01 /
Where did the vassal king go?
It is said that during the Kangxi period, the rebellion of the three feudatories was in an uproar, and the three benevolent brothers Wu Sangui, Geng Jingzhong, and Shang Kexi were out of the limelight.
But did you know? In fact, there was a fourth vassal king in the history of the Qing Dynasty, and he was like a mysterious character in the movie, always "missing" at the most critical time.
So, where did this vassal king go? Let's unravel this historical mystery together!
02 /
Revealing Kong Youde: From "Qiu Ba" to the counterattack of the vassal king
This mysterious fourth vassal king is named Kong Youde. Speaking of this Brother Confucius, that's really interesting.
He was born in Shandong, and he is an authentic "Qiu Ba", which is what we now call the big old man. But this old man has an extraordinary fate, because he met the noble man in his life - Mao Wenlong.
As for Mao Wenlong, although he has a bad reputation in history, his vision is still very unique. He took a fancy to Kong Youde's potential at a glance, and not only accepted him as his grandson (although he was a righteous grandson), but also personally taught him the ability to march and fight.
Under Mao Wenlong's tutelage, Kong Youde was quickly reborn, from an illiterate Qiu Ba to a qualified soldier, and even became a general with little achievement.
But the good times didn't last long, and Mao Wenlong was later killed by Yuan Chonghuan. This matter has caused a lot of trouble in history, so we won't say much about it.
In short, as soon as Mao Wenlong died, his army was torn apart, and most of them surrendered to Houjin. With disappointment in the Ming Dynasty and anger at Yuan Chonghuan, he also came to the commander of the Qing army and expressed his allegiance without hesitation.
This was a surrender of historic significance! You must know that although the Houjin army at that time was strong, there were no really powerful people to join them.
Kong Youde's surrender became the first person to eat crabs. And he also brought important materials such as Mao Wenlong's navy and artillery as a "dowry", which made the Qing army like a tiger!
As soon as the commander of the Qing army saw this posture, he immediately gave Kong Youde the title of King of Respect. From then on, Kong Youde became one of the vassal kings of the Qing Dynasty and began his career of fighting in the south and the north.
03 /
Kong Youde's "tragedy": the vassal king who died on horseback
Although Kong Youde does not have as a fierce record as Wu Sangui (of course, this is also related to his strength and luck), his loyalty to the Qing Dynasty is not to be said.
He fought for the Qing army on the battlefield until the last moment, and even died on horseback. This spirit of the horse leather shroud made the Qing rulers highly value and respect him (of course, it is not excluded that it was made for others to see).
Moreover, it is said that the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang also recognized Kong Youde's daughter as her goddaughter! In this way, Kong Youde's position in the Qing Dynasty was even more stable.
So among the four feudal kings who were canonized in the Qing Dynasty, Kong Youde can definitely be ranked first!
But alas, all the traitors and surrenderers don't seem to end well (this seems to be a rule of history). Although Kong Youde made great contributions to the Qing Dynasty, he still failed to escape the tragic fate in the end.
In a battle, he was shot to death by Li Dingguo's sword, ending his magnificent life. And his son did not escape, leaving only one daughter to become a princess.
04 /
The San Francisco Rebellion and Kong Youde's "Disappearance"
After talking about Kong Youde's life and tragedy, let's return to the topic of the rebellion of the three feudatories. As mentioned earlier, the rebellion of the three feudatories was vigorous, but there was no Kong Youde, why is this?
Is it because he doesn't want to participate? Or is he something else hidden?
Actually, the reasons behind this are quite complicated. First of all, we have to understand a truth: history is composed of countless accidents and inevitability, and sometimes a small factor can change the direction of the entire history.
And Kong Youde's "disappearance" is precisely such a small factor.
If Kong Youde had not died early, the rebellion of the three feudatories might have become more complicated and intense. With Kong Youde's strength and status, it is entirely possible that he will become an ally of Wu Sangui and others, and it is even possible that he will become one of the leaders of this rebellion.
In this way, the scale and impact of the rebellion of the three feudatories will be greatly expanded, and it may not be so easy for Emperor Kangxi to quell this rebellion.
But fortunately (or in misfortune), Kong Youde did not live to that time, and his early death allowed the Qing Dynasty to avoid such a possible crisis.
So to some extent, Kong Youde's "disappearance" was actually a kind of luck in the Qing Dynasty.
05 /
Reverie and Reflection: If Kong Youde Were Alive......
Of course, there are no ifs in history, only results and consequences. But let's imagine if Kong Youde really lived to the time when Wu Sangui rebelled, then what choice would he make?
Will he follow Wu Sangui to raise troops together, or will he choose to be loyal to the Qing Dynasty? I am afraid that only he can answer this question.
But even if Kong Youde really chooses to raise troops, it is not necessarily a bad thing (of course, this is for the Qing Dynasty). You must know that Kong Youde's cannon and sailor are both sharp weapons of the Qing Dynasty!
If he really reversed, maybe he could bring a victory in a "civil war" to the Qing Dynasty! When the time comes, Emperor Kangxi will give him a bigger official and let him continue to serve the Qing Dynasty, wouldn't everyone be happy? (Of course, this is just my reverie, don't take it seriously!)
Having said that, although Kong Youde did not participate in the rebellion of the three feudatories, his story and experience still leave a deep inspiration for us:
In the long course of history, everyone has the potential to become a key figure in changing history, even if he is just a small vassal king or an ordinary soldier.
Therefore, when looking at historical figures and events, we must comprehensively and objectively analyze and evaluate, and we must not easily draw conclusions or make one-sided judgments.