The famous Qing Dynasty general Nian Tangyao
Nian Qianyao (1679-1726), also known as Liang Gong (字亮工), was a famous general of the Qing Dynasty in China. Originally from Huaiyuan County, Fengyang Province (now part of Anhui), he was later transferred to the Han Army with a yellow banner, and was a member of the Kangxi and Yongzheng dynasties of the Qing Dynasty, who was born as a jinshi, and was an official to the viceroy of Sichuan, the viceroy of Sichuan and Shaanxi, and the general of Fuyuan, and was also given the title of Taibao and a first-class duke, and a high-ranking official.
Nian Tangyao, who has been reading since childhood, is quite talented. In 1700 (the thirty-ninth year of the Kangxi Dynasty), Zhongjin shi was changed to Shu Jishi and appointed to the Hanlin Academy for review. He has served as a township examination examiner in Sichuan and Guangdong for many times, and has been transferred to the cabinet for bachelors.
In 1709 (the 48th year of the Kangxi Dynasty), he was promoted to governor of Sichuan and became a feudal official. According to the "Yongxian Record" written by Xiao Yi of the Qing Dynasty, Tang Yao was not yet 30 years old at this time. For Kangxi's special appreciation and promotion, Nian Qianyao was grateful to Shu Zero, and said in the compromise that he was "blessed with a fool and a third life" and must "try his best to repay". After arriving at his post, Nian Qianyao quickly became familiar with the general situation of Sichuan Tong Province and proposed many measures to promote the advantages and eliminate the disadvantages. And he himself also took the lead in setting an example, refusing to accept the festival, "willing to be indifferent, in order to be desperate." Kangxi greatly appreciated his deeds in Sichuan and placed high hopes on him to "always stick to it and be a good official."
In 1710 (the 49th year of the Kangxi Dynasty), Hui Weisheng Fan Luodu and others plundered Ning Fanwei (宁番衛, in modern Mianning County, Sichuan Province) and killed the guerrilla Zhou Yulin. Shangming Tangyao and The Viceroy of Sichuan Yue Shenglong suppressed him. Yue Shenglong led his troops to fight for it, captured Luo Du, Nian Qianyao to Pingfan Wei, and Wen Luodu had been captured and returned. The governor of Sichuan and Shaanxi, Yin Tai, impeached Nian Tangyao for delaying the military situation and should be removed from his post and ordered to remain in office. In 1717 (the 56th year of the Kangxi Dynasty), Yue Weiwei (越巂衛; southeast of present-day Xichang, Sichuan Province) and Puxiong (present-day Yuexi County, Sichuan Province) tuqianhu najiao were in turmoil, and Nian Qianyao sent a guerrilla attack on Zhang Yu to suppress Pingzhi.
Nian Qianyao also did not live up to the high hopes of the Kangxi Emperor, and once again showed outstanding talent in the war to defeat the Dzungar chief Ceyu Alabutan to invade Tibet in order to ensure the logistical supply of the Qing army.
In 1717 (the 56th year of the Kangxi Dynasty), Ceyu Alabutan sent his troops to invade Tibet and kill Lazang Khan. The Viceroy of Sichuan, Kang Tai, led an army out of Huangshengguan (黄胜關, in present-day Songpan County, Sichuan), mutinyed in the army, and led the army back. Nian Qianyao sent the general Yang Duxin to care for the army, and secretly played Kangtai's heart and was unavailable, and requested to personally go to Songpan to assist in military affairs. Shangjia was actually in charge of his duties, and sent the capital Tongfa La to lead troops to Sichuan to help suppress it.
In 1718 (the 57th year of the Kangxi Dynasty), Nian Tangyao ordered the commander of the protectors, Wen Pu, to garrison Litang (present-day Litang County, Sichuan), added an arrow furnace (present-day Kangding, Sichuan) to Litang Station, and added a Sichuan garrison. Shangjia Nian Tang Yao ruled mingmin, the inspector had no supervisor responsibility, and was specially appointed as the governor of Sichuan, who was also in charge of the governor's affairs, and commanded the military, politics and civil affairs.
