Nurhachi was an exceptional ruler who, with his extraordinary military prowess and political wisdom, laid the foundations of the Later Jin Empire. However, during his long ruling career, he also experienced many difficult trials and painful struggles. Among them, the most heartbreaking thing for him was the two failed "Lichu" experiences, which led to him being forced to execute his two closest relatives with his own hands. This trauma was deeply rooted in his heart and became his most painful and sensitive scar. Just as Nurhachi was trying to re-establish trust and establish a new successor, Daishan's series of actions inadvertently touched this wound, which eventually led to the shattered fate of his dream of being a "prince".
In the eleventh year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty, a sudden change completely changed the trajectory of Nurhachi's life. Nikan Wailan's betrayal resulted in their grandfather Kyaw Changan and father Takshi being killed by the Ming army. Faced with the tragic death of their loved ones, the two brothers were determined to cheer up, follow the ancestral teachings, and rebelled with the 13 pairs of armor inherited from their ancestors. From this moment on, Nurhachi opened the path of resistance.
Although he had only a small force, Nurhachi's determination to take revenge and his excellent military command skills soon led him to conquer cities and lands in the northeast, and his tribe continued to grow. He united the surrounding Jurchen, Mongolia, and Manchurian tribes to create a powerful coalition. After years of fighting, Nurhachi finally formally established the Jurchen regime in 1616, known as the "Later Jin" in history.
In the early days of his regime, Nurhachi clearly established an absolute monarchy and highly centralized power. He personally drafted a series of strict legal systems to strengthen the centralization of power and maintain social order. At the same time, Nurhachi also vigorously rectified the rule of officials and severely punished corruption, winning the support of the majority of his subjects.
In order to consolidate his rule, Nurhachi set the capital in Fuzhou (in the area of present-day Harbin). This move not only prepared for the future expansion of the territory, but also helped to integrate internal forces, concentrate manpower and material resources, and laid the foundation of the Later Jin Dynasty.
However, just as the foundation of the Later Jin Dynasty was initially laid, the seeds of contradiction had been gradually planted between the two. Shulhazy was dissatisfied with the status quo and ambitious, trying to split the Jurchens and achieve independent autonomy. Li Chengliang of the Ming Dynasty played tricks, broke up the brotherhood, and instigated Shuerhaqi to rebel.
Eventually, in the twenty-fifth year of Wanli, Shulhaqi led his two sons, Altuna and Zasaktu, to openly confront Nurhachi. Faced with the betrayal of his brother, Nurhachi was furious and killed his two nephews first, intending to uproot Shulhaqi. After the great persuasion of Daishan and others, Shulhaqi was able to save his life, but he was imprisoned in a dim and damp dungeon and became a prisoner all year round.
For the last time, Chu Ying's atrocities were completely overdone. Not only did he execute dozens of innocent civilians without authorization, but he also punched and kicked the meritorious ministers who had come forward to persuade him, and he lost his conscience. In the face of his son's arrogance and heinous crimes, Nurhachi gritted his teeth and cut down the grass and roots, and personally killed this outright tyrant.
However, the two suffocating events of personally imprisoning Shulhaqi and killing Chu Ying undoubtedly left a wound in Nurhachi's heart that will never be healed. A brother who had high hopes and an eldest son who was originally the most favored and trusted, but both went to a dead end and were finally eliminated by him himself. These two tragedies haunted Nurhachi's heart like a fish in his throat, becoming the most painful and sensitive scars in his life.
Faced with such a heavy blow, Nurhachi had to think twice and be more cautious about the choice of his heir. Fortunately, after much consideration and careful observation, he finally set his sights on the new heir choice - Daizen.
In the sixth year of the Apocalypse, Dai Shan personally charged into battle, defeated the enemy, and was appointed by Nurhachi as the supreme commander of the Yellow Banner. Since then, Dai Shan has often taken the lead, surveying the road in advance, and opening the way for the army. His bravery and fearlessness, and his heroic appearance on a saddle horse, won Nurhachi's respect and appreciation.
Behind this decision is Nurhachi's full affirmation of Daishan's poor background and loyalty. More importantly, after experiencing the deep trauma of Shulhaqi's defection and Chu Ying's rebellion, Nurhachi was more inclined to choose a successor who was born completely in the grass and had no kinship with him, so as to cut off the root cause of civil strife.
The incident originated from Daishan's eldest son, Chemurji, who was severely punished by Daishan for some minor mistakes. Not only that, Dai Shan even disregarded the right and wrong reasons, and tried to connect Chemurji's wife and son together, which led to a fierce dispute over the right to housework.
This act of abuse left Nurhachi heartbroken. The affection of his children is extremely sacred to him, but Dai Shan treats his own children so rudely and brutally that people can't help but wonder whether he has the basic conditions to be a qualified monarch.
Amin was a distant relative of Nurhachi and had held important positions in his staff for a long time. He secretly coveted power, and was dissatisfied with Daishan's status as the prince, so he took revenge and colluded with Daishan. The two conspired to fabricate a trumped-up charge of "Chahar rebellion" and pointed the finger at Nurhachi.
This proposition of Daishan once again made Nurhachi feel extremely shocked and disappointed. As a wise and wise monarch, Nurhachi valued benevolence and wisdom the most, and Daishan's actions completely exposed his tyrannical and murderous nature.
Recalling the execution of Shulhaqi's two nephews with his own hands, Nurhachi was in great pain. And now, Dai Shan wants him to repeat the same mistake again and witness the tragedy of more innocent children being killed, which he absolutely cannot accept.
At that time, it was the thirtieth year of Wanli, and Nurhachi was already old, but he still took the lead and led the pro-army to attack the Black Mountain where Daishan was located. After a hard battle, Daishan was finally captured alive, and Amin could not escape and was captured together.
This decision was undoubtedly the wisest decision at the time. After all, Dai Shan had already betrayed the emperor, and tolerating his succession would be tantamount to self-destruction of the imperial system. In addition, from Chu Ying, Shuerhaqi to Daishan, the betrayal of the three has made Nurhachi have great doubts about the practice of his cronies and relatives.
Therefore, in May of the 32nd year of Wanli, Nurhachi officially canonized Hongli as the prince. Since then, this tortuous road to the establishment of reserves has finally come to a successful end. And Hongli also inherited his father's business by virtue of his extraordinary talent and virtue, and became the second generation of monarchs of the Later Jin Dynasty.
Under his rule, the Later Jin Dynasty gradually reached its heyday, laying a solid foundation for the Qing dynasty that would rise in the future. Undoubtedly, Nurhachi's arduous journey on the road to establishing a reserve finally brought him a wise heir, opening a new era of prosperity for the people of the Eight Banners.