In addition to the clan relatives, eunuchs, and civil and military officials, there was also a very special class in the Ming Dynasty, which was the Xunchen. Zhu Yuanzhang was proclaimed empress dowager and crowned a large number of founding heroes; after Zhu Di seized the throne, he also rewarded a number of Jing dynasty heroes. Although Zhu Yuanzhang killed many heroes during his reign, there were still many courtiers in the Ming Dynasty. However, the Ming Dynasty's Jiangshan was buried in the hands of these courtiers!
During the Chongzhen period of the Ming Dynasty, the Nanjing garrison was vacant, and after discussion by the military department, recommended the dragon of Xincheng Bo Zhao to the emperor. The Chongzhen Emperor had great trust in Zhao Zhilong and valued it. On the day that Zhao Zhilong resigned to the emperor, the Chongzhen Emperor gave Zhao Zhilong a very high standard of treatment, "giving sitting, giving tea, the Eastern Palace, and the second king's attendant."
The Chongzhen Emperor said in a serious tone, "Leaving the capital fundamentally heavy, shuo has used two people, one is the eunuch Han Zanzhou, who is loyal and diligent, and is enough to be a garrison; the other is the military department Shangshu Shi Kefa, who has not yet seen the face, but people argue about their materials, and they are also cursed." Now I have to be three, and I have no worries. Ranzan Zhou swept away the long ears, but the law began to be lonely and cold. If the secretary of state is in solidarity with the country, he is more different than the second minister, and he will do his best to know it, and the vice chancellor will also appoint him. ”
It can be seen that the Chongzhen Emperor had high hopes for Zhao Zhilong. So what is the origin of this Zhao Zhilong? It turned out that Zhao Zhilong's seventh ancestor's name was Zhao Yi, and he served as the Right Guard Hundred Households of Yanshan during the Hongwu Period of the Ming Dynasty. Later, Zhu Di raised an army in Beiping, and Zhao Yi led the people to surrender, and made many military achievements in the "Battle of Jingnan", "all the battles have been meritorious, and they have commanded the envoys".
After Ming Chengzu Zhu Di ascended the throne, he was awarded the meritorious service of the Battle of Jingnan, among which Zhao Yi was awarded the titles of "Fengtian Yiwei Xuanli Wuchen, Tejin Ronglu Doctor, Zhu Guo, Xin Chengbo, 1,000 stones of Food Lu, and hereditary descendants". Since then, Zhao Yi's descendants have inherited the title of Xin Chengbo and held various military positions, passing to Zhao Zhilong, who is the tenth Xin chengbo.
Although Ming Chengzu Zhu Di moved the capital to Beijing, he still retained a complete set of administrative institutions in Nanjing, such as the Six Ministries, the Metropolitan Inspection Yuan, the Governor's Palace of the Fifth Army, etc., in addition to a large number of garrisons near Nanjing. However, among all the officials in Nanjing, three of them had the most important status, namely Shangshu of the Aircraft Maintenance Department of the Nanjing Counselor, the Nanjing Garrison Eunuch, and the Admiral of the Nanjing Military Affairs, because they held military power in their hands.
Therefore, the Chongzhen Emperor successively sent the "loyal and diligent" Han Zanzhou as the garrison eunuch of Nanjing, then appointed Shi Kefa as the Shangshu of the Nanjing Military Department, and finally appointed the most trusted Zhao Zhilong as the military governor of Nanjing. At this time, the Ming Dynasty was already in turmoil, and the Chongzhen Emperor hoped that they could help them defend half of the southern part of the country. However, the Chongzhen Emperor looked at the wrong person, and Zhao Zhilong betrayed the emperor's trust!
In March 1644, the Chongzhen Emperor hanged himself in Beijing. After Shi Kefa and others heard the news, they formed a small imperial court in Nanjing. After that, Duo Duo led 100,000 Qing troops to the south, and Shi Kefa led his army to defend Yangzhou, and finally martyred the country. The garrison eunuch Han Zanzhou also chose to commit suicide and martyrdom after the Qing army entered Nanjing. However, Zhao Zhilong, who was the supreme commander of the Southern Ming army, did not have the courage to resist, and actually decided to surrender!
On the fourteenth day of the fifth lunar month in 1645, dozens of Qing cavalry arrived outside the Hongwu Gate. Zhao Zhilong of Xincheng and Zhu Guobi, the Duke of Baoguo, were swept down from the city wall and surrendered to the Qing army camp with their surrender watches. The next day, Zhao Zhilong led the Wenwu group of ministers to open the gates of Nanjing, knelt outside the door, and welcomed the Qing army into the city. Afterwards, Duo Duo wrote in a report to the imperial court, "The dragon rate of Zhao Zhilong of Xincheng Bo ... Horse infantry totaled twenty-three thousand eight thousand three hundred "surrendered.
Zhao Zhilong also asked the people of Nanjing to welcome the Qing army into the city, "let the people set up incense cases, and long live the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty." Zhao Zhilong was also the first to take the initiative to shave his hair to help the Qing army drive away the people in the city. Duo Duo was very satisfied with Zhao Zhilong, "giving gold stirrups and silver kuramas, and mink qiu eight treasure hats". After receiving Duoduo's recital, the Qing court incorporated Zhao Zhilong into the Han army with a yellow flag and was awarded the title of Third Class Ashani Hafan, that is, a third-class baron, which was inherited from generation to generation.
References: 1. "History of Ming"; 2. "Records of the Ancestors of the Qing Dynasty"; 3. "History of southern Ming"