In August 1750, when Zhang Tingyu was 78 years old, the minister of Chincha, Debao, came to the Zhang family with more than 10 bodyguards and 200 soldiers borrowed from the prefect to retrieve the calligraphy, paintings, jewelry, clothes and other utensils that the three emperors had given him.
After the soldiers entered the Zhang family, they involuntarily carried out a bandit-style search of the Zhang family in the name of searching for the rewards, opened the box and smashed the lock, dug three feet into the ground, and raided Zhang Tingyu's home. And took away all the things with the Zhang family with words, including books, articles, letters, and notes.
How did what was supposed to be a good reward become a raider? The Qianlong Emperor's explanation of all this was that the people below would be wrong, he had no intention of raiding the house, but not a single soldier was punished for this.
Zhang Tingyu knew in his heart that all this was just Qianlong's words, and all of them took away all the words, but they wanted to see if Zhang Tingyu had any words of resentment toward Qianlong after he returned home.
Zhang Tingyu, a native of Tongcheng, Anhui Province, was born into a family of scholars, and was a 29-year-old high school scholar and was named Hanlin. At the age of 33, he was given a chance to talk to Kangxi and began to enter his career, and at the age of 45, he had already risen to the rank of Rebbe Waiter.
After The death of Kangxi, Yongzheng paid more attention to Zhang Tingyu, and quickly promoted him to the rank of Rebbe Shangshu and participated in confidential affairs, Yongzheng was a famous emperor in history, and few ministers could get close to him, but he saw Zhang Tingyu as he always did.
Regardless of the big things and small things, he consulted with him, and most of the will during the Yongzheng period was written by Zhang Tingyu. The two men were nominally monarchs, but in fact they were already friends, even to the point where they could not be separated for a day.
In May of the 5th year of Yongzheng, Zhang Tingyu fell ill for a period of time and could not enter the palace for a long time. Yongzheng said to the guards next to him: My arm hurts these days, do you know why?
The waiter next to him asked busily, "Viva Grandpa, what's wrong with you?"
Yongzheng replied that Zhang Tingyu was sick in college, he was like my arm, isn't this my arm hurting?
During the 13 years of Yongzheng's reign, very few ministers in the imperial court were close to him, but only Zhang Tingyu and Ortai were close friends with him, and before Yongzheng's death, he left a special will to let the two ministers he trusted most deserve the Temple.
This is a very high political honor, and in the entire Qing Dynasty for more than 200 years, Zhang Tingyu is the only Han Chinese who enjoys this treatment.
However, after Qianlong succeeded to the throne, all this began to change, Zhang Tingyu was Yongzheng's designated vassal, and when Qianlong first took office, he was also treated with courtesy, and all kinds of rewards flowed into the Zhang family like rain.
Although Zhang Tingyu was still the first assistant minister and also part-time the prince's teacher, every time Qianlong went out to Beijing to do business, he let him stay in Beijing, the prime minister's affairs, and stayed overnight in the Forbidden City, although he was valued, Zhang Tingyu also felt the chill of the young emperor. Although this new master was young, his means were not worse than Yongzheng's, and he was even more sophisticated and vicious.
In the fifth year of Qianlong, Qianlong began to constantly beat the old minister Ortai, and at the same time he was beating Zhang Tingyu, but fortunately Zhang Tingyu was cautious as an official and never made friends with his friends. When Ortai was repeatedly beaten and punished, he was able to be safe and sound.
In traditional politics, it is particularly difficult to be a close subject of the emperor, especially a high-ranking and powerful close minister. The autocracy is selfish, which determines the relationship between the monarch and the subject, and it is even more difficult to be a person who always has the trust of the monarch.
Most of the famous ministers of culture and military affairs in Chinese history did not end well, especially those in high positions, and almost none of them ended perfectly. Li Si changed masters and died, Han Xingong died, Zhou Yafu died of hunger strike, Yue Fei spilled blood on the wind and waves, and Yu Qian went to the guillotine.
