The financial miracle of the Yongzheng Dynasty: from the inadequacy of Kangxi's treasury to the fullness of Yongzheng
In the long river of history, the two emperors Kangxi and Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty have become the topic of continuous discussion in later generations with their unique governance methods and far-reaching political influence. However, regarding the amount of silver deposited in the treasury during the reign of the two emperors, the depictions in the TV series are often far from historical facts, especially the statement that "the treasury was less than 7 million taels after Kangxi's death, but it exceeded 50 million taels after Yongzheng's death", which makes people question the truth of history. Today, we will unravel this historical fog and restore the real financial situation.
First, let's look at the state of the treasury at the time of the death of Emperor Kangxi. According to historical records, Emperor Kangxi reigned for 61 years, making him the longest-reigning emperor in the history of the Qing Dynasty. His life can be said to be the heyday of the Qing Dynasty. However, in later years, due to the long war, the southern tour, and the corruption of officials, the amount of silver in the treasury fell sharply. When Emperor Kangxi died, there were only 27.16 million taels of silver left in the treasury, which was far from the "less than 7 million taels" depicted in the TV series. Although this figure is astronomical for ordinary people, for a country with a vast territory and a large population, this amount of silver is not enough to support its huge expenses.
Next, let's look at how Emperor Yongzheng changed this situation. After the Yongzheng Emperor succeeded to the throne, he faced severe financial difficulties. He is well aware that in order to maintain the country's long-term peace and stability, it is necessary to start by rectifying the finances. As a result, he adopted a series of drastic measures to straighten out the finances, including cracking down on corruption, checking deficits, and reforming the tax system. As a result of these measures, the revenue of the state treasury has gradually increased, while expenditures have been effectively controlled. After the governance of Emperor Yongzheng, the amount of silver in the treasury increased from 27.16 million taels during the Kangxi period to 34.53 million taels, which is an astonishing number.
However, the amount of silver in the treasury at the time of Emperor Yongzheng's death did not reach "more than 50 million taels" as stated in the TV series. In fact, according to historical records, the amount of silver deposited in the treasury at the time of Emperor Yongzheng's death was 34.52 million taels (some say 34.53 million taels), although this figure has increased significantly compared with the Kangxi period, but there is still a big gap from the depiction in the TV series. This proves once again that TV dramas tend to exaggerate when portraying historical events in order to catch the viewer's eye.
So, why was Emperor Yongzheng able to achieve rapid growth in the national treasury of silver in a short period of time? This was mainly due to a series of fiscal consolidation measures he undertaken. First of all, he cracked down on official corruption and effectively guaranteed the revenue of the state treasury. Second, he took stock of the deficit and severely punished officials for corruption, so that officials no longer dared to easily embezzle money from the state treasury. Finally, he reformed the tax system to make taxation fairer and more reasonable, and also increased the revenue of the treasury. The implementation of these measures enabled the Yongzheng Emperor to achieve a rapid growth in the national treasury in a short period of time.
Of course, the financial consolidation of the Yongzheng Emperor was not achieved overnight. In the process of rectification, he also faced resistance and pressure from all sides. However, he always stuck to his principles and goals, and in the end he succeeded. This also provides us with valuable experience and enlightenment today: when governing the country, we must pay attention to fiscal consolidation and management; Only when the country is financially stable can the country achieve long-term peace and stability.
To sum up, the statement that "the treasury was less than 7 million taels after Kangxi's death, but it exceeded 50 million taels after Yongzheng's death" is not in line with historical facts. When Emperor Kangxi died, the amount of silver deposited in the treasury was 27.16 million taels; At the time of the death of Emperor Yongzheng, the amount of silver deposited in the treasury was 34.52 million taels (some say 34.53 million taels). The increase in this figure was mainly due to a series of fiscal consolidation measures taken by the Yongzheng Emperor. The implementation of these measures has not only enabled the treasury to be effectively guaranteed and controlled, but has also provided us with valuable experience and enlightenment today.
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