Aobai, a well-known figure in the history of the Qing Dynasty. He was the first warrior of Manchuria and the auxiliary minister of Kangxi when he was young. However, this former hero was captured after Kangxi became pro-government. Why did Kangxi get rid of Aobai? Was Aobai really a traitor? He was loyal to the Qing Dynasty, but why did he become a thorn in the side of the Kangxi Dynasty? Why did Kangxi praise Aobai in his later years? What kind of story is behind all this?
Aobai's brilliant exploits
Aobai, born in the Guarjia clan, one of the eight major surnames in Manchuria. His grandfather, Solguo, was the leader of the Suwan Tribe, and his father, Wei Qi, was the Governor of Bamen. Aobai's uncle Fei Yingdong was one of the five great heroes of the founding of the Qing Dynasty, and won the trust of Taizu Nurhachi and Emperor Taizong. Under such a family background, Ao Bai has been practicing in the military camp since he was a child, and he is very good at riding and archery.
When he was young, Ao Bai followed Huang Taiji to fight in the south and the north, and made many military exploits. Among them, the most famous are the attack on Phi Island and the Battle of Songjin.
Located in the southwest of the Liaodong Peninsula, Phi Island was an important military stronghold of the Ming Dynasty outside the Guan. Although the Later Jin had occupied Liaodong, the troops of the Ming general Mao Wenlong were stationed on Qui Island, which posed a great threat to the Later Jin army. Huang Taiji sent troops to attack Phi Island several times, but they were all unable to achieve victory.
In 1637, Huang Taiji once again ordered Kong Youde, Shang Kexi and others to lead an army to attack Phi Island, and Ao Bai went out with his twelfth brother Azig. After some fierce fighting, the Houjin army still failed to capture the island. In desperation, Azig decided to adopt the strategy of attacking the east and the west, and ordered Ao Bai to lead an elite army to attack the rear of the Ming army.
Ao Bai seized the opportunity and led his soldiers to brave the artillery fire to attack the Ming army's position, and finally attacked Qupi Island. Seeing that the general trend had gone, the Ming army on the island abandoned their armor and surrendered. Huang Taiji learned of the good news, Long Yan Dayue, personally sacrificed to the spirit of his father Khan in the sky, and named Ao Bai as "Baturu" in recognition of his military exploits.
The Battle of Phi Dao established Aobai's position in the Later Jin Army, and the Battle of Songjin made him one of the most relied on generals of Huang Taiji.
In 1641, the Ming general Hong Chengchou led an army of 130,000 to join forces with the Jinzhou defender Zu Dashouli to launch an attack on the Houjin army. At that time, Ao Bai was under the command of Zilharang, and met the enemy with the army. At the beginning of the war, the Houjin army was defeated and retreated, and it was about to be defeated.
At the critical juncture, Ao Bai stepped forward and led the cavalry to rush into the Ming army's formation, fighting for five days and five nights, and finally turned the tide of the battle. After this battle, the Ming army was no longer able to launch a large-scale attack on the Houjin, and Ao Bai was also promoted to the commander of the protector army because of his merits, becoming one of the most prestigious figures among the generals of the Eight Banners.
Although Ao Bai was born in a general's family, he was able to make frequent meritorious contributions and be reused by Huang Taiji, relying not only on his family background, but also on his own bravery and talent. From Peel Island to Songjin, from Baturu to the commander of the Protectors, Ao Bai used his own blood and sweat to compose a brilliant war song.
Aobai's feud with Dorgon
After the death of Huang Taiji, according to his last wishes, the emperor's eldest son Haoge inherited the throne. Hauge's uncle, however, had other plans. Dolgon was the younger brother of Huang Taiji and a general with considerable prestige. He thought he was the right man to succeed to the throne.
As Huang Taiji's confidant minister, Ao Bai resolutely supported Haoge's accession to the throne. He and Dolgon are on the same page,-for-tat. During the Eight Kings Discussion, Ao Bai joined forces with Sonny and other Yellow Flag ministers to advocate Hauge's succession. Seeing this, Dolgon had to temporarily back down and support the six-year-old emperor's ninth son, Fulin, to ascend the throne, and himself as regent.
After Emperor Shunzhi ascended the throne, Dolgon took control of the government, and Ao Bai and other ministers who supported Haoge were in a difficult situation. In the first year of Shunzhi, Ao Bai accompanied his imperial uncle Azig to return to Beijing from Li Zicheng. Azig has always been arrogant, and even called the young Emperor Shunzhi "a son". Dolgon was furious and ordered Azig to be rebuked. Coincidentally, Azig was not in the camp when the decree was read, and Ao Bai and Tan Tai received the decree on his behalf. In order to save Azig's face, the two did not report their will.
