In the long river of history, some names are like bright stars, forever engraved in the memory of the nation, while others are like meteors in the night sky, fleeting, leaving endless controversy and thinking. Shang Kexi, this name is undoubtedly the latter in the galaxy of history. Twenty years ago, a symposium on Shang Kexi was held somewhere in Liaoning Province, at which so-called Qing history experts praised him as a national hero, comparable to Yue Fei, a remark that sparked widespread controversy and criticism.
Shang Kexi, this name may not be familiar to most people, he is a surrendered general of the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, and along with Wu Sangui and Geng Jingzhong, he was named the Prince of Han by the Qing court. Among the three, Wu Sangui is the most famous and a household name. His life was full of controversy and contradictions, both surrender and the slaughter of the city. On the judgment bench of history, Shang Kexi's image is complex and vague, how should he comment on what he did?
It's gratifying
Shang Kexi's life can be said to be a drama of ups and downs. He was a general in the border army of the Ming Dynasty, and together with his father Shang Xueli, he resisted the invasion of the Later Jin.
However, Shang Kexi finally chose to surrender and became an important force in the Later Jin attack on the Ming Dynasty. Especially in the campaign of Shunzhi's six-year attack on Guangzhou, Shang Kexi's behavior caused great controversy.
According to records, after the destruction of the city of Guangzhou, Shang Kexi ordered the massacre of the city, resulting in the tragic killing of a large number of innocent people, an event known as the "Gengyin Catastrophe".
is such a historical figure, but he is praised as a national hero by some people, and even compared with Yue Fei. Such remarks are undoubtedly a distortion of history and a blasphemy against national heroes. Yue Fei, as a famous anti-gold hero in Chinese history, has been fighting for the independence of the country and the dignity of the nation all his life, and his loyalty, bravery and integrity have become a symbol of the spirit of the Chinese nation. And Shang Kexi's behavior is in stark contrast to Yue Fei's image.
The surrender and massacre of the city are undoubtedly a betrayal of the compatriots and a crime against the nation. His behavior not only caused a great shock at the time, but also made the evaluation of him controversial by later generations. In history, the image of Shang Kexi is undoubtedly a warning, reminding us that when evaluating a historical figure, we must base ourselves on facts and not be deceived by one-sided remarks.
Although the commemorative activities held by the descendants of the Shang family at the Shang Kexi Memorial Hall in Liaoning Province were large-scale, they could not conceal the truth of history. The truth of history needs to be excavated and explored. Shang Kexi's life was marked by both surrender and the crime of slaughtering the city, and these facts cannot be changed. We should evaluate historical figures with an objective and fair attitude, rather than blindly praising or belittling them.
In the long river of history, everyone is a small droplet, but it is these droplets that converge into the torrent of history. The farce that is still gratifying reminds us that we must face history squarely and not allow wrong evaluations to mislead future generations. We should follow the example of true national heroes such as Yue Fei, learn from their loyalty and bravery, and fight for the independence of the country and the dignity of the nation.