Is Yuan Chonghuan, the controversial general of the Ming Dynasty, loyal and traitor ?

Yuan Chonghuan is a more controversial figure in the Ming Dynasty, some people say that Yuan Chonghuan is a loyal minister, a famous general of the Ming Dynasty to resist the Qing Dynasty, Yuan Chonghuan is enough to resist the invasion of the Manchu Dynasty, a pillar of the sky, Emperor Chongzhen killed him to destroy the Great Wall, just like the Southern Song Dynasty Zhao Gou killed Yue Fei, which led to the final demise of the Ming Dynasty; Some people also say that Yuan Chonghuan's military exploits are all exaggerated and bragged, and he turned defeat into victory. He killed the general Mao Wenlong without permission, and privately negotiated peace with the Manchus, and was executed as he deserved; promised Emperor Chongzhen that he would level Liao within five years, but in fact, he knew that it was impossible, and he was absolutely bullying the king. Let Huang Taiji invade Beijing, he followed but did not attack, and when he arrived in Beijing, he wanted Chongzhen to let him go into the city to rest, but in fact, he wanted to join forces with the Qing army to invade Beijing, so he was finally sentenced to death for ** crime, and he was a complete traitor.

In fact, Chu Feng felt that it was indeed a bit too much to position Yuan Chonghuan as a "traitor", Yuan Chonghuan was a typical Zhida talent, and he did not have strong ability, but he liked to boast about Haikou, what five years of Pingliao, and build a perfect Guanning defense line, which made Emperor Chongzhen, who had just ascended the throne, feel that Yuan Chonghuan was a capable person. But the last five years have not arrived, but let Houjin enter Beijing, Emperor Chongzhen is very annoying, who will Yuan Chonghuan kill if he doesn't kill you?

Yuan Chonghuan was a jinshi in the forty-seventh year of Wanli (1619), and later served in the Liaodong border pass through self-recommendation, and was given the important town of Shouning Yuan by Sun Chengzong. In the war against the Qing army (Later Jin), he successively won the victory of Ningyuan and Ningjin, but because Wei Zhongxian was not happy, he resigned and returned to his hometown.

After Ming Sizong Zhu Youzhen ascended the throne, Yuan Chonghuan was able to reactivate, and Emperor Chongzhen personally summoned Yuan Chonghuan on the platform, Yuan Chonghuan boasted that he would level Liao within five years, and Emperor Chongzhen praised Yuan Chonghuan. During the incident, Xu Yuqing asked Yuan Chonghuan about his strategy for recovering Liao, but Yuan Chonghuan said that he used such words to comfort the emperor. Xu Yuqing said: "How can such a thing be said nonsense, if you can't calm Liao in five years, isn't it the crime of bullying the king?" ”

In July, Chonghuan entered the capital, played Chen Bingshi first, and the emperor summoned the platform to comfort and even consult with the strategy. He said: "The strategy has been sparse. The ministers are subject to His Majesty's special favor, and they are willing to take a cheap vacation, count five years, and the whole Liao can be restored. The emperor said: "Restore Liao, I will not hesitate to reward the marquis." Qing worked hard to solve the world's upside down, and Qing's descendants were also blessed. Chonghuan thanked him. The emperor retreated and rested, and gave Xu Yuqing a five-year strategy in the matter. Chonghuan said: "The sacred heart is anxious, and talking is comforting." Yu Qing said: "On the wise, Encore is right." Different days are on schedule, what can I do? Chonghuan was stunned. History of the Ming Dynasty. Biography of Yuan Chonghuan

Before Yuan Chonghuan's five-year Pingliao plan could be implemented, Hou Jin's army entered Beijing, and it turned out that Hou Jin entered Beijing through Mongolia, and Yuan Chonghuan immediately sent troops to defend Beijing after knowing it. In the second year of Chongzhen (1629), after repelling Huang Taiji and relieving the siege of Jingshi, Wei Zhongxian and Yu Dang were charged with "killing the island marshal (Mao Wenlong)", negotiating peace with the Qing court, and "the enemy of the city".

I don't think Yuan Chonghuan is a thief or a traitor, but Yuan Chonghuan does have his own problems, otherwise he would not have been sentenced to death by Emperor Chongzhen. Let's not talk about whether Chongzhen should kill Yuan Chonghuan or not, let's talk about what bottom lines Yuan Chonghuan touched, Emperor Chongzhen had to kill him.

First of all, Yuan Chonghuan is indeed suspected of bullying the king

Yuan Chonghuan boasted about Haikou and said that it would be five years of peace, but this was an impossible task. But Emperor Chongzhen was convinced, so Yuan Chonghuan really had nothing to say about bullying the monarch. Maybe Yuan Chonghuan felt that this was just to reassure the emperor and trust him, but he didn't know that he had committed the crime of defrauding the emperor by saying this.

