Why did Kangxi say that Suo Etu was the first sinner in the Qing Dynasty, instead of saying that Ao Bai was the first sinner?

The rise and fall of Suoetu

At the beginning of the founding of the country, Emperor Kangxi was only six years old when he ascended the throne, and he needed auxiliary ministers to preside over the government for him. The four auxiliary ministers such as Sony and Ao Bai were all heroes of the founding of the Qing Dynasty and had high prestige. Among them, Ao Bai is known as the "elder of the three dynasties" with Kangxi's father Emperor Shunzhi and grandfather Huang Taiji, and has made great contributions to the establishment of the Qing Empire.

At first, Suoetu was just an ordinary guard. But with his outstanding talent and loyalty, he gradually won Kangxi's appreciation and favor. Suo Etu first assisted Kangxi to overthrow Aobai, a big confidant, and then accompanied Kangxi to conquer Galdan, and surveyed the border with Tsarist Russia, signing the "Treaty of Nebuchu". Under the favor of Kangxi, Suo Etu grew rapidly and was respected as "the first hero of this dynasty".

But Suo Etu's fate was far less glorious than Aobai's. Kangxi finally had to regard him as the "first sinner of the Qing Dynasty", and almost killed him. Why did they fall from great heroes to sinners?

First of all, after Suo Etu assisted Kangxi in overthrowing Aobai, he began to get involved in the power struggle of the imperial court. Although he was loyal on the surface, he secretly connived at the usurpation ambitions of the crown prince Yinren. In Kangxi's view, this is the crime of rebellion. As the emperor's confidant, he could not stop the prince's misdeeds in time, but connived at his development, which was undoubtedly a betrayal of Kangxi's trust.

Secondly, Suo Etu was also accused of "advocating that the crown prince's uniform be yellow, and all rituals are similar to me". This is undoubtedly a manifestation of the usurpation of imperial power and a violation of taboos. Even if this accusation is not necessarily completely true, it is enough to cause great displeasure to Kangxi. What's more, this accusation coincides with Suo Etu's connivance at Yinren, and it strengthens Kangxi's judgment.

Moreover, Suo Etu never mentioned a word to Kangxi when he knew that Yinren had usurpation ambitions, and this kind of knowingly indulgent behavior is undoubtedly unforgivable. As the emperor's confidant, he should always maintain imperial power, but he connived at the ambition of usurping the throne, which in Kangxi's eyes was fanning the flames, and the crime was unforgivable.

In the end, Kangxi has always been very fond of Prince Yinren. Although the battle between the twins brought him great trouble, he still tried to give Yinren a chance, hoping to teach this favorite son well. However, it was Suo Etu's rebellion and rebellion that led to the deposition of the crown prince, which made Kangxi feel great sadness and disappointment.

The reason why Suo Etu's fate was so tragic was entirely self-inflicted. As the emperor's confidant minister, he in turn connived at the prince's usurpation ambitions, which in Kangxi's eyes violated the natural precept of loyalty. Even if he has other credits, this betrayal is enough to sentence him to death in Kangxi's eyes. Although Ao Bai also offended the emperor for a time, he was the founder of the country after all, and Kangxi finally chose to forgive and rehabilitate, which fully reflects Kangxi's benevolence.

In contrast, Suo Etu's ending is particularly sad. From a trusted confidant minister to finally regarded as the "first sinner of the Qing Dynasty", the ups and downs of such a life are really embarrassing. Perhaps this is also a warning from history, reminding us that no matter what position we are in, we must not forget the primary responsibility of the loyal monarch as a minister, let alone betray our word for selfish desires, otherwise we will never recover.

Suo Etu's fate and Kangxi's choice

The above article has already elaborated on the fall process of Suo Etu from a great hero to the "first sinner of the Qing Dynasty". However, what is the reason why Kangxi treats Suo Etu so harshly? What was the consideration that made Kangxi finally make such a verdict?

First of all, from a legal point of view, Suo Etu is indeed a serious criminal guilty of treason. As the emperor's confidant, he should have maintained the imperial power at all times, but he connived at the usurpation ambition of the crown prince Yinren, which was undoubtedly a crime of great rebellion at that time. What's more, he was also accused of "advocating that the crown prince wear yellow in the imperial furniture, and all rituals are almost similar to me", which is a naked attempt to seize imperial power. For such a big crime, from a legal point of view, Kangxi has every reason to punish him heavily.

But if you judge from the perspective of legal principles alone, it seems that it cannot fully explain Kangxi's harsh attitude towards Suo Etu. After all, although Ao Bai also offended Kangxi, he was finally forgiven and rehabilitated. So, why did Kangxi be so ruthless to Suo Etu?

In fact, this is closely related to Kangxi's own attitude towards Prince Yinren. As mentioned earlier, Kangxi actually loves Yinren's son very much. Even if Yinren made a big mistake, Kangxi also tried to give a second chance, hoping to teach this child well. However, it was Suo Etu's connivance and fanning the flames that eventually led to the deposition of the crown prince, which made Kangxi feel great pain.

For a Ming Jun, the future of his children is undoubtedly the most important. Suo Etu's treachery not only hurt the imperial power, but also brought great harm to Kangxi's family. Naturally, this kind of behavior of "harming the public with private interests" cannot be forgiven. In contrast, although Ao Bai once offended Kangxi, he was the founder of the country after all, and made great contributions to the establishment of the Qing Dynasty. Therefore, Kangxi finally chose forgiveness and rehabilitation, which just reflects the mind and pattern that a monarch should have.

On the other hand, we also have to take into account the political situation within the imperial court at that time. As Kangxi's henchman, Suo Etu will inevitably offend other ministers in the power struggle. And Kangxi, as the Ming monarch, naturally has to maintain the unity and stability of the imperial court at all times. For those who caused trouble, even if they had merits, they could not escape punishment. This is also another important reason why Kangxi finally decided to severely punish Suo Etu.

The reason why Suo Etu's fate is so tragic is not entirely due to legal considerations. It is more due to Kangxi's great attention to the future of imperial power and heirs, as well as the maintenance of the unity and stability of the imperial court. As a Ming monarch, Kangxi certainly needs to maintain his majesty and authority at all times. But at the same time, he also knows how to combine leniency and severity, and knows what he has met and what he can't do, which is an important manifestation of his excellent rule.

In contrast, although Suo Etu once made great contributions, he eventually sank into selfishness and betrayed the emperor's favor and loyalty. Such an end undoubtedly gave a heavy warning to the courtiers of later generations: no matter how great the power and status are, they can never forget their fundamental duties, let alone harm the fundamental interests of the monarch and the country for their own selfishness. This is perhaps the most profound lesson of history.