Qianlong persuaded his son not to harm Heshen, but Jiaqing did not obey, and 15 years later, he knew that the first emperor was painstaking. Brothers against each other
The young He Shen was born into a corrupt Manchurian aristocratic family. He grew up in a poor family, abandoned by his stepfather, who died young, and bullied by his half-brother. Luckily, a kind aunt took him in, and he survived.
i.He Shen who fell in the middle of the family road.
He Shen lost the love of his parents since he was a child, and encountered many difficulties in his growth. After the death of his stepfather, several stepmothers wanted He Shen and his younger brother to run away from home in order to keep the family property. Luckily, one of the aunts had a clear conscience and couldn't bear to see her two children on the streets, so she took them in and raised them. He Shen survived, but his aunt's family was not wealthy and his life was still poor.
He Shen grew up in such an environment, he was introverted and not good at words, but he had a talent for silent reading. He Shen studied very hard, and he was even more familiar with the four books and five classics, especially Manchu, Chinese, Mongolian and Tibetan. This was very rare among children at the time.
However, he did not exhaust Heshen's ingenuity, he was diligent and studious, and he was proficient in the Four Books and Five Classics, especially Manchu, Chinese, Mongolian, and Tibetan. This made him famous in the imperial court.
Two. Appreciating wisdom.
One day, He Shen was in the official pavilion of Xianning Palace, and several rich children came to disturb him. And Shen does not move, and the book does not move at all. The people, who were accustomed to his silence, intensified the intimidation, and a wave of anger grabbed him directly, and he threw Shen Congwen's book on the ground. He Shen's face finally changed, he silently picked up the book, gently wiped the dust on it with his sleeve, and then walked away without looking back.
All this did not escape the eyes of Shang Shuyu of the Criminal Department. He believes that He Shen is excellent, intelligent, steady, and insightful, and will become a great tool in the future. So, he married his grandson to He Shen and sponsored him to complete his studies. He Shen was grateful, studied harder, and finally achieved the first place in the imperial examination.
Education Minister Ying Lian used to teach in public schools and is good at spotting talent. One day, he saw a few rich children bullying the poor and Shen, and his heart couldn't calm down for a long time. Someone called He Shen and asked about his family background and study. He Shen was humble and kind, knowledgeable, and especially his understanding of the classics, which made the British Lian Shangshu awe-inspiring.
Therefore, Yinglian decided to help He Shen complete his studies, not only paying for his tuition and living expenses, but also personally guiding him in his studies. He Shen is very grateful, studying hard during the day and working for Yinglian at night. Yinglian Shangshu was also very happy to see him working so hard. In the end, He Shen scored high and ranked first.
Because of his outstanding talent, He Shen was soon promoted to Jinyiwei. Emperor Qianlong was also very clever and saw the difference between He Shen. Once, when Emperor Qianlong was walking in the imperial garden, a small eunuch came running with a fold, and the people of Yunnan arrested the fleeing man and immediately executed him. Qianlong was enraged, and as soon as the words fell, he asked who did the guards around him? The crowd was speechless.
iii.Step by step to the throne.
He Shen stood up firmly and replied respectfully"This is the responsibility of the protector. "Qianlong asked in surprise"Do you know the golden and jade words of Confucius? "Qianlong was very impressed after hearing this, and since then he has developed a strong interest in his future.
In this way, He Shen's career took one step at a time, and in a blink of an eye, he went from Jinyiwei to the household department, and then to the military department Shangshu, which monopolized the power of the DPRK. The ministers of the previous dynasty were jealous of his power. He Shen knew the emperor's preferences, served the emperor everywhere, and won the emperor's favor.
When Qianlong saw He Shen's answer sheet, he not only saw his understanding of the classics, but also expressed his sincerity as a courtier and respected him very much. He ordered someone to investigate He Shen's life experience in detail, and learned that he was born in a famous family, but his family was in the middle of the road, and he had a period of hard work, so he valued his good learning attitude even more.
Since then, Qianlong not only reused Heshen, but also often summoned him to the palace to play games and give lectures, placing high hopes on him, hoping that he could serve the country loyally. Of course, He Shen did not dare to live up to the favor, he was conscientious and cautious, and he was soon reused by the gentry and was promoted to the secretary of the household department and the secretary of the ministry. It is rumored that He Shen will become the most important ** in the palace, which makes more and more people envious.