Secondly, it is to kill Mao Wenlong, a national first-class general, without authorization

Mao Wenlong should not be killed if he is really guilty, because it does play a role in containing Houjin. When Huang Taiji attacked the Ming Dynasty, Mao Wenlong didn't care whether he worked hard or not, he could attack the rear of Huang Taiji at any time, so Mao Wenlong really shouldn't be killed. It's like the time when Huang Taiji entered Beijing. Why did Huang Taiji dare to enter the pass from Mongolia? The reason is that there is no "aftermath" of Mao Wenlong, if there is a threat from Mao Wenlong, Huang Taiji will not dare to run such a long distance, because the route is too long to rescue his lair.

In other words, even if Mao Wenlong really has a problem, the problem is very serious, he should report it to the emperor to deal with it, instead of cutting it first and then playing it like this, although Emperor Chongzhen did not pursue it at the time, he was already a little distrustful of Yuan Chonghuan. Moreover, after Yuan Chonghuan killed Mao Wenlong, in order to stabilize his generals, he increased their military salaries, and all this money was paid by Chongzhen!

Again, Yuan Chonghuan "sold grain to the enemy".

At that time, the Mongolian tribes were basically conquered by the Later Jin, the Karaqin Department suffered a great famine, and the Later Jin also suffered a famine, and Yuan Chonghuan actually sold grain to the Mongols, which is really incomprehensible. For this matter, Chongzhen also issued a holy decree, reminding Yuan Chonghuan that the Mongols bought grain, obviously to receive money, and to sell grain to them was to fund the enemy, and it was absolutely impossible. However, Yuan Chonghuan felt that selling grain to the Mongols could make the Mongols stand on his side, and if he didn't do so, the Mongols would fall backwards. However, the Karaqin Department is a grass on the wall, how can it be believed that the grain sold to the Mongols in the end has gone to the hands of Houjin, from this incident, it can be seen that Yuan Chonghuan is too naïve, and the typical lack of strategy.

In the end, it is what Chongzhen thinks of as "collaborating with the enemy".

Huang Taiji detoured to Mongolia, and later invaded Beijing, although Yuan Chonghuan was the governor of Jiliao, but he couldn't manage Jizhou, and Yuan Chonghuan knew that Ningyuanjin's defense line was relatively strong, and Huang Taiji couldn't attack it for a long time, so he would definitely take Mongolia and attack the weak Jizhou, so Yuan Chonghuan also played Emperor Chongzhen, but he didn't pay enough attention. Later, Huang Taiji really raided the fragile passes of the Jizhen defense area of the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty, Longjing Pass and Da'ankou, broke through the wall, and attacked Beijing.

Emperor Chongzhen hurriedly ordered King Qin, Yuan Chonghuan learned that he led 15,000 iron horsemen to aid the Beijing Division, Yuan Chonghuan wanted to intercept Huang Taiji in Zunhua at first, but because he was a step late, and later wanted to intercept in Suzhou, but Huang Taiji did not entangle with him, directly bypassed Suzhou, Yuan Chonghuan had no choice but to go west, and then the four roads arrived in Beijing, and the war was about to break out.

After the war, Yuan Chonghuan asked to enter the city to rest, but Emperor Chongzhen did not allow it, so he could only camp outside the city. Huang Taiji saw that he couldn't attack for a long time, so he retreated. However, Huang Taiji slightly made the "anti-in-house scheme" directly let Yuan Chonghuan go to prison, and was later executed by Emperor Chongzhen Ling Chi, and the people rushed to buy his meat, which was really a tragic death! Therefore, there is no real evidence that Yuan Chonghuan collaborated with the enemy, and Yuan Chonghuan did not deliberately follow and not attack Huang Taiji, mainly because the Ming army was not the opponent of the Qing army in the field at all, Yuan Chonghuan always wanted to hold on to the city, and use the strength of the city defense and the power of artillery to fight the Qing army, but Huang Taiji was not stupid and bypassed it directly.

To sum up, although Yuan Chonghuan is at fault, these mistakes do not mean that Yuan Chonghuan is a thief and a traitor, on the contrary, Yuan is still loyal to the emperor, but his ability is limited, and what he did did did make Emperor Chongzhen misunderstood. Just imagine, if Yuan wants to surrender to the Qing army, wouldn't it be over if he opened the gate of Ningyuan early to let Huang Taiji in, is it still so complicated? Besides, what benefits did the Manchus have for him, the Manchus themselves are poor and have nothing to eat, and what benefits can they give to Yuan Chonghuan.

However, the killing of Yuan Chonghuan still had a certain impact on Emperor Chongzhen and the Ming Dynasty, which directly led to the fact that when Li Zicheng hit Beijing later, although Emperor Chongzhen ordered King Qin, no one dared to come to the rescue. It is estimated that they are afraid of falling into the fate of Inspector Yuan!