What kind of reasons and motives can turn a loyal court official into a powerful and willful, cruel and ruthless traitor?He was bent on assisting the young master, but he lost himself in the fog of power.
Facing the pursuing emperor, he uncovered his clothes and showed the emperor those loyal and patriotic scars. The road to power experienced by this veteran of the Three Dynasties was circuitous and shocking, and what did he leave a little warmth in his ending?
Ao Bai is an orthodox child of the Eight Banners, he grew up in the war since he was a child, has a strong personality, and is good at riding and shooting. During the Huang Taiji period, Ao Bai followed the Huang Taiji to fight everywhere, made great achievements, and even won the title of "Baturu". Among the Manchu generals, there are very few who can enjoy the title of "Baturu", which shows that Aobai was strong in martial arts and brave in those years.
At that time, Ao Bai was still a young talent of the imperial court. He was simple-minded, loyal to Huang Taiji, and never thought of seeking personal gain. After Emperor Shunzhi succeeded to the throne, Ao Bai was reused, and he still diligently assisted the government, and was equally loyal to the young new emperor.
What really changed him was Emperor Kangxi, who ascended the throne at the age of eight. At first, Ao Bai also wanted to be loyal to the young lord and help him grow up. But gradually, the feeling of being in power made Ao worship unstoppable.
He has already tasted the sweetness of power, how can he be willing to give it to others?As a result, Ao Bai chose to forcibly seize the power, and was no longer the simple and loyal young talent.
As one of the auxiliary ministers, Ao Bai has a heavy army, and his power can already compete with the emperor. When the 14-year-old Kangxi Emperor decided to take the government personally, Ao Bai did not hand over power as usual. On the contrary, he intensified his dictatorship and wanted to make this young man who was not yet 20 years old obedient.
As a result, a strange stalemate was formed in the court: Kangxi, the nominal supreme ruler, was controlled by the powerful minister Aobai;And Kangxi had to rely on Ao Bai on the surface, but secretly tried his best to buy people's hearts and accumulate strength. This undercurrent of confrontation continued for several years, and the power of Aobai seemed to be getting stronger and stronger.
In order to demonstrate his authority, Ao Bai began to suppress dissidents and purge Kangxi's henchmen. Once, Suke Saha, a political enemy of Aobai and Kangxi's confidant, took the initiative to hand over power to Kangxi. Ao Bai was furious, forcing the Kangxi Emperor, who was not strong enough, to personally order the execution of Suke Saha. Witnessing the killing of his henchmen, Kangxi hated it to the core.
Worship the power of the government and the opposition, and overwhelm the imperial power. On the surface, he seems to be assisting the young master, but in fact, he is taking the opportunity to control the Qing regime. For a time, the elites of the DPRK and China were all submissive and did not dare to offend the worship of power. And secretly, everyone is speculating about what this powerful auxiliary minister wants to do.
In the face of the increasingly rampant worship, Kangxi began to think about a counterattack. He knew that it was too early to rely solely on force to fight Aobai, and that long-term deployment was necessary.
So, he first slowly weakened Aobai's power in various places and transferred his henchmen from various places. At the same time, he secretly cultivated his own strength, let his most powerful cronies join the Praetorian Guard, and trained them strictly.
Five years have passed, and Ao Bai seems to have seen these small actions in his eyes, but he has not taken them to heart with contempt. He regarded Kangxi as an ignorant and naïve child who was still playing, and thought that he was firmly in control of the overall situation. This gave Kangxi an opportunity.
Kangxi set up a net of heaven and earth, and first deceived Ao Bai into the palace with the intention of condolences. Just as Ao Bai sat down to taste tea, Kangxi ordered the waiters on the left and right to serve a cup of hot tea, pretending to accidentally splash the tea on Ao Bai's hands. Ao Bai exhaled in pain, and the tea cup broke off his hand. Kangxi immediately loudly reprimanded Ao Bai for being disrespectful. At this moment, the Praetorian Guards cultivated by Kangxi suddenly rushed out and worshiped **.
This well-designed, step-by-step capture operation finally made Ao Bai realize that this "little kid" he had always looked down on had grown up and become a very deep and difficult enemy in the city. However, at this time, Aobai's power has been completely reduced by Kangxi, and he has no power to return to the sky.
As a veteran of the Three Dynasties, Ao Bai had a pivotal position in the Qing Dynasty. Even if the crime was confirmed, Kangxi had to be cautious. Before the official decision, he made an exception to allow Ao Bai to ask for a meeting.
When he saw the emperor, Ao Bai did not plead or explain, but silently unbuttoned his shirt and showed Kangxi his scars all over his body. These dense scars, both old and new, reflect the hardships of his many years of military career. "This is what I left behind when I served my father. He pointed to a deep, long wound and said, "This is from the Battle of the Customs." He pointed everywhere, telling the story behind each scar.
Those are all traces of his loyalty to the Qing Dynasty, treating death as home, and vowing to the descendants of Yan and Huang. At this moment, Kangxi seemed to recognize the true face of the vicissitudes of life in front of him for the first time - he was not just a powerful traitor. He was also a loyal confidant of his fathers, and he was with the emperor through thick and thin.
Ao Bai is lost in the whirlpool of power, but his heart is not weak. Power is a double-edged sword, and it can also open up the darkest side of the human heart. And for this veteran of the Three Dynasties, Kangxi still can't forget his hard work.
So, after the dust settled, Kangxi finally failed to make up his mind to execute Aobai. It's just that he never had the opportunity to let Ao Bai take power again, and put him under house arrest. Soon after, Ao Bai died of illness in captivity. Perhaps, at that moment, he was finally relieved and no longer bothered by Game of Thrones.
What is the geometry of life?He was also in his prime and made great achievementsHe also had the power to lean towards the government and the opposition, and dominated the situation. In the end, it was not only his power that disappeared, but also the ideals and ambitions he had when he came. The ups and downs of the road to power of this veteran of the Three Dynasties are also worthy of remembrance for future generations. How many people can be consistent and unchanging?
Ao Bai is often portrayed as a traitor in our stereotype, but in reality, he does not fully fit into such a stereotype. In the long river of history, Ao Bai may have lost himself in the whirlpool of power, but he has never had the intention of rebelling and subverting the Qing Dynasty.
The reason why Ao Bai is considered a traitor is mainly because he has adopted some radical measures in the power struggle, and even interfered with the imperial power. However, unlike some historical figures, Aobai did not go to the step of rebellion. He may have been too involved in the scheme, but he did not touch the emperor's bottom line.