Wu Sangui

Wu Sangui, born in 1612, was a prominent general of the Ming Dynasty, tasked with defending the crucial Shanhai Pass against the Manchu incursions. You know, just a small, insignificant job: literally guarding the gateway to the Chinese heartland. No pressure there.

However, after the rebel Li Zicheng sacked Beijing and the Chongzhen Emperor committed suicide, Wu Sangui found himself in a pickle. Instead of, say, dying honorably or continuing to fight for a lost cause, he made a rather pragmatic (and utterly treasonous) decision. He switched sides faster than a politician in an election year, inviting the Manchus to help him crush the rebels.

This alliance swiftly led to the complete collapse of the Ming Dynasty and the establishment of the Qing Dynasty, with Wu Sangui initially rewarded for his, shall we say, flexibility. He ruled a large semi-independent domain in the southwest for years, until he eventually tried to rebel against the very empire he helped install. Consistency was clearly not his strong suit.

His legacy remains complex: a military leader of some skill, yet indelibly stained by his monumental betrayal. He's a perfect example of why you should never trust a guy who opens the gates of your capital city to the enemy, no matter how much he claims he's just