In 1719 (the fifty-eighth year of the Kangxi Dynasty), Nian Qianyao was suspicious of the enemy's situation and asked to go to Tibet as a preparation. The court agreed that the Songpan Roads were militarily important, and Tang Yaowu led his troops out of the side, and The Fa La entered the division. Fa La led the deputy general Yue Zhongqi to fu settle Litang and Batang. Nian Tangyao sent the prefect Chi Weide to recruit the leaders of Cha ya, Cha Mu Duo, and Cha Wa.
In 1720 (the fifty-ninth year of the Kangxi Dynasty), the general Yan Xin led his troops from Qinghai into Tibet, conferred the title of General Of the Year Qianyao Dingxi, met with the Larry Division, and consulted the Governor of the Year Ofe Yao. Nian Tang Yao said that he would not be able to do anything for a while, so he asked the general Yin Ji and the protector to command Gar Bi, and the moving of the Fa La army stationed in the arrow furnace to use it for discussion. Batang and Litang were subordinate to The Tufu of Lijiang, Yunnan, and since they were in Charge, Jiang Chenxi, the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, asked them to remain under the tufu of Lijiang, Muxing; Mu Xing led his troops to collect the land, to Lapi, killed the Fan chief Basang, and Nian Tang yao was impeached. Shang ordered Mu Xing to be captured and imprisoned in yunnan province. In August, the two armies of Garbi and Yanxin successively entered Tibet, and Tsering Tun Dob was defeated and Tibet was pacified. Shangyu Yuyao escorted the triumphant armies into the border and summoned the Fa La to return to the Capital Division. Nian Tangyao soon sent troops to Fuding Litang to belong to the upper and lower teeth color, upper and lower Yanni, and Batang belonged to Sang Aba and LinkaShi Zhushengfan.
In 1721 (the 60th year of the Kangxi Dynasty), Nian Tangyao entered the capital and entered the temple, and the Kangxi Emperor gave him a bow and arrow, and was promoted to the governor of Sichuan and Shaanxi, becoming a major minister of the Western Province. In September of that year, the local rebellion of Guo Luoke (present-day Goluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture) in Qinghai, while attacking head-on, Nian Qianyao took advantage of the contradictions between the local tribal toasts, supplemented by the strategy of "attacking with fan", and quickly put down the rebellion. In November 1722 (the 61st year of the Kangxi Dynasty), the Fuyuan general Andi Ziyunyu was recalled to Beijing, and Nian Qianyao was appointed to take charge of military affairs together with Yanxin, who managed the fuyuan general's seal.
After Yongzheng ascended the throne, Nian Qianyao was even more heavily relied upon, and he and Long Keduo were called Yongzheng's right and left arm. Long Keduo was Yin Chan's uncle and had served Yin Chan for many years before he succeeded to the throne, and the two had a very close relationship.
In May 1723 (the first year of Yongzheng), Yongzheng issued an edict: "If there is a place to dispatch troops and use grain and wages, the minister of border defense and the governor of Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Yunnan, Fu tizhen, etc., shall be handled according to the year." In this way, Nian Qianyao took charge of all the affairs of the western region, and in fact became a loyal agent of Yongzheng on the western front, and his position of power was actually higher than that of the Fuyuan general Yan Xin and other governors. Yongzheng also warned the local officials of Yun, Gui, and Chuan to follow the orders of Nian Tangyao. In October of the same year, the Lobzang Tenzin Rebellion occurred in Qinghai. The situation in Qinghai was suddenly in chaos, and war broke out again in the western region. Yongzheng ordered Nian Qianyao to succeed him as the general of Fuyuan, the governor of various armies, stationed in Xining to command the counterinsurgency.
At that time, when Nian Qianyao first arrived in Xining, the large army was not gathered, and was learned by Lobzang Tenzin, so he led his army to sneak attack and take Xining directly. Nian Qianyao led dozens of people to sit on the city tower, without panic. Lobzang Tenzin thought he was deceitful and led his army to retreat. Nian Qianyao ordered his troops to attack the thief's stronghold, and the enemy army thought that Nian Qianyao had few soldiers, and did not take precautions, and drove the table mountain Tufan to the front team; the cannon was fired, and the dead of Tufan were not counted. Yue Zhongqi's troops arrived and directly attacked the enemy camp, and Lobzang Tenzin fled in defeat, leading only a hundred men to escape.
