In the long course of history, the evaluation of generals' talents has often attracted widespread attention. And Chen Yucheng's evaluation of the princes and kings, especially the high recognition of Feng Yunshan and Shi Dakai, asserted that the others were not real generals. Behind this viewpoint, there may be a profound wisdom of war and a unique insight into historical generals.
In this article, we will delve into Chen Yucheng's evaluation and analyze his standards and cognition of generals. This is a story about war evaluation, leading wisdom and historical judgment, perhaps in the eyes of this historian, how the real generals can stand out in the troubled times is worthy of our in-depth **. With the exploration of history, we will examine Chen Yucheng's strict standards for generals and explore the deep meaning of his evaluation.
Why did Chen Yucheng only praise Feng Yunshan and Shi Dakai as generals on the eve of being captured? Will they really be able to command the entire army and save the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, which is about to fall? There must be an extraordinary inside story in this.
Let's start with the original Kaneda Uprising. In 1851, the peasants of Dongguan, Guangdong Province settled in Feng Yunshan and his cousin Hong Xiuquan and others to rebel against the Manchu Qing Dynasty and rise up in Jintian Village. Among them, Feng Yunshan can be said to have laid the foundation of this uprising.
Feng Yunshan was originally a pious ** disciple. As a young man, he converted to ** religion, founded the God Worship Society, and traveled around preaching. At the beginning of the uprising, it was he who ran in many directions, gathered contacts, recruited followers, and gathered the first batch of rebel troops.
Shi Dakai has a higher status and is the son of a petty official. He was resolute and courageous, and he was good at fighting. Soon after the uprising, he was promoted to the Wing King because of his outstanding military achievements, and commanded a side of soldiers and horses. Since then, in the crusade to the east and west, he has repeatedly performed miraculous feats and won the support of his subordinates.
During the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's war in Guangdong and Guangxi, King Chen Yucheng of England also shined. Chen Yucheng is brave and resourceful. soon became Feng Yunshan's henchman assistant. In repeated breakthroughs, he acted as a pioneer and opened a way of life.
It can be seen that Feng Yunshan, Shi Dakai and Chen Yucheng were all early fathers of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. They fight side by side, work together, and naturally feel like brothers and sisters with each other. Because of this, when it came to the evening scene, Chen Yucheng was the only one who was recognized.
After the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom established Tianjing as the capital, the momentum was even greater, and for a while, heroes from all walks of life gathered, and talents were abundant. Among them, there are also many contradictions and conflicts. The first to bear the brunt of the tragedy of the Beijing Incident will be counted.
In 1856, Wei Changhui, the king of the North, staged a coup d'état and took control of Tianjing City. He killed more than 100 generals and ministers such as Li Xiucheng, the king of loyalty, and broke Yang Xiuqing, the king of the east. In a few days in Tianjing, corpses were all over the field, and blood stained the ancient building of the tile palace.
This coup d'état can be described as the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's self-severing martial arts. It was also from this time that the rift within the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom became deeper and deeper. The contradictions between the princes and kings were even more difficult to resolve, and eventually led to the collapse of 14 years of glory.
Chen Yucheng, as a confidant of the loyal king Li Xiucheng, was also implicated in the coup. Many of his men were killed, and he himself was in danger for a time. At this point, Chen Yucheng and Wei Changhui completely turned their faces, and the two became incompatible rivals.
Because of this, after Chen Yucheng was captured, he categorically did not recognize Wei Changhui's talent. The strong power of the Northern King family has long been absorbed and controlled by the coup d'état. Therefore, Chen Yucheng's evaluation of the North King can be described as a fire and water, hiding a murderous opportunity.
In 1863, the Taiping army established a new city in Anqing, which became Chen Yucheng's last base camp in northern Anhui. However, the good times did not last long, and just over a year later, Xincheng fell under the onslaught of the Hunan army. Chen Yucheng has also been in a slump since then.
Chen Yu wanted to march west into Wuhan, cut off the grain route of the Hunan army, and force it to retreat from Anqing. However, the establishment of the loyal king Li Xiu was different, and he strongly advocated the recovery of the land of Hangzhou. The two became more and more hostile, and eventually led to the collapse of the Anqing defense line.
When Anqing fell, King Zhong was indifferent, and even if the British king was in danger, he would not help. is so cold and ruthless, it has been swept away. Since then, Chen Yucheng has been completely disappointed in King Zhong, and he is not optimistic about his generals.
It can be seen that Chen Yucheng's evaluation of the loyal king Li Xiucheng actually comes from the resentment of the fall of Anqing New Town. The two sides have always been good friends, but once life and death are at stake, no one comes to the rescue, and the pain of being betrayed makes it difficult for Chen Yucheng to place high hopes.
It is worth mentioning that among the princes and kings of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Yang Xiuqing, Xiao Chaogui and others were particularly fanatical in their belief in God's teachings. Every decision they make is imbued with strong religious overtones. Because of this, it eventually went to ruin.
Feng Yunshan, Shi Dakai and others maintained enough rationality and sobriety. When necessary, they will flexibly use religious means to win people's hearts. But we must not let doctrine hold our judgment hostage and become a stumbling block to decision-making.
It can be said that the important reason for the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom is that these two completely different governing philosophies. One is fanatical and blindly obedient, and the other is rational and sober. Chen Yucheng stood on the side of the latter, and naturally only praised the talents of Feng Yunshan and Shi Dakai.
At this point, it is not difficult for us to understand that the reason why Chen Yucheng monopolized Feng Yunshan and Shi Dakai actually stemmed from the intricate interpersonal relationships within the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. The internal logic behind this also indicates that after its spark ignites, it will eventually be destroyed.
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To sum up, Chen Yucheng's evaluation of the princes and generals of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom is not completely pertinent, but based on his own position and interests. It reflects the reality of the fragmentation and internal strife within the late Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
Feng Yunshan and Shi Dakai are indeed outstanding, but it is difficult to reverse the general trend. Under the pressure of both external enemies and internal strife, the fall of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was a historical inevitability. The causes and endings of all this are clear in Chen Yucheng's summary.
In the end, the British king fought to the death, but he still could not escape the fate of defeat. However, the 14-year history of the Taiping Righteous Army's bloody struggle has been integrated into the torrent of the new era. Their failed ideals will also be reborn in the revolution of the future!