In history, there are many meritorious men who have not been able to die well, which is the sadness of the times in which they lived, and the sorrow of that dynasty. When it comes to the tragic death of the meritorious man, everyone will think of Yue Fei, but today I want to tell you about another famous general who died tragically, and the grievances he suffered were more than Yue Fei, and this person was Yuan Chonghuan of the Ming Dynasty.
Portrait of Yuan Chonghuan
Some people who like Qing history may know that the famous Nurhaci was defeated by Yuan Chonghuan's men, and Nurhaci died shortly after being injured by Yuan Chonghuan's Hongyi cannon. Later, Yuan Chonghuan fought with Emperor Taiji many times to save the Ming capital from danger. But it was such a great general who had made great achievements in battle, but in the end he was tortured to death by a thousand knives. What are the reasons for this? Next, I will sort out the ins and outs of the whole thing for you.
After Nurhaci's death, Emperor Taiji, in revenge for his father, prepared to quietly gather an army, bypass Yuan Chonghuan's defense zone, and directly approach the Ming Dynasty's imperial palace, killing the Chongzhen Emperor in one fell swoop. When Yuan Chonghuan heard this news, he immediately mobilized soldiers and horses, day and night, to prepare to rescue the siege of Kyoto. It was precisely because of Yuan Chonghuan's move that Huang Taiji's plan did not succeed. It can be said that Yuan Chonghuan single-handedly extended the life of the entire Ming Dynasty, but the subsequent development of the matter was not expected by anyone.
Yuan Chonghuan stills
Yuan Chonghuan, who was stationed outside the city day and night, did not have any support from soldiers, horses, grain, and grass, and Yuan Chonghuan, who had always been known for his strict management of the army, strictly ordered the army soldiers not to rob the common people of a grain, and not to cut down the trees of the common people and burn them for warmth. One of the soldiers was so hungry that he couldn't stand it, so he took some of the people's grain to eat, and As a result, Yuan Chonghuan had to execute the soldier with tears. Soon after this incident, Yuan Chonghuan received an order from the palace, saying that the Chongzhen Emperor was ready to discuss grain and grass with him.
When they heard of this, the whole army was overjoyed, thinking that they had finally ushered in hope. Yuan Chonghuan received orders to enter the city, but he entered with a basket hanging from the city tower. How sad it is to think that the great general of the Great Fame is not even qualified to enter the city from the main gate! After Yuan Chonghuan saw the Chongzhen Emperor, he was full of thought that the grain and grass problems of his army would definitely be solved.
However, who knew that the Chongzhen Emperor had always had a cold face and did not mention anything about grain and grass, and finally ordered Jin Yiwei to directly beat Yuan Chonghuan into prison. What kind of existence Jinyiwei was in the Ming Dynasty, I don't think I need to say more, everyone knows that people who enter Jinyiwei are difficult to come out alive, and Yuan Chonghuan is no exception. Not only that, he also suffered the heaviest punishment of all, a thousand knives, how to implement this punishment I will not say more, readers with strong ability to bear can check it.
All in all, Yuan Chonghuan, who had made great contributions, not only did not receive any reward from the Chongzhen Emperor, but was summoned to the palace to give death. As a famous general, Yuan Chonghuan has made countless achievements in battle in his life, and it is a pity that such a hero died at the hands of the enemy, not to mention that he died at the hands of the emperor he was dedicated to protecting. What is even more bizarre is that after Yuan Chonghuan's death, the people of the entire imperial city did not mourn for him, but instead clapped their hands and applauded, believing that Yuan Chonghuan really died where he deserved.
Portrait of the Chongzhen Emperor
Why did the whole event turn out like this? This also has to start from the cause of Yuan Chonghuan's death, it turned out that the Emperor Taiji used the anti-plot to separate Yuan Chonghuan from the Chongzhen Emperor, so that the Chongzhen Emperor believed that Yuan Chonghuan Emperor Taiji was a gang, and yuan Chonghuan's drama of saving the imperial city from danger was directed by Yuan Chonghuan himself, in order to win more people's hearts and the hearts of the army.
The faint-hearted Chongzhen Emperor actually fell for the Emperor Taiji and was convinced of this. Therefore, he arrested and killed Yuan Chonghuan on the charge of collaborating with the enemy and treason, and told the world about Yuan Chonghuan's "deeds". This is why the people in the capital were dismissive of Yuan Chonghuan's death, which was simply the sadness of the entire Ming Dynasty.
Portrait of Emperor Taiji
Although Yue Fei died tragically, the people recognized his merits, and Yue Fei also left his own descendants, but Yuan Chonghuan not only did not have the support of the people, but also did not leave descendants. The officers and soldiers were ordered to raid Yuan Chonghuan's home, and found that his home was surrounded by walls and could not be searched for anything.
As a town general at that time, Yuan Chonghuan's official position was so prominent, but as a result, there was no silver in his family, which showed the degree of his honesty as an official. It is said that when Yuan Chonghuan's father was seriously ill and about to die, he wanted to go home to visit, but he couldn't even get it out, and finally his subordinates and friends helped him to pay for the trip back and saw his father for the last time.
Because of the suspicion of the emperor and the dissension of the enemy, the great general who has made countless military achievements has left the human world in such a tragic way, which is really lamentable!