The allusion of "once a son of heaven and a courtier" is like a golden rule in the long history of the mainland, from the feudal dynasty to the current officialdom shopping mall, which has remained unchanged for thousands of years. More effective than Pharaoh's curse. What is the truth contained in this, seeking a way out in the treacherous workplace, wanting to make your career as smooth as "He Shen in the first half of his life", and avoiding the tragic ending of "rabbit dead dog cooking" like "He Shen in the second half", maybe we can find some inspiration from He Shen's life. However, is Heshen's biggest backer really Emperor Qianlong? Or is his brother and Lynn more important? If He Lin hadn't passed away, would Emperor Jiaqing really not dare to deal with He Shen? What kind of power play is hidden behind this?
He Shen can be the origin power of the extremely human minister
He Shen was born in a once prominent family, his ancestors served as a giant family, and the family enjoyed thousands of family wealth. It can be described as brocade clothes and jade food, arrogant and unbridled. However, fate is impermanent, Heshen's father died young, his mother died in childbirth, and Heshen, who was only 3 years old, and his younger brother He Lin became orphans. Under the oppression of the family elders, the two brothers were subjected to all kinds of abuse and manipulation, and were once kicked out of the house and reduced to street beggars.
It was this miserable childhood experience that tempered He Shen's perseverance and perseverance. He understands that the family foundation alone cannot change the status quo, and only by relying on his own unremitting efforts can he change his fate. So He Shen devoted himself to studying day and night, especially in memory and learning ability. During the township examination, he was able to write the entire "University" and "The Mean" silently, which shows his hard work and extraordinary memory.
He Shen is not only diligent and studious, but also extremely strategic, good at observing words and feelings, and catering to the powerful. He always paid attention to Emperor Qianlong's preferences, understood his temperament and hobbies, and catered to them in words and deeds. Qianlong likes to write poems against him, and He Shen recites Qianlong's poems, and even memorizes the works he has made over the years; Qianlong loved Manchu, and He Shen studied Manchu to the point of proficiency; Qianlong was so happy that He Shen put the emperor's will first everywhere when managing the government......
Another secret of Heshen's ability to be a supreme minister is that he accumulates wealth by unscrupulous means and becomes the "money bag" of Emperor Qianlong. Qianlong was arrogant and lascivious by nature, and it was common for ministers of the court and China to be impeached by him, and only by privately accumulating large sums of money for the emperor to squander, could he retain his favor in his mind. And Heshen, with his mastery of financial management and cunning and resourcefulness, tried every possible way to provide Emperor Qianlong with a steady stream of private money through various illegal means such as corruption and bribery, oppression and injury to the people, so as to win Qianlong's favor.
In short, his extraordinary memory, diligence and studiousness, his ability to observe words and emotions and cater to the powerful, and his ability to accumulate huge sums of money to become the emperor's "money bag" constitute the fundamental strength of Heshen's ability to be a supreme minister and call for wind and rain. Although the path was cruel and ruthless, in that dark era, it may also be a helpless move for the ministers to maintain their status.
A new discovery in the reuse of Heshen
When Qianlong was thirty-four years old, He Shen, who was only nineteen years old, participated in the township test. This is undoubtedly a heavy blow to a scholar from a poor background. However, Heshen was not discouraged by this, but chose a new path.
At that time, there were many sons and daughters of wealthy families in the DPRK and China, and they were arrogant, and they were all from famous families. For example: Ji Xiaolan, who was born as a prodigy at the age of twenty-four and a thirty-one-year-old middle jinshi, is the son of Ji Rongshu in the Criminal Department; Another example is the prime minister's Liu Yong, who is the grandson of the famous minister Liu Tongxun; Then there was Ah Gui, the minister of military aircraft of the dynasty, who was the son of the scholar Acton. It can be seen that it is not easy to break through among the children of these wealthy and powerful people.
Although He Shen has a humble family background, he has unique skills. He has been studious and diligent in studying since he was a child, coupled with his talent and excellent memory, which makes him quite accomplished in etiquette, poetry, and calligraphy. In particular, he had a unique eye, saw the hobby of Emperor Qianlong, focused on the study of Manchu, Mongolian, Tibetan, etc., and reached the point of proficiency.
