seven years later, he passed the Jinshi examination and was appointed as the magistrate of Shaowu County, Fujian Province. However, as a civil servant, Yuan Chonghuan did not have this ambition.
He loves the art of war and often discusses guarding frontier fortresses with retired veterans. He thinks that he has great military talents.
At that time, the Battle of Saarhu had just occurred between the Ming Dynasty and Hou Jin. In this battle, the Ming army suffered a disastrous defeat, with more than 300 generals killed and more than 46,000 soldiers sacrificed, while the Later Jin Dynasty suffered only a few hundred casualties.
Yuan Chonghuan, who paid close attention to the military situation, was deeply moved. He felt deeply that the Ming Dynasty's military strength was insufficient, so he decided to go to the border to lead troops to fight.
In the second year of Tianqi, Yuan Chonghuan went to Beijing to meet Ming Xizong Zhu Youxiao, and was promoted to the head of the Staff Department of the Ministry of War, and was later sent to guard Shanhaiguan.
Zhu Youxiao
The new official took office, but Yuan Chonghuan was not afraid at all. He went out alone late at night to understand the terrain, and formulated various combat plans, feeling full of confidence. After coming back, he said to everyone: Give our army Ma Qian Valley, and I can guard it alone.
sounds a bit arrogant, but it is a reassurance for the Ming Dynasty who is afraid of fighting. Therefore, Yuan Chonghuan was ordered to garrison outside the pass, and he also received an allocation of 200,000 yuan from the imperial court for recruiting troops and horses.
Now, Yuan Chonghuan can finally show off his talents. He then proved his strength to everyone. In the sixth year of the Apocalypse, King Nurhachi of the Later Jin Dynasty invaded Ningyuan and launched the Battle of Ningyuan.
Yuan Chonghuan saw the menacing Hou Jin army and wrote a blood letter swearing to defend the city to the death. He led the Ming soldiers to bombard the Jin army and knocked Nurhachi off his horse.
The injured Nurhachi was bleeding profusely. Seeing that there was no hope of victory, he led his troops to retreat. He himself also died in the army due to his injuries worsening on the way back.
Nurhaci
This war that shines in the annals of history is known as "Ningyuan Victory."
After the Ningyuan Victory, the vitality of the Later Jin Dynasty was seriously injured, and Yuan Chonghuan became famous and was promoted to Liaodong Governor. After that, in order to recuperate, he pretended to have peace talks with Hou Jin, and did not send troops to support Hou Jin. At the same time, he stepped up the construction of major fortresses to eliminate the possibility of Hou Jin's surprise attack.
What happened next proved that Yuan Chonghuan's precautions were very necessary. After Nurhachi's death, his son Huang Taiji succeeded to the throne.Because his father died in the hands of Yuan Chonghuan, he regarded him as a thorn in his side and vowed to avenge his father. In May of the seventh year of the Apocalypse, Huang Taiji led his army to attack Jinzhou. However, the Jinzhou defenders were defeated and had to ask Yuan Chonghuan for help.
Surprisingly, Yuan Chonghuan ignored Jinzhouâs distress message. He believed that Ningyuan was the key point, and Huang Taiji must have wanted to lure the tiger away from the mountain, lure him out, and then occupy Ningyuan City.
Thinking of this, Yuan Chonghuan sent four thousand elite cavalry to the rear of the Hou Jin Army for a pincer attack, and at the same time requested reinforcements from the imperial court.
Huang Taiji
Seeing that Yuan Chonghuan could not take the bait, Ning Yuan could not attack, and the situation in Jinzhou was also deadlocked, Huang Taiji became anxious and angry. But there was no turning back when he opened his bow. In order to avenge his father's murder, and to enhance the prestige of Jin Dynasty, he had to capture Ning Yuan. Huang Taiji made up his mind and ordered the attack on Ningyuan.
Yuan Chonghuan did not panic at all. He led his troops to guard the city and used the same method, hiding in the trenches and bombarding the enemy. The arrows were like rain and were extremely destructive. The Jin army suffered heavy casualties and had to withdraw its troops. It was known as the "Ningjin Victory" in history.
