Preface
Set against the backdrop of the Qing dynasty, Ao Bai was a controversial character whose life story was a complex interweaving of intrigues, loyalty, and betrayal.
However, when he is about to face a desperate situation, a moving scene plays out - Ao Bai before being executed, asks to see Emperor Kangxi, and shows his innermost plea in a dramatic way.
So what made Kangxi let him go in tears? What is the deep meaning of the truth of this story?
1. Aobai: Founding Hero or Careerist?
In the smoke of the founding of the Qing Dynasty, a Manchu nobleman named Ao Bai gradually emerged. He came from a famous family, and his ancestors worked for Nurhachi, laying the foundation for the Qing Dynasty. Ao Bai has been reading military books since he was a child, brave and good at fighting, and has repeatedly performed miraculous feats in the battle to suppress the peasant uprising.
Ao Bai has made great contributions
In the first year of Shunzhi, Zhang Xianzhong's peasant army was eyeing Sichuan, threatening the foundations of the Qing Dynasty. Ao Bai was ordered to go to suppress the bandits, and he strategized, first camping around Zhang Xianzhong's military camp to occupy a favorable high ground. Subsequently, he used clever tricks to ridicule the rifts in Zhang's army, so that some of the generals could be used for his own use. In the end, Zhang Xianzhong fled in embarrassment, was captured alive by Aobai's elite troops, and was destroyed.
This is only a microcosm of Aobai's meritorious service. In the campaign to suppress Li Zicheng, Zhang Xiu and other peasant armies, he repeatedly performed miraculous feats, and can be described as the founding hero of the Qing Dynasty. The young Kangxi Emperor appreciated him and reused it to the court.
Aobai's military talent and strategic vision played a crucial role in these critical moments. He was not only able to accurately grasp the movements of the enemy's troops, but also skillfully used various tactical means to achieve victory. These achievements laid a solid foundation for the founding of the Qing Dynasty.
As a Manchu nobleman, Ao Bai received strict military training and cultural education since childhood. He is not only proficient in the art of war, but also has an in-depth understanding of history and politics. This all-round quality enables him to display his extraordinary talents on the battlefield and be at ease in the court.
The young Kangxi Emperor naturally appreciated such a worship. He valued Aobai's military prowess as well as his political wisdom. At the critical moment, Aobai's outstanding performance made Kangxi trust him even more and did not hesitate to use it. This kind of trust also made Ao Bai gradually swell up and began to pursue more power.
Second, ambitious and monopolistic
Ao Bai abused his power
However, power and glory emptied him and he gradually abused his power. As an auxiliary minister, he has more and more power in his hands, and his party members are all over the government and the opposition. Whoever disobeys him will be spared, either framed or removed.
Even Sukh Saha, who was related to him by marriage, could not escape his fate. Suke Saha intended to return power to Kangxi, but was fiercely attacked by Aobai, and was finally framed and killed, affecting the entire clan.
Aobai's ambitions became more and more inflated, and he not only installed cronies in the court, but also cultivated his own power in the local area. Whether it is the capital or remote counties, his eyeliner is everywhere. Anyone who threatens his power will be severely punished, and unjust cases will occur frequently.
This behavior of Ao Bai is undoubtedly challenging the imperial power. As an auxiliary minister, he was supposed to assist the emperor in governing the country, but he put his own interests above the state and acted recklessly. This behavior not only damaged the reputation of the Qing Dynasty, but also seriously shook the foundation of imperial power.
Worship the imperial power
Even the young Emperor Kangxi was deeply disturbed. Aobai completely emptied the imperial power and monopolized the power of the court. Although Kangxi has the idea of being pro-government, he has nothing to do. If he didn't get rid of this scourge, how could he revitalize the Qing Dynasty?
Aobai's ambition and desire for power have reached an outrageous level. He not only established his own network of influence in the DPRK and China, but also cultivated his cronies in the local area. As a young Kangxi emperor, he naturally could not tolerate this kind of behavior. However, Aobai's power is already too great, and his henchmen are all over the government and the opposition, and it is undoubtedly a huge challenge to deal with him directly.
Kangxi knew that if this scourge could not be solved as soon as possible, not only would the future of the Qing Dynasty be overshadowed, but his own imperial power would also be in jeopardy. Therefore, he must take decisive action to turn the tide and regain control of the situation.
3. The resourcefulness of the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang
The Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang strategized
At this moment of crisis, the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, who had been living in seclusion, began to strategize. She was well aware of the threat of Aobai and secretly developed her own power for Emperor Kangxi.
The Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was wise and wise, she did not take a hard-nosed approach, but followed the good temptation and deceived the ears and eyes of the party. At the same time, she recruited talents and found a group of loyal young and strong people for Kangxi.
This strategy of the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang is a clever power game. As a woman, she knows that it is not advisable to fight hard, but will cause Ao Bai to be vigilant. Therefore, she chose to hide her actions and secretly cultivate power to pave the way for Emperor Kangxi.
This kind of strategy not only reflects the wisdom of the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, but also shows her keen insight into power. She clearly knew that in order to get rid of Aobai's control, she must first establish her own power in the shadows. Only in this way can we take action at a critical moment and help Emperor Kangxi turn the situation around.
Set up a Hongmen banquet
Just when Ao Bai was unaware, Kangxi had secretly set a trap for him. Kangxi used the excuse of discussing state affairs and invited Ao Bai into the palace. Ao Bai was unaware of this, and was still wary of the young emperor, but he didn't expect that this was actually a Hongmen banquet.