Just when Heshen Township failed in the test and collapsed, Feng Yinglian, a member of the DPRK and Central Committee, had a granddaughter to marry, and seeing Heshen's outstanding talent, he accepted him as his son-in-law. After marriage, Feng Yinglian repeatedly submitted letters and requests for recommendations for He Shen, and finally in the 38th year of Qianlong, He Shen, who was 23 years old at the time, was selected as an attendant.
Once in the Forbidden City, He Shen did his best to cater to the emperor's preferences. At that time, Qianlong loved poetry, and He Shen recited Qianlong's poems fluently, and even remembered Qianlong's works in the past. Qianlong showed off his wealth and liked to entertain foreign envoys, so He Shen specialized in etiquette and knew everything in Mongolian and Tibetan languages. It can be seen that the reason why He Shen was favored step by step was not only because of his own outstanding skills, but also because he carefully studied and catered to the preferences of Emperor Qianlong.
However, what favored He Shen the most was undoubtedly that he could satisfy Qianlong's excessive demand for money. At that time, Qianlong was greedy for money and extravagant, so that it was common for ministers of the DPRK and China to be impeached by him. And He Shen relied on his cunning skills in financial management and scheming, accumulated huge sums of money by unscrupulous means, and became Qianlong's "money bag", which was continuously supplied to Qianlong to squander, thus winning the emperor's favor.
It can be seen that the reason why He Shen was gradually favored and reused in the Qianlong Dynasty was that in addition to the factor of being from a humble background and outstanding skills, it was mainly because he was careful to cater to Qianlong's hobbies and became Qianlong's unique ability to "banknote machine". This discovery reveals to us the root of Heshen's power tilt towards the government and the opposition.
The military status of Heshen's younger brother and Lin
During the period when He Shen's power was in the opposition, there was actually an important force that could not be ignored to escort him, that is, the status of his younger brother He Lin in the army.
He Lin has been on a smooth road since he was a child, and in the forty-fifth year of Qianlong, he became a sixth-grade civil official in order to be promoted from the seventh grade. After that, He Lin gradually became familiar with the military and political power with the help of He Shen's relationship in the DPRK and China, and was reused.
In the fifty-sixth year of Qianlong, He Lin, who was forty-two years old at the time, was entrusted with the important task of serving as Agui's deputy to guard Yunnan and Guizhou provinces. As the Minister of Military Aircraft, Ah Gui held heavy troops in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Gansu, and was an authoritative figure among the military attaches of the dynasty. And He Lin, as his deputy, naturally took charge of some heavy troops, thus beginning to open up the situation in the army.
After Gui's death, He Lin's military status was not affected, but became more and more rugged. In the 57th year of Qianlong, He Lin served as the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, and also led the heavy troops of Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan provinces. Since then, he has been a general of the year, driving his own expeditions, fighting for many years, and making great achievements.
It is worth mentioning that the promotion of He Lin's status in the army also benefited from the special relationship between him and Qianlong's illegitimate son Fukangan. As Qianlong's favorite son, Fukangan has a very high reputation in the army and is one of the powerful figures in the military and government of the dynasty. And He Lin is Fukangan's confidant, and the two have a close relationship, which can be described as a good partner for intrigue.
It can be seen that if you only talk about Heshen's power in the court, you may also be suppressed by other princes. But if you add his own brother and Lin's status in the army, it forms a political force that cannot be ignored. At this time, even if Qianlong died and Emperor Jiaqing ascended the throne, he might not dare to deal with He Shen rashly, after all, He Lin had a heavy army and his power was not inferior to that of the royal family.
Therefore, there is a view that if He Lin is still alive, it will not be easy for Emperor Jiaqing to eradicate He Shen. And He Lin's death undoubtedly gave Emperor Jiaqing an opportunity to take advantage of and laid the tragic ending for He Shen in the future. This also explains why Heshen's biggest backer is not Emperor Qianlong himself, but his own brother He Lin.
There is no choice between the imperial power and the lower ranks
Although He Shen leaned towards the government and the opposition during the Qianlong Dynasty and had a prominent position, his foundation was always based on the service of Qianlong alone. Once Qianlong died, what would be the fate of He Shen, this became an unknown.
A closer look at Chinese history reveals an iron law: whether it is a descendant dynasty or an unorthodox dynasty, imperial power is always supreme. Any courtier who is regarded as a threat by the emperor will eventually be doomed. At the beginning of the founding of the Ming Dynasty, the killing of meritorious heroes was a lesson from the past.