Yuan Chonghuan, who has won two games in a row, has reached the highest level of reputation. But unfortunately, the court at that time was controlled by 9,000-year-old Wei Zhongxian , and because Wei Zhongxian's party was dissatisfied with Yuan Chonghuan for not rescuing Jinzhou, Yuan Chonghuan, who had made the greatest contribution, was only promoted one level.
Seeing that the military merits he had earned through hard work were gently put down like this, Yuan Chonghuan was extremely angry and resigned in anger.
This ending is undoubtedly regrettable, but Yuan Chonghuan at this time still has a positive image. But later on, this positive image became more and more blurred, until it was finally full of controversy.
Yuan Chonghuan
The Beginning of All Evils: Empty Talk of Restoring Liao in Five Years
In the seventh year of Tianqi (1627), Mingxi Zong Zhu Youxiao died, Ming Sizong Zhu Youjian succeeded to the throne, that is, Emperor Chongzhen.
To a certain extent, Chongzhen inherited a mess. At that time, in the Ming Dynasty, there were internal chaos caused by the eunuchs and powerful enemies outside. There were constant disputes in the court, wars were raging on the border, the people were in poverty, and the people were living in dire straits.
After succeeding to the throne, Chongzhen was eager to make a difference and immediately started a frantic mode of saving the country. He first eradicated the eunuch forces headed by Wei Zhongxian and purged the court; then he reactivated Yuan Chonghuan, who had been suppressed by Wei Zhongxian, and entrusted him with important tasks, hoping to rely on him to clear the border.
Chongzhen's plan suited Yuan Chonghuan's ambitions. When Chongzhen personally summoned Yuan Chonghuan and asked him about strategies to pacify Liaodong, Yuan Chonghuan was full of confidence. He patted his chest and said: "In five years, the whole of Liao can be restored."
Chongzhen, the stupid emperor, was very happy to hear this.
Zhu Youjian
He has just taken up the position and is not very proficient in business. Naturally, he does not understand the twists and turns of leading troops in war. But since Yuan Chonghuan said so, then there must be no problem!
After hearing this, the ministers of the DPRK and Central Government had mixed feelings. They approached Yuan Chonghuan tactfully and said not to talk too much. If he failed to do so, he would not be able to explain to the emperor. Yuan Chonghuan heard this but didn't take it seriously: "Let's talk about comfort."
It means that Chongzhen was too anxious. In the five years of Pingliao, he just fooled Chongzhen to make him happy. But Yuan Chonghuan didn't expect that he really deceived Chongzhen, and even deceived Chongzhen into lameness.
As soon as Yuan Chonghuan's heroic words of "Ping Liao in five years" came out, Chongzhen gave him 200% trust.
Not only gave his Shang Fang Sword to Yuan Chonghuan, allowed Yuan Chonghuan to kill civil and military officials who hindered him first, and then punished him, he also named Yuan Chonghuan as the crown prince's eunuch.
Chongzhen
Not only that, Emperor Chongzhen also mobilized all the resources of the Ministry of Household Affairs, Ministry of Industry , Ministry of Personnel, and Ministry of War to give Yuan Chonghuan great convenience in terms of military pay, weapons, and personnel and troops. , striving to make Yuan Chonghuan's five-year journey to Pingliao without worries.
At this time, Chongzhen had one attitude: as long as Liao could be leveled in five years, everything would be easy to negotiate.
Yuan Chonghuan was a little panicked after receiving Chongzhen's unreserved trust.At that time, the Ming Dynasty had been bullied and lost most of the cities outside Shanhaiguan, leaving only a few scattered strongholds. The situation was extremely unfavorable.
Perhaps, in the eyes of later generations, with Chongzhen's determination to mobilize the power of the country and Yuan Chonghuan's outstanding military talent, it is not impossible to pacify Liao in five years. But given the poverty and weakness of the Ming Dynasty at that time, how easy was it to pacify Liao in five years?
Especially, Yuan Chonghuan dropped the chain halfway.
Stills of Yuan Chonghuan
Suspicion gradually arises: Capture and kill Mao Wenlong without authorization
If the five years of Pingliao were the beginning of Yuan Chonghuan's misfortune, then killing Mao Wenlong over Emperor Chongzhen was his talisman.
