The Qianlong Emperor was a generation of Ming emperors, and although he created a brilliant and prosperous world, he also laid the groundwork for the empire to go downhill because of his favor for a generation of great greed and greed. With the wisdom of the Qianlong Emperor, he was able to tolerate the bad deeds of He yan for more than 20 years, was it a match between the monarch and the courtier, or was there another hidden feeling? What did he rely on to gain the emperor's extraordinary trust and repeatedly fail?
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1. Eight Flags Talents
He Yan, born in the fifteenth year of Qianlong (1750), was originally named Shanbao, of the NiuhuLu clan, and changed his name to Hezhen after entering the school. Regarding Heyan's early life, the Qing History Manuscript records rather briefly, only stating that he was "poor and poor, and a clerk", so some scholars believe that Hezhen was born into poverty and was a low-status internal affairs minister (i.e., a slave).
In fact, this statement is not accurate, He Yan was a Manchurian Zhenghong banner man, his father Chang Bao hereditary third-class light car lieutenant, the official to the eight banners of the deputy capital, to Qianlong also served as the governor of Fujian.
And The Elephant
The reason why the history books say that Hezhen is poor may be because Hezhen's father, Chang Bao, was a military general who fought outside for many years and had no property in the family.
In the twenty-fifth year of Qianlong (1760), Chang Bao died of illness, and his family was suddenly in distress. At that time, He yan was still young, not yet old enough to receive military salaries, and in order to maintain his family's livelihood, he had to take the servants of the family to borrow money from everywhere, and his life was very difficult.
The lack of material life in his childhood and the cold and warmth of the world he suffered became the driving force for Hezhen to constantly climb upwards, and it was also the source of his endless greed.
He Yan was gifted and clever, not only able to read the "Four Books and Five Classics", but also had excellent calligraphy, and his Manchu, Mongolian, Tibetan and riding archery were also quite good, which laid a good foundation for him to soar in the future.
In the thirty-second year of Qianlong (1767), the 18-year-old He Yan married Yinglian's granddaughter Feng Shi. Yinglian's original surname was Feng, and he was a man with a yellow flag in the Han army of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and successively served as the minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the governor of Manchuria under the Yellow Banner.
Feng lost both parents at an early age, and Yinglian regarded her granddaughter as a pearl in her hand, bent on finding a satisfactory Lang Jun for her.
He Yan did not have an official and a half-job, and his family was in a difficult situation, but Yinglian and wise men saw that this Eight Banners talent must have a day of emergence, so he took the initiative to marry his granddaughter to him. Later it turned out that Yinglian really had eyesight.
And Yan and Feng
The dowry brought by Feng shi not only had the money and incorruptible relationships with Yinglian that were urgently needed at that time, but also the family warmth that Hezhen lacked.
Feng is kind and considerate, and cares for Hezhen very much, and after the two get married, the husband and wife love each other and respect each other throughout their lives.
In the third year of Jiaqing (1798), Feng Shi died, and He Yan was heartbroken, and wrote six mourning poems for his deceased wife.
Second, seize the opportunity and make steady progress
In the thirty-fourth year of Qianlong (1769), he inherited the post of third-class light vehicle lieutenant. The following year, he participated in the Suncheonfu Township Examination and was named Luosun Mountain.
In the thirty-seventh year of Qianlong (1772), He Yan was awarded the rank of third-class bodyguard and served as an errand boy at the sticky pole. The sticky father's bodyguards often accompanied the emperor on tour and had the opportunity to get close to the emperor, thus providing a path to the top of power for Hezhen.
There were many guards at the sticky pole, and the third-class bodyguard was just a low-level bodyguard, so how did He Yan get in touch with the Qianlong Emperor and gain his appreciation? On this key issue, according to historical records, there are mainly the following statements:
When the Qianlong Emperor read the song newspaper in public opinion and learned that some of the important criminals had escaped, he was slightly angry in his heart, and recited the phrase "the tiger is out of the wood" in the Analects, and the guards did not know what it meant, and they were dazed and confused.
