In the late Qing Dynasty, the glory of the once prosperous era gradually dimmed.
The prosperity of the Qianlong period could not hide the corruption and decay within the empire.
In this era of change, one name stands out - Heshen. As a favored minister of Emperor Qianlong, He Shen's power leaned towards the government and the opposition, corrupted the law, and his wealth was comparable to that of the national treasury. When Qianlong died, He Shen's fate took a sharp turn.
Emperor Jiaqing's sentence "Can you spend all the money you are greedy for?" He Shen's answer made Emperor Jiaqing completely speechless, how much money did He Shen emberate? Let's move on.
and Shen
He Shen's background was not noble, he was born into a family of middle-class military attachés and received a good education from an early age.
As a young man, he was intelligent, studious, well-read, and proficient in both Manchu and Chinese. These talents laid the foundation for his future success. In the thirty-fourth year of Qianlong, He Shen was favored by Qianlong at a glance because of his outstanding performance when the emperor traveled, and since then he has entered the official career.
At the age of 27, He Shen, who was in his prime, was appointed Minister of Military Aircraft, a position that was extremely important in the history of the Qing Dynasty and was equivalent to the modern premier of the State Council. With his intelligence and cleverness, He Shen quickly won Qianlong's favor, and his official fortune was prosperous and his career was smooth. He not only became Qianlong's confidant, but also took charge of important positions such as the secretary of the military department and the scholar of Wenhuadian University.
Heshen's wealth is huge, and it can be described as "rich and rivaling the country".
His family fortune was almost equal to Qianlong's annual income, reaching a jaw-dropping 80,000 taels of silver. He Shen wielded great power in the imperial court and enjoyed luxury in life. Mansions, land, jewelry, and some say that he has enough wealth to make him king in a country.
He Shen's corruption and abuse of power have aroused the envy and resentment of many people. Before Qianlong's death, Emperor Jiaqing had already begun to plan how to purge Heshen to eliminate this major disaster. He Shen is not an idle person, he has already sensed Emperor Jiaqing's intentions and responded to it.
After Qianlong's death, Emperor Jiaqing immediately launched a crackdown on Heshen.
He appeased Ho Shen, but soon deprived him of his position and freedom. Court officials such as Wang Niansun, Liu Yong and others wrote letters to impeach He Shen and expose his various crimes. Emperor Jiaqing acted quickly, removing He Shen from all positions and eventually forcing He Shen to hang himself.
When asked, "Can you spend all the money you are greedy for?" At that time, He Shen's answer made Emperor Jiaqing speechless. He explained that most of the silver was used for Qianlong's expeditions, indicating his "contribution." This answer reflects the cunning and resourcefulness of He Shen, and also reveals the extravagance and corruption of the Qianlong period.
Heshen's ability to "employ people".
He Shen himself was corrupt, and he also established a huge power system by co-opting powerful or talented people.
His ability to recognize and employ people was a must-have in the Qing Dynasty political arena. Most of his followers were powerful or mediocre people in the family, and through these people, He Shen took a favorable position in the power struggle in the court.
He Shen is good at using the connections of his followers to avoid hostile forces and maintain his power and interests. For example, Fu Chang'an, as Fu Kangan's younger brother, played an important role in He Shen's power system and helped He Shen resolve a lot of trouble.
Heshen's means are not limited to this.
He also used various means to win over talented but unused officials, providing them with opportunities and support, and making them his confidants. After receiving Heshen's help, these officials were grateful to him and were naturally willing to work for him. This made Heshen's power in the imperial court more and more huge, and even formed a huge "He Party".
He Shen's ingenuity in employing people made him almost unrivaled during the Qianlong period. Emperor Jiaqing's purge action made all this success of Heshen fall short. His former followers and henchmen, under the coercion and temptation of Emperor Jiaqing, defected one after another and became an important force in the impeachment of Heshen.
和珅贪腐
He Shen's corruption is manifested in the accumulation of wealth, but also in his complex power schemes.
He manipulated the government in various ways to ensure his position and interests. For example, he used bribery, threats and other means to crack down on dissidents and eliminate dissent, making himself almost invincible in the imperial court.
He Shen is also good at using Qianlong's favor to seek benefits for himself. He knew that Qianlong liked luxury, so he did his best to please the emperor and meet his various needs. Every time Qianlong went on patrol, He Shen would spare no effort to arrange all kinds of luxurious activities, spending a lot of silver taels. Although these expenses are huge, He Shen can always get rich returns from them, further consolidating his position.