He Shen knew that in order to gain a firm foothold in the imperial court, he must win the trust and favor of the emperor. There is nothing to do, he conscientiously obeys Qianlong's will and strives to realize the emperor's intentions. Seeing his high efficiency and strong judgment, Qianlong gradually trusted him, and finally promoted him to the secretary of the military department. Since then, He Shen has become a veritable No. 2 person in the Qing Dynasty.
iv.Corruption of excessive enrichment**.
Power gradually brings greed. He Shen began to do business secretly, filling his own pockets, and even accepting bribes from the imperial court. In order to maximize profits, He Shen turned a blind eye to the corruption of his subordinates. He himself is getting richer and richer.
He Shen's ** methods are getting more and more sophisticated, even through various powerful people in the court. For example, he sent things to ministers to express his heart; He received the gift in return and then helped. In this covert way, he made both sides known, but could not be punished.
Heshen's hidden treasures gradually became scarce and precious. It is rumored that his collection of ** is more than one billion taels, which is almost equivalent to the financial income of the Qing Dynasty for more than ten years. He Shen was cautious by nature, he carefully collected these riches, and when Qianlong needed silver, he often gave it to himself.
The emperor reappointed He Shen, and the more power he had, the more greedy he became. He is no longer satisfied with the money in the palace, but tries to fill his pockets. Due to Heshen's great power, many ** paid bribes to Heshen in order to win Heshen's favor. He Shen accepted these bribes, and both parties were mutually beneficial, which also encouraged him to use these bribes again.
He Shen is also a mysterious businessman who invests in several sectors and uses his political influence to gain many privileges and profit from them. He Shen also turned a blind eye to the corrupt practices of his subordinates in exchange for benefits. This multi-pronged approach has allowed Heshen's wealth to grow day by day.
Heshen became the center of a vast network of power-for-money transactions, which were traded by many powerful people in various covert ways. He gained political support and help by giving expensive gifts to Heshen. He Shen has a larger collection of treasures, antiques and paintings than the king's. The money is even more vast.
v.The essence of the conspiracy of the crown prince to usurp the throne.
Emperor Qianlong also knew what He Shen had done, but given He Shen's ability in the court, he did not deal with the matter for the time being. No one in the court dared to oppose the emperor's favored retainers. The only one who was very dissatisfied with He Shen was the crown prince Yanyan.
The crown prince Yan Yan, who later became Emperor Jiaqing, wanted to curry favor with He Shen and knew He Shen's nature. In order to win the favor of the emperor, He Shen often gave advice and exposed the prince. Emperor Jiaqing repeatedly reprimanded the prince, but he hated Heshen to the core.
After He Shen gained Qianlong's favor and power, he tried to break into the interior of the crown prince Yiyan in order to gain the prince's trust and further consolidate his position. However, the prince was sharp-minded and saw that He Shen was a traitorous villain who leaned towards the government and the opposition.
He Shen therefore changed his strategy and began to slander the prince in front of Qianlong, causing a rift in the relationship between father and son. He seized on the prince's mistake and reported it to Qianlong excessively, which disappointed the prince. Although the prince defended himself, he fell into the pit several times and was unable to get out of the various traps designed by He Shen.
The crown prince was naturally triumphant, and he was extremely angry and contemptuous of the traitorous minister and Shen. But he couldn't face He Shen's status in Qianlong's mind, so he could only swallow his anger. So, the crown prince suppressed his hatred for He Shen, and one day secretly decided to punish this traitor who brought disaster to the country and the people.
vi.The role of the former emperor.
In the end, Qianlong died, and the crown prince Yan ascended the throne for Emperor Jiaqing. The ministers speculated about how the new emperor would treat Heshen. Unexpectedly, the former emperor left the following words in his will:"He Shen Zhongliang, do not slack off"。
After a slight hesitation, Emperor Jiaqing ordered He Shen to be arrested immediately, his crimes counted, his house searched, and his detention detained. The wealth found was enough to fill the treasury for more than ten years. He Shen committed suicide in prison. Emperor Jiaqing was both relieved and happy that the country had gotten rid of a scourge.
