text | Wang Xi
editor | Shu Zhu
Speaking of and Shen , the first impression that comes to everyone's mind is probably the most corrupt official in Chinese history. But He Shen did not actually do all heinous things. He was able to sit in the position he was in because of his talent.
He Shen was an important minister deeply favored by Qianlong. He became the Minister of Military Affairs at the age of only 27. At the age of 37, he was promoted to the Wenhua Palace bachelor and official, household, and minister of the Ministry of War, and finally reached the pinnacle of power "under one person and above ten thousand people".
It’s just that during the twenty years he was an official, he speculated, solicited and accepted bribes, and committed countless crimes.
The more important reason for this is that he offended the emperor who took office after Qianlong's death - Emperor Jiaqing.
So it was only five days after Qianlong's death that Jiaqing quickly listed his twenty major crimes and ordered Heshen Lingchi to be executed.
But if He Shen was so eager to be executed just because he offended Emperor Jiaqing, it doesn't seem very convincing.
Why did Jiaqing kill Heshen so quickly?
So some people said that it was because Heshen was "rich enough to rival the country" and that overthrowing Heshen would alleviate the financial pressure faced by Jiaqing. This is the meaning of the saying "Heshen fell, Jiaqing was full".
Some people say it is to ease the contradiction between the government and the people. In the first year of Jiaqing (1796), the White Lotus Sect civil uprising occurred, and the Qing army suffered successive defeats. In the third year of Jiaqing (1798), the Qing army captured the leader of the Sichuan Peasant Army Wang Sanhuai . Wang Sanhuai's confession said that "the government forced the people to rebel."
Jiaqing realized that it was precisely because local officials were as corrupt and violent as Heshen that they frequently triggered civil unrest.
Emperor Jiaqing summed it up: He Shen was the victim of all the cuts and bruises. He also said: The reason why I severely punish He Shen's crime is actually that it hindered the important military and state affairs. Therefore, Jiaqing killed He Shen to thank the world.
Some people say that it was to solve the contradiction between monarch power and prime minister power, and it was He Shen who "shocked the master with high power".
Jiaqing said: "If I don't get rid of Heshen, people in the world will only know that Heshen exists but not me." He even suspected that Heshen was deliberately treason, so he wanted to kill Heshen. When the power of the prime minister threatens the power of the monarch, the monarch must take action.
But no matter what, the person who sits on the throne of the emperor must be extremely sensitive to everything. Emperor Jiaqing was an extremely sensitive and suspicious person.
Through Qianlong's favor and trust in Heshen more than his own deeds, he may have already placed Heshen against him in his heart. With such an obstacle, he will definitely try his best to eliminate the trouble.
For example, on the day He Shen was detained, he ordered someone to read the twenty crimes he listed to He Shen in front of He Shen. The first of these is:
"On the third day of September in the sixtyth year of Qianlong's reign, Emperor Meng was crowned Crown Prince. However, the edict had not yet been announced. However, on the second day of the first lunar month, He Shen came in front of me and revealed his wish. Secret, it is a big crime to take support as merit."
As soon as he heard the first charge, He Shen, who was kneeling on the ground, couldn't help but regret. In order to please Jiaqing, he secretly reported the good news to Jiaqing before Qianlong officially announced the canonization of Jiaqing as the crown prince, and even gave him a piece of Ruyi.
I didn’t expect that Jiaqing would be so generous and hold a grudge because of this matter! I thought my move was very clever. I had known it would happen, so why did I need to show off my cleverness in front of him in the first place!
arousing public outrage
In fact, during the reign of Emperor Qianlong, many people impeached Heshen for his greed, and many people attempted to impeach Heshen for his greed.
If their impeachment succeeds, He Shen will at most end up in exile like Ji Xiaolan , and will not be eventually killed.
However, He Shen is so capable that he can resolve all these opponents' efforts one by one. There are simply too many ways he can do it.
He Shen would constantly praise his opponents in front of the emperor who were stronger in power, status, and achievements, and recommend them to undertake some arduous tasks outside the capital, so that he would not have the energy to confront him.
Step by step
The reason why Heshen dared to be so brazen in corruption and commit evil deeds was because of the favor of Emperor Qianlong on whom he relied. When it comes to Qianlong's feelings for Heshen, they are even deeper than Qianlong's feelings for his son, Emperor Jiaqing.
Once Qianlong was critically ill, Heshen and Jiaqing both went to visit him. The two met at the entrance of Yangxin Hall and started talking. While
was talking, Wang Lian opened the door and walked out. His eyes lit up when he saw He Kun kneeling outside the door.
"The Emperor wants to summon Mr. He alone, please come with me!" Wang Lian said.
"Yes!"
He Kun quickly stood up and followed Wang Lian into the Yangxin Hall. The emperor and the ministers were still waiting outside the door.
The ministers had long been accustomed to waiting for such a long time, but Jiaqing felt very uncomfortable. It seems that in the eyes of his father, the status of a slave is even higher than that of his biological son!