When Dolgon learned of this, he took advantage of the situation and dismissed him from his position, even beheading him. Fortunately, thanks to the persuasion of the ministers, Ao Bai was able to save his life. After that, Ao Bai became a thorn in Dorgon's side, and was nearly killed three times.
In the fifth year of Shunzhi, Shuerhaqi's grandson Tunqi reported to Dolgon, saying that Aobai and others had conspired to support Haoge as emperor, and also privately made a covenant to surround Chongzhen Palace. Dolgon took the opportunity to go on a killing spree, wanting to get rid of Ao Bai and other henchmen. Ao Bai escaped death again.
In the seventh year of Shunzhi, Dolgon was seriously ill and suggested that Belessihan invite Emperor Shunzhi to come and visit. Sihan complied, but Dolgon bit back, saying that Sihan had disobeyed his orders and made his own decisions. Ao Bai interceded for Sihan, but Dolgon accused him of covering up and insisted on killing Ao Bai. If it weren't for the resolute opposition of the ministers of the two yellow flags, Ao Bai would probably have been killed.
Fortunately, Dolgon died of illness soon after, and Emperor Shunzhi was in power, and Ao Bai finally came out of it, and was worshiped as the minister of the king of parliament and the minister of the guard. Since then, Ao Bai has become a trusted confidant of Emperor Shunzhi.
Although Ao Bai was born in Jiangmen, he was able to make frequent meritorious contributions and be reused by Emperor Taiji and Emperor Shunzhi, not only by his family background, but also by his own bravery and talent. However, Aobai's career has not been smooth sailing. During Dorgon's reign, he was persecuted three times and almost died. The reason why Ao Bai was able to escape from death was due to his own prudence and the support of his ministers on the one hand, and on the other hand, it was also related to Dorgon's calculations.
Although Dolgon wanted to get rid of Aobai's henchman, he was afraid of his prestige and influence in the Two Yellow Banners. If you act rashly, I am afraid that it will cause a backlash against the two yellow flags, and then threaten your own rule. Therefore, although Dolgon repeatedly tried to make a difficult comeback, he never made a dead move.
Aobai was tested several times under Dolgon, not only because of his loyalty, but also because of his mastery of power. He saw through Dorgon's mind and knew he wouldn't dare to act rashly. Therefore, whenever Dolgon is in trouble, Ao Bai can always respond calmly and use the power of the two yellow flags to save the day.
The grievances between Ao Bai and Dolgon reflect the rise and fall of imperial power and noble power. As a high-ranking minister during the Huang Taiji period, Aobai's loyalty to the Qing Dynasty was to some extent higher than his personal loyalty to the emperor. He resolutely supported Hauge in order to safeguard the orthodoxy of the imperial heir and protect the interests of the two yellow flags. Dolgon, on the other hand, used the power of the regent to suppress Aobai, intending to weaken the power of the nobles and consolidate his position.
Although Ao Bai went through several hardships, he finally survived the Dolgon period with his deep political foundation and superb power skills. When Emperor Shunzhi was in power, Ao Bai was favored again and became the de facto "first minister". At this time, Ao Bai has transformed from a simple military general to a powerful minister who is well versed in politics. His scenery in the Shunzhi Dynasty laid the groundwork for the monopoly of power in the early years of Kangxi in the future.
The road of auxiliary government of Aobai
When Emperor Shunzhi died, the fourth son of the emperor, Xuanye, who was only eight years old, was established as the new monarch. At the same time, Emperor Shunzhi specially ordered the ministers of the interior, Sony, Suke Saha, Kubilong, and Aobai to be auxiliary ministers to assist the young emperor in governing the world. As Emperor Shunzhi's confidant, Ao Bai naturally became the founder of the Kangxi Dynasty.
At the beginning of the auxiliary government, the four ministers were still able to work together and make every effort to start the new dynasty. However, as time passed, contradictions and rifts gradually emerged. Ao Bai is the last of the four ministers, but he is ambitious and difficult to be the back. He took advantage of the contradiction between the white and yellow flags to secretly pressure and squeeze out Sukh Saha.
