In 1644 A.D., after Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself from the coal mountain, Wu Sangui opened the Shanhaiguan Pass and brought Houjin into the pass. Some people may ask, if Wu Sangui does not open the Shanhai Pass, can the Qing army enter the customs smoothly and then seize the world?The answer is yes.
With the strength of Houjin, even if Wu Sangui did not defect, it was only a matter of time before the Qing army could enter the pass. At that time, Li Zicheng occupied Beijing, Zhang Xianzhong was entrenched in the southwest, Chongzhen's cousin Zhu Yousong established the Southern Ming Dynasty in Nanjing, and the Houjin outside the Guanguan was eyeing himWu Sangui can't afford to provoke any of them, even if his Guanning Iron Cavalry is powerful, he has the heart to kill himself to serve the country, and it is difficult to achieve victory.
A careful analysis of the situation at that time can be known that the Ming Dynasty has been in a stage of internal and external troubles, and it is difficult to turn the tables, and after Wu Sangui surrendered, Jin may be the best choice, and he also wanted to take refuge in Li Zicheng's Dashun court, but unfortunately he was let down by Li Zicheng.
Here's the thing, after Li Zicheng became the master of the Beijing Division, he knew that Wu Sangui's Guanning Iron Cavalry was an elite division that could resist Huang Taiji's Manchu Eight Banners, so he took the initiative to win him over.Wu Sangui also intended to submit to obedience, but Li Zicheng's subordinates did not know moderation, and not only occupied his beloved wife Chen Yuanyuan in Beijing's mansion, but also beat his father Wu Xiang, forcing Wu Sangui to take refuge in Houjin;In the end, he stood on the opposite side of Li Zicheng and drove him out of Beijing.
From the perspective of national righteousness, Wu Sangui is indeed a big traitor;But from a personal point of view, Wu Sangui's approach seems to be understandable, just imagine, if you are in Wu Sangui's position and suffer from Li Zicheng's humiliation, will you have the same behavior as Wu Sangui and find a strong reinforcement to destroy the enemy?
It's a pity that in the face of personal honor and disgrace and national righteousness, Wu Sangui chose the former;As a general of the Ming Dynasty, he did not live and die with the Ming Dynasty, so he left a bad reputation in later generations. For such a controversial historical figure, what should friends think?