In the forty-fifth year of Qianlong, the Qing Dynasty exposed a shocking corruption case. The focus of this case is not on the sheer amount of embezzlement, but on the fate of Li Gongyao, the main figure involved, and the reaction of the imperial court. After three interrogations by the Criminal Ministry, Li Gongyao was supposed to be sentenced to death, but was eventually promoted to an official position and eventually included in the list of meritorious figures selected by the Qianlong Emperor. So, who is Li Gongyao, and what is hidden in this case?
To understand Li Gongyao, we first need to pay attention to his family background. His ancestor Li Yongfang, a general in the late Ming dynasty, became the first Ming court general to surrender to Nurhach, while Li Gongyao was the fourth descendant of Li Yongfang. Because of this family connection, the Li family was included in the yellow banner and was deeply trusted by the emperors of the Qing Dynasty. Li Gongyao's father, Li Yuanliang, even rose to the rank of high-ranking official of Shangshu of Hubu. It can be said that Li Gongyao is a typical "second generation official", which makes him more likely to emerge in the official field than a gentleman from a humble background.
Li Gongyao's career is also worth mentioning. From the first time he stepped into the officialdom, he attracted the attention of the emperor and was given the opportunity to be promoted by Qianlong. Strictly speaking, Li Gongyao was originally a military general, which is also related to his origins. Initially, he held a number of posts as general and military commander until the twenty-first year of Qianlong, when Qianlong ordered Li Gongyao to be the acting governor of Liangguang. Although only a temporary agent, from then on, Li began to make his mark at the top of the Qing bureaucracy.
During his tenure as acting governor of Liangguang, Li Gongyao actively carried out large-scale economic reforms, carrying out major reforms on food, currency and other issues, significantly improving the lives of local people and promoting social development. Therefore, in the twenty-fourth year of Qianlong, the imperial court officially appointed Li Gongyao as the governor of Liangguang, which marked his official entry into the ranks of the feudal officials. In the following years, Li Gongyao continued to rise, serving as the governor of Huguang and Liangguang, and was always respected by the Qianlong Emperor. It is undeniable that Li Kangyao is an outstanding official, and his performance is highly recognized in both the political and economic fields.
However, Li Gongyao's rise was not all smooth sailing. After his many promotions and transfers, his experience and wisdom grew significantly, but also attracted more attention. At the end of the 44th year of Qianlong, an official named Haining inadvertently exposed Li Gongyao's corruption. Haining had served as a grain storage governor in Yunnan and knew well what Li Gongyao, the governor of Yunnan, had done. Although Haining himself had sent 200 taels of gold, his friend worked in the military aircraft department, and when he heard that Haining had given gifts, he informed Hejun about it. This whistleblowing action unexpectedly uncovered Lee's corruption scandal.
Hejun, a man born into a slave family, rose to prominence due to the appreciation of the Qianlong Emperor, and he was always dissatisfied with the rise of Li Gongyao. After he learned that Li Gongyao was involved in corruption, he quickly reported the information to the Qianlong Emperor. Although Qianlong understood that corruption among local officials was widespread, he did not expect that Li Gongyao would be so rampant that Yungui officials would give gifts. This infuriated Qianlong, who ordered Fulong'an to interrogate the case, eventually forcing Haining's confession to reveal Li Gongyao's corruption in Yunnan.
According to Haining's statement, Li Gongyao was involved in embezzlement of about 26,000 taels of silver during his tenure as governor of Yungui, which was already a capital crime at the time. The Qianlong Emperor immediately appointed Helong as the minister of Qincha, went to Yungui to investigate, and secretly monitored Li Gongyao to prevent him from becoming suspicious. He moved quickly to arrest Li Gongyao's henchmen and slaves, torture them, extract their confessions, and reveal Li Gongyao's corruption
Behavior. These slaves, although only slaves, lived in mansions, owned wealth and beautiful women, and the obvious sources of misconduct made it impossible for them to explain. Faced with severe torture, these slaves had to confess Li Gongyao's crimes.
At the same time, Hejun found the officials who had bribed them, and in the face of intense political pressure, they also confessed their crimes. These officials did not offer bribes, but Li Gongyao often demanded money from them in the name of tribute. They do not dare to offend their superiors and can only obey. As things developed in this way, Hejun obtained enough evidence to convict Li Gongyao. According to Li Gongyao's confession, he took bribes of a total of 31,000 taels of silver, and some gifts from officials could not be estimated, and the total amount was even greater.
However, after ordering Li Gongyao to be prosecuted for his crimes, the Qianlong Emperor felt embarrassed. Although officials who embezzled more than 1,000 taels of silver were punishable by death according to the laws enacted by the Yongzheng Emperor, the Qianlong Emperor admired Li Gongyao not only for his outstanding achievements in local government, but also because Li Gongyao's tribute-paying efforts enabled the Qianlong Emperor to obtain a large number of treasures. The Qianlong Emperor was a hedonist, extravagant and enthusiastic about collecting rare treasures sent by officials from various places.
The Qianlong Emperor understood that part of Li Gongyao's corruption was also used to satisfy his personal interests and the need to worship the emperor. If the investigation continues, he himself will be blamed. Therefore, no matter how large the amount of embezzlement was for Li Gongyao, the Qianlong Emperor hoped to give him an opportunity to show favor outside the law. He did not agree, and he wanted to take the opportunity to completely defeat Li Gongyao, but in order to protect his position, he also agreed to the Qianlong Emperor's decision and set a sentence for Li Gongyao to be executed, which meant a reprieve.
Usually, even if they are sentenced to prison, people who commit serious crimes only live a little longer, especially in such a major case that has attracted widespread public attention