Speaking of the Kang, Yong, and Qian dynasties of the Qing Dynasty, many people will think of the sentence "Kangqian prosperous era", which seems to be the highest praise for this period. When we dig deeper into history, we find that things are far from simple. What kind of secret did Emperor Yongzheng, a selfless and upright monarch canonized by history hide? And Emperor Qianlong, the emperor who reigned for 60 years, was his "prosperous age" really as glamorous as widely praised by the outside world? Today we will uncover the dust of time and explore the true stories behind these two emperors. Yongzheng didn't kill the eldest brother and second brother, but Qianlong killed Zeng Jing, what kind of family and country hatred is hidden behind this?
At the beginning of Yongzheng's ascension to the throne, he faced a prosperous but secretly dangerous dynasty left by the Kangxi Emperor. Kangxi reigned for sixty-one years, and his political legacy was undoubtedly vast and complex, including the covetousness of many of his sons to the throne. Yongzheng's succession to the throne was controversial, and as early as the lifetime of his father, Emperor Kangxi, there was an order that the eldest and second sons should not remain in the world to prevent power disputes. Yongzheng did not take extreme measures against his brothers, he did not choose to go to the extreme cruelty, but let them die quietly, this behavior reflects his political restraint and foresight.
During the reign of Yongzheng, in order to break the vested interests of the aristocracy and bureaucracy, a series of profound reforms were implemented, including the implementation of the "apportionment into the mu" system. This policy was intended to convert the poll tax into a tax on land, thus allowing the population to be counted fairly and to address the tax injustices caused by the concealment of the population in the past. He also abolished the "lowly registration system" and made everyone have the status of household registration, which was a great improvement for society at that time.
It was these reforms that touched the interests of the bureaucracy and aristocracy, and made Yongzheng a "selfless" tyrant in the pen of many people. Nevertheless, if we analyze it carefully, Yongzheng's way of governing the country is far richer and more complex than his image. Yongzheng's political skills were harsher but more precise than those of Kangxi and Qianlong, and he spared no effort in fighting corruption, but showed a rare restraint in dealing with political opponents, especially his brothers.
In the blink of an eye, during the Qianlong period, the outside world often described his reign as "prosperous". Qianlong inherited the foundation of Yongzheng's national politics and further expanded the territory of the Qing Dynasty, so that the Qing Dynasty reached the most extensive period. Behind this seemingly prosperous land, Qianlong's rule actually hid many problems. His long reign led to the increasing centralization of imperial power and the great weakening of the power of the nobility and civil servants, which for a time stabilized his rule, but also contributed to the corruption and inefficiency of the bureaucracy.
The cultural prosperity of the Qianlong period, such as the creation of a large number of literary works and works of art, appeared to be a strong country on the surface, but in reality it may have covered up various economic and social rifts. Qianlong's handling of the power struggle in the court was very different from Yongzheng's, and he showed a ruthless side in dealing with Zeng Jing's problem. Zeng Jing was originally a capable official, but because he offended Qianlong's domineering, it ended in tragedy. This treatment of loyal but dissenting ministers contrasts sharply with the political style of the Yongzheng period.
Although Qianlong's way of ruling seemed to maintain the stability of the imperial court in the short term, in the long run, it was an accumulation of problems. In particular, his frequent southern tours in his later years not only consumed a lot of national resources, but also increased the burden on the people. While these actions have political significance, they also reflect Qianlong's extreme attachment to power and the over-packaging of his personal image.
In the political styles of the Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong dynasties, it is not difficult to find that the policies and ruling methods of each emperor profoundly affected the fate of the Qing Dynasty. Although Yongzheng reigned for a short time, his reforms laid a solid foundation for stability in the later Qing period, while Qianlong's long reign brought superficial prosperity but also sowed the seeds of Qing decline.
By comparing the reigns of the two emperors, Yongzheng and Qianlong, we can see that history is not a single black and white. Yongzheng's spirit of reform and restraint of power, as well as Qianlong's concentration of power and image packaging, have their own advantages and disadvantages. The wheels of history roll forward, and every choice and decision continues to affect the future of the country. Perhaps it is precisely these complex and subtle historical details that constitute the true connotation of the "prosperous Kangqian era" as we understand it today. When evaluating an era, we should not be confused by the superficial prosperity, but should dig deeper into the richer and more real historical truth behind it.