How absurd was the first emperor of the Southern Ming Dynasty? This issue has been widely discussed by historians. During the reign of Emperor Hongguang, as the supreme leader of the country, he was expected to set a good example for his subjects. However, his various debaucherous behaviors are ridiculous. What did he do? Let's unravel this mystery.
Seven major crimes before Hongguang
Before Emperor Hongguang officially ascended the throne, he was regarded as a person of the greatest crime. Chen Zilong and others have long summarized his various evil deeds as "seven major crimes" - greed, lust, alcoholism, unfilial piety, abuse of subjects, poor study, and interference in the work of officials.
The evaluation of Hongguang by these "seven major crimes" can be described as one sentence. Hongguang has lived in the palace since he was a child, and he has been pampered and has never suffered much. Not only did he not cherish this glory and wealth, but he went astray and did all the bad things.
When he was a child, Hongguang was spoiled by the eunuchs in the palace. No matter what excessive demands he made, the eunuchs would do their best to meet them. Over time, he developed a greedy nature, and when he saw something new, he would do everything possible to take it for himself. It is said that once when he heard that the daughter of a certain official's family was very beautiful, he immediately ordered someone to snatch the woman and take her as a concubine. The poor girl cried and cried, but no one sympathized.
When he grew up, Hongguang's alcoholism and fornication were even more staggering. He was often drunk and drunk, and sometimes even at court meetings. And he also took concubines on a large scale, and there were countless beauties in the harem, even his cousins and sisters could not escape his clutches. At that time, it was already rumored that he was promiscuous and ruined all the girls.
What's even worse is that he is also unfilial to his parents and often abuses his people. Once, when his father scolded him for not doing his job, he became angry and kicked him out of the palace. As for the common people, he regarded them as ants at all, and often unreasonably increased taxes and miscellaneous labor. As long as it does not cater to his wishes, even the most meritorious ministers will not be able to escape, either demoted or killed.
In short, from childhood to adulthood, Hongguang has always been this face, evil and monstrous, which is hated by his subjects. Therefore, even if he later ascended the throne as emperor, his subjects kept him away from him, lest he get into trouble. But Hongguang himself seems to have no self-knowledge, and still goes his own way, and finally makes a big mistake.
Women are addicted to sex and rob people's daughters
Soon after Emperor Hongguang ascended the throne, he showed his excessive thirst for beauty. He ordered eunuchs to go to Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou and other regions to select beautiful women to enter the palace as concubines in the name of "big wedding". This practice has aroused strong dissatisfaction and opposition among the people.
The eunuchs were right, knocked on the door and entered the house, and dragged all the women in the family away, regardless of the old and the young. Even an elderly woman, or a baby who is still in swaddling clothes, cannot escape the fate of this "selection". Once the family refused to open the door, the eunuchs acted unreasonably, threatened and lured, and finally forcibly captured the woman.
Many families have been destroyed, and countless sisters, mothers and daughters, and wives have been torn apart. The eunuchs behaved obscenely, literally declaring war on the people. In the streets and alleys, there are panicked cries everywhere. People have no choice but to close the door tightly, for fear that the female dependents in their own family will also suffer this fate.
However, this attracted suspicion and revenge from the eunuchs. They posted notices outside the palace one after another, openly declaring that anyone who refused to open the door and refused to "enter the palace" was working against the emperor. As a result, more innocent people were harassed and extorted from their doors.
All of a sudden, the entire Jingshi seemed to have suffered from a plague, and wailing everywhere. Hongguang was unaware of this, and concentrated on choosing concubines to marry concubines, turning a blind eye to those lives that withered due to crying and mourning.
Just when this tragic situation enveloped Jingshi, two ministers were sad when they saw this, and they even dreamed of the old mother of the former emperor wailing in a dream at the same time, feeling that Hongguang was so absurd and unreasonable, it was simply blaspheming the spirit of the first emperor in the sky. So they immediately asked Hongguang to stop doing so.