At the beginning of 1724 (the second year of Yongzheng), the final stage of the war came, and Nian Qianyao ordered the generals to "go deeper and divide the way and pound their nests". The soldiers and horses of all sides braved the wind and snow, marched day and night, and swept through the remnants of the enemy army with great success. The prestige of Nian Qianyao's "Nian Dajun" has since shocked the Western Province and won a reputation in the government and the public.
Yongzheng was overjoyed by the success of the war in pacifying Qinghai, so he rewarded Nian Qianyao with a reward for breaking the rules: before that, Nian Qianyao had already been awarded the title of Third Class Duke and Second Class Duke for his military merits in calming Tibet and calming the rebellion of Guo Luoke. This time, with careful planning and surprising victory, he was promoted to a first-class public. In addition, a viscount was given to him, who was succeeded by his son Nian Bin, who was made a duke of the first rank, plus the title of Taifu. At this time, in the northwest of Nian Qianyaowei Town, he could also participate in the affairs of Yunnan and became the main confidant of Yongzheng in other provinces.
Nian Qianyao not only monopolized power on all issues involving the western region, but also always had been ordered to directly participate in the government affairs. He had the right to report directly to Yongzheng and play things such as the advantages and disadvantages of internal and external officials, and the pros and cons of state officials governing the people's livelihood at any time. He also often participates in the consultation and decision-making of major issues between the DPRK and China.
In the appointment and dismissal of important officials and personnel arrangements, Yongzheng frequently exchanged views with Nian Qianyao and gave him great power. In the area under Nian Qianyao's jurisdiction, civil and military officials, large and small, were all appointed according to Nian's advice. In April of the first year, Yongzheng ordered Fan Shijie to act as the inspector of Shaanxi, and soon wanted to change it to a practical grant, and transferred the original inspector to the position of bingbu waiter, and Yongzheng and Nian discussed this appointment. On another occasion, when Yongzheng was "indecisive" when arranging for military officials, he consulted Nian Qianyao's opinion and asked him if he would transfer a Shaanxi official to his province to use "you are reluctant to do it" and ask him to "play according to the facts, and Shu Yi'er asked him to do it." The use of officials outside Of Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yongzheng also often solicited Nian's opinions.
After Qinghai was pacified, YongZheng wrote in Zhu Zhi, who had given Nian Tangyao a fold: "Er's true feelings are true and true, and He also misses you very much, and there are also some things that have been discussed with you. "When Nian Qianyao entered Beijing, he handled the military affairs together with the Prime Minister Ma Qi and Long Keduo. Yongzheng also ordered him to "convey his will and write the edict" because he was "able to proclaim his will." Nian Qianyao became the Prime Minister's Minister.
Yongzheng's personal relationship with Nian Qianyao is also very good, and he gives special honors. Yongzheng thought that it was his good fortune to have a feudal official like Nian Qianyao, and if there were a dozen or so people like him, the country would not worry about bad governance. After quelling the rebellion in Qinghai, Yongzheng was extremely excited and regarded Nian as his "benefactor", and he also knew that it would be a loss of supreme morality to say so, but he still couldn't help but say it. In order to pass on Nian Qianyao's evaluation for a long time, Yongzheng also demanded that all generations should remember Nian Qianyao's great achievements, otherwise they would not be his descendants and subjects: not only would they rely on their families to praise them, but the descendants of the descendants of the world and the subjects of the world should be happy together. If there is a slightest negative heart, it is not a descendant of the fallen; if there is a slight dissenting heart, it is not my courtiers.
