preface
In the short 13 years of Yongzheng's reign, we have seen a unique image of an emperor - he unswervingly promoted the clean government revolution and severely punished corrupt officials, but he also uncovered the tip of the iceberg of corruption in the government and the public with a cup of Maojian tea.
First, court conspiracies prevailed: the Qing dynasty accumulated shortcomings gradually appeared
In 1722, Yongzheng took the throne and opened the imperial vault, but found that it was empty, a mere eight million taels, which was not enough to support the huge expenses of the Qing Dynasty. Yongzhenghu was hesitant, thought left and right, and finally realized that this was not the result of the simple squandering of the Kangxi Dynasty in the past, but the frequent occurrence of cleverly plundering in the court.
In fact, as early as the later years of Kangxi, the hints of chaos in the dynasty and politics were faintly revealed. Kangxi was obsessed with Buddhism, became increasingly slack in political affairs, and acted as a traitor in the DPRK and China, forming a party for personal gain. They wantonly waste national funds, exploit the people, let corrupt officials take charge, and ignore people's livelihood.
At this time, the elders of the DPRK and China either complicit and have long been accustomed to it; Either they are afraid of the powerful and can only go with the flow. Coupled with the fact that Kangxi mistakenly believed dissidents in his later years and killed Zhongliang, no one in the court dared to speak out. As a result, corrupt officials took over, and the situation in which the people did not have a good life was thus sown.
At the beginning of Yongzheng's accession to the throne, the four sages wrote one after another, exposing the shortcomings of the court and requesting punishment for corruption, so that Yong woke up like a dream and realized that he had accumulated shortcomings for a long time. He was shocked at first, then furious. It turns out that these traitors who have brought calamity to the country and the people have been entrenched in the court for many years, seriously endangering the people's livelihood of the country.
Yongzheng realized that in order to eradicate these rampant flies, simple expedient measures were not enough, and that he had to take heavy hands and adopt revolutionary means and measures to clean up this mess. Thus, during his reign, Yongzheng launched an unprecedented revolutionary movement against corruption, aiming to eliminate the source of corruption.
Second, the revolution of clean government shocked four people: strict measures to eliminate accumulated shortcomings
At the beginning of Yongzheng's accession to the throne, he set up accounting agencies headed by the Military Aircraft Department in the six ministries, and the main job of these institutions was to supervise the financial revenue and expenditure of various departments at all times. This greatly reduced the opportunities for the courtiers to embezzle money and grain, and also allowed Yongzheng to keep abreast of the country's financial situation and prevent the recurrence of empty predicament.
In addition, Yongzheng's abolition of the practice of amnesty inherited throughout the ages was a shock to both the government and the public. In the past, when dynasties changed, amnesties would be granted to exempt many criminals from punishment. But in Yongzheng's view, this will only shake the law and discipline, condone corrupt officials, and must be fundamentally prohibited. Therefore, all corrupt persons shall not be exempted, and no one shall be exempted.
And what frightened the courtiers the most was the method of joint sitting practiced by Yongzheng. The decree made it clear that any official found to be corrupt would not only be punished himself, but also implicated in those recommended or promoted to official positions, as well as his fathers and wives. Such harsh methods made the entire court endanger everyone and act carefully, for fear of implicating the innocent. No one dares to openly accept bribes, even in secret, they will contain each other and prevent micro-developments.
Such draconian measures are undoubtedly ruthless. But Yongzheng did this not for the sake of power itself, but out of his purpose and insistence on cleaning up corruption and allowing the people to live and work in peace. He realized that in order for the common people to live well, the court must be clean.
Third, the people are benevolent and selfless: the people are the foundation of the country
Yongzheng knew that in order for the people to live well, the court must be clean. In his view, corrupt officials were just for personal gain, exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes, and oppressed the people, which was no different from the Donglin Party members of the Ming Dynasty.
That's why during his reign, he insisted on punishing corrupt officials and promoting clean government, regardless of the cost. Despite the resistance, he never wavered. Because Yongzheng knew that these corrupt people were the great enemies of the people. Only by eliminating them can the people live and work in peace and contentment, and the country can become prosperous and strong.
In fact, when he first ascended the throne, Yongzheng realized that he needed to establish prestige, establish authority, and consolidate the imperial throne. Therefore, he resorted to a series of measures to stabilize the regime, even if he used the secret police to spy on dissidents and suppress speech. But these forceful measures may not be completely benevolent and righteous, but Yongzheng's heart is sincerely for the well-being of the common people. He cut taxes and simplified administration, guaranteed people's livelihood, and only wanted to let the people live and work in peace and contentment, no longer be bullied and exploited, and gradually become rich.
Yongzheng compares his heart to his heart and puts himself in the shoes of the people in many ways. He felt that sweeping away corrupt officials and allowing the people to live in prosperity and security was fundamental. As a monarch, he must give up his small family and take care of everyone, which is Yongzheng's people-based thinking.
Fourth, a pound of hair tip leads to a bloody case: corruption is deeply rooted
However, a small cup of Maojian tea revealed the current situation of corruption that was still spreading around Yongzheng. This also made him realize that corruption is deeply rooted and has a long way to go to eradicate corruption. In the spring of 1723, Yongzheng paid a private visit and passed by a teahouse in Shanxi, where he rested and drank tea. The boss saw that he was not an ordinary person, so he stepped forward to serve tea, and Yongzheng was full of praise after tasting the tea, and asked casually: "How much is this Maojian a pound?"
Seeing that there was business to do, the boss hurriedly quoted: "500 wen a catty, very cheap!" As soon as these words came out, Yongzheng's face suddenly sank. Because when he asked the Internal Affairs Office, he learned that the price of Maojian was 30 taels a catty. The price difference between the two was ten times greater, and Yongzheng immediately realized that someone in the Internal Affairs Office was embezzling. After returning to the palace, Yongzheng personally interrogated the internal affairs officials, who at first wanted to hide the truth.
However, under Yongzheng's severe pressing, confessions were soon made, and it was discovered that the three officials were the most corrupt. They appear to be incorruptible, but in fact they secretly collude with businessmen, hoard money, and make a lot of money over the years. Yongzheng was furious and directly beheaded them to set an example. Such cruel methods seem too abusive today, but in Yongzheng's view, he must severely punish corruption in order to prevent its spread.
This incident made him realize that no matter how hard he fought for integrity, the habit of corruption was still deeply rooted. Therefore, he was even more determined to wipe out this giant beast in order to forge a Qingming court.
5. 13 years of Kuangfu Sheji: The clean government movement has achieved prosperity
Yongzheng reigned for only 13 years, but he was reformed, innovative, dictatorial, and benevolent. He pushed the national strength of the Manchu Qing Dynasty to another peak, not only consolidating the frontiers, but also rectifying the rule of officials and expanding the culture, making the three dynasties of Kang Yongqian prosperous. And the foundation of all this is rooted in his unremitting revolution of clean government and the people's ideology of sincerely working for the welfare of the people. Although the means are occasionally ruthless, Yongzheng's heart has never forgotten his responsibility, that is, to let the people live a good life.
epilogue
A cup of Maojian tea revealed the tip of the iceberg of corruption around him, and also strengthened his determination to wipe out this giant beast. Yongzheng was not afraid of power, only for the people, and his clean government movement made the Qing Dynasty new and directly laid the cornerstone of the prosperous era. Today, we should remember history, keep our hearts of the naked, always monitor power, and put an end to corruption. Only by being honest in government and working diligently for the people will the country be prosperous and strong, and the people will be happy. We should continue to act with justice and persevere in our efforts.