Bamboo forest of Prince Gong's mansion
Only Hezhen quickly replied, "The pawnbroker must not resign his responsibility." This means that managers should be responsible. The Qianlong Emperor was very happy to hear this, and asked Hezhen, "Have you read the Analects?" Washu replied, "I read it." The Qianlong Emperor asked about his family lineage and age, and he played one by one.
The Qianlong Emperor admired him for his handsomeness, clear voice, and quick movements, and from then on he was gracious to him.
One day, it happened that He Yan was following the class, perhaps idle, and the Qianlong Emperor chatted with He Yan.
The Qianlong Emperor asked he what his origin was. He Yan replied that he had been a student of Xian An Guan. The Qianlong Emperor asked him again if he had taken the imperial examination. He said that he had participated, but did not pass the exam. The Qianlong Emperor asked him to recite the article he had written. He Yan walked with the mule cart and recited the article word for word. Qianlong said, "You can be selected for this article." This fortuitous conversation became a turning point in Hezhen's political career.
When the Qianlong Emperor was the first emperor, he passed through the harem one day and saw a young concubine dressing up in the mirror, looking very cute.
The Qianlong Emperor suddenly became playful and quietly walked over to cover the concubine's eyes. The concubine was greatly frightened, and grabbed the comb with her hand and threw it backwards, right in the forehead of the Qianlong Emperor.
When the concubine turned her head and saw that it was the crown prince, she trembled with fright, and the Qianlong Emperor comforted her and vowed not to tell outsiders. Who knew that after the empress dowager saw the scar on the forehead of the Qianlong Emperor, she forced her to ask the reason, and immediately became angry and gave the concubine death.
The Qianlong Emperor
The Qianlong Emperor was full of remorse and returned to the concubine's residence. At this time, the concubine still had her last breath, and the Qianlong Emperor fingered cinnabar and printed a mark on the back of the concubine's neck in order to meet him in the future and make up for the mistakes he had made.
Decades later, the Qianlong Emperor happened to see He yan and felt familiar, and when he thought about it carefully, he remembered that he looked similar to the dead concubine.
He summoned him to see him close to the throne, looked down at his neck, and found a faint scarlet finger mark on it, and he knew that he was the reincarnation of a concubine and had been pampering him ever since.
This story is nothing more than a folk history, but it is vaguely revealed that the Qianlong Emperor has a special relationship with Hezhen, the Male Style prevailed in the Qing Dynasty, and the Qianlong Emperor was happy with the young Junxiu, and it was not impossible to have a strange good feeling for him.
Since then, the fortunes of the Officials and officials have soared, and their official ranks, the number of part-time jobs, and the great power have been rare in all generations.
Third, what is such a pampering?
He Yan was intelligent and capable, and although he did not win the battle, he was well-known, proficient in multi-ethnic languages, and able to write edicts in Mongolian and other languages.
In the forty-fifth year of Qianlong (1780), He Yan lingzhi went to Yunnan to investigate the corruption case of Li Shiyao, the governor of Yungui. As soon as he arrived in Yunnan, he first interrogated Li Shuyao's housekeeper and obtained evidence of Li Shiyao's corruption, thus forcing Li Shuyao to confess.
From the time he accepted this task to the time the Qianlong Emperor ordered Li Shiyao to be punished, it only took more than two months, and it was done quickly and beautifully.
He Yan was also an outstanding diplomatic talent, and from the forty-fifth year of Qianlong onwards, he also served as the Shangshu of the Li Dynasty, taking advantage of his proficiency in many languages to handle various ethnic affairs properly.
He also received emissaries from North Korea, Britain, Annam and other countries, showing excellent diplomatic talent.
In the fifty-eighth year of Qianlong (1793), the British emissary Ma Garni came to China, and he received him with full authority, he was not humble and unobtrusive, he was warm and courteous, and did not lose the style of a big country, which left a deep impression on Ma Garni.
Prince Gong's Mansion
Although He Yan was shrewd and capable, there were also many ministers in the DPRK who were more capable than him, and in terms of talent, He Yan had a little literary talent, but he was far from being a scholar and a rich man; On political achievements, He yan did not do much; On martial arts, He yan is even more shallow.
In the forty-sixth year of Qianlong (1781), the Gansu Salar Muslim leader Su Forty-three rebelled, and the Qianlong Emperor ordered and Yan and Ah Gui at the university to command the army to suppress.