However, Hongguang turned a deaf ear at all, and instead severely reprimanded the two ministers, sneering at them and saying that they were just "unfounded worries". Hongguang's reason is that the former emperor also married concubines and servants back then, which did not violate the etiquette system. The two ministers believe that now that the Qing army is approaching the city, it is the time when Sheji is in danger, Hongguang is so indulgent and debauched, it is really a crime that deserves death!
People are panicked, and Hongguang is obscene alone. The people were worried day and night, and the government and the opposition distorted the colors. But even so, Hongguang had no intention of repenting, was obsessed, and finally caused a catastrophe.
Excessive drinking, shamelessness
In addition to his fanatical pursuit of beauty, Emperor Hongguang's alcoholism is also staggering. After he ascended the throne, when he was drunk, it became an open secret known to the government and the opposition, and everyone only begged not to be unreasonably accused by him.
It is said that Hongguang is most willing to sing and dance in the harem on weekdays, and by the way, he gets drunk. And after getting drunk, he will be wild with beauties, pull and pull the concubines around him, and he will kiss and obscene him at every turn. In this kind of filthy scene, the palace maids can only force their faces to be happy, smiling and tearful to "serve" the emperor.
One year on Chinese New Year's Eve, Hongguang was sullen alone in the harem, and even summoned the ministers into the palace one by one, telling them to think of ways to add some "fresh vitality" to the harem. This made all the civil and military officials present embarrassed, and some simply prostrated on the ground and made amends one after another, thinking that they had done something wrong and provoked En's anger.
Who knows, after Hongguang heard it, he said nonchalantly: "You nerds don't understand this, I just think there are too few beauties in the harem, so I'm flustered, can you find a way to add me a new person?" These words were tantamount to a thunderbolt, which made the civil and military officials speechless, and asked the sky speechless about his shameless behavior.
What's more, he is as lustful as Hongguang, and even ordered the eunuchs to go outside to catch toads in order to adopt inhuman methods to satisfy their perverted desires. As a result, the ridicule of "Toad Heaven" sounded between the government and the opposition, and the angry scolding of Hongguang was endless.
The ministers saw that the emperor was so shameless, and some people wrote to advise, but with little success. It is said that after Hongguang drank again, an important minister saw that he was drunk and shameful, so he sincerely persuaded: "Your Majesty can't go on like this, the country is in danger, as the supreme leader of the country, you should set an example and be strict with self-discipline, instead of being so indulgent and wanton!" ＂
After hearing this, Hongguang didn't care, but proposed a very "clever" method, saying: "Okay, then you give me a big bowl, and I'll drink a bowl, instead of drinking several big bowls like now." So the eunuch really served him a big bowl, and Hongguang drank half of it first, and then the eunuch filled it with wine, and Hongguang drank half of it, and so on, and so on, and finally drank more wine than usual. Seeing Hongguang's cunning, the minister could only sigh and reprimand, helpless.
Hongguang is not the only one who is drunk and dreaming of death, but the ministers around him are also so debauched. They are corrupt and openly promote the so-called "way of managing money", and the result is that the people are not living well. For a time, the government and the opposition were in turmoil, and the people were in trouble. However, the source of all these troubles is Hongguang, the emperor who is extravagant.
Condone corruption and give back to the country
It was precisely because of Emperor Hongguang's drunkenness and indulgence in indulgence and indulgence that the entire atmosphere of the government and the opposition plummeted. At that time, the ministers saw that the country was about to die, and they had long been useless, so they blatantly connived at corruption against Emperor Hongguang.
It is said that an important minister openly spoke out in the DPRK and China, preaching the so-called "way of managing money". He said without hesitation that now that the world is in turmoil, the once honest and honest is no longer suitable for the current situation, and only by taking money to do things, buying officials and selling lords, is the best policy at present. Obviously, this kind of rhetoric is a public call for corruption.
With such a "model for officials" as an important minister, the small officials below will naturally follow suit, extravagant and wasteful, and blackmail the people. For a time, the scandals of trading power for money and buying officials and lords were flying all over the sky. Many famous families with prominent family backgrounds and far-reaching reputation, as long as they are willing to pay money, they can be extremely popular. On the contrary, those who are innocent and upright, and who are lonely and upright, are destined to spend their lives in the yellow scroll and wild deer.
