Preface
In the intertwined history, there is a regrettable and confusing story, that is, a decadent emperor in the last years of the Ming Dynasty - Emperor Yongli. He knew that he would be overturned if he took refuge in Sun Kewang, but he still chose this desperate path and pushed himself to the cusp of history. This decision is a helplessness in a political whirlpool, and it is also an unbelievable choice of how the emperor "makes" himself to a dead end in the whirlpool of power and conspiracy.
Emperor Yongli's choice is like a dazzling meteor in the long river of history, short and tragic. He chose to take refuge in Sun Kewang, perhaps out of a desire for revival, but he did not realize that this choice would become his own doom. In the whirlpool of intrigue, did he ever think that he would be hollowed out, and did he understand where this road would go?
The queen mother misled the country, favored the villain, and lost the Yongli Emperor
In April 1651, the mother of the Yongli Emperor and the concubine of the first emperor, the Queen Mother, died. She has a kind and kind personality, and is empathetic, but she is not good at politics. But as a mother, she unconditionally supports her son Zhu Youlang.
In 1644, Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty committed suicide in the coal mountain, and Emperor Zhu Youlang of Yongli ascended the throne. The Queen Mother understood that her son was not a man of the world, and she vigorously opposed his accession to the throne. It's a pity that the prime ministers passed on the will of the throne without authorization, and she couldn't stop it.
Even so, the Queen Mother still tried her best to listen to the government many times, trying to correct her son's mistakes. She has a simple temperament and is not familiar with political affairs, but with her mother's love and sense of justice, she has made some achievements in court politics. For example, she has provided relief to displaced people, reduced household taxes, and rehabilitated some unjust cases. These measures temporarily stabilized the basic market of the Ming Dynasty.
However, in her later years, the queen mother trusted the eunuch Xia Guoxiang and other traitorous villains, which became an important reason for misleading the country in the future. These traitors are accustomed to currying favor with the powerful and steering the rudder when the wind blows. They were in cahoots with the eunuch Ma Jixiang and others, and many bad decisions were implemented through the hands of the Queen Mother. In the face of the opinions of the ministers, the Queen Mother always denied it, and even carried out many absurd things.
For example, in 1649, the Queen Mother listened to Ma Jixiang and wanted to build a shrine in Nanjing. The project is huge, aggravating the suffering of the people. The officials pointed out that the people's livelihood is difficult and the construction should be stopped. The queen mother did not listen, but angrily reprimanded the officials for their false words and continued to build. This is the true portrayal of the Queen Mother's later years, "believing in evil and slandering and doing the act of worshipping the temple".
In October 1650, the Queen Mother saw that the Ming Dynasty was on the verge of extinction, so she wanted to ask for help from the Pope through her Catholic status. She and Pang Tianshou sent separate letters to the Holy See asking for support. By the time the letter was delivered by the Polish missionaries, the Yongli Dynasty was already in turmoil. This became the last bubble of the Yongli Dynasty. If it weren't for the Queen Mother's misguided country, perhaps Emperor Yongli would have been able to support it for a longer time. The pain of the Queen Mother is the prelude to the loss of eternal history.
Seek refuge in Sun Kewang and do his own evil step by step
In 1652, the Qing army captured Nanning, and Emperor Yongli fled in a hurry. Under the strong encouragement of Pang Tianshou, he decided to take refuge in Yungui under Sun Kewang's rule. This is not the first time that Emperor Yongli has fled to join local forces. From the day he ascended the throne, he lived a life of flying cornices and walking on walls. In 1645, Emperor Hongguang ascended the throne, and he went to Guangxi; In 1646, he raised troops in Guangxi and established the country. It can be said that for him, fleeing and taking refuge is commonplace.
This time, Emperor Yongli still had luck in his heart, hoping that Sun Kewang could welcome him into Yunnan and show his power. Who knows, Sun Kewang has already had his own plans.
It turned out that Sun Kewang had already established a self-respecting regime in the vast Yunnan-Guizhou Mountains. He was brave and good at fighting, and won the hearts of the people. Surrendering to Sun Kewang is undoubtedly a parasitism for Emperor Yongli. It's just that he can't accept this painful fact yet.
