The Ming Dynasty: A bookstore sells the history of the Ming Dynasty, leaving Emperor Chongzhen bewil

Was Yuan Chonghuan neither a traitor nor a national hero?

Upon hearing Zhu Ziming's words, Chongzhen exclaimed in surprise and hurriedly said, "I would like to hear the details."

"I think, listen carefully, I'm saying I think, not what you think or what others think."

Zhu Ziming first layered three armor plates on himself before speaking: "The reason why the debate over Yuan Chonghuan has raged for hundreds of years is because many people see him in black and white terms—either a national hero or a traitor!"

"But I think we should look at this issue from a dialectical perspective."

"Dialectical?" Chongzhen was taken aback.

Zhu Ziming, unaware that Chongzhen did not understand the term, nodded and continued, "That's right, whether it's the viewpoint of a traitor or the viewpoint of a national hero, both are actually one-sided."

"Yuan Chonghuan certainly made many mistakes, such as making empty promises to Emperor Chongzhen, arbitrarily executing Mao Wenlong, giving a series of baffling commands during the Jisi Incident, and making some outrageous statements."

"But there has never been direct evidence to prove that Yuan Chonghuan colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country, and Yuan Chonghuan had no motive to sell out the country."

"If he had truly colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country, he should have jumped out when Huang Taiji was closing in on the capital. If he had cooperated with Huang Taiji from the inside and outside, perhaps the Ming Dynasty would have perished at that time. But he did not. Instead, he personally led the charge, riding his horse and fighting desperately. In the end, he also protected the capital."

"Therefore, I think Yuan Chonghuan did not collude with the enemy and betray the country. He just lacked strategic vision and political sensitivity, which ultimately led to his imprisonment."

At this moment, Chongzhen gritted his teeth and said, "But he has smeared the name of Emperor Chongzhen!"

"..."

Zhu Ziming was somewhat speechless. The other party's focus was not on why Yuan Chonghuan killed Mao Wenlong, nor on why Yuan Chonghuan made a series of mysterious moves during the Jisi Incident. Instead, the Qing Dynasty used Yuan Chonghuan to criticize Emperor Chongzhen.

Although he didn't know why the other party was so concerned about the smearing of Emperor Chongzhen, he could only say that the other party was not only a Ming Dynasty fan, but also an Emperor Chongzhen fan, Zhu Ziming corrected:

"It wasn't him who smeared Emperor Chongzhen, but the rulers of the Manchu Qing Dynasty. Yuan Chonghuan was just a knife they used to stab Chongzhen."

"In fact, there was a reason why the Qing Dynasty chose Yuan Chonghuan to be portrayed as a national hero. Yuan Chonghuan did achieve certain results in the fight against the Later Jin. The Ningyuan Victory, which made him famous, indirectly caused Nurhaci's death. Afterwards, he organized defenses along the Ningyuan and Jinzhou lines, relying on the city walls and artillery to repel Huang Taiji's renewed southward invasion after his succession. It can be said that Yuan Chonghuan was one of the few generals in the late Ming Dynasty who could effectively resist the Later Jin. His defensive strategy was indeed effective militarily. The Ningyuan and Ningjin Victories stopped the Later Jin's rapid southward advance."

"However, the History of Ming states that 'after Chonghuan's death, there was no one left to manage border affairs, and the signs of the Ming dynasty's demise were clear.' Qing dynasty literati went even further, saying, 'There has never been anyone in history whose words, actions, advances, retreats, life, and death were related to the safety of the nation and the rise and fall of the people.' 'Commander-in-Chief Yuan is truly a model soldier for all ages!' They elevated Yuan Chonghuan to the level of a national hero, but can he really be considered a national hero?"

Emperor Chongzhen's face darkened, and he remained silent.

Zhu Ziming answered his own question: "I don't think it counts, unless he really achieved his grand ambition of 'recovering Liaodong in five years,' but that was just a pie in the sky from beginning to end."

"So, in general, Yuan Chonghuan was neither a hero nor a traitor. He was just a competent general. He had a strong will, was good at building a solid city defense system, and had a high level of skill in combining the use of cannons with the city defense system. He did his best, made great achievements, became a hero, and even received the emperor's support. But in the end, he was not a good strategist. He thought he was, but he wasn't. In the end, he died with the name of a traitor, leaving behind endless controversies for posterity to judge."

"He has many flaws. He loves to boast and make empty promises to the emperor and his subordinates. He is stubborn, arrogant, and lacks strategic vision and keen political wisdom. He is not particularly talented, but he works very hard. He also has extraordinary courage. He dares to think and act, has a firm determination, a tenacious will, and outstanding combat ability."

"Therefore, Yuan Chonghuan was a complex person, not simply black and white. The reason he caused such a great controversy is that people often find it difficult to look at him with a dialectical perspective, and always mix in too much personal emotion. Those who smear him want him to be black, and those who whitewash him want him to be white."

After hearing Zhu Ziming's evaluation of Yuan Chonghuan, Chongzhen snorted and showed a hint of disdain, clearly harboring a great prejudice against Yuan Chonghuan.

"Look, look, this is prejudice."

Zhu Ziming looked at Chongzhen and laughed, "Prejudice in people's hearts is like a mountain; sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you can't move it."

Upon hearing this, Chongzhen merely pursed his lips, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Zhu Ziming knew that he was a fan of Chongzhen, so he said: "In fact, Chongzhen was just like Yuan Chonghuan. There was a lot of controversy about him in later generations. Those who praised him said that he was diligent in government affairs and worked hard to govern the country. He was not a monarch who would bring about the downfall of the country, but he was destined to do so. Those who smeared him said that he was suspicious and fickle, did not focus on his people, had wavering strategies, made mistakes in both domestic and foreign affairs, was irritable and incompetent, and had great ambitions but little talent."

"Therefore, everything has two sides, and people are even more complex. In fact, from ancient times to the present, all people are complex. There is no such thing as an uncomplicated person. Especially historical people or events, we should look at them with a dialectical perspective and establish a correct view of history."

Chongzhen only vaguely understood what he meant by a dialectical perspective and a correct view of history.

However, when Zhu Ziming mentioned Emperor Chongzhen, Chongzhen's eyes lit up immediately.

He really wanted to hear how Zhu Ziming evaluated Emperor Chongzhen.

Humans are social animals. Living in this society, everyone cares about how others perceive and judge them, and wants to know how they are perceived by others.

Moreover, for emperors, winning fame both before and after their death was the wish of the vast majority of emperors.

Having just heard Zhu Ziming's evaluation of Yuan Chonghuan, Chongzhen highly approved of it.

Now is an excellent opportunity to hear Zhu Ziming's evaluation of himself. It is an excellent opportunity because Zhu Ziming does not know his identity yet. If he knew his identity, everything would seem less real.

However, Chongzhen was also somewhat afraid, fearing that Zhu Ziming, unaware of his identity, might speak recklessly and say something treasonous or even hurtful to him.

After much hesitation, Emperor Chongzhen finally couldn't help but ask, "Then, sir, what kind of person do you think Emperor Chongzhen was?"