In this world, money is undoubtedly a very magical substance, it is both magical and terrifying. It has the ability to make a person of high moral character down, or it can make a person of humble status rise in an instant. And when money falls into the hands of people who lack moral restraint, its consequences are often unpredictable.
It is this kind of money that writes the story of Heshen.
He used to be an ordinary person, and his starting point couldn't be more noble, however, he finally embarked on the road of no return. When he held a huge amount of money in his hands and was powerful and powerful, he not only destroyed the political ecology of the last years of the Qing Dynasty, but also proved the truth of the saying "absolute power leads to absolute corruption".
So, He Shen, the person who is rumored to be the first ** in the Qing Dynasty, is his story really as we know?
In the prosperous world of Yongzheng for three years, He Shen was born in a family that has been an official for generations, and his father was an official to Zhixian County, and his family life was originally prosperous. However, fate made people, his parents died one after another, and the young He Shen and his younger brother lived an isolated life.
Despite the predicament, He Shen relied on his talent and thirst for knowledge, and was diligent and studious, and read the ancient books in his home collection over and over again. He is proficient in poetry and books, familiar with ancient and modern, and his talent is famous.
At the age of 19, He Shen successfully passed the county examination and became the county magistrate with his solid knowledge. In the following years, he was diligent and loved by the people. However, He Shen knew in his heart that what really determined his fate was the imperial examination. So, he gave up his comfort, studied diligently, and finally at the age Xi of 28, he was admitted to the top three jinshi, and was promoted to Beijing to take up his post, which became an important turning point in his career.
When he first entered the officialdom, He Shen was conscientious, shrewd and cautious, and gradually achieved results. In the thirteenth year of Yongzheng, he was admitted to the Xian'an Palace and had the opportunity to enter the royal family for further study. Xian'an Palace was the cradle of the Qing Dynasty's royal family to cultivate talents, and the external recruitment was extremely strict. He Shen stood out with his outstanding talent and won the favor of the royal family. Life in Xian'an Palace is strict and standardized, and everyone listens to lectures and reads from morning to night, in an orderly manner. He Shen studied hard, day and night, and soon became recognized as a leader second to none.
He is well-read, flexible and knows ancient books well. He can understand Manchu, Chinese, Mongolian and Tibetan languages, and is deeply loved by teachers. However, fate played tricks again, and after the death of Yongzheng, the newly enthroned Qianlong Emperor did not value literati and bachelors, and the status of scholars was much worse than before. Although He Shen made a name for himself in Xian'an Palace, he still failed to achieve good results in the field. For a time, his career was blocked and the prospects were bleak. He Shen was depressed in his heart, seeing the future drowning in mediocre officialdom.
On a sunny day in the 38th year of Qianlong (1773), He Shen, a once frustrated student, was experiencing a major turning point in his life. He was ordered to serve as a chamberlain and go out on parades. Their journey passed through Hubei, and at this time, Emperor Qianlong suddenly asked a profound question: "The tiger and leopard are out of the sheng, and the tortoiseshell is destroyed in the coffin, whose fault is it?"This question comes from a quote from Confucius, which means that if a precious item is stolen or destroyed, the caretaker will not be able to escape responsibility.
The ministers present looked at each other, and no one could give an answer. Just when the atmosphere was extremely embarrassing, He Shen stepped forward and replied: "Back to the saint, the words are lost, and the people who guard them should be responsible." His answer was accurate and showed his ingenuity.
Qianlong was overjoyed when he heard this, and immediately promoted He Shen to his attendants, and from then on, He Shen began his officialdom career. He entered high school in one fell swoop, and his official fortune was prosperous, and his future was limitless. This coincidence became a key turning point in his career, and perhaps it was from here that He Shen's fate began to be different.
He Shen is naturally intelligent and thoughtful. After he joined the office, he was diligent, strict with himself, worked hard and solidly, and was honest and upright. Soon, he made a name for himself in the court, and was gradually reused, and his official fortune was rising.
After being promoted to a member of the Ministry of Labor, He Shen continued to work wholeheartedly and cared about the suffering of the people. He was determined to innovate and put forward many constructive suggestions, which won the love of the people at the grassroots level. He works conscientiously and responsibly, never shirks when encountering problems, and does not flatter the powerful. As a result, he gradually gained a firm foothold in the court and became famous.
In the 40th year of Qianlong (1775), He Shen solved the locust plague of the people's livelihood that year with his clever calculations, and relieved the suffering of the people, so he was highly praised by the emperor. This year, Qianlong ordered him to thoroughly investigate Li Shiyao's ** case, which made him suddenly pushed to the forefront.
In the process of in-depth investigation of Li Shuyao's case, He Shen revealed his huge bribes, as high as tens of millions of taels. This discovery ignited the fire of greed in his heart, and it also became a key turning point in his decline from an honest ** to **.
In the face of such a huge wealth, He Shen's heart moved. He used to be an honest official for many years, but his family life was not rich. Between money and justice, he experienced a fierce struggle in his heart. In the end, selfish desires overcame morality, and he chose to embezzle part of Li Shiyao's property, and since then he has embarked on a road of no return.
From a noblest ** to **, He Shen has completely changed.
He understood that only by using power could he gain more wealth. So, he began to curry favor with Emperor Qianlong, eliminate dissidents, and attack political enemies.
Gradually, He Shen became the number one traitor in the court. In order to achieve his goal, he will do whatever it takes, and the cruelty of the means is terrifying. He relied on the emperor's favor to fight dissidents and eradicate dissenting voices. In the court, he became one of the four major forces;In the private sector, he received large sums of money and solicited rights and interests. From an incorruptible ** to a traitorous villain, this has become the most significant change in He Shen's life.
In Qianlong's later years, He Shen's power was in full swing, and he almost monopolized the government. However, his glorious years did not last long. After Emperor Jiaqing ascended the throne, he quickly launched a liquidation of He Shen. When the news of He Shen's death came out, the entire government and the opposition were shocked. People have talked about this legendary figure in the history of the Qing Dynasty, and his story has been praised in people's mouths and has become an embarrassing historical legend.
The real end is not death, but a legacy. "He Shen, as the leader of the Qing Dynasty, the wealth he left behind after his death is estimated to be between 8 and 1.1 billion taels**, which is enough to make the world jaw-dropping.
And this is only after many changes of hands and hidden, and its true value is immeasurable. If calculated according to the price of silver at that time, 800 million taels** is equivalent to 15 million kilograms of sterling silver!Such a huge wealth makes people can't help but imagine the luxurious life of He Shen when he was alive. However, under the devouring of greed, he has come to the end of his life before he has time to enjoy it, which is undoubtedly ironic and sad.
Under the strict investigation of Emperor Jiaqing, these unidentified and huge inheritances were finally returned to the treasury. He Shen has been taking risks all his life, but in the end he is only burdened with the infamy of **, which is undoubtedly a sadness. The most precious thing in life is innocence, and the most ridiculous thing is lost. In the end, He Shen could not escape this law, and his life ended in tragedy. So, is He Shen really the first ** of the Qing Dynasty?I believe that everyone has their own answer to this question.