At this point, Yongzheng's favor for Nian Qianyao had reached an incomparable level, and the grace that Nian Qianyao had received was also rarely matched by the ancient people. In October 1724 (the second year of Yongzheng), Nian Tangyao entered the capital and was given extraordinary things such as the peacock plume, the four dragon suits, the yellow belt, the purple dragon, and gold coins. Nian Qianyao himself, his father Nian Lingling and his first son Nian Bin had all been knighted, and in November, for his efforts to quell the rebellion of Zhuo Zishan, he was rewarded with a first-class male position, which was inherited by Nian Qianyao's second son Nian Fu.
In life, Yongzheng is also very concerned about Nian Qianyao and his family. Nian Qianyao's wrists and arms were sick and his wife was sick, and Yongzheng repeatedly inquired and gave medicines. Yongzheng also often informed Nian Of his father's condition in Beijing, Nian Guifei, nian Qianyao's sister, and the physical condition of the crown prince Fuhui she had born. As for the rewards of treasures and delicacies, they are coming from time to time. In order to ensure its deliciousness, Yongzheng ordered the station to be sent from Jingshi to Xi'an within 6 days, which can be compared with the lychee sent by Emperor Tang Ming to Yang Guifei.
He is fond of Nian Tangyao and hopes that they will be an example of the kings and courtiers of the ages. He said to Nian: Er is not an excellent emperor, and he cannot reward Er's treatment; Er is not a superior minister, and he cannot promise the knowledge of Er. ...... In the mind to be a role model figure for eternity also.
At this time, Nian Qianyao was satisfied, and then did many things beyond his duty, which eventually caused Yongzheng's vigilance and jealousy, so that his family was destroyed.
When Nian Qianyao was fighting in Tibet, at three o'clock in the evening, he suddenly heard the wind coming from the west, and after a while it was quiet. Nian Qianyao hurriedly asked a certain counselor to lead three hundred flying horses to search for thieves in the dense forests in the southwest, and sure enough, he annihilated the thieves. Someone asked why, nian Qianyao replied: "In a flash, it is not the wind, it is the sound of the birds vibrating feathers." When birds come out in the middle of the night, there will be those who are startled. Ten miles to the southwest, there are dense trees in the jungle, and there will be many birds, and the thieves will come to lurk, so the birds are frightened. ”
When Nian Qianyao was fighting in Qinghai, he consulted the map one day and knew that there were deep pits of mud on the road ahead, so he ordered: "Tomorrow when the troops are recruited, each person will carry a board and a bundle of grass." "The military does not understand why. The next day, in the mud of the deep ditch, the sergeant was ordered to throw the bundle of grass into it, lay the slabs, and the army went freely. It turned out that the Fan people wanted to rely on this as a danger, but the army suddenly arrived. So he smashed the lair of the Fan people.
Nian Qianyao was talented and arrogant, and he was proud of his family, and his teachers were repeatedly meritorious and arrogant. The writers are all overseers, and the scriveners rebuke their names. Please send a guard to join the army, so that it is a front and rear guide, and the stirrup is whipped.
Nian Tangyao's fall from favor and subsequent favor was triggered by his second entry into The Capital in October 1724 (Yongzheng II). While on the frontier, the Mongol princes and Abao had to bow down when they saw Nian Qianyao. On the way to Beijing, he ordered Li Weijun, the governor of Zhili, and Fan Shijie, the governor of Shaanxi, to kneel down to greet him. When they arrived in Beijing, Huang Reins and Purple Horses, officials below the princes of the suburbs knelt down, and Nian Qianyao sat peacefully on his horse and walked by, without looking at them. The maharajah dismounted to greet him, and he just nodded. What's more, in front of Yongzheng, his attitude was also very arrogant, "no one is courteous." Shortly after Nian entered Beijing, Yongzheng rewarded him for military merit, and it was rumored in Beijing that he accepted Nian Qianyao's request. It is also said that the rectification of Alinga (a member of the Imperial Eighth Son's Yinyu Clique) and others also listened to Nian's words. These words greatly hurt Yongzheng's self-esteem.
