The prisoner was released and helped Yongzheng ascend the throne, which Qianlong will never forget
In the middle and late Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, the princes were each strong, and they fought to the death for the throne"Nine sons take the heir"The historical facts have become confusing. Emperor Kangxi was conceited and talented, and he felt helpless in the face of the intrigue between the princes.
He was even worried that there would be"The bones are not cold, and the soldiers are facing each other"of the day. After the second abolition of the crown prince Yinren, Emperor Kangxi fell into an unprecedented predicament of establishing a prince. At this time, on the recommendation of Li Guangdi, Kangxi released a prisoner from prison.
The appearance of this prisoner changed the thinking of Emperor Kangxi. What's even more peculiar is that he directly entered the South Study to serve, and his words and deeds had a profound impact on Emperor Kangxi.
Kangxi once asked the prisoner in the secret room: "There are no two days in the sky, and there are no two masters for the people." The fourth elder brother and the fourteenth elder brother are very good, but only one person can be the emperor. You say, which is more suitable? ”
In Kangxi's later years, the fourth elder brother Yinzhen and the fourteenth elder brother Yinzhen born to Concubine Wu Ya gradually emerged in the battle for succession. However, the two had their own advantages, and Kangxi felt hesitant, so he asked the above question.
While the other ministers chose to remain silent about this, the ordinary prisoner frankly spoke his mind: "If Your Majesty is still hesitating, I can offer a suggestion. ”
Kangxi asked eagerly, "What is the suggestion?" Please go on. The prisoner replied, "Look at the imperial grandson, an excellent imperial grandson can ensure the prosperity of the three generations of the Great Qing Dynasty." ”
This view coincides with the "good saint grandson" of the Ming Dynasty. His words immediately strengthened the status of the fourth elder brother Yinzhen in Kangxi's heart, because Yinzhen had an outstanding son - Hongli.
The prisoner's name was Fang Bao, and he was revered by later generations as the "Prime Minister of Cloth".
In "The Emperor of Kangxi: Volume IV", a dialogue between Kangxi and Fang Bao is vividly and interestingly depicted by February. Although there is no record of this dialogue in the official history, it is widely circulated in the wild history and local chronicles, especially in the Tongcheng area of Anhui Province, and the story of Fang Bao and Kangxi is known to everyone.
Fang Bao, a famous minister of the Qing Dynasty, went from a prisoner to the south study and created a miracle in the history of the Qing Dynasty, and was known as the "Prime Minister of Cloth". But does he really have the ability to influence the transition of the Qing Dynasty's throne?
This is a question worth pondering. Before talking about Fang Bao, let's talk about the place of Tongcheng, Anhui. Tongcheng, located in the central part of Anhui, is the "Wendu" of Anhui.
Some scholars even believe that the importance of Tongcheng to Anhui is what the importance of Qufu to Shandong is to Shandong. Therefore, if you want to understand the culture of Anhui, you can't fail to mention Tongcheng.
Although Tongcheng culture cannot fully represent Anhui culture, Tongcheng culture is undoubtedly an indispensable and important part of Anhui culture. The three outstanding representatives of Tongcheng culture, Fang Bao, Yao Nai, and Liu Dazhu, are known as the "Three Ancestors of Tongcheng" and are the founders of the "Tongcheng School" culture.
Li Fu, a talented man from Jiangxi, questioned the concept of "Tongcheng". He believes that there are five counties with the word "Tong" in the name of the Qing Dynasty, namely Tongxiang, Tonglu, Tongbai, Tongzi, Tongcheng, if "Tongcheng" is referred to as "Tong", later generations may not be able to figure out which "Tong" this "Tong" is.
Li Fu's suspicion is that Fang Bao calls himself "Tong Fang Bao", and he thinks that this abbreviation is inappropriate, because Fang Bao is a native of Tongcheng, Anhui Province, and if it is referred to as "Tong", then people may misunderstand which "Tong" this "Tong" is.
