Preface
In the long history of China, Heshen is a controversial name. As a powerful minister of the Qianlong Dynasty, he held extremely large power and influenced the entire government.
However, when we talk about He Shen, we often mention his power struggles with Liu Yong, Ji Xiaolan and others, but few people know that his real opponent turned out to be a little-known figure.
The identity and status of this character may not be as prominent as Liu Yong, Ji Xiaolan and others, but he is a key player in the operation of Heshen's power.
His existence not only had a profound impact on Heshen, but also shaped the political pattern of the Qianlong Dynasty to a certain extent. So, who is this opponent hiding in the shadows, and how does he deal with He Shen?
The contest between the Manchurian nobleman Ah Gui and He Shen
In the later years of the Qianlong Dynasty, Heshen's power reached its peak. Not only did he take charge of the country's finances, but he also became the Minister of Military Aircraft, in charge of the military. However, behind him, there has always been a powerful opponent - A Gui, who was born in Manchurian aristocracy.
Ah Gui's family is illustrious, and his father Acton was once an old minister of the Kang Yongqian Dynasty, and the official was the co-organizer of the university scholar and the imperial history of the left capital. And Ah Gui's official position far exceeds that of his father, he is not only a civil servant, but also an excellent military general.
Among Qianlong's ten martial arts, Ah Gui can be said to be the first hero, he successively put down the Jinchuan rebellion, the Xinjiang rebellion, the Taiwan rebellion, the Hui rebellion and the Gurkha rebellion, and also participated in the war against Burma. With these outstanding military exploits, Ah Gui was awarded the title of first-class Chengmou Heroic Duke by Qianlong, which was an extremely rare four-character duke title in the Qing Dynasty.
In contrast, although He Shen was also Qianlong's favorite retainer, he was only good at handling government affairs and was not proficient in military affairs. Therefore, in Qianlong's mind, Ah Gui's status is higher than that of He Shen. Whenever the morning dynasty came, Ah Gui deliberately kept his distance from He Shen, showing his disdain for He Shen.
However, due to Ah Gui's very high status, He Shen could only swallow his anger. In fact, as long as Ah Gui is alive, it will be difficult for He Shen's power to surpass him. It was not until after Ah Gui's death that Qianlong handed over the important task of chief scholar and foreman of military aircraft to He Shen.
The reason why Ah Gui was able to occupy such an important position in the Qianlong Dynasty was not only his outstanding military talent, but also related to his family background. As a Manchurian nobleman, Gui's family has always played an important role in the history of the Qing Dynasty.
His father, Actun, was an old minister of the Kang Yongqian Dynasty and had a very high status and prestige in the imperial court. This kind of family background gives Ah Gui a certain advantage from the beginning. Although He Shen was also from a Manchurian aristocracy, his family status was far inferior to Ah Gui.
He Shen's family was already a declining branch of the Manchurian aristocracy, and he himself started as an honor guard, relying on clever tongue and flattery to Qianlong. This gap is destined to He Shen will never be able to surpass A Gui in Qianlong's mind.
Even after Gui's death, He Shen has always maintained a sense of reverence for him. In the court, He Shen never dared to really confront Ah Gui, and could only carefully maintain the superficial harmony. This kind of forbearance has also become one of the important reasons why He Shen has been able to maintain his power in the Qianlong Dynasty.
Wang Jie of the Hanchen Clan: The biggest threat to Heshen
In addition to the Manchurian nobleman Ah Gui, He Shen also faced the threat of another opponent - Wang Jie, a Han scholar from a poor background. Wang Jie has been a tireless learner since he was a child, and later not only won the top prize, but also was deeply appreciated and valued by Qianlong. Qianlong even personally appointed him as the chief master of the upper study, responsible for teaching the then prince Jiaqing to read.
As an upright and strong person, Wang Jie has never been afraid of the powerful, and he often mocks He Shen in person, so that the latter cannot come to the stage in public. Once, He Shen wanted to please Wang Jie, so he said: "Zhuang Yuanlang's hand is different from others, this hand is delicate and smooth, it's really good." Wang Jie replied directly: "What's so good that I can't make money with this broken hand?"