Such a corrupt phenomenon is naturally inseparable from Emperor Hongguang's immorality. As the saying goes, the people take food as the sky, and the king takes the people as the foundation, Hongguang only knows how to indulge in wine and have fun in the deep palace and ignore the government, and the subjects will naturally lose their example of being good and embark on an evil path.
In such a chaotic and disorderly situation, the Qing army naturally took advantage of the situation and advanced step by step. Hongguang had heard the news, but he didn't care at first. At that time, he was immersed in the beautiful scenery surrounded by the beauties of the harem, and he had no time to take care of state affairs.
It wasn't until the Qing army had attacked the city that Hongguang panicked and hurriedly summoned civil and military forces to discuss countermeasures. However, whether it was the ministers who came to the staff or the soldiers stationed there, they were all appointed by him himself. How can such a greedy, corrupt, mediocre and incompetent person have a comprehensive plan? In the end, they can only have their own plans and flee in all directions.
Hongguang himself was forced to abandon the palace and flee, wagging his tail and begging for mercy again and again, trying to sue for peace with the Qing army. He wrote an edict and uttered such crazy words: "It not only hurts the weakness of the society, but also provokes the hatred of the parents." Yashi is not afraid of life, and his ambition will be repaid. No wonder people were heartbroken and called him "the great success of the country". It is ridiculous that he actually delusionally thought that by groveling, the Qing army could take revenge on his so-called "parents' enmity".
In the end, he still did not escape the killing of the Qing army, and was hit by a blow in the head, and died without a body. And the death of the Southern Ming Dynasty has also become a doomed ending.
The fall of the Southern Ming Dynasty is the responsibility of the government and the opposition
Emperor Hongguang's extravagant behavior is certainly one of the roots of the fall of the Southern Ming Dynasty. However, in addition to his personal lack of morality and incompetence, the ministers and soldiers of the DPRK and China are also to blame.
When the Qing army gradually approached the city of Nanjing, although Emperor Hongguang barely woke up, it was too late. Up and down the court, there is hardly a good general available, all of them are mediocre people appointed by himself. These people are addicted to alcohol, corrupt, and lack military literacy, so they are naturally powerless to stop the enemy.
Even the soldiers stationed in Nanjing were all mediocre and incompetent people who were full of personal pockets. They only know how to loot the people's property in chaos, and they have no enthusiasm for the things that are not afraid of danger and are diligent. Once the Qing army was killed in the city, these so-called "soldiers" were so frightened that they scattered and fled, throwing away their armor and not even a trace of bravery.
Seeing that the overall situation has gone, although Emperor Hongguang is also afraid in his heart, after all, he is a wine bag and rice bag, incompetent, and there is nothing to do. He first excused himself not to go to the front line of command, but hid in the deep palace. When the Qing army had already attacked the city, he was terrified, dressed like a beggar, and fled out of the palace with treasures.
Emperor Hongguang fled all the way and was displaced. Along the way, he met a straggler and flattered them with all his treasures, in a vain attempt to save his life. But who knew that this scattered warrior was pretended to be by the Qing army at all, and as soon as he saw Hongguang taking the bait, he was immediately captured alive.
When the defeated Hongguang was escorted back to Nanjing City, he was already covered in bruises and unrecognizable. What's even more shameful is that he once turned into a self-proclaimed "Emperor Chongzhen", and said that he wanted to "revitalize the Ming Dynasty". In the face of the questioning of the Qing army, he was even more shameless to the extreme, and even told lies such as "I already have a grandson" in an attempt to get by.
But even so, he couldn't escape death in the end. The Qing army didn't believe his nonsense, and directly beat him to death with a stick that was not appropriate and within reach. In this way, the last emperor of the Southern Ming Dynasty died in prison. It can be described as a sad ending, which is regrettable.
However, even if Hongguang is so incompetent and really causes a catastrophe, he has to blame the incompetent, greedy and corrupt civil and military ministers around him. It was their aiding and absurdity that eventually led to the tragedy of the country's demise. Therefore, although Emperor Hongguang is the culprit, the entire government and the opposition must also bear a great responsibility for this.