In the second year of Kangxi, Ao Bai proposed to exchange the yellow flag with Jizhou, Zunhua, Qian'an and other prefectures and counties to which the white flag belonged, on the grounds of "eight flags in order". There is little land under the white flag, so we have to occupy the land to make up for it. This move dealt a great blow to the Zhengbai Banner forces, and although Sukh Saha was unwilling, he was helpless.
In the sixth year of Kangxi, Sony died of illness. Without Sony's clamping, Aobai is even more unscrupulous. He conspired with university scholar Bambulshan and other henchmen to frame Sukh Saha for "resentment and desire not to return to power", and listed 24 counts for the punishment of great rebellion. Although Kangxi was not allowed, under the persecution of Aobai, he finally agreed to execute Suke Saha.
The death of Suke Saha made Kangxi and the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang even more jealous of Aobai. However, at this time, Kangxi was not yet fully in power, and Ao Bai and Ji Bilong still controlled the government and were difficult to shake for a while. Ao worshiped the power, became more and more arrogant, and he had the final say in all the affairs of the DPRK and China. Although Kangxi is already in power, he is being set up like a puppet, and he can't bear it.
In the seventh year of Kangxi, Ao Bai was awarded the title of first-class duke, and his son inherited the second-class duke. Dang Yu Bambulshan was promoted to a university scholar, and Ji Shi was the secretary of the Ministry of Industry. Ao worships the power of the party and the opposition, but Kangxi can only dare to be angry but dare not speak. However, in secret, Kangxi and the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang have begun to lay out, waiting for an opportunity to get rid of this big trouble.
In May of the eighth year of Kangxi, the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang pretended to be sick and ordered Ao Bai to visit the palace. Ao Bai did not doubt that he had him, and went alone. As soon as he stepped into the Qianqing Gate, he was pressed to the ground by a group of young warriors. It turned out that this was Kangxi's carefully trained "Kubu", which was specially designed to capture powerful ministers. Although Ao Bai was brave, after all, it was difficult for the enemy to be overwhelming, so he had to be captured.
Bow down and ambush him, and his henchmen will not escape. Kangxi promulgated 30 counts of worship, including 23 for forming a party and abusing power, 2 for disrespecting the queen mother, and 5 for jealousy and canonizing the queen. However, on closer examination, although Ao Bai was domineering and dictatorship, he did not seek rebellion and usurpation. He has no two intentions for the Qing Dynasty, but he is consumed by power and disoriented.
Compared with the traitors of later generations, Aobai's fault is not serious. Kangxi knew it, so although he was captured, he did not give him death, but only imprisoned him for a long time. This may also be a reference to the merits of Ao Bai in the past, and he can't bear to be punished with death.
Although Ao Bai is in prison, his family has not been implicated. Kangxi not only preserved the Aobai family, but also mentioned Aobai's exploits many times in his later years, which can be described as magnanimous. It's just that he has been a general all his life, and finally lost himself because of power, which is really regrettable.
Aobai's auxiliary political career can be called a tragedy of power. He was originally a lonely minister of the Shunzhi Emperor, but because of his inflated ambitions, he went to the opposite. Ao Bai arbitrarily asserted power, completely elevated the young master, and turned the court into his own prison. He excludes dissidents, forms parties for personal gain, and puts his personal desires above the interests of the state.
However, after all, Ao Bai is not an ordinary traitorous villain. Although he was obsessed with power, he never meant to betray the Qing Dynasty. Ao Bai has been a handsome man all his life, and has made great achievements for the country. Even as an official in the Shunzhi Dynasty, he was worried about the monarch and worried. It was only during the period of auxiliary government that the poison of power completely corrupted the brave Baturu.
The tragedy of Ao Bai lies in his failure to resist the temptation of power and put his selfish desires above the interests of the country. Although he had no ambition to rebel and usurp the throne, he completely usurped the scope of the duties of the auxiliary minister. Ao Bai used his own selfishness, set aside the monarchy, controlled the government, and regarded the young emperor Kangxi as a puppet. What he did had seriously threatened the imperial power and the country, and Kangxi had to eradicate it ruthlessly.
The fall of Aobai left a profound lesson for later generations of powerful ministers. Power is a double-edged sword, if used properly, it will benefit the country and the people, and if it is abused, it will cause endless harm. As an auxiliary minister, he should assist the young lord and share the worries of the country. However, Ao Bai sees power as a tool for personal gain, and eventually leads to the path of self-destruction. This can't help but make people sigh.