Mao Wenlong is also a controversial figure. There are so many historical records about him that his evaluations tend to be polarized.
Some people say that he is a national hero with great talent and great strategy, while others say that he is a braggart who only shows off his appearance. As for why Yuan Chonghuan killed Mao Wenlong, there is still no clear conclusion yet. But it is undeniable that Yuan Chonghuan's killing of Mao Wenlong was really a bad move.
During the Ming Xizong period, the army led by Mao Wenlong shouldered the task of containing and harassing Hou Jin, which kept Hou Jin in a two-front battle for a long time, so it attracted considerable attention from the court. Mao Wenlong therefore took the position of 's general soldier .
With the seal of general, the sword given to Shang Fang, and the title of governor of the left, Mao Wenlong became a veritable "island commander."
Mao Wenlong
The sky is high and the emperor is far away, and no one knows what Mao Wenlong has done. By the Chongzhen period, Mao Wenlong had already begun to dominate the land.
As for Yuan Chonghuan, he believed that since Chongzhen handed over the "Five Years of Ping Liao" to him, then he is the boss, and all the resources and troops of the Ming Dynasty should be in his own hands, so that resource allocation can be achieved and a high degree of unity of tactics and strategy.
In this way, Mao Wenlong, who occupied the island and became the king, made Yuan Chonghuan quite dissatisfied.
Yuan Chonghuan wanted to consolidate the power of Mao Wenlong's men. Faced with this request, Mao Wenlong would definitely not agree. So the two of them went back and forth, and it was full of gunpowder.
In June of the second year of Chongzhen, not long after Yuan Chonghuan arrived at the front and took office as the governor, he made an appointment with Mao Wenlong to meet at Shuangdao near Lushun, and announced Mao Wenlong's twelve crimes in front of all the sergeants, and then used the words given by Emperor Chongzhen to His Shang Fang sword killed Mao Wenlong on the spot.
Mao Wenlong stills
Whether Mao Wenlongâs twelve charges are true or not is now impossible to test. It is worth mentioning that Emperor Chongzhen did not ask Yuan Chonghuan to kill Mao Wenlong at that time, nor did he list any twelve crimes. In other words, Yuan Chonghuan committed the crime of correcting the imperial edict.
Here, letâs not discuss whether Mao Wenlong should be killed or not, because this is not the point. The point is that Yuan Chonghuan destroyed the legitimacy of feudal imperial power, and his "procedure" to kill Mao Wenlong was unfair.
Whatâs even more troublesome is that he killed someone and didnât deal with the aftermath.
After Mao Wenlong's death, Dongjiang Town and the imperial court became at odds with each other, and mutinies broke out on the island, to the point where his successors did not even dare to land on the island. Not only that, Mao Wenlong's subordinates such as Kong Youde, Geng Zhongming, and Shang Kexi were dissatisfied and led their subordinates to defect to Houjin, becoming the three vassal kings who later founded the Qing Dynasty.
Hou Jin really won this wave. Not only did he gain a large number of sergeants, his strength was greatly increased, but he also got rid of a serious enemy.
Stills of Emperor Chongzhen
As for Emperor Chongzhen, he issued an imperial edict after Yuan Chonghuan killed Mao Wenlong: "Mao Wenlong hangs on the sea, takes advantage of his salary, frequently violates imperial orders, and is not restrained..." If you can think carefully about sudden plans and punish the crimes, it is related to the safety of the border area. The foreign affairs are not in the control, so there is no need to accuse him. "
This means that Mao Wenlong is not good at it. He has repeatedly deceived the court and pretended to receive military pay, but he did not get paid. The court couldn't control him when doing things, but Yuan Chonghuan killed him well. But is this really the case?
From the perspective of Emperor Chongzhen, we can understand that Yuan Chonghuan surpassed him and killed Mao Wenlong, which undoubtedly did not take Emperor Chongzhen seriously.
On August 16, the third year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty (1630), Beijing City. The streets of West Market were crowded, and tens of thousands of people took to the streets. Under the excitement of the crowd, there was also some pleasure in having a great revenge.
In their opinion, today is a great day. That big traitor Yuan Chonghuan who collaborated with the enemy and betrayed the country will be sentenced to Lingchi today.