Ah Gui is supervising the river workers, and He Yan is the first to try to suppress the uprising before Ah Gui arrives, and take credit alone. Who knew that he was unprepared and returned home in a big defeat. Ah Gui rushed to the front to save the situation.
Even so, the Qianlong Emperor's favor for Hezhen continued unabated, lasting for more than 20 years.
For example, when Qianlong suppressed the Gansu Hui uprising in 1946, the situation had just been reversed, and the Qianlong Emperor transferred He yan back and Put Ah Gui alone in charge.
He did not reward Ah Gui at all, but instead rewarded He yan who did not do things properly.
In the forty-eighth year of Qianlong (1783), the Gansu Huimin Uprising was suppressed, and the Qianlong Emperor recorded all the merits under the account of He yan and made him a baron of the first class.
He Yan resides in Xi Jin Zhai
What did He Yan rely on to win such favor from the Qianlong Emperor? There are only two words: flattering.
The Qianlong Emperor loved calligraphy, and He Yan deliberately studied the calligraphy of the Qianlong Emperor, reaching the point of being false and real, and many of the inscriptions on the poetry plaques of the Qianlong Emperor were ghostwritten by He Yan.
He Yan had a strong memory and quick reflexes, and no matter what the Qianlong Emperor asked, he could answer like a stream, and he also worked hard to study the poetry to cater to the Qianlong Emperor's love of vassalage and elegance, and poetry.
And the Handbook
In addition, He Yan was good at greeting, always pondering the divine will, and could think of everything before the Qianlong Emperor, but he would never make up his own mind and show a more intelligent appearance than the emperor.
He was also good at amassing wealth for the emperor to squander, and created the "Silver of Guilt", in which negligent officials paid fine silver instead of punishment, which was not paid to the national treasury, but to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and became the personal treasury of the Qianlong Emperor.
Four: Greed without falling
He Yan was the biggest corrupt official of the Qing Dynasty, and he was rich and wealthy, mainly relying on four means to accumulate wealth.
He Yan was a red man in front of the Qianlong Emperor, he said a word to the emperor, against others to say ten thousand words, and he held several positions, was the top boss of many departments, and had a say in personnel transfers.
As a result, the number of officials who paid him bribes was innumerable, and he always refused to come, and the more the merrier.
He Yan also held a lot of rich and oily fat shortages, and he withheld much public funds from them.
From the age of 32, he served as the official Shangshu, who was in charge of personnel affairs, and all job transfers required his approval. He Yan was a goose who plucked his hair and deceived the civil and military officials.
He was quite economically minded, and unlike other officials, he was not ashamed to be with businessmen, he was not only close to businessmen, but also became a businessman, opening pawnshops, antique shops, porcelain shops, grain stores, bow and arrow shops, etc., and almost all walks of life had his investment participation.
He Yan was insatiablely greedy, and the ministers of the DPRK were impeached many times, but they were all covered up by his scheming.
In the fifty-first year of Qianlong (1786), Yushi Cao Xibao impeached Liu Quan and tried to open the gap in this way. Before the performance, the content of the recital was leaked by the same villagers.
After He Yan learned of this, he prepared in advance according to the content and answered in front of the Qianlong Emperor, but Cao Xibao was instead dismissed from his post and retained.
The cabinet scholar Yin Zhuangtu impeached the ministers of various provinces for losing public funds, resulting in a shortage of two silver inventories, and the Qianlong Emperor sent Yin Zhuangtu and Hubu Shilang Qingcheng to the localities to verify.
Qingcheng was instructed by Hezhen to delay time everywhere he went, giving officials the opportunity to borrow money from each other to fill the deficit, so that Yin Zhuangtu lost his official position for "slandering" the minister.
He Yan repeatedly fell, relying on nature to rely on his backstage Qianlong Emperor. He knew very well that as long as he firmly leaned on the emperor's towering tree, no one could participate in it.
In fact, the Qianlong Emperor was not completely blinded by what he had done, and was somewhat aware of it.
