Preface
During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, there were two characters with completely different fates, but both became important figures of that era. One is He Shen, who is powerful and rich, and the other is Ji Xiaolan, who is talented but has never been able to make a big difference in politics. What are their stories, and what are the implications?
On the 15th day after the death of Emperor Qianlong, Emperor Jiaqing decisively issued an order to investigate and deal with the ministers and Shen, and all their family property was confiscated into the treasury. This move caused a great shock at the time, and the folk even circulated the folk song "He Shen fell, Jiaqing was full". How big is the scale of the Heshen family's property that Emperor Jiaqing can't wait to get rid of it, and how did Ji Xiaolan leave his mark in this era?
He Shen: A man who is rich enough to rival the country
He Shen, the word Bozhen, was one of the important ministers in the Qianlong period. Born into a family of ordinary merchants, he gradually climbed to the top of power with his ingenuity and opportunity.
Under Qianlong's favor, He Shen successively held more than ten important positions such as the Minister of Military Aircraft and the General Manager of the Internal Affairs Department, and his power was unprecedented. He holds great power, and his power in the court is also expanding day by day, and there is even a tendency to lose some tails. This aroused the high vigilance of Emperor Jiaqing, who knew that if he did not eradicate Heshen's forces in time, his dominance would be difficult to consolidate.
The scale of the Heshen family's property is staggering. According to the records of Xue Fucheng, a diplomat at the end of the Qing Dynasty, Heshen's family property includes: 3,000 houses, 8,000 hectares of fields, 42 silver shops, 75 pawnshops, as well as 60,000 taels of red gold, 100 large gold ingots, 56,000 small silver ingots, 1,200 jade ruyi, 600 catties of ginseng, 50 precious stones, etc. When converted into silver, this property was as high as 1.1 billion taels! This was equivalent to the treasury revenue of the Qing Dynasty for 15 years.
It can be said that Heshen's family wealth is amazing, comparable to a country's fiscal revenue. It is no wonder that Emperor Jiaqing was so eager to order the investigation of Heshen and the transfer of all his family property into the treasury. For Jiaqing, this is not only to enrich the treasury, but also to fight the power of the ministers and consolidate their dominance.
Ji Xiaolan: A talented literati who failed to make a difference
He Shen's "sworn enemy" Ji Xiaolan, born in 1724, is 26 years older than He Shen. When he was in favor of the government and the opposition, Ji Xiaolan was only a literati, an official residence, and was mainly responsible for cultural undertakings such as the revision of the "Siku Quanshu".
Although Ji Xiaolan is talented and knowledgeable, she has never had much action and influence in politics. There are several reasons for this:
First of all, Ji Xiaolan was born in a family of literati and was influenced by Confucianism since he was a child, and he was not too interested in political power. He preferred to focus on cultural undertakings, such as the compilation of the Siku Quanshu.
Secondly, in the eyes of Emperor Qianlong, Ji Xiaolan was just a literati, and Qianlong would never allow literati to use power to interfere in court affairs. Once, Ji Xiaolan interceded for her friend, but was scolded by Qianlong and accused of being a "minister who grabs power". It can be seen that Ji Xiaolan's status in the DPRK is low and the situation is difficult.
Moreover, as Qianlong's confidant minister, He Shen was deeply favored and reused by the emperor. Although Ji Xiaolan is talented, she is far inferior to He Shen in the power struggle. He couldn't compete with He Shen at all, and he didn't dare to offend this powerful minister.
Although Ji Xiaolan failed to make a big difference in politics, he left a reputation of "iron teeth and bronze teeth" with his talent and knowledge. In the Jiaqing Dynasty, this old minister, who was already over the age of old, was gradually appreciated by the Jiaqing Emperor, and successively held important positions such as a scholar and a prince Shaobao. It can be said that although Ji Xiaolan failed to show her strength in politics, she finally won the respect of future generations with her talent and morality.
Two different trajectories of life
He Shen and Ji Xiaolan, although they were both important figures in the Qianlong period, their life trajectories were completely different.
With his ingenuity and opportunities, He Shen climbed to the pinnacle of power step by step and became one of the most important ministers in the Qianlong period. He holds great power, and his influence in the court is expanding day by day, and he even has a tendency to lose his tail.
He Shen's family property is even more amazing, as high as 1.1 billion taels after being converted into silver, which is equivalent to the treasury income of the Qing Dynasty for 15 years. This accumulation of power and wealth naturally aroused a high degree of vigilance on the part of Emperor Jiaqing.
In the end, on the 15th day after the death of Emperor Qianlong, Emperor Jiaqing decisively issued an order to investigate and deal with Heshen's dismissal and fill all his family property into the treasury. This move was not only to enrich the treasury, but also to crack down on the power of the ministers and consolidate their dominance.
In contrast, although Ji Xiaolan is talented, she has never been able to make a big difference in politics. Coming from a family of literati, he was exposed to Confucianism from an early age and was not very interested in political power. In addition, Emperor Qianlong did not value literati, and Ji Xiaolan's status and influence in the court were far inferior to Heshen.
However, Ji Xiaolan finally won the respect of future generations with her talent and morality. In the Jiaqing Dynasty, this old minister, who was already over the age of old, was gradually appreciated by the Jiaqing Emperor, and successively held important positions such as a scholar and a prince Shaobao. It can be said that although Ji Xiaolan failed to show her strength in politics, she finally won the respect of future generations with her talent and morality.
The wheels of history roll forward
He Shen and Ji Xiaolan, the fates of the two characters are completely different, but they both became indispensable and important figures in the Qianlong period. With his ingenuity and opportunities, He Shen climbed to the pinnacle of power step by step and became one of the most important ministers in the Qianlong period. He holds great power, and his influence in the court is expanding day by day, and he even has a tendency to lose his tail.
He Shen's family property is even more amazing, as high as 1.1 billion taels after being converted into silver, which is equivalent to the treasury income of the Qing Dynasty for 15 years. This accumulation of power and wealth naturally aroused a high degree of vigilance on the part of Emperor Jiaqing.
In the end, on the 15th day after the death of Emperor Qianlong, Emperor Jiaqing decisively issued an order to investigate and deal with Heshen's dismissal and fill all his family property into the treasury.
In contrast, although Ji Xiaolan is talented, she has never been able to make a big difference in politics. Coming from a family of literati, he was exposed to Confucianism from an early age and was not very interested in political power. In addition, Emperor Qianlong did not value literati, and Ji Xiaolan's status and influence in the court were far inferior to Heshen. However, Ji Xiaolan finally won the respect of future generations with her talent and morality.
epilogue
The wheel of history is rolling forward, and in the end, it is up to the later generations to judge the merits and demerits of the predecessors. He Shen and Ji Xiaolan, although the fates of the two characters are completely different, they both play an important role in their respective fields and leave a deep imprint. It also makes us wonder what real success is, the accumulation of power and wealth, or the manifestation of talent and character.