The tragic end of Aobai
In May of the eighth year of Kangxi, Ao Bai was designed and captured by the young son of heaven Xuanye. This once powerful minister came to a hurried curtain call and disappeared from then on. However, Kangxi did not kill the former auxiliary minister.
After Ao Bai was captured, Kangxi promulgated his 30 counts. Among them, there are 23 articles of forming a party and arbitrarily exercising power, 2 articles of disrespecting the queen mother, and 5 articles of jealousy and canonization of the queen. These charges seem to be conclusive, but when examined carefully, they do not constitute the crime of rebellion.
Kangxi knew that although Ao Bai was domineering, he had no second thoughts about the Qing Dynasty. Although he controlled the government and set up the monarchy, he never thought of usurping the throne and plotting rebellion. Compared with the traitors of later generations, Aobai's fault is really nothing.
Because of this, although Kangxi captured Aobai, he did not give him death. He simply imprisoned them for a long time, depriving them of political power. This is not only a punishment for the crime of trespassing, but also a remembrance of his past achievements.
Although Ao Bai is behind bars, his family has not been implicated. Kangxi not only preserved the Aobai family, but also mentioned Aobai's exploits many times in his later years. In the fifty-second year of Kangxi, Emperor Kangxi sighed above the court:
"Looking back on the past, no one would dare to say it if I didn't say it. Among the ministers who have served in our wars, there is really no one who can compare with Aobai..... ＂
Kangxi's words expressed his complicated feelings about Aobai. On the one hand, he hated Aobai's arbitrary power and overpower. But on the other hand, he had to admit that he had made great achievements against the Kai State.
It is precisely by virtue of these military exploits that Ao Bai has the capital to become a powerful minister in the Shunzhi Dynasty. It is precisely with these exploits that Kangxi will still give his family protection after getting rid of Aobai, instead of killing them all.
Although Ao Bai was only imprisoned, he had lost power after all. This is undoubtedly a more painful punishment than death for a high-ranking minister. Ao Bai spent his days in prison like a year, and finally died of depression.
After Yongzheng succeeded to the throne, in order to demonstrate the virtue of "caring for the old ministers", he posthumously named Ao Bai as "Chaowu Duke", and restored his title of first-class duke, so that his descendants were hereditary. This is not only an affirmation of Aobai's merits, but also a kind of compensation for his tragic fate.
However, after Qianlong ascended the throne, he demoted the title of Aobai to a baron. In Qianlong's view, although Ao Bai was the founder of the Qing Dynasty, he was also a rebel and thief who was arrogant. The demotion of his title is precisely to warn future generations not to repeat the mistakes of worship.
Aobai's life can be called a tragedy. He was born in Jiangmen, made meritorious contributions at a young age, and was the most relied on minister of Emperor Taiji and Emperor Shunzhi. However, in the Kangxi Dynasty, because of the confusion of power, he gradually moved towards the point of no return to autocracy.
Behind the abuse of power, it reflects the game between the imperial power and the noble forces. As the founder of the country, Ao Bai has a heavy army and is in power. His loyalty to the Qing Dynasty to some extent overrode his personal loyalty to the emperor. This would inevitably pose a threat to imperial power.
Kangxi first ascended to the throne, was young and ignorant, and could only let Ao Bai control the government. However, as Kangxi grew up, he became more and more dissatisfied with Aobai's authoritarian heart. Ao worships the imperial power and treats Kangxi as a puppet, which Kangxi cannot tolerate.
Therefore, Kangxi and the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang carefully arranged and waited for the opportunity to get rid of Aobai. This is not only the inevitable result of the struggle between the imperial power and the noble forces, but also an important step for Kangxi to consolidate the imperial power. The fall of Aobai marked the final victory of the imperial power over the noble forces, and Kangxi truly controlled the Qing Dynasty government.
The tragedy of Ao Bai is that he failed to resist the temptation of power. Although he was loyal to his country, he put his personal desires above the monarch. This kind of arrogance is destined to provoke a counterattack from the imperial power.
The ending of Aobai left a profound lesson for later generations of powerful ministers. Power is a double-edged sword, if used properly, it will benefit the country and the people, and if it is abused, it will cause endless harm. As an auxiliary minister, he should assist the young lord and share the worries of the country. However, once the desire for power is consumed, it is difficult to escape the fate of doom after all.
Although Ao Bai is only a microcosm in the long history of the Qing Dynasty, his tragic fate is worthy of deep thought by future generations. The curse of power is often more terrifying than the scythe of death. Only by guarding against power and staying sober at all times can we avoid repeating the mistakes of worship.