This kind of public humiliation also made He Shen feel embarrassed. However, because Wang Jie was an upright person and was deeply trusted by Qianlong, He Shen was unable to retaliate against him at all. On the contrary, Wang Jie's career was smooth sailing, and he finally became a scholar of the East Pavilion, a minister of military aircraft, and a secretary of the Ministry of Rites.
The reason why Wang Jie was able to be so arrogant in the Qianlong Dynasty was not only his own upright character, but also related to his background. As a Hanchen scholar from a poor background, Wang Jie has relied on his own efforts and talents to climb to the pinnacle of power step by step since he was a child.
This experience of self-reliance led him to develop a deep contempt for those who relied on power and flattery to gain status, such as He Shen. As a Manchurian nobleman, He Shen also experienced poverty, but in the end he relied on Qianlong's favor to gain power.
This difference made Wang Jie have a strong dislike for He Shen. In Wang Jie's view, He Shen is just a villain who gains power by flattery, and he is not worthy of an upright person like himself at all.
It is precisely because of this deep-seated prejudice that Wang Jie dares to publicly mock He Shen and is not afraid of his revenge. Under Qianlong's favor, Wang Jie could humiliate He Shen unscrupulously, which was undoubtedly the biggest blow to the latter.
It can be said that Wang Jie's existence has become the biggest psychological shadow of Heshen. Even at the peak of power, He Shen didn't dare to really be an enemy of Wang Jie, so he could only swallow his anger and let the other party be humiliated. This kind of forbearance has also become another important reason why He Shen has been able to maintain power in the Qianlong Dynasty.
Jiaqing pro-government: The fall of Heshen
After Qianlong's death, Jiaqing succeeded him as the new emperor. As early as when Jiaqing was still a prince, he was influenced by Wang Jie, Zhu Qi and others, and hated the greedy ministers like He Shen. Once on the throne, Jiaqing couldn't wait to begin liquidating Heshen's crimes.
Jiaqing not only announced Heshen's 20 major crimes, but also sent Wang Jie and Liu Yong to investigate and try Heshen together with Qianlong's eleventh son, Prince Cheng, Yongying. The reason why Jiaqing was so eager to liquidate He Shen was not only his own hatred for him, but also related to Qianlong's legacy.
Before his death, Qianlong once instructed Jiaqing to manage the country well and not to let corrupt officials like He Shen act recklessly. And Jiaqing, as Qianlong's personal disciple, will naturally follow this will and conduct a thorough liquidation of He Shen.
At the same time, Jiaqing also knew that if he could not clear the great trouble of Heshen in time, it would definitely affect his rule. After all, He Shen had accumulated too much power and wealth in the Qianlong Dynasty, and if it was allowed to exist, it would definitely become a stumbling block to Jiaqing's new policy. Therefore, Jiaqing had to take decisive measures to completely eradicate Heshen's forces.
In this process, the role of Wang Jie and Liu Yong cannot be ignored. As important ministers of the Qianlong Dynasty, they had an in-depth understanding of He Shen's crimes, and they were also deeply trusted by Jiaqing. Therefore, when Jiaqing decided to liquidate Heshen, they naturally became the most suitable candidates.
Under Wang Jie's leadership, all of He Shen's crimes surfaced one by one, and he was finally sentenced to death. This not only completely ended Heshen's rule in the imperial court, but also laid the foundation for Jiaqing's new policy. It can be said that Wang Jie played a key role in this power struggle and became an important driver of Heshen's eventual downfall.
epilogue
Game of Thrones has always been a brutal contest, and although He Shen was once in power, his opponents came from all walks of life. Whether it was the Manchurian nobleman Ah Gui or the Hanchen scholar Wang Jie, they dared to openly challenge the authority of He Shen and became the biggest threat to the latter.
In the end, under the liquidation of the new emperor Jiaqing, He Shen was duly punished. The outcome of this power game warns us that the abuse of power will inevitably lead to destruction, and that only by upholding justice and morality can we truly win the hearts and minds of the people and the respect of history.
The story of Ah Gui and Wang Jie is undoubtedly the best footnote to this lesson. They dared to openly challenge Heshen, and eventually became an important promoter of Heshen's downfall, which fully illustrates the truth that justice will eventually triumph over evil.