Chapter 92 The Lessons of Yuan Chonghuan and Hong Chengchou in the Second Section

The Ming Dynasty is like a carriage running downhill to the cliff, all the potential energy points to an end that is beyond redemption.These potential energies are accumulated over the previous centuries.The painstaking efforts of its last charioteer, Emperor Chongzhen, looked more like a pale gesture than helpful.On the contrary, perhaps it was his dying struggle that accelerated the process. The problem of the Ming Dynasty did not lie in the floods, droughts, and locust plagues everywhere, nor did it lie in the thieves swarming everywhere, nor did it lie in a few treacherous officials or faint kings.These are just appearances.Behind all this, the spiritual pillar supporting the normal functioning of society has rotted.

No dynasty in history paid as much attention to famous teachings as the Ming Dynasty.The semi-literate emperor Zhu Yuanzhang was essentially a shrewd and practical farmer.He conquered the world on horseback, and with his typical peasant inspiration, he invented stereotyped essays, "Da Gao" and "Emperor Ming Zu Xun".His efforts point to one direction: put the minds of the people in the world into the safe of Confucianism, and let the society run smoothly forever under the dogma of monarchs, ministers, fathers and sons. The value of Confucianism was exalted to the extreme in the Ming Dynasty.Confucius was revered unprecedentedly in the Ming Dynasty. Every scholar had to memorize the Four Books and Five Classics by rote, and every village had to gather to listen to the old people preach the holy way on the day of the new moon.The scholars of this dynasty were better at citing scriptures than any other period in history, and this dynasty erected more chastity archways than any other dynasty.

In every era, there are always batches of ministers admonishing the emperor's behavior that does not conform to the precepts of the ancestors, and fighting with the emperor to the end. However, there has never been a dynasty like the late Ming Dynasty. The moral standard of the whole society was unprecedentedly low, people's spiritual life was shrinking unprecedentedly, and the society fell into a serious moral crisis. The moral restraint function of the Mingjiao Gang has been seriously damaged by the Zhu family's overdraft. In fact, Confucian ethics have inherent flaws.It is based on the false assumption that human nature is inherently good, requiring everyone to suppress the lively natural desires in their hearts, and obey rigid moral dogma through great self-restraint.

It does not leave flexible space for the weak and ugly side of human nature, does not recognize people's mediocrity and instinct of seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages, and lacks respect and care for people's basic material needs.It has only the highest standards and no minimum standards.It may be able to arouse some kind of moral fanaticism in times of social turmoil, but it is not suitable as a regulator of human nature in a general sense. Before the Ming Dynasty, Confucianism played more of a role as a soft constraint, but in the Ming Dynasty, this soft constraint became more and more hardened, which put this ethical standard in trouble.Due to the difficulty of operation, it has actually become a pseudo-standard.

People have sufficient wisdom to resolve the contradiction between moral high pressure and natural desire.On the one hand, they decorate the facade through pretense, and on the other hand, they secretly sink into the moral forbidden zone and enjoy the satisfaction of overcorrected material desires.Excessive publicity of moral values, the final result is that the entire value system is weakened and distorted, and the despicable and ugly side of human desires are indulged and vented. Just a few examples can be used to put the above argument into practice.Since Jiajing and Longqing, the entire Ming Dynasty has been immersed in extravagance and indulgence, from the public officials to the common people, and every class has sunk into the indulgence of natural and human nature.

Among the folks, the smell of gold powder filled the streets and alleys, the wind of sex with prostitutes pervaded every corner, and spring paintings of obscene objects were openly sold on the streets, and pornographic literature became the mainstream of folk literature. In the upper strata of society, this ethos is even more blazing.During the Chenghua period of Emperor Xianzong, Wan An, the chief assistant of the cabinet, was favored because of his contribution to the house. Some people say that the middle and late Ming Dynasty was the stage of the rise of Chinese humanism.This is a benign misunderstanding.In the late Ming Dynasty, although the restraint of human nature had been relaxed, people did not openly declare the awakening of human beings.People live with a sense of guilt. Although they are wild and uninhibited, orthodox social values ​​are still recognized in their hearts.This can only lead to mental fatigue and a strong tendency to be practical, avoiding any substantive sublime.