On the way to escape, the Qing soldiers chased after him and almost captured Emperor Yongli several times. In the chaos, he could only abandon his entourage and run to safety in embarrassment. Along the way, there was a lot of terror, hunger and cold. Fortunately, the Qing army was also tired and finally stopped the pursuit.
Emperor Yongli escaped death and came to Guangnan under Sun Kewang. At first, Emperor Yongli was dissatisfied and learned that he could only go to Anlong, a remote and barren place. His ministers on the left and right also repeatedly advised him not to go, and he would only be placed under house arrest. But in the face of no other choice, Emperor Yongli still chose to surrender in humiliation.
In the first month of 1652, the moment he set foot on the land of Anlong, he had a premonition of the end. It is deserted here, and it is completely unworthy of Sun Kewang's Kunming Palace. He knew that he was destined to be manipulated by Sun Kewang. But at this moment, he had no choice.
The king's order was not accepted, and his power was gradually lost
When he came to the small city of Anlong, Emperor Yongli found that the power was on the side, and he gradually became a puppet. In February 1652, Sun Kewang's envoy Zhang Sheng came to convey a "suggestion" to upgrade Anlong to the level of the government so that it could be easily monitored and controlled. Emperor Yongli was indignant, but he had no choice but to accept it silently.
The lack of royal ceremonies and the humble environment humiliated him. How could he endure the arrogance, but in order to protect himself, he had to accept the reality.
What made him even more unbearable was that Sun Kewang, who was a courtier, never met him in person, but sent his henchman Zhang Yingke to guard Anlong. Zhang Yingke obeyed, and his power was gradually not controlled by Emperor Yongli.
The grain transported from Yunnan was overstretched, and Emperor Yongli was forced to sell his belongings and distribute them to his subordinates. Seeing that the overall situation had been decided, the courtiers abandoned their officials and left. He is lonely and uncertain. Emperor Yongli knew that Sun Kewang was intending to usurp the throne. He remembered that the first emperor had worriedly warned him to be cautious, and now he had become a prophecy. Emperor Yongli was annoyed and regretted.
Yushi died unexpectedly and lost all his power
In 1652, after Emperor Yongli arrived in Anlong, he still wanted to give orders, but after thinking about it, the edict must pass through Sun Kewang. He is a veritable puppet. In July, Emperor Yongli accidentally learned that Sun Kewang had killed the father and son of the general Chen Bangfu. It turns out that such a major event of life and death, I don't even know it!
The loyal and upright imperial historian Li Ruyue impeached Sun Kewang Wujun, but Emperor Yongli secretly praised but did not dare to approve it openly. He didn't dare to approve the proposal, so he pretended to summon Li Ruyue and reprimanded him in person for "transgressing the canon", for fear of angering Sun Kewang and causing trouble. Unexpectedly, Zhang Yingke kept an eye on this matter and forcibly took Li Ruyue to sparse the truth. Emperor Yongli knew that something was wrong, but he couldn't intervene. Li Ruyue proudly sent a post in the name of "The Imperial History of Daming Eastern Road", and was finally executed by Ling Chi.
Emperor Yongli was heartbroken but could not do anything about it. Only then did he realize that his power had been hollowed out by Sun Kewang. Now in the Anlong Palace, even the life and death of a loyal minister cannot be controlled!
epilogue
Emperor Yongli endured the humiliation, and thought about occasionally fighting back against Sun Kewang to prove that he was still there. In 1655, Zhang Yingke attempted to harass the palace maid Xia Liangpu, and after being discovered, Emperor Yongli intervened to punish him. He executed the palace maid and pressured Sun Kewang to seek justice.
Sun Kewang did not dare to openly disobey the emperor's order, so he had to transfer out his right-hand man Zhang Yingke. This was undoubtedly a rare victory for Emperor Yongli. However, it fell short, and Zhang Yingke was soon reinstated. The loss of the power of the Yongli Emperor did not turn around.
He began to get involved in a negative life of alcoholism and indulgence. is in the prime of life, but lives a decadent life, giving up on himself day after day. What can he do? Defecting to Sun Kewang is the path he has chosen, and he can only blame himself for his failure today.
In 1662, the Yongli Dynasty was destroyed at the hands of Sun Kewang. Looking at the ruins, Emperor Yongli asked the sky with tears in his eyes: Am I guilty of my own crimes, and I can't live?