Preface
How did the Cao family fall from a hereditary official in the Ming Dynasty to a domestic slave of the Qing Dynasty, and how did they rise again with their loyalty and ability, but in the end they suffered the decline of their family property and the fate of being confiscated? What kind of ups and downs did this once beautiful family experience? What kind of enlightenment does their story give us?
The fall of the Cao family
At the end of the Ming Dynasty, Cao Xiyuan, as the commander of the Shenyang Central Guard, was captured under the attack of Nurhachi and became the "Baoyi" (domestic slave) of the Manchurian aristocracy. From then on, the children and grandchildren of the Cao family were burdened with the status of slaves, and they could not change their fate unless they had the consent of their masters.
This is undoubtedly a huge blow to a large family that used to be a hereditary official. However, the Cao family did not give up, but found an opportunity to turn around in such an environment.
In the seventh year of Shunzhi, the Cao family was subsumed into the Internal Affairs Office and became the emperor's domestic slaves, responsible for managing the affairs of the palace and the emperor's private affairs. This undoubtedly means that the Cao family is one step closer to the center of power and has more opportunities to seek their own development.
The rise of Cao Xi
Cao Xi, Cao Xueqin's great-grandfather, with his loyalty and ability, quickly gained Shunzhi's trust and reuse. In 1654, when Kangxi was born, Cao Xi's wife Sun was chosen as Kangxi's nursing mother.
During Kangxi's illness, Sun took care of Kangxi day and night, and finally made Kangxi recover. This made Kangxi have a deep affection for the Cao family, and in the second year of his succession, he appointed Cao Xi as "Jiangning Weaving Langzhong".
This official position of Zhengwupin can not only directly participate in the emperor's performance, but also borrow the emperor's name to do business and obtain a lot of profits. Moreover, Cao Xi was also given a first-class Shangshu title and a python robe, as well as a large number of fields and gold, silver and jewelry.
It can be said that Cao Xi's official promotion has laid a solid foundation for the rise of the Cao family. Not only did he receive rich material rewards, but more importantly, he established a deep personal relationship with Kangxi, which provided strong political support for the future development of the Cao family.
Cao Yin's brilliance
After Cao Xi's death, his son Cao Yin took over the position of "Jiangning Weaving". Cao Yin not only inherited his father's loyalty and ability, but also his business acumen and adventurous spirit.
In 1684, Cao Yin borrowed 100,000 taels of silver from Kangxi for the copper business. As a result, not only did it bring Kangxi a huge return, but he also made a lot of money. This made Kangxi praise Cao Yin.
Under Cao Yin's management, the two major weavings of the Cao family, Jiangning and Suzhou, are in their own hands. At the same time, Cao Yin also served as the two Huai patrol salt imperial history, which are all units with rich oil and water.
It can be said that in Kangxi's dynasty, the Cao family can be described as incomparable. Kangxi made 6 southern tours, and 4 of them lived in the Cao family, which was not only an honor, but also brought huge economic pressure to the Cao family.
However, the Cao family did not indulge themselves because of this, but became more diligent and responsible. Cao Yin's two daughters both became princesses, which was very difficult among the Han people at that time. It can be said that the Cao family reached its peak in the Kangxi Dynasty.
The decline of the Cao family
However, as the saying goes, prosperity must decline. The decline of the Cao family began with an accounting before Cao Yin's death. In 1712, Cao Yin found that he had lost 230,000 taels of silver in the national treasury, which was undoubtedly a heavy blow to a large family.
In order to preserve the Cao family's property, Kangxi ordered Cao Yin's son Cao Hao to take over the post of "Jiangning Weaving". However, two years later, Cao Hao also died of illness, and Cao Xueqin was still in her stomach and could not inherit her father's business.
So, Kangxi personally issued an order to let Cao Yin's fourth nephew Cao Fu succeed him. At the same time, Kangxi also asked Cao Yin's brother-in-law Li Xu to make up for Cao Yin's deficit during his lifetime.
