In a coup d'état in 1856 called the "Tianjing Incident", how did Yang Xiuqing, who was in power in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom at that time, go from being a high to a prisoner overnight? Yang Xiuqing held the power, military power, and religious power, and should be as stable as Mount Tai, but why did he lose to the alliance of Hong Xiuquan and several other kings in the end?
On the surface, Yang Xiuqing has absolute power, but this power structure is extremely fragile. He did not have a strong family background to support him, and climbed to the top of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom entirely by his own wit and some coincidences. Although he succeeded in making Hong Xiuquan and others bow down to him through the method of "Heavenly Father descending to earth", this kind of power based on religious manipulation is extremely unstable. As soon as someone ceases to believe, his power base is shaken.
In fact, Yang Xiuqing's power did not penetrate deep into the foundations of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. In the military, although he promoted many generals, the loyalty and combat effectiveness of these people could not be compared with veteran generals like Wei Changhui and Shi Dakai. They are more like Yang Xiuqing's personal puppets than the backbone of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
Let's take a look at Yang Xiuqing's political skills, he seems too rough in dealing with other kings. He tried to deprive Shi Dakai and Wei Changhui of their real power, which directly touched the interests of other kings. Under the crushing of this kind of power, it is obviously impossible for Shi Dakai and Wei Changhui and others to sit still, and it is only a matter of time before they counterattack.
In 1856, when Yang Xiuqing was most proud, he did not realize that the crisis was quietly approaching. Wei Changhui and several other kings have secretly formed an alliance, and they not only have a tacit understanding with each other, but also have strong personal forces and military support. This kind of "four-person alliance" far surpasses Yang Xiuqing in terms of power comparison.
When Wei Changhui returned to Nanjing with elite soldiers, Yang Xiuqing's fate was already doomed. Although his "Heavenly Father descended to earth" was able to temporarily suppress internal discontent, this move was too weak in the face of real military power. The defense of Nanjing was almost entirely controlled by the army of the Northern King, which left Yang Xiuqing militarily with little military support. When Wei Changhui's army invaded the Dongwang Mansion, the end of Yang Xiuqing came.
This incident was not only a contest of military strength, but also a contest of intelligence and strategy. Although Yang Xiuqing was intelligent, he relied too much on the power of religion and personal charisma and neglected the political game with other kings. He did not forge a solid political alliance, nor did he really win the loyalty and trust of his soldiers and generals. In this case, in the event of a crisis, his power base can quickly collapse.
As for Wei Changhui and others, they knew that if they wanted to survive within the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, they must have their own solid forces and loyal troops. They not only have a clear military advantage, but also are far superior to Yang Xiuqing in strategy. They carefully planned and waited for the best moment to defeat Yang Xiuqing in one fell swoop, and this kind of planned and strategic action showed their deep understanding and control of the power struggle.
Looking back at the Tianjing Incident, it is not difficult to find that the power struggle within the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was extremely fierce. Each king had his own ambitions and plans, and although Yang Xiuqing was once in control, his over-reliance on non-material religious power and personal charisma ultimately put him at a disadvantage in real political struggles. His defeat also reminds us that in any era, real political strength is built on a solid material foundation and the support of the people, rather than simply prestige and power.
Yang Xiuqing's personality is also an important reason for his failure. His dictatorship and arbitrariness deprived him of many possible allies. In a group as diverse and ambitious as the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, it is difficult to maintain power for long on coercion and fear alone. He has not been able to maintain a relatively balanced leadership core like Hong Xiuquan, so that if there is an internal disagreement, it can turn into a full-blown infighting.
Eventually, when the united opposition forces emerged, Yang Xiuqing's regime was quickly broken like a thin sheet of ice. His failure tells us that the power of politics does not only come from the concentration of power, but also from the rational distribution of power and the grasp of people's hearts. In Game of Thrones, there is no eternal king, only ever-changing strategies and constantly adjusting balance.
By analyzing Yang Xiuqing's failures in the Tianjing Incident, we can see that even at the pinnacle of power, there was uncertainty and risk. Yang Xiuqing's story is a warning to all those in high power: power is by no means eternal, it needs wisdom to maintain and strategy to use.