In 1850, before his death, the Daoguang Emperor left a will and arranged his own affairs, two of which were decided to disparage his son, the Xianfeng Emperor.
Eleven years ago, Lin Zexu was ordered by the Daoguang Emperor to ban opium in Guangzhou. The anti-smoking campaign caused heavy losses to British businessmen and provided an opportunity for the British to invade China.
At this time, a British fleet came to China and assembled in the sea of Guangdong. Lin Zexu made all the preparations for battle, but the British kept their troops still.
Where did they go?
Originally, the British army did not set the main battlefield in Guangdong, but only blocked the mouth of the Pearl River, and then went north, planning to fight all the way to Tianjin.
The Qing government was forced to fight, and the First Opium War began. After the Qing government entered the war, it was repeatedly defeated and had to humbly seek peace to end the war.
In 1842, the Daoguang Emperor signed the Treaty of Nanking with the British, which was both a land cession and an indemnity.
He felt deeply guilty, feeling that he was not qualified, nor did he have the face like his ancestors, and after his death, the spirit entered the Temple, was worshiped by his descendants, and before he died, he ordered someone to write down the will.
In his will, he had four arrangements:
First, the divine card does not enter the Temple of Heaven;
Second, the divine card does not enter the Temple;
The third is not to erect a monument of divine merit;
Fourth, the funeral is simple.
The imperial divine card entering the Temple of Heaven and entering the Taimiao Temple was a Manchu Qing ancestral system, and the son Xianfeng Emperor knew his father's arrangements for his future affairs, and he was embarrassed!
If you obey the father's orders, you will violate the ancestral system, and in the process of ancestor worship, you will not be able to take care of your father, which is not filial piety; and if you obey the ancestral system, you will have to violate your father's will, which is also filial piety.
The Xianfeng Emperor himself could not make up his mind, so he consulted with the courtiers, and finally invited the Daoguang Emperor to the Taimiao Temple.
What is Taimiao Temple? What kind of honor is it to enter the Temple after death?
Since ancient times, the theory of a soul after death has prevailed. The ancients believed that the souls of the ancestors would bless future generations, so ancestor worship activities have always been highly valued.
The place where people first worshipped their ancestors is called "Zongmiao". Once there is a major event in the family, it is necessary to first sacrifice to the temple to inform the ancestors and seek approval.
The ancestral worship place for ordinary people is the Zongmiao Temple, while the royal Zongmiao temple is called the "Taimiao Temple".
No matter which dynasty it is in, the temple is a sacred and inviolable existence, which enshrines the spiritual throne of the emperors of previous generations and enjoys the incense of future generations, indicating that the royal bloodline is endless.
Below the royal family, there is also a supreme honor, called "worthy of the Taimiao", that is, after death, the spiritual seat is allowed to be arranged in the Taimiao, which is the glory of the individual and even the family.
If someone in the ancestors "deserves to enjoy the Temple", future generations, whether they are in the army or in business, will be looked up to by others and get help.
The honor of "enjoying the Taimiao Temple" may also become a "life preserver" for future generations. If the children of the family make a mistake, the emperor will deal with it because his ancestors deserved to enjoy the Temple.