In the long history of the Qing Dynasty, there is no lack of interweaving of heroes and dark schemes. Today we are going to talk about an unjust case that shocked the Celestial Empire, in the fourteenth year of Jiaqing, a new science and technology scholar was brutally murdered for exposing corruption. The young jinshi was supposed to make a big show in officialdom, but his integrity led to death. What is the truth of the matter?
In 1809, on an early summer day, Emperor Jiaqing received a shocking piece of news: a new scholar Li Yuchang ended his young life in his residence. The Jinshi's uncle, Li Taiqing, soon went to Beijing to complain, claiming that his nephew's death was anything but unusual, and asked the emperor to order a thorough investigation.
Li Yuchang was a talented man in Jimo, Shandong, who was only 23 years old when he was admitted to the Juren, and later won the Jinshi in the thirteenth year of Jiaqing (1808). His fate was supposed to be smooth sailing, but a disaster relief mission changed the course of his life forever.
Back a year ago, in the autumn of 1808, due to heavy rains, the embankment of the Huai River basin burst, causing widespread flooding. Emperor Jiaqing gave urgent instructions: "Relief for the hungry, each ministry will raise 200,000 taels of silver, and quickly put down the relief silver." "The disaster relief funds were dispatched and distributed by Tie Bao, the governor of Liangjiang. Tie Bao was an upright man and extremely rigorous in his work, and he sent a relief team, including Li Yuchang, to the disaster area to supervise the use of disaster relief funds.
Li Yuchang and his three servants arrived in Shanyang County (present-day Huai'an, Jiangsu Province) in Jiangsu. Wang Shenhan, the local magistrate, thought that he was ushering in a new official and could easily deal with it, but he didn't expect that Li Yuchang was not an ordinary person. After Li Yuchang learned that Wang Shenhan had prepared a luxurious reception to welcome him, he chose to live in Shanyuan'an in the suburbs, avoiding possible officialdom.
Mr. Lee's job was to check the disbursement of relief funds, but he soon discovered that something was wrong. Shanyang County went so far as to falsely report disaster information and falsify lists to fraudulently receive as much as 25,000 taels of disaster relief funds. Li Yuchang was shocked by this discovery, and he immediately sorted out the relevant materials and prepared to report them to Tiebao.
All these actions did not escape Wang Shenhan's eyes. Wang Shenhan knew that once the matter was revealed, his official position and even his life would be lost. In the midst of this desperation, he began to plot how to eliminate the threat posed by the new jinshi.
The night before Li Yuchang was about to send the materials out, Wang Shenhan sent his henchmen to sneak into the Shanyuan Nunnery where Li Yuchang was staying. On that dark and windy night, Li Yuchang was brutally murdered and disposed of by hanging beams to commit suicide, and all the truth and evidence seemed to be buried with his death.
Afterwards, in order to cover up the truth, Wang Shenhan also deliberately fabricated rumors that Li Yuchang committed suicide because of fear of crime, trying to confuse the public in this way. However, this superficial trick has not fooled everyone. Li Yuchang's uncle Li Taiqing had a deep understanding of his nephew's personality and ability, and he firmly believed that Li Yuchang could not commit suicide for no reason, so he resolutely went to Beijing to avenge his nephew's grievances.
Li Taiqing was faced with the civil and military bureaucracy of the Manchu Dynasty, and it was not easy to get the emperor to pay attention to the death of such a small jinshi. But he was not afraid of power, and with his deep affection for his nephew and his dedication to the truth, he submitted a detailed letter of love to the corruption and murder in Shanyang County.
After Emperor Jiaqing saw this love letter, his heart was also mixed. As the king of a country, he naturally knew that there was no shortage of sludge and muddy water in the court, but the mysterious death of a new science and technology scholar still caught his attention. He ordered the governor of Liangjiang to investigate the matter thoroughly, seemingly to rehabilitate Li Yuchang, but in fact he was also testing the power structure and popular support of the court.
The investigation team soon arrived in Shanyang County and began a series of investigations. As expected, Wang's crimes were soon revealed, and the fraudulent disaster relief funds were found. But what's really striking is that the investigation process progressed through the cracks, exposing not only the corruption of a county official, but also the involvement of higher-level officials. This seemingly simple investigation gradually evolved into a political storm that touched the top.
As the investigation deepened, some powerful people began to fear that their crimes would be exposed, and they began to secretly obstruct the investigation. In the face of all kinds of resistance, Tie Bao, the governor of Liangjiang, also felt unprecedented pressure. However, as a down-to-earth official, Tie Bao did not back down because of this, but was more determined to seek justice for this unfortunate new science and technology scholar.
Although Li Yuchang's life was short, his story profoundly reflected the darkness and corruption of officialdom in that era. His death, although tragic, was also like a bolt of lightning, illuminating the secrets hidden deep in the officialdom. Through the investigation and handling of this incident, we have not only seen the power of justice, but also those who still insist on integrity in the face of power.