Do you know? In 1820, an important thing in the Qing Dynasty disappeared as if out of thin air, and it was a big thing that had a bearing on national security -- the official seal of the Ministry of War! This was not a trivial matter, but a major event that was enough to shake the foundation of the imperial court. Think about it, if you lose the key to your house today, will you be able to feel at peace in your heart? Not to mention the Great Seal in charge of military power! In those days, this incident caused an uproar, and even the emperor was furious, and the following story is guaranteed to make you stunned and frightened! What is going on? Who is behind the scenes, follow me and find out!
At that time, although the national strength of the Qing Dynasty was still quite strong, there were also many internal and external troubles. No, a major event just happened, which made the entire court panic.
On the seventh day of March of that year, Emperor Jiaqing prepared to go to Zunhua, Zhili, and went to the Eastern Tomb of the Qing Dynasty to carry out sacrifices. Although this kind of sacrificial activity is common, it is a national event every time, and it needs to be accompanied by many civil and military officials. As we all know, the most fearful thing about going out is losing important objects, especially important items such as official seals, which not only represent power but are also related to the transmission of government decrees.
However, just when everyone was busy preparing to leave early the next morning, the people of the military department discovered a shocking thing -- the official seal of the military department disappeared! This is not a trivial matter, because once the official seal of the military department falls into the hands of lawbreakers, the consequences will be unimaginable, and it will be enough to make the whole country turbulent.
When these two heard the news, they were like ants on a hot pot, and they were so anxious. Emperor Jiaqing was already meticulous and had a sense of responsibility for the country, and when he heard this, he was bound to be angry.
The emperor's anger was not without reason. Let's think about it, the military department is in charge of the army, and once the Great Seal falls into the hands of people with ulterior motives, no one can predict the consequences. Emperor Jiaqing has always been known for his generosity and benevolence, but he could never turn a blind eye to such a major event that could endanger national security.
As a result, Emperor Jiaqing severely criticized Mingming, and even demoted him to five levels in a fit of anger, which was an extremely severe punishment at that time. And Dai Liankui, the secretary of the military department, could not escape the catastrophe, and was removed from his post and transferred out of the military department. Other relevant military officials were also punished to varying degrees - this is really "one person doing things and one person is responsible", and they were punished together.
However, the follow-up of this incident is also quite tortuous. The whole court was worried about the theft of the Great Seal of the Ministry of War, and search and investigation became a top priority. However, once the official seal is lost, it is not easy to return it to Zhao. The search team of the imperial court was faced with a huge bureaucratic system and a complex social background, and every step had to be cautious, for fear of causing greater waves.
And there are many discussions with the people. Some people say that this is a premeditated theft, and that some forces dissatisfied with the government may be behind it, while others say that it is an internal power struggle, and some people want to take advantage of the opportunity to attack their opponents.
Under these circumstances, the Jiaqing Emperor had to take more drastic measures, ordering that the management and protection of the official seal be strengthened throughout the country, and that any matter involving the official seal should be strictly scrutinized to ensure that such incidents do not happen again. He also launched a special investigation team, led by an attendant directly under the emperor, whose mission was to recover the stolen official seal in the shortest possible time.
As the days passed, the pressure on the imperial court increased, after all, every day when the official seal was not there, there was an extra risk. But just when everyone was about to despair, an unexpected news came - it turned out that the stolen official seal was hidden by a small nobleman with status. The nobleman originally planned to use the official seal to force the palace, but was discovered and stopped by the emperor's spies before he could act.
Emperor Jiaqing's handling of this case was quite severe, not only severely punishing the nobles involved, but also carrying out a purge of all the officials involved in the matter.
Although the much-ruffled theft of the official seal of the military department was finally resolved, it also exposed various problems within the imperial court at that time. Through this incident, Emperor Jiaqing strengthened the internal control of the imperial court and the protection of national heavy weapons such as official seals, and also made all officials understand the consequences of playing with fire and self-immolation. Although this incident was a crisis, it also became a severe test of the discipline of the imperial court. Looking back on this period of history now, we can't help but sigh that there are always too many lessons and revelations hidden in the depths of history.