preface
In 1851, the Jintian Uprising kicked off the Taiping Rebellion. At first, the Qing rulers did not take this insurgent organization seriously, and even sent troops to encircle and suppress it. But they never expected that this seemingly inconspicuous force would grow rapidly after a figure named Yang Xiuqing joined.
The beginning of the East King's title was unexpected
Yang Xiuqing, a commoner born in a poor family, was originally just a small person who burned charcoal for a living. He grew up in a poor family, lost his mother at an early age, and depended on his father for his life. Yang Xiuqing had a clever personality and a sense of justice, and could not see the phenomenon of corrupt officials oppressing the people at that time. However, with his outstanding wit and judgment, he saw early on that this organization called the God Worship Society would do a lot in the future. So he resolutely decided to join and became one of the elders of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
In the early days of the development of worship churches, they were once hit by the authorities and demoralized. It was at this critical moment that Yang Xiuqing stepped forward and came to earth as a "heavenly father", which greatly inspired people's hearts. The "Father" made a high-profile declaration to sweep away the wicked and defeat demons on earth to save the suffering people.
This hype-like move really boosted morale. Although everyone knew that this was Yang Xiuqing pretending, for the sake of morale, he still admitted his identity as "possessed by the Heavenly Father". Since then, Yang Xiuqing's status in the organization has risen sharply.
Subsequently, Yang Xiuqing made great contributions to the Northern Expedition of the Taiping Rebellion. He is not only strong in martial arts, but also brave and good at fighting, and he rushes to the forefront in every confrontation. Before each expedition, he personally inspected the troops and encouraged the soldiers. His speeches were infectious and aroused the hearts of the military many times. Yang Xiuqing took the lead and shared happiness and hardship with the soldiers, and made the first merit every time. The morale of the Taiping army was greatly boosted, and they captured the city one after another. Finally, after the great victory in Yong'an Prefecture, Yang Xiuqing was named the "King of the East", ranking first among the kings, second only to the sect leader Hong Xiuquan, holding heavy troops, and for a time the power fell to the opposition.
For a commoner from a humble background, it is a great joy to be able to climb to such a position on his own. Yang Xiuqing transformed from a small charcoal burner into the Eastern King who made the enemy fearful, and became famous for a while. At that time, it seemed that Yang Xiuqing was clothed and powerful, but he was actually at the peak of his life.
However, the good times did not last long. When the sweetness of power first tasted, ambition had already germinated in Yang Xiuqing's heart. He gradually became not satisfied with the position of the Eastern King, but vainly tried to compete for the position of the sect leader and claim the emperor of the world. This sowed the seeds of future disaster.
Arrogance and indulgence, lust for power
Since sitting on the throne of the Eastern King, Yang Xiuqing's actions have not been as good as before. He was originally arrogant and happy, and once he became a king, his power increased, and these shortcomings were further magnified, making him arrogant and lawless.
Yang Xiuqing is no longer as diligent and energetic as before, he only knows that he is addicted to pleasure day and night, looking for flowers and asking willows. He built lavish palaces, filled with wine and food, and served hordes of beautiful women. The dignitaries also offered courtesy, sending gold and silver treasures and beauty. The East Royal Mansion is full of singing and dancing, and it is very lively. Yang Xiuqing was idle all day, drinking and having fun, and had completely thrown the responsibility of commanding the army out of cloud nine.
At this time, Yang Xiuqing was completely immersed in the vanity brought by power. He built stone statues several feet high, engraved with his majestic features. In order to show his authority to the people, Yang Xiuqing also specially designed a set of etiquette that only an emperor has, giving officials knighthood and taxes like flowing water. The people were full of dissatisfaction with this domineering ruler who had forgotten his original intention, and secretly circulated all kinds of evil words about Yang Xiuqing.
At the same time, Yang Xiuqing often used power to suppress others, especially several important figures in the Taiping Rebellion. He played with the military power in his hands, often pretending to be a "heavenly father" to reprimand Wei Changhui and others in the north, making them feel uncomfortable. He also imprisoned Hong Renda, the brother of the sect leader Hong Xiuquan, several times, intending to hold power in the dynasty.
