Preface
Someone once asked that the person in front of him seemed to be infinitely beautiful and high, but in fact he had an unknown inner secret - he only had one daughter in his life. So, what happened to this majestic general in his private life, so that he could not have more children until his death? Maybe many people don't know much, but in fact, the meaning behind the story is far more complex than we think.
Nurhachi's only son, Dolgon, was destined for an extraordinary life from the beginning
Dorgon was born to be extraordinary, the son of Abahai, Nurhachi's favorite concubine in his later years. Nurhachi has repeatedly praised him for being the most like himself, his temperament, and his excellent commanding skills. As his father's favorite child, Dorgon grew up living a life of fine food and clothing. He wore the most elaborate clothes and lived in the most magnificent palace. Despite his good life, Dolgon's character also has Nurhachi's blood in his veins. He admired martial arts, pursued power, and was ambitious.
However, Heaven never allows a person to have all the good fortune. As the fourteenth son of Nurhachi, Dolgon had many brothers, among whom the crown prince Taiji was a political opponent. Huang Taiji's mind is not correct and ambitious. He was bent on seizing the throne and regarded Dorgon as a thorn in his side.
At the time of Nurhachi's death, Dolgon was still young and had no chance of winning against Huang Taiji. He had no choice but to surrender, but he also witnessed his mother being buried alive. For a time, hatred and despair filled the young man's heart. He began to endure silently, but he never gave up his coveting and touching of power. Dolgon always remembered his mother in his heart, and he also had a lot of complaints about Huang Taiji in private. However, the two can only maintain superficial harmony on the surface. This was the situation of Dolgon during the reign of Emperor Taiji.
During these years, Dolgon was ostensibly obedient to the Emperor Taiji and worked hard to make military achievements for him. But in private, he secretly made friends and bought people's hearts. He spread rumors and slandered Huang Taiji's reputation. On several occasions, he even planned to poison Huang Taiji and seize the throne. But all failed due to lack of evidence. These years of forbearance have changed Dorgon's temperament, and he has become cruel and cunning, and will do whatever it takes to achieve his goals.
The throne was within reach, but Dorgon chose to give way to Xian
During this period, Huang Taiji expanded his territory, and Dolgon also made great achievements as a general. Decades later, Huang Taiji died suddenly during a tour, and there was a power vacuum in the Qing Dynasty. At this time, Dolgon, who supported his own troops, was already the de facto second position of the Qing Dynasty. It would be easy for him to seize the throne.
Dolgon had been working on it for decades, and the moment had finally arrived. The power was right in front of him, and he could have reached out and taken it. However, at this critical moment, Dolgon's heart was shaken. He suddenly remembered what Nurhachi had hoped for him and what he had told him when he was young. And his original ambition, to work for the well-being of the people.
At the same time, the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, the widow of Huang Taiji, sent someone to ask for help. She asked Dorgon to support her son Fulin on the throne. Dorgon groaned, and finally gave up the low-hanging fruit. Instead, he went all out to support Fulin's succession. In this regard, rumors are rife, the most popular of which is that there was a secret relationship between Dolgon and the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang. For the sake of this relationship, and in order to repay the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's kindness, Dolgon chose to sacrifice his ambitions.
But on the more realistic side, perhaps also because Dorgon is soberly aware that power needs legitimacy. Fulin, as the eldest son of Huang Taiji, is more legitimate. And if he forcibly takes the throne, it will inevitably lead to a struggle for power and shake the foundation of the Qing Dynasty. Therefore, he gave up his personal ambitions and chose to stabilize the overall situation. This was the real consideration of Dorgon's final decision to assist Fulin.
During the period of auxiliary government, he was pampered and threatened, which led to the disaster of killing in the future
With the support of Dolgon, Fulin was finally able to ascend the throne as emperor with the year name Shunzhi. Dorgon was also made an auxiliary minister by him. For a time, the real power was basically in the hands of Dolgon, and Fulin was just a puppet. Dolgon's power leaned towards the opposition, and he acted recklessly. He plundered wealth and was extravagant and debauched. He also went around buying people's hearts and minds in order to let his supporters take control of the big position.
Dorgon often reprimanded and even punished young Fulin, and once Fulin offended him, he was even kept under house arrest for several days.
This undoubtedly caused great humiliation and hatred in the emperor's heart. Dorgon's brutality and arrogance provoked outrage. His subjects hated him and even hatched rebellion.
In addition, later Dolgon planned to forcibly marry the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang. Although it didn't happen in the end, it also humiliated the young Fulin. After a fall from a Dolgon's horseback and injury, Fulin finally found a chance to take revenge. He ordered the dead corpse of Dolgon to be whipped hundreds of times and his entire family to be killed in order to vent the hearts of the people. All of Dorgon's sons were killed, and even his only daughter survived in a fit of rage.
Dorgon had only one daughter, and the reason for this is embarrassing
In this way, it is not surprising that Dolgon's reign was rampant and brought disgrace to him in the future. But that's not all he has with only one daughter. Perhaps, as the wild history recounts, Dolgon's body is not as strong as it seems. After years of fighting, eating and sleeping in the open, there are already many hidden roots in the body. This is also likely to cause him to be much less fertile than before.
Legend has it that Dorgon suffered from the disease of Sudden Death at Asan (ASAN), a terrible infectious disease that eroded his body and eventually led to sudden death. If this disease occurs, the consequences are unimaginable.
Therefore, in order to avoid the spread, Dolgon also specially asked the medical officer to order an epidemic prevention mask. However, the root cause of the disease is already buried in the body and is still life-threatening.
But the problem of face made him not tell the doctor anyway, and missed the best time for treatment. Therefore, the reason why Dorgon finally left only one daughter was naturally due to the persecution of Blessed Rin, but it was also inseparable from his own physical defects. The life trajectory and inner world of the majestic general we see today are far more bumpy and complex than the surface.
epilogue
Perhaps it is precisely because he knows the impermanence of fate that he chooses to support Fulin at the last moment, hoping to leave a glimmer of life for the great cause; Perhaps it is precisely because of his emotional concern for Concubine Zhuang that he is willing to put down his body and ignore his past suspicions. As a powerful auxiliary minister, he has mixed good and evil, and his achievements coexist with sins. But when we look back at this legendary figure in the long river of history, we still can't help but feel a lot of emotion for the ups and downs of his life.