Preface
Li Zicheng, as the leader of the peasant uprising in the late Ming Dynasty, led tens of thousands of peasants to overthrow the rule of the Ming Dynasty, but ultimately failed. And the four strategists under his command have attracted much attention. They come from different backgrounds and have different aspirations, but in the end, they all have the same fate - in turbulent times, the weakness of human nature is exposed.
So, what happened to these strategists after the defeat? What was the final outcome of these four strategists? What kind of human hearts did the fate they endured?
1. Li Yan: Chivalry is hard to bear
The Li family in Qixian County has been noble for generations. Li Yan's father, Li Jingbai, once served as the secretary of the military department and the governor of Shandong. Such a family background has allowed Li Yan to receive a good education since he was a child, with a broad vision and rich knowledge. However, at the end of the Ming Dynasty, the world was in turmoil. Hungry people were everywhere, and Li Yan witnessed the scene of the people dying unexpectedly, and his heart was indignant.
Li Yan was born in a noble family and could have enjoyed wealth and prosperity, but he chose another path. He not only opened the granary at home to relieve the hungry people around him, but also wrote the "Song of Persuasion", calling on the government to give porridge to save the people.
This kind of chivalrous behavior soon spread among the people. The victims of the disaster regarded him as a lifesaver, and they all embraced him as their leader. In this way, the son of a noble family was caught up in the torrent of peasant uprisings.
Li Yan's chivalry is undoubtedly admirable. In the troubled times, he chose to stand by the people and save them in his own way. This sense of justice and compassion was rare in the circumstances of the time. However, even so, he was eventually killed. This may show that even people with a sense of justice can find it difficult to maintain their beliefs in turbulent times.
2. Ox Venus: Utilitarian heart
Unlike Li Yan, Niu Jinxing's life experience is quite bumpy. He used to be a lifter, who could have been the top student in high school, but he was framed by the gentry surnamed Wang of the same county, and was stripped of his fame and sent to prison for hard labor. In prison, Niu Jinxing held a grudge against the imperial court. After his release, he wanted to re-enter the official career, but his status as a man has become a major stalk.
Just when Niu Jinxing was in a slump, Li Yan discovered this down-and-out talent and recommended him to Li Zicheng. Although Niu Jinxing had expectations for Li Zicheng's uprising, it was more utilitarian. He was eager to regain his prominence in the new dynasty, so he treated Li Zicheng with great respect and became an important adviser to his subordinates.
Niu Jinxing's approach is undoubtedly the most despicable. He first used Li Yan's recommendation to be reused, but finally betrayed his benefactor and framed Li Yan. This kind of unscrupulous behavior for the sake of himself and his son's future completely exposes the dark side of human nature. Even in troubled times, it is difficult to forgive such a traitorous act. Niu Jinxing's fate is also the result of his own suffering.
3. Song Xiance: Wisdom of the rivers and lakes
Song Xiance is a warlock who walks the rivers and lakes, known as "Song Shorty". Although he is short in stature and mediocre in appearance, his years of career in the rivers and lakes have given him a good understanding of human nature and unique insights into local customs. It was this wisdom of the rivers and lakes that allowed Song Xiance to inject mystery into Li Zicheng's uprising.
He put forward the slogan "Eighteen children are the main artifact" to boost the morale of the rebels. Although this sentence may seem absurd today, it still played a role in inspiring people's confidence in the late Ming Dynasty, when the level of education was generally low. Song Xiance's wisdom made Li Zicheng treat him with courtesy.
Song Xiance's ending is relatively better. Although he was eventually captured by the Qing army, his status as a warlock made him reused by the Manchurians. This may show that in troubled times, even if you can't insist on justice, you can protect yourself through some expedient measures. In contrast, the fate of Li Yan and Niu Jinxing is much more tragic.
