Dinghu abandoned the world on the same day, broke the enemy and took the Yuguan in Beijing
Weeping six armies, Chong Guan was angry and red
It is well known that the Ming Dynasty perished at the hands of Li Zicheng, not the Manchu Eight Banners.
The reason why the Manchus were able to sit back and enjoy their success was deeply related to the surrender of one person, Wu Sangui. According to rumors, Wu Sangui had surrendered to Li Zicheng, but when he heard that his concubine Chen Yuanyuan was possessed by Li Zicheng's general Liu Zongmin, Wu Sangui was furious and opened Shanhaiguan to welcome the Qing army.
Is it really as rumored to be? What fate did Chen Yuanyuan encounter?
Chen Yuanyuan's bumpy life
Chen Yuanyuan was originally one of the eight Yan of Qin Huai in the late Ming Dynasty, but his original surname was not Chen. Born in the Xing family in Jiangnan, her parents died early when she was a child, and she was adopted by her aunt, so that she took her uncle's surname Chen. However, his aunt's family was not wealthy, and Chen Yuanyuan was sold into Liyuan when he was ten years old. Despite becoming a dusty woman, Chen Yuanyuan learned singing and dancing skills, Qinqi calligraphy and painting, and soon made a name for himself in Liyuan. A talented son named Gong Ruofu ransomed her for taking her as a concubine, but was expelled by her main house.
Later, one of the four sons of the late Ming Dynasty, Mao Xiang, met Chen Yuanyuan and agreed to meet, and Chen Yuanyuan even met Mao Xiang's parents and wanted to spend the rest of his life together. However, due to frequent wars and chaos, Chen Yuanyuan was discouraged. Just at this time, Waiqi Tian Hongyu robbed her to the capital. Tian Hongyu fell in love with Chen Yuanyuan, but also valued power, and wanted to use Chen Yuanyuan to curry favor with the Chongzhen Emperor. The Chongzhen Emperor was worried about state affairs and did not accept Tian Hong's wishes, so Chen Yuanyuan was left in the Tian Jia Leban.
And Wu Sangui, who is famous and has mastered heavy troops, is Tian Hong's favorite trading partner. Sure enough, as soon as Wu Sangui saw Chen Yuanyuan, he fell for it. Tian Hongyu successfully borrowed Chen Yuanyuan to climb Wu Sangui, but Wu Sangui, as the commander-in-chief of Shanhaiguan, could not stay at home for a long time, and Chen Yuanyuan was left in Wu Mansion.
After Li Zicheng captured Beijing, the Chongzhen Emperor committed suicide, and Wu Sangui faced a difficult choice: surrender Li Zicheng or the Qing army?
He hesitated. Li Zicheng recruited Wu Sangui and detained Wu Sangui's family. Wu Sangui thought about the safety of his family and wanted to surrender Li Zicheng. However, when he led his army into Beijing to meet Li Zicheng, news came from the front that Chen Yuanyuan had been occupied by Liu Zongmin, and Wu Sangui was angry, surrendered to the Qing army and helped fight Li Zicheng. In the end, Li Zicheng left Beijing, and the Qing army entered the Central Plains and gained Jiangshan.
It is said that Chen Yuanyuan was later found by Wu Sangui and placed in the Pingxi Royal Mansion. As time passed, Chen Yuanyuan's face grew old and lost his favor. She was dissatisfied with Wu Sangui's surrender to the Qing Dynasty, so she shaved her hair and became a nun. After Wu Sangui's death, Kangxi cut the domain, and Chen Yuanyuan, under the protection of Wu Sangui's general, led Wu Yingqi to flee deep into the mountains of Guizhou, set up camp, and lived an incognito life. After Chen Yuanyuan's death, Wu Yingqi and his ministry will continue to live in seclusion there.
Wu Sangui let the Qing army enter the customs, is it really Chen Yuanyuan?
I think Chen Yuanyuan may have been part of the reason for surrendering to the Qing army, but it was by no means the main reason. Wu Sangui can become the general soldier of Shanhaiguan, and he is by no means an impulsive person. Bearing the stigma of being a "traitor" for a concubine, he should not be so. In fact, long before Li Zicheng came into contact with Wu Sangui, the Qing army had begun to establish contact with Wu Sangui.
At that time, the Ming Dynasty was traveling south, and the regime had not yet been fully formed, and Wu Sangui's choice was crucial. Whichever side he chooses, the balance of victory will tilt in favor. Liu Zongmin's occupation of Chen Yuanyuan was only the fuse, and the real reason for Wu Sangui's surrender to the Qing army was Li Zicheng's attitude towards the old officials of the Ming Dynasty. After Li Zicheng's peasant army entered Beijing, he tortured Ming officials and forced them to hand over their property. Wu Sangui's mansion was not spared, and his father was also beaten by peasant troops. The Qing army, on the other hand, promised all kinds of preferential treatment. In this case, Wu Sangui preferred the Qing army.
Therefore, Wu Sangui's anger for Chen Yuanyuan was just an excuse and a reason. It is unjust to let Chen Yuanyuan bear the infamy of the ages, because the person who decided was Wu Sangui, not Chen Yuanyuan.
The historical Wu Sangui and Chen Yuanyuan were praised by posterity and criticized by posterity. Although the real reason why Wu Sangui released Chen Yuanyuan into the customs may not be as romantic as rumored, their love story is still breathtaking. Sometimes, the truth of history may not be as dramatic as we think, but it does leave many evocative stories and revelations.
Throughout history, many times people tend to confuse individual emotions with political decisions. As in the case of Wu Sangui and Chen Yuanyuan, their love story is largely influenced by political reasons. When we review history, we should examine the problem from multiple angles in order to obtain a more comprehensive and objective understanding.
Finally, the story of Wu Sangui and Chen Yuanyuan may also tell us a truth: in the torrent of fate, personal choices are often influenced by unforeseen external factors. While we can't change history, we can learn from it and make smarter choices for the future.