In 2014, CCTV broadcast a TV series called "The Great Qing Salt Merchant". This TV series depicts the intricate relationship between a generation of Yangzhou salt merchants represented by Wang Chaozong and the Qianlong Emperor, as well as bureaucrats, literati, salt workers, dramas and even the rivers and lakes, and recreates the history of the rise and fall of Yangzhou's salt industry in the heyday of Kangqian.
The TV series depicts the famous "Two Huai Salt Introduction Case" in a colorful way, but Gao Heng, an important figure in this case, has never appeared, only hearing his voice and not seeing his person. However, this made the audience have a strong interest in Gao Heng. Gao Heng, what is the origin?
Gao Heng's origin is not small. He was the younger brother of Gao Jia, the first imperial concubine of the Qianlong Emperor. In other words, he was the brother-in-law of the Qianlong Emperor and the uncle of the imperial state.
Gao Jiashi played a role in the popular TV series "Yanxi Raiders" and was an important role. Everyone must have been impressed by her arrogant and domineering image. In fact, Gao Jiashi has a gentle personality and a kind heart. She and the Qianlong Emperor fell in love for 11 years, and the relationship between the two people was very good. Later, when Gao Jiashi died, the Qianlong Emperor wrote her 16 emotional poems in one breath, which was touching.
As the saying goes, "Love the house and the U". The Qianlong Emperor favored Gao Jiashi and naturally favored her family and promoted her vigorously.
Gao Jia's father was named Gao Bin. Gao Bin was originally a minister of internal affairs, but as his daughter Gao Jiashi was favored by the Qianlong Emperor, he became an official and prosperous, and successively served as a suzhou weaver, Guangdong cloth envoy, Zhejiang cloth envoy, Jiangsu cloth envoy, Henan cloth envoy, Jiangning weaving, Jiangnan River Road governor, official to the official Shangshu, directly subordinate governor, Wenyuange University scholar and other positions, reaching the peak of his life.
Gao Bin has only one word, that is, Gao Heng. As a "relative of the emperor and the state", Gao Heng did not need to take the road of the imperial examination, and directly appointed the head of the household department with Yin Sheng and entered the official field. It seems that the Qianlong Emperor really loved this brother-in-law, knew that his culture was not high, and his ideals were not great, so he gave him a fat shortage: the Two Huai Salt Administration (Two Huai Patrol Salt Imperial History). Lianghuai Yanzheng was only a Zhengwupin official, not of high rank, but because he was a minister of Chincha, his status was relatively high, and he was the superior of the lianghuai salt envoys.
More importantly, the two Huai salt administrations are responsible for inspecting and supervising the salt officials and all salt-related affairs in the jurisdictional areas (Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Anhui, Henan and Jiangsu), and auditing and adjusting salt prices. The Qianlong Emperor gave gao heng the position of lianghuai yanzheng, and still had the idea of letting his brother-in-law live a moist life.
Unfortunately, Gao Heng was too greedy. He served as the governor of the two Huai salts for a total of 8 years. During this period, he openly asked for bribes from salt merchants and received 30,000 taels of silver at a time. Every time there are "three festivals and two birthdays", there is no need for Gao Heng to make a sound, and all salt merchants spontaneously come to send him money, and Gao Heng does not refuse, and all of them "laugh and accept".
Not only that, when Gao Heng went to the salt merchants as a guest, he saw valuable antique calligraphy and paintings, and with a little hint, the salt merchants would send these antique calligraphy and paintings to Gao Heng's mansion.
Of course, Gao Heng was making a lot of money while maintaining a good relationship with the Qianlong Emperor. When the Qianlong Emperor inspected the work in the Jiangnan area, Gao Heng hired skilled craftsmen at his own expense, designed and built the Yangzhou Wuting Bridge, and also rebuilt the Hongqiao. Most of the silver used to build these bridges was the "filial piety" of the salt merchants.
In 1765, Gao Heng's cousin Gao Jin was appointed governor of Liangjiang, and Gao Heng needed to recuse himself and was transferred back to Hubu Shilang by the imperial court. Gao Heng left, and the new two Huaiyan politicians were called YouBashi. YuBashi went to the salt merchants to collect money according to the custom, but the salt merchants had Gao Heng as a patron and did not pay attention to him. YuBashi was enraged, and a piece of paper exposed the collusion between the two Huai salt governments and salt merchants.
The Qianlong Emperor immediately sent Fu Heng, a military minister, to investigate the case, which detonated a major case of collusion between officials and businessmen and embezzling tens of millions of taxes and silver, which is known in history as the "Two Huai Salt Introduction Cases." Among them, Gao Heng alone embezzled more than 4.67 million taels of silver from years of tribute and preparation for the Qianlong Emperor's southern tour.
The Qianlong Emperor was furious and issued an edict stating: "Gao Heng was bribed by salt merchants and was punished. Relevant officials, the conviction is poor. "Ordered gao heng and others to be executed."
Fu Heng was the younger brother of Empress Fucha of the Qianlong Emperor, and also had the status of "uncle of the dynasty", perhaps with the same disease, and he asked the Qianlong Emperor to look at the noble concubine who had already died and forgive Gao Heng for not dying.
The Qianlong Emperor said coldly, "If the empress brother breaks the law, what should he do?" ”
Fu Heng listened to this and did not dare to say any more.
In 1768, Gao Heng was beheaded.
Gao Heng had 4 sons, the eldest of whom was named Gao Pu. After Gao Heng's death, Gao Pu's career was not affected, and he still served as an official in the imperial court, and was promoted to the position of left deputy capital of the Metropolitan Imperial Household four years later. However, in 1776, when he was sent to Yeerqiang to run errands, he was accused of embezzlement and bribery, and deposited more than 16,000 silver and 500 gold. As a result, they ended up with no family property and people being killed.
[References: Draft History of the Qing Dynasty, Introduction to the Two Huai Salts, etc.]