Many people have some misunderstandings about Aobai as a person. The image of Ao Bai created in the film and television drama is domineering and arrogant, and it seems that he is a big traitor who bends the law for bribes. But is this really the case? Of the 30 major crimes convicted of Ao Bai, the most serious was only "forming a party and dictatorship," and there was no serious violation of law and discipline or corruption or bribery. So, why did he kill Sukh Saha? What kind of historical origin is hidden behind this? Looking at Aobai's deathbed confession, he once thought about handing over power, but why did he fail to do so in the end? Let us find out what Aobai's life experience was.
Aobai's family background
Ao Bai was born in Manchuria Zhenghuangqi, and his family has been a flag man for generations. Among the banner people, the Aobai family has a prominent status and a solid family background. Since childhood, Ao Bai has been influenced by a good family education.
Aobai's father was a flag commander of the Zhenghuang Banner, with martial arts, and he had many miraculous feats in the battle array. Ao Bai grew up in the military camp with his father since he was a child, and he has had a strong interest in martial arts since he was a child. At home, Ao Bai was strictly disciplined by family education, and the ancestral family rules were meticulously followed.
In addition to martial arts, Aobai's father also attached great importance to the cultural cultivation of his children. Every day, he will personally explain the classics for Ao Bai and instill the traditional culture of Manchuria. Since childhood, Ao Bai has shown extraordinary talent, not only outstanding martial arts, but also a keen understanding of words.
In such a family environment, Ao Bai has developed a diligent and studious character since he was a child. Practicing martial arts day and night, and devoting himself to studying the classics, made him stand out among his peers. His family and clan had high hopes for him, believing that he would be able to make a difference in the future.
Ao Bai's early military career
Ao Bai has been practicing martial arts since he was a child, and he is extremely talented, and he showed excellent martial arts in the army when he was young. At the age of fifteen, Ao Bai was selected into the royal army with his courage and good fighting skills, and began his long military career.
When he first entered the barracks, he was open-minded and studious, diligent in drilling, and soon became familiar with the use of various weapons. He is agile and powerful, and has extremely high attainments in archery, mounted archery, equestrian and other skills. Ao Bai is also keen on studying the art of war and strategy, and has unique insights into combat strategy and formation use.
Aobai's first battle was fought at the age of 30 at the Battle of Dzungar. This battle was an important battle of the Qing army's Northern Expedition, and Ao Bai bravely killed the enemy in the battle, repeatedly performed miraculous feats, and made great contributions to the final victory. Since then, Aobai's reputation has spread rapidly among the army.
After the Battle of Junggar, Ao Bai participated in many major battles one after another, whether it was to pacify the frontier or crusade against the peasant rebels, he was a well-deserved vanguard soldier. Ao Bai took the lead, fearless in battle, and could charge forward bravely at every critical moment, making great contributions to the victory of the army.
In the years of fighting, Ao Bai was repeatedly injured by stray arrows, but he never cared, just silently endured the pain. On one occasion, Ao Bai was pierced in the shoulder by an enemy spear during a battle, and blood flowed profusely. But he gritted his teeth, drew his spear, and continued to charge forward, and was not allowed to bandage his wounds until the battle was over. This kind of bravery and fearlessness in the face of death made Ao Bai admired by everyone in the army.
With his outstanding military exploits and outstanding martial arts, Ao Bai was soon appreciated by the emperor. When he was thirty-five years old, the emperor appointed him as the flag commander of the Zhenghuang Banner, which opened a new chapter in his career. As the flag commander, Ao Bai never forgets his duty, strictly requires his subordinates, and also leads by example, winning the love and respect of the top and bottom.
The feud between the two yellow flags and the two white flags
Behind the contradiction between Ao Bai and Sukh Saha lies a deep-rooted feud between the two yellow flags and the two white flags. The origin of this feud can be traced back to the Huang Taiji period.
In that year, the Houjin State established by Nurhachi implemented the "Eight Banners Jointly Discussed State Political System". Although Huang Taiji was elected Khan, his power was limited to his two white flags, and the two white flags were the weakest. In order to consolidate his position, Huang Taiji changed the colors of his two white flags with the two yellow flags that Nurhachi had left to the Dolgon brothers.
Although this adjustment has improved the political status of the two white flags of Huang Taiji, it has also planted the seeds of contradiction between the two yellow flags and the two white flags. In terms of material distribution, Huang Taiji imposed some restrictions on the new two white flags, so that the new two yellow flags of the Dorgon brothers were suppressed. As a result, the two flags formed a feud.
Later, during the Regency of Dolgon, the status of the two white flags rose again. Dolgon vigorously supported the two white flags, and suppressed the two yellow flags in terms of garrisoning and distributing money. When the land was divided among the flag holders, the land area that should have been allocated to the yellow flag was also divided into the white flag, which led to great dissatisfaction with the yellow flag.