In the early qing dynasty, several powerful ministers also died of death, Ao Bai, Nian Tangyao, and Suo Ertu were all lessons from the past, Zhang Tingyu was deeply aware of this, and he had always been careful to avoid taking his way back.
In 1745, after Ortai's death, Qianlong's attention began to shift to Zhang Tingyu, and the partisan forces in the court wanted to attach themselves to him, and he did not want to become the new leader of the partisan party, he was in a high position, even if he wanted to be a qingliu, he could not stop others from approaching.
Thirteen years before Qianlong, Zhang Tingyu had been in a high position as Mount Tai, and in his political career of more than 40 years, he rarely made mistakes, which was rare in Chinese history.
Zhang Tingyu is indeed an official, since Kangxi began to work in the South Study In 43, he fully demonstrated his outstanding secretarial talent, after Yongzheng succeeded to the throne, but all the edicts were basically from Zhang Tingyu's hand. Yongzheng only needs to dictate the righteousness, Zhang Tingyu can be prepared, for 10 years, never wrong.
Zhang Tingyu was very diligent as an official, and the history books record that after he left work, even if he went to bed at night, he remembered that there was something inappropriate about the proposed book he had written, and he immediately got up to correct it. Moreover, he is meticulous and has a strong memory, and the experience and origin of officials all over the country are in his mind, and he is like a living archive.
If Zhang Tingyu's talent accounts for 50% of his career, then the other 50% comes from his origin, his father is Zhang Ying, a university scholar of the Kangxi Dynasty, Zhang Ying is one of kangxi's most admired ministers, Zhang Tingyu was deeply taught by his father from childhood, since entering the dynasty, Zhang Tingyu has shown a mature and sophisticated style.
Zhang Tingyu was also old, and Qianlong wanted to sympathize with him so that he did not have to go to the morning court every day, but in fact he was emptying Zhang Tingyu and not allowing him to participate in the core secrets.
Everything was too late, Zhang Tingyu was already in a high position, the elders of the Three Dynasties, and the fame and fortune had reached the extreme, and the Zhang family was also properly arranged. Younger brother Zhang Tinglu is a ceremonial attendant, Zhang Tingyuan is a cabinet bachelor, son Zhang Ruoyi into the duty of the South Study, Zhang Ruocheng into the duty of the military aircraft, within a door, are all official gentry dress, when the official is so, the husband fu He qiu, at present for Zhang Tingyu, safe retirement, to keep the clean name of this body is the most important.
In 1746, Zhang Tingyu's eldest son Zhang Ruoyi died of illness, the white-haired man sent the black-haired person, so that Zhang Tingyu's health was not as good as before, and this year Qianlong also began to vigorously attack the friends, Zhang Tingyu knew that the sword hanging on his head would fall sooner or later, Zhang Tingyu decided to retreat bravely.
In 1748, the 76-year-old Zhang Tingyu decided to resign, and he asked for honor to return to his hometown on the grounds that he was "old and weak, and his mental strength and mental reaction were not as good as before", but what he did not expect was that Qianlong actually refused.
In Qianlong's view, although Zhang Tingyu is old, his mind is still very clear, and it is also very good to be a consultant and guide in the DPRK. Moreover, Qianlong believed that Zhang Tingyu was hand-picked by Yongzheng to enjoy the Taimiao Temple, and such an honor was only qualified by famous courtiers who were highly meritorious and pure and flawless, and those who received this honor should die and contribute their full strength to the country.
Zhang Tingyu's resignation made Qianlong think that Zhang Tingyu was only concerned about his own reputation, that everything was only for his own sake, putting personal interests and national interests above, and superficially indifferent to fame and fortune, but in fact, he had a deep heart and was far less loyal to himself than Yongzheng.
Zhang Tingyu did not expect that the Qianlong Emperor would not only refuse, but also promote this matter to a moral height, as a minister worthy of the honor of the Taimiao Temple, Zhang Tingyu lost the right to retire and retire, Zhang Tingyu did not expect that his family of three generations, serving the Ai Xinjue Luo family for more than 50 years, actually changed such an evaluation.
