Yue Zhongqi, a lowly Han general, won the highest honor in the Manchu dynasty. How did he struggle in the army, and how did he end up in disgrace in the power struggle?This story may seem unremarkable, but in fact there is an undercurrent. When we dig deeper into the life of this legendary soldier, we may find the key points that changed his fate.
Yue Zhongqi was born at the end of the Ming Dynasty, just when the Ming Dynasty fell and the Manchu Qing Dynasty entered the Central Plains. He is the descendant of Yue Fei, a famous anti-gold general, with unyielding family blood, showing military talent far beyond ordinary people. As a young man, he was just a pawn in the army, engaged in hard but meticulous work. But he was not discouraged by this, but gave it his all.
During the long life in the barracks, he quietly observed the methods of the veterans in training recruits, studied military books, and continued to learn Xi military knowledge. Three years later, Yue Zhongqi had the opportunity to become an assistant to the general Nian Qianyao, from which he accumulated valuable military experience.
Under the leadership of Nian Qianyao, he saw the real iron-blooded military discipline, and learned skills such as training new soldiers, scouting the enemy, and fighting in complex terrain. A few years later, he had the opportunity to take charge of the army on his own, excelling in several battles and making great achievements for the army. Gradually, the Han youth rose to prominence in the army.
However, what really changed Yue Zhongqi's fate was the favor of Emperor Yongzheng. In 1722, Yongzheng needed a fierce general to suppress a rebellion in the northwest. Yue Zhongqi's performance attracted the attention of the emperor, and he was appointed as the chief soldier of Sichuan, becoming the first Han military attache in the history of the Manchu dynasty to be promoted to general.
He was strict with military discipline and personally trained recruits, and soon won the respect and trust of his subordinates. After going west to suppress the Mongol rebellion, he completely defeated the main rebel force and brought peace to the northwest. This battle made Yue Zhongqi, who was not yet 30 years old, famous and became the pride of the Han people. However, the pinnacle of power also comes with potential risks.
When he was in power, the keen Yue Zhongqi had already sensed the undercurrent in the court. Many political opponents were jealous of him, especially the Manchu minister Ortai. They managed to slander the emperor, saying that Yue Zhongqi was a "traitor to the Han people" and was intent on rebellion.
Faced with the siege of political enemies, Yue Zhongqi responded calmly, but his statement did not alleviate the emperor's doubts, but instead inspired the emperor to be vigilant against him. In 1726, a small-scale rebellion broke out, but Yue Zhongqi's strategy of encirclement and suppression was rejected by the emperor, resulting in a major defeat in the campaign. After that, he lost the trust of the emperor and began to enter the end of his political career.
At the beginning of 1727, a ** incident became a breakthrough for political opponents to attack Yue Zhongqi. One of his Han officers killed a Manchu military attache after an altercation, which was exploited by political opponents, further exacerbating Yue's predicament. Eventually, he was stripped of all his official position and honor, and placed under house arrest at home until his death two years later.
Yue Zhongqi's fate is undoubtedly a tragic history. His story reveals the darkness and cruelty of the court. Racial prejudice and power struggles led to his tragedy, with a Han governor quickly falling to rock bottom after his heyday, a sad ending.
Yue Zhongqi's story tells us that despite his great achievements, the undercurrents and power struggles in the court also forced him to the end of his life. This history may shed some light on the brutality of racial prejudice and political struggles, and their tragic endings.