He Shen came to Qianlong's bedside, and Qianlong mentioned:
"We, the monarch and my minister, are destined in the past life. I can't bear to blame you for anything you do. But if I close my eyes, people in the future will never be so tolerant."
At this point, Qianlong paused again and took a breath. Then he continued:
"Yong Yan also knows a lot about your affairs. I also personally explained it to him, so that he could ignore the past suspicions. He agreed happily without any embarrassment. It seems that he really didn't mean to blame you."
But Qianlong did not really feel relieved. He was afraid that Jiaqing was just trying to forgive him. So Qianlong issued a secret order to Heshen, instructing him not to open it unless absolutely necessary.
Then Qianlong said that he was a little tired, and asked Heshen to say to the ministers who were still waiting outside, "When you go out, just say that everything is fine with me, and leave together." Qianlong waved his hand.
"Yes! Master, have a good rest. I will come to visit you again tomorrow!" He Shen knelt down, kowtowed three times, and then retreated.
"The Supreme Emperor is in good health and has just rested. You should step aside!" He Shen stood at the door and shouted loudly as he walked out of the Yangxin Hall.
After hearing this, the ministers discussed quietly, turned around and retreated. Jiaqing stood next to Heshen, looking at him with an imperceptible smile.
"Your Majesty, this servant has to retreat first!" He Shen looked at Jiaqing's strange expression and quickly left.
"Okay! Mr. He has lost a lot of weight in recent days. Go back home and have a good rest! I will rely on you to manage the government in the future!" Jiaqing said enthusiastically.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" He Shen thanked him and turned around and left in a hurry.
Along the way, he never dared to look back. It seemed that the emperor was standing outside the Yangxin Hall looking at him with strange eyes and smiling. There was hatred, disgust, and joy in schadenfreude in that smile, which was really hard for him to resist...
Qianlong died not long after his last illness.
I can finally take charge. In Jiaqing's view, if you want to become an effective monarch, you must reform bad government and rectify the administration of officials. The prerequisite for reforming the bad government and rectifying the administration of officials is to have great power.
Now, He Kun is in great power. If he wants to consolidate his power, He Kun must be eliminated. But, how to start? He Kun's gang members are all over the world, and their influence can affect the whole body.
What's more, He Kun controls the military power in Gyeonggi. There are more than a thousand elite soldiers in He Mansion alone. A slight negligence will lead to chaos. Are you just going to tolerate it like this?
After thinking about it, Jiaqing suddenly had an idea and came up with an idea...
On the morning of the third day of the lunar month, Jiaqing summoned a group of ministers such as He Kun and Fu Chang'an to the study room of Qianqing officials. Everyone knelt at Jiaqing's feet with sad expressions on their faces. He Kun cried bitterly and his eyes were as red and swollen as peaches.
"He Kun, you are the chief military minister and the cabinet bachelor. I have just taken charge, and everything depends on you.
Nowadays, the funeral of the Supreme Emperor is the top priority of the country, and you are a close minister of the Supreme Emperor, so you still need to preside over the funeral. Jiaqing looked at He Shen and said sincerely.
"Now the White Lotus Sect is rampant. During the time when you are presiding over the funeral, the Military Aircraft Department is in desperate need of people." Therefore, I will first remove you from the positions of minister of military aircraft and commander of the infantry . You can just concentrate on handling the funeral! When the mourning period is over, I will reinstate you as an official. "Jiaqing's tone became even gentler.
That night, Jiaqing secretly summoned three people in the upper study room, namely his elder brother Yijun Wang Yongxuan and Prince Cheng Yongli, as well as his nephew Prince Dingh. tml4 Mian En .
Although these princes and grandsons are not very harmonious on weekdays, their attitudes towards He Shen are always the same. He Shen never takes these princes and grandsons Baylor seriously. They have already been offended.
Now that Jiaqing wants to get rid of Heshen, it will naturally depend on these royal families. The three people entered the Forbidden City one after another and came to the upper study room.
"As you know, I have relieved He Shen and Fu Chang'an from their military and political powers this morning, so I want Yongxuan the Prime Minister's Department and Yong Li to take charge of the military aircraft and the Prime Minister's Department of Accounts and also take charge of the three treasuries to help me handle military and political affairs. Mian'en, I order you to serve as the infantry commander, also in charge of the firearms battalion, jianrui camp, and in charge of the garrison and defense of the capital. "
Jiaqing made the arrangements one by one, and the three people nodded after hearing this.
"Your Majesty, there are more than a thousand soldiers in the palace. What should we do with them? "Mian'en is thoughtful and worried that Hefu's soldiers will come out to cause trouble.
"This is easy. Mian'en, you need to transfer out these family soldiers from the He Mansion, as well as the generals who command the infantry and command the Yamen, and you have to replace them one by one with our people. "
" Mian'en, you have to clean up and review even these guards in the palace. You must not keep anyone who is He Shen. Jiaqing gave another order, "If we want to get rid of Heshen, we must cut off their contact with the outside world."
