The emperor's ruthlessness and suspicion are countless in history. Nian Qianyao is a person with great achievements, but because he is too capable, he finally made Yongzheng unhappy, and the result was tragic. Yongzheng set up a bureau step by step, so that Nian Qianyao went to a dead end. What's even more worrying is that after Qianyao died back then, what was the fate of his family?
Nian Qianyao, a person who was in the limelight in the years after Yongzheng ascended the throne, was in the limelight because of his early achievements, and his position in the court was pivotal for a while. But, you know, the careful eye in the emperor's heart, especially Yongzheng, is suspicious and smart, how can he allow a military general to be powerful in the court?
Nian Qianyao does have a lot of problems. He showed his strength in the Northwest Frontier, on the one hand, he did protect his family and defend the country, but on the other hand, he did not take Yongzheng seriously because of his high merits. In Yongzheng's view, this is simply challenging his authority. With the military power in his hands, Nian Qianyao interfered in the army and government affairs, making the alarm bell in Yongzheng's heart ring for a long time.
In the second year of Yongzheng, that is, in 1724, Nian Qianyao was recalled to the capital because of a great victory in a battle in Qinghai. I thought this was Yongzheng's trust and appreciation for him, but who knew that this was the beginning of Yongzheng's layout. Nian Qianyao's performance in the court made Yongzheng even more chilling, he showed off his exploits everywhere, and even unscrupulously tried to win over himself and make a wish.
Yongzheng's patience was at the limit, and he began to use other ministers in the court to gradually collect evidence of Nian Qianyao's crimes. From corruption and bribery to abuse of power, Yongzheng has prepared 92 crimes! It can be said that he is determined to eradicate this great trouble.
Under Yongzheng's careful arrangement, Nian Qianyao finally failed to escape, was dismissed and escorted to Beijing, and was executed shortly thereafter. All this seems to be because of Nian Qianyao's arrogance and corruption, but I have to say that it is more of Yongzheng's desire to control power.
Nian Qianyao's wife and daughter were supposed to share the glory and wealth with him, but because of one of his mistakes, they faced a completely different fate. According to convention, implicating the family was the norm in the feudal era, but the way Yongzheng dealt with Nian Qianyao's family was quite surprising.
According to historical records, Nian Qianyao's family did not suffer the most severe retaliation, and the reasons for this are worth investigating. On the one hand, it may be that Yongzheng considered that Nian Qianyao did contribute to the country, and on the other hand, it may be due to political considerations, after all, unwarranted cruelty will only cause panic and uneasiness in the court.
In terms of the specific way of handling, Nian Qianyao's wife was forced to be widowed and lived a relatively low-key life, and his daughter was also arranged to marry a wife, which could be said to be relatively tolerant at the time. This not only ensured that the Nian family would not be cut off from the bloodline, but also calmed down the negative evaluation of Yongzheng from the outside world to a certain extent.
Whether Yongzheng's tolerance was really motivated by his benevolence or simply because of political necessity is left to future generations to speculate. In that era of fierce power struggles and unpredictable people's hearts, there may be unfathomable intentions hidden behind every decision, and Yongzheng's mind is probably only known to him.
In addition to how he carefully controlled the government and cleaned up the portal, Yongzheng's handling also reflected his clever approach to dealing with political opponents. Through the sanction of Nian Qianyao, Yongzheng not only stabilized his throne, but also demonstrated a kind of "grace and power" under the imperial power through the relatively lenient treatment of his family.
This series of events also profoundly revealed the cruelty and complexity of the struggle for imperial power in the feudal dynasty. From Nian Qianyao's rapid rise to his rapid fall, to the fate of his family, every step is full of power calculations and human choices. This is not only the story of Nian Qianyao and Yongzheng, but also a microcosm of the times about power, family and survival choices.
Yongzheng's treatment of Nian Qianyao not only shows his ruthlessness and calculation as an emperor, but also reflects his ruthlessness in maintaining his own power. The relatively "tolerant" treatment of Nian Qianyao's family may give us a slightly different perspective to look at the famous Yongzheng Emperor in history.