However, these measures do not solve the underlying problem. The Cao family's holes are too big to be filled. There are two main reasons for this: first, the Cao family's life is extravagant and they spend a lot of money. The description of Jiafu in "Dream of Red Mansions" is a portrayal of the Cao family. The cost of one meal is enough for the average person to live for a year.
Second, Kangxi made 6 southern tours, 4 of which were in Cao's house. This is not only an honor for the Cao family, but also a huge economic pressure. The pomp and circumstance of the emperor's trip was very large, and the Cao family had to bear a lot of expenses, which was also an important reason for the deficit.
Although Kangxi covered for the Cao family many times, he was unable to prevent the decline of the Cao family in the end. In 1715, it was found that Cao Yin had a deficit of 373,000 taels during his lifetime, which was too amazing.
The fall of Cao Fu
After Kangxi died, he left Yongzheng with a mess. In order to fill the treasury, Yongzheng was determined to vigorously clear the deficits of officials. As a big family, the Cao family naturally cannot escape its doom.
In 1722, Cao Fu embezzled more than 9,200 silver obtained from selling ginseng for Kangxi, and he did not repay it within the time limit. In addition, he also owed Yan Zheng more than 80,000 taels of silver. These huge deficits made the Cao family's situation even worse.
In order to escape the investigation, Cao Fu decided to take a risk, quietly transferred the family property to relatives in other places, and secretly hid part of it in the old mansion. However, Yongzheng is clear about these small actions of Cao Fu.
Yongzheng hated the minister's transfer of property very much, and Long Keduo had annoyed Yongzheng by burying silver everywhere before. Now, Cao Fu's behavior has violated Yongzheng's bottom line.
In 1728, Yongzheng issued an edict to criticize Cao Fu and finally ordered the house to be raided. The Cao family's 13 houses in the capital, a total of 483 rooms, as well as 19 hectares of fields, and 140 family members, were all seized.
Although it was found that someone owed Cao Fu 32,000 silver, Cao Fu also owed 31,000 taels to the household department, which was basically leveled. When Yongzheng saw such a result, he felt "shabby".
I thought I copied a rich and noble family, but I didn't expect to get any benefits. However, Yongzheng still took into account the past merits of the Cao family, and did not force them to a dead end, but left a part of the house to house the Cao family.
Cao Xueqin's regret
Cao Fu was finally released after being dismissed from his post and imprisoned for a year. In the later period of Yongzheng, Cao Yi's branch of the Cao family was reused by Yongzheng, and Cao Yin's branch also saw hope.
In 1735, after Qianlong ascended the throne, he pardoned the Cao family's deficit and appointed Cao Xueqin as the pen paste of the Internal Affairs Office. However, Cao Xueqin had lost interest in her career and decided to resign and go home, concentrating on writing the literary masterpiece "Dream of Red Mansions".
It can be said that the change in the fate of the Cao family reflects the ups and downs of social status. From the hereditary officials of the Ming Dynasty, to the domestic slaves of the Qing Dynasty, to the eventual rise and decline, the story of the Cao family is undoubtedly a microcosm.
Their rise and fall are closely related to their own loyalty, ability, and political stance. The efforts of Cao Xi and Cao Yin's father and son allowed the Cao family to reach its peak in the Kangxi Dynasty. However, the Cao family's extravagant life and the huge expenses of hosting the emperor eventually led to the decline of the family property.
Yongzheng's severe punishment of the Cao family not only reflects his determination to fight corruption, but also reflects his human care. Cao Xueqin's abandonment of his career to focus on creation reflects his detachment from realpolitik and his pursuit of literature.
epilogue
The story of the Cao family has undoubtedly left us with a profound inspiration. In this rapidly changing world, we must always be vigilant, not to be confused by the glory in front of us, but also to cherish our duty and act cautiously. Only in this way can we make steady progress in the changing situation and finally achieve our own career.