The film and television drama "Li Wei As an Official" promoted this official who had served in the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong dynasties to the ranks of famous ministers of the Qing Dynasty. Li Weichu was originally a small household official, and because he worked hard and diligently in his post, he was appreciated by the Yongzheng Emperor. Subsequently, with his prominent reputation, he gained the trust of the officials and was gradually promoted to the position of Governor of Zhejiang and Governor of Zhejiang. After Qianlong's death three years later, the Qianlong Emperor buried Li Wei in accordance with the governor's rules, not only personally giving him the title of "Minda", but also building a temple in the place where Li Wei was serving. What is puzzling is that Qianlong, such an elderly minister who was deeply respected by the emperors of the Three Dynasties, actually ordered people to go to Li Wei to ??? What was the reason for the burning of his idol after the death???
Portrait of Li Wei
Li Wei's most favored stage was during the reign of the Yongzheng Emperor, who served in Yongzheng's study before yongzheng ascended to the emperor's throne. Although he was not deeply accomplished in literature, he was careful and thoughtful around Yongzheng, and he was deeply trusted by Yongzheng. When the Yongzheng Emperor ascended the throne, he made a meritorious effort to investigate the smuggling of salt, and his career after that can be described as smooth and prosperous. In just ten years, Li Wei became a five-pin petty official and was promoted to the governor of Zhejiang. In the first year of Qianlong, Li Wei's old illness recurred and he died of illness, although it was said that he was "a son of heaven and a courtier", but Li Wei did not play any substantial threat to Qianlong's imperial power at all, so after his death, it can also be regarded as the good end of a former courtier.
Li Wei stills
Unfortunately, when Qianlong toured the south, Li Wei's reputation behind him underwent earth-shaking changes, and Qianlong actually issued an edict to burn the statue of Li Wei in the West Lake Flower Temple. The reason why this happened is actually related to what Li Wei did in the West Lake. In the ninth year of Yongzheng, Li Wei, who was serving in Hangzhou, had people build a very beautiful bamboo garden on the edge of the West Lake; the next year, the Yongzheng Emperor personally inscribed a plaque for this garden. Nowadays, this small garden has become part of the "Lake Mountain Spring Society".
In addition, after dredging the West Lake, Li Wei built the Jinsha Causeway around the West Lake, planted 10,000 pine trees in the Wansong Forest, and established a merit square in front of the Qianwang Ancestral Hall; then built an octagonal pavilion on many peaks such as Yuquan Mountain, Lonely Mountain, Jewel Mountain, and Dingjia Mountain; and finally Li Wei presided over the compilation of the "West Lake Chronicle". It can be said that the construction of the Eighteen Views of the West Lake, Li Wei's contribution is incomparable. Unfortunately, when he built these beautiful scenes, he unconsciously laid a huge hidden danger for his future. In the early years of Qianlong, Li Wei erected a statue of the True God in the Hushan Spring Society, which was created according to his own form, and in addition, Li Wei also made 12 of his concubines into statues of the Twelve Flower Gods, and enshrined them with his idols in the Hushan Spring Society. ????
Bamboo Garden
When Qianlong toured the south, he knew that this "Hushan Spring Society" on the edge of the West Lake was built by the order of Li Wei personally during the Yongzheng period, so he made a special trip to play here. He did not want to be surprised the moment when the Qianlong Emperor stepped into this ancient building, thinking that Li Wei, as a courtier, actually worshipped himself and his concubines as gods and enjoyed the offerings of the local people. This practice of making himself a god was regarded by Qianlong as a great rebel, so he ordered the guards around him to completely burn the idols of Li Wei and other concubines. After smashing the statue, Qianlong was still angry, and after returning to Beijing, he told the world: "Li Wei's famous temple is very strange! ...... This is not an impartial and pure subject. After this incident, Li Wei's reputation was far less than before, and the evaluation of Li Wei by posterity was also somewhat unfair.