As soon as the supervisor gave the order, the crowd exploded like a drop of water in a boiling oil pan. The executioner raised his knife and lowered it, and the people gathered to snatch the piece of meat. The person who grabbed it was drinking soju and swallowing it in large gulps, with an excited expression, as if he was crazy. The scene was scalp numbing .
This bloody and cruel Lingchi torture lasted for three days, and Yuan Chonghuan finally breathed his last. 3543 knives, the pain penetrated to the bone marrow. When the last knife fell, Yuan Chonghuan was left with only a skeleton without any flesh left.
This famous general who defended his family and country during his lifetime and served as a soldier died miserably and suffered infamy.
Yuan Chonghuan
Why is this so? Regarding this issue, historians have been debating endlessly.
Some people say that Yuan Chonghuan's death is closely related to his character, and that he brought about his own destruction; some say that he died in a partisan dispute, and others say that his death was because Chongzhen fell into the Jin Kingdom 's counterintuitive plan... .....
There are many of these, and they all have a certain truth.
It can be seen that Yuan Chonghuan's death was not caused by a single factor, but a mixture of historical and personal reasons.
So, how did this famous anti-Qing general in Ming history lead to death step by step?
Yuan Chonghuan
Joined the Army: The famous anti-Qing general
Yuan Chonghuan was from Wuzhou, Guangxi. Wanli Forty-seven years later, he passed the Jinshi examination and was appointed as the magistrate of Shaowu County, Fujian Province. However, as a civil servant, Yuan Chonghuan did not have this ambition.
He loves the art of war and often discusses guarding frontier fortresses with retired veterans. He thinks that he has great military talents.
At that time, the Battle of Saarhu had just occurred between the Ming Dynasty and Hou Jin. In this battle, the Ming army suffered a disastrous defeat, with more than 300 generals killed and more than 46,000 soldiers sacrificed, while the Later Jin Dynasty suffered only a few hundred casualties.
Yuan Chonghuan, who paid close attention to the military situation, was deeply moved. He felt deeply that the Ming Dynasty's military strength was insufficient, so he decided to go to the border to lead troops to fight.
In the second year of Tianqi, Yuan Chonghuan went to Beijing to meet Ming Xizong Zhu Youxiao, and was promoted to the head of the Staff Department of the Ministry of War, and was later sent to guard Shanhaiguan.
Zhu Youxiao
The new official took office, but Yuan Chonghuan was not afraid at all. He went out alone late at night to understand the terrain, and formulated various combat plans, feeling full of confidence. After coming back, he said to everyone: Give our army Ma Qian Valley, and I can guard it alone.
sounds a bit arrogant, but it is a reassurance for the Ming Dynasty who is afraid of fighting. Therefore, Yuan Chonghuan was ordered to garrison outside the pass, and he also received an allocation of 200,000 yuan from the imperial court for recruiting troops and horses.
Now, Yuan Chonghuan can finally show off his talents. He then proved his strength to everyone. In the sixth year of the Apocalypse, King Nurhachi of the Later Jin Dynasty invaded Ningyuan and launched the Battle of Ningyuan.
Yuan Chonghuan saw the menacing Hou Jin army and wrote a blood letter swearing to defend the city to the death. He led the Ming soldiers to bombard the Jin army and knocked Nurhachi off his horse.
The injured Nurhachi was bleeding profusely. Seeing that there was no hope of victory, he led his troops to retreat. He himself also died in the army due to his injuries worsening on the way back.
Nurhaci
This war that shines in the annals of history is known as "Ningyuan Victory."
After the Ningyuan Victory, the vitality of the Later Jin Dynasty was seriously injured, and Yuan Chonghuan became famous and was promoted to Liaodong Governor. After that, in order to recuperate, he pretended to have peace talks with Hou Jin, and did not send troops to support Hou Jin. At the same time, he stepped up the construction of major fortresses to eliminate the possibility of Hou Jin's surprise attack.
What happened next proved that Yuan Chonghuan's precautions were very necessary. After Nurhachi's death, his son Huang Taiji succeeded to the throne.Because his father died in the hands of Yuan Chonghuan, he regarded him as a thorn in his side and vowed to avenge his father. In May of the seventh year of the Apocalypse, Huang Taiji led his army to attack Jinzhou. However, the Jinzhou defenders were defeated and had to ask Yuan Chonghuan for help.