In the forty-seventh year of Qianlong (1782), when He Yan handled the case of accepting bribes and favoritism in Di Dao Bayandai in Gansu Zhen, he was demoted to a third-level and retained punishment for a felony, and later, he was demoted or transferred to a position for negligence and harboring corrupt officials. However, soon after each punishment, Hezhen was quickly reinstated as an official.
He Yan's greed swelled and became a generation of huge greed, which was not unrelated to the qianlong emperor's protection. The reason why the Qianlong Emperor shielded He Yan was firstly to spoil him, and second, some of the wealth accumulated by He Yan was for the emperor to enjoy, so the Qianlong Emperor also turned a blind eye.
Fifth, the end of the great crocodile greed
After the abdication of the Qianlong Emperor, he still held great power in the name of xunzheng. By this time he was old, suffering from amnesia, and was more dependent on Washu.
He flattered Emperor Taishang, who still held real power, and flattered Emperor Jiaqing, and adopted a strategy of flattery and restriction for the Jiaqing Emperor.
On the one hand, he offered his courtesy to the Jiaqing Emperor, and on the other hand, he installed eyes and ears around him, and from time to time complained to the Qianlong Emperor.
In the first year of Jiaqing (1796), the Qianlong Emperor summoned Zhu Jue, the teacher of the Jiaqing Emperor, to return to Beijing and was promoted to a university scholar. The Jiaqing Emperor wrote poems to congratulate the teacher.
He Yan complained to the Qianlong Emperor, saying that the Jiaqing Emperor had subordinated himself and counted the favor of the Emperor Taishang to Zhu Jue. As a result, Zhu Jue was demoted from the governor of Liangguang to the governor of Anhui. The Jiaqing Emperor suffered many losses, and his hatred for Hezhen went to the bone.
In this case, the Jiaqing Emperor wisely adopted the policy of Taoguang and Obscurity, keeping a close eye on Hezhen's actions, while on the surface he had extreme trust in Hezhen and stabilized Hezhen.
On the third day of the first lunar month of the fourth year of Jiaqing (1799), the Qianlong Emperor collapsed in the Yangxin Hall. During the funeral, the Jiaqing Emperor could not wait to attack Hezhen, and he first dismissed Fu Chang'an, a member of he's accomplice, from his post as minister of the Military Aircraft Department, and ordered Hezhen and Fu'an to guard the spirit day and night, not to leave without permission, and to cut off heyan's wings.
Second, he hinted at the chancellor to play impeachment and the sun. On the fifth day of the first lunar month, Wang Niansun and other officials were dismissed, impeached, and cheated on power. After a swift investigation and trial, the Jiaqing Emperor dismissed He Yan from his post and arrested and imprisoned him.
On the eighteenth day, the Jiaqing Emperor declared that He yan had committed 20 major crimes, which should be executed, considering that he was a heavy subject of the former emperor, and gave him a self-punishment for the sake of the dignity of the imperial court.
Kangxi Fu character monument
On the same day, the Jiaqing Emperor sent his ministers to the prison of Hezhen and gave him a white Aya, knowing that the death penalty was inevitable and hanging himself.
In order to appease the people, the Jiaqing Emperor only punished the main henchmen of Hezhen, and others who were promoted by Hezhen Baoju or bribed Hezhen were not prosecuted.
In just 15 days, the Jiaqing Emperor quickly punished Hezhen, clean and sharp, lenient and appropriate.
When he was raided, how much property was confiscated? On this issue, the explanation is uncertain, and even the number of people is very large.
It is said that when he raided the house alone, he copied out more than 80,000 taels of gold, 1 million taels of silver in the cellar, 500 silver dollar treasures of 1,000 taels, and 100 gold yuanbao.
Buddha House
In addition, there are 10 silver numbers, 10 pawnshops, and difficult to value real estate, jewelry, jade, antiques, furs, etc.
There are 109 categories of property, of which 83 are unvalued. Its total family property is silver, some say about 10 million taels, some say 20 million taels, some say 800 million taels, and the total income of the Qing Dynasty at that time was only 70 million taels.
The treasure cabinet of Washu can be judged by the shape of the window
The number and flow of Hezhen's property has not yet been clarified, and most of it should have fallen into the private pockets of the Jiaqing Emperor, so the folk have the proverb "Hezhen falls, Jiaqing eats enough".