Tongcheng is known as the "prodigy" of Fang Bao, familiar with the subset of history, he thought after careful consideration that Tongcheng as a "city", its "Tong" character should be used as an abbreviation, while the other four counties of the "Tong" character is a rename, so only Tongcheng can be referred to as "Tong".
Although this dispute over the name of the county is a debate, it still has a far-reaching impact in the history of Anhui, and the word "Tong" is still used to refer to Tongcheng today. Li Fu's rigor and Fang Bao's pioneering spirit were vividly displayed in this controversy.
According to the record of "Qing Historical Manuscript Seventy-seven", Fang Bao, the word Linggao, is a native of Tongcheng, Jiangnan. His father Fang Zhongshu was a prisoner of the country, and Fang Bao was Fang Zhongshu's second son, who was talented since he was a child.
It is rumored that he was able to compose couplets at the age of four and write poetry at the age of five, and he became famous at a young age.
The 16-year-old Fang Bao was admitted to the 23rd year of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty and became a young and promising figure in Tongcheng at that time. However, because the article was too sharp, he failed to win the award many times.
It wasn't until 15 years later (the thirty-eighth year of Kangxi) that Fang Bao won the first place in the Jiangnan Provincial Township Examination and became Xie Yuan, at this time he was 31 years old. It is worth mentioning that Fang Bao was then recommended to study in the capital Guozijian, and this year, he met the "Bole" of his life - Li Guangdi.
The reason why Fang Bao was able to get Kangxi's favor when he was in prison in the later period was that Li Guangdi played an important role. In the Kangxi Dynasty, Emperor Kangxi's most favored Hanchen was not Zhang Ying or Gao Shiqi, but Li Guangdi.
According to the record of "Fang Bao's Annals", one day, Li Guangdi happened to see an article by Fang Bao in Guozijian and was amazed. He praised: "Han Ou made a comeback, and there was no such work after the Northern Song Dynasty!" ”
This is a very highly rated sentence, which means that Fang Bao's articles have the style of ancient literature, and he is the third person who can write articles of the highest level after Han Yu in the Tang Dynasty and Ouyang Xiu in the Northern Song Dynasty.
Fang Bao became famous because of Li Guangdi's words, and his classmates regarded him as a student leader, and some even said that he would be the champion of the next subject. Although Fang Bao has great ambitions, he failed to get what he wanted because his articles were too sharp for two consecutive spring exams.
It wasn't until the third time he took the entrance examination that he passed the exam with a fourth place. However, before taking the exam, he received the news that his mother was seriously ill, so he decided to give up the exam and go home to take care of his mother.
In ancient times, it was the dream of a scholar to become a "two-list jinshi". However, although Fang Bao had passed the examination, he had not been selected by the palace examination and lost the best opportunity to enter the office.
In the context of the time, this was undoubtedly a waste of all the work. However, Fang Bao's choice shows his filial piety. Soon after, his mother recovered, but his father died.
Fang Bao kept filial piety at home for three years, and before his father's funeral period ended, the Nanshan case broke out.
The "Nanshan Case" is a *** case caused by Dai Mingshi (Nanshan) because he wrote a "Nanshan Collection". He mentioned the Nanming regime many times in the "Nanshan Collection", which was a big taboo in the Qing Dynasty.
Unfortunately, the manuscript of his close friend Fang Xiaobiao was widely used by Dai Mingshi in the "Nanshan Collection", which led to the Fang family being implicated. This brutal *** involved more than a hundred readers, including Fang Bao.
In the face of this catastrophe, others cried out or despaired, but Fang Bao was different. He begged for pen and paper, and insisted on completing two works, "Analysis of Doubts in the Book of Rites" and "Funeral or Questions" while in prison.
These two books are still extant and are important sources for the study of ancient rites. In my opinion, we should evaluate a person not only by his actions when he is proud, but also by how he behaves when he is disappointed.
