Preface
I believe that everyone can see a person in the film and television dramas about the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty - Wei Dongting, this person is Kangxi's companion, and it can be said that he is one of the most trusted people of Emperor Kangxi.
However, it is worth mentioning that there is no such person in history, but this person has a prototype, he is Cao Yin of Jiangning weaving and the grandfather of Cao Xueqin, the author of the later Chinese work "Dream of the Red Mansion".
1. Who is Wei Dongting
It can be said that later generations will evaluate the most appropriate film and television drama to describe Emperor Kangxi as "Kangxi Dynasty" In the Kangxi Dynasty, we can see a young man who has been by Kangxi's side since he was young, and it can be said that he grew up with Kangxi. His name is Wei Dongting.
However, friends who are familiar with history should know that there is no such figure around Kangxi in history. In the play, Wei Dongting's father is Kangxi's teacher, and it is because of these two that they have the opportunity to grow together. It can be said that Kangxi is also very preferential to this childhood companion.
Even if Wei Dongting did something wrong later, Kangxi couldn't bear to be too harsh, so he still let people go home to live for the rest of his life. It can also be seen that the plot in the play is still in line with Emperor Kangxi's behavior, after all, it is well known that Kangxi wanted to leave a reputation of benevolence in his later years, so as to connive at officials.
Although there is no such person as Wei Dongting in history, there is a prototype of him, and this person is Cao Yin. It can be said that Cao Yin is also a special existence in Kangxi's heart, why do you say that, because Cao Yin's identity is destined for his extraordinary life. Cao Yin's mother is Kangxi's nanny.
It is well known why Kangxi was chosen as the heir to the throne, one of the reasons is because he experienced smallpox, but he survived tenaciously. When Kangxi suffered from smallpox, he categorically couldn't let him stay in the palace, so he was put outside the palace, and it was Cao Yin's mother who was always by his side to take care of Kangxi.
Cao Yin's father was also a minister valued by Kangxi, and when Nurhachi captured Shenyang, Cao Yin's father was captured along with his grandfather, and they were later sent to Huang Taiji's mansion as slaves.
It can be said that since the Huang Taiji period, the Cao family has been the servant of the Aixin Jueluo family, in the words of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, it is the coat, just like the relationship between Nian Qianyao and Yongzheng. Since Cao Yin's grandfather, he has always been trusted.
And in the Qing Dynasty, if the prince is born and his mother has a low status, he cannot raise the prince by himself. Therefore, Kangxi has always been raised by his nanny Sun, who is Cao Yin's mother, since he was a child, so Kangxi is very close to the Sun family and even the Cao family.
When the prince grew up, he was going to be sent to study, of course, he also had to be accompanied by studying, and at this time, Sun's child, Cao Yin, became Kangxi's companion. Although the Sun family is only Kangxi's nanny, in fact, the identity of the Cao family is not low, he is a white flag, and it is enough to be Kangxi's companion.
At this time, Cao Yin's father, Cao Xi, was appointed as Jiangning Weaving, a position dedicated to purchasing silk and cloth for the imperial palace. In fact, everything involved in procurement is a very large position, Kangxi put Cao Xi in this position also has other meanings, this position is very likely to be operable, simply put, they can help the emperor do other things in addition to procurement.
So Kangxi must put the people he trusts, and of course, the father and son of the Cao family did not live up to Kangxi's trust. Cao Xi is not only serious and loyal in this position.
Of course, Cao Yin was not idle at this time, and as Kangxi grew up, Cao Yin's position also changed from a companion to a second-class guard in front of the emperor.
2. Borrowing money and not paying it back
Cao Xi died of illness in the twenty-third year of Kangxi, after his death this position was vacant, six years later Kangxi put Cao Yin out of Suzhou to weave, and two years later put him in the position of Jiangning weaving, people can't help but suspect that Kangxi went to Suzhou to work in order to train him.
Although the position of Jiangning weaving is very special, and they are all trusted by the emperor, he is only an official position of the fifth grade. It stands to reason that he is not even qualified to play for the emperor, but Cao Yin is obviously an exception. He was not only able to hand over excerpts to Kangxi, but also very frequently.
Kangxi not only did not stop this violation of the regulations, but also encouraged him to hand over more excerpts. It is worth mentioning here that although Cao Yin has sat in the position of Jiangning weaving, he actually belongs to Kangxi's retainers. As Kangxi's confidant and retainer, isn't it a matter of course to help Kangxi make money.
In the forty years of Kangxi, Cao Yin found a good way to make money - selling copper. But he didn't have any money in his hand, so he directly asked Kangxi to borrow money, and after seeing Cao Yin's excerpt, Kangxi agreed without hesitation to lend Cao Yin 100,000 taels directly.
At the beginning, he did make a lot of money, but no one would get along with money, seeing that Cao Yin was making money, other families in the Internal Affairs Office also began to get involved, and they intended to target Cao Yin. Soon Cao Yin began to lose money, so Cao Yin immediately gave Kangxi a note that he would quit.
Regarding his decision, Kangxi didn't even ask, and wrote down the word "quasi" with a wave of his hand. Of course, Kangxi did not pursue Cao Yin's previous loss-making money.
3. Prosperity must decline
It can be said that the Cao family at this time has become famous at that time because of the existence of Cao Yin, although the Cao family is not very prosperous, but how can the Cao family be favored. The turning point for all this changed after Cao Yin's death.
In the fifty-first year of Kangxi, Cao Yin was ill, and at first it was just a cold, but soon after a diagnosis, it was found that Cao Yin was suffering from malaria, and Kangxi hurriedly gave medicine after learning about it. And also wrote down the instructions by hand, and asked Cao Yin to take it according to his own instructions. Unfortunately, Cao Yin's life was not saved in the end.
Although Cao Yin died, the deficit left by Cao Yin was still there, Kangxi did not hold Cao Yin accountable for Cao Yin's face, but just asked Cao Yin's son to fill the deficit, Cao Yin's son only worked in Jiangning for two years and died. Kangxi then passed Cao Yin's son and nephew to Cao Yin, but unfortunately this son's ability is indeed insufficient.
Later, Kangxi asked Cao Yin's brother-in-law to help Cao Yin repay the money, and after finally paying back the money, the Cao family lived in peace. Kangxi's son Cao Fu, who passed on to Cao Yin, was not capable enough, but his heart was higher than the sky, and he finally owed a lot of silver to the court.
It can be said that Cao Yin is Cao Yin, and Kangxi's tolerance for him is deserved, but it is completely different in Cao Fu. The phenomenon of loving the house and Wu that Cao Fu and others were looking forward to did not appear. Kangxi ordered Cao Fu to repay the money, but Kangxi died before the money was repaid.
It can only be said that Yongzheng is much stricter than Kangxi in this regard, but Yongzheng is not an unreasonable person, so let them pay off the deficit within three years.
Yongzheng has done his best for his father's favorite family, not only asking Cao Yin's brother-in-law's family to help, but also letting Prince Yi help him with the aftermath.
But even this can't change Cao Fu is a dou who can't support the wall. The three-year period soon came, and Cao Fu couldn't pay it back at all, so Yongzheng immediately ordered him to be dismissed from his post and confiscated his home.
epilogue
For what happened to the Cao family, it can only be said that "once a son of heaven and a courtier", after the new emperor ascended the throne, most of the treatment of favored ministers was the same. This has not changed since ancient times.
Emperor Qianlong loved He Shen so much, but Jiaqing dealt with He Shen when Qianlong's bones were not cold. Favored vassals rarely end well after the change of imperial power.