The most convincing material is probably what the last emperor Chongzhen said in his edict: Zhang Guan set up officials, originally to govern the country and secure the people.Today, being an official is for personal gain, and being an official is like trading.Urging money and food is more expensive than fire consumption (money and food must be deducted first), and want to envy the surplus after the full amount (non-imperial regulations must be collected privately).Even if it has been exempted, it is also contrary to the purpose of private collection; only when it is discussed and repaired, it will take advantage of the opportunity to benefit itself (as soon as there is a construction project, it will take the opportunity to enrich the private pocket).

Or the value is not given to the buyer, or the post road is named sedan chair.Or send to sell the rich to the poor, or reason (judgment) is to use straightness in vain.If A Du goes against his will (not giving bribes), he will do whatever he wants; The recommendation and impeachment of caresses are distorted, and the praise and reputation of key points are reversed.Another example is that the honor and relatives do not know how to be satisfied, and they are greedy and rampant in the capital;Take the rascals as minions and accept the votes of the traitors. Disrespectful officials, afraid of the situation and follow suit.Accumulating evil ya beetles, born and seduced.Alas, this little man, who can rest in peace! ([clear]

Ji Liuqi wrote "Ming Ji Beilue" volume 13) I have to admire the sobriety, insight and courage of the last emperor, as well as his good writing style.It's a pity that just describing the symptoms won't help. No famous doctor can save the Ming Dynasty's heartache. Under the cover of the three cardinal principles and five constant principles, the whole society has become a mess.Because there is no practical standard of personality, under the appearance of the social relationship between the monarch, the minister, the father, the son, and the son, there is a deep distrust among people.

Because people have no confidence in themselves, they also lose confidence in others.The emperor can't trust his ministers, his superiors can't trust his subordinates, and the ministers of the court can't trust the military generals who are conquering outside.Whenever a major event occurs, court discussions are often indecision. Everyone is afraid of taking responsibility, and they all say some ambiguous words to perfunctory. Even people who are loyal to their goals are always shrouded in people's suspicion. Yuan Chonghuan, the most outstanding military leader in the late Ming Dynasty, was hacked to death by Emperor Chongzhen because of a manchurian counter-intrigue.After Yuan Chonghuan, Hong Chengchou, another most talented general, was pushed into the doom of ruin because of suspicion and suspicion.

Hong Chengchou, courtesy name Hengjiu, was born in Nan'an, Fujian Province. He was a Jinshi in the 44th year of Wanli in Ming Dynasty (1616 A.D.), and he was promoted to the upper class of society through regular channels.However, unlike ordinary scholars, the dogmatic Confucian indoctrination model did not destroy his thinking ability.He is flexible, calm and pragmatic, and has a strong ability to handle affairs. In the early years of Chongzhen, the peasant army in Shaanxi shocked the world, and the officers and soldiers fled. Hong Chengchou was ordered to suppress Li Zicheng's army, captured the leader of the rebel army Gao Yingxiang, and dealt a devastating blow to the peasant army.At the beginning of the war in Shaanxi, the situation in the Kanto was tense, and Emperor Chongzhen conscripted Hong Chengchou, the governor of Liaodong, to the military. Hong Chengchou summed up the lessons learned from the repeated defeats of the previous Liaodong military chiefs, and formulated a steady and steady strategy. Aiming at the reality that the Manchurians had already established wings and ample strength, he decided to adopt a strategy of stationing in the fields for a long time and step by step, gradually driving the Manchurians back to their hometowns. .It should be said that this was the only realistic strategy under the circumstances at that time, and it was also the biggest chance for the Ming Dynasty to win in the competition between Ming and Qing. It's a pity that Hong Chengchou's strategic concept was strongly opposed by the imperial court. The impatient Chongzhen and those officials who were proficient in lower script and stereotyped writing unanimously advocated a quick decision.One by one, the memorials accusing Hong Chengchou of being cowardly and cowardly, and of paying too much money for his teachers were delivered to the emperor one after another, and the emperor sent one eunuch after another to the front line to supervise the army. Forced to fight, Hong Chengchou hastily fought, but his entire army was wiped out.Hong Chengchou didn't lose to the Manchurians, he lost to his compatriots. Wu Sangui was one of the witnesses to the whole process of Hong Chengchou's experience in Liaodong. He witnessed Hong Chengchou's destruction under the attack of internal and external forces, which made him terrified.Like everyone in the historical plot, he cannot clearly see the turning point of the plot, but he can feel the death breath of the empire every moment.This empire is like a huge and dilapidated ship, in the midst of the wind and rain, I don't know how long it can last. He Wu Sangui, Wu Sangui, who is in full bloom and talent, why does he insist on using his fresh and bright life to be buried in this broken ship?