Zhang Tingyu, who was hit hard, could only hold his body and go to the middle of the court every day, although Qianlong was still polite to him on the surface, calling him Mr. Zhang, but in fact everyone had already seen clearly that Qianlong was no longer treated with courtesy as before, and even reprimanded him at every turn.
The change in Qianlong's attitude aggravated the change in Zhang Tingyu's physical condition, and all this Qianlong saw in his eyes.
In 1749, Zhang Tingyu once again plucked up the courage to make a request for retirement to Qianlong, and this time, Qianlong agreed.
But Qianlong liked the feeling that everything was in his own hands, and Zhang Tingyu's resignation was no exception, Qianlong wrote a holy will: "It means that Zhang Tingyu has worked for the country for decades, and he looks at it in his eyes, but he can't bear to stay any longer, whether he wants to resign or not, Zhang Tingyu himself makes a decision, and sends someone to send this holy will to him."
Qianlong did not say a single word on this sacred will, nor did he say a word to leave, which not only expressed his concern for Zhang Tingyu, but also expressed his reluctance to him.
In doing so, Qianlong only wanted to achieve Zhang Tingyu's reputation and his own benevolent style, so that Zhang Tingyu repeatedly asked for resignation, and Qianlong repeatedly retained him, so that after three requests and three stays, he finally returned to his hometown and left a good story of a monarch.
However, Zhang Tingyu was old in the end, and when he saw this will that he had been looking forward to for a long time, he did not think much about it, so he went up to Xie En, indicating that he was ready to go home in the spring of next year, and Zhang Tingyu's echo disappointed Qianlong greatly. In Zhang Tingyu's heart, he was indeed inferior to his father. Although Qianlong was disappointed, he still agreed, and letting Zhang Tingyuyuan give him the greatest honor.
If everything is true, Zhang Tingyu can also be regarded as a safe landing, but the excessive honor will cause people to be jealous, at this time, a person named Shi Yizhi in the dprk proposed that Zhang Tingyu did not have any major contributions in his life, and he was not eligible to enjoy the Taimiao Temple, and his qualifications should be cancelled.
Although Zhang Tingyu was indifferent to fame and fortune and did not covet fame and fame, he was very concerned about Qingming, and he also began to worry that after he resigned, the villains around Qianlong would always instigate Qianlong to cancel his qualifications for the Taimiao Temple. Therefore, Zhang Tingyu decided to cheekily ask Qianlong for a guarantee.
Hearing this request, Qianlong was naturally very unhappy in his heart, he did not expect that an old minister of the Three Dynasties would actually distrust himself so much, but in line with the principle of sending the Buddha to the west and following the principle of Yongzheng's will, Qianlong still wrote down this guarantee.
He wrote a meaningful passage:
Make a knee and beg for a word, move to be compassionate and move to be sad. The former emperor decreed that he would only admire this, and go to the country to be blessed or passed. Examples can be given to the Qingtianyuan You Temple, and the monument destroyed by Zheng Guojing. I am not Yao Shun who Gao Qi, Khan Jian commented and listened to Yi. --The Biography of the Qing Dynasty, Vol. XIV, Zhang Tingyu Biography.
Up to this time, Zhang Tingyu's life can be said to be impeccable, enjoying the glory and wealth and landing safely, and his name will go down through the ages after his death, which is the highest realm that the minister can achieve in thousands of years.
However, at this time, Zhang Tingyu made another mistake, and Zhang Tingyu did not see the dissatisfaction in the letter of guarantee given to him by Qianlong, he was just concerned about the happiness of retirement.
Originally, Zhang Tingyu was supposed to personally enter the palace the next day to thank him, but he let his son Zhang Ruocheng enter the palace on his behalf on the grounds of physical discomfort, which completely angered Qianlong, and in Qianlong's view, his value had been exhausted, and Zhang Tingyu was not even willing to enter the palace to thank him.
Qianlong was furious about this, and asked Fu Heng and Wang Youdun to send a message to Zhang Tingyu, so that he could understand that when he returned to the palace to repeat the song, Wang Youdun was Zhang Tingyu's student, and he knew that Qianlong was angry, and this matter was not trivial, so he quietly told Zhang Tingyu the news and asked him to prepare in advance.