In November, after Nian Qianyao returned to his post after seeing his majesty, he received An edict from Yongzheng, which contained a passage on the words of meritorious service to preserve the honor: "It is easy for mortals to succeed, it is difficult to succeed; it is easy to succeed, it is difficult to keep merit; it is easy to keep merit, and it is difficult to finally succeed." ...... If he has done so, he will turn against grace and enmity, and this has always been the case with human feelings. In this Edict, Yongzheng changed the tone of praise and praise in the past, warning Nian to be cautious and self-sustaining, and nian Qianyao's situation took a sharp turn for the worse.
Analyzing the reasons for Nian Tangyao's fall of favor and his crime, there are roughly the following points:
First, be good at Weifu. Nian Tangyao was proud of his high merits, and the arrogance and arrogance were getting worse and worse. In his official dealings, he was arrogant and imposing: gifts to subordinate officials were "ordered to prostrate to the north to give thanks"; the documents issued to the governor and general, which were originally parallel official documents, were called "edicts" and regarded their colleagues as subordinates; even the king of the Mongolian Zasak County, Ah Bao, had to kneel and pray when he saw him. Preferential treatment should be given to the imperial guards sent by the imperial court, but Nian used them as slaves who "guided before and after, and carried stirrups". According to the system of the Qing Dynasty, whenever the edict arrived in the place, the local officials had to greet the edict, perform three kneeling and nine prostrations, and kneel to invite Saint Ann, but Yongzheng's edict went to Xining twice, and Nian Qianyao "could not read the edict." What's more, he had presented to Yongzheng Jin the "Lu Xuan Gong Gong Discussion" that he had funded and engraved, and Yong Zheng intended to write the preface himself, but it had not yet been written, and Nian Qianyao himself actually drew up one and asked the Yongzheng Emperor to approve it. Nian Qianyao also stopped his loss of honor in front of Yongzheng, "sitting in front of the imperial court, no one to pay tribute", Yongzheng was quite unhappy in his heart.
Second, forming a party for personal gain. At that time, in the selection of civil and military officials, all those who were guaranteed by Nian Qianyao were given priority in the recruitment of officials and soldiers, known as "annual elections." He also ostracized dissidents and appointed private individuals, forming a small clique headed by him, with Officials from Shaanxi, Gansu, sichuan, and Sichuan as the backbone, including officials from other regions. Many of the people who were in the official arena saw that Nian Qianyao was gaining momentum and his power was expanding day by day, so they raced to run to his door. And Nian Qianyao is also a person who pays attention to cultivating private forces, and every time there is a fat shortage of beauty, he must install his personal cronies, "dissidents are reprimanded, and those who tend to go are recommended." For example, he impeached Zhao Zhiyuan, who was directly subordinate to him, for being "mediocre and clumsy" and "must not be ordered to be an inspector", and recommended his personal Li Weijun. Zhao Zhiyuan lost his official position because of this, so he turned to Nian Qianyao's men and gave him jewels worth 200,000 taels. Nian Qianyao took advantage of Yongzheng's second year to enter Beijing and specially brought Zhao to Beijing and "repeatedly pleaded for introduction" to ensure that his people were available. Ge Jikong, the envoy of Jiangsu who had been impeached and demoted by Nian, also sent various precious antiques twice, and Nian Qianyao promised to "take good care" of him in the future. He once recommended the Shaanxi envoys Hu Qiheng and Jing Hao to be of great use, impeached The Inspector of Sichuan Cai Jue, and then promoted Hu Qiheng to the post of Inspector of Gansu. In addition, Nian Qianyao also borrowed the opportunity of the soldiers to fake military merits, so that his unmarried domestic slaves Sang Chengding and Wei Zhiyao were successively appointed as directly subordinate envoys and acting deputy generals.
Third, greed for wealth. Nian Qianyao was greedy and bribed, and eroded money and grain, accumulating millions of taels. In the early years of the Yongzheng Dynasty, rectifying the rule of officials and punishing corruption and perverting the law was an important reform measure. At this juncture, Yongzheng will not let go easily.