Fourth, Gu Junen: A strategist is low-key
Among Li Zicheng's four major strategists, Gu Junen's presence was the lowest, but he formulated the entire strategic policy of the rebel army. Gu Junen advocated entering Shaanxi first, incorporating the elite of the three northern sides of the Ming army, and using the world's elite soldiers to go out of Shanxi and Beijing, and then unify the world. This strategic goal is directed at the heart of the Ming Dynasty. It can be seen that Gu Junen's vision and courage are not trivial.
It's just that he is low-key, and even in the rebel army, he rarely shows off, so he is little known. Gu Junen's character may also reflect a wise man's way of dealing with the world. In troubled times, sometimes hiding yourself in a low-key manner can better save your life.
After Li Zicheng's final defeat, Gu Junen chose to become a monk and go into seclusion, never asking about the world again. This indifference to fame and fortune may represent a kind of wisdom that transcends the world. In contrast, the fate of Li Yan, Niu Jinxing and others is undoubtedly even more miserable. Either they were killed or became traitors, and they could not preserve their justice and dignity in the troubled times.
5. Li Zicheng's Eastern Crusade
With the wisdom of the four strategists, Li Zicheng's uprising gradually improved. They first established a base area in the Henan region and recruited a large number of peasants to join. Then, Li Zicheng began an offensive to the northeast. In the process, Li Yan and Niu Jinxing's ideas began to diverge.
Li Yan advocated "opening the city gate, welcoming the king, and not paying food when the king comes", that is, to win the hearts of the people by treating the people with benevolence and virtue. However, Niu Jinxing believed that it was necessary to "reduce the punishment and killing, help the hungry, and win the hearts of the people", and directly plunder the grain of the landlords and gentry to relieve the people. These two very different approaches reflect two very different ways of doing things.
Li Yan's approach was more benevolent, but under the circumstances at the time, it was still unknown whether he could truly win over the hearts of the people. And Niu Venus's plan, although cruel, is more realistic and feasible. In the end, Li Zicheng adopted Niu Jinxing's plan.
During the campaign in the northeast, they slaughtered cities and land, causing panic among the people. However, this method did make the rebel army have enough food and grass, and the combat power continued to grow.
This process vividly shows the contradiction between ideals and reality in troubled times. Li Yan represents justice and benevolence, but this idealism is difficult to achieve in a cruel environment. And Niu Jinxing's approach, although brutal, was more in line with the needs of the situation at that time. This trade-off may be a microcosm of the troubled times at the end of the Ming Dynasty.
Sixth, Beijing Fengyun
With superior forces, Li Zicheng quickly captured Beijing. However, in this former imperial city, his advisers were once again divided. Li Yan believes that the raid should be stopped and Wu Sangui's father and son should be recruited so as not to cause resentment among the people. But Li Zicheng was already in high spirits at this time, and he was unwilling to listen to dissuasion at all.
Also close to Li Yan's position is Song Xiance. They all objected to Lee's atrocities, but ultimately failed to stop them. Soon, Wu Sangui opened the Shanhai Pass and led the Qing army into the customs. The surrendered Ming troops also rebelled one after another, and Li Zicheng's good situation collapsed.
This scene once again shows that even people with a sense of justice can hardly hold on to their beliefs in troubled times. Li Yan and Song Xiance's dissuasion was finally suppressed by Li Zicheng's high spirits. This kind of contradiction between ideals and reality was commonplace in the turbulent era of the late Ming Dynasty.
epilogue
From the fate of Li Zicheng's four great strategists, we can see a microcosm of the hearts of the people in the troubled world. Ideals and justice are often difficult to adhere to in turbulent times, and utilitarianism and self-preservation consciousness are easier to overcome everything.
In troubled times, people's hearts are unpredictable. Perhaps the only thing we can do is to exercise our conduct in times of peace, so that we can still maintain our inner steadfastness when turmoil comes.
The lessons of history tell us that even people with a sense of justice can find it difficult to fully assert their beliefs in a cruel environment. But as long as we do not give up the pursuit of justice and ideals, even in the darkest moments, there will be a ray of light.