The general trend of the world, the combination of long-term division and long-term integration, as if it has become an inevitable trend of historical development. China has a long and profound history, during which it has also experienced the regime changes of countless feudal dynasties. The prosperity at the beginning of the founding of the Country and the sadness of the pain of the subjugation of the country can always form a strong contrast, giving people a sense of desolation and shock. Although we have not witnessed the rise and fall of a dynasty, we can learn about history from historical records or literature, film and television works. Before the fall of almost every great dynasty, there will be guards who look at death as home, and there will be sporadic escorts. Even if they know that this is destined to be a battle to death, they will still choose to fight for the dignity of the country.
But when the once glorious And prosperous Ming Dynasty was about to collapse, we did not see this last tragic battle. Although officials were corrupt and inactive, and the Ming Dynasty was already exhausted, the Ming army was still more than enough. It is said that at the end of the Ming Dynasty, Zuo Liangyu still had 800,000 elite soldiers under him. Even if the end of the ming dynasty has become a major trend, if Zuo Liangyu is willing to send troops to rescue the capital, the Ming dynasty can still support for a period of time. But why would Zuo Liangyu rather watch Li Zicheng attack the capital than come to the rescue? This undoubtedly made those who had a fierce remembrance of the Ming Dynasty have all kinds of fierce criticism of Zuo Liangyu. He claimed that Zuo Liangyu was a treacherous sinner who personally pushed the Ming Dynasty to its demise. So what's going on here? What drove Zuo Liangyu to make such a choice?
In fact, Zuo Liangyu was also bitter. On the one hand, as mentioned above, the decline of the Ming Dynasty has become an inevitable trend in history. Even if Zuo Liangyu sent troops, it was still the end of the crossbow, and it would not help. 800,000 elite soldiers sounds like a huge number, but Zuo Liangyu's command ability is not outstanding, and fighting with Li Zicheng's army may not be able to win. The only role played was to delay the demise of the Ming Dynasty. Moreover, 800,000 elite soldiers is only a statement to the outside world. In fact, the troops that Zuo Liangyu could really command were far less than 800,000. Moreover, the quality of these soldiers does not match the word "fine", and at best it is only a huge position. Moreover, it is often on the verge of extinction, and the transportation in ancient times is not convenient, so Zuo Liangyu needs a certain schedule to lead his troops to run. Maybe after arriving, the capital will cease to exist.
On the other hand, Chongzhen's attitude towards the soldiers was chilling. Even in the late Ming Dynasty, there was no shortage of generals who could fight bravely and well, but these generals swore to die to defend the country, and in the end they ended up with a tragic ending. Yuan Chonghuan, a Ming Dynasty general with great military achievements, repeatedly won great victories in the war against the Qing army, which made the Qing army fearful. However, in the end, he was framed by Wei Zhongxian's Yu Party to frame Yuan Chonghuan for treason, coupled with the incitement of Emperor Taiji, Ming Sizong was angry and imprisoned. Wei Zhongxian's remnants still did not give up, constantly instigating dissension. The Chongzhen Emperor also lacked a certain degree of discernment, a generation of famous generals Yuan Chonghuan was killed in vain, was publicly executed by Ling Chi,how cruel, Yuan Chonghuan died, his family was not spared, exiled thousands of miles away, all family property was confiscated. Coincidentally, Sun Chuanting also suffered the same thing. However, Sun Chuanting's situation was slightly better than Yuan Chonghuan's, but he also suffered from three years of imprisonment, during which he was tortured. After being released from prison, he still could not get the trust of the Chongzhen Emperor, and eventually died in battle. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, the general defended his family and the country, but in the end he was accused of a crime. How can Zuo Liangyu not be afraid of the lessons of the past?
The author believes that Zuo Liangyu's approach is not cold-blooded and ruthless, nor is he a sinner who pushed the Ming Dynasty into the final abyss. As the saying goes: "A hundred-footed worm, dead but not stiff." Under the chaotic power of eunuchs, endless infighting and corruption, the Ming Dynasty has long exhausted the last trace of qi. Even if there is still a remnant of resistance, it is only a battle of trapped beasts. Zuo Liangyu is not, and he is not the bearer of all the responsibilities. The Chongzhen Emperor was not the culprit who brought the Ming Dynasty to the downfall, he had the heart to save the country, but the times limited him to the end of the Ming Dynasty, and he had to bear the emperor of the fallen country. He had the heart to act, and the remnants of the Ming Dynasty still frequently rebelled, disturbing the hearts of the army and engaging in unlimited infighting. Coupled with the treason of the traitors, the insiders worked together to push a generation of dynasties into the abyss of collapse. How can we blame the army for not coming to the rescue in time? Only lamented that Daming never let foreign countries occupy an inch of territory for a long time, but it was still planted in the hands of his own people.