Surprisingly, Yuan Chonghuan ignored Jinzhouâs distress message. He believed that Ningyuan was the key point, and Huang Taiji must have wanted to lure the tiger away from the mountain, lure him out, and then occupy Ningyuan City.
Thinking of this, Yuan Chonghuan sent four thousand elite cavalry to the rear of the Hou Jin Army for a pincer attack, and at the same time requested reinforcements from the imperial court.
Huang Taiji
Seeing that Yuan Chonghuan could not take the bait, Ning Yuan could not attack, and the situation in Jinzhou was also deadlocked, Huang Taiji became anxious and angry. But there was no turning back when he opened his bow. In order to avenge his father's murder, and to enhance the prestige of Jin Dynasty, he had to capture Ning Yuan. Huang Taiji made up his mind and ordered the attack on Ningyuan.
Yuan Chonghuan did not panic at all. He led his troops to guard the city and used the same method, hiding in the trenches and bombarding the enemy. The arrows were like rain and were extremely destructive. The Jin army suffered heavy casualties and had to withdraw its troops. It was known as the "Ningjin Victory" in history.
Yuan Chonghuan, who has won two games in a row, has reached the highest level of reputation. But unfortunately, the court at that time was controlled by 9,000-year-old Wei Zhongxian , and because Wei Zhongxian's party was dissatisfied with Yuan Chonghuan for not rescuing Jinzhou, Yuan Chonghuan, who had made the greatest contribution, was only promoted one level.
Seeing that the military merits he had earned through hard work were gently put down like this, Yuan Chonghuan was extremely angry and resigned in anger.
This ending is undoubtedly regrettable, but Yuan Chonghuan at this time still has a positive image. But later on, this positive image became more and more blurred, until it was finally full of controversy.
Yuan Chonghuan
The Beginning of All Evils: Empty Talk of Restoring Liao in Five Years
In the seventh year of Tianqi (1627), Mingxi Zong Zhu Youxiao died, Ming Sizong Zhu Youjian succeeded to the throne, that is, Emperor Chongzhen.
To a certain extent, Chongzhen inherited a mess. At that time, in the Ming Dynasty, there were internal chaos caused by the eunuchs and powerful enemies outside. There were constant disputes in the court, wars were raging on the border, the people were in poverty, and the people were living in dire straits.
After succeeding to the throne, Chongzhen was eager to make a difference and immediately started a frantic mode of saving the country. He first eradicated the eunuch forces headed by Wei Zhongxian and purged the court; then he reactivated Yuan Chonghuan, who had been suppressed by Wei Zhongxian, and entrusted him with important tasks, hoping to rely on him to clear the border.
Chongzhen's plan suited Yuan Chonghuan's ambitions. When Chongzhen personally summoned Yuan Chonghuan and asked him about strategies to pacify Liaodong, Yuan Chonghuan was full of confidence. He patted his chest and said: "In five years, the whole of Liao can be restored."
Chongzhen, the stupid emperor, was very happy to hear this.
Zhu Youjian
He has just taken up the position and is not very proficient in business. Naturally, he does not understand the twists and turns of leading troops in war. But since Yuan Chonghuan said so, then there must be no problem!
After hearing this, the ministers of the DPRK and Central Government had mixed feelings. They approached Yuan Chonghuan tactfully and said not to talk too much. If he failed to do so, he would not be able to explain to the emperor. Yuan Chonghuan heard this but didn't take it seriously: "Let's talk about comfort."
It means that Chongzhen was too anxious. In the five years of Pingliao, he just fooled Chongzhen to make him happy. But Yuan Chonghuan didn't expect that he really deceived Chongzhen, and even deceived Chongzhen into lameness.
As soon as Yuan Chonghuan's heroic words of "Ping Liao in five years" came out, Chongzhen gave him 200% trust.
Not only gave his Shang Fang Sword to Yuan Chonghuan, allowed Yuan Chonghuan to kill civil and military officials who hindered him first, and then punished him, he also named Yuan Chonghuan as the crown prince's eunuch.
