Preface
In a high position, the Qing official Nian Qianyao once held great power to influence the situation on the frontier, which made the Manchu emperors fearful.
But in the end, he did not escape the fate of being killed, and his wife and children could not escape being implicated. How many grievances are there, and how many official secrets are there? We don't know.
First, the Jinshi and the first, on the official career
Nian Qianyao was born in a family of eunuchs during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, and his father was a waiter in the Ministry of Industry of the Dynasty, reading poetry and books, and had high hopes for his son. Nian Qianyao has shown extraordinary intelligence since he was a child, and he can always amaze his teacher. He was not confused and knew the classics well. Under such influence, he successfully became a jinshi, was elected as Hanlin, and officially embarked on a career in office.
Nian Qianyao has an extremely stable temperament and is conscientious and responsible. When he first served as a review official, he was not sloppy in inspecting the chapters, and every word and sentence was carefully scrutinized, which won the praise of Emperor Kangxi.
Soon after, Nian Qianyao sent Chuan Guangcheng to announce the political envoy and preside over the township test. This time, he defied public opinion, strictly stipulating that candidates were not allowed to bring any reference books, and sent to prevent fraud. This made the township test of that session particularly clear.
Due to his repeated miraculous achievements, Nian Qianyao was promoted by the emperor to serve as a cabinet scholar, which shows that he is favored. However, the good times did not last long, and his father passed away at a young age when his career was rising, which hit Nian Qianyao very hard. During the period of filial piety, he kept the rules all day and worked harder to commemorate his father.
2. Sichuan Rebellion, Inspiration
The legend of a rookie in officialdom did not stop, but opened in the distant border Sichuan. Nian Qianyao was sent to serve as governor of Sichuan, a position that was undoubtedly challenging for him.
Nian Qianyao came to Sichuan with his father's teachings, and saw that the humid and cold climate here was very easy to breed diseases. Most of the local officials have become corrupt, and all kinds of malpractices have abounded, resulting in the misery of the people.
Nian Qianyao's heart was full of righteous indignation, and he quickly found a few henchmen and began to purge the government throughout the province. As long as there is any sign of corruption and bribery, harboring bandits, Nian Qianyao will be severely punished. At the same time, the warehouse was opened to release grain and provide relief to the victims.
During his two-year tenure, the atmosphere in Sichuan changed. And the people called him a good ruler. The local gentry saw that Nian Qianyao was upright and talented, and worshipped him as a teacher.
Nian Qianyao also got acquainted with a group of Sichuan celebrities. One of the most striking is a Guozi prisoner named Tang Bin. Although this young man is young, he has a deep knowledge of poetry and books, and often helps Nian Qianyao give advice. The two are like-minded and gradually develop a deep friendship.
My father was very pleased to hear the news. Under the guidance of his father, Nian Qianyao was determined to go to the next city and reach a higher level in Sichuan.
3. The power leans to one side and angers the monarch
The successful Nian Qianyao began to look at everything, and such a person gradually attracted a strong sense of jealousy. At that time, Kangxi died, and Yongzheng succeeded to the throne. After the new monarch ascended the throne, Nian Qianyao was still heavily used, and went to Hexi and Qinghai many times to quell local rebellions by force, so that his power to support the army and self-respect leaned to the frontier.
Due to his outstanding military achievements, Nian Qianyao was promoted by Emperor Yongzheng and promoted to governor. During his tenure of office, he continued to rectify the rule of officials in the frontier and let the local people live and work in peace and contentment. The father was very happy for him when he saw his son in full swing.
However, the good times did not last long, and as Nian Qianyao grasped more and more power, he gradually developed rebellious thoughts. Nian Qianyao often complained to his confidant Tang Bin about all kinds of malpractices in the imperial court, and wanted to correct the emperor's mistakes.
In the third year of Yongzheng, when Nian Qianyao guarded Xining, there were imperial guards who came to condole, not only did he not treat each other with the highest courtesy, but was rude, and sent them to be unaccustomed to the soil and water, and was known by Emperor Yongzheng. Yongzheng was furious: "I rewarded him with Juelu, but he didn't have a king, he deserved to die!" So it was decided to get rid of this henchman. When Yao Ling learned the news, it was too late. "My son is ungrateful, and after all, he will bring about his own destruction!" He sighed when he was old.
Fourth, the family is ruined, and the wife and daughter are helpless
When the situation changed abruptly, Nian Qianyao's political enemies came forward to expose him, accusing him of forming a party for personal gain, corruption and corruption. In the end, there were as many as 92 counts of these crimes, and the facts of the case were appalling. Nian Qianyao unexpectedly fell from the peak to the bottom and was deposed and questioned.
Nian Qianyao was charged with the crime of great rebellion, and his henchman Tang Bin was also implicated and imprisoned. Over the years, Tang Bin has been too close to Nian Qianyao and has known too many secrets, and it is also difficult to escape death. Sentenced in prison, Tang Bin's death was extremely tragic.
"The big official who spends a lot of money is not trampled to death under his feet!" People watched Nian's family be ruined and gloated. Nian Qianyao suffered a lot of blows in prison and was physically and mentally exhausted. In the end, because he committed the crime of rebellion, he was asked to behead the public.
Nian Qianyao's family also could not escape the doom, the son was beheaded, and the father was degraded. The most sympathetic is Nian Qianyao's daughter. The well-known Nian family, who wanted to marry his daughter to a famous family, was reduced to this point and could only withdraw from the marriage. The young girl returned to her parents' home, but she still could not escape the stigma of a married woman. There is also a young lady, who should be calm in the boudoir, but now she is helpless. The trajectory of their lives was marked by their father's tombstone with an indelible scar.
Fifth, the truth is difficult to understand, and history is decided
seems to be a mortal ending, but I don't know how to think about it carefully. We don't know all the malpractices and crimes behind Nian Qianyao, and it is difficult for people today to determine the merits. Was this mutiny directed by him, or was it just a push along the river? Where did Nian Qianyao's ambition to care for the people of the world come from? How much room for speculation was there about the depth of his personal relationship with Tang Bin. All these secrets were buried with this Qing official.
The final interpretation of the tragedy of the Nian family is probably only the impartial adjudicator of history. In any case, the success or failure of this family has left a bloody lesson in our history. Life is a big dream after all, and many officialdom who chase fame and fortune cannot escape this catastrophe. We can't help but regret it, and we shouldn't blame it too much, we can only retreat to the next best thing, and sigh at the joys and sorrows of Nian Qianyao's life.
epilogue
During the Yongzheng period, no matter which way Yongzheng chose to deal with it, he had to face different voices and political pressure from inside and outside the court. In this dispute of power and conspiracy, the warmth of human nature and the consideration of morality will become a difficult problem in Yongzheng's decision-making process. This historical story is not only a part of the politics of the Yongzheng period, but also a microcosm of the human predicament of feudal society.
In the court conspiracy, the choice Yongzheng faced was not a simple political decision, but a consideration involving the warmth and morality of human nature. Behind the power disputes are people's private feelings, family entanglements, and open and secret struggles of political forces. As an emperor, Yongzheng not only needs to consider political gains and losses when dealing with these problems, but also needs to find a balance of human nature in the fog of power and intrigue.