In order to consolidate his authority, Zhu Yuanzhang was not spared even the courtiers around him. According to historical records, in the fifth year of Zhengde, Zhu Yuanzhang killed more than 50 people including Lan Yu of the old party. These people were originally meritorious ministers of Zhu Yuanzhang's founding of the country, and they were all awarded high lords. However, due to his prominent status and Zhu Yuanzhang's suspicion and suspicion, he could not escape the disaster of death.
Another famous case is that Emperor Yongzheng ordered the suppression of He Shen's distant relative, Hexiao. The reason is that He Shen repeatedly exchanged letters with Heshen, which was regarded by Emperor Yongzheng as a cause for the incident, so he dealt with it together to prevent future troubles. It can be seen that when the dynasty changes, even if it is only some insignificant forces, the new emperor will completely wipe them out.
Therefore, although He Shen was in power during the Qianlong Dynasty, even if he had the support of his brother and Lin's heavy guards, once Emperor Jiaqing ascended the throne, he and Lin's power was destined to be shaken and re-examined. After all, in the eyes of the new emperor, they are just the remnants of the previous dynasty.
What's more, the greedy methods of He Shen and his family have already caused the wrath of the outer court. It is recorded that even some of the officials were resentful of his insatiable greed and wanted to plot against him. It is conceivable how much distrust He Shen and his family have accumulated in terms of money and power.
These factors are superimposed, so that He Shen and Lin can only be purged in the new dynasty. It can be said that there is no solution to the power game, no matter how much wealth and power is accumulated, as long as the dynasty changes, everything will come to naught.
As the saying goes, "the royal family will go to the revolution, and the building will fall". He Shen's fate was destined to come to an end in the hands of Emperor Jiaqing. Maybe there is a glimmer of life, that is, if He Lin can hold on to the situation in the world. But even then, their positions of power will eventually be untenable.
The final fall of Heshen
After Emperor Jiaqing ascended the throne, he was hesitant to deal with He Shen and his family. First, He Shen was the first and auxiliary minister of Qianlong after all, and secondly, he was still worried about his brother and Lin's military strength with heavy troops. However, with the death of He Lin in the first year of Jiaqing, Emperor Jiaqing made up his mind and set out to eradicate the Heshen party.
In August of the second year of Jiaqing, a denunciation of the Heshen family was presented, listing the appalling corruption of the Heshen family. He Shen and his family were exposed in detail for their crimes of stealing, perverting the law for bribes, oppressing good people, and obstructing government decrees. Among them, the most criticized are the following:
First, He Shen manipulated banknotes and counterfeited banknotes and wantonly embezzled national wealth. All the important ministers of the court are in charge of the distribution of Yulu by Heshen, and they will be deducted if they neglect it. One year, He Shen actually withheld more than 3 million taels of silver from officials across the country.
The second is that He Shen wantonly squeezed the people's salaries through the army in the hands of his brother He Lin. They did not hesitate to amass high military expenditures in Yunnan, Sichuan, Guangxi, and other places, resulting in a popular uprising.
The third is that He Shen installed his in-laws in important positions in the DPRK and the central government, and took bribes to control the military and political power. One year, He Shen's in-law, Jin Shoutian, accepted bribes of millions of taels of silver and made huge profits.
Fourth, He Shen vainly tried to infiltrate the interests of the family into all levels of political power. His clansmen held important positions one after another, some were in charge of the banknote bureau, some were in charge of the military aircraft, and some controlled the ports, and they became powerful in the government and the opposition.
Such a terrifying hideous appearance, coupled with the death of the biggest backer and Lin, doomed the fate of He Shen. In the first month of the third year of Jiaqing, Emperor Jiaqing made a final decision, ordered the trial of the Heshen party case, and sent a large army to arrest Heshen.
In the months that followed, Jin Shoutian, a member of the Heshen ethnic group, was first arrested, and the next day He Shen himself was imprisoned in Beijing. In prison, He Shen was severely tortured, and finally confessed that he had embezzled and accepted bribes through banknote counterfeiting and exploiting the people.
end
In the end, He Shen was executed by Ling Chi outside the Qianqing Gate, his family property was confiscated, his clan was executed, his wife and children were dismissed, and even the ancestral grave was not avoided. A dignified and important minister, who was so ruthlessly humiliated, can be described as a rabbit and a dog, and he is innocent. This is destined to become a profound warning to China's history of being burdened by power and insatiable greed.