We must not let them know about our actions. If you startle him and give him a chance to breathe, it will be difficult. "
That night, Jiaqing made some adjustments to the ministers in the court. Although few of the ministers were willing to confront Heshen head-on, they were also unwilling to collude with him, just to protect themselves.
In addition to appointing Yongli as the minister of military aircraft, Jiaqing also transferred Qinggui and others to the military aircraft; at the same time, he also promoted a large number of officials who made a difference on weekdays. In this way, everything was ready, just waiting for the time to come.
On the fourth day of the first lunar month, Jiaqing suddenly issued an edict, condemning the generals who suppressed the White Lotus Sect in Sichuan for pretending to be rewarded, saying that the ministers leading the army and the general camp were enriching their own pockets and pretending to be rewarded. As soon as the edict was issued, there was an immediate explosion in the court.
And He Shen, who was "under house arrest" in the Palace of Qianqing in the Forbidden City, had no idea about this...
Since Heshen was ordered to watch the mourning in Jiaqing, he has been waiting in front of the spirit day and night, often staring at Qianlong's Zi Palace. Stay. In the past three years, there have been many changes in the He family.
Although the money in the house is accumulating more and more, his popularity is getting weaker and weaker. First the youngest son, then Helin, grandson and wife passed away one after another. Qianlong's death made him feel the impermanence of life even more.
He Shen was standing next to Jiaqing at this time, looking at his proud look, and couldn't help but feel fear. In his memory, Jiaqing was a cautious emperor who was always respectful in front of him.
Although it has been three years since he took the throne, in these three years, he had to ask Heshen for advice on everything he did, and he made no secret of his trust and dependence on Heshen. But today, Jiaqing's appearance seemed to have completely changed, becoming strange to He Shen. Could it be that I was really deceived by him?
"In the past few days, I have received memorials to impeach He Shen from Wang Niansun , Yushi Guangxing, Yushi Guangtai, bachelor Liu Yong and others. After my investigation, most of the information reported is true. I will remove the positions of Bachelor Heshen, Minister of Military Aircraft and Infantry Commander, etc., and put them in jail! "
Jiaqing announced to the ministers without even looking at He Shen.In fact, the ministers had already expected such a scene, and the only ones who were really surprised were He Shen and Fu Chang'an.
The then Governor of Zhili Hu Jitang took the lead in presenting the memorial. He believed that He Shen had no superiority, was greedy and dissolute, and should be "executed in a hurry".
Hu Jitang's proposal made Jiaqing very satisfied. Everything was going as he expected. As long as he made a stroke of his pen, He Shen would be dead and in another place immediately.
His hatred for He Shen has lasted for more than a day or two, and the hatred that has been suppressed for many years can finally be vented. This hatred even made him forget the pain of losing his father, and all he felt was a kind of pleasure.
So Jiaqing immediately issued an order asking officials of third rank or above in Beijing to study Hu Jitang's proposal. This was actually a secret agreement with Hu Jitang's proposal to execute He Shen Lingchi.
When He Shen heard the emperor's will, his face instantly turned pale. After all, he was not defeated by Emperor Jiaqing. However, suddenly, he thought of a secret decree that Qianlong had given him during his lifetime.
Inferring based on the situation at the time, He Shen believed that it was probably Qianlong who had already anticipated today's scene and issued a "life-saving edict" to him.
So He Shen quickly returned to the house and took out the secret decree, and excitedly opened it to read. However, He Shen felt like a thunderbolt after seeing it. I saw three words written on it, "leave the whole body."
It seems that He Shen is still doomed after all.
When He Shen died, Jiaqing finally felt relieved. He finally became the real emperor four years after ascending the throne. Not only that, the eradication of Heshen also brought huge economic benefits to Jiaqing, which can be said to be the most significant masterpiece in his life.
Fifteen years later, Jiaqing has reached the age of knowing destiny. When he recalled this past event, all the hatred in the past had disappeared.
In this year, National History Museum compiled a "Biography of Heshen" and presented it to Jiaqing for review. This biography has a very simple record of Heshen, only recording Heshen's official rank and 20 crimes before his death.
After Jiaqing read it, he ordered the National History Museum to re-write "The Biography of Heshen" and personally gave instructions:
"Heshen is not without merit. He is shrewd and agile, and served for 30 years." He did a lot of things during the years. It's just that he was greedy, selfish, and arrogant, so I had to punish him severely. "
From then on, all the love and hatred related to Heshen gradually faded away in the track of history, and were destroyed by the dust of time...
Some references:
Li Juan, Li Weiwei. Heshen. Beijing: Beijing Library Press , 2007.11.
Ji Lianhai. He Shen in History. Beijing: China Democracy and Legal Press, 2018.01.
Tang Wenji. Biography of He Shen. Beijing: Oriental Publishing House , 2009.09.
