In the long course of history, He Shen was a controversial figure, and he played a conspiracy role in the prosperous Kangqian era. However, behind He Shen's conspiracy, the question raised by Emperor Jiaqing caused widespread speculation and discussion. What is it that bothers Jiaqing so much that he asks such questions about Heshen's wealth? And how did He Shen respond, leaving Jiaqing speechless?
On the fifteenth day of the fourth lunar month in 1737, He Shen was born in Shengjing in a family of Han military attachés. His father was a military aircraft Zhang Jing, and his grandfather was a second-class top wearer. While the family background is prominent, it also brings great expectations to Heshen.
He Shen has been very smart since he was a child, he can write ancient poems at the age of five, and he is familiar with classics such as "The Book of Songs" and "Zuo Chuan" at the age of eight. He was diligent and studious, and he knew the way of governing the country of the ancient sages well.
Seeing his prodigy-like talent, the county school teacher couldn't help but inspire him to study and take the exam, and he will definitely be a high school champion in the future and show his ambitions. He Shen also longed to realize his ambition through the imperial examination, but his family's fortune was declining and he could not afford to donate, so he finally had to give up the idea of taking the exam.
Looking at the scene of the title of the gold list outside the window, He Shen couldn't help but redden. He understood that the only way to achieve his ambitions was through the imperial examination, but he did not want to be at the mercy of poverty and began to consider other ways out. That year, He Shen was 20 years old, tall and outstanding. He decided to make a desperate bet, enter the palace to seek a half-official position, and hand over his fate to the sky.
In the first month of the lunar calendar in 1757, He Shen passed the selection and became the imperial guard. Standing beside Qianlong, He Shen gradually showed his edge. He was a very good learner, and soon mastered Manchu, Chinese, Mongolian and Tibetan languages, and handled clerical affairs smoothly.
Once, Qianlong asked to write a memo in Manchu, but several attendants were unable to do it. He Shen stepped forward and wrote as soon as he picked up the pen, which made Qianlong praise him. This became the turning point that made him stand out.
Qianlong also gradually discovered the extraordinaryness of this young guard, he worked hard, was eloquent, and could speak well, and won Qianlong's trust. In 1759, He Shen was promoted to the rank of curtain guard.
In the winter of 1761, Qianlong toured the south, and Ming ordered He Shen to follow. This gave He Shen the opportunity to get close to Qianlong. The Manchu monarchs acted in an arbitrary style, and Qianlong was no exception. He Shen is well versed in this principle, keeps Qianlong's preferences in mind, and says a word about the Dharma film before driving, all of which are what Qianlong likes to hear, and never exceeds half a step beyond the thunder pool.
Qianlong has been gone for six years, and He Shen has always served left and right. Qianlong paid more and more attention to this young guard who had a clear view of the overall situation and a unique vision. It was also this long-term relationship that allowed Qianlong to establish his trust in He Shen.
After returning from the southern tour, Qianlong held a celebration banquet, and a group of ministers were promoted and secretly surrendered. Among them, He Shen was quickly promoted to the commander of the imperial guards. It can be seen that Heshen is not just a simple pat on the horse, but is really relied on by Qianlong.
Under Qianlong's trust, Heshen's power gradually expanded. In 1764, He Shen became Minister of the Interior. Two years later, he concurrently served as the secretary of the Ministry of Industry and began to participate in the government. He emphasized that the imperial power was sacred and inviolable, and was deeply valued by Qianlong.
In 1770, He Shen was already the Minister of the Inner Court, and he held a high position. He is no longer the imperial guard who can only stand on the side, but a powerful minister in the court. During this period, He Shen took the opportunity to crack down on dissidents and consolidate his own power.
By 1780, almost all major matters inside and outside the imperial court had to pass through his hands. He received the Mongolian lords of the outer domains who came to Beijing to pay tribute, and the legal documents of the inner court had to be signed by him, and half of the officials in the court were also from his subordinates. In the next 10 years, He Shen was in full swing and stood at the pinnacle of power.
