Ye Shi: Before He Shen committed suicide, Emperor Jiaqing asked him: "Can you use up the money you embezzled?" He Shen replied without fear: "Of course, the money I am greedy for cannot be used up, but in the end, it still belongs to you? Why do you still want to ask?" Jiaqing's face changed greatly after hearing this.
Emperors generally held a resolute and intolerant attitude towards corruption, and compared to the virtuous ministers who were regarded as the pillars of the state, those moths that eroded the foundation of the country were extremely destructive to the stability of the dynasty. The Kangqian period is known as the glorious final chapter in the history of the Chinese Empire, but after this glorious fading, the Qing Dynasty gradually entered a trajectory of decline, and it seems that every dynasty can hardly escape the fate of this historical cycle.
In fact, in the late years of the reign of Emperor Qianlong, signs of decline had quietly emerged. This phenomenon can be attributed to a large extent Qianlong's excessive trust and favor for He Shen in his later years. After the death of Emperor Qianlong, He Shen's life also came to an end.
The reason why He Shen was able to rise to the top in officialdom is undoubtedly due to his talent and ambition. With his decisive and efficient ruling skills, he climbed step by step to the top of the power of the Qing Dynasty, and his status was second only to the emperor of the Ninth Five. But when He Shen's power reached its peak, his nature also began to transform, indulging in power and wealth, and gradually lost his original intention.
On the occasion of Emperor Qianlong's 80th celebration, He Shen took the opportunity to instruct high-ranking officials above the third level and bureaucrats in the capital to donate money, and even the Jiangnan salt merchants on the rich side were not exempt from vulgarity. In addition, he set up a tax collection station in front of the Chongbun Gate in Kyoto, and openly taxed merchants and officials, and most of the wealth he received went into his own pocket.
In addition, there is also a marriage relationship between He Shen and the emperor's family. On the occasion of the forty-fifth year of Qianlong. He Shen's eldest son, Feng Shen Yinde, married Emperor Qianlong's beloved tenth princess, which made the connection between the He Shen family and the royal family even stronger. It can be said that He Shen and Qianlong have changed from an ordinary relationship between monarchs and ministers to a close relationship between relatives, and for this new in-law, Emperor Qianlong showed great generosity.
Therefore, He Shen not only held important positions in the military and the power of the internal affairs department, but also exerted influence on a number of important government affairs by virtue of his prominent prestige. Although Emperor Qianlong had a clear insight into Heshen's problems, he was repeatedly tolerant of him because of his personal emotional entanglements, clan marriages, and his yearning for a comfortable life in his later years.
Under the favor of Emperor Qianlong, Heshen's status and power continued to rise. Even after Emperor Qianlong passed the throne to Jiaqing, He Shen's influence still surpassed Emperor Jiaqing for a certain period of time.
However, with the arrival of the Jiaqing period, the situation in the DPRK and China also changed. Emperor Jiaqing's personality and statecraft were very different from those of Heshen. Emperor Jiaqing advocated economy and diligent politics, and hated Heshen's indulgence and corruption, and this disgust became even more prominent after he came to power directly.
The series of political changes implemented by Emperor Jiaqing were actually a thorough rectification of the political situation during the Heshen period. However, Emperor Jiaqing was not a hasty man, he was not impatient in dealing with Heshen, but secretly collected evidence and planned to deliver a fatal blow to him.
In the second year of Jiaqing, with the death of Ah Gui, He Shen was promoted to the minister in charge of military secrets. At this time, he no longer had the same influence on the Jiaqing Emperor as he had in the past. Many senior officials were dissatisfied with Heshen's behavior and chose to retire.
In addition, He Shen lacked a solid political foundation in the imperial court. All his power and wealth depended on Emperor Qianlong alone. After the death of Emperor Qianlong, his power could no longer be maintained in the court.
Even though Emperor Jiaqing had made up his mind to eliminate Heshen's power, he had to temporarily follow Emperor Qianlong's last wish, after all, Emperor Qianlong's residual power still existed and still had an impact on the government. In Heshen's later years, although he still enjoyed glory, his private life was withering. With the death of his cronies and family members, it also seems to herald the decline of his power and eventual demise.
On February 7, 1799, Emperor Qianlong died at the age of 89. Qianlong's death heralded the beginning of Emperor Jiaqing's full takeover of imperial power.
The first to bear the brunt is the punishment and Shen. He knew that Heshen's power was strong and his roots were deep. Therefore, shortly after the death of Emperor Qianlong, He Shen was quickly appointed to preside over the funeral of the Emperor Taishang, ostensibly out of respect for the former emperor, but in fact he was pushed into the eyes of the public and courtiers, limiting the space for behind-the-scenes manipulation.
During this period, Emperor Jiaqing recalled his mentor Zhu Qi back to Jingshi as a way to consolidate the support within the imperial court. After Zhu returned to Beijing, he immediately devoted himself to follow-up strategic planning and deployment. Subsequently, Emperor Jiaqing issued a solemn edict criticizing the missteps that had occurred in quelling the White Lotus Rebellion. The purpose was also to warn He Shen and other officials that the way of governing the country today was different from that of the Qianlong period in the past.
A few days later, Emperor Jiaqing removed He Shen and Fu Chang'an from their posts as ministers of military aircraft and placed them under house arrest. Immediately afterwards, under the impeachment of the ministers of the DPRK and China. Jiaqing decisively dismissed He Shen and others from their official positions, and ordered their family property to be searched and their crimes strictly examined.
In the subsequent investigation, He Shen committed a total of 20 crimes, including corruption, abuse of power and other serious illegal matters. On February 22, 1799, under the holy will of Jiaqing, He Shen chose to commit suicide.
When He Shen was dying, Emperor Jiaqing asked him if the wealth he had amassed had been exhausted? He Shen confessed his corruption to this interrogation, saying that the wealth mainly went to Emperor Qianlong's lavish consumption, and very little was spent on himself.
However, according to the records of "He Shen Yi Dynasty Son of Heaven and One Courtier", the Qianlong Emperor's six large-scale southern tours in his later years, as well as the construction of the Old Summer Palace and the summer resort, almost all of their funds bypassed the state treasury, but were raised by He Shen through various channels.
Source of information in the article: The book "History of the Qing Dynasty".