The quality of Fang Bao is worthy of our admiration. He spent two years in prison and was extremely weak. However, the prefect of Jiangning took him out of prison and took him to the capital.
He was not only exonerated of the death penalty, but also favored by Emperor Kangxi.
Emperor Kangxi was a highly respected monarch, so why would he summon a prisoner to Beijing? According to the "Qing Historical Manuscript: The Biography of Fang Bao", Emperor Kangxi had already learned about Fang Bao's literary talent in his early years, and the scholar Li Guangdi also recommended him.
Therefore, Emperor Kangxi decided to summon Fang Bao into the south study. Li Guangdi was a scholar of Wenyuan Pavilion at that time, and he used to admire Fang Bao very much, and after learning that Fang Bao was imprisoned, he mentioned him many times in front of Emperor Kangxi.
At that time, Emperor Kangxi was looking for a think tank, so he ordered Fang Bao to be summoned and asked to work directly in the south study. From a prisoner to an imperial secretary, Fang Bao achieved a gorgeous turn in a short period of time.
Historically, this experience has been very rare. Anyone who has watched the TV series "Yongzheng Dynasty" knows that in the play, Emperor Yongzheng invited a disabled strategist named Wu Sidao from Jiangnan before ascending the throne.
When Wu Sidao first saw Emperor Yongzheng, he claimed to be a guilty person. In fact, there is no Wu Sidao in the official history, and the Wu Sidao written by Februaryhe is based on two real people.
There are two prototypes of Wu Sidao: one is Dai Duo, the house slave of Yongzheng, and the other is Fang Bao in the last years of Kangxi.
During the Kangxi period, the south study was a special existence. In order to check and balance the "Council of Ministers of the King of Parliament" left over from the Manchu Dynasty, Kangxi set up the South Study. Here, the ministers on duty are nominally the first of the imperial court, but in fact they are the emperor's private secretaries and think tanks, they can influence the court situation, and they are important candidates for the future prime minister.
Interestingly, Zhang Ying and Fang Bao both left their footprints in the south study. When Zhang Ying entered the South Study, he was already a bachelor from the fourth grade. And when Fang Bao entered the south study, he was still dressed in white clothes.
The reason is very simple, Fang Bao is a "sinner". At least Kangxi can't pardon Fang Bao's crime on the grounds of "cherishing talents". Therefore, in the last years of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, there was a very strange phenomenon: there was an important person in the south study, he had no official position, but he could assist Kangxi in dealing with court affairs.
Therefore, Fang Bud has an additional title - Prime Minister of Cloth. According to the record of "Fang Bao Annals", when Kangxi first saw Fang Bao, he saw that he was skinny, but he was quite spine. Talked to Fang Bud a few times, and was greatly impressed by Fang Bao's knowledge.
Therefore, Fang Bao's opinion was solicited on everything. Especially in the matter of Lichu, Fang Bao influenced Kangxi. In general, the South Study was a special existence during the Kangxi period, which was both a think tank for the emperor and an important candidate for the future prime minister.
When Kangxi was faced with the trouble of choosing an heir to the throne, only the fourth elder brother Yinzhen and the fourteenth elder brother Yinyu were regarded as qualified candidates. Their mother, Concubine De, is deeply loved by Kangxi, and their respective personality traits also make it difficult for Kangxi to choose.
However, the experience of successive dynasties has taught us that ministers often do not give clear advice on matters related to the establishment of princes, because they are well aware of the risks involved.
Kangxi also consulted Li Guangdi and others, but most of them remained silent. It wasn't until Fang Bao's words helped Kangxi solve this problem. Fang Bao suggested that Kangxi choose an heir from his grandchildren, and choose which prince's son is the most promising.
In this way, the Qing Dynasty can be guaranteed, and it can last for at least three generations. Although Fang Bao did not have an official position, his suggestion was valued and adopted by Kangxi.
