Nian Qianyao - a favored minister who came to the end of his life, what happened to his family?A smart and studious young man, from the Jinshi of the Hanlin Academy to the governor of Sichuan, and then to the governor of Sichuan and Shaanxi, Nian Qianyao's officialdom career can be described as prosperous. His relationship with Emperor Yongzheng's uncle made him Yongzheng's right-hand man. With his help, Yongzheng stabilized the situation in the northwest region and won the trust and reuse of the DPRK and China. However, fate played a big joke. After the death of Emperor Yongzheng, Nian Qianyao's fate began to become bumpy. His family also began to suffer an unfortunate disaster. First of all, Nian Qianyao's sister, Emperor Yongzheng, was the candidate for the concubine, and she became no longer favored. In fact, before the death of Emperor Yongzheng, the concubine was already under house arrest in the palace and no longer appeared in the court. And Nian Qianyao's elder brother Nian Xiyao was also demoted to a remote place because of political problems. What's even more terrifying is that Nian Qianyao's father and son were also imprisoned. Their charge of "conspiracy against Nian Qianyao" was obviously baseless, but it struck them a catastrophe. After Nian Qianyao was given death, the fate of his family gradually went to a low point.
Their glorious days were overshadowed by political struggles and intrigues. And this story also allows us to see the cruelty of the power struggle and the dark side of politics. In those days, some people could be beautiful, but their brilliance and roses could also disappear without a trace in an instant. Nian Qianyao: The tragic end of an arrogant court ministerDuring the reign of Emperor Yongzheng, Nian Qianyao was a trusted and important figure in the imperial court. However, he was complacent and dismissive of others, leading to increasingly strained relations with the Yongzheng Emperor. Although Emperor Yongzheng had tried to reconcile the contradictions between them, Nian Qianyao ignored them. Even when Emperor Yongzheng wanted him to frame his ninth brother Yunyu, Nian Qianyao refused this request because he had an old relationship with Yunyu, which further deepened Emperor Yongzheng's dissatisfaction with him. Nian Qianyao is famous, and his arrogant attitude when he met Emperor Yongzheng aroused Emperor Yongzheng's disgust even more. In addition, Nian Qianyao also accepted ** bribes and arranged the giver as **, which further increased his negative image in the heart of Emperor Yongzheng. Emperor Yongzheng warned Nian Qianyao many times to restrain his behavior, but Nian Qianyao did not hear the warning and still insisted on going his own way.
Because of his conceit and arrogance, Nian Qianyao finally paid the price. From the third year of Yongzheng, Emperor Yongzheng began to criticize Nian Qianyao in public and won over Nian Qianyao's cronies. In April 1725, Nian Qianyao was dismissed from his post as governor of Sichuan and Shaanxi and general of Fuyuan, and was transferred to Hangzhou as general of Hangzhou. However, even in Hangzhou, Nian Qianyao still lived the luxurious life of the governor of Sichuan and Shaanxi, and his travel and residence were still pompous. Due to the loss of the protection of Emperor Yongzheng, there are more and more twists and turns against Nian Qianyao. On January 13, 1726, Nian was charged with 92 counts, more than 30 of which were punishable by capital punishment and immediate beheading. However, due to Nian Qianyao's meritorious service to Qinghai, Emperor Yongzheng decided to let him commit suicide as a sign of loyalty. After Nian Qianyao's death, his father, Nian Yaoling, was stripped of the title of Taifu, but because of his advanced age, he was not punished in any other way. Nian Qianyao's wife, Concubine Nian, died before he died, and his brother-in-law, Hu Fenghui, and his sister committed suicide together after he was convicted. Nian Qianyao's tragic end was a severe punishment for his arrogance and conceit. His story also reminds us that complacency is a dangerous quality, regardless of status. Being kind to others, being humble and prudent is the true way of wisdom.
In the face of power, only by remaining sober and humble at all times can we avoid a tragic fate. References: 1The tragedy of Hu Fenghui and his wife stemmed from the mistakes they made during their time in Suzhou Weaving and Hushuguan supervision, which led them to commit suicide. However, Nian Gengyao's family was not implicated in Nian Gengyao's case, and his sister married Yang Yan in Tobe Langzhong, and their lives were not affected too much. Nian Qianyao's elder brother Nian Xiyao lost his official position for a time after Nian Qianyao was punished and dismissed, but he was reused again in the second year. However, Nian Gengyao's father also died shortly after Nian Gengyao's death, and Yongzheng was reinstated to his position as Taifu. As for Nian Qianyao's sons, except for the second son, Nian Fu, who was sentenced to death, the others were exiled to Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi, but after only a year, Yongzheng was lenient and pardoned for their crimes.
Judging from Yongzheng's handling of Nian Qianyao's family, he did not have a deep hatred for Nian Qianyao. Despite Nian Gengyao's death, he still treated Nian Gengyao's family well. If Yongzheng really intends to completely eliminate Nian Qianyao's family, among Nian Qianyao's 92 crimes, picking out a few at random is enough for them to be beheaded. It can be seen that Nian Qianyao's tragedy also stems in part from his own pride and complacency, and his failure to maintain modesty after his meritorious service ultimately led to the tragic end of him and his family. Nian Qianyao's tragedy gives us some food for thought. After a certain achievement, should a person remain humble, constantly reflect on his own shortcomings, and avoid indulging in his own success and ignoring his own problems. At the same time, a person's behavior will also have an impact on their own family, and we should realize that our behavior is not only related to our own fate, but also affects the relatives around us. Therefore, we must always be vigilant, humble and cautious, and live up to the expectations of our loved ones.
References: 1Ma Qinlin. Qing Dynasty"3. Inheritance"and its influence on the people of the world[J].Journal of Sinology Research,2018(06):193-1962.Zhou Yuhang. The Institutionalization and Governance of Crimes in the Qing Dynasty: Focusing on the Yongzheng Beheading Case[J].Yu Zhang,2020,40(02):6-21.