Chongzhen
Not only that, Emperor Chongzhen also mobilized all the resources of the Ministry of Household Affairs, Ministry of Industry , Ministry of Personnel, and Ministry of War to give Yuan Chonghuan great convenience in terms of military pay, weapons, and personnel and troops. , striving to make Yuan Chonghuan's five-year journey to Pingliao without worries.
At this time, Chongzhen had one attitude: as long as Liao could be leveled in five years, everything would be easy to negotiate.
Yuan Chonghuan was a little panicked after receiving Chongzhen's unreserved trust.At that time, the Ming Dynasty had been bullied and lost most of the cities outside Shanhaiguan, leaving only a few scattered strongholds. The situation was extremely unfavorable.
Perhaps, in the eyes of later generations, with Chongzhen's determination to mobilize the power of the country and Yuan Chonghuan's outstanding military talent, it is not impossible to pacify Liao in five years. But given the poverty and weakness of the Ming Dynasty at that time, how easy was it to pacify Liao in five years?
Especially, Yuan Chonghuan dropped the chain halfway.
Stills of Yuan Chonghuan
Suspicion gradually arises: Capture and kill Mao Wenlong without authorization
If the five years of Pingliao were the beginning of Yuan Chonghuan's misfortune, then killing Mao Wenlong over Emperor Chongzhen was his talisman.
Mao Wenlong is also a controversial figure. There are so many historical records about him that his evaluations tend to be polarized.
Some people say that he is a national hero with great talent and great strategy, while others say that he is a braggart who only shows off his appearance. As for why Yuan Chonghuan killed Mao Wenlong, there is still no clear conclusion yet. But it is undeniable that Yuan Chonghuan's killing of Mao Wenlong was really a bad move.
During the Ming Xizong period, the army led by Mao Wenlong shouldered the task of containing and harassing Hou Jin, which kept Hou Jin in a two-front battle for a long time, so it attracted considerable attention from the court. Mao Wenlong therefore took the position of 's general soldier .
With the seal of general, the sword given to Shang Fang, and the title of governor of the left, Mao Wenlong became a veritable "island commander."
Mao Wenlong
The sky is high and the emperor is far away, and no one knows what Mao Wenlong has done. By the Chongzhen period, Mao Wenlong had already begun to dominate the land.
As for Yuan Chonghuan, he believed that since Chongzhen handed over the "Five Years of Ping Liao" to him, then he is the boss, and all the resources and troops of the Ming Dynasty should be in his own hands, so that resource allocation can be achieved and a high degree of unity of tactics and strategy.
In this way, Mao Wenlong, who occupied the island and became the king, made Yuan Chonghuan quite dissatisfied.
Yuan Chonghuan wanted to consolidate the power of Mao Wenlong's men. Faced with this request, Mao Wenlong would definitely not agree. So the two of them went back and forth, and it was full of gunpowder.
In June of the second year of Chongzhen, not long after Yuan Chonghuan arrived at the front and took office as the governor, he made an appointment with Mao Wenlong to meet at Shuangdao near Lushun, and announced Mao Wenlong's twelve crimes in front of all the sergeants, and then used the words given by Emperor Chongzhen to His Shang Fang sword killed Mao Wenlong on the spot.
Mao Wenlong stills
Whether Mao Wenlongâs twelve charges are true or not is now impossible to test. It is worth mentioning that Emperor Chongzhen did not ask Yuan Chonghuan to kill Mao Wenlong at that time, nor did he list any twelve crimes. In other words, Yuan Chonghuan committed the crime of correcting the imperial edict.
Here, letâs not discuss whether Mao Wenlong should be killed or not, because this is not the point. The point is that Yuan Chonghuan destroyed the legitimacy of feudal imperial power, and his "procedure" to kill Mao Wenlong was unfair.
Whatâs even more troublesome is that he killed someone and didnât deal with the aftermath.
After Mao Wenlong's death, Dongjiang Town and the imperial court became at odds with each other, and mutinies broke out on the island, to the point where his successors did not even dare to land on the island. Not only that, Mao Wenlong's subordinates such as Kong Youde, Geng Zhongming, and Shang Kexi were dissatisfied and led their subordinates to defect to Houjin, becoming the three vassal kings who later founded the Qing Dynasty.