Several Wang Ye were indignant about this and complained to Hong Xiuquan many times. However, Hong Xiuquan was obsessed with sound and had no time to take care of the imperial government, which made his status even more shaken. Yang Xiuqing's actions made the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom turbulent, and several important ministers wanted to get rid of it quickly.
Sure enough, one day in September 1856, Wei Changhui, the Northern King, suddenly attacked and led his army to surround Yang Xiuqing's Eastern Palace. Due to the suddenness of the incident, Yang Xiuqing was defenseless and was soon captured alive by Wei Changhui. Subsequently, Wei Changhui immediately executed Yang Xiuqing's entire family. Not only that, but he also swept up more than 20,000 people under Yang Xiuqing in the city. Just overnight, the powerful Dongwang fell in the fireworks.
The bad germ cultivation industry suffered retribution
At the moment when Yang Xiuqing was destroyed by Wei Changhui, many people couldn't help but think that his end was indeed expected.
Yang Xiuqing was insatiable during his lifetime, and he was not in the sect, and finally planted evil results. He could have relied on his outstanding martial arts and talent to make a great contribution as a general of the Taiping Rebellion and play an important role in the movement. But he was obsessed with power, and he embarked on the point of no return for supreme dominance.
Perhaps, it was Yang Xiuqing's ambition and arrogance that accelerated the Taiping civil strife, which led to the final fragmentation and self-destruction of the revolution. His deeds during his lifetime undoubtedly laid hidden dangers for the eventual failure of this revolutionary movement. So much so that many ordinary people of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and even Yang Xiuqing's acquaintances before his death, believed that his tragic end was also self-inflicted.
"Yang Xiuqing deserved to die." Lao Hong is a fellow countryman of Yang Xiuqing and has known Yang Xiuqing since he was a child. After hearing the bad news of Yang Xiuqing's murder, Lao Hong shook his head and sighed: "I remember that when I was a child, Yang Xiuqing was blind and self-righteous. Later, with better luck, the power came, and it was even more empty-eyed and did not put the king in his eyes. God has eyes, and those who go against the sky have no good end. ”
"If he had been grateful and dedicated to the people, how could he have come to this point?" Lao Hong sighed, "Like him, I came from a poor background, and I have worked hard since I was a child to have today's moderately prosperous life." If he didn't have meritorious service, he could still live his old age in the same peace as I did. Well, now, although it was a great achievement at the beginning, it was finally planted in Game of Thrones. ”
Another neighbor who is familiar with Yang Xiuqing, Xiao Zhang, also said that Yang Xiuqing had a sense of justice when he was young and could not tolerate bullying, but once he got his will, he was empty-eyed and finally suffered the consequences of his own evil. "Power is a double-edged sword, if you don't control it well, you will only hurt yourself in the end." Xiao Zhang sighed so emotionally.
However, Yang Xiuqing's personal evaluation is an evaluation, and his death is undoubtedly worse for the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. The already volatile situation is even more grim. After Yang Xiuqing's death, Wei Changhui was also killed by Hong Xiuquan. The two popular people who were powerful for a while died young, and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom suddenly lost two important leaders. This has undoubtedly exacerbated factional strife and exacerbated an already fragmented situation. In the end, the revolution took its own toll in infighting.
epilogue
The ill-fated Yang Xiuqing had ups and downs in his life, but in the end he was cast in the shadow of failure and tragic death. Like a brilliant shooting star, he cuts a dazzling arc in the night sky and eventually falls into the darkness.
The vanity brought by power blinded Yang Xiuqing's eyes, making him forget his original ideals and embark on a wrong path. The heroic general who led the rebel army to victory was eventually buried in the whirlpool of the power struggle.
Although his ambitions injected hidden dangers into the Taiping Rebellion and hastened its defeat, it is undeniable that Yang Xiuqing did make great contributions in the early years of the revolution. Only blame him for losing his heart, otherwise he may be able to achieve a great cause.
Yang Xiuqing's life is not only a tragedy of success, but also a profound warning to future generations about the desire for power. If those in power cannot always be humble, once the greedy heart of the villain swells, it will surely be a disaster for himself, harm to others and harm himself.