He Shen's power is unmatched for a while, and many cases of non-registration need to be judged by him. This gave him great power and also opened the door to money. As long as he says "the nationality is not available", he can coerce ** to make profits from it, and the wealth will roll in.
Gradually, He Shen was carried away by money. He accepted more bribes than all other ministers combined, and forged him the title of "number one" in the Qing Dynasty. According to historical records, He Shen received as much as 800 million taels. No wonder some people say that He Shen's greed has reached the point where "it is difficult to fill the bones with broken bones".
Qianlong asked knowingly that as long as the government was functioning normally, He Shen could wantonly loot the people's savings. He needs Heshen to manage the government, so he tolerates and supports Heshen's power operation. As long as the treasury is not in deficit, Heshen's private pocket can be held up as big as possible.
However, the good times did not last long, and in 1788 the situation changed abruptly. After determining that the fifteenth son of the emperor was the prince, Qianlong asked the ministers to keep it a secret. But after all, some people can't help it and want to curry favor with the new master and draw benefits. This person is He Shen, who is a confidant minister.
He Shen violated Qianlong's instructions and immediately sent a jade ruyi to Jiaqing. As soon as the news came out, Jiaqing was furious. He was already extremely dissatisfied with Heshen's alliance with him, but now the secret has been leaked, which almost led to the transfer of the storage displacement. Qianlong, who has always valued affection, has also greatly reduced his trust in Heshen. He Shen is considered to have gotten rid of it.
When Qianlong died and Jiaqing succeeded to the throne, everything was different. In the first month of 1799, Jiaqing made a decisive move and ordered He Shen to be killed, without any room for negotiation. This move undoubtedly sent a clear signal to the other ministers of the DPRK and China that he wanted to break the power of the Heshen faction and rebuild the imperial power.
At the same time, this is also an opportunity for Jiaqing to vent his anger and anger for the storage turmoil. In the past 20 years, he was extremely dissatisfied with Heshen's alliance with the party. Now he has finally been disgraced and expelled this confidant from the court forever.
Then, Jiaqing ordered the seizure of Heshen's family property in an attempt to recover the losses he had lost during his lifetime. When the huge wealth was copied from He Shen's house and entered the treasury, everyone gasped - the rumors were true!
He Shen's family has as much as 800 million taels, which is almost the total income of the national treasury for ten years. No wonder there is a saying that "the family gives things a lot of silver, and it is 90,000 gold at a time". With such a huge wealth, even Jiaqing was surprised.
In this regard, Jiaqing was both pleased that the treasury would be greatly abundant, but also angry at the depth of Heshen's greed. He couldn't help but ask, "Can you spend all the money you are greedy for?" Jiaqing believes that He Shen's wealth is enough for him to squander for several lifetimes, even if it is no longer enough.
In the face of Jiaqing's questioning, He Shen has lost the opportunity to fight back. He made the last fight in his life, failed completely, and was no longer able to turn the tables. In the face of the poisoned wine given, he could only reluctantly accept it and cut himself off in prison.
However, just before He Shen was about to die, he left a sentence that left Jiaqing speechless: Most of the money and silver he embezzled was used for Qianlong's tour and palace repair, and he didn't squander it privately at all.
This response made Jiaqing speechless for an instant. Indeed, it is an indisputable fact that the construction of the royal family and the expedition required huge expenditures. The financial support provided by Heshen is the key. Although the means are inappropriate, the effect is really good, isn't this what the emperor needs?
Only then did Jiaqing realize that in this prosperous era of Zheng He's spending like money in the West, He Shen played an irreplaceable role. If it weren't for him, many of his exploits would not have been possible. Therefore, the emperor is also to blame for He Shen's mistakes.
Editor: Search for a picture in February**Dynamic Incentive Plan
Thirty-three years of officialdom, and finally a chicken feather. Future generations are destined to learn lessons, not to lose themselves, and to always keep their original intentions.