During the Kangxi period, the fourth son Hongli was deeply loved by the emperor, while Hongchun, the son of Yinyu, was not valued. Fang Bao's words gave Kangxi a new view, and he began to plan to pass the throne to the fourth elder brother Yinzhen, who later became Emperor Yongzheng.
Although this dialogue is not recorded in the official history, it appears frequently in wild histories and literary works, and this statement is also adopted in Februaryhe's "Kangxi the Great". In fact, there are three events that can prove that this matter is not groundless: first, due to the influence of the "Nanshan case", Kangxi has not pardoned Fang Bao's crimes, and he has always been regarded as guilty.
However, after Yongzheng ascended the throne, he immediately pardoned Fang Bao and his clansmen. This is not accidental, because Fang Bao and Yongzheng did not have a formal relationship, and if it were not for a special relationship, he would not have been pardoned.
Secondly, although the ancient scholars valued filial piety, after the death of his mother, Fang Bao was called to the Beijing Division after only one year of filial piety at home and continued to serve as the position of the South Study. This shows that Fang Bao is a person that Yongzheng trusts very much, and he hopes to get Fang Bao's help.
In the end, after Yongzheng stabilized politically, he not only made Fang Bao Zuo Zhongyun of Zuo Chunfang of Zhan Shifu, but also made him a cabinet bachelor later. This shows Fang Bao's special position in the political environment at that time.
To sum up, Fang Bao's influence on Yongzheng cannot be ignored, and his views and actions may have had an important impact on Kangxi's decision-making. Although this history has not been recorded in the canonical history, its existence and impact are obvious.
Fang Bao's wisdom and low profile: his key role and unknown contributions in the inheritance of the Kangyong throne In the history of the inheritance of the Kangyong throne, Fang Bao is an important think tank that cannot be ignored.
He deeply understood his identity, resolutely refused to accept the position of cabinet bachelor, and took the initiative to apply to the Hanlin Academy to serve as the president of "Yitongzhi" and "Huangqing Wenying", successfully avoiding Yongzheng's embarrassment.
However, Fang Bao's contribution goes far beyond that. Emperor Yongzheng was an innovative emperor, and during his reign, through a series of reforms, the Qing Dynasty's treasury silver was increased several times, laying a solid foundation for the so-called "prosperous Kangqian era".
Fang Bao is his important think tank behind the scenes. His suggestion enabled Yongzheng to break the stereotype of grain storage, so that all localities could flexibly handle grain storage according to the actual situation, so as to transform it into economic benefits.
This is just one example of Fang Bao's many contributions. Fang Bao's low-key and unrelenting credit made him leave few traces in the history books, but it was his wisdom and courage that enabled the Qing Dynasty to achieve such great achievements.
We should peel back the cocoon, the parts that are not inhumane, and get to know this important figure in history. Therefore, in addition to the key role in the inheritance of the Kangyong throne, Fang Bao still has a lot to learn and think about.
His intelligence, courage, and low profile have made him an important figure in history that cannot be ignored. We should delve into his life and contributions to draw inspiration and inspiration from him to add more value to our work and life.
Fang Bao's three major suggestions benefited all state capitals across the country, and also allowed Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty to see his thoughtfulness and long-term vision. First of all, Fang Bao advocated a ban on smoking, he believed that smoking was harmful to the people's health, and asked Yongzheng to ban smoking.
Although many princes and ministers smoked at that time, and banning smoking would offend the nobles, Fang Bao decisively wrote a letter, and finally this suggestion was short-lived. Secondly, Fang Bao suggested that the selection of ** should start from the grassroots level, he believes that the county magistrates and deputies, and the six grassroots ** are the cornerstone of governing the imperial court, and they must be carefully selected.