Emperor Qianlong was frail and sickly in his later years, and he was unable to deal with the government, so he handed over all the power to He Shen. He Shen's pragmatic and effective political methods won the trust of Emperor Qianlong. Although Heshen's corruption was well known, Qianlong turned a blind eye.
Qianlong had studied He Shen's ability to handle government affairs before his death, and was worried that if Jiaqing executed He Shen first, it would cause chaos in the government and government. Therefore, in a holy decree issued after his death, he expressed the hope that Jiaqing would not insist on removing Heshen. However, the newly enthroned Emperor Jiaqing harbored prejudice and hatred for He Shen, did not understand his father's good intentions, and ordered He Shen to be executed.
VII. The tragedy of invasion and family destruction.
The wealth found was so great that it filled the treasury for more than a decade. He Shen committed suicide in prison. Emperor Jiaqing was overjoyed when he heard the news, and the country eliminated the disaster.
Time flies, and 15 years have passed in the blink of an eye. On this day, Emperor Jiaqing was sitting in the palace, and suddenly came to his senses and remembered something. He ordered people to bring the decree issued after the death of his father and read it repeatedly. Gradually, a look of pity appeared on his face.
In recent years, the state treasury has experienced a decrease in revenues and financial problems. Only then did Emperor Jiaqing realize his father's good intentions. Although He Shen is greedy, he has a first-class ability to accumulate wealth, accumulates huge wealth, and benefits the country a hundred times, but it is harmless. At present, there is Heshen, and financing is not a problem.
But it was too late. Emperor Jiaqing regretted his mistake, but could not do anything about it. Although He Shen was a traitor, he made great contributions to the Qianlong Dynasty. It is a pity that Emperor Jiaqing was so confused that he was so merciful to expel one of his generals.
The sorrow of the eighth Ming King.
When Emperor Jiaqing ascended the throne, he found a large book of "Evidence of Heshen", countless gold and silver treasures, antique calligraphy and paintings, etc., in his mansion, and all the treasures were stolen. Only ** amounted to more than one billion taels, which was almost equivalent to the financial revenue of the Qing Dynasty for more than ten years.
After Emperor Jiaqing saw the money, he decided that He Shen was a traitor. He was furious, sent He Shen to prison, counted his crimes, and finally executed him in prison. After He Shen's death, the court was jubilant. Jiaqing thinks it is wise for him to abolish violence. The court also admired Jiaqing's integrity. But after all, it is the ruler who has the final say, and Heshen, as a corrupt executioner, is completely uneasy in conscience at this moment.
However, as time went on, the nature of the matter gradually became apparent. Those in the know began to reflect on Ho Shen's life and decided that he should not have been killed. As an important ** of the Qianlong Dynasty, Heshen's contribution to the country must be recognized. His sins cannot be concealed, but his exploits are not easily discovered.
He Shen is an upright official, a clean and honest government, and the people live and work in peace and contentment. He advised the Qianlong Dynasty on its internal and foreign affairs, thus further consolidating the rule of the Qing Dynasty. These exploits made up for some of the ill-gotten gains obtained by He Shen**. If there was no Heshen, the ** era of the Qing Dynasty might not last long.
In addition, Heshen's wealth accumulation was not uncommon in the political ecology of the time. Corruption is the trend of the times, and once you become an official, you cannot separate it from wealth. Otherwise, it will be difficult to compete with other powerful people. He Shen's crime is actually a kind of evil fruit of the times. If placed in the present moment, his sins will be greatly lessened.
Thus, sane scholars do not place the blame on Hitchin personally. They reflect on the flaws of the system as a whole, even the greedy instinct in human nature. He Shen is just a duckweed in the torrent of history, and his fate may end in tragedy. But when future generations comment, they should still be merciful, and don't beat the life of a genius to death.
A few years later, someone collected and published Heshen's private diary. The diary is full of his love of learning, longing for his family, and fear of authority, making it a vivid image of a treacherous villain, rather than a treacherous ** person in our traditional impression. This allows us to better understand and look more calmly at the complex historical figure of Haitsun.
The rise and fall of a dynasty cannot be the fault of a minister. The death of He Shen became a temporary decline of the Jiaqing Dynasty of the Qing Dynasty, shattering the idea of a turning point; It also indicates that the Qing Dynasty has turned from prosperity to decline. The wheels of history are turning, just sighing.