This is a legendary life story. It tells the story of the first half of the life of He Shen, the richest and most powerful official of the Qing Dynasty. He was born in the Niu Hulu family, and the family was extremely prominent in the Kangxi and Yongzheng dynasties. But when he was young, his family fell into the middle of the road for a while. How to forge ahead in the face of adversity and finally reach the top of life? It's a fascinating storyline.
But He Shen's life is also destined to be extraordinary. At the height of his power, his power and wealth had reached unimaginable proportions. But at this moment, the will of heaven suddenly changed, Qianlong died, and the power gradually fell. The new emperor Jiaqing suspected that he had overstepped the rules, so he connected him to the entire family and suffered an extremely heavy blow...
What is the final outcome? What will be the fate of this former minister? Let's follow Heshen's memoirs closely and witness this legendary life journey together.
1. The ancestral family has been changed
Since ancient times, the Niu Hulu clan has been the nobleman with the highest title in the Yellow Flag of Manchuria. The ancestors of their family were also close and important ministers of Taizu Nurhachi, and they made great contributions with him. In later generations, the Niu Hulu clan assisted Emperor Kangxi in governing the country, which also made the family particularly prominent in the early Qing Dynasty.
Even Emperor Qianlong's biological mother, Tong Jia, was from this prestigious family and was included in the royal upbringing since childhood. It can be said that the Niu Hulu clan is indeed the most noble and powerful person in the Qing Dynasty. And He Shen was born in such a prominent family.
However, when He Shen was 3 years old, unexpected changes suddenly befell this once glorious family. In that year, Tong Jia's dystocia suddenly died, casting a heavy shadow on Qianlong. The Nululu clan lost this solid support in the royal family, and the family's status plummeted as a result.
To make matters worse, Heshen's father, Nuhulu Amma, also passed away soon after, leaving behind the young Heshen and his younger brother and Rin's two children. The stepmother, who was already a wife, turned into a scheming and instigated relatives to steal the family property, leaving the orphans helpless and the family in all corners.
At this moment of danger and hardship, an old man came to the rescue, this is Heshen's in-law Yinglian. Yinglian was the eldest disciple of Nalan Xingde back then, and he was the minister in charge of the internal affairs of the dynasty, and his status was very extraordinary. After learning of the situation of the two children, Yinglian couldn't bear to see them displaced, so he took He Shen's younger brother and Linna as his adopted son, and married his only granddaughter to He Shen, becoming He Shen's wife.
Second, Shi Eun is gradually developing
Thanks to the support of the old man Yinglian, He Shen has been able to enter the official road since he was a teenager and started his unstoppable career as a eunuch.
At the beginning, Yinglian relied on his status in the Internal Affairs Office to arrange a small guard for He Shen in the palace. Although the status is small, this is the most traditional way of becoming a member of the Manchurian banner. Once upon a time, the ministers of the Kangxi and Yongzheng dynasties, Nalan Xingde and Suo Etu, also started from this small eunuch road.
When he was young, He Shen naturally had the ambition to follow in the footsteps of others, and made up his mind to study hard and fulfill his duties. It was this diligence and motivation that made him quickly stand out, appreciated by his superiors, and was transferred to the more important Luan Yiwei as the emperor's personal guard.
As a personal guard, He Shen's loyalty and courage naturally won the favor of Emperor Qianlong. It is said that once in the activity of the Imperial Forest Army Teaching Field, a horse lost control and went straight to the body of the Qianlong dragon, and He Shen immediately made a decision, stepped forward, and protected the emperor with his own shield, and he was unfortunately hit hard by the horse's hooves. This unswerving loyalty impressed Emperor Qianlong, so he ordered him to be appointed as the more important commander of the pro-army.
Since then, He Shen has often served by Qianlong's side and traveled with him. Emperor Qianlong's favorite second elder brother is also very respectful and Shen, and often drinks with him. Gradually, due to his admiration for Emperor Qianlong and his longing for the second elder brother, He Shen also kept the concept of this master firmly in his heart and regarded it as his life creed.
By chance, in the 54th year of Qianlong, the imperial court arranged for Emperor Qianlong's favorite concubine He Shen and others to temporarily leave Beijing and go to Jiangnan to inspect. This trip allowed He Shen to investigate the people's conditions and understand the people's lives on the spot, and also allowed him to get acquainted with many local officials, paving the way for his future career. Soon after returning to Beijing, Emperor Qianlong was ready to reuse Heshen, which was unknown to Heshen at the time.
3. Talent is excellent and quickly ascended
He Shen's extraordinary talent and loyal and diligent style during his inspection of Jiangnan finally attracted the attention of the old Qianlong Emperor. Since then, the fate of this former minister has been completely reversed.
In the 60th year of Qianlong, Emperor Qianlong followed the customs of marriage and love for many years and canonized Jiaqing as the prince. But soon after, the heir Jiaqing had some rumors of indecent love with the eldest princess, which made Emperor Qianlong very angry. At this juncture, Emperor Qianlong needed a firm, reliable, and loyal cronies to assist him to maintain the stability of the government.