Fang Bao's suggestion made Yongzheng summon a grassroots official almost every day. Finally, Fang Bao put forward a solution to the food problem of the agricultural society, and believed that all state capitals in the country should pay attention to grain production, which was undoubtedly a matter of great merit for the agricultural society at that time.
In the thirteenth year of Yongzheng in the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Yongzheng died, Fang Bao was already 68 years old, and he planned to resign from his compilation position and return to his hometown to concentrate on studying. However, after Qianlong ascended the throne, Fang Bao never forgot it, visited him in person, and invited him to enter the study again.
Fang Bao's three major suggestions not only made him highly respected at the time, but also made important contributions to the development of the Qing Dynasty.
Fang Bao was valued by Emperor Qianlong, and his wisdom and ability were highly praised. Although Qianlong was diligent and loved the people when he first ascended the throne, he still deigned to invite the young Fang Bao into the south study, probably because Yongzheng had recommended him before his death, and Fang Bao's influence on Fang Kangxi, which indirectly made the throne fall into the Yongzheng lineage.
After learning that Fang Bao was unwilling to be an official, Qianlong had no choice but to retreat and let him be a teacher and a scholar, and allowed Fang Bao to select and evaluate the works of the Song and Ming dynasties.
Qianlong rewarded Fang Bao with a rich gift and sent the emperor's eldest son, Yonghuang, to personally send him home. After returning home, Fang Bao closed the door to write a book and did not see the guests. Seven years later, he died at the age of 82.
Fang Bao, the ancestor of the Tongcheng School, has unique achievements in politics and literature, and has a far-reaching influence in the field of literature with the largest prose school of the Qing Dynasty in China founded by him.
He put forward the theory of "righteous law", emphasizing that articles should not only be orderly, but also have specific significance. After the middle of the Ming Dynasty, although many prose essays were produced, most of them were empty in content, focusing only on rhetoric and technique.
Fang Bao's "Theory of Righteousness" broke this phenomenon and founded the Tongcheng School. He combined his prose creation with social reality to form his own creative proposition, which was well-founded, simple and mellow, and attracted many literati.
Fang Bao's literary thought provided an example and criterion for the later theoretical doctrine of the Tongcheng School, leading everyone to follow suit, forming the largest prose school in the Qing Dynasty - the Tongcheng School.
Zeng Guofan once praised: "The article in the world is better than Tongcheng!" "Tongcheng School" in the Qing Dynasty literary circles for two hundred years, once all the rage, students are proud to be able to write Tongcheng style, its hand-me-down works up to 10,000 pieces, the Qing Dynasty all kinds of works have a far-reaching impact, modern and modern literature also has a far-reaching enlightenment.
Modern writers such as Qian Zhongshu and Qian Mu praised Fang Bao, the founder of the Tongcheng School. Yuan Mei, a literary giant in the Qing Dynasty, once evaluated Fang Bao as "a generation of grandmasters". The three ways in which the ancients pursued the value of life were meritorious service, virtue, and speech, and Fang Bao became a model in these three aspects.
Zhang Zai, a great Confucian in the Northern Song Dynasty, once said: "Establish a heart for heaven and earth, establish a life for the people, continue to learn for the saints, and open peace for all generations." As a scholar, Fang Bao is upright, not discouraged in the face of setbacks, positive, and realizes self-worth, which can be called "heart"; As a court leader, Fang Bao put forward a series of suggestions that were beneficial to the country and the people, embodying the "life for the people"; As a scholar, Fang Bao has conducted in-depth research on ancient texts, and the culmination of the innovative school is to "follow the mastery"; As for "opening the world of peace", this is the ideal goal of scholars, and we can't ask Fang Bao to do this.
From a prisoner to a "prime minister", although Fang Bao, the founder of the Tongcheng faction, was only a fleeting existence in the Qing Dynasty, he won the respect of three generations of emperors and the recognition of hundreds of years.
In my opinion, although Fang Bao is just an ordinary scholar, he is an ancient literati worthy of our respect.