Liang Qichao and Jin Yong both made a good analysis of Yuan Chonghuan's death, especially Jin Yong. In addition to the political climate at that time, he also mentioned the personality conflict between Yuan Chonghuan and Emperor Chongzhen Zhu Youjian. Mao Zedong and Li Zicheng's evaluation of Chongzhen is not bad, except for the famous saying "I am not the king of subjugation, but you are the minister of subjugation". Before Chongzhen committed suicide, he told princess royal that he was from the royal family, which also added a lot of goodwill to later generations. However, during the seventeen years of Chongzhen, fifty university students, fourteen ministers of the Ministry of War, eleven governors or governors were killed or forced to commit suicide, and eleven governors were killed. His personal character defects are also exposed.
This is not about Yuan Chonghuan's death. I just want to talk about the public's reaction to Yuan Chonghuan's head being regarded as nine faces, and the role it plays in it.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, when Zhang Jiao rebelled, he said a famous saying, "Those who are rare win the hearts of the people." Now that people are United, it would be a pity if we don't follow the trend and win the world. "Opening Angle is a man who wants to be an emperor. He firmly remembered these four words. But the so-called will of the people is the general trend, and the core of this general trend is profit. The success of the China Revolution in Mao Zedong is largely due to the fact that farmers, who account for the majority of the population, have benefited from the land reform, although all the promises they have received about the future have largely failed to be realized in the future. It is precisely because of the trend of interests that the human heart shaped by benevolence, righteousness and morality is so unreliable that it is possible to bite back at any time.
As early as Ningyuan's first triumph, people's attitude towards Yuan Chonghuan had undergone subtle changes. In the sixth year of the apocalypse, Nurhachi led a 130,000-strong army to attack Ningyuan City, with only 10,000 defenders in Ningyuan. After the siege war, the city walls around Ningyuan for more than ten miles have been dug with holes, and the people are very dismayed, complaining that Yuan Chonghuan poisoned the people in the city for his own selfish interests. Who knew the handwriting of history was so unexpected? A shell from Ningyuan City wounded the immortal Nurhachi, and he later died. As soon as Ningyuan was clear, the whole city cried and regarded Yuan Chonghuan as the second generation parent. The attitude of people here is worth pondering.
In the second year of Chongzhen, Huang Taiji attacked from the west road, bypassed the Ningyuan defense line in Yuan Chonghuan and approached Beijing. Yuan Chonghuan led some soldiers back to Beijing for rescue, and fought fiercely with Huang Taiji, who was ten times stronger than himself, at the gates of Beijing. According to Yuan Chonghuan's meaning, the whole army retreated to Beijing, relying on artillery superiority to wait for Ningyuan's main infantry to fight Huang Taiji again in Li. However, due to many factors, at this time, Chongzhen was too suspicious of Yuan Chonghuan and refused to let Yuan Chonghuan lead the troops into Beijing. At the same time, the people in Beijing also called Yuan Chonghuan's troops traitors.
On the one hand, it is the factor of cultural tradition. Since the Song Dynasty, hawks have always appeared in a patriotic manner because of humiliation. Even if you are defeated, there are few mistakes. If unfortunate, it can even go down in history, and peace talks with foreign countries are almost always regarded as traitors; Yuan Chonghuan had previously had a secret talk with Huang Taiji, and Huang Taiji had agreed that his contacts with the Ming Empire would not be as good as that of Ming Emperor Chengzu. Objectively speaking, this is a favorable negotiation. However, due to Chongzhen's lack of overall understanding, the unanimous opposition of the Qing Dynasty and courtiers, and the people's resistance to the "peace talks", the talks aborted. In the face of "traitor" Yuan Chonghuan, Beijing people have long forgotten that this man was the commander-in-chief of Ningyuan's three victories, and that it was because of this man that the Qing soldiers could not enter the customs for nearly 20 years. They even ignored the fact that Yuan Chonghuan came back from Ningyuan overnight and fought bloody battles for a group of people who abused themselves as traitors at the gates of Beijing. How ridiculous is this? Standing on the top of Beijing, the people wore "patriotic" glasses and saw the traitors at a glance.
On the other hand, it cannot be explained by cultural traditions. Yuan Chonghuan's examiner is the backbone of Lindong Party, and he belongs to Lindong School. Why do Beijingers show enough sympathy for Zuo Guangdou, Yang Lian and other Lindong party member, but are so harsh on Yuan Chonghuan, who is also a Lindong faction? In addition to Yuan Chonghuan's stubborn personality, there are other things besides "traitorous", a hat that can kill people a thousand times.
Compared with Yue Fei and Yu Qian who lived in the same dynasty as Yuan Chonghuan, Yuan Chonghuan's death embodies a deeper tragic significance, because he was not only killed by those in power, but also spurned by ordinary people. I can relate Dong Zhuo to his tragic death in history. He was lit by a sky lantern. Connecting with the performance of the people when Ningyuan won the first battle, we can find the special reaction of the people under the condition of seriously endangering their own interests. People in Beijing "scrambled for a piece of the cake, clashed with shochu, and blood flowed between their teeth and cheeks, still spitting and cursing." Those who pick up bones will be chopped by knives and axes, and their flesh and blood will be exhausted. "This kind of hatred makes people feel suspicious, because even if it is not the revenge of killing my father, I am afraid I can't take such revenge. The most direct reason here is the burning and killing of Qing soldiers outside the city (directly related to the people's own interests) and Yuan Chonghuan's inaction waiting for the main force, which makes the Beijing people more convinced that Yuan Chonghuan is a traitor and that the Qing soldiers were introduced by him. This incredible speculation is unfortunately more marketable than the facts of a special period.
Facing Yang Lian, Zuo Guangdou and Yuan Chonghuan, the people gave two completely different answers, and seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages was once again reflected as an instinct. The numbness of people recorded by Lu Xun in his book, as well as the isolation between people who represent correct ideas (the word may be inaccurate) and the situation that they are not understood by the latter are all reflected here. A cruel explanation is that the Beijingers have given Zuo Guangdou and Yang Lian cheap sympathy, which has nothing to do with themselves. When it comes to their own interests, they may even be deceived and eat their guardians alive.
It is terrible that people are crazy when they seriously endanger their own interests (this kind of madness is easy to grow in a collective state). The combination of fear of death and wealth loss and shirking responsibility makes it easy for this group to find scapegoats and turn "patriotism" into synonymous with atrocities in a very cheap way. Here, I have no intention of accusing the people of Beijing during the Chongzhen period. First of all, it makes no sense. Secondly, these are not unique to one person or some people, but are hidden in everyone's body as a natural way of thinking. Today, Yuan Chonghuan's head is long gone. Even if it is really buried as Li Ao wrote in the book, I'm afraid it has turned to dust. It's just that the idea of Beijingers in Chongzhen period has not subsided until today.