The design of this Hongmen banquet is undoubtedly the result of the joint planning of the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang and Emperor Kangxi. They are well aware that in order to completely solve the threat of Aobai, some less upright means must be adopted.
As an auxiliary minister, Ao Bai was naturally wary of the young Kangxi Emperor. However, he didn't expect that this young emperor had already laid a net in secret. When Ao Bai entered the palace, he realized that he had fallen into a trap.
This design not only reflects the resourcefulness of the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang and the Kangxi Emperor, but also shows their foresight in the power struggle. They understood that in order to completely solve the threat of Aobai, some less modest measures had to be adopted. However, this does not mean that they are doing something immoral, but that they are having to resort to some not-so-fair means for the good of the country.
Fourth, capture and worship
Young wrestlers shot
As soon as Ao Bai entered the palace, Kangxi's young wrestlers surrounded him. Ao Bai was shocked to realize that the big thing was not good, but it was too late. His henchmen could not arrive in time, and could only watch as their master was captured alive.
This young wrestler was carefully selected and trained in advance by the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang and Emperor Kangxi. Not only are they agile, but they also know the actions of Ao Bai well. When Ao Bai entered the palace, this wrestler quickly struck and surrounded him, leaving him with nowhere to escape.
This kind of action not only reflects the strategy of the Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang and the Kangxi Emperor, but also shows their determination to fight for power. They understand that decisive action is necessary to address the threat of Aobai once and for all. And this young wrestler is the key force they are preparing for this.
By the time Aobai's henchmen arrived, it was already too late. They could only watch their masters being captured alive, unable to exert any power. This result is a heavy blow to Aobai and a warning to his henchmen.
Ao Bai showed his scars
After being arrested, Ao Bai knew that his death was approaching. He knew that his crimes would indeed be severely punished, but after all, he was the founder of the country and had made great contributions to the Qing Dynasty. So, before the execution, he tore off his clothes, revealing his body covered with scars, hoping to arouse Kangxi's sympathy.
At this moment, Ao Bai finally realized that his situation was irretrievable. He knew that what he had done had violated the emperor's bottom line, and the death penalty was inevitable. However, as a founding figure, he also wanted to be able to receive some forgiveness.
So, he chose an extremely emotional way to express his feelings. He tore open his shirt, revealing his scarred body, hoping to arouse Kangxi's sympathy. These scars are undoubtedly proof of his years of service to the Qing Dynasty and a symbol of his loyalty.
At this moment, Ao Bai had let go of all pride and conceit, and only hoped for some forgiveness. He knew that what he had done had violated the emperor's bottom line, but, as a founding hero, he also hoped to receive some respect and mercy.
5. Forgiveness or punishment
Kangxi's difficult choice
Faced with the naked worship, Kangxi fell into deep contemplation. As a hero of the founding of the country, Ao Bai has indeed made outstanding achievements, but what he did in the later years was indeed extremely heinous, and his sins deserved death. Is it a dilemma to forgive or to punish?
Kangxi faced this difficult choice and also fell into a deep entanglement. On the one hand, he clearly knew that what Ao Bai had done had violated the imperial power, and he had committed many crimes, and he should be severely punished. But on the other hand, he also understands that Aobai, as the founder of the country, has made great contributions to the Qing Dynasty, and this merit cannot be easily erased.
This dilemma made Kangxi feel very tricky. He had to choose between punishment and forgiveness, which was not only about his own dominance, but also about the future development of the Qing dynasty.
This difficult choice undoubtedly tested Kangxi's wisdom and decisiveness. As a young emperor, he had to make the right choices at this critical juncture in order to secure his dominance and pave the way for the future of the Qing dynasty.
Wise decision
In the end, Kangxi chose forgiveness. He knew that the merits of Ao Bai were real and should not be erased like this. At the same time, he also hopes to win the support of the government and the opposition through forgiveness and clear the way for his pro-government.
Kangxi's decision reflects his wisdom and foresight. As a young emperor, he understood that if he simply punished Aobai, it might cause dissatisfaction among the government and the opposition and affect the foundation of his rule. But if they are fully forgiven, they may be considered weak and incapable of upholding imperial power.
Therefore, Kangxi chose a compromise approach. He exonerated Ao Bai from the death penalty, but did not let him go entirely, but held him in custody pending a final trial. This not only reflects his tolerance, but also maintains the dignity of imperial power. At the same time, this also cleared the way for him to become pro-government in the future and won the support of the government and the opposition.
This wise decision undoubtedly demonstrates Kangxi's outstanding talent as a young emperor. Not only is he able to accurately grasp the situation, but he is also able to make the right choice at a critical moment. This decisiveness and ability to respond to crises with stride laid a solid foundation for his future reign.
epilogue
Aobai's life can be described as a history of vicissitudes. He went from a founding hero to a careerist with many crimes. Fortunately, he was eventually forgiven.
Among them, Kangxi's wisdom and tolerance are indispensable. It was this wisdom that allowed Kangxi to finally take control of power and lead the Qing Dynasty to prosperity.
The story of Ao Bai is undoubtedly a microcosm of a power struggle. He gradually degenerated from a loyal founder to a careerist, and this transformation process also reflects the corrosive nature of power.
However, Kangxi's forgiveness has given us another revelation: even the biggest criminals, as long as there is a trace of loyalty and merit, should be respected and forgiven.