In the first month of 1725 (the third year of Yongzheng), Yongzheng's dissatisfaction with Nian Tangyao began to become public. Nian Qianyao instructed Hu Qiheng, the governor of Shaanxi, to participate in the shaanxi Yidao Jin Nanying incident, and Yongzheng said that this was Nian's practice of appointing private individuals and forming friends in a disorderly manner, and would not be allowed to play it.
Nian Qianyao had participated in the impeachment of the Governor of Sichuan, Cai Jue, who had threatened to force the prefect Jiang Xingren to die, and Cai Xun was deposed and sentenced to be beheaded after interrogation, while Nian Qianyao's personal wang Jinghao was able to serve as the Governor of Sichuan. At this time, Yongzheng had secretly decided to attack Nian Qianyao, and after Cai Jue was taken to Beijing, Yongzheng did not agree with the Punishment Department to imprison him, but instead summoned him specifically. Cai Jun described the situation in which he was framed for opposing Nian Qianyao when he was in office, and played various situations of Nian Qianyao's "greed and violence". Yong Zheng then sent an edict saying, "Cai Ju was played by Nian Qianyao, and if he is brought to justice, people will definitely think that he killed Nian Qianyao after listening to his words." In this way, Nian Qianyao was able to control the handle of the imperial court's prestige. Therefore, Yongzheng not only did not punish Cai Jue, but also promoted him to the post of Zuo Du Yushi and became a powerful tool against Nian Qianyao.
In March, the so-called "auspicious rui" of "the sun and the moon combined, the five stars and pearls" appeared, and the group of ministers called he, and Nian Tangyao also praised Yongzheng for sleeping at night and exerting himself to rule. However, the handwriting in the table is sloppy, and for another moment it is another oversight to mistakenly write "Chao Qian Xi Ti" as "Xi Ti Chao Qian". Yong Zheng seized on this handle to play with the topic, saying that Nian Qianyao was not originally a careless person, and this time he deliberately did not "attribute the four words of "Chao Qian Xi Ti" to the ear. He also believed that this was his "self-esteem and self-esteem, showing disrespect", so his achievements in Qinghai were "also between consent and disobedience". Yongzheng then replaced officials in Sichuan and Shaanxi, first dismissing Hu Qiheng, a close confidant of Nian Qianyao, and transferring The Acting Governor of Sichuan, Natai, back to Beijing so that he could not rebel in office. In April, he was relieved of his post as viceroy of Nian Tangyao and ordered him to hand over the seal of the general Fuyuan and transfer him to the post of general of Hangzhou.
After Nian Qianyao was transferred, internal and external officials saw the situation more clearly and exposed his guilt one after another. Yongzheng, in the name of submitting to the request of the courtiers, stripped Nian Qianyao of his official position, and in September of that year ordered nian Qianyao to be arrested and escorted to Beijing for trial. In December, the imperial court chancellor submitted the trial results to Yongzheng, listing Nian Qianyao with 92 major crimes and requesting the establishment of a canonical punishment. The crimes are: 5 crimes of great rebellion, 9 crimes of deception, 16 crimes of treason, 13 crimes of rebellion, 6 crimes of monopoly, 6 crimes of taboo, 4 crimes of cruelty, 18 crimes of greed, and 15 crimes of erosion.
Yongzheng said that among these 92 paragraphs, there are more than 30 people who should be sentenced to capital punishment and beheading, but remembering that Nian Qianyao's outstanding merits and fame are once famous, and the prestige of the "Nian Dajun" is known to the whole country, if he is punished, I am afraid that the people of the world will not be convinced, and he will inevitably bear the notoriety of being cruel and fierce and killing heroes, so he expressed his grace and gave him self-punishment in prison.
Nian Ling and Nian Xiangyao's brother Nian Xiyao seized the official and exonerated him; beheaded his sons nian fu; and all the sons over the age of fifteen were extremely strong. Zou Lu and Wang Jingqi were all beheaded successively, and their relatives were enslaved in armor. In 1726 (the fourth year of Yongzheng), the great general of the year who had been in power for a while ended in disgrace and his family was destroyed. In 1727 (the fifth year of Yongzheng), the Yongzheng Emperor pardoned the sons of Nian Tangyao and handed them over to the age of the elderly.