By the time Kangxi ascended the throne at an early age, the contradiction between the two yellow flags and the two white flags reached its peak. Of the four ministers who were in charge at that time, only Sukh Saha belonged to the White Banner. As the representatives of the two yellow flags, Aobai, Sony, and Kupilon naturally have to find ways to win back the two yellow flags in the middle of the court.
So, in the fifth year of Kangxi, Aobai put forward the idea of changing land, and Sony and Curb Bilong also agreed. Two years later, in the seventh year of Kangxi, Ao Bai even weaved 24 charges against Suke Saharo, which led to Suke Saha's final execution.
Whether it was the land exchange or the killing of Sukh Saha, what Ao Bai did represented the two yellow flags fighting the forces of the two white flags. Although Ao Bai and Sukh Saha are related by marriage, in the face of this feud between the banner people, personal grievances are no longer worth mentioning.
Aobai and Sukh Saha's grievances
On the surface, Ao Bai and Sukh Saha are related by marriage. But underneath this relationship, there is a generational grudge between the two yellow flags and the two white flags.
It turned out that Aobai's daughter was Sukh Saha's wife. It stands to reason that as in-laws, Ao Bai and Sukh Saha should be brotherly and close to each other. However, in the political struggle at that time, the two became incompatible rivals.
In the fifth year of Kangxi, Ao Bai put forward the idea of exchanging land, and wanted to recover the land that should have belonged to the yellow flag. This claim was supported by Sonny and Suppilon, but was opposed by Sukh Saha. As a person with a white flag, Sukh Saha is naturally unwilling to give up the territory he has already shared.
So, Ao Bai began to plot against Sukh Saha. He secretly collected many of Sukh Saha's mistakes and negligence, fabricated 24 charges, and made up a statement to Kangxi, demanding that Sukh Saha be severely punished.
At that time, Kangxi was still young, and the power of the government was controlled in the hands of Ao Bai and other four ministers. In the face of Aobai's persecution, Kangxi couldn't figure out his mind for a while. Ao Bai even waved his arms and beat his chest, forced it for several days, and forced Kangxi to execute Suke Saha.
In the end, at the unanimous request of the ministers, Kangxi was forced to agree to Aobai's proposition and put Suke Saha to death. At that time, Sukh Saha was in his sixties, and before his death, he begged for mercy, but Aobai showed no mercy and personally monitored Sukh Saha's execution.
This scene shocked and disturbed everyone present at the time. As an in-law, Ao Bai was so vicious that even the most basic human feelings were left behind. But Ao Bai didn't care about this, he only had a feud between the two yellow flags and the two white flags in his eyes, and his personal grievances were no longer worth mentioning.
Ao worshiped the authoritarian power in his later years
After the execution of Sukh Saha, Aobai's power reached its zenith. As the representative of the two yellow flags, his position in the DPRK is unparalleled. However, it was this arrogance that eventually led to the fall of Aobai.
In his later years, he became more and more rude to Emperor Kangxi. It is said that one year during the New Year's celebration, Ao Bai appeared in a yellow robe, only his hat knot was different from Kangxi's. This was a great disrespect at the time, and it was equivalent to putting oneself on an equal footing with the emperor.
Another time, Ao Bai refused to see Kangxi on the grounds that he was ill. When Kangxi went to visit in person, Ao Bai was bedridden, and he was even equipped with a sword to defend himself. Such acts are simply a blatant provocation to imperial power.
In addition to being rude to Kangxi, Ao Bai was also rampant with the ministers of the DPRK and China, and he was arrogant and arbitrary. He often shouted at the ministers of the ministry, and the insults were severe. As long as someone disobeys the slightest, Ao Bai will severely punish the crime, and even the whole family.
Once, because Ao Bai was dissatisfied with the content of a certain ministry, he personally ripped off the chapter and tore it up in public. From then on, all the pieces had to pass through Aobai's hand before they could be presented to Kangxi. It can be said that Aobai completely controlled the power of the court and government in his own hands.
The French missionary Bai Jin once recorded the arrogance of Aobai as follows: "When Kangxi was fifteen or sixteen years old, Aobai, the most powerful prime minister of the four regents, controlled the real power of the Council of Ministers and the Six Ministries, and arbitrarily exercised the authority of the Kangxi Emperor, so no one had the courage to question him. ＂
In the face of Aobai's domineering, Kangxi couldn't bear it anymore. It's just that because Ao Bai has heavy troops in his hands, Kangxi is difficult to start for a while. It wasn't until the eighth year of Kangxi that Aobai's henchman Ji Bilong was dismissed, and Kangxi took the opportunity to take down Aobai, ending his arbitrariness in the court.