Zhang Tingyu, who got the news, hurriedly entered the palace early in the morning of the 2nd day to plead guilty, however, what made Qianlong even more indignant was that before the holy will had reached Zhang Tingyu's home, he had already entered the palace to plead guilty, who revealed this news to him, this is not a party for personal gain, Qianlong attacked the friends in the DPRK, and for many years he did not think that the party had always been by his side.
At this point, Qianlong's good feelings for Zhang Tingyu were almost completely gone, and he was no longer willing to be perfunctory, and Qianlong specially ordered zhang Tingyu's four major crimes to be listed.
These 4 indictments boil down to the expression of: "You are an old minister of the Three Dynasties, your father allowed you to enjoy the Taimiao Temple, and I also wrote you a letter of guarantee, and you did not come to thank you personally, which is disrespectful to the former emperor, but also distrustful of me, several times and three times want to resign and go home, disloyal to me, get the holy will in advance, there is a suspicion of forming a party for personal gain."
After Zhang Tingyu received this holy will, he was frightened not lightly, and took the initiative to write a letter to ask for guilt, and after Qianlong tortured him several times and his anger was eliminated, he also said that he did not really want to cure his sins, and that the temple was given by Yongzheng, and I would never deprive him, but the count was given to you, and since you had no feelings for me, then I did not need to leave you as a count.
At this time, Zhang Tingyu had already seen clearly that the capital was a place of right and wrong, if he could not leave as soon as possible, the credit of his life would be in vain, and he might also end up with a discredited end, and what he had to do now was to leave this place of right and wrong as soon as possible.
In the fifteenth year of Qianlong, when Zhang Tingyu finally packed up everything and prepared to leave, Qianlong's eldest son Yong Huang died suddenly, Zhang Tingyu was Yong Huang's teacher, and after participating in the ceremony, Zhang Tingyu was ready to go home.
This incident made Qianlong indignant, and scolded Zhang Tingyu for being too unconscionable, his student and his own son had just died, but Zhang Tingyu only thought of going home and having no attachment to the royal family.
Qianlong vented all his grief over the loss of his son to Zhang Tingyu, and directly asked Zhang Tingyu, you have no merit in your life, what qualifications do you have to enjoy the Taimiao Temple.
After suffering several humiliations, Zhang Tingyu had to respond, imploring Qianlong to depose him from being entitled to the Taimiao Temple and punish him for his sins. Zhang Tingyu did not expect that he had struggled all his life in exchange for the qualification of the Taimiao Temple, and in the end he could only lose it.
After retiring home, Zhang Tingyu's mood gradually improved, and his body also recovered. However, at this time, Sichuan Xuezheng's mother died, according to the custom, he should report his mother's funeral, go home to Ding Worried, But Zhu Xiao hid it and did not report it, which reminded Qianlong of Zhang Tingyu.
Zhu Xiao and Zhang Tingyu are daughters' relatives, such a person with despicable character, actually and Zhang Tingyu are relatives, and have also been recommended by him, which shows that Zhang Tingyu is not an innocent person.
Qianlong always held a grudge against Zhang Tingyu's dissatisfaction. Through this incident, Qianlong ordered the recovery of the previous reward for Zhang Tingyu.
In 1750, the guards raided Zhang Tingyu's home in disguise in the name of a search reward.
After experiencing a series of blows, Zhang Tingyu's spirit was completely crushed, his health deteriorated, and he finally left forever in the 25th year of Qianlong.
When the news reached Qianlong's ears, Qianlong also felt sad, after all, he had been with himself for 14 years, and he may have been harsh on Zhang Tingyu, but after all, he had worked hard for the Qing Dynasty for most of his life, and finally Qianlong still ordered Zhang Tingyu to enjoy the Taimiao Temple.
After several tortures and humiliations by Qianlong, when Zhang Tingyu finally ate this bowl of cold pork from the imperial tomb, I don't know if Zhang Tingyu still felt that this was a glory.