In the long history of the Qing Dynasty, there were only five Han figures who could be awarded the title of duke, but only one of them could really be hereditary. What kind of special identity is this that makes him unique in the officialdom of the Qing Dynasty? What kind of twists and turns are hidden behind the hereditary lineage?
In the history of the Qing Dynasty, it can be said that it is unprecedented to give Han courtiers the title of duke, and the early Manchu Qing Dynasty has always had an exclusive attitude towards the Han people, which to a large extent led to the collective dissatisfaction of the Han bureaucracy. However, under the weight of these hard-line policies, there are a few exceptions.
Huang Wu is the first Han nationality to make an exception. This Han general, who came from a humble family, finally won the trust of the Kangxi Emperor by relying on his outstanding military talents and loyalty to the Qing Dynasty. In the war between the Qing Dynasty and the Zheng regime in Taiwan, Huang Wu made great contributions and was made an exception to be named the Duke of Haicheng County.
This caused an uproar at the time. The Manchus** considered the knighthood of the Han Chinese to be a desecration of Manchurian traditions. Under the strong opposition of these conservative **, Emperor Kangxi's behavior was questioned. Cracks arose within the Manchu ruling clique, and political struggles continued between the government and the opposition over this incident.
And Huang Wu himself is a victim of this controversy. He died shortly after receiving the title of Duke of Haicheng, which has been suggested to be related to some ultra-conservative Manchu ministers in the imperial cabinet. The cause of Huang Wu's sudden and bizarre death is still full of fog.
However, the precedent set by Huang Wu is of great significance to the Han Chinese bureaucracy. After a long period of cold reception, this is an affirmation of the contribution of the Han people. Despite the negative consequences, Huang's ice-breaking move gave more Han Chinese intellectuals a glimmer of hope. This also contributed to the opportunity for a major turning point in the Qing Dynasty's ethnic policy in the next two decades.
Bai Wenxuan's experience is one of the most legendary in this group. This Han military general was originally a remnant of the Ming Dynasty who followed the famous anti-Qing leader Zhang Xianzhong in his resistance to Manchu rule. After Zhang Xianzhong's death, Bai Wenxuan surrendered to the Qing rulers.
Bai Wenxuan was well versed in the way of power and strategy, and he realized that the Manchu regime was over, and the only way to protect himself was to submit to it. So he led his subordinates to join the Qing army, went to Taiwan, and captured several important towns of the Zheng regime. In these battles, Bai Wenxuan performed extremely prominently.
In the end, based on his military exploits and the political effect of surrender, Bai Wenxuan was named "Duke of Cheng'en" by the Qing court and became the second Duke of Han nationality. This fully proves that the rulers of the Qing Dynasty can make an exception and promote regardless of past suspicions, as long as it helps to consolidate the rule. This also inspired more Ming Dynasty remnants and anti-Qing remnants to surrender to the Qing court.
It's just a pity that Bai Wenxuan did not get the hereditary right to the title of Duke of Cheng'en. This decision was also questioned by the government and the opposition. But for Bai Wenxuan himself, it is already a great honor to receive the title of duke. This marked a turning point in his history: from a die-hard anti-Qing leader to a lackey of the Qing Dynasty.
Unlike the previous two, Sun Shiyi was one of the most famous military ministers of the Qing Dynasty. This Han general followed Huang Taiji and Kangxi to fight in the south and the north, and established indelible military exploits. Especially in the campaign to recover Taiwan, Sun Shiyi's contribution was great.
However, what is unexpected is that when Emperor Kangxi rewarded the Han people, Sun Shiyi only won the title of a third-class Mouyong Gong. This result caused an uproar in the government and the opposition, and everyone believed that Sun Shiyi's military exploits were fully worthy of a higher award.
The reason for this lies in the deliberate disregard of the Qing rulers for the merits of Han military generals. They did not want to give Sun Shiyi too high honors, fearing that the Han Chinese would threaten the status of Manchu officers. At the same time, the constraints of traditional concepts also made the Kangxi Dynasty hesitate to deal with ethnic relations. Under various complicated considerations, Sun Shiyi finally only got the seemingly polite but empty title of third-class Mou Yonggong.
This is undoubtedly an unfair treatment of a highly decorated Han general. But Sun Shiyi himself did not have a problem with this, he believed that obeying the emperor's arrangement was the duty of the courtiers. This near-blind devotion also became one of the most prominent human characteristics of this period.
Unlike Sun Shiyi, Yue Zhongqi was a more controversial general. Like Sun Shiyi, he also made great achievements. But Yue Zhongqi's personality is relatively strong, and he has made many enemies in the army. This led to his frequent encounters with politics in his career.
Initially, Yue Zhongqi was also named "Prestige Prince" by Emperor Kangxi because of his military exploits. But shortly thereafter, he became embroiled in his opponent's plot. Someone in the court falsely accused him of his ** military salary, and Yue Zhongqi was liquidated and stripped of his title.
A few years later, Yue Zhongqi regained the trust of Emperor Kangxi with his new military exploits. So he was re-knighted and became a marquis of the third class. But this time, he only maintained the title for a few years, and once again lost the title because of politics.
In his later years, Yue Zhongqi was already gray-haired. After the baptism of the years, his temperament has changed greatly, and he is no longer the fierce young man who was disrespectful back then. So at the request of the ministers, Kangxi finally restored the title to him for the third time. This is the story of the "Three Restoration of Prestige and Faith" that is circulated among the people.
Yue Zhongqi's experience fully reflects the complexity of the political struggle during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It also shows us that politics is impermanent and that true glory requires training. Just like Yue Zhongqi finally saw the true meaning of life after going through various realms.
Zheng Kexuan is a famous minister of the Southern Ming Dynasty and a fierce general under Zheng Chenggong. After the fall of the Southern Ming Dynasty, he followed Zheng Chenggong to resist the Qing Dynasty. But in the Zheng regime, he did not get the first position.
Until Zheng Jing failed and surrendered, and after the Qing court took over Taiwan, Zheng Kexuan was named "Haicheng Gong" by the Qing court, with the same title as Huang Wu. This was an important expression of the Qing court to Zheng Chenggong's successor. However, this title has almost no real power, and Zheng Kexuan's political status is not prominent.
This is mainly due to the fact that the Qing court was wary of the descendants of the Zheng family. They did not dare to give too much real power, fearing that they would organize another anti-Qing and Ming restoration. Therefore, Zheng Kexuan, the Duke of Haicheng, is purely a title and title. Its purpose is only to show a slight courtesy to the descendants of the Zheng family, in order to integrate and appease.
Zheng himself did not dispute this, he was aware of the political considerations of the Qing court, and saw that he was simply unable to compete with the vast empire. So he chose to forbear and learn Manchu culture, hoping to gain true recognition. But it didn't come to his death either. This helpless ending once again confirmed the painful fate of the Han scholars in Qing Dynasty politics. Their identities are awkward and their status is precarious. Zheng Kexuan is the epitome of this typical character in the late Qing Dynasty.
The life experiences of these five Han dukes spanning a century and a half have become unique annotations in the long river of history. The trajectories of the five dukes are intertwined, becoming a peculiar picture in the officialdom culture of the Qing Dynasty.
They are all the most outstanding representatives of this era. It is their insistence on ideals that allows them to stand tall in the changing court and finally win honors. When we look back at these legends, we find a spirit of the times in the air. This is the power to choose justice in the face of tribulation, and it is also the driving force that pushes history forward.