After consideration, Emperor Qianlong finally chose Heshen. This person is not only humble and diligent by nature, but also has shown outstanding talent and political achievements in the Jiangnan inspection. So Emperor Qianlong issued an edict and ordered He Shen to be the minister of the Qin Mission, the prime minister, and the power of the court.
As the minister of the Qin Mission, He Shen basically has to personally inquire about everything from the government and the opposition. On weekdays, he not only has to be in charge of the royal registry, but also supervises the appointment and dismissal of important personnel in various ministries. Militarily, he was responsible for commanding the soldiers and horses of the Eight Banners and supervising the defense of the frontier. For people's livelihood, everything is even more detailed, from disaster relief to the field system, and Shen has full authority to deal with it.
It can be said that this is an unprecedented super-power department, and He Shen is in charge of the lifeblood of the entire dynasty with the power of one person. Emperor Qianlong's trust in him can be seen. And He Shen used his own ability and style to prove that he deserved it.
He is diligent, dedicated, innovative, vigorous and resolute, and has repeatedly made miraculous achievements both internally and externally, and has won wide acclaim. Some people describe He Shen as a "fox and a fake tiger", who can be as sleek and sophisticated as a fox in the highest ruling class, and as majestic and sharp as a tiger in the army and the people.
In this way, in just a few years, He Shen became the most core and powerful figure in the ruling group of the Manchu Dynasty by virtue of his extraordinary ability and the reuse of Emperor Qianlong. Power is a 069749 thing in his hands.
Fourth, the new King's Landing has changed color
Emperor Qianlong died after 60 years of reign, and his son Jiaqing succeeded him to the throne. This turning point is destined to turn Heshen's fate upside down.
At the beginning of Jiaqing's accession to the throne, in order to consolidate his imperial power, he immediately began to purge the government and the opposition. He first set his sights on He Shen, the most powerful and favored in the last years of Qianlong.
Jiaqing was deeply wary, fearing that He Shen, the Qianlong relic, was too domineering and would pose a threat to his new imperial power. As a result, he ordered He Shen to be placed under house arrest in the palace, stripped of all his powers, pending further scrutiny.
He Shen naturally did not want to disappear like this, and he made a generous statement in an attempt to intercede for himself. But Jiaqing is selfless and avoids him. In the end, He Shen, along with his children and grandchildren, was sent to prison and completely purged.
The incident set off a chain reaction that caused an unprecedented catastrophe. He Shen's cronies and family members were in a panic all day long, for fear of being connected. Some of them chose to commit suicide in danger, while others secretly colluded with usurpers in an attempt to defend their own interests.
This dark force has triggered a series of conspiracies and slanders, which have clouded the government and the opposition. Emperor Jiaqing was angry about this, and finally ordered to punish Heshen Yimen.
The next scene made Emperor Jiaqing, who was just a child back then, feel extremely shocked and angry. During the search of the Ho Shen Mansion, a large number of gold and silver jewels and priceless treasures were found hidden.
What is even more astonishing is that the amount of this wealth is staggering, comparable to the reserves of the royal family. According to records at the time, only Heshen's private collection of gold was more than 100,000 taels. At current prices, this wealth was enough to support the financial expenses of the entire Qing Dynasty for ten years.
In the face of such a huge act of corruption, Emperor Jiaqing was furious, thinking that He Shen deserved to die, so he confiscated his entire family and questioned him for his crimes.
5. The old man in prison was full of remorse
After struggling in prison for several years, the glorious minister is now an old man. In prison, He Shen gradually reflected on his life.
Once upon a time, with his extraordinary ingenuity and hard work, he was promoted step by step from a small pawn to a giant in the government and the opposition. Under the fraternity of Emperor Qianlong, the power in his hands is comparable to that of the prime minister, and he can almost command the world. The gold and silver at home have been hoarded to the point of shocking the world.
But at this moment, fate ruthlessly played a joke. Once the new emperor ascended the throne, he completely lost his power and was purged. The most proud time is gone, and now only a lonely old man is left in the cold, damp prison and growing old.
Yes, He Shen realized that the fundamental reason why he suffered this misfortune was because of his arrogance and greed. When he was at the height of his ranks, he was full of spirit, and he no longer regarded the abuse of power and the hoarding of wealth as a sin, but was blinded by strong selfish desires. But now when he was alone in prison, He Shen finally realized how stupid and damned he was at that time.
This was not the case with Heshen in his youth. At first, he came from an extremely embarrassing background, and for a time became a homeless orphan. It was in that most difficult and difficult time that he often encouraged himself with the spirit of "baht must be compared", and worked hard to get ahead, and finally won the appreciation of Emperor Qianlong.
However, the accumulation of power and wealth gradually made him lose his original integrity and become arrogant and lascivious. This kind of transformation is really a heart-wrenching lesson for He Shen.
Now that he is old in prison, He Shen is introspecting about himself day and night. He hated the indulgence of the past, and felt extremely remorseful for framing his family and friends. If he could have a second chance, he vowed to cultivate himself and accumulate yin virtue. This is his only long-cherished wish, and it is also the only salvation for a lifetime of extravagance and indulgence.