Hou Jin really won this wave. Not only did he gain a large number of sergeants, his strength was greatly increased, but he also got rid of a serious enemy.
Stills of Emperor Chongzhen
As for Emperor Chongzhen, he issued an imperial edict after Yuan Chonghuan killed Mao Wenlong: "Mao Wenlong hangs on the sea, takes advantage of his salary, frequently violates imperial orders, and is not restrained..." If you can think carefully about sudden plans and punish the crimes, it is related to the safety of the border area. The foreign affairs are not in the control, so there is no need to accuse him. "
This means that Mao Wenlong is not good at it. He has repeatedly deceived the court and pretended to receive military pay, but he did not get paid. The court couldn't control him when doing things, but Yuan Chonghuan killed him well. But is this really the case?
From the perspective of Emperor Chongzhen, we can understand that Yuan Chonghuan surpassed him and killed Mao Wenlong, which undoubtedly did not take Emperor Chongzhen seriously.
But under the circumstances, what could Chongzhen do to Yuan Chonghuan? Kill Yuan Chonghuan? So who is going to Pingliao? So Chongzhen could only swallow this breath.
There was no way, there was no one in the court, and the Ping Liao Dynasty was imminent in the fifth year. For the sake of the Ming Dynasty, Chongzhen endured it. But at this time, Chongzhen never expected that his patience would not get the results he wanted.
Stills of Emperor Chongzhen
Shock in the Imperial City: The End of the Heroes when the Army Crushes the Border
In October of the second year of Chongzhen (1629), Huang Taiji changed his old wretched style and personally led the Eight Banners army via Mongolia, bypassing the Guanjin defense line. They raided Da'ankou, Longjing Pass, and Malanyu, the Great Wall passes west of Xifengkou, and penetrated into the hinterland of the capital.
At that time, there was a lack of defense in the customs. Hou Jin's cavalry set up an ambush between Zunhua and Santunying, and the vanguard troops led by Zhao were completely annihilated. Yuan Chonghuan was horrified after hearing this. He decided to occupy Jizhou City as soon as possible and block the attacking enemy troops in Jizhou City.
At this time, Chongzhen's edict also came. He asked Yuan Chonghuan to destroy the Hou Jin army at all costs and not let them get even half a step closer to Beijing.
Yuan Chonghuan, who received the edict, was ready to welcome the Jin army in Jizhou City. But he only placed his hope in the main city of Jizhou and did not deploy troops at various intersections.
Stills of the Eight Banners Army
And Huang Taiji did not waste his troops in Jizhou City as Yuan Chonghuan thought, but led his soldiers to sneak away from Jixi.
As a result, without Yuan Chonghuan's obstruction, Huang Taiji's army passed through Jimen , Sanhe, Tongzhou , with great momentum all the way, and finally approached the capital of the Ming Dynasty, Beijing. Changes in Jisi broke out.
Yuan Chonghuan on the other side heard that the capital was besieged, and immediately led his cavalry back to support Beijing. He arrived in Beijing the day before the Hou Jin soldiers arrived, and fought with Huang Taiji's army outside Guangqumen.
The fighting at that time was very fierce. Yuan Chonghuan himself was hit by several arrows and his arms were shot into hedgehogs, but he still refused to retreat.
Huang Taiji's army was unable to attack with force, so he had to retreat to the southeast to wait for an opportunity. After winning the battle, Yuan Chonghuan proposed to go to the city for repairs, but Chongzhen refused. At this time, Chongzhen had already become suspicious of Yuan Chonghuan because of the late Jin army's sneaking into Jizhou, and rumors among the people about Yuan Chonghuan's introduction of troops into the fortress were also rampant.
Yuan Chonghuan stills
Yuan Chonghuan has no idea. Standing outside the city, he had another fight with Huang Taiji, but Huang Taiji still failed. Knowing that any further delay would result in the annihilation of the entire army, Huang Taiji could only withdraw his soldiers from Beijing. But the aftermath of this shocking turn of events is far from over.
Huang Taiji's military operation this time annihilated tens of thousands of elite Ming troops, and killed and captured six general soldiers of the Ming army.