Although these methods of He Shen were used during the Qianlong period, they became his fatal weakness after Emperor Jiaqing ascended the throne.
On the one hand, Emperor Jiaqing hated Heshen's corruption, and on the other hand, he was also well aware of Heshen's power and influence in the imperial court. Therefore, he had to establish his prestige and revitalize the dynasty by purging Heshen.
Emperor Jiaqing's purge was swift and decisive. He removed He Shen from all his positions and exposed the truth about his corruption by examining He Shen's assets. The huge wealth accumulated by Heshen is considered to be a great harm to the country and the people. This aroused the anger of the court officials and the common people, and also provided a legitimate reason for Emperor Jiaqing to purge Heshen.
He Shen was finally forced to hang himself under the strong pressure of Emperor Jiaqing. His death marked the end of an era and revealed the corrosive power of power and wealth. He Shen's corruption and intrigue made him prosperous for a while, but in the end he went to ruin.
The wealth he has accumulated is incredible.
According to historical records, Heshen's family wealth was as high as 80,000 taels of silver, which was almost equivalent to the income of the Qing Dynasty's treasury in one year. These riches include not only a large number of gold, silver, jewelry, and mansions, but also a variety of precious calligraphy and paintings, antiques and luxury goods.
The accumulation of wealth in Heshen was mainly achieved through corruption and bribery, market manipulation and industrial operation. He used the power in his hands to grab wealth through various means. For example, he profited by manipulating the markets for important commodities such as salt, tea, and silk; accumulate wealth by embezzling court appropriations; By bribing officials, various privileges and benefits are obtained.
He Shen's corruption methods can be described as varied and endless.
He was corrupt himself, and by co-opting other officials, he formed a vast network of corruption. Under the protection of He Shen, these officials also participated in the ranks of corruption and bribery, which made the corruption of officialdom in the Qing Dynasty more and more serious.
The accumulation of wealth in Heshen gave him great influence in the imperial court, and also made him enjoy a high reputation among the people. In order to obtain Heshen's protection, many businessmen and landlords did not hesitate to bribe Heshen with a lot of money, hoping to gain more benefits through his connections. This kind of abuse of power for personal gain caused Heshen's wealth to grow rapidly, and also made the social atmosphere more and more corrupt, which led to the intensification of social contradictions in the late Qing Dynasty.
In Heshen's power system, there are many important figures.
Fu Chang'an is one of Heshen's important allies. As Fukangan's younger brother, Fu Changan played an important role in Heshen's power system and helped Heshen resolve a lot of troubles. Through these allies, He Shen consolidated his position of power, making him almost invincible during the Qianlong period.
Heshen's power system was not limited to the imperial court, but also extended to local officialdom. He further consolidated his power by sending his henchmen to take control of local power by sending his henchmen to important local positions. For example, he ensured the loyalty and support of the local government by arranging for his cronies to serve as local officials. In this way, Heshen has a huge influence across the country.
He Shen's death did not end his influence.
His corruption and intrigue had a profound impact on the political ecology of the Qing Dynasty. Although Emperor Jiaqing purged Heshen, the problem of corruption in the Qing Dynasty was not fundamentally solved. The corrupt network left behind by He Shen still played a role in Qing officialdom.
He Shen's corruption and intrigue reveal the corruption of officialdom and the fierceness of power struggles in the late Qing Dynasty. This kind of corruption and struggle not only affected the political stability of the Qing Dynasty, but also exacerbated social contradictions, leading to the decline of the Qing Dynasty. He Shen's legacy is not only his huge wealth, but also the era of corruption and intrigue he represents.
epilogue
He Shen's life is a history full of legends. From the son of a middle-class military attache family, he rose rapidly with his intelligence and became a powerful minister during the Qianlong period. His corruption and intrigue eventually led him to ruin.
When we look back at the story of He Shen, we can't help but reflect: what did power and wealth bring? He Shen's corruption and intrigue made him prosperous for a while, but in the end, he went to ruin. His story warns us of the corrosive power of power and wealth, and reminds us to be wary of the temptation of power and to uphold integrity and integrity.
What do you think of Ho Shen's corrupt behavior and the eventual outcome?
In today's society, how can we prevent similar corruption?
Feel free to share your views and insights in the comment section, and let's explore the lessons of history and work together to build a clean and honest society.