Not only that, but it also opened the door to the capital. The cavalry of the Jin Army launched a four-month-long burning, killing and looting of the people of the Ming Dynasty. The people were filled with resentment and their lives were in dire straits. It seriously weakened the national strength and confidence of the Ming Dynasty.
At the same time, Yuan Chonghuan's reputation among the people also took a sharp turn. After all, the Hou Jin Army slipped away from Yuan Chonghuan's nose and advanced towards the capital, which caught people off guard. Not to mention the people in the capital who are used to living in peace.
They were usually far away from the flames of war. Suddenly, when they saw the battlefield with heavy artillery fire outside the city, their wealth and life were in danger, and their mentality collapsed.
Stills
Especially Emperor Chongzhen, he felt that his trust had been misplaced. He subconsciously put the blame on Yuan Chonghuan: Well, you Yuan Chonghuan, you told me that it would last for five years, but in the end, whether it was fair or not, people came to the doorstep!
Thinking of his previous connivance to Yuan Chonghuan, Emperor Chongzhen became furious: Yuan Chonghuan also took money and killed people. As a result, the army built with money was vulnerable and his home was almost stolen.
What a shame! Emperor Chongzhen was completely disappointed with Yuan Chonghuan. People also complained about Yuan Chonghuan.
In the end, both the officials in the court and the people in the capital were calling Yuan Chonghuan a traitor and wanted to eat his flesh.
Under this situation, Emperor Chongzhen decided to settle old and new grudges together and arrested Yuan Chonghuan and imprisoned him in early December.
Yuan Chonghuan stills
After Yuan Chonghuan was imprisoned, he was not immediately convicted, but was imprisoned and interrogated for half a year.
Half a year later, in August of the third year of Chongzhen, Chongzhen executed Yuan Chonghuan late and all his family members were exiled on charges of "exclusively bullying others, stealing rice from the market, seeking money to kill commanders, and allowing the enemy to drive away".
On August 16, the third year of Chongzhen, on the day of execution, Yuan Chonghuan was shaved with more than 3,000 knives. The flesh and blood under the knives were eaten by the people, leaving only a skeleton.
His magnificent but tragic life came to an end in this way.
Yuan Chonghuan stills
summary
It is difficult not to sigh at the final result. Yuan Chonghuan cannot be simply defined by the quality of 's facial expression of . There is nothing wrong with him being a loyal and patriotic hero, but it does not mean that everything he did was right.
His death was due to his character, but it was more of a tragedy of the times.
Because when a country is in decline, it is difficult for one or two heroes to save the decline, and in the end they are just victims. This is exactly what happened with the death of Yuan Chonghuan.
References
- Zhang Tingyu: "History of the Ming Dynasty"
- Wang Ji: "Chongzhen Changbian"
- Zhang Dai "Shikui Shuhou Collection"
Under this situation, Emperor Chongzhen decided to settle old and new grudges together and arrested Yuan Chonghuan and imprisoned him in early December.
Yuan Chonghuan stills
After Yuan Chonghuan was imprisoned, he was not immediately convicted, but was imprisoned and interrogated for half a year.
Half a year later, in August of the third year of Chongzhen, Chongzhen executed Yuan Chonghuan late and all his family members were exiled on charges of "exclusively bullying others, stealing rice from the market, seeking money to kill commanders, and allowing the enemy to drive away".
On August 16, the third year of Chongzhen, on the day of execution, Yuan Chonghuan was shaved with more than 3,000 knives. The flesh and blood under the knives were eaten by the people, leaving only a skeleton.
His magnificent but tragic life came to an end in this way.
Yuan Chonghuan stills
summary
It is difficult not to sigh at the final result. Yuan Chonghuan cannot be simply defined by the quality of 's facial expression of . There is nothing wrong with him being a loyal and patriotic hero, but it does not mean that everything he did was right.
His death was due to his character, but it was more of a tragedy of the times.
Because when a country is in decline, it is difficult for one or two heroes to save the decline, and in the end they are just victims. This is exactly what happened with the death of Yuan Chonghuan.
References
- Zhang Tingyu: "History of the Ming Dynasty"
- Wang Ji: "Chongzhen Changbian"
- Zhang Dai "Shikui Shuhou Collection"
